The year was 1992, and I had just established my first business; offering PR, marketing and printing services. I was going to rule the world, make my riches, and go sunning on a beach in some exotic location. Or so I thought I remember thinking “Things would just work so much quicker for me if I had more leads!” I didn’t have an endless pit of funds to advertise, so I decided I would have to generate my own funnel of leads and new business – for free.

I created informative newsletters with marketing tips and other useful business information, hopped into my old Holden HQ, drove round to businesses (with the car coughing and spluttering!) and started connecting with business owners. I didn’t run into their business waving my business card and gushing about my services; instead, I introduced myself, gave them my free information (that they could start using straight away in their business), and advised they were welcome to call me with any questions they had.

Throughout the week I would collect interesting articles and other information I came across, then every fortnight I would drop by and re-connect. I became renowned as someone who genuinely cared. Before I knew it, I was receiving referrals and generating new leads from those same business owners who, at the time, hadn’t even used my services!

I discovered a powerful formula to generate leads and have applied it in my businesses ever since – in both traditional business and MLM; and in both online and offline strategies.

So how do you generate free MLM leads every day?  Here is my 8-step formula for success:

1. Align yourself as a solution to people’s problems. Ask yourself: What are their issues and how can I help?
2. Provide value relating to their problems. Offer quality content for free. Life isn’t about holding your wisdom close to your chest; share and it will come back to you tenfold.
3. Connect with others; build relationships. Relationships are the backbone of business, including MLM lead generation and referrals. People join people; not businesses.
4. Demonstrate you genuinely care. If you come across something and someone pops into your head, why not immediately send it to them? You’re welcome to copy the approach I took early on in my business career, as outlined above.
5. Position yourself as a leader. Put your hand up and adopt an entrepreneurial attitude as opposed to an employee attitude. Take initiative and innovate.
6. Systemise, systemise, systemise. Utilise an automated attraction marketing system that works behind the scenes on your behalf. This frees up your time to work on income producing activities.
7. Apply the WIIFM principle (What’s In It For Me). This is a critical question you should be asking yourself, from the leads perspective, in everything you do.
8. Refrain from spamming your MLM opportunity to the world. This isn’t a strategy to generate MLM leads. You may be excited in sharing it with the world, but when approached in the right way, you’ll attract more friends and respect as opposed to immediately prospecting every new person you come across. Remember, your business should be viewed in a long-term light as opposed to a short-term, in it for a quick buck light.

When you consistently use the 8-step formula in conjunction with other free strategies, you develop an attraction marketing system that quickly compounds and results in quality MLM leads for your business.

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1. Free eBooks

As a distributor of iLearningGlobal, like many others I no longer had a business when iLearningGlobal ceased it’s network marketing model last week.  In this video, I share with you my requirements in choosing a network marketing opportunity, which then led me to making the decision that I did.

Recommended steps for high quality people who want to have fun, travel the world MasterMinding with other like-minded individuals, and achieve tremendous prosperity in their lives:

STEP #1 Seeing IS Believing: Look over http://globaltravellers.worldventures.biz and discover for yourself why they are one of the hottest MLMs on the global scene, and why their IT and Design Team are the envy of the industry! Make sure to go through Steps 1 to 3.

STEP #2 Watch the Gumball Presentation at http://www.gumballpresentation.com

STEP #3 If you like what you see, then let’s get together for a chat. My full contact details are listed below.

Telephone All Hours:
UK: 020-8123-3063
US: 323-300-5358
AU: 08-8121-4091

Skype:
tarainoz

Online Schedule:
http://tarawest.clickbook.net

Email:
http://www.tara-west.com/contact

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1. Internet MLM Success: marketing your MLM opportunity on the Internet
2. I Want To Go Into Business. What Can I Do? Get The Answers.
3. David Wood: A Candid Interview on the MLM Industry

When marketing your MLM opportunity on the Internet, it is vital you approach it from a business perspective.

