For many of us network marketers, we have been given what we think is a successful marketing plan to build a tremendous business, only to find out, after we have spent all our time, money, and energy, that it doesn’t work.

Why is that?

Almost everything we have been taught about building a network marketing business is obsolete and simply doesn't work!

Network marketing companies target the masses, and most will tell you that anyone can do this and be a great success if they refuse to give up. No experience needed. It is entirely duplicatable!

As a result, 95% per cent of MLM distributors are set up for failure.

It is a case of the uninformed leading the uninformed. Most have absolutely no foundation in effective sales and marketing techniques, nor do they understand how to write a business or a marketing plan.

What’s more, the few techniques that are actually founded upon good principles are usually outdated and ineffective. Times have changed.

Network marketing doesn’t have to be this hard!

Using outdated techniques and wrong presumptions makes traditional network marketing hard.

So, how do we make our network marketing business become amazingly successful, providing us with an abundance of qualified leads and income?

1. First, we need to understand what some of the falsehoods are that are being presented to us.

Ann Sieg has written a very controversial, yet widely read report on this that called "The Seven Great Lies of Network Marketing". We need to de-bunk many of the myths that we have innocently believed as we began our journey in this industry. Take some time to read this free report and begin to clear out those past mindsets that didn't bring us the results we were looking for.

2. Secondly, we need to develop a marketing plan based upon proven sound sales techniques and marketing principles.

If you want to become a true professional, you need to work like a true professional.

Successful professional marketers have developed incredibly effective marketing plans as an integral part of their business plan. They have a firm understanding of their sales and marketing funnel and consistently monitor how it is working for them. Remember, you are the one in control, not your system! If it needs to be modified or even re-created, never become a slave to the system you are using!

Professionals have a strong sense of who they are, who their target market(s) are, their mission, goals, and financial strategies.

Why should you be any different? After all, if you are serious about building your business, do you want to be perceived as a professional, or an amateur? Take the time to develop your own identity. Be comfortable with who you are, and what you can offer to your target audience. Continually be willing and able to provide both valuable information and great customer service. You are there to help meet their needs and offer them solutions they may not find anywhere else!

So, how does your average network marketer go from barely getting off the ground to becoming a lead-generating, recruiting, and organization-building force?

It all starts with a plan. Build a great plan and work your plan. Find some good mentoring and coaching along the way, but start with the right foundation.

However, if you have not yet discovered the basics of internet marketing, take some time to educate yourself on the basic principles of attraction marketing, how to set up a marketing funnel, and how to choose a marketing system that will enable you to effectively utilize your plan. The more you are willing to invest in your education now, the greater the returns will be in the long run. You could have a great marketing plan, but if you don't know how to utilize it, or know which media to use, or if you don't know the basics of sales and marketing, it will not do you any good at all.

If you are new to the idea of InterNetwork Marketing, I highly recommend the free e-book, The Attraction Marketer's Manifesto, which is a great value to any new online marketer. Along with this free e-book, you can take advantage of another freebie, and that is Renegade University. This training forum will teach you the basics you will need to begin your new online business, and will aid you in developing clear and successful strategies that are essential to implement in your marketing plan.

Once you have the basics down, and you have an idea of how you want to present yourself to the worldwide web, you are ready to begin your plan!

I. Getting Started

The first step to take is to make the decision to get started upon the journey. This is your journey, and not some formulated process found in each distributor kit mailed out to everyone who signs up in your network marketing company, although, you may find some good tips to implement within your own plan. Make a decision that this is what you want to do, that you are going to commit to it, and you are going to apply consistent action to make this dream of yours happen.

In this first step, simply create an overview by answering the following questions:

· Where am I now?

· Where do I want to go?

· How will I get there?

These questions will provide the necessary framework to help you embark on this journey of self-discovery. From here on out, the questions you will ask yourself will become increasingly more specific.

II. Who are You?

At this step, you will want to begin asking yourself some questions that will enable you to develop a good self-assessment. This will also help to determine if network marketing, or whatever you are thinking of pursuing, is actually a good fit for you. At this point, you may also want to take a personality profile, a skills assessment, or other assessment that can help you determine if you have the personality, skills, or even the core values needed to become successful in the industry you are currently pursuing. What are your strengths? What makes you attractive to others? How can you communicate these strengths in your marketing plan?

