Introduction

Although traditional network marketing has created more millionaires than any other single type of business, it also has had an appallingly high failure rate.

I've addressed some of the many factors that contribute to this high rate of failure in previous articles. One important factor is that a lot of people who enter this industry are lacking in the personal qualities, skills, training and understanding that are crucially necessary for success. Unlike with most other forms of business, there are basically no entry requirements here other than paying the usual small start-up costs and having a lot of high hopes.

A lot of this failure could be avoided, I believe, if all prospective network marketers were to receive some basic, objective education before deciding to enter this industry. Ideally, this would include clearcut information about the personal requirements for success, along with what to look (and look out) for in choosing a good network marketing company. This article is intended to provide some of this crucially important information.

As network marketing merges increasingly with internet marketing, the requirements for success are changing a lot, and the playing field is being leveled in some important ways. There's growing evidence that many people who have failed in traditional network marketing can achieve a higher level of success in this new hybrid approach, because it eliminates all forms of personal recruiting and selling.

Still, just as is true with any other serious business venture, the following basic factors are absolutely essential for high level success.

Realistic Expectations

In traditional careers, it's not uncommon to work up to 40 years or more in order to have a retirement pension of $5,000 a month or less. Tragically, a great many people work this long and have NO retirement income other than the modest amount provided by their Social Security.

Similarly, anyone who starts a traditional business is likely to work 60 to 80 hours a week--or more--for many years before it starts turning a profit. And, even after it becomes profitable, the average business owner will continue to trade time for dollars and will not generate any long-term residual income.

Strangely, in comparison, people who enter network marketing, quite commonly expect to generate a residual income of $10,000 or more within their first year, while working only part-time. Failure to achieve such highly unrealistic expectations commonly leads to discouragement and premature giving up.

Sadly, these grandiose expectations have been aided and abetted through a bombardment of hype and "get rich quick" propaganda used in many start-up MLM promotional campaigns.

In spite of all of this fiction, however, the truth about network marketing as as potential means of wealth-building is still very impressive. There is strong evidence that ordinary people of modest financial means can generate extraordinary income in a relatively short period of time IF they carefully choose the right company AND meet the other criteria laid out here.

However, even with the best company, the best products, the best compensation plan, along with the most outstanding training, coaching, and support, it's still likely to take AT LEAST 3 to 5 years of highly persistent, diligent effort in order to become financially independent--that is, not dependent on any other source of income. Since this is PASSIVE, RESIDUAL income, however, it's also not dependent on having to continue working. THIS is what makes it so impressive.

Here's a simple rhetorical question to help bring this into perspective: Which would you rather do--work at a job for 40 years so you can retire, say, at age 65 with a pension of $5,000 per month? Or work very hard for up to 5 years and then retire for the rest of Your life? The good news is that the latter of these options IS actually achievable by following ALL of the following guidelines.

Strong Commitment and Motivation

In network marketing, as well as in ALL other challenging endeavors, a clearly defined "why" is a basic, necessary condition for success. This "why" consists in a very strong, persistent, clear, and deeply held personal desire to achieve some highly specific goal.

Wanting to earn a certain amount of money, in and of itself, does not meet this condition. Although this is usually a necessary condition for realizing the goal, it's always the strongly-envisioned goal ITSELF that actually generates the strong ongoing motivation to achieve it. Your "why," then, is just as essential as the fuel that propels a rocket into a pre-determined orbit.

The more consistently and vividly you maintain your "why" in your "mind's eye," the more likely you are to succeed. To this end, many network marketers construct "dream boards" with multiple images that help keep them focused on their most cherished dreams. A key to success in all network marketing, as Michael Clausen has succinctly emphasized, is "keeping the main thing the main thing." Keeping your "why" the main thing, then, is absolutely crucial.

Examples of such strongly motivating dreams are as diverse as the people who generate them. They range from living in a dream home, taking a dream vacation, seeing kids graduate from college, having the leisure to pursue a dream hobby, etc.

Choosing The Right Company

Network marketing companies are definitely not all created equal. Like cars, some are real lemons, while others are impeccably engineered to deliver superb high performance over the long haul. If you want to generate stable, long-term residual income, it's absolutely crucial that you choose one of the latter.

In a previous article ("Choosing A First Class Networking Company--Ten Key Guidelines"), I've laid out the key criteria to look for in a truly outstanding company. In another article ("Network Marketing Residual Income--How To Predict When You'll Achieve Financial Freedom"), I've provided a simple way to compare compensation plans of different companies. By using these guidelines at the outset to choose an excellent company, you can greatly shorten your journey to success.

Choosing The Right Marketing Approach

If you're highly gregarious, enjoy selling/recruiting and have well-developed skills in these areas, you may fall into the small minority group who take to network marketing like fish to water. If you're also highly motivated, have chosen the right company, and if you're passionate about that company's products/services, you're likely to do very well.

If, however, you DON'T fit this description, you may want to consider online marketing as an option. As mentioned above, this new marketing technology has opened up a brand new alternative approach to network marketing.

As I've pointed out in another previous article ("The Online Network Marketing Franchise--An Exciting New Hybrid"), it holds great potential--especially for people who lack the personality qualities, preferences, and/or skills that are necessary for effective PERSONAL recruitment and selling.

Since this approach requires, however, that you develop and implement an array of internet marketing skills, it's very important that you select a marketing system that includes clearcut guidance and adequate, systematic training in this area.

Working With A Highly Dedicated Leader

Whether you choose traditional network marketing or its newer online alternative, working with a dedicated leader is a final crucially important condition for success. So after all of the above guidelines have been met, be sure that you choose a sponsor who is just as motivated as you are (but, importantly, not MORE so) in ensuring your success.

The leader you're looking for, then, is one who understands clearly that her/his success depends critically on YOUR success and, therefore, will always match your efforts in helping you to achieve your goals.

For further guidance along these lines, please check the contact information below.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------