It's Good To Have A Mentor...But Be Careful Who You Follow!
54A Fed Up Network Marketer...One Girl's Story
I am one of the many thousands of individuals that has been on the roller coaster ride called MLM or Network Marketing. Though I haven't spent 25+ years of my life participating in it (I'm too young for that), I have been involved in one aspect or another over the last several years. During those years, I was involved in several different MLM companies, sometimes two at a the same time.
For me it all happened by meeting one person while I was looking for "my opportunity", my way out of the rat race, many years ago. It's been so long back now that I can't even remember the actual "opportunity" that I originally started with, but I remember my contact, my enroller, my "go to person" the person that I considered to be, at one time, my friend.
As I type this floods of memories and emotions are coming back to me. This was a person that I enjoyed talking and working with and someone that I came to trust. We not only spoke about our particular business "goings on", but we spoke of personal topics such as hobbies, married life, kids, etc. We knew each others family members, sent birthday gifts to each-other's kids, shared the same religious belief and just generally were "made to be friends" by all accounts. I think it goes without saying, that I totally trusted this person.
In the years that I was involved with this person, my enroller, my upline, the one I followed and trusted...In all of that time, I have nothing to show for it. Nothing at all, including the friendship, to show for countless hours of my time spent. I mean, this is someone that I spent everyday of my life on the phone with, usually more than once. But because she was my upline, someone that I looked to for guidance (because at that point I was a "newbie"), whatever she did or said, I followed.
I was the one with the money, she was supposedly the one with the network marketing knowledge (she had been involved in huge networking groups making hundreds of thousands of dollars combined). I provided the funds for her to purchase the leads lists from "her source" for our team and she was to "work" a majority of those leads and assist the downline with working theirs. She had our team purchasing every self-help, believe in yourself, what it takes to be a winner, find your "why" book or DVD imaginable (and this wasn't affiliate income to her either), would instruct our team to get on and have at least two prospects on weekly company introduction or training calls, follow the company marketing system, which was always contacting friends and family, cold calling, 3-foot rule, 3-way calls with upline, home "parties", etc..I did this time and time again over the years as we went from one MLM to the next.
Finally...Finally I had had enough on the last "venture". I was involved, by way of this person, in what was my all-time favorite company called YTB. I was working my butt off, had made a point to meet the upline of the upline of the upline, until I got as far to the top of connections that I could get. I had enrolled some people, sold some product...I was doing everything that I had been taught to do...but I still hadn't shown a profit. I wasn't too discouraged at this point though, because I really loved the concept of this new business I was starting.
The first annual company convention & training was to take place in Knoxville, TN about six months or so after I had become involved. The attendance of this event was also required for a member to advance from one level called RTA to the next level of CRTA. Me and my original enroller, upline, go-to-person, "friend", had discussed this event for several weeks leading up to it. We, as the main leaders of our collective team, discussed the importance of not only being at that conference ourselves, but encouraging and gettiing our downline to be there as well.
Long story short, I showed up with 50% of my personal downline members and my original enroller, upline, go-to-person, "friend", didn't show up at all and neither did any of her personally sponsored downline...except for me.
I finally realized that though she wasn't a bad person, she was just the wrong person for me to be following in network marketing. She may have done great in some of her own MLM businesses, but she wasn't a great leader and wasn't providing real value to people. She wasn't willing to do the things that she was telling others to do. In the end I had to break all ties with this person. Though it was hard I knew I had to do it because not only was I going broke, but like her, I wasn't providing value to others by continuing to follow her way of networking and business building.
I've learned over the years that just because someone is in my upline that doesn't mean I have to follow them and do what they say or do. I've also learned that it's so important to be open to help from others that are already where you want to be. I've learned to stay true to myself and to always strive to provide value to others as much as I can.
I've learned it's good to have a mentor(s)...but be careful who you follow!
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Comments
Thanks for commenting Bonnie. And yes things did turn around for me years ago after I split from this person. I felt compelled to write a little bit about my experience though, so that hopefully it might help others that may be going through the same thing right now.
I am glad to hear that, Melanie. I did the same thing after over 20 years in MLM/NM with many different companies in hopes that it will help others avoid many costly mistakes that I made along the way. When you consider the vast number of people in search of te right opportunity today, it amazes me how many people step in to take advantage of these people. I spent months on Yahoo Answers for this very reason. Even there, people are waiting for someone to post a question about working at home so that they can jump in with their get rich quick spam LOL. I have many articles published on NM and finding the right opportunity so I will post directing them to the article or emailing it to them. I have received several hundred emails asking for it because people are so skeptical and just don't have a clue what to look for and what to avoid in all the false promises out there. I wish you all the best and I know you will help reach people who need some guidance in this area. Keep up the great work!
Bonnie
Thanks Bonnie...it's such a pleasure to connect with geniune people such as yourself. All the best to you as well! Keep in touch.
Bonnie,
Thanks for your openness - couldn't agree more. Either find a great upline or BECOME the upline you wish you had! And lead others through into NM - the best marketing system of the planet today - so they don't have to go through what you have.
And as for Renegade University - if you want training with integrity, honesty and very practical guidance, you can't go better than what Mike Klingler gives.