If you were a traditional business, you would be branding your business name and offering value to your potential customers.  Your MLM business should be approached in the same way to guarantee your success on the Internet.

So how do you ensure Internet MLM success?

1. Personal Branding: use your own domain instead of your company’s replicated site. Consider registering a domain with your own name (eg: johncitizen.com or  workwithjohncitizen.com) and setting it up as your personal blog. Your blog gives you the opportunity of positioning yourself as an expert by providing high quality, free content to your readers / visitors in your niche area. This in turn builds trust and relationships; a vital step to branding yourself and becoming an authority in your field, thus, attracting people into your opportunity.
2. Attraction Marketing System: without systems that can be duplicated, you will be spending too much one-on-one time with your team in showing them the ropes. Of course, personalised team coaching with your key people is a must to ensure your team grows; but you shouldn’t be spending hours teaching people how to setup their domain, autoresponders and the like. This is why an existing system is paramount to Internet MLM success. Whatever system you have in place, it should be linked back to your blog.
3. Building Your List: once you have setup your blog and marketing system, it is essential that you have a form on your sites to build your list and maintain relationships. But it’s important to offer something for free to your visitors to encourage them to join your list. Make an attractive offer that will provide quality value and of which positions you as the expert in your field. If you have the right attraction marketing system, you would be offering your visitors free training or similar; and this will be delivered to them automatically through your autoresponder. Your blog could offer the same or something different.
4. Maintaining Relationships With Your List: in the offline world of marketing, as a general rule of thumb it takes 7 contacts with a prospect before they take notice of what you’re saying… after 7 times they feel a bond and trust and are more motivated to purchase or join whatever it is you are selling. The online world of marketing is no different. To guarantee Internet MLM success, constant contact with your list is a necessity to form a bond and trust.  Autoresponders are a great tool to use and, as long as you are providing value, make it a goal to email your list every second or third day.
5. Social Media: networking via social media sites is an excellent forum for you to discuss your ideas, share some quality content, and interact with others. Be sure to never spam your opportunity to new contacts or friends. Would you walk up to someone you didn’t know at a party and ask them to join your business? No. The same etiquette and courtesy needs to be applied to the online world – just because you don’t see them face to face doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be treated as such. To learn these principles check out these 7 free videos.

Have you noticed a theme here?

The key to Internet MLM success is in providing value and building relationships. When you take the time to correctly setup your online presence by using the right mix of tools, understand and realise that your MLM business is long-term (not short-term), then interact with others in a genuine way (as you would your best friend), people will be drawn to you and want to join and work with you in your MLM opportunity – if not now, then later down the track.

What are your 3 most challenging aspects of marketing your MLM business on the Internet that you presently possess? Share with me your top 3…

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1. Generate MLM Leads: how to generate free MLM leads every day
2. David Wood: A Candid Interview on the MLM Industry
3. So What Am I Doing Now?

Throughout my coaching career I’ve had the pleasure of coaching entrepreneurs and start-ups, as well as individuals who aspire to get away from the 9-5 job and realise their dreams by going into business for themselves. However, for some, the reality of going it alone and making the transition from employee to entrepreneur is far more different than they thought.

Whilst the rewards are huge, the reality is that it takes a lot of hard work, sacrifices, and the capacity to step out of your comfort zone. As Zig Ziglar said, “The elevator to success is out of service. But the stairs are always open.”

So what is the Entrepreneurial success formula?

1) Take the Entrepreneurial Quiz to determine if you have the right personality.

2) Doing something you are passionate about

Have you ever heard of someone being really successful at something they don’t like? Whatever you decide to do in your entrepreneurial journey it should 1) be aligned with your values; and 2) be something you love with a passion. When you are building a business that you are passionate about, you are better able to handle the speed bumps in your entrepreneurial journey and climb the mountains that suddenly appear before you. When you are in a business which isn’t aligned with your values, or something that you are not passionate about, the speed bumps are harder to get over and the mountains appear insurmountable… this leads to a “this is too hard, I’m going to quit” outlook.

