NMPRO #43 – The Network Marketing Skeptic

April 30th, 2009 Email This


Are people skeptical of the Network Marketing Profession?  Based on how some people in our business act, SHOULD they be?

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  • Alfie
    Great response. Very professional.
  • FrankMarshman
    Terrific show.
  • Erik
    As you said, we have a job to do :)
  • miguelcortez
    We can make very one happy....
  • Jacky
    This is the most favorite show for me so far. Mr. Worre, I believe your name will be one of the most memorable names in network marketing world. Thank you for what you have done for this industry so far.
    Big fan,
  • That was a good one! I hope this can help a lot of people who have had a negative experience with some scammer. That doesn't make the whole industry bad. I absolutely love it. I am able to stay home with my children and earn a great income at the same time. In many companies, such as mine, the whole concept is about redirecting money you are spending elsewhere to buying from yourself. Then, tell others about it. I would rather see individuals make money and reap the benefits than to see all these huge corporations get richer and richer. It is the small business person that keeps the economy rolling. Let's face it, there are going to be start up costs in any business. I have found that most NWM companies have a start up cost of less than $500. You could not open any kind of store with that amount of money. Plus, you can get so many tax advantages. People say, "I don't like recruiting others" Well, that is fine, but I look at it more like telling people as a gift that I have for them. This has been a gift for me. I buy products each month from other NWM companies just because I happen to like the products. I am only building my business with one.. OK, back to the recruiting others and selling products.. If you opened any kind of store.. how long could you stay in business with out any customers? I would venture to guess..not too long. This is no difference than any other business. It takes patience, commitment and belief in the products along with a desire to help others. That is more than I see in traditional business models. I believe if people would just take a look at it for what it is, do their research and talk to honest people.. they will find that this is the most cost effective way to start up a home based business. I love it and I intend on sharing this with everyone I meet. Thanks for the chance to speak my mind. Sheatina
  • Great job, Eric! That's the kind of clarity and honesty that will ensure that Network Marketing Professionals do not get a bad name.

    Tree
  • Although I am late in responding all I have to say is that Fred did not listen to what he was watching in these videos. Listen to anyone who is successful IE: Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump they will tell you the best training you can get in your journey to becoming successful is doing network marketing and learning from a good company with an excellent training program. You have to do your own research to find the one that best fits your needs and that you can believe in and get excited about. I know that I could never really get excited about building circuit boards, but when I found products that improve people's lives and are convenient (which is very innovative and category creator) then I get excited about it and want to share it with everyone I care about so they can benefit from it. Trust me it's not get rich quick scheme, you do work hard and spend time becoming a "professional" at what you do, just like you would at any "job" you have, you strive to be your best! I bet Fred would be awesome at network marketing if he was willing to put in the effort long term. Best of luck to you Fred!
  • I believe this post is certainly one of the most interesting so far. Why? We all have this sort of response every now and then, and to hear a Professional like Eric, deal with it, simply encourages me to continue to spread the RIGHT message.

    Please for those who still do it as a "money for nothing" approach.

    STOP.

    Federico Ruiz
  • Daniel Schweitzer
    Hi Eric,
    Thank you for these lessons. There's so much to learn from you.
    I'm a network marketing newbie (few months in the business) and I feel burnt out from dealing with objections like Fred's. the network marketing profession does have a very bad reputation... I don't agree with the "get rich quick" strategies or prospecting anything that moves, but it seems that people I talk to are tired of being bombarded with proposterous propositions.
    It's so tiring to deal with it. Especially since I'm a respected engineer, and I'm not used to people reacting like that when I share something with them...
    I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as I think this is something a lot of newbies are feeling.

    Thank you
    Daniel - Israel
  • Eric C
    Ummm, are you being paid to promote "Under Armour" sports apparel? You know... that's how network marketing works, right?
  • Doris Bloch
    ERIC WORRE # 43
    “EL ESCEPTICO”

    ¿Hay gente ESCÉPTICA con la Profesión de Network Marketing?
    Basado sobre como la gente actúa en nuestro negocio, DEBERÍAN de serlo?

    Recibí un correo del Sr. Fred Marshall en la cual muestra su escepticismo sobre el MLM, lo compara con una pirámide ilegal, una trampa, demasiado bueno para ser verdad, donde todos engañan a la gente!

