Stop Thinking Like a Network Marketer and Start Thinking Like…

Stop thinking Like a Network Marketer and Start Thinking Like an Advisor…

Sounds weird, right? Because most of the folks reading this identify as network marketers. But network marketers are immensely popular – nowhere. Everyone thinks we’re all terrible people – or that what we do is “icky” – and we kind of deserve it. We have brought it on ourselves.

“Network Marketer” typically means someone who uses their network to make short term money with no long term plan for something sustainable. Or adding anything of genuine value over time.

The top recruiters have celebrated being lazy.

Network marketers have created an industry of of promoting getting something for nothing – or almost nothing through “Easy, ANYONE can do it! Just talk to your friends! “Everyone will want this!” “Just duplicate duplicate duplicate!” (Duplicate what, exactly?  Things they do or don’t do?)

I know that’s probably not YOU, dear reader, but that’s what the term has come to mean. And the recent FTC accusations of deceptive recruiting practices and the settlements agreed to by both Vemma last year and Herbalife a few weeks ago, give more credence to that perception. Herbalife shelled out a $200 MILLION dollar payment for customer restitutions for having deceived them by telling them how easy it would be to earn the mansion on the hill, the Ferrari, etc.

If you think about all the stuff you see promoted and talked about in the “network marketing” community, 99% of it is about some sort of an easy button, or “all you have to do is” promises.

Network marketers have literally celebrated doing as little as possible and contributing as little value as we possibly can to success. (“Look at that former book store clerk! If he can do it in 90 days, can’t you!?” Or “Do you want full-time income working 5 hours a week?”)

Network marketers typically think in terms of the next sign up, or the next promotion or launch.

All. Short. Term. Stuff.

OK I know I’ve beaten up the stereotypical network marketer a little more than necessary but I want to drive the point home.

The network marketing mindset is one that will ultimately lose.

Instead you need to think like an advisor.

I think of an advisor as someone has a genuine contribution to make to the betterment of someone else’s life in some specific way – like with your product or service purpose, for example – and that the advisor is paid by the customer to achieve this.

Versus promise (and score a quick buck) selling easy income to unsuspecting and completely naive members of your personal network.

PS It will take EACH one of us who’s part of our industry, to reset our mindset to “I help people who…I advise people who…” to drive this change.

And some won’t. The easy button’s too addictive for them.

But if you become an advisor with a long term view of 1) skilling up totally in your area of expertise (product purpose, for example) 2) building YOU Inc, and 3) total focused on help others achieve what THEY want with your product or service – more than just the product itself – you will become perceived AND paid as a valuable advisor. Instead of being labeled ‘one of those people doing one of those things’.

Think?

PPS If you’d like help deprogramming some of this, check out the orange eBook here…On me to get you started…