Who’s Going to Make the Gangster Money?

Why do a few people in every MLM company (and in every type of business from acting to designing vacuum cleaners) make so much more than everyone else?

Let’s assume we have reps who all put in the same amount of effort, doing whatever they do they’re comfortable with to find people for their business. Do you still expect all the doers to succeed at the same pace and reach the same level?

Here’s one reason the results will likely be different: The aptitude and inclination for it that they bring to the table.

People seem to come out of the chute with different levels of aptitude and inclination for this (and any other) business. For the NM business, we seek to recruit entrepreneurs, yes? Here’s how that’s defined:

en⋅tre⋅pre⋅neur a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. (See here.)

Do you agree we are seeking folks for NM “with considerable initiative” and readiness to take risk?

Assume three levels of aptitude and inclination for “taking considerable initiative and risk” – small, medium and high.

Lulu brings a “small” aptitude for it. She will need longer to achieve success, even if she spends the same amount of time as Mimi, if Mimi started with a middle or high level of aptitude and inclination for initiative and risk.

Difference in aptitude and inclination for taking “considerable initiative and risk” guarantees different results even if the time spent is comparable. (Aptitude here includes someone’s personality and people skills.)

Or consider musical aptitude. Mozart practiced so much his fingers were deformed by the time he was 28. He put forth supreme effort. But, unlike others who might have practiced equally often, Mozart also had more aptitude and inclination for music.

Same for network marketing. ANY level of excellence and results requires putting in the time and effort (practice). Lots of it. But the size of the success and the pace of it also depends on a person’s aptitude and inclination to do the activities to begin with.

A person who brings a big downline to a new deal has an edge a beginner doesn’t have. But comparing new people, some (like me) take to it like a fish to water – while others don’t. That’s aptitude and inclination. It makes effort for one less uphill than for another.

Of course, there may be other explanations as well. Like luck. Or “God’s will.” We do know that forces we do not understand play a part in success as well.

I am talking about the few big bananas in NM – folks earning gangster money – five figures and more per month.

When it comes to more normal income, like $300-$3000/mo, unless a person has zero aptitude and inclination for the business (in which case they shouldn’t be doing it at all), that range seems to me to be quite attainable with right effort.

A person must have at least a small level of aptitude and inclination and must be willing to work at it to compensate. Building a small customer base alone can provide that kind of income. See here – Customers.

P.S. The “Expertise and Expert Performance” handbook concludes (some 900 pages) that innate talent or aptitude for something being equal, it is the talent to practice that makes the difference. Hehehe.

P.P.S. Telling someone to get “out of their comfort zone” doesn’t change someone’s internal aptitude for this. Most people do NOT WANT to (nor should we make them) “take considerable initiative and risk.” Let go and find someone like me.

P.P.P.S How much aptitude and inclination does Rita have, who tells you, “I can’t sell”? She clearly prefers not to. Do we really want to fool her into thinking it’s not sales? Is that who you want in your business?

Next: a simple metric to estimate level of aptitude and inclination for NM.