We’re cooking up some search features so seekers can match better with the sponsors out there. Can some of you tell me the answers to these three questions, and their relative importance? And if something doesn’t matter, say so.
1. What would you look for most in a company you’d want to join?
2. What would you want in a sponsor this time?
3. What kinds of products would you want to market?
How would you order those three things in terms of importance? What’s #1 and what’s #3?
And if you were looking today, what would be the real reason you’d join a network marketing company?
Thanks!
I’ll show you what we’re cooking up soon.
Oh to relive the past to improve it…..
In terms of importance
1. The product- I can live without a good sponsor but not an excellenct product.
2. The company- business is business, I don’t want to work for free but money doesn’t shape who I am.
3. The sponsor- we always have Kim to help us out
I love my sponsor but many people do without one for fear of duplicating thier model. If anything didn’t matter it would be an upline.
As for what I would look for most in a company would be how business friendly they are. Is there one way or many ways to market thier product/service? How free am I to do it my way? Can I make up my own materials or do I have to use the company stuff?
If I was looking today, the real reason to choose network marketing is the freedom to work when I choose, as much as I choose, and how I want too. Being a mom is my number one priority so I work around my kid’s schedule.
Nancy Carlson
perfectmombusiness.com
Kim,
I’ve joined for the “love of the products” and realized thousands of dollars later that although the quality, variety, and pricing of the products are important, the most important thing to me in a company should be:
#1) Company Management with MLM Management experience and integrity.
Why: If you do not have this, then nothing else matters. Without them having been where you are, they are more likely to change the comp plan or the policies and procedures to benefit themselves first and leave the distributor out in the cold. They may take away from the pay plan, add more requirements or even land mines for the distributor.
#2) What would I look for in a sponsor next time. Absolutely, I would look for a person who is interested in the “training” aspect, one who is willing to be reasonably available, and a sponsor who is open to me marketing my business my way with the desire to help me in whatever way they are capable. I also want to have some sort of a connection with this person as we will be working together and need to “click”.
#3) I want to market products that are of high quality, value priced, are consumable, and with a company that has more than one product. They must also be legal and moral.
I put these in order of one,two,and three in order of importance to me.
What would my real reason be to join a network marketing company?
I believe the dream of building a business once and deep for your children and children’s children is a possibility.
I absolutely believe if you intend to operate your network marketing opportunity with the goal of making a viable living, putting the love of the products first will kill the opportunity to profit greatly.
Pulling back and making the decision to join a company based on the company management, business model they provide including the comp plan,policies and procedures,the sponsor and group, and a proven marketing system would be the things I would look for pior to products.
Brenda Bunney
http://MLMSuccessBunney.com
brendab@brightok.net
1. Company – Ethical, fair compensation plan that is reported honestly (ie if paying out x% each month, they are actually doing that), compliance with all laws and continuing awareness of changing laws in the network marketing arena and also their specific industry. Good at managing business and aware of the needs of the reps in the field. Debt-free or heading that way.
2. Sponsor – Also ethical, clear communication about how they are working and how they may be able to help and support me. Some experience, but if not, is there an upline with some experience who can and will assist me. But like Nancy said, we can make up for poor sponsor, yet since it is a relationship, it is an important one. On the flip side, if the sponsor is a big earner, do they really have time for me? So how many leaders are they managing, how do they work with newbies, how do they work with low income newbies. Do they have access to leads or marketing systems?
3. Products – The choice of products is really key. Are they unique in any way? Will people buy them at retail price even if they are not in the business? Do they have a good story that can be told without running afoul of regulatory bodies?
Order of Importance:
1. Company
2. Product
3. Sponsor
I just started again after a several year break, and the real reason I would join a particular company, in what I just went through, was actually a really good balance of all three of these! But maybe there is a fourth one.. Marketing – what is the main way the product/service can be marketed? Old Hat MLM? or internet or mass media or selling to retail outlets? There are more choices now in the marketing arena and that also makes for more potential opportunities for a leader to blaze a trail in a new marketing medium, while still maintaining a sense of relationships.
Cyndi McKenna
http://www.livingfoodbiz.com
1) The Company: Stability; excellent management; integrity, fair compensation for anyone even the little guy just starting out; (ROI) am I just marketing over-priced products or what value do I get back for my money?… because I have to feel good about what I am promoting.
