Talking about this subject is like saying a swear word in church. Oh well, I’m a bold dude and I’m going to talk about it anyway.
Today, I want to educate you about having delayed gratification in your network marketing business. I know this topic isn’t sexy or fun, but it’s something that you need to hear and learn from.
We live in a society where people want it and they want it now. We want our french-fries and we want them supersized. We love drive through food, instant dinners and high-speed internet.
Our patience is very low. We don’t want to have to wait for anything. God forbid we have to wait in line at the grocery store or check out.
When it comes to network marketing, this is really a bad mindset to have. And it plagues our industry. Many people join our industry with that lottery mentality that they can sign their name to the distributor agreement and the ATM machine will explode in their living room.
In fact, expecting instant gratification in ANY type of business is a big mistake.
You see, businesses take time to develop, grow and build. It takes most business owners several years just to make a profit. There, I said it. I know you didn’t want to hear it.
Even worse, many businesses in the real world never even make one dollar of profit! Most businesses don’t survive even five years. Don’t believe me? Just drive through your local town and see all the vacant buildings and strip malls.
What’s great about network marketing is that it doesn’t have to be that way. If you build your business right you should be break even by the end of your second month and be profitable by your third month. Even if it takes you a little bit longer than that it’s still a good deal. Try doing that in a regular business.
The truth is Rome wasn’t built in a day. When you start a business you have to go through a learning curve, especially if you’ve never owned a business before. Most people know that if they started a traditional business today they wouldn’t make a profit for minimum one to three years, but when these same folks join a network marketing company they expect the money to be rolling in by day two.
Really?
My hope for you is to have realistic expectations for your business. Before you worry about making the big bucks, why not learn how to make $1000 per month? And before you learn how to make $1000 per month, why not learn how to make $300 per month? And before you do that, why not learn how to get your products for free each month?
Instead of saying I’ll give this business a try for a month or two and see how it works, why not say I’ll commit to this business MINIMUM for two years, working five days a week, until I decide if it is a good fit for me or not?
If you really want to succeed, that’s the mindset you need to adopt. You have to give yourself a chance to succeed. You need to have some vision and see things before they exist. You must realize that all entrepreneurs must go through a learning curve and pay their dues. The beauty of this industry is that it’s inexpensive to join and you can be in the black within a month or two. Try doing that with a restaurant or barbershop!
You see, delayed gratification is your friend! You might not realize it yet, but the things you have to work hard for, that take time to accomplish, are the things you will cherish the most. They will also be the things with the greatest reward.
Get rid of your short term stinking thinking. Develop the long-term view and have some delayed gratification in your network marketing business.
If I had to sum it I would tell you to follow this advice. Set some big goals. Develop a game plan and action plan. Find a mentor. Focus on progress and incremental growth. Get better every day. Work hard every day and stick with it until you succeed!
My last piece of advice would be to remember this. Most people overestimate what they can do in six to twelve months and underestimate what they can do in three to five years. Just my two cents.
What do you think about delayed gratification in network marketing? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
You are so right about people wanting what they want now, and wanting it yesterday. Why anyone would think that they could suddenly start making a profit from their business immediately after starting it just behooves me. Yes, you may have been blunt, but network marketers need to hear it.
We can all see small blessings as we move along growing the business. If you use the method of selling products first and sharing the opportunity after, every time you get a product customer, you can smile and know that in time you will probably be able to convert them to a distributor.
Patience is a virtue!
Patience is a virtue, when combined with hard work and persistence.
I find it amazing the number of people who walk into MLM with the expectation that they are going to immediately generate this huge business and income. When has there ever been a time in life where you magically obtained success without having to put some work into it? It’s a point I make sure to highlight for all of the new incomers so they don’t have these unrealistic expectations.
No business is fast or easy money.
I am guilty of being very fussy and not wanting to wait for anything. I was this way for a long time but I finally realize how to wait because I have something or rather someone worth waiting for. It took me years but now I get it and I apply it to everything, including business and marketing. Truer words have never been said… Rome was not built in one day.
It’s okay to want things now, but you must realize that patience is a virtue. Just about anything worthwhile in life takes time and does not happen overnight.
Any kind of business or product takes its time to develop and to grow. No business can make you millionaire overnight. You have to work hard and work smart to achieve success. I love to read your blog Chuck.
There is no such thing as fast or easy money with a business.
Ha! I loved the opening. I think it’s good to talk about the topics that tend to be avoided. They may be a bit touchy, but someone has to bring it up! As for the whole post, I think you have the right idea and give great advice. I really love your final statement about how people both under and overestimate. Not only is that so true, but it’s also important to keep in mind. Awesome!
The bottom line is that good things take time.