Top 12 Mistakes We Make In Direct Selling / Network Marketing Business
To be successful in any field, it is very important to have the knowledge of the Do’s & Don’ts of the field. These can be learnt from the mistakes and experiences of successful people in that field. Over the past 15 years of being associated with the empowering industry of Direct Selling/Network Marketing, I have seen many people with much more talent than mine, not having reached the pinnacle of success that I saw, due to one or many of the following mistakes.
Mistake No 1
Not knowing your WHY!
The most basic prerequisite for your success in Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business is being aware of the reason/ purpose/ vision of starting the business. Stronger the reasons for doing the Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business, bigger the probability of success. Most people start their Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business just because they were approached for the same by friends or relatives, some for some extra money. Many-a-times, people set expectations from this industry that seem nothing short of a miracle. However, they lose their motivation soon and give up when they suffer setback or when things don’t work out as expected. Direct Selling/Network Marketing requires resilience and a fighting spirit, but most importantly, it requires you to discover and keep in mind what you want out of it. WHY you do something is more important that WHAT you do or HOW you do it. So, find your WHY, i.e., your Reason/ Purpose or Vision of doing Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business.
Mistake No 2
Starting off without proper market knowledge
Most people fail in Direct Selling / Network Marketing as they start on their own without getting proper knowledge of the industry, its opportunities and its products from relevant sources. Secondly, they are unaware of the required presentation skills. This creates under-confidence and cold feet. It is important to acquire information about your MLM company, its products, its Business/payment structure, the benefits and USPs of the company, and most importantly, the standardized system of working in the business, which can be learned by attending company/team training meetings, or from your sponsors/upline leaders. If such training and knowledge is not gained, the chances of succeeding in Network Marketing are very bleak, and the path ahead will ultimately falter, leading to failure.
Mistake No 3
Prejudging people on their ability to generate business
The primary capital of this business is building an ever-increasing list of contacts. Larger the list, higher the chances of your success. Most Direct Sellers / Network Marketers prejudge people on their ability to generate business and filter them out of their list. Keeping an open mind towards people and giving them a chance to prove themselves is always better than deciding for ourselves whether they would be interested in Network Marketing or not. For our own good, our job is to show them the opportunity in detail and not decide whether they will be good or not. I have witnessed several cases where the people I thought would join the business didn’t, whereas people who I least expected to do well ended up doing splendidly, growing and prospering in the business. I would definitely advise you never to underestimate anyone; they could turn out to be your future Diamond!
Mistake No 4
Expecting every person that you approach to join the business
Another misconception that a new Direct Selling/ Network Marketing distributor has is that every person he approaches will be equally convinced, just like him, and join the business wholeheartedly. This is an unrealistic expectation which will result in disappointment. In Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business, one cannot completely depend on their intelligence, street-smarts, knowledge or skills to convert every prospective into a distributor. Even the Almighty must submit to the Law of averages, as a few people will turn out to be atheists! In Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business, one must accept that he will face a good number of rejections too.
Mistake No 5
Planning more and doing less
Most new distributors are overzealous when it comes to thinking and planning on how to grow the business, how to present and attract prospects, but spend less time in actually breaking the ground and getting their hands dirty on the field. The end up showing the plan to limited people but expect a higher percentage of them to join after a month or so. This creates an illusion of doing a lot of work and not getting the expected results. But the fact remains that they were actually thinking a lot rather than doing a lot.
Mistake No 6
Ceasing to sponsor and help your downline after 2 to 4 people have joined into their network
Recruiting is a continuous process, and a critical requirement for the Network Marketing business to run. However, most of the new distributors sponsor 2 to 4 people in their downline and consider their job done. They pass the baton on to them, believing that the newly recruited distributors will carry out the rest of the business for them and they can stop putting in any more efforts and relax. This is not the modus operandi for success in Network Marketing. Sponsoring new people on a regular and continuous basis and helping them to become independent in working and running their business is the most important requirement for your growth and success in Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business.
