There are many different ways to build your MLM Business.
Interview 100 top earners in our great industry and you will quickly discover that they each used a different strategy to build their MLM Business. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Why? Because we are all different.
If you want to succeed in this great industry, you need to find a business building strategy that makes sense to you and leverages your own strengths, talents and abilities. Otherwise, you will be facing an uphill battle.
Some of the most popular business building strategies include home parties, one-on-one meetings, YouTube videos, blogging, solo ads, cold calling, direct mail, local events, and social media.
In the paragraphs below I will share my top 13 different ways to build your MLM Business.
If what you are doing right now is working for you, don’t change things up. Keep doing what you are currently doing. On the other hand, if what you are doing right now isn’t working, I suggest you pick ONE of these methods that makes sense to you and focus on that one method exclusively until you master it. Let’s get started.
Top 13 Different Ways to Build Your MLM Business
# 1: Home Parties/Party Plan
Home parties and the party plan are still a very popular and effective way to grow your network marketing business.
With a home party, you simply get started by inviting five to ten friends over to your house for a launch party. You spend about an hour sharing the business and products. You share your product story with your guests. You give a brief overview of the company and compensation plan and talk about why you joined the company.
You hand out product samples, answer questions, have friendly conversations with your guests, take orders, and sign up new distributors and customers on the spot. Home parties work. I’ve used them myself with great success, in the past.
The party plan is used more with direct sales companies such as Tupperware, Pampered Chef, and Arbonne. With this method you can visit a friend’s house to demo some of the products and focus on making retail sales.
Just to clarify, a home party/launch party are slightly different. Launch parties focus on presenting the business opportunity and recruiting distributors, whereas the party plan focuses more on retailing the products.
Most network marketers are focused on getting new business online, but home parties will move you from high-tech to high-touch. It’s an opportunity to see, touch and try the products, ask questions and receive immediate answers, and hear others’ opinions. ~ Entrepreneur.com
# 2: Direct Mail
I am a HUGE fan of direct mail. No, it isn’t as sexy as the internet, but it works. Everyone I know checks their mail every day and they look forward to getting the mail! How about you?
Very few people in our industry build their MLM Business through direct mail, so you won’t have much competition (if any).
You have choices with direct mail. You could do postcard marketing and send people to your website. You could sell your products through the mail. Or, you could create your own newsletter and focus your efforts on building up your subscriber base.
For example, if your company specializes in essential oils, you could create an essential oils newsletter. Your newsletter would promote your products and business for you.
You could also offer additional products and services that you make money on, such as books, training, consulting, and coaching.
Some people worry about the cost of direct mail. I worry more about the return on investment. If you can make a positive ROI doing it, who cares what the cost is!
For someone on my mailing list I spend about $10 per year to keep in touch with them. Even if they just make one purchase during the year, I normally make back at least three times my investment. It’s definitely worth it.
Unlike other marketing channels such as radio and television spots, direct mail can be used to give organizations the choice to target smaller groups of more qualified leads at a much reduced cost. ~ MailDMI.com
# 3: One-on-One Meetings
These meetings are where you meet someone at a local coffee shop or at their home and explain what you do in a private, quiet setting. Basically, you invite your prospect to meet with you in a one-on-one setting and you take 30 to 60-minutes to share what you have to offer them. I’ve found this method to be extremely effective. The only downside is that it is time very time consuming and you can’t leverage your time.
# 4: YouTube
Some people have leveraged YouTube to build their network marketing business.
YouTube works, especially if you are a people person. It might just be the best, most cost effective strategy on this list (for certain people).
The beauty of YouTube is that the videos often rank high in the search engines, so you can get a lot of eyeballs to see your videos. If you do your videos right, you can convert a lot of these eyeballs into customers and distributors on your team. Your key to success is to provide value. Make good quality videos with good information. Whatever you do, don’t come across as a desperate salesperson!
If you’re going to do YouTube, pick a small niche and dominate that niche. Become an expert and focus your time on creating videos that educate others. Be the go to person in your niche. And, make sure you share your capture page link below each video (and in each video). That way you can build your list!
YouTube allows customers to see your products in action before buying them. This is particularly beneficial for those who sell online. Remember, nothing will market your product better than an actual video demonstration.
YouTube can help your business attract customers from different parts of the world. The more people watch your videos, the more business you can generate. ~ Social Speak Network
# 5: Blogging
I generate a lot of leads through this blog and my other websites. Creating your own blog is a TIME CONSUMING and a LONG TERM approach to generating leads and building your MLM Business.
Don’t expect any type of results for at least one or two YEARS using this method, if not longer. However, once your blog is established and you have a loyal following, you can get a lot of customers and distributors with your blog, all on complete auto-pilot.
