What Kind Of Upline Are You?

To add to my last post, I just want to do a short rant on a serious problem I see in the network marketing industry.

The problem is that people are constantly being recruited into the MLM industry, told they'll get all the "training" they need, and then left all alone to either sink or swim.

I am completely baffled by this behavior! I mean, in network marketing-now, stop me if I'm wrong here-you're success is directly proportionate to the success of your entire organization (aka "downline"-such a derogatory term, don't you think?)

Is that correct or am I just completely misinterpreting the entire concept of network marketing MLM?

Now, with that being the case, it's awfully strange how:

1. There is a HUGE market for network marketing MLM "training" programs, books, tapes, etc. Now, knowing me and the way I get my hands on everything and anything industry wide, do you know how many "webinars" I've been to that advertised "MLM training" in one form or another then turned out to be opportunity pitches in disguise? Why? Because the smart marketers behind these "webinars" know the gravity of this huge problem of uplines not doing any kind of training and support!
2. So many people I've encountered in my travels online are completely TURNED AGAINST network marketing MLM. This is an industry whose target market is people who have no experience building a business, online or off, and whose "product" is the opportunity to OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS! HELLO? These people join because they are told that they'll be taught how to make this work. In reality, they're on their own.
3. Right now, I am working, on a daily basis, with a woman who has been with the same company as I am for over a year longer than I have! Why? Because her upline just kept telling her "it would soon be her turn" and promising to build her business for her, eventually. Never even offering the option of the chance to learn how to build her business herself!
   
4. As I said in "The Give And Take Of Internet Marketing," I am always trying to learn more, hone my skills, etc. Now, when I started with the MLM company I'm with, I was strictly an affiliate marketer. When I was "recruited," I said that I was pretty up to speed on the technical stuff and the getting people to opt-in and what have you, BUT, that I would definitely need some mentoring when it came to prospecting and closing and things like that.
   Of course, I was told that my "upline" would be there for me whenever I needed him. What actually happened was that the person who I spoke to on the phone put me under someone else! Someone who couldn't really care less about building a real business, more or less a "testing the waters" network marketer.
   That would've been fine, everyone has to start somewhere and I wouldn't have a problem with being under someone who was inexperienced, BUT, in that case, THEIR upline should be stepping up to the plate and training. I even received and email when I 1st started that said "you recruit them, we'll train them."
   
   
   

   Most people would've quit,and I know a lot do-that's the point of this whole post...
   

   
   and I would've too if it wasn't for 2 things:
1. The company itself. I love the products and I had a really good feeling about the people in charge.
2. When push came to shove, and I could get nowhere with my upline, I decided to take a chance and go straight to the top. I actually contacted the CEO of my company and told him my dilemma. I showed him the "Web 2.0 Empire" that I had built (and am still building) and explained that I am not about to give up on this company. It is a perfect match to the content that I write for my primary blog and website, "How To Build Your Web 2.0 Empire." I told him, without naming names, what had been going on. He replied to my email within the hour with a video mail. He offered to have me come to his house, if possible (which, is difficult since I live in Pa and he lives in Las Vegas), or at least to provide mentorship over the phone. Do you know what that meant to me? Here's the facts, because of his generosity:
1. I'll never leave this company unless it closes for some reason (which I highly doubt) or they throw me out.
2. Nothing, that selfish upline leaders within the company can do to tarnish things, can change the fact that the CEO is, by far, one of the finest examples of leadership you'll ever find in the whole network marketing MLM industry.
   
   
   

   You Can Get His Book, "The Book On Network Marketing" Free Over There To Your Right>>>
   

   
   I personally asked him permission to give it away because "I wanted my prospects to be able to read it and know how this business is really supposed to be and understand the values of the CEO, and my personal mentor."
3. Even though I was told that my upline had once said, in response to being questioned about why he refused to work with me despite my obvious enthusiasm, "She's not a heavy-hitter, I only work with hitters." you can bet your life that I will make it my personal mission to build one hell of a success story through this company. With help from the very top, you can't go wrong!
   
4. Every single person who comes in under me is going to be treated right. I wanted to share this story so that my readers more fully understand the reasons why I am so passionate about training within the network marketing MLM industry. It's not because it's some marketing ploy to lure in people in the industry, it's because I know what it's like to be left there to fail miserably by my upline.

I wrote this post and "The Give And Take Of Internet Marketing" for my readers/subscribers. Since I've started the "Web 2.0 Blueprint" project, I have stated that I am actively taking in "students." Due to the overwhelming number of "false training" ploys I've seen out there, I just wanted to make it clear why I do what I do and the fact that I really don't want anything from those of you who seek help from me. So, there you go, call me if you need me!

Beware Of MLM "Training" Programs.