    Mi respuesta al Sr. Fred es:

    Gracias por tu correo, bienvenido a la discusión, me encanta poder discutir este punto.
    Les recuerdo que siempre hemos transmitido el trabajo arduo que requiere esta profesión! Y odio que digan que aquí somos millonarios sin trabajar! Que se necesita una pequeña inversión inicial como para engañar a la gente!

    Aquí están algunos puntos reales:
    Esta es una Industria de:
    $120 billones de ventas / año
    100 países en el mundo
    67 millones de personas trabajan en esta Industria
    $50 billones de comisiones/ año

    Conozco a varios que ganan $un millón / año como yo!
    Pero, yo trabaje como un loco por muchos años, establecí una manera de trabajar y de llegar a mis objetivos, me capacité, enseñé a mucha gente. Llego a ganar $ un millón / año gracias a este duro, muy duro trabajo!
    Escuchen las entrevistas hechas a estos millonarios.

    Aquí lo que queremos es cambiar totalmente la manera de acercarse a los prospectos y de presentar este negocio! Pero siempre habrá gente ofreciendo mucho por poco, ofreciendo productos milagrosos, gente muy entusiasmada que dice cualquier cosa! Pero al estudiar y transformarse en PROFESIONAL, se entiende que esto no es pirámide ni trampa. Esto es trabajo muy duro! No es una Lotería! Requiere buscar la manera, la mejor manera!
    Esta profesión esta muy bien regulada, por las leyes.
    Si, esta profesión te ofrece la independencia, pero es verdad que mucha gente ofrece lo que no es!
    Es verdad que en estos años me he decepcionado muchas veces. Pero al educarme, al capacitarme, vas madurando, viendo lo que funciona lo que no funciona, hacer un trabajo duro, seguir lo que hacen los que tienen éxito, aprendí a ser un PROFESIONAL.
    Es SENCILLO.
    Por favor sigan escribiendo!
    Tendremos este tipo de conversaciones que nos permiten limpiar nuestros pensamientos y nuestra profesión.
    Mi deseo es junto con Uds. re-hacer nuestra profesión.

    NO SEAMOS AMADORES
    DECIDAMOS SER PROFESIONALES.
    Y TRANSFORMAR NUESTRA PROFESIÓN.
  • Excellent video, as usual. I have attended ILS and am still in hyperdrive, RIGHT NOW. I think you are doing a great job in teaching the world how great and how professional networkmarketing is. I am proud to be part of your team and learning every day.

    I do have a comment on a comment, if I may. 'peter' (he didn't give his last name, so I don't know who he is), is talking about something Agel is doing. I thought networkmarketingpro is to talk about networkmarketing in general, so I don't think it's very appropriate what he did. (And by the way, I do know what he is talking about, and I totally disagree.)

    Like I said, I have just had the great opportunity to be trained by you and Randy in person, and I don't hear any mixed messages. Please keep up the good work and I will meet you on the other side, the Diamond side. But for now, I'm working by bud of, so if you don't mind, I will go to work now.
  • Excellent comment Eric!
  • Cynthia
    Great video Eric!

    When I hear a Network Marketing (NM) skeptic, the following comes to mind:

    1) A NM skeptic is someone unable or unwilling to engage in critical thinking and finds it easier to let themselves get sucked into "herd thinking mentality".

    2) A NM skeptic is someone who does not believe in having a strong work ethic - in any industry. He criticizes the people who succeeded in network marketing because their hard work (and their resulting success) makes people like him look bad.

    I worked in the corporate world for 15 years and earned close to 100,000 US$ a year for many of those years. I worked my butt off to learn the skills I needed to achieve that corporate success and income level. Then my awesome job was outsourced during my divorced when I needed that paycheck the most to support myself and my two little kids. So I started a network marketing business and achieved a lot of success with my business because I put the same work ethic into my business that I put into my corporate job.

    The employees who criticized my corporate success were the same people who criticized me when I started my network marketing business.

    At one point in the early years of my corporate career, one of my co-workers stormed into my cube at work and yelled at me, "what do you think you're doing?!" he said. I replied that I was working and didn't understand why he was so upset. He pointed out that because I had taken on more projects than the rest of the analysts I was making them look bad and he wanted me to stop taking on so much work.

