You hear a lot about MLM today, but many people still find themselves asking, "What is MLM?" Even if they've tried to make money using MLM, they may not really have a good grasp on what it really is and how to work it. This is one of the reasons so many people fail when they first attempt to make money with MLM.

MLM literally stands for "multi-level marketing." Other frequently heard terms are network marketing and direct marketing. They both mean the same thing. At PassionFire, the official Doug Firebaugh training site, they have an article to discuss what exactly MLM is. According to Doug, if you don't understand what MLM is, it won't work for you.

He talks about understanding the "Big Picture" when it comes to MLM... and he believes that until you understand this, you won't be able to create a network that grows strong and successful.

According to Doug Firebaugh, network marketing is personal development that has been made into a business that can be duplicated. He recommends you read it more than once so it sinks in. Even reading it several times, it may help to have a good person upline of you to help you understand it and make it work.

He believes that most people do not succeed at MLM because they do not have the right skills, habits and attitudes to bring in the money. This is called the MLM Void. But if you really don't understand what is MLM, it is very difficult to bring those things into play. He also believes that strong leadership can help build the right skills, attitudes and habits a person needs to succeed. This may be true, if you have a good leader above you who can teach you. If you don't, you may still be scratching your head, wondering what is MLM and why isn't it working for you?

He also says that to truly understand what is MLM and how to be successful at it, you must learn your company info and how to present it; your product info and how to present it also; the pay plan info and all the aspects that play into it; and then know how to recruit others, train them, and how to duplicate the business.

He explains that the one most important skill to have in any network marketing business is good communication. Doug insists that you must develop your own skills so you can in turn, help your downline develop the same skills so you are all successful. If you develop these skills, you won't be left by the wayside, still wondering what is MLM and why didn't it work for you.

If you are not blessed with an upline that will develop these skills in you, the gist of this article is that you need to learn the MLM Mastery Factor. And Doug can help you learn this. Reviews of his trainings either rave about how good they are, or say it was a complete waste of money. Ultimately, you must decide who to believe, and if those who found it a waste of time really understood what is MLM and it didn't work, or if they were looking for some way to succeed without working at it.