A short story:

A crook goes into a bank, credit union or store and robs the place. He leaves his wallet by accident and leads the police right to his home where he is arrested. Ignorant? Stupid? I don't think so, just not real bright. Why would anyone who is going to commit a robbery take their ID with them and take the chance on having it fall out of their pocket. Or worse, having their 'stick up' note in their wallet, so they have to take their wallet out to get the note and hand it to whoever they are robbing. Then in the heat of the moment and being under the stress of getting caught, the robber forgets he or she left their wallet on the counter.

What does this have to do with network marketing or Ann Sieg's Renegade Network Marketer book? Well, I believe there are two words in that 'story' that are directly related to why the Network Marketer's, that are making tons of money, are mad about The Renegade Network Marketer by Ann Sieg.

Ignorant and stupid.

Now before everyone thinks I'm calling most of the big hitter's in the network marketing industry ignorant and stupid, let's look at the definitions of those two words.

Ignorant - adj. lacking education or knowledge; not aware; lacking comprehension

Stupid - adj. slow in apprehension or understanding

We are ALL ignorant and stupid about some things in our lives.

I can prove what I just said. How many people that are reading this article, can sit in the cockpit of the Space Shuttle, tell us what all the switches are for and actually fly the thing? Uh oh, a whole bunch of us are ignorant and stupid. Now I know that's a really extreme example of what I'm saying but I hope it got your attention.

Why are some upline leaders getting all jerked out of shape about The Renegade Network Marketer?

I don't think they really understand what the book is really doing for the industry. They have been doing Network Marketing the old way for so long they feel threatened by something new without investigating what's happening in the industry that pays their bills and gives them their lifestyles. I personally believe it's fear, they're afraid their money train is going to pull out of the station and never return. Many of them may not want to learn anything new and they may not want to admit how hard it really is doing things the 'old' way.

Is your upline trying to censor you?

Is your upline afraid you'll find out just how much money they had made from you for things they should be teaching you for free? Are you willing to keep signing up for tele-classes that cost $297 for three or four one hour classes that really don't teach you 'how to' build your business? Are you tired of spending your hard earned money on the latest CD or DVD that promises 'this is the information you've been looking for that will turn your business around this year' only to find out it's a rehash of the last one you bought? Did the tele-class you paid for leave you feeling like 'what do I do now and how do I do it'?

I don't think a lot of uplines 'get it' yet.

I believe that a lot of the uplines in this industry mean well. I also believe that they are comfortable where they are right now and are not willing to take the advice they've given to everyone who has ever asked them for help, which is 'get out of your comfort zone'. It's time they started taking their own advice and doing what they've been telling people for decades, getting out of 'their' comfort zones.

Are the wealthy uplines so enclosed in their cushy cocoons that they don't realize they still have that 95% to 98% drop out rate, even though they are making a lot of money themselves? What would happen if even 50% of those drop outs stayed because they were being taught sound marketing principles. Don't they 'get it' that if their downlines had the information that's in publications like, The Renegade Network Marketer and Magnetic Sponsoring their incomes would grow exponentially?

Wasn't that what they told you would happen to your income, once you signed up those two that signed up two that....

Sorry, I got carried away and forgot this is the real world.

What are the wealthy uplines really afraid of?

I think deep down inside these well to do uplines are just plain scared they might lose their downlines and have to start all over again. I know that sounds crazy but this has happened to people in the past and can happen again. They're afraid they are going to lose the big mansion they live in and the fancy cars they have in their driveways. To be honest, I would be scared also. Especially if I had used the methods that most uplines have used to create their organizations in the past.

The industry (Network Marketing) is not GOING to change, it HAS changed and the so called leaders better start getting with the program. I believe there are a lot of Network Marketers that are finding out they've spent (not invested) a bunch of their hard earned money on CD's, trainings and systems that did nothing but suck the money out of their accounts. After all the time and money they've spent they still don't know how to build a big organization.

Should my upline be concerned?

I would hate to think any upline leader would come to an associate and tell them they aren't allowed to use Ann Sieg's book or any of Mike Dillard's books to build their business. Downlines 'pay' their uplines every month by using company products or services to qualify to get paid, IF the downline ever learns how to build an organization and gets paid. So, for a leader to tell his or her downline to not use something that will help their associate make money is just plain ludicrous. It's kind of like saying, 'just keep buying from my store every month so I can be wealthy, keep banging your head against the wall using old outdated techniques that never worked for 95% to 98% that have tried this business model, don't ever give up or quit because your pot of gold is just around the corner after our next overpriced training and by the way our newest $39.95 training CD comes out next week so be sure to get 100 copies so your downline can learn'.

If you 'listen' between the lines this is what some of the so called leaders in this business are actually saying. You know, things like 'if your WHY is big enough', 'you just don't want it bad enough' and here's my favorite, 'you just need some more personal developement'.

If my upline ever comes to me and says I can't use what Ann Sieg teaches and what Mike Dillard teaches, I WILL resign from my company, stay out the required six business periods and find a leader in my company that is using these marketing principles and cares about his or her downline.

What's the answer, quit working with your upline?

I don't think that's a good alternative to the problem. I think we should be educating our uplines and showing them we aren't blaming them because they were taught very poor marketing techniques. We should also let them know we are not going to follow their 'lead' if they continue to do the same ole thing because 'that's the way it's always been done'. When you signed up with someone in your company that started YOUR business. You became part of your uplines organization but that doesn't give your upline the right to tell you 'how' to run your business or what marketing methods you can or can't use. It is your uplines responsibility to train you 'PROPERLY' (if you're coach-able and trainable) so you can pass that training down to your group. That ball was either dropped a long time ago or never picked up in the first place.

My Disclaimer

The views presented in this article are mine. If anyone takes offense to what has been written in this article, you may want to go look in the mirror and think about why you feel uneasy or concerned. I'm NOT saying all uplines are bad or are trying to deceive their downlines. That is not the intent and should not be taken in that context. There are a ton of great people in network Marketing that are making a lot of money. It's not the people who are the problem, it's their belief system that's flawed and until they look at all sides of what is happening by taking off their blinders, the problem will not be solved. Belief comes from what we are taught in the past and sometimes what's being taught is not the truth.

I believe it all comes down to integrity. If you want a little more on integrity, go take a look at Pam Koppe's well written article on Network Marketing and The Importance of Integrity. You may want to read it a couple of times and let it sink in.

Education is key in this industry and knowledge is power. Education will give you knowledge and knowledge will give you power. Use it wisely.