Most mlm companies today would have their distributors believe that they're not in the "sales" business. Since most people cringe at the very thought of selling, these companies sugarcoat the idea for them by saying, "It's not selling, it's sharing!" They make it sound like child's play, you know a cakewalk, something so simple and easy that anyone can do it. This type of thinking has a couple very harsh consequences for mlm distributors.

The first consequence is this. There isn't proper sales training for mlm distributors to begin with. If mlm companies are preaching that there aren't sales involved with their business, then obviously there isn't a need for any type of real sales skills. As a result, the mlm distributors are thrown into the lion's den totally unprepared to market their products and opportunity.

The second consequence is this. Distributors are immediately set-up for failure because they're being lied to about how easy and simple selling is going to be. When they actually go out and try to sell to their friends or relatives by eagerly sharing with them just how great or exciting their new product or opportunity is, they're going to be in for a brutal reality check. Undoubtedly there will be disappointment and astonishment when they're rejected, because they followed the rules and did everything that their mlm upline or mlm company told them to do.

So why do some of the top mlm companies tell their distributors that selling is going to be easy...that it's only sharing with people and no real sales skills are needed? They sugarcoat this idea because they know that most people really hate to sell. They don't want to see their distributors scared away by telling them this one, simple, inconvenient and uncomfortable fact. If you are in network marketing you are in sales!

If you want to be a successful mlm distributor you need to understand this. Selling is not sharing and sharing is not selling. Sharing is what pre-schoolers do. I know what you're thinking right now. "But I thought word of mouth advertising was the most powerful form of advertising out there?" My answer is yes and no. Yes, people's personal recommendations can be very powerful when they don't have a financial interest involved. When potential customers or prospects realize that distributors are making money out of the deal, their guard immediately goes up. Because an incentivized referral is completely different than an unbiased, third party opinion.

It all boils down to this. To be successful in network marketing, you have to learn effective sales skills and techniques. Realizing this is the first critical step towards retail success with your mlm company. You have to understand the sales process and what really motivates people. What makes them get out of bed in the morning? What keeps them awake at night? When it comes to selling, too much attention is paid to the product itself, rather than the customer who is doing the buying. Because chances are your prospect or customer doesn't really care about helping you out, they want to know what's in it for them.

A successful salesman isn't the one who has memorized the history of their product and can recite all the ingredients and amazing health benefits. A truly successful salesman is the one who can make the connection between their prospect's true desires and how their product/service will fulfill those desires. Simply being enthusiastic and excited about your product or opportunity isn't going to get the job done. You have to start with your customer first, find out their needs, and then introduce the solution. Good sales always starts with putting the customer first.