I'm going to be extremely honest with you. I actually dislike being in network marketing. Not because I don't like the products I rep, or that I don't believe in the products that I rep. Because I 100% do. I would never rep a product that I didn't like just to make a buck. I hate being in network marketing because I hate seeing women who say anything just to get a sale, or to get someone to join their business. These woman seriously do not know how to market, and they give MLM's a bad rap. I'll give a few examples...
They send cold messages: I call these messages the "Hey Girl" message. It goes something like this: "Hey girl! I love your profile! I think you would be great at what I do. Would you be interested in hearing more about ________? What pisses me off about these messages is that most of these woman aren't even following me when they send messages like this. I'm like, what the F**k? That's so ingenuine. But, even if they did follow me, I've seen the Hey Girl messages hundreds of times, so I would be automatically turned off.
They didn't take no for an answer: Listen, there's a difference in sharing the opportunity and begging someone to take the opportunity. If you're not understanding "NO", then you're begging someone to take the opportunity, which turns people off 10x more.
I didn't love seeing their products being featured on their social 24/7: What more network marketers need to realize is that people don't follow you to basically see "commercials" for your product. That's like turning on your favorite show and seeing 40 minutes of commercials and 10 minutes of the actual show.
So, I think these are the main reasons most people get a bad taste in their mouth when dealing with MLM's. It's not the fact that people are into network marketing, it's because of the women out there who are going about it incorrectly.
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I won't lie; in the beginning I was also excited to make money. I mean, I got into this side hustle for that reason; to make an extra income. I was extremely excited about the Plexus compensation plan. It's by far the most generous that I've come across with MLM companies. So, I did some cold messaging. But, before I messaged anyone, I did some self-reflecting and honest thinking, and I reminded myself that I am a very genuine person who values personal relationships and good people. I never sent a "Hey Girl" message. All the people I reached out to I had already been messaging all along. I just offered the chance to try something new. I made a promise to myself that I was never going to compromise my integrity and not intentionally ruin my reputation.
So, how should those "Hey Girl" women change their reputations?
Take time to learn: I've actually been in the NWM business for quite a while, with a few different companies. But, even though I've been here for a while, I'm always learning, and I think that's the first step to changing that reputation. Listen to personal development podcasts, read PD books, or watch videos on how to market in a genuine way.
Build relationships: Don't reach out to potential clients just to make a sale. Reach out to people, as a friend, to make a connection with them. If they want to buy in the future, great! The door is open. But NEVER push the products or the business on them.
30/70 content balance: 30 being the percentage of the business you promote, leaving 70% of REAL content that people follow you for. And, just in my opinion, I would actually do 20/80.
Understand NWM isnt't for everyone: I know that it can be frustrating when someone doesn't fully understand or agree with why you are in NWM, or with the opportunity you've presented. But that's THEIR choice! Trying so hard to convince or pester them just makes you look desperate.
Stay true to yourself and your values: Don't let the excitement of money change you into someone you're not. Promote ONLY what you truly believe in, be honest with others, and your true authentic self. I'm always talking about that. Be yourself. The more genuine you are, the more sales you will get. And, if you know deep down you're not with the right company, it's OK to switch! It's so much more worth it to be surrounded in a good, healthy environment. Join with a company that has good values, with people who also share your same beliefs and values.
Understand that things take time: You don't build an empire in your first few months. If you're not seeing the success you hoped for, that's OK! Don't quit! All of those wildly successful people started right where you are!
Even though I was extremely annoyed when pushy NWM women would reach out to me, I would always be friendly anyway because they just weren't trained right, or they were overly excited to start making money and building a team. It wasn't because they were bad people. And because I did that, I've been able to learn from a lot of great women (who are network marketers) about leadership, self growth, entrepreneurship, etc... I have also made some really great friends. Just remember, they are people too! And if you have a tip to share, do it gently and with kindness.
Remember, we are always learning and trying to do better, but we are not perfect!
xoxo Stasia ~
