How to Avoid Network Marketing Whiplash

You're driving ahead at full speed with your network marketing opportunity, when you suddenly realize, "Oh no - My downline is disappearing!" So goes the story with most network marketing opportunities. You already know how to be a people person, you advertise, you talk to prospects, you three way your frontline, you finally make your first $1,000, and it's downhill from there. What happened? The next big thing is what happened, and you've just suffered your first case of network marketing whiplash.

You see, there's always a new kid on the block in the network marketing arena. The internet has made distraction the norm. On top of that, many (probably most) network marketing opportunities implode from combinations of greed and inexperience at the top, or suffer on account of totally unsubstantiated claims from disgruntled members.

What's a heavy hitter like yourself to do? The answer is simple: Get paid up front. Don't wait to build your 100 member downline before you make your first $1,000; earn your first $1,000 profits with one or two customers.

"How is that possible?" you might ask. The answer: Start with a top tier program. A top tier program is simply a business opportunity with a higher entrance price, perhaps in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.

Think about it. You spend between $50 and $200 per month on your product purchase, plus advertising, plus your valuable time, and then you make your first $1,000 after organizing, nursing and babysitting your downline five levels deep. Within six months, you have easily spent more than $1,500 to make that first $1,000. And after all of your hard work, your downline is suddenly driven to distraction. Whiplash!

Conversely, if you started with a higher tier program, you would make your first $1,000 with only one or two members in your downline. On top of that, higher tier programs attract serious minded entrepreneurs.

Let's face it; most network marketing opportunity seekers are thinking about how much they can afford to loose. "If I loose $50 or $200, it won't hurt," they reason. It's very unlikely that such opportunity seekers would spend another $200 in advertising.

Conversely, an entrepreneur openening a small used car lot knows that his success will come at the expense of long hours, management difficulties, payroll issues, insurance nightmares and other niceties that go along with such an endeavor. The same goes for entrpreneurs investing in a Tim Horton, Chipotle or McDonald's restaurant franchise. Their investment is not a gamble. They can just taste their first $40,000 net profit.

Wouldn't it be great to earn a $40,000 net profit without the headaches of a franchise or traditional small business? It's no coincidence that so many successful top tier program members come from business backgrounds. They already know what leverage is, which is why they hire employees. They're sold on that idea already; they're just using a different approach.

When you spend your advertising dollars on a top tier program, experienced entrepreneurs, high income earners, and high achieving individuals will find you. By the time they've reviewed your pay plan, they've already formulated their plan for their first five figure net profit.

They know that it will not take 100 members in their downline to reach this goal, and they're ecstatic over the fact that they only need to deal with one employee; themselves. On top of that, experienced entrepreneurs know how to make use of a marketing assistant, a professional sales person that will follow up with leads and close sales on behalf of the business owner.

An experienced business person will also look for value in the product. Any product distributed by referral marketing should have a value that is apparent to traditional sales people as well as the average consumer. Take Avon for example. How old were you when you found out there was a network marketing twist to Avon's business opportunity? I'm too embarassed to tell you myself.

Many large corporations with high quality, in demand products turn to referral marketing for fast and efficient distribution of their products. Vonage is a prime example. If you can tap into an established company with an established product, that suddenly turns to referral marketing for all the right reasons, then you will have found an unusual opportunity to 'get in at the top.' A seasoned company will not have the birth pains and implosive tendencies that plague most network marketing organizations.

Just think of the emotional value of that first $1,000 commission. It starts an exciting cycle where success breeds success. Addtionally, knowing those four figure commissions and residuals grow exponentially within a relatively short time will keep your downline very focused. Starting off with a top tier program makes earning your first four figure commission much easier. The choice is yours; network marketing whiplash, or getting paid sooner rather than later.

Antony Mosley is a distributor with the Global Resorts Network, http://yourvacationbusiness.com. You may view the company's pay plan at www.Payplan.us, and listen to a recorded conference call at 503-445-8567. Feel free to read and distribute more articles from his blog at http://professionalsales411.blogspot.com.