I build my business by blogging because I love to write (and teach).
# 6: Solo Ads & Email Marketing
Solo ads and email marketing are another common way to build a network marketing business.
Basically, you buy a solo ad and send your email to someone else’s email list. You send them to a capture page and convert them into a lead. You have your own auto-responder that automatically follows up with them.
Assuming you have good sales copy in your emails, you can convert some of these folks into paying customers and distributors. The best part is that your auto-responder does the work for you 24/7. Regardless of what strategy you pick to build your network marketing business, you should still have an auto-responder. It is hands down my most valuable business building tool.
# 7: Local Events
Local events are a SMART way to build your network marketing business. You could rent a booth at a trade-show, a job fair, bazaar or even at a flea market.
You can display your products and focus on generating leads. What’s great about events are that your prospects come to you!
You simply answer people’s questions, collect leads, and follow up with people after the event. This method can be expensive, depending upon the venue, so I suggest you start small and look for free or low-cost events in your local area, to see what type of results you get. You can also “split the costs” with a team member and work the event together.
Gathering leads from events is more powerful because it is exclusive, direct, and interactive. You look the prospects right in the eye. It develops much more intimate communication between you as a brand to the prospect or customer.
Also, people get more understanding of the products and services offered by the company. When you try to contact customers, you often feel them as intrusive, like with cold-calling or emails. ~ The MKT Boy.com
# 8: Facebook
Facebook is a wonderful way to build your network marketing business, when you do it the right way. The last thing you want to do is blast all of your friends or “puke” your business opportunity and products all over your timeline or wall. That’s what most reps do.
You have a couple good options with Facebook. You could pick a niche that is relevant to your company’s product line and create your own group. For example, if your company specializes in weight loss, you could create a weight loss group, create a following, and position yourself as an expert in weight loss.
Provide advice without selling and attract others to you, who will in return ask you more about what you do and what you have to offer them.
Another option is to post pictures and lifestyle marketing on your personal wall. Post pictures of you at events, using the products, spending time with business partners, and having fun. Pique people’s interest and get them to contact you first.
When you engage with your customers by providing useful content, they become your brand ambassadors. When this happens, something powerful occurs on Facebook….Influence. Your brand ambassadors will SHARE your content with their friends thereby influencing them to Like your page or better yet, become aware of your business or products.
# 9: Buying Leads & Cold Calling
Buying leads and/or cold calling is a proven way of building a network marketing business, but it is not for the feint at heart! You must be mentally tough to use this method. You will get tons of rejection. That being said, there are some big earners in our industry who have done this with great success.
The beauty of cold calling is the raw number of people you can contact on a daily basis. It’s probably the fastest way to build your network marketing business, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
If this method appeals to you, you should memorize a decent script and familiarize yourself with the DO NOT call list so you don’t get yourself into legal trouble.
Long before you pick up the phone, your first task is to create a list of highly-qualified prospects who you think would find some real value in the products or services you offer. There’s no use reaching out to prospects who have no need for what you sell.
Start by defining what problems your product solves for your target market and identify job titles held by key decision-makers within that niche. ~ Ring Central
# 10: Public Speaking
For some of you, this will be the best method on this list, because it works and very few people do it.
Most people fear public speaking more than they fear their own death, so you will be one of only a few people doing this.
Basically, you pick a topic that you want to become a subject matter expert in. Subjects might include starting a business, something about your product line, health, etc.
Once you craft your speech and get some practice, reach out to local organizations in your community and offer to speak for free. Most of these organizations are looking for speakers for their events.
The beauty of this method is that you can give your speech to 20 to a few hundred people at one time and generate leads for your business. It’s a win-win. If you are a talented speaker, you can even get paid to speak.
# 11: Attraction Marketing
I love attraction marketing. This is when you position yourself as an expert at something. You learn everything you can about a subject and you teach it to others.
You blog, podcast, create videos, write newsletters, and become an expert in a specific niche. You become the go-to-person in that niche and you build up a large following of people who know you, like you, and trust you.
As you do this you can recommend your products and services as one of your income streams.
# 12: Podcasting
I am fairly new to podcasting, but I love it. I’ve created about 450 episodes as of date. This is similar to a radio talk show. You pick a topic and talk about it. You can interview others or do it yourself. You can talk about a variety of issues within a specific niche. Basically, you are positioning yourself as an expert and many people will buy what you recommend.
Podcasts are one of the best ways to reach people, no matter where they are situated. People can listen to the audio version of the content that you put out anywhere and everywhere. As long as your listeners have a stable connection to the internet and a smart device, you can convey your dreams. ~ Start Up Talky
# 13: Lifestyle Marketing
I learned about this concept from one of my mentors, Jordan Adler. This is a great approach to build a successful network marketing business. Anyone can do it. Basically, you live your life, do fun things, meet new people, build new friendships, and introduce people to what you do as you go. This has got to be the most enjoyable strategy on this list.
