Legitimate Network Marketing: Doomed if You Do and Doomed if You Don't

Legitimate Network Marketing is wrought with rumors of scams and bad-mouthing about the lack of success among associates. And it is true that the majority of network marketers are not successful offline.

But now that many are heading for the hills (the Internet, that is) with promises of achieving wealth, are most achieving their dreams?

History of Legitimate Network Marketing

To fully answer that question, look at some of the reasons people fail offline.

• Most MLMers rely on outdated marketing strategies including cold calling and prospecting anyone and everyone which is the equivalent of a BMW mechanic going door to door in search of new clients.
• Few receive education on real marketing strategies. Most of what is taught is product and compensation plan information
• There is distrust and lack of understanding of the Multi-Level Marketing model because of pyramid schemes and bad experiences around poor marketing by well-meaning friends and relatives. The Internet also has made available lots of information both good and bad, true and false. This too can discredit the industry.
  
  Recently, Ponzi schemes, such as Madoff's, further add to this problem.
• When starting out in legitimate network marketing, budgets are limited. Traditional advertising methods such as classified, radio and tv ads can be very expensive especially when you are not well-trained in using them. Coupled with poor incomes, marketing to your warm market becomes the only affordable alternative.
• As hard as it is to hear, your warm market may not be the market that wants or needs your product in spite of how great you think it is!

• Your time limitations may prohibit you from joining lots of networking groups to continually grow your prospect list.

Legitimate Network Marketing on the Internet 

The lack of success offline has led many network marketers to pursue their ambitions of being entrepreneurs online. Afterall, the Internet is here to stay and unless you build your business using online startegies, you'll get left behind.

But, are you accomplishing your goals on the Internet?

Unfortunately, many, if not most network marketers are using the same tactics that they were using offline. This is resulting in the same kind of results. NONE!

If you rely on pitching your deal to every new contact you make, your results will be grim. So what does that look like? For example, on Twitter when someone follows me, I send them a "thanks for following". Too often I get a reply with a pitch of some kind. This is exactly, what not to do. This happens on Facebook, etc.

You must use attraction network marketing principles to stand out above the crowd on the internet. Otherwise, you will fly with the pigeons, not soar with the eagles!

So, can you teach an old dog new tricks?

Absolutely. But it does take effort and a great training program to learn how to leverage your skills and how to market yourself effectively.