    I think you'll find that the network marketing skeptics are also the same people who look down on anyone achieving success in any other industry (not just NM) and will find a way to criticize, blame or make that person or industry look bad.

    Fred whines about the 1,500 cost of a starter kit/materials. Again, this is the "give me something for nothing" herd mentality that is so prevalent in our culture. Try starting a brick and mortar store and having to sign a 5-, 10-year lease on the building with no guarantee of sales success in that business. Perhaps the skeptics want to have those leases for free too.

    What about the corporate employees who put an honest day's work in daily only to find out that they could lose their jobs if they stay at home with a sick kid. From years ago, I remember parents who put their kids into daycare even with a fever because their boss' would fire them for staying at home.

    A mature person would recognize that there are scammers in every industry from network marketing to the corporate employers who portray their companies as "family friendly" and that mature person would take the common sense steps of critically thinking about what is being proposed instead of getting emotional and making a generalization about an entire industry.

    My suggestion to the "Fred's" out there is to stop getting emotional and do some common sense research and critical thinking. Find a successful network marketer and spend some time with that person to see what they do for a living and how they do it. This is the advise I was given many years ago by a successful corporate executive when I asked him which corporate career I should move into. He said, "Ask to go on an information interview so that you can EDUCATE YOURSELF about a profession that you're considering. See what they do for a living and how they do it."
  • Excellent work.

    This is the far most valuable piece of work you have done in this site.

    We need to discuss peoples concerns about NM.

    Give them a voice so they listen to their selves, and better than this, why most of their concerns are unnecessary.

    And also to teach to some of us, on how to do business.

    Of course it's wrong to say if you join me, you will get rich fast.

    Of course it's wrong to tell people it's an easy work, or that you don't have to work, to be successful in this profession.

    And this site can be a clean up on both, the hobby/get rich fast mentality some NMPs spread, and the scared people that would not join, because they are afraid of being scammed.

    But if you stop to think for a moment, you realize that this scared acting is a result of being scammed/mislead by the traditional business, politics, some religions and other communities.

    Who among us has never bought something on the traditional business that turned up to be completely different on what we expected?

    Who of us has never been approached by traditional business and highly pressured to get their services, and/or their products?

    I have people calling me every week trying to sell me their services (mobile phones, Internet access, etc).

    And these belong to the traditional businesses!!!

    We don't do that.

    A Network Marketing Professional doesn’t do that!

    We promote a business, and if the person says no, we just stop there.

    There is no pressure, no arm twisting, as Eric says!

    Either people see's it, or don't. Period!

    Eric, I am impressed.

    WELL DONE

    Love you all
    Alfredo Rodrigues

    PS: I am in NY, and really astonished to see that so many people in US don't even know what is Network Marketing...
    If you don't open your eyes, I will get your people for my team :)
  • Eric, I am so thankful to you for this NMPro project.

    I know that many people cringed when they first read Fred's comments - and the inclination of those who did not - no criticism intended - was to confront him and engage in "ideological combat".

    Thank you so much for leveraging the "challenge" that Fred presented, not only to put things into the proper perspective, but first and foremost, to demonstrate the professional leadership posture that we all need in our joint mission to "re-brand" the image of Network marketing world-wide.

    Jack - Tel Aviv
  • bernadettedock
    Great education on the network marketing profession. This is really helpful for all of us. thank you eric
  • Neil Clements
    I have a friend Like Fred.

    As a matter of fact he said almost the exact same things as Fred. Althouigh I know that there are at least 8 more people like Fred and my friend in the world, I hope this education reaches them before i have to meet them.

    Thanks Eric, Thanks Fred.
  • Debra Moulds
    Thank you for what you're doing, I'm a brand new entrepenuer and appreciate learning whatever I can about marketing my business.
  • Jeremy
    Mark Yarnell has said numerous times that he is willing to go anywhere at anytime and debate any reasonably intelligent person on the matter that NM is the greatest and only form of ethical capitalism left on the planet. Bill oreily could not find anything to disagree with him about when Mark was interviewed on his No Spin Zone.

