The Diminishing Value of Network Marketers Who Jump from Company to Company

December 31, 2013 by Toni Coleman-Brown Leave a Comment

Network marketers who jump from company to company should know that there is a diminishing value on your integrity as a leader that occurs with every move. It’s sad to say but I’ve seen it time and time again in today’s network marketing environment where leaders will move from company to company and take their team and people with them (not all, but some). I remember when I first started working on this blog, one of the first posts that I wrote was that Cedrick Harris was leaving Visalus. Well now I hear that he’s going to Organo Gold. It’s pretty much confirmed that this is where he is going. I heard him say on a call that was hosted by Larry Beachum that this time he was following leadership vs chasing money and that he was going to a company with the number one money earner in the industry, which of course we all know is Holton Buggs.

But isn’t there a big contradiction in his statement?

First, he said that he was no longer chasing money, then he said that he was following leadership, but the leader is also the no. 1 money earner in the entire network marketing industry. Hmmm…

Then he said he did his research and that he was going to plant his flag and stay with the company for 5 years. That’s interesting too, because if he knew anything about Holton Buggs, I think he’s been with OG for longer than that and he will be with OG for life. I give it up to Holton Buggs and his team at OG. They’re doing their thing. But they have the same problem that most of these network marketing companies have. ATTRITION.

The way Holton has been able to beat a lot of this is due to the fact that he was able to create a lot of success around him. He is someone who gets it. He knows that the way to beat attrition is to help about 12-20 people around you to achieve overwhelming success. So he helped to create other top money earners and that has been one of the biggest keys to his success. He knows that it’s not about him. He understands the importance of not only having him as one of the top money earners in the industry, but to also have some of his team members to appear on that list.

Network Marketing Success is About Leadership

Here is my personal opinion about jumping from company to company and about what I heard on that call. It’s not about following the leader, it’s about BEING the leader. I don’t personally know Holton Buggs, but I’ve checked him out. He’s a quiet storm. He’s knows his stuff. You never hear him out there bashing folks or anything like that. He’s not an internet marketing genius. He knows that network marketing is a belly to belly business and he knows how to create a T.E.A.M. environment. He looks like he was trained by Delxino Wilson Debriano from TAG Team Marketing back in the old ACN hay days. : )

Being the leader in a networking marketing company means this:

1. Being 100% sold out for the company.

2. Being 100% sold out for the team.

3. Being 100% sold out for the product.

4. Being 100% sold out for the compensation plan.

5. Being 100% sold out and knowing that if you have 1% doubt , then you’re out.

You have to eat, sleep and drink it 24/7. No if’s and’s or but’s.

When I went to the top of Warm Spirit back in 2005, that’s what it was all about. I didn’t look at anything else, I didn’t get distracted by anything else. All the systems that I had were company systems or home grown systems that I had created for the team. I taught my team members how to generate leads. I got on calls and I trained them on personal development, and I taught them the principles of leadership and how to make money. We had team outings and closed door meetings. We knew how to start a grass roots movement that exploded from the inner circle out.

Organo Gold is lucky to have Holton Buggs, Mary Kay is lucky to have Gloria Mayfield Banks, and Send Out Cards is lucky to have Jordan Adler. These are network marketing leaders who will never stray. Other people may come and go, but these leaders have their flags firmly planted in their opportunities and that’s the difference. They’re determined and they won’t quit. They have increasing value because of their leadership, because of their integrity, because of their willingness to stay with one game and see it to through to the very end. You see when you sign up with a network marketing company, it’s like signing a marriage certificate, it’s a binding agreement with rules and like a marriage it’s til death do you part. Understand these basic concepts and WIN!

For more great insights on network marketing, pick up my book Quantum Leap: How to Make a Quantum Leap in Your Network Marketing Company.

Has the Internet Killed Network Marketing?

