Network marketing has quickly become one of the fastest growing ways to work at home. Sometimes called Multi Level Marketing or Affiliate Marketing, Network marketing is based around the concept of recruiting. You join a program that utilizes network marketing to sell a product, and you make money by recruiting new sellers who have purchased their products from you and are now selling their own. You may get a cut of their sales and their recruits' sales and so on for many levels. The possibilities are endless, and so is the income potential. So it sounds all gravy right? All you have to do is get your business up and running by joining the program of your choice and recruiting new prospects.

It sounds easy enough, doesn't it? It sure did for me, and I cannot describe how excited I was about finally being able to do something about my job that I hated and the long, miserable days that I spent there. I was so ready and eager to go out there and be successful with my new network marketing business. I had all the resources I needed at my fingertips through my program, and all I had to do was turn the key.

Once I did a little research, I saw that there were lots of other people recruiting and advertising their opportunity. No sweat, it just shows how many people were having success with this concept, and it was time to get in on my slice of the pie! I mean, if people were not successful with it, then why would they be advertising it? I'll admit, it started out a little slow. Well, very slow. I found myself doing everything I could within time and budget restraints to promote my program, but I was generating no results from my efforts. Day after day I would check my email, vigorously hoping to be greeted by an email from my program telling me I had signed up a new recruit. Every day I would have a little less excitement while opening my inbox, and a little more lost hope when I saw no email containing the good news I had anticipated. Weeks turned into months of unsuccessful promoting. I finally gave up, threw in the towel, and turned to face the miserable reality of a job I hated with no escape.

My name is Joe Borowy and this is the story of how I failed with Network Marketing. I'm sure its the same story many of you reading this would write about your experience with Network Marketing. The truth is 95% of Network Marketing Businesses fail. All too often, a story of one's failure looks no different from my own. It can depressing when you think about how much hope and drive you had to be successful, all to see it slowly fade away.

After my Network Marketing Business failed, I continued to do research on the concept of Network Marketing and I was determined to figure out how the 5% who do succeed with Network Marketing go about doing it. I had to sift and search through many bogus methods, useless "secrets," and sales pitches that targeted Network Marketing failures like me. Many websites out there try to target people who have failed with Network Marketing, promising new ways to make money from it and new methods to drive success. As you probably know, there are also many websites who target Network Marketing novices, and create false hope and promise. These are what I call "Vegas Airport Slot Businesses." For anyone who has been to Las Vegas, you know that the airport is famous for having hundreds of slot machines for you to play right after you get off the plane. The airport makes shocking amounts of money from these slots. They have horrible odds, but most of the people who play them don't know that. What is their goal? They want your gambling money to be spent as soon as you get off the plane. Most people are dying to play the slots for the whole duration of the plane trip. As soon as they get off the plane, the slots are right there waiting for them. You would be surprised on how much people blow on these things. After they've had enough, the people go about their vacations, have a good time, and most likely lose a good chunk of money. After a few days, they are ready to cut their losses, and get on a plane to head home. They are dissappointed because they didn't hit any jackpots. They have a few dollars left, and they recognize the airport slots as their last chance to hit the big one. They sit down with a revitalizing hope of going home on with more then they came with. Soon enough, they have nothing left, and are dissappointed once again.

So what do these slots have to do with Network Marketing? They are built on the same principles. The Las Vegas airport slots are designed to crop you up with hope and excitement for the opportunity to gain wealth, and take your last dollars after you lose. The sad reality is most of the network marketing programs you will come across are designed one of these two ways. They either want your first and foremost dollars, or your last, desperate dollars. Remember, the executives and founders of these programs know very well that 95% who enroll will fail. Its just the sad truth.

So...Is there any realistic hope of being successful with network marketing?

