Today, I want to take some time and educate you about the top 5 critical things every network marketer must do if they want to succeed in the business. This is easily one of the most important posts on my entire blog. Please bookmark it and share it with your team, if you find the information helpful.
# 1 Develop a Business Plan
If you were going to start ANY business on your own, you would have a WRITTEN business plan. Most banks require it if you’re trying to take out a business loan. To be quite frank with you, I’ve never met ONE successful business owner, in any industry, who did not have a business plan. It’s true, failing to plan is planning to fail.
Now, when it comes to your network marketing business, you don’t need anything comprehensive. You don’t need a 30-page document that sits on the shelf and collects dust. But, you should have a simple one page business plan that outlines your goals, vision, unique selling proposition, marketing strategy and daily action plan.
This is a living, breathing document that you refer to daily and update frequently. It guides you and keeps you focused and on track.
# 2 Have a Daily Mode of Operations or Daily Action Plan
Now that you have a business plan complete, you need a daily action plan. This is nothing more than a short list of activities that you commit to doing each and every day, no matter what. It’s typically a list of 3-5 money producing activities that will help you grow you business.
A sample daily action plan might include:
- Meet two new people and get their contact information
- Call three prospects
- Follow up with one prospect
- Set an appointment to show the plan
- Call one team member
- Talk to upline
Everyone’s daily action plan will vary based upon their goals, available time and business building strategy. What’s most important is that you have a daily action plan and that you stick with it. This is the one thing that lets me be so productive.
Other posts you may enjoy:
- Sample Blog Business Plan or Website Business Plan
- MLM Business Plan: How to Create Your Own
- Sample 20-Year Plan for Your MLM Business
- Create a Game Plan for Your MLM Business and Stick with It 18 to 24 Months
# 3 Develop or Follow a System
Systems are a word that get thrown around a lot in our industry. A system is nothing more than a documented way of doing something. It’s a proven method of doing something that is simple and works.
For your business you need a lead generation system, a training system and a follow-up system. Start out by using your upline’s system. If that doesn’t work for you, you will need to come up with your own system.
Here is an explanation of the systems I use:
Lead Generation System – I generate all of my leads through my blog. I blog daily and typically generate 10-20 leads every day.
Follow Up System – I send a mailed newsletter in the mail once a month to my entire team and all of my prospects. I communicate by email with all of my prospects three times each week.
Training System – Every new distributor gets an initial training call with me. I also have a training manual for my team. In addition, I offer one or two training calls per month and two training emails per week.
# 4 Find a Mentor
Everyone needs a mentor. You want to have someone who has been there and done that and can teach you from their own failures, successes and mistakes. Learn from other people’s experience whenever possible.
Try to find someone in your upline who you admire and respect; someone who has the level of success that you desire. Ask them if they will be your mentor. If they won’t help you, keep calling upline until you find someone that will. If you can’t find someone in your own organization to do this, find a new company or look outside of your company for your mentor.
Ideally, you want to spend time with your mentor every month to review your progress, analyze your mistakes and give you clear guidance on what to do next. Learn more about how to find a mentor.
# 5 Create a Personal Development Plan
For your business to grow and become successful, you have to grow as a person. My favorite thing about this industry is the personal development. To take your business to the next level you have to learn new skills and grow as a person.
Here is what I recommend you do:
- Set five year, yearly and monthly goals
- Review your progress with your mentor once a month
- Read 20 to 60 minutes daily
- Enroll in automobile university and listen to a tape or CD every day (business, MLM, or inspirational)
- Attend an event every 90 days
- Spend 30 minutes weekly and one hour monthly to reflect and evaluate what you learned
Final Thoughts
In summary, these are the five critical things you must do in your network marketing business if you want to be successful. What are your thoughts? Do you agree 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.
You had also mentioned following up in this article. So often, I believe once network marketers get a sale, or hear no, they neglect to contact that person for a very long time. I found in my salesman days that contacting customers soon after their purchase would gain me more, and bigger sales. We were selling home improvements, and many of these people would realize just how great the products were and would buy more. It is this way with anything…following up can make you unbelievable profits. Do not neglect to follow up.
Chuck, I like the fact that you put develop a business plan as #1. Without a business plan, it would be like running in place. None of the other steps behind it would work without a basic business plan.
This is one of the downfalls to many who indulge in a network marketing business. They fail to develop a plan of business and then they wonder why they are not making any money. It seems they expect their up-line to do all the work for them. I believe sponsors should immediately instill in their prospects to develop a business plan tailored to the prospect’s personality.
I also believe the last one on the list is also quite important. If we are always trying to better ourselves, only good things will follow.
I would be that less than 3 in every 1000 network marketers have a business plan.
Business plans are important tools to help us succeed. I am not sure why people think they can just freestyle their way to success. In addition to giving me a concrete reference point to go back to when I was a little unfocused, my business plan also helped me to better visualize my goals and the route used to get to them and I was able to make necessary changes in advance in order to ensure I reached my end goal.
If you keep everything in your head it is quite difficult to see areas where you may have miscalculated or not prepared enough, whereas seeing something visually can easily allow you to get a vision of the future.
Diamond, I believe Chuck’s statement of 3 out of 1,000 do not have a plan for their network marketing business is correct. I would also venture to say that if we were to study the lives of these people, they never planned. They probably flew by the seat of their pants through school and much of life. They never studied for tests, and squeaked by with C’s or D’s.
To succeed in anything, there needs to be a plan.
As a writer, I have had to perform much research. In doing so, I have discovered that the most successful people in this world always had a plan. They followed it and lived it, and they are successful from doing so. Very few had success just drop in their lap.
I’d have to say that on my own I was doing alright, but it wasn’t until I found a mentor that I really started to prosper. As much as I studied, as much as I read, and as much as I researched there was still so much more I did not know. What a mentor gave me the chance to do was have a real life example of what I was working toward. Someone who had been where I was, who had struggled the way I was, and had suggestions and advice to help me overcome my challenges. So beneficial and one of the best personal and professional decisions I have ever made.
Finding a mentor is so important.
Well I guess I need to do these critical things as well.
Every network marketer should do these critical things if they want to make it.
I firmly agree with all these items you listed to be successful at a network marketing business. I did want to add that time management should fit in there somewhere. We all need to manage our time in such a way that we are getting all the responsibilities done to achieve success. I would say it would fit into #2 and having a daily mode. Great post.
I consider time management to be part of the daily mode of operation.
Awesome tips here Chuck, Thanks for the continued content you provide to break down the simplicity of building business. You’re doing the whole industry a favor!
I really appreciate your value and thank you for sharing these 5 great tips especially #2, having a daily action plan is so, very, very important if you want success…
I’m glad I could help.