So, I just got off the phone with someone who called me about yet another "groundbreaking opportunity." I feel bad because I gave her such a hard time, but not on purpose. You see, in addition to my primary business, I offer a free leads generation system which makes PPC and bought leads obsolete. Since it's generic, as in it can be used with any network marketing business, I get calls from people in all kinds of companies and I always give them an opportunity to tell me about what they do so that I can help them more effectively with their leads generation.

Of course, I get the occasional promoter of the infamous "gifting program." Experience has taught me that it's pointless to tell them how their program is illegal. They refuse to hear it. So, now I just politely excuse myself from the situation and explain to them that I can't help them. Some may say I'm crazy for passing up a retail sale but I really don't want a leads capture page similar to mine out there promoting an illegal scam. Sorry.

Back to my phone call. So she tells me how her program has 2 levels either $5.50 or $100. For $5.50, you get a newsletter and the wonderful opportunity to promote this amazing program. I said, so it's like affiliate marketing only it's not free? She said, "no all of your sales go toward you getting promoted to the next level!"

OK, so what if I come in at the $100 level? She says, "you get a back office and conference calls to explain the compensation plan." The back office includes promotional materials like banners and articles. Sound familiar affiliate marketers?

Uh huh? I'm waiting for the rest. "So, what is the product?" I wonder.

Apparently, the product is "training" such as:

• How to advertise on Adland Pro
• How to talk to your bought leads

And you get this awful looking website with a bunch of hard to read text on an almost black background. My 12 year old son could make a more professional looking site. I know I sound harsh but my God, they're charging $100 for the training that your upline is supposed to provide fro free. It's an outrage!

Just to make sure I wasn't missing something, I dug deeper. I said, ok, here's what I teach my organization for free because I want them to succeed. That's what the whole point of network marketing is! I teach them:

• How to generate free leads that are exclusive to them. They use the leads capture system that is provided when they come aboard.
• How to approach people on social networks, forums, etc. The new web (web 2.0) is here people. Get used to it. Either embrace it or be left behind.
• How to talk to their prospects (obviously)
• I even show them how to build a website if they want to go beyond the 2 sites they are given.

...So, what does your "product" offer beyond this?

Now, I felt bad because she was obviously new and she really couldn't tell me what the product was. She said, about the leads generation, "you mean like traffic exchanges?"

Wow.

I'm not trying to be mean. I did not try to convince this woman that her program was bunk. She'll figure it out.

According to the FTC rules, a network marketing business is legal only if there is BOTH an income opportunity AND a retail product that can be purchased without being "recruited." If this is not the case, it's nothing more than an illegal pyramid scheme.

As I write this, I'm actually sitting here listening to the prerecorded call she sent me to. It is turning out to be exactly as I suspected, a pyramid scheme dressed up with terms like "forced matrix," "automated income," "leverage," and "spectacular income" (yes, that's a quote from the call).

Real people don't want to hear about comp plans and forced matrix and a bunch of other crap yet people are getting sucked into this kind of thing all the time. It's absolutely maddening to me so I thought I'd write this article and hopefully save at least 1 person from this fate.

Take Responsibility For Your Network Marketing Business.

In order to be a leader in the network marketing industry, you must take personal responsibility very seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer in training and empowerment within network marketing. But, in the end, it all comes back to YOU.

A word that loves to pop up over and over again when it comes to taking responsibility is the word "they."We all love to blame everyone else when we aren't succeeding. "Well if only THEY would've trained me better." "Well, if only they would've given me more/ better leads to get started with." You know the drill. Well let me tell you something. If you want this bad enough, there is no "they," there is only YOU.

I don't know how many of you have been properly trained out there. I know I wasn't. I had to go out and get myself trained in order to make my business work. Now, because that has happened to me and I didn't quit, I am very adamant about training my organization. But, with all of the horror stories I hear and with all of the people I get coming to me for free network marketing leads, I am assuming that it's the norm to let your newbie network marketers just sink or swim.

So, let's just assume that you're on your own. You are responsible for, in any case:

• Your personal beliefs and the way you see the world around you.
• The attitude that you portray.
• The choices that you make.
• The way that you behave.
• The promises that you make and your commitment to following through with those promises.
• The work that you do.
• Your personal responsibilities.

What is it that gets in your way? Blame and Being the victim.

When we focus on other people's part in a situation, we are releasing responsibility from ourselves. Blame is a complete waste of our time and energy.

As far as being the victem is concerned, instead of looking at the reasons we failed because of what another person did or didn't do, we should instead be looking at the factors that are within our control.

Instead of saying that you can't build your business because your sponsor didn't teach you this or that, go out there on the Internet and learn it! No one is responsible for your business but you.

I truly believe, again, that it is a sponsor's duty to train their organization and help them to get started in building their business. After all, the success of a sponsor is directly linked with the success of his/ her downline. That's how network marketing works, isn't it?

However, if you believe in your company and it's products as I did and your sponsor just isn't willing to put in the time with you either:

1. Go out and get yourself some training.
2. Go out and find a better sponsor and company if it's that bad.