If you have been around the MLM industry for any length of time then you know that having a “compelling why” is a big deal in this business. Whether you’re being quizzed on a three-way call by a potential sponsor about why you want to have an MLM business or your are listening to some guy in a fancy suit preaching at you during an MLM convention, the idea that you need a really good reason to have an MLM business is pretty much pounded into newcomers from the first day. Having been in the MLM industry for over a decade, I agree that having a super-strong “compelling why” is important. I also think that having some knowleding of MLM how-to is just as important, if not more important.
I see a lot of people come into the MLM industry for all kinds of great reasons. Some people want to earn just enough to cover their car payment while others want to launch themselves out of poverty. All of those reasons are perfectly valid so long as they motivate people to keep moving forward in their businesses. But no matter how good the “compelling why,” people start hitting roadblocks as soon as they get to the “how to” part of the equation. Fired up on their dreams, people dive into this business with no clue as to how to work their business. Not only do they have no idea what to do, they don’t know how to do it, or how long to spend doing it. So if you’ve got a great “why” for your business but are clueless in the MLM how-to department, ask yourself the following three questions.
** 1. Methods **
What methods do you want to use to promote your business and find prospects? There is no right answer to this question. You can decide to tap your warm market, make cold calls, buy leads, place ads, promote via the internet, or host home parties. The trick here it to pick a method that you don’t absolutely despise and that works well with your personality and lifestyle. For instance, if you have a six kids and no babysitter, then home parties probably won’t work for you. Ditto if you choose to tap into your warm market but have already hit up your friends and family with the last six business opportunities you have tried. The key to picking a good MLM how-to method is to choose something you like and will fit easily into your life.
** 2. Time **
How much time can you spend on your business? How many hours a week can you dedicate to your business, including time for prospecting, training, record keeping, travel, and conventions? Sit down with your weekly schedule and figure out how many hours you can realistically spend on your business. Some tasks, of course, can be done in parallel with other parts of your daily life. For instance, if you drive your children to gymnastics class twice a week and spend two hours waiting during class, you can use those two hours for prospecting, record keeping, or listening to training audios. However, you will also need to set aside some dedicated time in your home office for phone calls, writing promotional materials, or putting together mailers. Once you’ve evaluated your schedule figure out the average number of hours per week you can commit to spending on your business. This step is crucial to the success of the MLM how-to formula you are creating at the moment.
** 3. Schedule **
Consistency is one of the keys to succeeding with your MLM how-to formula. To be consistent in your business you have to actually block out time in your calendar to work your business. Don’t let this step scare you. Just take the number of hours you have allocated to your business and put them on your calendar. Some of the scheduling may be automatic, such as prospecting or record keeping during your child’s gymnastic lesson. Training calls with your sponsor or with your parent company are also simple because they occur at a set time.
The tasks you really need to schedule are those that don’t have a fixed time. Your job is to set a fixed time for those tasks. For instance, I spend one hour three days a week writing about and promoting my business online. I spend a further 45 minutes another three days a week educating myself by visiting two forums and three blogs and reading from one of my MLM ebooks. I spend about an hour every weekday following up with prospects. Finally, I spend 10 minutes at the end of each weekday keeping up on my records and receipts. All that time adds up to 11-12 hours a week that I schedule into my calendar. When I am working during my scheduled time, I close my office door and do not answer personal phone calls or emails.
Once you have figured out how you want to promote your business, how many hours you can spend promoting it, and when you can promote it, you have figured out your MLM how-to formula. The neat thing about having and following a formula like this is that you never wake up in the morning and wonder what you should do. You already know what you have planned to do to promote your business. Now you have a roadmap that takes you from here to your compelling why, whether that’s a regular check that covers your car payment or it’s a lifestyle that allows you to stay home with your kids. This roadmap also keeps you from procrastinating or rationalizing your procrastination, all of which can kill your business in record time.
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