Things are heating up in the Network Marketing/ MLM world. Are you paying attention? I do hope so because we are about to create more millionaires (and regular high earning professionals!) in this industry than ever before.

What I am really excited about is to see more and more networkers earning decent money, getting into positive cash flow quickly even if they haven’t yet mastered the skills needed to build a large group in MLM.

In my opinion this will help improve the reputation of our industry much more than anything we can ever write or say about it. The more networkers earning steady money every month, even when they are not MLM Rock stars (yet) the better for us all.

Many networkers are still working there business in the traditional style where they promote their MLM full on (pitch, pitch, pitch) and deal with the ulcers in their stomach whilst they wait for their residual income to kick in.

This can take a LONG time! So what’s the easier option? I have found it to be the use of a funded proposal, or monetization strategy at the front end of your business. I will write in more detail about this in the near future but for today I want to talk about the ‘MLM Gurus.’

The ‘traditional versus the modern,’ and the ‘old versus new,’ ‘the offline list making and the online list attracting’ debate rages.

There is so much confusion between the two sides that the great principles from both are often simply misunderstood. Those unfortunate enough not to have access to a great traditional system seem to have nothing but contempt for it because they have been burned.

Those who have access to a great (or sometimes not so great) traditional system and are making large cheques are naturally reluctant to rock the boat.

This is a pivotal time in the history of MLM and a very exciting place to be. Which side of the fence are you on? Are you positioning to take advantage of this massive migration of new business builders who will be joining us, due to the depressing state of the crumbling economy?

I was inspired to blog today because I am observing the different viewpoints (and can relate to both) The traditionalists are disparaging of the ‘MLM gurus’ teaching online MLM, many whom have never built a business themselves.

This is a valid point right? It’s always a smart idea to be careful who you choose as your mentor. On the other hand what’s the saying about you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Well you know what? I think you can – if the old dog wants to learn! That is what is happening now. Experienced professionals in MLM, both successful and not so successful are turning to new mentors who can teach them the new business model of online attraction marketing.

It doesn’t matter what size cheque the teacher has – if they have a skill that the student wants to learn, such as how do they generate high quality leads online, it will be very valuable to the student if the teacher can deliver!

I don’t think there is a need to be so contemptuous of the teaching profession. We are not that way in any other arena are we? Teachers are highly respected and in most cases are broke – but still they can deliver valuable education which when received by the receptive mind is applied in a productive way.

Many entrepreneurs learn amazing new technical skills, or liase with their geek squad to cut to the chase and enable them to turn that information into money. That’s what entrepreneurs do right?

Anyhow, the point being that even if an MLM leader is earning millions, they are unable to teach skills such as building a marketing funnel online if they haven’t taken the time to learn how. Doesn’t matter what size their cheque is in that scenario either. Of course they can pay for their education and update their skill-set, which is what many are now doing.

On the other hand is it annoying when you get spammed 20 times a day by those who say they are attracting 100s of leads and can teach you how? You bet! If they are so great at attracting then why are they spamming me, I think?

This is no different than traditional MLM. There are the guys who jump all over you and shove their MLM down your throat the minute you come in the room, and then there are the MLM Rockstars who naturally attract the right people to them because they provide value as part of their very existence.

It is the same online or offline. There will always be pretenders, posers, gurus and would-be gurus! The thing is when your new team member introduces their friend the same day they join your company, it doesn’t mean that they are able to teach them anything either right?

No of course not. It means that they are able to connect them up (hopefully) with an effective upline who can teach them both together and point them to 3rd party tools and a system to use.

It is the same in the online world. The new leaders in online attraction marketing are not hiding behind their laptops. They are creating and bringing value to the industry by showing people, old and new, how to add some new skills to their tool kit so they are relevant and not sounding like they stepped out of Dr Who’s Time Machine!

Do they attempt to teach them with their opinions? No.. they also use 3rd party tools and connect them up with great teachers who are earning the big bucks and have built large businesses in MLM, such as Mike Klingler and Mike Dillard.

So traditional marketers give the online guys a break please! And online guys please learn to do attraction marketing with the correct strategy so you are giving real value and not driving people nuts!

At the end of the day – if you want to chase the business and do traditional marketing then do it big and don’t worry what ‘they say!’

If you want to build a marketing funnel online, attract prospects to you every day and make a profit whilst doing so because you provide relevant educational resources to your target market, then go for it and stop worrying about your uplines and sidelines.

Pick a coach or mentor who is building a business themselves and is active in the MLM world today, not just teaching from the sidelines.

Whatever you choose to do – do it with integrity, do it big and do it with heart. Then it will be a win win for all.

Here is an amazing video of my favourite traditional marketing MLM Rock Star, Randy Gage, talking about his early years in MLM and how he made no money! Some of the conversation is relevant to this blog and you can listen to the MLM Rockstar’s, inclusive Eric Worre’s, viewpoint on this situation. http://networkmarketingpro.com/2009/04/22/nmpro-36-randy-gage-the-early-years/

I’d love to hear your comments on where you fit into this fascinating dynamic of MLM. It’s a great time to do some critical thinking. Don’t buy everyone else’s opinion without thinking it through yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about creating your own online marketing funnel and how to make it duplicatable for your team then download your free copy of my new attraction marketing report and I’ll see you on the other side!

Rachel Henke
Active Magnetic Marketer in the Field!!

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