3) Thinking long-term, not short-term

As an entrepreneur, you are building something valuable, so it goes without saying that your entrepreneurial journey is going to be a long one. There are no short-cuts or get rich quick schemes. This is why it is also important to do something you are passionate about. When you are passionate about something, you WANT to be in it for the long haul. Map out your vision and clearly define your 1, 2, 3 and 5-year goals. With so many networking marketing opportunities popping up every day, it is vital you stay focused and committed, and not jump around from one opportunity to another. All highly successful entrepreneurs think long-term, not short-term. If you continuously have a new flavour of the month, how do you think you will build a profitable long-term business?

4) Making sacrifices and working hard

As Jeffery Combs stated, “you need to let go of situations or obligations that do not serve you, and instead have a profit consciousness and borrow your time from somewhere else”. 9 times out of 10, this will result in you making sacrifices in your personal life and doing the things that other people are not prepared to do to grow a successful business. 9 times out of 10, this will result in you working your butt off until you’re so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open. 9 times out of 10, this will result in you foregoing your favourite television program, or foregoing the day at the beach, or foregoing the trip to the movies. 9 times out of 10, this will result in you taking a risk that will have your heart jumping around all crazy. This is the trait of all entrepreneurs because they are thinking long-term, not short-term. Short term pain for long term gain. When you are doing something you are passionate about, when you have a vision or dream larger than life, then you have the capacity to break through the short term pain because you know, without a doubt, that it is all part of the journey and will yield far bigger results than taking the easy path in life.

5) Engaging in continuous learning and masterminding with others

Brian Tracy said it so well: “Your time and life are precious. The biggest waste of time and life is for you to spend years accomplishing something that you could have achieved in only a few months.” A successful leader understands the power and importance of continuous learning and masterminding with other successful people. You can not possibly know all there is to know. Make time to invest in your personal and professional development to enrich and expand your mind and you will reap the rewards ten-fold. Commit to reading at least 15-30 minutes a day; commit to listening to an audio whilst exercising or driving in the car. And importantly, apply the knowledge you have learned. Then take it one step further and mastermind with other successful entrepreneurs. Napoleon Hill, author of Think & Grow Rich, said “Success in this world is always a matter of individual effort, yet you will only be deceiving yourself if you believe that you can succeed without the co-operation of other people.” Successful entrepreneurs get out of the way of their own ego, and commit to learning and collaborating with others. If that’s something which excites you, then contact me to learn more about being a part of our personal development and mastermind community.

6) Realising that your business is a people business

It’s not about you, it’s about the customer. Learn to understand people and different personality types so you can better relate and build rapport. I highly recommend “Personality Plus” by Florence Littauer which takes you through the four personality types. After reading this book you will be able to ascertain, within a few seconds, which personality type a person falls under, and how to say things so you hit their hot buttons and get them on-side instead of off-side. If you are in a global business, take the time to learn different cultures and communication styles so you don’t offend.

7) Becoming a master at cold-calling and asking for the sale

This aspect feels many with dread, but if you look upon cold calling as presenting someone with a solution to their problems, then it’s not about you… it’s about the customer (or the prospect, if you are cold calling for your business opportunity). When done right, you are being helpful, thoughtful, respectful and credible. Cold calling isn’t about email spamming or hounding people.

When we stop looking at cold calling from the sales person’s viewpoint and from the customer’s viewpoint, and start seeing it from a business perspective, cold calling becomes a wonderful opportunity that any one can enjoy and optimize:

Obviously the aim is to move cold calling behaviours and methods into the third column, and definitely to stop anything which produces the feelings and effects of the first and second columns. (Source: http://www.businessballs.com/cold_calling.htm)

8.) Understanding that you can’t do everything

Your activities should be income-generating. Think about it: what’s your time really worth? How much do you generate per hour (or forecasted to earn)? Do you really need to spend 5 hours designing a flier when you could outsource it for $20? What has that 5 hours cost you in monetary, income-generating terms? Let go of controlling all aspects of your business and learn to outsource.

