Network marketing is presented to you as an easy, effortless business. A business that you can work part-time–create a huge income for yourself. This sounds great since you are sick and tired of working long hours for someone else.

So you go for it. You sign up with a great company that has great products. Your sponsor tells you to make a list of family, friends, and acquaintances to “share” this great opportunity with. Get them to sign up and in a short period of time you and your massive downline will be rich. Or, so you seem to believe based on what your sponsor and upline sponsor tells (hypes to) you.

Soon, you realize that network marketing is not easy and effortless. You have no downline. Your sponsor has left the company and the upline sponsor is not helping you. He/she says you are not putting enough effort into building your business. Implying that your “belief” is not strong enough. In addition you are in debt a few thousand dollars due to buying product, attending every company meeting, and buying worthless leads. You are frustrated and angry. “What am I doing wrong?” you keep asking yourself. You receive no answer. You quit network marketing. Now you are in the 97% who fail at network marketing group. So what!? You have had enough!

Yet you still believe in the concept of network marketing. You join one company after another hoping “things” will change. Nothing changes except you are deeper in debt. Deep down inside you believe a successful business is waiting to come forth. One not built on hype, friends, family, acquaintances or bad leads. You know something is missing, but what?

Change your Focus

You were told to focus on the business and the products. Which means the focus is on you. You want the huge downline and residual checks. You want the big house with the Olympic size pool and six cars. You need to change your focus. First, network marketing is not about you. It is about providing solutions to people’s challenges. How you can help them. Be of service to them. Remember the people you talk to do not care about you, network marketing, or how great the company compensation plan is. They need solutions.

Listen to people

Second, you must listen to people. Ask them questions. How can you provide a solution to their challenges if you do not know what they are? People will not openly tell you their challenges. You may have to ask a lot of questions to find out what they need and what they fear. This process is building a relationship. People have to be comfortable with you. They have to like you before they tell you anything about themselves.

Give away Information

Third, give them information to look over. Not information about your business opportunity. This information must be generic and it should address or touch on the person’s needs. Give away the information in the form of an e-book, cd, dvd,mp3, etc. An example of this is on my site at www.mlmgoodies.com.  Click on the links under ‘Blogroll’ to understand what I do. I follow up with the person(s) who receive the free information and begin to build a relationship with them. You should do the same.

Network marketing is changing. The business is no longer about products, opportunity meetings, and the compensation plan. Making lists and harassing family, friends, and acquaintances is old school methodology. The new way of building a business is about providing information to people who need solutions to their challenges. Listening and asking questions helps us build relationships with people. Remember this business is not about us. It is about the other person.