December 19, 2013 by Toni Coleman-Brown Leave a Comment

I am not sure if the internet has killed network marketing but I can tell you that it has certainly thrown the industry a curve ball. The biggest problems that I see today in the industry is high attrition, no company loyalty, new companies being launched everyday causing too much competition and no one is focused on retailing the product anymore. Well I know that this is a mouthful so let me break some of this down.

High Attrition – One of the biggest problems that I’ve seen lately in network marketing is high attrition. People quit the industry day in and day out. Some people quit before they even have a chance to get started. Some people quit before they even receive their starter pack. It is very discouraging to the average network marketer to see people leave on such a regular basis. It’s almost as if there is a hole in the bucket and as fast as you sign on a new recruit another one is leaving, which makes it feel as if you’re constantly working on patching up holes.
No company loyalty – It seems as if people are leaving network marketing companies on a regular basis. Loyalty doesn’t exist, especially amongst leaders. For some leaders in the industry they seem to have jumping from company to company as a part of their income plan, especially in light of the fact that some many of them receive huge signing bonuses when they leave and promise to bring a whole lot of people with them. Doing things like that is never a good thing. A good leader that’s worth his or her salt would simply start over with a new company from scratch versus trying to raid their downline and wreck havoc on an organization.
Too much competition – It seems as if everyday there is new company being launched. Every time you log on to your email there seems to be some new deal waiting in your inbox. The trick to having success is to find the individual that wouldn’t be tempted by all of this. But when you’re struggling at the bottom and an opportunity comes along that guarantees that you will be at the top because you’re one of the FIRST to get involved in the opportunity, then it may be hard for reps to resist. Your job is to find the ones who will.
No one is interested in retailing product anymore. The internet has killed networking from a retail perspective. It’s hard to find a single soul who is out there actually selling product. Because getting out there is so much more expensive now than it used to be, reps are finding it difficult to find shows and find people who are genuinely interested in using their products or services. Besides, most people think that they can just send out a link to their website and that it will do all the work, but it just doesn’t work like that at all. People still want to sit down and chat, they want to touch and feel product and they definitely want to try it before they buy it, so the better thing to do is to get out there the goal ole fashion way and begin to do some retailing.

So, you be the judge, Is the internet killing network marketing?

I don’t think that the internet is killing network marketing. People are killing network marketing with their greedy and thirsty ways. The internet can do nothing but enhance your marketing efforts if you learn the right steps and use the right systems. You can win.

Network Marketing is not for the faint at heart

December 12, 2013 by Toni Coleman-Brown Leave a Comment

I can tell you from personal experience that network marketing is not for the faint at heart. Bear with me while I tell you my story of how I climbed to the top of my network marketing company’s comp plan back in October 2005…It was October 31,2005, a Halloween night and I was soooo close to the getting the final numbers that I needed to become a 3 Diamond National Vice President with my company which was called Warm Spirit. (Warm Spirit is now currently closed as an mlm, but I believe one of the founders still sells a few products via the website.) But I felt like I was running for office. The good part about the team that I was working with was the fact that they were all committed. They wanted to be a part of the experience of breaking a National Vice President. They also wanted to promote themselves up the compensation plan. You see I had poured so much into the team that they were excited and ready to take their commitment to the organization to the next level. We had something back then which so many network marketing organizations lack today and that is a commitment to the team.

Become a Network Marketing Leader

We operated on the concept of “One Band, One Sound”, which is a concept that I got from the movie Drumline. I firmly trained and communicated to the team that our success was dependent on the success of each other and that if one person was presenting the opportunity wrong, then they were ruining the opportunity for everyone. So I constantly explained the importance of all of us doing the same thing and saying the same thing. I also trained that one person’s success represented everyone’s success. It was a T.E.A.M. thing. We understood that Together Everyone Achieves More. Also, if there was one thing that our team understood it was that they could count on me to be there in the trenches holding it down for them, which is the reason why when it came down to pulling out a successful win and a title of National Vice President for me, Executive for several of them and Emerald Manager for so many others, they were ALL IN.

