What are the top 10 MLM skills and traits to develop?
I think there are lots of valuable skills and traits to develop if you want to become really successful in the network marketing industry.
I’ve studied a lot of successful leaders in our industry.
Even though they all had different personalities, religions, upbringings and values, they also have many things in common.
The one PRIMARY thing they all have in common is that they are all very committed to their own personal development.
They are ALWAYS striving to learn new skills and improve.
They want to get better every single day and develop their potential.
They read a lot of books, go to seminars, listen to CDs, and have mentors.
What do they study? What skills do they work on?
Keep reading and I will share them with you! They are listed in no particular order.
# 1 Vision
I believe that vision is # 1 trait of successful leaders in EVERY industry.
Vision is your ability to see something before it actually exists.
It’s the ability to see WHERE you want to go, or where you want to be, before you get there.
Most people have very little vision.
Most people think day to day or maybe week to week.
Most people can’t see past their next paycheck.
Most people spend more time planning their vacation than they do planning their life.
True leaders are visionaries.
They think years and decades ahead.
They know who they are, what they want, and where they are headed!
If you’re not naturally a visionary, you want to work on it.
The easiest thing you can do is take the time to identify your WHY and your PURPOSE in life.
# 2 Goal Setting
All successful people have clear, written goals.
You need to learn how to set realistic, attainable goals for your life and business.
This includes long-term, five year, one year, one month and weekly/daily goals.
These smaller goals will move you closer to your bigger goals.
You should have your goals written down on paper and you should read them every day.
You should also share them with your spouse and/or an accountability partner (such as your upline).
# 3 Action
You can’t think your way to success in network marketing or anything else in life.
Ultimately, you have to roll up your sleeves and get your ass to work!
This is one area that a lot of reps mess up on.
They confuse activity and productivity.
They confuse thinking about their business with growing their business. You want to become a person who gets things done.
You need your prioritized “to do” list every day and you need to get to work.
You won’t build your business watching television or by surfing the web.
If you don’t do the work, nothing will happen!
Taking massive action is the remedy to most of your problems.
# 4 Enthusiasm and Passion
Ever meet a salesperson who was dull and boring?
Did you buy from them?
Probably not.
Neither did I!
You want to be enthusiastic and passionate about what you do, who you are, and where you are headed.
Don’t confuse this with hype though.
When you talk with people, your enthusiasm and passion should be obvious.
Enthusiasm is contagious.
People like to buy from enthusiastic people! Make sure that you do an attitude check every day.
# 5 Prospecting & Lead Generation
This is a skill that can make you very wealthy.
I can’t believe how many folks get in our industry and don’t spend any time or money to learn how to generate leads.
Invest your time and money reading books about marketing and lead generation.
Attend a few workshops and seminars.
Hire a mentor to help you.
Once you know how to generate an endless flow of leads for your business, you will never run out of people to talk to.
If I could credit just one thing to my success in business it’s that I took two years to study marketing and lead generation.
Mastering these skills have helped me immensely.
# 6 Belief
I would never buy something from someone who didn’t believe in their own product or business opportunity.
You need to work on your belief in three different areas.
First, you need to believe in yourself. If you have “self-esteem” issues or “worthiness” issues get some help. Talk to a doctor, pastor or psychologist.
You also need to believe in your company and products. It helps if you are really passionate about them. People who LOVE their product line can’t help but share it with others.
Finally, you have to have a rock solid belief in the network marketing industry.
Remember that people are going to assess you when they meet with you.
If they don’t think you believe in what you are doing, why should they believe in it?
# 7 Inviting
If there is one skill you really want to develop, it’s how to invite people to a presentation.
You want to learn the right way to invite prospects to a meeting, webinar or event.
Your job is to get as many folks to the event as you can.
Even if you aren’t good at presenting the business opportunity yourself, or don’t want to do a business presentation yourself, if you know how to invite others to a presentation you can become really successful in network marketing.
# 8 Leadership
To really make it big in network marketing, you have to become a leader.
You don’t have to start out that way though.
Start out as a good follower until you become a good leader.
A good leader is someone who knows their purpose and has a vision.
They treat others with respect, share their ideas with them, and influence their followers.
You have to remember that people don’t join business opportunities, they join people.
Become a leader and others will want to work with you.
How do you become a leader?
Be a person of action.
Care about other people.
Be results oriented.
Share your vision with others.
Be committed to your vision.
Lead by example at all times.
# 9 Communicating
Good communication skills are vital if you want to succeed in business (and in your home life).
You must be able to express your ideas effectively to others through verbal, non-verbal and written communication.
One good thing to do is to take a public speaking class, or sign up for Toastmasters.
That helped me immensely.
This one skill alone can really launch your network marketing business.
You should also develop your writing skills.
This is a lost art in America.
Another great tip is to learn how to listen!
Do less talking and more listening.
Show a genuine interest in others!
People love to be around a good listener.
Get good at asking questions and listening.
# 10 Selling
No, you don’t have to be a high pressure salesperson to succeed in this industry.
But you do need to know how to close a sale.
I think anyone that owns any type of business, even a network marketing business, should work on their salesmanship skills.
This includes your people skills, persuasion skills, and closing skills.
We can all improve our people skills and selling skills.
Read books.
Attend a few seminars on selling.
Learn how to get customers.
Learn how to close people.
If you can’t make a sale (either your product or your business) you will be out of business in no time.
Final Thoughts
There you have it folks. This is my list of the top 10 MLM traits and skills to develop. Which skill or trait on this list do you think is most important? Why? Which skill or trait did I forget to include? 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.
Great post Chuck.
I would add that all throughout life, we can keep developing these skills and traits. No matter what, we will never be perfect with them.
You mentioned vision as #1 and I completely agree. Without a vision, you have nothing. Goals to reach that vision are quite important. It is good to set objectives to reach the goals. We should set long term goals and short term goals.
I also want to add that we need to always know the difference between passion and hype. There is a huge difference between the 2.
As an entrepreneur, you definitely have to see things before they exist. Otherwise, they will never come to exist.
I think you have compiled a good list of traits and characteristics here. I would like to comment on the traits of enthusiasm and passion which I think are so important. I think an absence of passion automatically (in most cases) leads to a scenario where the person is not putting all of there effort and energy into what they are doing. Passion is the fuel that propels you towards achieving your goals. You may get somewhere without it, but chances are you won’t get as far as you could have gotten and you won’t be happy in the process.
Yes, enthusiasm is a top trait of network marketers. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Great list of traits to develop for those already involved or interesting in becoming involved with MLM. Certainly all of these abilities should be given attention, but some more than others. It depends where your vision is centered, which is why I think vision and goal-setting are the two most important tools. Is your mindset centered on sales? On personal development? Mentoring? Leadership? Your vision and the goals you set to realize that vision will be reflected in your mindset and the skills you develop. Before you can choose which skills to build, you need to know the purpose for your development; where are you going and how are you going to get there?
I am focused on vision, goal setting and personal development. I’ve found by focusing on that everything else falls into place. Just my two cents.
I think a lot of people get caught up and hone in on one or just a few of the skills you’ve mentioned. They might have an excellent vision and really believe in what they are selling but aren’t great at communication. Becoming successful MLM and network marketing is hard work! It also requires taking calculated risks.
For things to get better you have to get better.