Network marketing is a profession. In order to master any profession, you need proper training. Often people start a network marketing business with no or only minimal training. The training that network marketing companies teach is often not enough. How do I dare to say that? Just look at the numbers. Our industry has huge attrition rates. Majority of new network marketers fail to generate the extra income they are after when starting their businesses, and many just quit or start a new venture hoping for better success in the next one.

What do you need to become a network marketing professional?

First of all, you need to commit to personal development in order to build the correct mindset. You need to dedicate time daily to read personal development books and/ or listen to CDs and tapes to build a success mindset. You have probably heard the saying: The amount of money you make will always be in direct proportion to your personal growth. The most successful people have mentors and coaches in various areas of life.

Secondly, your task as a network marketer is to build a huge contact or lead database. It doesn't help to have a great product/service or opportunity, if you don't have enough prospects to share your product/service or recruiting information with. The biggest challenge network marketers face is how to generate quality leads. Network marketing companies teach people various methods to prospect and promote their businesses, e.g. their warm market, talk to anyone (so called 3 ft rule), advertise free in the internet and generate leads through your website, place ads in local newspapers, post flyers around town etc. Many network marketing companies also recommend to buy opportunity seeker leads the prices of which range from pennies to several dollars a piece. I personally believe that all of these methods work if you just work them long and persistently enough. However, the question is who has the persistency and funds to do it?
You need a simple methodology that works for you and you truly believe in yourself, and most importantly that is easy to duplicate and teach to your team members.

Thirdly, network marketing is a sales profession. If someone tells you that you don't have to sell anything when you join a network-marketing program, it is simply not true. You might not need to sell a product or service, but you need to sell an idea to the other person to get him or her involved. It is a form of selling and you need to get good at it before you can really succeed in network marketing. You need to know how to create a compelling message to invite the prospects to take a look at your information, you need to be able to answer the questions and concerns, and most importantly, you need to know the correct way to ask for the final decision i.e. close. Sales skills also comprises of being a good listener and the ability to build relationships.

If you master these three areas: correct mindset, methodology to generate prospects, sales skills, you are a network marketing professional.


About the Author
Rita Rinttila is vice president of marketing, Mentors on a Mission. Mentors on a Mission is a global training and mentoring company that is helping network marketers maximize their potential by providing results oriented mentoring, practical training, easy to apply methodology, and an earn as you learn opportunity.
http://www.mentorsonamission.com, tel: 954-907 7772