…

With focus, commitment and passion, the Entrepreneurial journey is highly rewarding and satisfying. When you align yourself with the right business, the right mentors, and the right team, “there are no limits to what you can accomplish except for the limits you place on your own imagination. And since there are no limits to what you can imagine, there are no limits to what you can achieve.” (Brian Tracy)

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3. Your Entrepreneurial Mindset

Listen in as one of the top leaders in the industry shares his insights and tips

Enjoy! And please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on what David shares

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1. I Want To Go Into Business. What Can I Do? Get The Answers.
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Almost on a daily basis I’m asked the question: I want to go into business, can you give me some ideas? What can I do?

..

“He who deliberates at length before taking a single step will spend his whole life on one leg” Chinese Proverb.

I truly can’t answer that question for anybody.

What I can do, however, is highly recommend and promote network marketing / multi-level marketing, as it is a fabulous tool for anybody wanting to get into business and gives you a proven business model that works – quite simply, it is ‘micro-franchising’. Provided you don’t ‘vomit’ all over people with your opportunity; provided you treat the business as if you paid a million dollars for it (i.e. a real franchise business); and provided you learn business fundamentals (i.e. marketing, sales, networking, etc)… then you will be more successful in network marketing / multi-level marketing compared to going out on your own and winging it – even more-so if you have never encountered business before, or have yet to master the entrepreneurial mindset.

Even global leaders such as Robert Kiyosaki, Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Donald Trump, Brian Tracy and President Bill Clinton (amongst others) endorse network marketing.

Of course, there are thousands of network marketing / MLM companies out there… so the next question I frequently get asked is: Which one?

And you know what? I truly can’t answer that for you either. (Note: a good guide when undertaking your due diligence: http://www.mlmwatchdog.com/MLM_DUE_DILIGENCE.html)

Which company you decide to partner with will be determined by your own ideals, values and passions. If you haven’t gone through my values, wants and needs worksheets, this is a great place to start. Because if you’re not in a business that is aligned with your values; then it won’t sit true for you and, quite simply, you will not succeed in that company. It will not hold your interest long enough in order for you to build a long-term, profitable business.

Next step is to define what you are passionate about.  And I mean, deeply passionate about… something which makes your stomach churn with excitement. Something you feel so passionate about that you can’t sleep at night because it has you jumping around all over the place with crazy excitement… something that really lights your fire!

And sometimes, this can be hard to define.  In ‘Living An Abundant Life’ with co-authors Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Dr Wayne Dyer and Neil Donald Walsch, I wrote about connecting with your inner child to find your abundances (or passions) in life:

“What ‘picture’ did you create when you were dreaming of who you were going to be when you grow up? Did that image come real in your adult life? If you created the picture, it must mean something to you. If you are not currently in the picture you created, there is no reason why you cannot re-invent or transform yourself into that picture you hold in your mind. When you are living in your picture, you are feeling abundant.” ~ Tara West in ‘Living An Abundant Life’.

If you can’t define a passion that really excites you, I invite you to have an exploration session… think back to when you were a child (or young adult). What really interested you? What subjects did you excel at? What did you dream of becoming one day?

You may discover you have several passions which you can utilise in the one company. For instance, as an example, I have a passion for personal development, a passion for transforming lives, and a passion for marketing; all of which I meld into my network marketing company which is in the personal development industry.

Once you’ve defined your values and passions, you can then set out to determine which network marketing / multi-level marketing company will fit your needs. Because when you find a niche, product or service that you are truly passionate about, and is aligned with your values, you will not only feel like you never ‘work’ a day of your life, but you will also be committed, focused and happy to share your opportunity with others in a genuine way.

“If thou follow thy star, thou canst not fail of a glorious haven” Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

If you find that one of your passions is personal development and making a difference in the lives of others, then I extend an invitation to success and invite you to work direct with me in your own network marketing company.