    I was once a huge skeptic until someone asked me as to why and what I really knew about the industry. At that point i had to admit that i honestly knew very little about it but it just always came off as bad from how it was pitched to me. Well i did some REAL research at the book store and found that some of the most successful people in business today say that NM is one of the best ways for the average person to start out at owning their own business. Even if you dont want to get to the upper ranks with NM, it can be a great way to make some money to invest in other areas all while gaining valuable business skills. And if one chooses, you can learn the skills and build a very solid income and even live the life of the Eric worre's, randy gages, and mark yarnells.
  • Eric,

    Your show today took a great step towards addressing the negative misconceptions of network marketing that are still out there. I can only speak for myself and my wife...we both come from the corporate world...I was an executive in the medical device industry and started our current distribution business just one year ago today. I have started several traditional companies in the past, raised capital, hired employees etc. and those business efforts have one thing in common with our current network marketing business....it is very hard work and very long hours. We work at least 10 hours a day 7 days per week and we are just now seeing the fruits of our labor. However we have a goal to reach a million dollars per year in earnings and our trend shows us getting there in 60-70 months so we are very willing to put in the hours.

    We love our business and we believe that we help people everyday either with the products that we market or with supporting others reach their business goals. We both feel strongly that this is a very legitimate business with high integrity.

    Thanks for the great show on demonstrating that this business is like any other and to be hugely successful requires passion, dedication, hard work and long hours.

    Best regards,

    Michael
  • Terre Johnson
    I've met "Fred" and my hairs on the back of my head bristled many times because I was not informed enough to help (answer) with his questions. I am so fortunate to have been introduced to Eric Worre and several others who demonstrate the work ethic necessary to become successful within the Network Marketing industry. I did enter with a flawed view of what was going to be required of me. It's taken a couple years to wrap my head around it. I've got it now, though, and my continuing education as a Network Marketing Professional will provide for me beyond what I previously dreamed I could do - inside and outside the profession. What I have developed so far is my posture - which allows me to show the character from within. And that charater does not reflect the words and ideas/images "Fred" tossed onto the table. That is in itself is quite liberating! That's what I can now share with "Fred's" everywhere. Thanks Fred for chiming in. Thanks Eric for your dignified response. It truely is something that I love about you - your character.

    Terre Johnson
  • Eric and NMPRO readers entrepreneurs that have actually objectively educated themselves on the network marketing business model end up understanding it. People like Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki, etc... Reimaging MLM will take a long time and may I suspect will never completely reduce the stigma. Why do I believe this?

    During Grad school I learned that something like 90% of businesses fail. I'm not just talking MLM here. I'm refering to all businesses. So, why is it that that MLM gets all the bad rap? I think it has to do with the fact that unlike the a traditional or corporate business, MLM businesses can be started with a low investment, making it easier for more people to give it a shot. As a result, there are many more people, per capita, that have attempted MLM. We don't hear about all the business failures of the corporate world because the percentage of people starting a traditional business are much lower than MLM.

    Couple that with the fact, that many scammers jump into legitimate MLMs and proceed to tarnish its image by making unrealistic claims. Well, just like Eric said, they will eventually quit and jump top something else. The sad part is along the way, they'll pray on hard working people like Fred and Peter.

    I believe we'll never wipe this stigma out completely, but it is my hope we'll beat most of it.

    Having said that, I never envisioned myself in MLM, then one day I found a company with a product/service I fell in love with. I found my passion. Now that I have worked hard at it and spent quality time with fellow entrepreneurs in the field, I have to say, more than the money success we all strive for, I love the relationships I have made. For me, regardless of what level I reach, I love the product and people. To me, the positive energy I have attracted since becoming a NMPRO is way better than they stress of corporate America. But then again, the skeptic will say I am brainwashed. Shame on you Eric!!!! ;-)
  • Kudos to Fred Marshall for actually having the guts to post his message of skepticism in the first place. And who can blame him.
    Based on the way some people approach others about their network marketing program is obviously why people like Fred are not only skeptical but can also be very very angry.

    Now I don't know Fred however I will say that all this skepticism based on the unprofessional antics and therefore unsuccessful results of the amateurs is really a one sided and completely uneducated opinion of the profession of network marketing.

    The real issue for anyone in the profession is that whether you are offering the opportunity to someone for the first time or whether you received an objection then anything, and I mean anything that 'you' say is received by the prospect as a sales pitch.

    The only way to approach and/or to answer a question is to point the prospect to a 3rd party tool and not to try to present to them yourself. So why is it that so many feel the need to blab and blurt out all the information? That's why they are still amateurs and will eventually fail.