Mistake No 7
Ceasing to attend BOP / Seminars and training and failing to follow system after few downlines
One must never shy away from learning if they truly want to succeed. By attending Business Opportunity Presentation Seminars and various Training meetings you can learn the rules of the system. The next step is to follow them. Not participating in system is like taking your foot away from the accelerator of your car. Your business will come to a halt in no time! Most new distributors think that after attending few training meetings, they now know it all. In turn, their downline will do the same which will ultimately stop their business growth. Leaders understand that “lone rangers”, even if they do well initially, will not enjoy long term and sustained growth. For a long-term success plan, you must follow a step by step, replicable system and its rules till the time you are in the business. Stay plugged into THE SYSTEM, instead of creating your own.
Mistake No 8
Shifting focus from income to othre things
Any distributor enters the business to earn income. Hence their focus should be on getting income and on doing things that would fetch further income. But it is observed that with time, their focus usually shifts to other things. It becomes necessary to remind ourselves that we entered the business to earn income and any emotions or ego should not shift our focus from money to other irrelevant things. Where your focus goes, it grows. Hence, if the focus is on income then the income will grow.
Mistake No 9
Submitting to emotional attacks
Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business is a very emotional business. Every distributor starts with very high hopes. Invariably, he goes through a roller coaster ride of positive as well as negative emotions. Positive emotions boost positive actions. If the distributor is excited about his prospects, he will use the products of the company, share product information with his contacts, willingly make business presentations and participate by being cohesive with the system. Similarly, negative emotions will bring negative attacks in their outlook towards the business, in respect of products, plan, uplines, company etc. This will lead him towards negative action like not patronizing the company’s products, not being interested in attending business programs, ignoring their sponsor/ upline leaders calls or meeting them. This will finally lead to forgetting why they started the business in the first place, and ultimately quitting the business itself. Developing the mental strength to insulate oneself from negative attacks, while absorbing positive attacks is the key to your success in Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business.
Mistake No 10
Being Uncoachable
Ego and a ‘know-it-all’ attitude are the nemesis of Network Marketing. The more you learn, the more you earn. Learning from successful upline/ sponsors is the fastest way to achieve success. But for this you should be willing to get coached. Most people try to build their business on their own, only depending on their own limited knowledge and understanding of the market. They are resistant to learn the steps and process of doing this business and believe that Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business is similar to any traditional business, which is far from the truth. Things that work in traditional business may not work in Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business at all. Your line of sponsors and leaders have learned the methods, techniques and strategies that work best for this business, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Your sponsors and leaders will work with you and teach you everything they know, for free. Learn from them.
Mistake No 11
Not leading by example
Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business is business of walking the talk and not just preaching. You should first demonstrate in yourself what you expect from your downline. For example, before you tell them to buy the company’s products, you need to use them yourself. You must show up for all the business trainings and follow all rules of system (read blog- Rules of System) before you tell them to do so. Through your own achievements in ranks and making the money you promise to them yourself, you will be able to convince them of the endless possibilities that Network Marketing has to offer. In a nutshell, you should always be leading by example for getting maximum outcome from your downline and your team.
Mistake No 12
Quitting
“Quitters never win and winners never quit”. Quitting is the ultimate tragedy. Many of the life’s failures are from people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up. No one can promise you that the road to success will be easy and smooth, but in Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business, if you stick to the plan and work towards building and enhancing it, the results will surely exceed the efforts, much beyond your imagination. Network marketing is the only business where an average person can grow a business of their own and allow themselves the freedom to do what they want, the way they want. Once you start, make it a thumb-rule never to think of quitting. Find a product, a company and a sponsor you believe in and go to work. Don’t look back. Keep moving forward, one step at a time, towards the dream life, filled with freedom and success.
If you are interested in more clarity and knowledge about Direct Selling/ Network Marketing business and wish to achieve the desired success and willing to have a chat with me, please leave your name and a message here.