The biggest secret about success in this business and industry is that there isn't any secret. Surprised? I thought you might be, but it is very true. OK! We've all heard that there are many "secrets" to success in Network Marketing and MLM. We've also heard that your upline is lying to you and not sharing their "secrets" about the business and industry. That's all just horse hockey! Oh! And by the way, your sponsor has a vested interest in your personal success so he is not going to be lying to you about what it takes. More on this later.



- Key #1: You! That's right, you. Here's what I mean about "you." The success or failure you experience in network marketing and MLM is totally reliant upon you, your beliefs, your attitude, and the direct actions you take toward success. To attain the benefits of your efforts and what you want to be in this business, you must have a very strong "why". The stronger the why the greater chance of success. I determined my "why" by completing a vision statement of how I want my life to be as a result of my efforts. What my life will look like, smell like, be like, experience and advantages I will have that I don't have now. In another article I will discuss in detail the successful completion of a vision statement.

There are many areas of your life you will need to evaluate to determine what type of product or service you wish to represent and market. Along with that, the choice of company is paramount in keeping yourself aligned with your wants and vision. You must see yourself a successful with the product as well as the company. If you can't see it then it won't happen. Keep searching. You have to be the driving force behind your success. Yes, there are many other elements that come into play but "you" are the ultimate key to your own success.

- Key #2: Product or service. What products or services get you excited or do you already have a firm foundation of experience and knowledge? This may or may not take some time on your part to crystallize. It is as an important key as any of the others and must be addressed from a business point of view. Can you make a profit with this product or service? Is there a ready made market? Is there exclusivity in the product or service not found in the general consumer market? Exclusivity is nice but is also short-lived in this consumer market.

Network Marketing has hundreds of quality products and services available to you including travel, nutritional, health, long distance, VIOP, communication, energy, and many others. Don't make the mistake of following the herd but then again, don't be too unique that no one has ever heard of it either. Choosing a product or service to represent in your home based business is as personal as the company you select to partner with that has your offering.

- Key #3: Selecting the company that represents and markets your chosen product or service. You can not discount that, oh so important, "gut feeling" when you complete important tasks like research, due diligence, investigation, interviews with existing reps, and interviews with potential sponsors." To keep it simple, I will list for you the requirements that I used to pick my current company and this may shed some light on what you need to look for in your company.

*Solid company of five years or older

*A fun, professional, and enthusiastic "culture"

*Competent corporate staff with business management and NWM/MLM experience on the front lines.

*Exclusive product by quality unmatched in the marketplace

*Products supported by real life studies for efficacy and quality

*A robust comp plan that is quick to see results and easy to understand

*Ability to retail products at a reasonable price for "right now" money

*A quality marketing plan and support tools in place

*Solid and increasing annual sales and distributor growth

*Qualified Upline with proven success and willingness to share information

*A plan for a successful system to plug into and NOT reinvent the wheel

*Both company and product recognized in the community for quality

*Easy online signups and prospect back office tracking

*Company websites provided at no or minimum cost to the distributor

*Outstanding customer support in knowledge and helpfulness

*No voicemail, phone trees, but "real people" answering the phones

*Company MUST be distributor oriented with income based on volume and not on the backs of distributors in the form of fees etc.

- Key #4: Selecting a sponsor may or may not have a direct effect on your success but, it may definitely affect your failure without the correct choice. Many people in the industry will tell you that your sponsor will not dictate your success or failure in the business and industry. This may be true however; I believe having all of the proper support and guidance is to your best advantage. Once you've selected a company then begins the process of determining who is the best fit to have as your sponsor? Is this person currently working the business? Are they successful to the point you would like to be someday? Can you relate to this person and like them? You don't want to have to reinvent the wheel but learn from their experiences in the are they forthcoming with information, knowledge, experiences?

A final and very important question regarding the selection of a qualified sponsor, would you want to take a 30 day cruise with this person? Think about that for a moment and the answer will be very revealing.

- Key #5: You want to look at the fact is there a viable and robust training/marketing system already functioning and success and is there a viable and robust team of like minded people for support and interation? All of this lends itself to a further advantage toward success provided the previous keys have been taken seriously and good decisions made. You don't want to be left out to stand on your own but want a group of like minded people to interact and learn from their experiences. You want to feel part of a successful team, almost like a family.

As for the training/marketing system, do you want to have to create that all by yourself or would you rather have it up and running and productive from day one. Look for video and audio training, sizzle lines, 800#s, contact management back office, auto responders, existing sizzle messages, emails, and auto responder messages. All of this will save you a great deal of time, shorten the learning curve, allow you to focus on building your business, and increasing your ROI (Return On Investment).

OK then! By accomplishing the above keys you have started out on a strong path to becoming successful in your own home based business in network marketing and MLM. I know this looks like a great deal of effort but starting a business is not a flippant decision and needs to be researched in many areas to give you the best chance of success. Above all, you want to have fun in the process of doing. My philosophy of "learn, doing, learn, and being" will be discussed in a later article."