    I am so grateful to have this 3rd party tool in NMP that we can point people to so they can get the answers for their questions from someone else, (meaning Eric Worre and the people he interviews).

    Now I don't want to turn this comment into a training except to say that if you amateurs were to utilize 3rd party tools to convey the message of your opportunity in the first place, instead of 'vomiting' information all over your prospects, then the far fetched, fanciful promises made by you amateurs would more or less disappear, (well, almost). :)

    Looking forward to your next installment Eric.
  • Peter
    ok, so what about the promotion of these new starting kits that agel are launching right now? what you and other successfull reps talk about in this very recent promotion video is how great these starting kits are, like they have EVERYTHING you need in order to start your business and become successful! so what does this message say to people? well, in my opinion and based on how these promotions (agels promotion is NO different than any other MLM company) usually end up with is that people are gonna go out recruiting with "selling" these starting kits to as many people as possible, which means selling this starting kit to them and telling them it is all they have to do too! right? Creating the SAME kind of people and behavior that Fred Marshall is asking you about!!

    "hey, we have these incredible breakthrough products, sexy packaging, information on how to grow your business and so on, just pass the word on and you will make money and eventually you get rich if you never give up." people will bang their heads on the wall like crazy over this.
    how come you guys NEVER talk in these promotions about the skills and knowledge that you need to get attain? this way you will attract the wrong people and you certainly teach the wrong message!

    how come you cannot see the connection between these promotions and the wrong approaches that people use?
    why do you (successful reps in general) give one message on these promotions and a different one when you coach your downline, write books, doing these kinds of blogs and so on?

    Is the purpose of those promotional videos etc to just attract a lot of people into the business in order to increase sales??

    this is really pissing me off and i actually hold you responsible together with many other successful mlmrs for partly causing people to fail in this business since people are gonna do EVERYTHING people like you say, no matter what the context is (promotional video, books etc) and the more simple the action is the more likely it is that people are gonna do what you teach.

    no disrespect and keep up the awesome blog and im looking forward to your reply!
  • Salomon
    Great explanation! what I find funny is that I heard the almost the same speech from my own skeptical friends, and truth of the matter is all we can do is bit by bi, step by step do it right, and change networkarketing impression on people, thx Mr Wore
  • Stella Webber The Netherlands
    Great, such a discussion this way! Good for everyone to hear, especially the sceptic ones.
    Thanks, Eric, for your honest and respectful way you react.
    Regards Stella
  • Brilliant and inspiring discussion and comments to a much debated issue, which all of us, in the network marketing business, have to deal with daily.

    Eric is setting an excellent example for us all to follow, with the manner in which he approaches the issue.
  • great work, eric - give us more skeptics, i learn a much! Thanks for the educationI want go pro!
    and as beginner without sucess, you find every day this skeptics!

    greetings from austria
  • elyshemer
    oops... PROFESSIONAL... :)
  • elyshemer
    I just love the calm serious respectful way Eric is dealing with the skeptics. This is a PROFETIONAL way of dealing with it. Way to go Eric!
  • Tanya C
    Hello Eric,

    Discussion like this is so in need. Most people who start businees in NM do not understand how it works. I didn't either when I joined an MLM company many years ago.
    We need to clarify that if you want to succed NM you have to treat this business like a business. It takes time to become a professional in any sphere of occupation. No exception.

    Thank you for the education.
  • Jorge Bessudo
    There is an issue that comes into my mind: There are products that would simply do not exist if they were not "network marketed". I do not want to mention my own companie's (not ethical in this context), but we just have a great advantage over our competitors for this just reason. Now, as for the money spent, our company delivers 1,000 dollars o f product in its' 1000 dollar in it's "executive" initial order; it also has a 250 dollar initial order, and everyone chooses which one to get in... other companies start as low as 30 dollars.

    As Eric says in style, I work my behind to get income, and it takes time, skills, intelligence plus other amenities to be able to make a living out of this.

    I am a CPA-MBA and own my own firm, I have 8 people employed. With the infrastucture we have, we can help between 60 and 100 clients to grow their own businesses. One huge advantage of Network Marketing is that I can help a lot more people to make a decent living working our proffession, which actually means owning their own part time - eventually full time - businesses, which is something they probably could not do any other way.