I wish you a blessed and fruitful journey, full of everything that your heart desires.

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3. Defining Your Wants & Needs For Business Success

Can you imagine taking a 6 month holiday – the holiday of your life – without first giving thought to where you would like to go, where you would like to stay, and what attractions you would like to visit? Whilst it may be fun and exciting at first to just set off into the sunset without a plan or care in the world, it would begin to wear a little thin when you get lost and don’t enjoy the towns or cities you’re visiting.

This is why it is important to plan first.

Your MLM business plan gives you the opportunity to objectively look at your options, analyse your market and competitors, devise appropriate strategies, and set your goals so you can hit your targets and have success in your business.

With thousands of people starting and failing in MLM each year, your MLM business plan will be your blueprint to staying on track and, importantly, saving yourself  time and money in the long run.

Why Research Is The Backbone To Your MLM Business Plan:

Consider your research as the backbone to your business plan. The research you conduct now will form the basis of your plan and allow you to objectively analyse each key component of your business plan, namely: the industry; your target market; your competitors; and your operational requirements.

Once you have researched and defined these areas, you can then begin to develop your business plan.

But before your begin your research, take time in thinking about the questions you would like answers to; in alignment with the industry, target market, competitors and operational requirements.

• What do you need to know?
• What problems must be solved in each area?
• Who are your customers? Dependable on the MLM company you are involved with and how you intend to market, there will be certain customer characteristics that need defining such as: geographics, lifestyle, age, gender, customer requirements, motivations, brand loyalties, and so on.
• What type of people would you like to attract as business builders?
• How are you going to find your business builders / leaders?
• What type of marketing channels will work best for you?
• What type of product do your customers buy and why?
• What do your competitors do to attract those customers?
• What have been the trends in the industry; and what are the forecasted trends?
• What are the legal or regulatory requirements in your industry / niche?
• What are the costs to starting your business?
• How should you structure your business (i.e. sole trader / company / trust / etc)?

Prepare your questions beforehand so you don’t waste valuable time in re-visiting your research sources to gain additional information.

Dependable on the MLM company you are involved in (or wish to be involved in), your research can be conducted via a number of different methods, including (amongst others):

1. Reviewing the company’s website and marketing material.
2. Personally calling the company.
3. Reading third-party reviews.
4. Talking to leaders in the company.
5. Accessing statistical data by Government agencies and other independent bodies. This is also important to define industry trends.
6. Gathering information from trade or industry associations associated with your niche.
7. Contacting educational institutions to access research projects.
8. Examining the competition: opt in to lists, talk to leaders from competitor companies, and research competitor websites.
9. Consulting with a qualified accountant.
10. Networking with other people and leaders who are already involved in network marketing.

The 6 Key Parts (or Elements) In Your MLM Business Plan:

1. Executive Summary: This is an outline that may describe such matters as your background, goals, assets, financial returns, vision / mission, and so on.
2. Business Description: Outline your business name and structure and describe your product (or service), industry, your market, customers and so on.
3. Competitor Analysis: Outline your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in accordance with your own business and competitor analysis.
4. Sales & Marketing Plan: Outline your sales and marketing strategies, which should also link to your financial plan.
5. Financial Analysis: Include an income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet which also provides a break-even analysis and ratio analyses to determine stability of certain aspects of your business.
6. Appendices: Include references, examples, case studies, spreadsheets, etc.

In closing, your MLM Business Plan should be approached in the same or similar manner as a business plan for a ‘traditional’ business.

FREE RESOURCES:

• SWOT Analysis Template, including methods and examples.
• The Game of Business and How To Play It by Paul Gorman: free eBook

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Related posts:

1. I Want To Go Into Business. What Can I Do? Get The Answers.
2. David Wood: A Candid Interview on the MLM Industry
3. Internet MLM Success: marketing your MLM opportunity on the Internet