So on that night, everyone was all in. The phones were ringing like crazy. I looked absolutely crazy and I was thankful that it was Halloween. That night the team pulled in over $100,000 in production. I received my first 5-figure check and became the first and ONLY 3 Diamond National Vice President on the East Coast. Bam! We did it. But like I said, it felt as if I was running for office. I was constantly checking the volume and working my spreadsheets to see if all the numbers were falling in the right place. I was on the phone with corporate constant checking and double-checking to make sure that when the clock turned and the numbers were ran that I didn’t fall short of what I needed to qualify. It was nuts. It was exhilarating and it was also fun. But it’s not for the faint at heart.

I was recently told that if you want something bad enough that you will do what it takes to get it done and that the difference between those who make it and those who don’t is that those individuals who will have – THE WILL TO DO IT! They have the burning desire in their hearts to make it happen. I had that. And in network marketing you need that. You need to be committed. But you also need to be a leader. Those individuals that constantly sit in the audience and take notes but never put anything into action won’t win. But those who execute on the information and then have the courage to get up in front of the room to take about it and train about it are the ones that you will see rise to the top.

I have found that the key to network marketing success has everything to do with, creating your own success story, becoming the person that everyone wants to follow and to share, share, share. The best thing you can do when you find something that works is share it. Don’t hold anything back. Become the go to person and make yourself irresistible. Build your team on a solid foundation of trust and follow the “One Band, One Sound” mantra and you will not only succeed, but you will go straight to the top. Take it from me because I did it.

Five Love Languages for Network Marketers

August 14, 2012 by Toni Coleman-Brown Leave a Comment

Imagine what it would be like if you gave birth to a brand new baby and never held it, never kissed it, or never showed it any love? It is a proven fact that if you did that to a newborn, it would certainly die.

Well the same thing holds true for Network Marketers that we recruit onto our teams, if we don’t show them love, they eventually will either die off or quit immediately.

With that being said, what is the best way for you to demonstrate compassion for your team members?

Dr. Gary Chapman has written several books on the Five Love Languages. He has versions available for couples, singles, teens and children. For the purpose of what we do in our industry, I’ve outlined what I consider to be the Five Love Languages for Network Marketers, which will help you to nurture and develop your team and they are as follows:

#1 – Communication
Communication is such an important part of showing your team members that you care. Recent upgrades in technology, has made it is easy for anyone to send a simple e-mail or e-card to team members letting them know that you appreciate them, or acknowledging something great that they’ve recently done. However, I must say that taking the time to hand write a simple note of praise and sending it in the mail is one of the best ways you can communicate. Your team members will feel even more appreciated.

In this day and age, when so many people are boasting about building teams without picking up the phone, I encourage you to do just the opposite. Calling your team member shows them that they mean more to you than just a dollar sign or a number on your genealogy, and it demonstrates that you’re sincerely interested in building a relationship.

Network Marketers Need Recognition

#2 – Recognition
People become a part of network marketing companies because of the recognition and financial rewards. This is a well known fact. Corporate America has gotten away from recognizing their employees for a job well done, and as a result of this, the average person is starving for this type of public showing of appreciation.
Simple acts of recognition not only helps to make a team member feel good, but it goes straight to the bottom line of your business because in network marketing, what gets recognized, gets done.
Therefore, if you recognize the top in sales, then you will have increases in sales and the same holds true for recruiting.

But let’s face it, people need to be stroked. And at the end of the day, there is a little kid in all of us that still gets excited when we receive a gold star. So we must make sure to give out plenty of gold stars.

#3 – Gifts
People love to receive gifts. Giving them is one of the strongest ways to increase retention on your team. Certainly, in an industry with an attrition rate of over 90%, you will want to do everything that you can to reduce that statistic. Also, remember birthdays and anniversaries and send little gifts on these special occasions as well. It acknowledges that your relationship extends outside the realms of just business. Building solid relationships creates loyalty amongst the team that could potentially last forever.

