The pandemic has certainly changed the way we build a traditional Network Marketing Business. It’s pretty hard to have “product parties” when nobody can attend in person. There is nothing like being able to pass around products and hear the Ooooh’s and Ahhhh’s as participants experience them.
Then there is the difficult situation of the 6′ rule when out and about prospecting for new peeps: “Here, catch this product and try it! Isn’t it amazing?” Yeah, right!
Traditional MLM Prospecting is Dead Right Now
I have always preferred belly-to-belly prospecting to build my network marketing business, but the truth is it isn’t very practical right now.
It’s true that people who have established a nice large team have actually seen an increase in their team volume (thanks to wellness products and the like) but for those people who are just starting out, it has become a bit harder to “duplicate” their upline’s success using the traditional methods they teach.
Time to Re-Think Websites
In the previous chapter, I discussed things you should NOT do to build quickly. One of the things is “Don’t create a fancy website” because it can take so much time and money to create the perfect site that represents you.
I don’t know about you, but online business building is starting to look more attractive right now. Some obvious advantages include:
- Staying home keeps you COVID safe
- Takes less time if you automate properly
- Costs less than sampling products to prospects if you use the right tools like Simple Connector
- Is very duplicable if you do not focus on Facebook
- Can be very non-pushy if you learn how to prospect based on the buyer’s journey (See my blog posts)
- Can be integrated with belly-to-belly prospecting when they finally let us back outside!
Of course, with the good, there are disadvantages too:
- Fewer spontaneous face-to-face meetings of new people
- Missing social interaction of in-person group classes
- You’re going to have to learn something new — brain cobwebs and smoke coming out of your ear’s kinds of stuff!
- Spending money on things you don’t already spend money on (But you can keep the costs WAY down with the proper tools)
Add Online Prospecting to Your Business
So, here goes… I am now recommending that you start to supplement your face-to-face MLM business building with an online component.
Normally, I would say you should just dip your toes into it and start slowly. But the truth is COVID has changed all of that. If you just wait for things to get back to the way things were and shift too slowly, you will definitely fall behind the pack of those who are learning new stuff every day – even at this moment.
It’s YOUR business and if you want to build it, don’t be a victim of COVID. Bite the bullet and start learning how to go online.
There are online teachers selling “how to build your business online courses” that can cost $500, $1000, or more with private coaching. But WHO has that kind of money when they are starting out?
The truth is that I have spent the past 15 years learning how to build online businesses. I have spent well over $100,000 learning how to do it — probably double that! And I do not want you to make the same mistakes I made. There are low-cost ways to do it, but most were technically difficult to master.
Don’t Be One of “THOSE” People
You do not want to be one of those distributors who are constantly pushing products on their Facebook friends and family, do you? Besides, when you depend on a company like Facebook for your business, you are taking a HUGE risk that they could change their algorithm (as they do constantly) or even shut down your account, with NO RECOURSE! — Yes, they do that too. The good news is that the light at the end of the tunnel is beautiful sunshine if you build online the right way… but could be a train if you don’t, so make sure to choose wisely!
Going Online Using Traditional Methods
So, how do you go online? The traditional methods include:
- Websites (WordPress, Weebly, corporate MLM sites)
- Email (Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, AOL)
- Facebook (both organic and paid advertising)
- Google (both organic and paid advertising)
- Autoresponders (to send out emails and/or texts)
- Chat bots pretending to be human that answer questions
- Zoom (meetings and group classes)
- Online training courses
- Webinars (group classes)
I could go on and on but I’m sure you recognize some of the above. The traditional learning curve is steep! But I would never make you learn all that stuff! Lucky for you, I love to help make complex stuff simple for people.
The reason I created Simple Connector in the first place was to help belly-to-belly MLM prospectors automatically follow up with their prospects and team members. (Secret #9). But the primary customer for that product was traditional belly-to-belly MLM prospecting, follow-up, and team nurturing.
Going Online the Easy, Low Cost Way
So, I sharpened the pencil and burned some midnight oil and we added easy-to-learn and modify, websites to the platform and made it accessible online via your desktop browser.
We also added the ability to easily clone websites, emails, and automation sequences so you can share them with your team and others! You can even modify the imported stuff and then export them to your team to use.
Why is this important? Because the secret to going online QUICKLY is to duplicate MLM experts who create websites, emails, and email automation campaigns that would appeal to MLM prospects in the online world.
Sure, you could re-invent the wheel, but how much time do you have in your day? I don’t know about you, but one thing I learned long ago is to do your “WOW” well and then pay others to do their “WOW”s. Besides, why would you want to learn and do stuff you could give to someone else to do?
I have a sign on my computer monitor. It says:
- Eliminate
- Delegate
- Automate
First, remove things from your life that really don’t have to be done. Next, give things that you don’t like to do to others. Finally, automate the left-over tasks. Why? To give you the time to do the things you really want to do.
Simple Connector was created for me, my team, and now you, if you are interested. It will help you eliminate, delegate, and automate the things you really don’t want to do to build your MLM business. I wish it had existed when I started my MLM business. I could have saved countless hours!
By the way, it is easy to learn and use and incredibly low cost!
No More Horse Driven Buggies
Thanks to the COVID pandemic, times are different today and they may never go back to “normal”. You don’t see a lot of horse driven buggies running around the dirt roads these days, do you?
That’s because the horseless buggy (automobile) killed that market in a very short time. You are in the middle of times of change. You can either embrace it or hide in the corner hoping the old ways will come back. In the meantime, your “competition” will be learning how to add new ways to build their business… and taking away your prospects and even team members as they build.
If you are interested, you can learn more about this in my Simple Connector blog. I have lots of information there about online ways to build your MLM business. You can also get on my email list and receive lots of free training. I would love to see you one day on one of my zoom calls! And when it is safe to meet in public, I’d love to connect with you at a future Simple Connector .
Check out one of my blog posts that shows how you can go ONLINE with your MLM business. You can also download a mind map with six pages of details of how to go online!
Do you get frustrated that things are not moving along as fast as you want? Did you want to get to a certain income level before a deadline but are frustrated you didn’t make it?
I know builders who curl up like a ball in bed, depressed for days because they didn’t reach the rank they wanted “in time.”
Watch this bonus video lesson, “How to Stay Happy and Enjoy the Journey” and switch to a positive mindset. It’s one of my training program students’ favorite lessons.
I learned this lesson inside of an $8000/year coaching program – I’m saving you some big money!
Go ahead and review the 12 Secrets to Build a Successful Network Marketing Team.