I am very glad to say yes, there is. I am not going to try to pitch a sale to you here, but I have found several factors that are essential for any success with network marketing. Some are more obvious than others, and some of the obvious ones are much more important than you might expect.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Relationships- This is probably the most important factor of developing a successful Network Marketing Business. When trying to find new people to enroll in your opportunities, you have to prove to them you are trustworthy and that you want them to be successful. The best way to do this is by working to make your network successful, rather than using them to make yourself successful. It not only will make your more money in the long run, but you will enjoy doing it. It will develop a "family" atmosphere of sort between you and your network. It will truly feel like the perfect job, because all of your colleagues are happy, and you all help each other. This is the x-factor of success with networking. Even if you were to do everything else right, your business would slowly fade away if you had no relationship with your enrollees.

2. Communication- This one is very obvious, but often is missing link for many up and coming Network Marketers. Most programs utilize some kind of autoresponse system for its enrollees. Too many Network Marketers label this as their communication with their prospects. To truly develop the relationships you need to be successful in the long run with Network Marketing, first hand communication is a must. Live calls and personal calls can be good, but many people, like myself, don't like phone interaction for Network Marketing. I feel that calling prospects about opportunities, or calling new enrollees to motivate them to push forward with their business could easily put someone in a situation where they are back into a corner and do something they don't really want to do. That's why I prefer email as the main communication source for my network. It allows friendly communication, encouragement, advice, and motivation without putting anyone on the spot. More enrollees does not necessarily mean a better overall network.

3. A Realistic Opportunity- The Internet has become oversaturated with hundreds of network marketing programs, all of which claim to be the best. It is important only to promote programs with realistic opportunity in the long run. Look for a reputation, a good amount of included resources, or even in some cases, a new program in prelaunch that offers you an upgraded membership at no cost. Be careful though, there are thousands of great salesmen on the Internet, and it is very easy to be deceived. I have tested dozens of programs, and yet, only offer several opportunities to my website readers and mailing list. I wouldn't want to waste their time offering them a program that probably would not work for me. 

4. Mailing Lists- Not only developing your own, but signing up for others on the Internet that have good resources and tips. By getting people to sign up for your own mailing lists, it allows you to communicate with them and share with them new opportunities, as well as feed the new relationships you are developing. It is very important to sign up for other mailing lists, as they often are the best sources for fresh, new opportunities. Pass these on to your own email list, and your list will do the same for their own lists.

5. A Goal, a Drive, and a Reason Why- Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that in order to be successful, you have to want to be successful and have a reason why you want to obtain success. I'm not just talking about wanting to get rich and live the easy life. You need to have a personal drive of why you want to achieve success and what you plan to do with it once you have achieved it. Wanting to get away from your current job probably won't be enough. For me, it has always been wanting to enjoy the finer aspects of every day life, and not having to worry about little things, like finances. For most people, money is anything but a little thing. I always wanted to be successful not so that I could be rich, but so that I wouldnt have to worry about money. I believe worry is an unneccesary part of life, and I always hated having to worry about money. Money is the root of all evil, and even if you have alot of it, it doesn't benefit your life quality unless you have some higher goal in mind of why you want it. If you don't have any reason for being involved with Network Marketing other than wanting some extra money to spoil yourself with, then this business probably isn't for you. The people who succeed in Network Marketing love what they do, and have a drive inside that fuels them to keep going.

The bottom line is this: To be successful with Network Marketing, you have to enjoy doing it, and help others enjoy it by working for their success. It is better to have a team of 10 hard working, highly driven enrollees who love doing what they do than to have 100 paid members in your downline who you never hear from. They wont last, and the chances are that only 5 of them will be successful. Network Marketing is not for everyone, and there is no shame in acknowledging that it is not for you at this point in life. Perhaps later in life, you will have a good reason why you want to succeed with Network Marketing, and you will be ready for it. You don't want to get into this business if you won't enjoy it. I promise you that.

If you are considering getting into the Network Marketing business, do yourself a favor and define for yourself A Goal, a Drive, and a Reason Why.

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