III. Create Your Mission Statement

Before you can begin to focus on your marketing plan, you must first focus on what it is you want to accomplish in this new journey. Most likely, you will not be able to prepare your mission statement in a matter of minutes; it may take days, or even weeks. Many times, you need to look within your heart, your emotions, and determine what it is that you are passionate about in undertaking this new business. If you are not passionate about beginning this new venture, this may be a red flag. Passion for what you do is a necessary part of your plan.

A good exercise is to look around and consider other company’s mission statement. Some of these may be contained in their advertisements.

For example, Walt Disney ‘s mission statement is:

“To provide wholesome family entertainment”

Does this mission statement effectively describe Walt Disney's image and how they want to be perceived by the public? Does it give you an idea of the type of products they want to market?

Do you have a clear idea on how you want to be perceived by the public, and what message you want most to convey?

IV. Define Your Market

Defining your target market is essential before completing your marketing plan. It is an absolute must that you consider exactly who it is you are trying to reach! If you are marketing a health related product, why would you try to market to someone who doesn’t care in the least what they eat or drink?

Yet, many times that is exactly what we network marketers try to do- every day! Why not focus your energies on marketing to individuals who are already concerned about their health, and who already spend money on health products! It is far easier and effective.

V. You, Inc.

This is the fun part! When you finally have the “ah-hah” moment that this is all about building your business- not someone else’s, you will begin to take on the ownership mentality that is necessary to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. This is where true freedom comes in! You are in business to market yourself. What can you offer that no one else can? YOU! Why should you waste time talking about why your products, your company, etc. are better than Brand X, Company X, or Distributor X? People will want to join your business because they like and trust you. If you have done an effective job in marketing yourself and your abilities to provide your prospects with what they are looking for, you have done your job. You are in business to be a problem solver and a solution provider- this should be your number one focus! This is a time to determine to be clear, consistent, dependable, and credible in your communication.

The more clearly defined your communication and the better you can position yourself as someone who knows their product and business, the more valuable you become. At this point, I cannot stress how important it is to invest in your education by reading as much as you can on the subjects that are related to your business. For starters, you must have the right mindset, and it is important to have a firm understanding of how your mindset can determine your future. Personal growth is a foundation! Find an author who can mentor you through his or her books. My personal favorites are Robert Kiyosaki, Paul Zane Pilzer, Dan Kennedy, and Ann Sieg. In my organization, I consider the materials by these authors to be required reading for my team members because I know how essential it is to have clear vision and goals constantly in focus. Your attitude will determine your altitude!

VI. Your Action Plan

Once you arrive at this point, you can begin to take some action steps to begin your new business entity. You will want to balance your education and training with consistent action steps each day.

Some excellent resources to begin building your new MLM (network marketing) business are:

· The Renegade Network Marketer, by Ann Sieg

· How to Build Your MLM Business by Alicia Bausley et al.

Magnetic Sponsoring, by Mike Dillard

· Building on a Budget, by Mike Dillard

Once you have a firm grasp on the basic information and tools you need to begin marketing, you may also want to invest in the newly released MLM Traffic Formula 2.0 by Mike Dillard. In this new training course, Mike reveals exactly how he earned over seven figures in about 18 months once he "cracked the code" to sponsoring success using the internet to build his MLM organization. Included in this course are interviews with some of the top marketing gurus on the internet today. Why re-invent the wheel when we can learn from other's past mistakes and victories in this industry?

· Finally, you will need to be determined to stay the course and commit to your new venture. It is not easy. It is not guaranteed success; quite the opposite is true. However, you can minimize risks and failures by starting out smart. Invest in your education. Invest in your training. Set your goals continually and schedule them on your calendar every day, every week. Success occurs on a daily basis. Planning for success is a daily task. Take the time to fill yourself daily- mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

A very important key to developing the skills and consistency that are necessary to succeed is to find a coach, or mentor who is willing to guide you through the process of setting everything up in your marketing plan and helping you develop your business into a successful machine that continually attracts traffic and is strong on converting that traffic into customers. The human factor can never be totally ignored just because you are using the internet to generate traffic. You will need to develop your phone skills using the consultative approach, as well as develop good leadership skills so you can effectively train others in your organization.

This is where I can help! I am an attraction marketing consultant and success coach who loves to help others achieve both their financial goals! Find out how you can receive a free 30-minute consultation with me to help you get started today!  As an added bonus, I will help guide you through a free training program that will teach you what you need to know about internet attraction marketing!

www.StepstoSuccessNOW.com

This race is a marathon, and you need to plan accordingly. The rewards are there, and you can attain them!