Henry David Thoreau said this originally. Thoreau, a famous 19th Century American writer and philosopher, had zero experience in business and spent most of his adult life living alone in the woods next to a pond. Nonetheless, he was considered a very smart man and was something of a celebrity so everyone assumed he knew what he was talking about.

But let's take a closer look at his most famous quote. Essentially, this means that if you come up with a terrific product, you'll sell tons of it and become successful.

Many of us MLMers believe this is the key to network marketing success, and we run our businesses accordingly. We assume that because we have terrific products, a great company, and an award-winning compensation plan we can't fail. Everyone should naturally want to jump right in, yes?

If people aren't jumping in, we think we just have to give them better information about our products, company and compensation plan. This belief results in the constant quest to find the Perfect Presentation. Or for some MLMers, the quest for the Perfect Company.

Does it really work this way?

Let's look more closely at the mousetrap idea. Back when Thoreau wrote his famous line, mice were a major problem, and effective mousetraps must have been in high demand.

Things are pretty different now. I live in the suburbs, and I haven't seen a mouse in over fifteen years. Neither have any of my neighbors.

Not much of an opportunity for mousetrap inventors here, is there?

Maybe Thoreau's quote should be amended to say "Build a better mousetrap, AND find a bunch of people with major mouse issues, and those particular mouse-infested individuals will beat a path to your door." (Doesn't quite roll off the tongue as easily, but it's more accurate.)

This illustrates a critically important point: The more hungry some people are for your product or service, the more of it you will sell. A total no-brainer, right?

As someone said recently, if you want to sell a lot of hamburgers, find a starving crowd.

In the case of network marketing and your opportunity, who is your starving crowd?

Clearly not your Uncle Harold, or your neighbor Gladys, or the guy in the next cubicle at work. Or anyone else you've been harrassing unsuccessfully.

What about other "perfect candidates" - realtors, insurance salesmen, your PTA president? Go-getters with experience and huge circles of influence. Well it depends... are they looking for an opportunity? Chances are they're perfectly content doing what they're already doing - hardly what you'd call starving.

So who IS your starving crowd? Who IS desperately looking for an opportunity?

For an answer to these critical questions, take a look in the nearest mirror. The person looking back at you is a perfect example of your ideal prospect.

You know that, of course. You've probably often thought to yourself, Why can't I find someone just like me? Someone who's ready to take action? Someone who's already got the vision of what network marketing can do for them? Someone who WANTS to do this?

Admit it - you're pretty hungry yourself.

Jewels like you definitely exist - in plenty of cases currently unattached to any company. But if you keep putting all your time and energy into the duds, you'll never find the real gems.

Here's a suggestion: Stop chasing the wrong people. Leave your family and friends alone. Forget about the latest and greatest script that's supposed to light a fire under your lukewarm prospects. It won't work. Even if you manage to manipulate them into signing the application form, they'll probably never do anything.

Instead, spend your time and energy finding new ways to reach your real target market - your starving crowd. People just like you who are desperate for network marketing success.