    The go rich promises lose sight of this, I think that supplying and extra stream (even a small one) of income for a lot of people is a huge issue that Fred does not see, and the "get rich quick", false dreaming people he knows are probably the cause of this.

    All kinds of startups end abruptly in any economy (my guess is 80% of new startups do so) at the end of their first year, not just MLM's; this is due to many causes, the most important being not enough capitalization and not being good enough at what you do.

    My "Diamond" upline says that when people complain this way, what they really would love is for us to prove them wrong NICELY, so they have a reason to join us. I (and I believe I say this representing all of us networkmarketing pros) really like the challenge your pose, and offer any of you to work hard with you until you not only get your investment back, also learn the business in a way that you can teach it to your own people (the ones YOU invite into the business). This is so much better than practicing corporate politics, don't you think?

    That is the nature of our challenge, and the reason we are working towards making all people understand this is a true proffession
  • Great approach Eric!

    I think it is respectful for the people who doesn't agree with us (or doesn't understand what we do), and, on the other hand, it is very clarifying, specially for those who still think that this profession is for people who want to "become rich fast"... which is far from being true.

    Keep on doing this!

    RoX
  • ez2win
    Hi Eric,
    Addressing the skeptics is extremely important since there are so many out there who are good, caring people and simply want to protect themselves and their loved ones. This kind of sincere debate might make them aware of the honest, hard-working networkmarketers. It might make them view the industry in a new light.

    My hope is that my brother Daniel, an income tax commissioner, will join the debate. Only this morning he pointed out to me how all MLM companies (scientific research) have only 10% high-earners at the top and that it's impossible for those who step in later to succede in making the desired residual income. He's a great guy but one of the greatest skeptics around. I'll surely forward this to him.

    Thanks.
  • I don't have any trouble with the message of this site except in its use of the enormous online sales revenue numbers.

    My first question would be what percentage of those figures is money being paid by 'students' buying tools, training and support for network marketing? I've been in the industry for nearly four years and during this time the number of "vultures" feeding off people's willingness to believe in 'get rich quick' schemes has multiplied by orders of magnitude. In fact now there are large organisations, teaching people how to do that - so the problem is escalating. I am using Twitter to provide small snippets of hopefully useful network marketing info - it is frightening how many of the people who decide to follow me (without invitation) have a profile of internet / affiliate marketers (over 90%).

    My second question is what percentage of what is left goes to network marketers rather than the sold product / service provider?

    My third question is what percentage of the money that goes to network marketers is left after deducting the costs of those network marketers?

    My fourth and last question is how many network marketers are there sharing that final figure and how much does that mean they have net on average?

    Just because Richard Branson made a fortune doesn't mean that anyone can read his book and learn how to do the same. Similarly just because a network marketer has earned a fortune from it doesn't mean that being taught by them necessarily increases your chances of doing the same. For every Richard Branson there are dozens of others who have lost everything they possess working trying to emulate him.
  • New age of Network Marketing Professionals is upon us! There are Crooks in ALL industries not just NMkt industry... If was want to win, then we must play with Ethics of the Highest Level! Great Show...
  • This is such a valuable episode. the reality is there are so many people who've only seen the ugly, weak, needy, pushy, pompous network marketers promising the world for nothing, selling the biz as a lottery ticket, doing ugly business. Sadly, I fit at least a couple of these descriptions when I first got into network marketing too.

    i'm a real estate investor and in many ways liken network marketing to the real estate investing profession. I started my real estate career with the carlton sheets no down pymt program off a late night tv infomercial. so many people have seen the infomercial and "tried" it. i think most people watched the infomercial, got all excited about the possibilities, looked at it as a get rich quick deal and bought the program with expectations of doing a few deals (right away) then immediately sailing off into the sunset as a financially free millionaire. so they get the course in the mail and it's HUGE... at which point many will realize this is going to be “to much work” and they slid it under the bed never to touch it again... many more may listen to all of the audios and read all of the course (once) then they go out and "try it”. Well, of course they’re new and much is done wrong and they face some rejection, offers are declined, blah blah blah and next thing you know they're hollering from rooftops about how that carlton sheets program is a scam and how “that stuff doesn't work”.

    i think it didn't work for them b/c they walked in the door with unrealistic expectations and weren't willing to put in the hours and the work required to truly learn the skills necessary to have the career or income level they dreamed of when they ordered the program.

