BUILDING A NETWORK MARKETING BUSINESS

Get Attached to the Process. Not the Results.
by Paula Pritchard

The following portion of an article is reproduced with written permission of KAP and Associates, LLC 2006.

Building a network marketing business is pretty cut and dry. You show, they decide, some get involved (with the product, the business or both), they show and it starts all over again. If we were all robots working day in and day out, success would be a given.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. We are human beings, and the real variable in our journey to success revolves around emotional issues, the most important being rejection. The fear of rejection can and does paralyze people.

In the process of building a network marketing business, there are two areas where the likelihood of rejection tends to run very high. They are: the invitation to see the business, and the decision to get in the business. Distributors tend to measure their success based on the results they get in these two areas, so I try to insulate my people from the consequences of rejection the best ways I know by:

1. Getting them sold first. Elevate their belief level in the industry and the company to solidify their commitment.
2. Increasing their skills so they feel competent. Teach them how to invite, avoid skepticism, present the business, respond to objections, ask for the decision, get someone started and get them trained.
3. Making them understand the process and minimizing the psychological effects.

Eighty percent of recruiting is preparation. Companies don’t send their salespeople out on sales calls without preparation. Sports teams do not take on their opponent without a great deal of preparation. Preparation is critical. Early in my career, I found some ways to personally prepare against the effects of rejection.

First of all, I imagined putting on an invisible suit of psychological armor. Imagine this invisible shield that nothing can penetrate, not bullets, arrows or even nos. You want to feel bulletproof.

Second, I began to live by the concept, “Get attached to the process not the results.” I know that this is a little different from what we are taught in life. After all, Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Understand, I don’t mean you continue to do something that isn’t working. I do mean, since the process required in network marketing is pretty standard and many others have succeeded before you, stay the course.

Don’t get attached to a yes or no. After all, a yes can mean no if they get involved and do nothing, and a no can mean no for now and yes for later, if you left a good impression.

Treat your network business like a traditional business. A retail business wants traffic. They don’t get hung up on one who says “Yes, I’ll buy” and who says “No.” It’s the same in real estate. Selling a house is all about traffic. It revolves around the law of averages, and it’s the same in network marketing.

You cannot control who says yes or no, just as you cannot make someone successful, but the sheer numbers will mean that you can be a success anyway, irrelevant of your powers of influence. You just have to show enough people. The best part is that you can control the number of people you talk to, and if you focus on the numbers, you will end up with enough people signed up to take you to the top.

Let me simplify further. There are ratios involving the number of people you talk to and the percentage of that number that actually want to see the business. Then there are ratios between the number of people you show the business to and the percentage of that number that actually sign up. Finally, there are ratios between the number of people who join the business and the percentage of that number that actually do something.

For example, if you have shown the business to 25 people and five have joined you, then your ratio is one in five. If, of those five that signed on, one is a real leader, then your ratio is a constant one in five across the board. This means that if you need three leaders in your business to reach the top position, you will need to sponsor 15 and show 75.

Knowledge of the numbers and a willingness to work those numbers will put you in control of your business. No more guesswork. You know what to do. When you understand this completely, you will understand how important it is not to get caught up in the answer of the moment. Just put on your bulletproof armor and proceed with the process.

Success does not have to be elusive. The only difference between you and those at the top is that they have heard—and let go of—more nos. It is all part of the price we pay for success. But remember, you do have control. You have control of the one and only thing that really matters—YOU. So, get attached to the process not the results.

Paula Pritchard is a self-made millionaire who has built global organizations of as many as 200,000 across 16 countries. You can read about Paula and her book “Owning Yourself” and training program “What You Need to Know to Build a Profitable Network Marketing Business,” available on CD at www.MLMMadeSimple.com

Copyright KAP and Associates, LLC 2006