Additional Insights
Once again, there are many different ways to build your MLM Business. You can build your network marketing business using ANY or all of these methods. There is no right or wrong method. Ultimately, you must find something that works for you that you feel comfortable doing, and then go out and take massive action. Regardless of what method you do, make sure that you add the personal touch.
What I’d like to do for a moment is keep it real with you and put things in perspective.
At the end of the day, to succeed in MLM you must talk to people (lots of people)! This is a business of exposures.
You must connect with minimum five to ten people per day and you must show at least 20 business presentations per month for at least two years to five years BEFORE you will make it big. That is the best piece of advice I can share with you. You must work the numbers to succeed.
This will always be a people business. People join people. People must know you, like you, and trust you before they will join your team or become a customer. You can leverage technology to meet new people, but you will always need to add the personal touch.
That being said, there are TONS of ways to generate leads and meet people. Just remember that if you meet people online your goal is to connect with them offline as quickly as possible. That way you can connect with them as a person and build a relationship with them.
My final tip is to pick just ONE of these business building strategies at first, and focus on nothing else for at least two years. If you try to do too many strategies at once, you won’t get very far. Focus is key!
What I Do to Build My MLM Business
Some of you might be wondering what strategies I use to build my network marketing business. I figured I’d take a moment or two and share it with you.
Blogging is my primary business building strategy. Everything revolves around my blog (the one you are reading right now). My target market for my blog is other network marketers and my goal is to be the No B.S. Network Marketer who tells people the truth. I educate and help others, and as a result, some of them are “attracted” to my style and want to do business with me.
In addition to my blog, I do podcasting, YouTube, direct mail, solo ads, Facebook, and attraction marketing. All of these things are intertwined with my blog. I follow a daily checklist with 10-20 tasks, to keep me organized an on point.
All of my marketing is designed to get people to visit my blog. From there, a percentage of them join my list to learn more about my business.
Final Thoughts
What are your thoughts about the different ways to build your MLM Business? How do you build your network marketing business? What are the different ways to build a MLM Business as you see it? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Suggested Articles
- 34 Ways to Get Leads
- My System for Building My MLM Business
- How to Get Leads on Instagram
- Four Ways the Internet Changed the MLM Industry
- Dealing with Rejection in Your MLM Business
Sincerely,
Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
I am new here and very ready to learn, hence I do have a blog and and already are the press to get my sizzle cards, I plan to distribute about 10 per day as I go about my daily life, do you still think sizzle card can make any impression in this age and time, also am writing this from Lagos, Nigeria
Yes, sizzle cards still work, assuming you have a good message, a strong call to action, and you hand out several thousand each month.
Thanks for the reply…you are such a lifesaver, please I intend to sign up just 4 people per month, like how many sizzle cards do you think I need to hand out every month, what am actually kind of looking for is the number ratio, so that I can know how to work the numbers…thanks
Assume 1 in 1000 sizzle cards leads to a new rep, just to play it safe.
I believe with any, and all these methods, it is always important that you still build a list. Never leave off contacting people from time to time. As you have stated many times, the money is in the list, so no matter which method you are using, always keep putting names and contact information in your notebook or rolodex.
I believe that you put the top 1 at the start of the list. The home party system is probably the most utilized MLM system builder used.
Good point, Greg. Whatever method you choose to pick your business, you need a list. Always add new people to your list every day and you will never run out of people to talk to or follow up with.
Here are two more possibilities to consider:
First, the online party. I normally see these on facebook. The hostess sends out invitations just as she (or he) would for a traditional party, but rather than a set date at her home, she gives frame in which you can place orders on the company website under her party link. As a customer, I do not like these as much as a traditional party where I can socialize and physically see the items I am interested in purchasing, but it really cuts out a lot of work for the hostess.
Second, the fund raiser. I normally see these done through my school. Some of the local MLM business owners whose children go to the school will let people know that if they place orders during a certain time period, a certain percentage of the amount they spend will be donated to the school. That is a win-win.
Fundraisers and online parties are both great ways to build your business as I see it!
Many years ago, I was taught not to put “all my eggs in one basket.” I would recommend that a person use all of these methods. Just my opinion. Sure, you may find one that works better than the rest, but by using them all, you open yourself to a bigger audience and better odds. I think that anyone in the business that isn’t using social media is cutting themselves very short.
Great post Chuck.
Put a few pots in the first until you find what works. I think it’s best to focus on one method, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use other methods, too.