    I see the same thing here in the network marketing profession. People get sold on the dream and are looking at it like a lottery… and yes, there are many irresponsible (and/or inexperienced) people out there giving it a bad look, selling unrealistic expectations and not preparing their prospects for the reality that this (just like anything else) will require much of their time and attention in order to reach the high levels.

    The good news is this profession allows you to put in those hours on your schedule around whatever you’re already doing, so you can learn and do it over time. Remember the top income earners in this profession say if you put part time hours into your network marketing career (say 10-15 hours a week) this is a 2-4 year plan or a 5 year plan.

    It’s interesting: we’re willing to go to school for 4, 5, 8, 10 years (or more) just to learn a career so we can THEN start the career and the income that’ll come with it. But for some reason, in network marketing we expect to walk in and make millions from day one and if it doesn’t make us rich the first month then we think it won’t work (or maybe it just won’t work for us) and we quit.

    It would seem to all come down to expectations. If we were to look at our first years like college then we wouldn’t expect to make ANY money at all in our first years. Maybe less people would walk away from the true freedom that’s possible here if they only knew what to expect going in. And that’s exactly what Eric is doing with www.networkmarketingpro.com and every day in his own network marketing biz.

    I believe Eric is playing a vital role in helping us change the face of network marketing and together we can be the change this great profession needs which will help us offer countless people a much needed life raft in a turbulent time that I believe has only begun.
  • Excellent Eric!
    You're right when you said it's good to have these discussions with the skeptics. Having intelligent, open and healthy debates will indeed help to clean up this industry.
    Great stuff.....again!
  • Eric
    I am so glad that Fred posted his opinion and concerns about the business. It is the sentiment of a lot of people out there. It gives you and us a great opportunity to set the record straight so that others understand how this industry works. A good network marketing company can be the answer to so many people looking just to make ends meet in this economy, and if we can help with that, what a wonderful thing to know that we have made someone elses life a little easier
  • Network marketing is affiliate marketing with a franchising ability. Because the entry fee, the 'franchise fee' is so low the ability to get in and do nothing is very high. Everyone may be a suspect but qualified prospects are few and for most people who they know it may be as few as 5% who will be successful. Enroll any of the the other 95% you risk more negative conversations. Maybe we need to create a 'license' or some kind of core curriculum that when passed gives NMPRO designation.
  • Eric: First, thank you for Network Marketing Pro! We've never met personally, however, I enjoy visiting with you everyday. What you're doing for Network Marketing is fantastic!

    Fortunately, I was never a skeptic of Network Marketing. Why? Because I did my due diligence up front. I made a point to understand, consult, and research the business strategy. I didn't just dive into something. I also didn't listen or seek the opinions of "my friends" or "family" about something that they knew nothing about. I love my Mother, yet, I don't speak to her about my taxes and tax strategies - I speak to my accountant of fifteen years.

    I've been an employee, I've been a corporate executive, I've owned my own traditional consulting practice, I have invested in real estate, etc. etc. As to building a business, there is no other business that I'd build today other than Network Marketing. Why?? Because no one has been able to show me a better, long term, RESIDUAL business strategy or system!!

    As you know, you can build a million dollar Network Marketing business and have 10 cents worth of headaches as compared with a traditional business. One can build a million dollar "traditional" business and you'll have a million dollars worth of headaches to boot - overhead, fixed and variable expenses, employees, FICA, social security taxes, liability insurance, etc. etc. Both "businesses" will take sweat equity to get to the end result - I prefer the 10 cents worth of headaches with the very limited risk & exposure that a good Networking Company can provide.

    A mentor of mine once said to me, treat any business like a hobby, get paid like a hobby... treat the business like a business and get paid like a business & earn a professional income. Unfortunately, there are many who enter into this profession for the quick fix - save yourself the grief and buy a lottery ticket!

    Thanks for the stories and the education everyday. I think that it's great that you choose to ride on an elephant! Keep riding!
  • KH Koh
    Part of the skepticism out there is due to an askewed perspective about the "failure" rate in network marketing.

    Loads more people fail in network marketing than in conventional business because loads more people go into network marketing. There isn't the same number of people who can fork out a few tens of thousands of dollars to set up a conventional business like a shop as those who can put up a thousand plus to join network marketing.