#4 – Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is all about meeting the needs of the people that you lead. A servant leader is one who devotes him or herself to serving their team. Acts of service can range anywhere from being available to assist your team with their events and meetings, or assisting them with closing new business partners, or even being available for them in a time of need.
One of my favorite authors, Marian Wright Edelman, says that “Service Is the Rent You Pay for Living” and I believe that.

#5 – Spending Time Together as a Team
There is nothing that beats the bonding experience of coming together as a team. Gathering your team members for social occasions such as bowling events, pizza parties or team retreats is the perfect way for everyone to get to know each other. This allows your team members to see everyone in a relaxed environment and they get to know another side of each other as well. Life long and life changing friendships are developed in these types of settings.

Network Marketers Come in All Types

Here’s the bottom line, after years of working my network marketing business, I’ve learned that it will attract all kinds of people, with different personality types. These personalities will merge together forming a melting pot of opinions and ideals, which will define the culture of your team. You must understand and appreciate each personality for everything that they have to offer because it takes all types to make a team.

As a team leader in the MLM industry, your role is to show love and concern and build relationships.

So, STOP and ask yourself these key questions, how could you not have an affinity for the people that are helping you to achieve your goals and live your dreams? How could you not appreciate those people that work with you and help you even when they don’t have to?

When you are abundantly blessed, it is your duty to be a blessing to others and what a better way to be a blessing than to demonstrate love to our teams.

Doing so gets to the core of our cause as MLM Leaders, which is literally to change lives. Loving your team is not just something that is nice to do. It is something that you must do in order to have long-term success.

Click Here To Work With a Dynamic Network Marketing Team

Why Most Network Marketers Fail?

August 9, 2012 by Toni Coleman-Brown Leave a Comment

The answer is simple. They don’t earn enough income.

The truth of the matter is 90% of the people in this industry never actually reach a full-time income. And of those that do, only 6% of them earn over $35,000 per year and out of that group only 3% ever go on to earn six figures.

Another truth is they spend more money than they earn and they don’t understand why.

So here’s the reality of it all. Every new business owner MUST invest in their business, whether it’s network marketing or something else. The initial investment is always more than the return.

Statistics show that it takes the average business owner 3 to 5 years to turn a healthy profit from a new business.

Why do network marketers believe their experience will be any different?

Most Network Marketers Do Not Have Business Experience

Here’s a fact: Most network marketers enter the industry with no business experience at all. They don’t understand that building a successful network marketing business takes time and money and they quit before they ever really get started.

Most people in the industry earn on average $300 per month. But no one ever tells them what to do with that money.

A good 3-step strategy for someone entering into this industry is to:

1. Keep your full-time job.
2. Take the income you do earn and save 50% of it and re-invest the other 50%.
3. Set yourself up to earn additional streams of income by tapping into your passions and resources available to you.

Why is it that most people don’t tell anyone this? Well, I would guess that it’s simply because most people don’t know.

The average person enters the field and quickly becomes disenfranchised because they don’t make enough and they spend most of what they earn investing in products, business tools, sales conferences, buying leads and training.

Let’s be clear, I am not saying that this is the wrong thing to do, because it is absolutely – THE RIGHT thing to do.

The real problem is that most people do exactly what the 90% who fail do. They get all of the information, training and tools and they sit on it and never take action

As a matter of fact, 90% of the people who read this article will not take one action to achieve success.

So what’s the solution for Network Marketers?

Network Marketers can put a plug in the hole in the bucket that is literally causing them to spend more money than they make by following the My Lead System Pro program which teaches how to generate upfront cash on their prospecting process and creating multiple streams of income.

This upfront cash can then be used to fund your advertising, business tools, sales conferences, and other costs associated with your business. This is called a funded proposal and was first introduced by several big time network marketers like Mike Dillard and Daegen Smith. If you’re in the industry, you too can take advantage of a funded proposal without having the technical know-how by following the My Lead System Pro plan.

Take advantage of it today and never fail at Network Marketing again.

Toni Coleman Brown