Network marketing success depends a lot on you, the opportunity you’ve chosen, and how dedicated you are to achieving that success. This is a business, and it takes focus and planning to make money and build your business big.
Many new networkers get derailed early in the game by various setbacks and frustrations. Often, this is because they haven’t been taught or properly prepared for common obstacles that come along.
If you stick with your network marketing business long enough to have a chance for success, there are certain things that you may experience which can be quite discouraging.
It’s good to understand what can happen and be prepared. Don’t let these common frustrations derail your dreams and hopes for your business!
- your sponsor won’t return your calls after they’ve signed you up, and you feel like you’re in business all by yourself
- your sponsor moves on to another company, and maybe even tries to get you to join them as well
- you contact a top upline leader for encouragement and they won’t call you back or respond
- a close friend you just knew would want to work with you doesn’t, and isn’t shy about telling you
- your family thinks you are wasting time and should be using that time for more productive things
- a promising downline associate who off to a great start jumps ship to a hot new ground floor deal
- none of your leads are responding, calling you, or signing up for your business opportunity
- nobody upline seems to care that you’re struggling to find that elusive network marketing success
Since I started my first “real” network marketing business about 20 years ago, I have experienced each and every one of these obstacles to success. By “real” I mean the first business I actually dug in and worked hard at. There have been times when I wanted to quit, but didn’t. There have been times when I laid out for a few months and did nothing, but came back. I have started a business and quit. I think most network marketing success stories will reveal these challenges, and many more on their path to prosperity.
This is why you hear a lot of advice encouraging you to immerse yourself in positive and motivational training daily. Success in business requires an ability to work through obstacles and discouragement. Unfortunately, many who launch MLM businesses don’t have that ability and haven’t been taught basic success principles that empower them to work through setbacks.
It’s no wonder that the failure rate in home businesses (not just network marketing, all small home based business ventures) is pretty high. With the low cost of entry into the typical MLM home business, and the relative throw-away nature of it (if it doesn’t work then little loss), it’s very easy to quit when things get tough.
Do you want to be one of the winners and achieve true and lasting network marketing success? Team up with an upline mentor (someone who is already successful and making money), be very dedicated to learning how to apply your upline’s success system to your circumstances, and don’t give up!
Did you get some value from this post? If you did, I would really appreciate you sharing it with others! And, your comments are welcome below!
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Hey Eldon, I totally agree with you that a mentor is critically important to succeeding in this mlm/internet marking world. You can’t do this alone. Having someone else to strategize and mastermind with is powerfully important and will help you to gain insight as to how to make this happen. Great post my friend. Thank you so much for laying it out for us.
Blessings!
Lynn
You’re welcome Lynn, thanks for stopping by!
Another excellent article Eldon. I’ve worked mostly with women, and time and again I’ve seen someone quit because her husband gave her a hard time. One thing I found that helped was if I could meet with both the husband and wife at the time she started so I could encourage mutual support. Another winner was showing the company video because in it several of the highest achievers were interviewed, and it was interesting how many had stories of being ridiculed by their husbands early on – and later their husbands quit their jobs and partnered with the wife. Loved sharing those stories 🙂
I’ve heard those “skeptical spouse” turned “loyal supporter” stories and love them! Couples really need to be on the same page, supporting each other, but it doesn’t always start out that way. Thanks!
Great post Eldon,
One of my early mentors said that Network Marketing is a Personal Development system with a compensation plan attached.
There are so many gifts and challenges that come with this industry like overcoming approach avoidance, contribution and team building along with many others.
I totally agree with you on the failure rate being linked to investment. People who sink multiple six figures into a franchise HAVE to make it work or their ruined. If more people could create that sense of commitment about their HBB, the statistics would be very different.
Thanks Paul, easy of entry has always meant ease of exit in network marketing, but for those who see the potential and work it as a business the results are incredible.
Hello Eldon
You pointed to the core reason why people get discourage when you said, “Success in business requires an ability to work through obstacles and discouragement. Unfortunately, many who launch MLM businesses don’t have that ability and haven’t been taught basic success principles that empower them to work through setbacks.” There seems to be so much hype in our business and people are looking for the next great technique. Techniques are many, Principles are few, Techniques will vary, Principles never do” It is the principles that get sustains us and get us through discouragement.
Thanks
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
Principles, fundamentals, basics, whatever you want to call them they are the key to success. Thanks Perry!
Eldon,
Your article was very encouraging and it let me know that I am not alone in my struggle to grow my business. But, I know if I persist in doing the right activities, I will eventually be successful.
Marti, you are never alone, lots of people go through many trials and challenges on the way to success in their network marketing business. Hang in there!
Hey Eldon! I agree with you are so right there are a lot of challenges and obstacles in Network Marketing. I have seen too many people quit because it is challenging. The people I do see succeeding have learning how to deal with hardships. Great post!
Thanks Angela! 🙂