All the best to you.
Network Marketing Mentoring At It's Best!
- Why I Chose Mike Klingler and Renegade University
The Fed Up Network Marketer...One Girl's StoryI wanted to take a minute to tell you why I decided that Renegade University was the place that I wanted to learn more about expanding my internet network marketing and brick-and-mortar businesses through attraction marketing. First of all, there is absolutely no other place out there that even comes close to the exceptional training you can get at Renegade University. But more importantly than that for me, is the actual person behind the training, Mike Klingler. You see, because of my previous not-so-good experiences years ago with a particular person "my mentor" in network marketing, I came back this time around not looking for just another training or ebook or opportunity...but I was looking for a new mentor, someone that lived exactly what they taught others...someone that provided with all sincerity...value to others. After spending months with Mike through his click-by-click tutorials and watching how he "operates"...I have found him to be a man of integrity, commitment, hard work and a person that provides true value to others. For those looking for new ways to either build a new business or expand a current one by marketing on the internet and more specifically attraction marketing, there's no better place than Renegade University because not only will you receive excellent training, but you'll also have the privilege of getting to know Mike who is someone worth "following" and a truly awesome human being. - 5 months ago
- Renegade University Step-By-Step Internet Marketing
If you're a network marketer that is currently following the old methods you've been taught by your up-line and still having no success, then I'd like to talk to you for a moment about Renegade University.Renegade University was designed around the popular e-book by Ann Sieg called The Renegade Network Marketer. In this book Ann shares some very interesting ideas and techniques regarding network marketing and more specifically internet attraction marketing. However; many people have a hard time taking information from a book and implementing it into their own business. That's where Renegade University comes into play. When you join Renegade University, you'll immediately start the process of learning how to market yourself and what you have to offer. You'll be taught step-by-step the new way of marketing called 'Attraction Marketing'. No longer will you have to purchase leads lists, bug your friends and family, deal with the 3-foot rule or make cold calls. You will learn step-by-step, how to not only attract people to you that are looking for what you have to offer, but you'll also learn about monetization which is something every network marketer should know about and implement into their business. You'll learn how to make money while building your prospects list! Now I want to make sure you understood what you just read...You will learn step-by-step, literally click-by-click, how to make money before anyone even thinks about joining your MLM! That's monetization, and it's huge! You can learn more at Renegade University. - 6 months ago
Providing Value To Your Customers
- Attraction Marketing...What Is It?
Ok, so the topic here is Attraction Marketing...What is it and what does it mean for the network marketer? Attraction marketing is simply a way of marketing that brings people to you, your product or service, your opportunity, etc...by doing what?? Attracting people to you! Attraction marketing for most network marketers is a totally foreign term. It is the opposite of what 9 out of 10 network marketers have been taught by their MLM uplines or mentors. Attraction marketing has nothing to do with chasing after your family, friends, warm market, or anyone else for that matter. Attraction marketing is about making connections with other people that are like minded, and/or are interested in a product or service you have to offer. It's about providing something of value to your customer, prospect, lead...whatever you want to call them; and not just about making the sale. It's about building relationships with people by providing them with a solution to their problem, whatever it may be. When you are a solutions provider with a real focus on providing benefit & value to others; providing them with "solutions to their problems", what happens? Well, more often than not those people will keep coming back to you time and time again. Why? Because they trust you! And...not only will they come back, but they'll also tell their friends as well. This is how great businesses are built. Not by taking the money and running, but by first providing the value and building the relationship. Then the money comes without you even asking for it!If you're tired of the "old ways" of marketing, including chasing after every person you come in contact with, calling an endless list if cold leads (which you're going broke purchasing), throwing opportunity "parties", 3-way calls, etc.. If you're just plain fed up...There is a better way, and it's called Attraction Marketing!Don't spend another dime or your precious time on purchasing worthless leads only to be dissappointed again. Learn more about attraction marketing here and start building your business now! - 6 months ago
working
Bonnie Ramsey says:
5 months ago
Melanie,
This is so very true. I have been there as well. I am one who HAS spent over 20 years in the MLM business and have also tried a lot of different companies. However, I also knew that the concept was great and I have been persistant throughout the years. Once I found the right business with the right company, that also included the right upline support along with a great compensation plan. I don't have to wait for my upline. It is all up to me how fast I advance. I proved that when I passed my upline by becoming a Diamond Level Distributor within my first 2 months of working the business.
Many people don't know how to look for the right opportunity nor the right mentor and both are vital to making your business successful. You are so right. If you want something in life, find someone who already has it and ask them how they got. it. One of the first things I tell my new team members is that I will not ask them to do anything I am not willing to do myself and if there is something that they need help with that I can't help them, I will make sure that I find someone that can. Naturally, nobody knows everything, no matter how long they are in the business. But the difference in a great sponsor and a bad one is that one will go to great lengths to insure the success of the team member.
I truly hope that you are beginning to succeed since you have decided to change mentors. I am, however, trying to figure out what company would possibly make it manditory to attend conferences in order to advance? I realize that it is important to attend any training that you can possibly attend that will help your business but to make them manditory in order to advance in the business seems a bit obsurd! I truly wish you all the bestt of success!
Bonnie