A good friend of mine asked me the secret to building a big MLM Business. It was very easy for me to answer her question. I believe the secret to building a big MLM business is actually quite simple. There are FOUR THINGS you need to have in place to build a big team. These things are listed in no particular order.
# 1 Amazing Products (or Services) That Stand On Their Own
Everything starts with the company’s products or services. The products or services must be exceptional and provide a ton of value. They must be so amazing that people will WANT to continue to buy and use the products, even if they stop building the business.
They must be such a good value that people who have no desire to become a distributor will still want to buy the products or services for their own personal use. If the products or services don’t make sense, neither will the business. Ideally, the products should have mass market appeal, be consumable, and be priced competitively.
People might join the company for the money initially, but if they don’t like the products or services they won’t stay for the long haul. I also believe that YOU must be passionate about your company’s products or services. Otherwise, you won’t stick with the business during difficult times.
# 2 A System for New Reps to Follow
Network marketing is about a lot of people doing a little bit. It’s not about one person selling tens of thousands of dollars in products (that is direct sales). It’s about everyone using the products, finding a few customers, and sponsoring a few people. Never forget this simple lesson!
When you add up hundreds, even thousands of people doing a little bit each month, you can have a huge commission check.
The key to make this happen is to have a simple system your team members can follow. You need clear instructions and guidance for the new person, especially someone with no sales, marketing or business experience. The system must be effective, efficient and affordable.
Your “system” is nothing more than step by step instructions on how to build a business.
# 3 Culture and Community
The team culture and company culture is the GLUE that keeps everything together. People want to belong to something greater than themselves. This is a basic, yet critical human need. You need to have a culture where people are recognized, appreciated and encouraged to work on their personal development. This consists of local and regional events, a Facebook group, weekly calls and webinars, one-on-one time, etc. The culture MUST focus on building strong personal relationships and personal development. Study the top 10 companies in our industry and you will see they have this mastered.
# 4 Leaders
You’ll never grow or maintain a big network marketing business without leaders. At the end of the day, this is a leadership business. Customers and reps come and go, but leaders are the ones responsible for building it big: building teams of thousands of people.
Even with a great product or service, an amazing team culture, and an effective system, your business will crumble if there aren’t leaders in it to keep things together. Leaders fix problems, provide motivation and direction, and cast the vision for their organization. They keep the team growing and moving forward. Without leaders, you are doomed for failure.
The beauty of our industry is that you only need a few key leaders to build a HUGE team. Best of all, you don’t even have to personally sponsor them yourself. They will normally show up in depth, many levels below you.
Additional Considerations
While I believe the four things listed above are the secret to building a big MLM business, the things listed below are also worth considering.
The timing of the company: You want to join a company BEFORE it becomes a household name and everyone has heard of it. The best time to join a company is when it is small (a few million dollars per month in sales) but not ground floor (too risky).
Your own personal development: Everyone joins the business with a different set of skills, and experience. Your past experience will either reward you or punish you. If you’re never done sales, marketing, leadership or entrepreneurship before, you will need to go through a HUGE learning curve. If you’ve done those things before, building a business will be much easier for you.
Your willingness to treat this like a real business: The people who succeed in our industry are the ones who act AS IF they have one million dollars invested in their business. Treat it like a hobby and it will pay you like one. Treat it like a business and it will pay you like a business.
Your desire, coachability, and work ethic: You could argue this is the # 1 secret to building a big MLM business. You must have a big, burning desire to succeed. You must be willing to follow your coach’s lead (not reinvent the wheel) and you must be willing to work your ass off. I’d bet that 98% or more of the people who join our industry don’t possess these three things. That’s why they struggle.
Final Thoughts
There you have it folks. This post shares the secret to building a big MLM Business. I hope you found the information helpful and informative. What are your thoughts? Do you agree with what I said or disagree? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. 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.