2) Don’t really care about the sponsor anymore. I am a self-starter and self-motivated, never really had any help from my sponsors in the past 10 years. I’d rather do things my way anyway.
3) Hmmm, that’s a tough one…although I love and have marketed nutritional products most of my network marketing career, I am getting away from that a bit because of the FDA and what they are doing lately. Also, another reason is that there seems to be such high competition.
Order of importance…
1) The company, definately. Management, stability, honesty and integrity and all that good stuff.
2) The product. You have to have a great product you believe in. You have to be able to speak from the heart. Personally, I can’t ‘sell’ anything I don’t believe in. I would feel fake. I love products that are unique, affordable to the masses and in great demand.
3) The sponsor would be last as it is really not important to me anymore. If it is to be, it’s up to ME anyway.
The real reason I would join a network marketing company today would still be the same reason it was 10 years ago…I love the business model. There’s just absolutely nothing else out there where ordinary people can earn extraordinary incomes.
Ilka Flood
http://www.JustDoItWithBooks.com
I think they are all very important, but I do think the integrity of the company is #1. It doesn’t matter how good a product is, or how good your sponsor is, if the company does not have integrity and does not reward you honestly and fairly for your efforts.
1. What would you look for most in a company you’d want to join? Integrity of the Management is critical. If you don’t have that, you might as well keep looking because you are building your business like a house of cards. One gentle breeze and it comes tumbling down. While network marketing has no financial guarantees, you do need to know that that your efforts will be fairly rewarded – and to know that what you build today will continue to pay you for years to come. That becomes especially important if you are planning on relying on that company as your sole source of income (which is why I have a diversified business portfolio :-). Too many companies start out with integrity and end up self-serving. They change the rules and the deal in the middle of the game, and you either have to play by the new rules and take the new deal (pay cut) or find another deal. That can be financially and emotionally devastating.
2. What would you want in a sponsor this time? I would want an inspiring and empowering leader as my sponsor. I don’t NEED a leader because I am a born leader myself and I have always had amazing coaches and mentors, but I would love to have someone to share the leadership experience with.
3. What kinds of products would you want to market? It would have to be something I love madly! I must have a passion for it or I cannot share it with passion and enthusiasm. I have tried to sell products I did feel that way about and it felt like a JOB! And I can get one of those anywhere and make A LOT of money. I have been fortunate to find companies that allowed me to follow my passions – for health, weight loss, and travel – to provide me with a rewarding business portfolio and a measure of financial security.
Network Marketing is one of the few ways people can combine making a living with making a difference. It is also one of the few business models available where a person can start from nothing and create tremendous wealth and prosperity. And best of all, Network Marketing allows ordinary people to become extraordinary and lead extraordinary lives. I can’t imagine making a living any other way.
Michelle Sanchez
Network Marketing Success Coach
http://itworksbodymakeover.networkmarketingcentral.com
http://nonigirl.networkmarketingcentral.com
http://dreamtrips.networkmarketingcentral.com
http://michelle.networkmarketingcentral.com
1. What kinds of products would you want to market?
Do I even need to say it? Pet Products.
2. What would you look for most in a company you’d want to join?
I would look for simplicity. I don’t understand why networking marketing companies have to be so complicated and speak in words no average person can understand and relate to. A company that lets you market the products with your own creativity as long it’s keeping everything ethical and real. No big national conferences full of hype.
3. What would you want in a sponsor this time?
Someone who is a healthy pet nut like me.
Someone who knows it’s my business, and pressure to do things in the old school way is not going to work for me. Someone to brainstorm new ways to market without going to your friends, sending out catalogs and CDs. Someone who has done things like post card mailings, cheap ads, made flyers, all creative things.
And if you were looking today, what would be the real reason you’d join a network marketing company?
The products, not going back to a corp job, still be able to work with animals and their people.
I can’t wait to hear what you’re cooking up this time.
Happy Tuesday
Robin
Kim I forgot one of the most important things I would look for in a company. One product line. I don’t want a company that tries to have something for everyone. I want more focus on one line to show they are 100% committed to making this product the best they can. It also shows they have passion for what they are marketing.
Thanks for letting me add this.
Robin