The 4 phases of Network Marketing.

This article comes from Best MLM Resources blog Thank you to Michael Lemm.

....The Four Phases of a Network Marketing Career....

To achieve your goals in network marketing, you will need to develop a long-term viewpoint. Keep in mind that the results of the work you are doing this month will show up next month. What you do this quarter will pay off next quarter. Your efforts this year will determine your income over the next few years. You have to get the momentum going and keep it going week after week, month after month, and year after year.

Here's the bottom line: you need to cherish each day as if it's our last day. Cherish every month as if it's your last month in this business.

You cannot live on last month's production. It's up to you to take responsibility to build and maintain momentum. To make your business grow and flourish, you need to set an example and develop Leaders in your organization.

We're all in the right place at the right time, but that does not mean you will automatically get the prize. You still have to work for it and maintain a positive attitude about what you can accomplish. Tear up that list of all the reasons why you can't succeed in this business.

In this training session, I want to cover the four phases that a distributor typically goes through in this business.

This information is important for everyone, but it's especially crucial for those of you who have been in network marketing for a while. If it seems that you have hit a plateau in building your business, you can get "unstuck" as soon as you understand this process.

The first phase is the PRODUCTION PHASE, in which you retail and recruit.

Many distributors recruit a few people and then quickly move into phase 2, the MANAGING PHASE. In this phase they spend most of their time managing their new recruits rather than continuing to retail and recruit.

The problem with being a full-time manager is that the people you sponsor will do what you do, not what you tell them to do. So guess what happens when you become a manager. Very quickly your top producers also move into phase 2, just as you did. Now you find yourself moving into phase 3, which is the OVERSEER PHASE.

At this point, you may feel really important. You certainly cannot be expected to retail and recruit, as you need to oversee the managers who are managing their producers. Right?

Because distributors do what you do and not what you tell them to do, you very quickly move into phase 4, where you become the OVERSEER OF THE OVERSEERS. Now you are overseeing the overseers as they manage the managers of the producers. Here's where you are likely to begin hearing critical comments about the managers, the company, uplines, and so on.

As an overseer of overseers, you may have large numbers in your group, but your check is getting smaller instead of larger.

Let me share with you the secret of becoming truly wealthy in this business.

Before I tell you how to get un-stuck and move forward, I want you to know that I've been there. I was in the overseer phase for a while, but I was blessed to discover that I needed to get back to doing the basics over and over again and make it the central focus of my DMO (Daily Method of Operation). During the first year after making this discovery, I enjoyed the fastest growth of my entire career.

Here's the secret: you and I and all of the people we sponsor need to stay in Phase 1, the PRODUCTION PHASE where you retail and recruit all day long. This is the phase where you get up early and work late, and your people are doing the same thing because they do what you do and not what you tell them to do. We need to keep doing the basics over and over again and to duplicate our efforts by "Tell, Show, Try, Do." First, you tell your new recruit how to do it. Then you show your new recruit how to do it as you lead by example. Next, you have them try it on their own, and then you make sure they have the know-how before you encourage them to go out and do it.

It's up to you how long the training process takes, but I would recommend that you keep it simple and limit it to 90 days. I see people in this business who have been training the same individuals for years. I think that's too long. That's not how you establish momentum. To keep your motivation high, you need to get momentum going quickly. Being in this business for longer than a year without momentum will drive you nuts, and you won't have a success story to share with your new recruits. When you have momentum, everything becomes easier.

To build momentum and avoid wasting time and energy, I look for three ingredients in a person before I will start working closely with them:

1: They need to have a burning desire to change and succeed.
2: They need to develop good work habits and a positive attitude.
3: They need to be prepared to invest in their training, leads, and
marketing costs, and they need to be teachable.

In return for their investment of time and resources, I will supply them with my leadership, direction, and support. I'll assist them closely for 90 days. I will not do the building for them. I will not stack downline, as it makes people lazy and is not duplicatable. I'm available for three-way calls and personal consultations.

There's one key phrase that applies to the Production Phase, and that is All-Out Massive Action. You need to be willing to sacrifice the little things in life for what is truly important.

Treat network marketing as a business, and keep it simple, easy, magical, and duplicable.

Shelley Penney is a residual income specialist an author, mentor and trainer to the home business industry.