    And people who lose their savings on a failed conventional business are not as likely to talk down about the business model not working - I mean, they're not about to admit to sinking their savings into what others may see as a hare-brained scheme! They will keep mum about it. But it costs people nothing to say they wasted a thousand dollars on a stupid pyramid scheme.

    I think that is why the naysaying is so loud out there, and gives the impression that the skepticism is justified just because it is loud.


    kh
  • Yes there are way too many "Fred's" out there...and as an industry we have a lot of "explaining to do!"
    With 15 years in the industry, I realize how much hype there has been...such a turnoff. With our new company, we are always struggling to find descriptions that don't sound like everyone else..even though its true this time.
    "The ground floor, no work if you get in early, fastest growing ever , projections of billion dollars in sales in less than 5 years"..blah blah blah..Thank-you Eric! I was leaving the industry..now back with a new company and a new team AND a new determination to teach and educate what it means to be part of the new breed of savvy network marketing professionals. I look forward each morning to your words of inspiration!
    Elizabeth Harrington
    Minneapolis MN.
  • Hello Eric,

    I'm so glad you brought this subject. Dear Fred is just an example to many of the fears people have to our industry.
    It seems that the number of 67,000,000 people involved with this industry in all NM companies is not penetrating our sub-concious. This is bearly 1% of the world's population !!
    We have so much to do and so many out there to aproach.
    I look forword to see what other people have to say. I think it is among the most important issue of our industry. And we have the power to change it and to let AVERYBODY see that this industry is the right platform to live the life we all deserve in these uncertain days of economy.

    Great video,

    Gaby Di-Capua, Israel.
  • Great Job Eric! Loved It! As I've said before, if people get sucked into a "get rich quick" scam, they should take responsibility for not doing their due diligence before diving in. Shame on those out there preying on the weak. I was not a fan of network marketing. So many approached me as well. But any wise business person will do their homework, reasearch, probing the financials before signing on and spending a single dime. That's what I did and am so proud to be with a recognized company that has been recognized by Forbes magazine and is publicly traded on the NYSE. A Rock Solid Company! And with my hard work I am finding financial success.
  • billrogers
    Great topic Eric! there are a lot of Fred's out there. Unfortunately some of the stigma comes about because of a persons dream, and the fact that they know the business model of net work martketing is the answer, but they start out with the "ignorance on fire" enthusiasm and lack the discipline or extra time to pervail until knowledge catches up with them. Most people don't do enough due diligence before they jump into something. Everyone wants to be in business for themselves but really don't fully understand what all it entails.
  • Thanks for today's show. Our profession can only improve when we recognize that our profession (or any profession for that matter) is not perfect nor are all participants; when we understand that improvements and/or corrections in the profession and within our ranks can only come about by open and honest discussion like this; and when we remain acutely aware that people, through freedom of choice, are allowed to succeed or fail in a job, business, occupation, or profession; and, only they can define their success and only they can accomplish that success through their willingness to set goals, work, evaluate results, reset goals and work some more.

    Please press on. Hopefully more discussion involving more people will develop.

    With even greater respect,

    Bill
  • Way to go Eric, this is the only way to address the skeptism directed towards our profession, head on but with respect, total honesty and candour.

    We will succeed in re-branding the space this way.

    Warm regards

    Grahame Brown (UK)
  • Maarten Leewis
    I know i was a skeptic and i think most us were before we started out in this business. And i find it difficult to remove the stigma. Most people have a real prejudice but they don't seem to know that. I even met people who are in the business but they don't stick to the concept, and they are trying to make it a tradiotional business.

    One of the questions i often get is why the products aren't sold in the regular shops. Eric, this might be a good topic for the future. I understand why not, but i find i difficult to explain why.
  • WoW!

    Great SHOW! Eric to spread the word about network marketing. It do require "job" over a certain time to get results. As in any business You do

    "Everyone" is sceptical about network marketing, but the same people do Affiliatemarketing, wich is:

    same same, but different!
  • I really appreciate your balanced and logical approach to the skeptics of NWM - I do believe a discussion is essential, although it is a daily challenge out in the field. I know you are able to refute a lot of the criticisms with your experience, it is a little more difficult when you have not made your mark yet. Skeptics of NWM tend to ask how much you have made; and come back when you have been successful...and I will! Thanks again for your daily encouragement.
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