While every one agrees that network marketing is a people business, the whole industry has become somewhat divided. Some people regard this is a sharing and sorting business, others regard network marketing and MLM as a sales and marketing business just like any other business. It is up to each distributor to decide how he or she wants to view this type of business.

Let us define each of these terms:

Sharing

When you have seen a good film or television programme or you have been to a restaurant and you have enjoyed a good meal and you want to tell your friends about it. As a result of this, they end up going to the cinema and watching this film or going to that restaurant and ordering that meal. In this instance, you have not gained anything financially by recommending these things. You have become involved in a business and you recommend a health or telefony product which this particular business markets and you will receive commissions if people end up buying these products and services. All of the parties know that there will be a financial gain from your part. You must then ask yourself a very important question. If a friend of yours told you that they have become involved in a business and recommened their products and services, would you buy them?

Sorting

Sorting is where you ask other people to buy your business opportunity, your products or a combination of these things. Either they want these things or they do not want these things. You are just sorting.

Selling

Selling is where both parties know that the business owner will get a commission when a person signs up for any product or service.

It is therefore up to you to decide whether you are sharing, sorting or selling your products and business opportunity. However, what is common with all of the above mentioned terms is the fact that customers are acquired. A customer is someone who buys things. A customer is someone who is sold to. This is the reason why the network marketing industry is divided as to whether this business is sorting, sharing or selling. However, the fact is that network marketing is probably not any of them.Perhaps it is a mentoring and outsourcing business.

Mentoring And Outsourcing

Everyone understands and agrees with the fact that network marketing requires relationship building and establishing interactions with people. Have you ever wondered why you are struggling to reach your first position and at the same time, you either hear about or know, people who have reached top positions within a few months? There are two main reasons why this happens:

- There are some people who are lucky in that they have existing businesses and organizations outside your company and who already have a loyal following. When they join your company, people from the other organizations and businesses join them as customers and distributors. Therefore, they reach the top positions and become the most highly paid distributors in your company within a few months.

- An MLM company experiences poor financial results. Again, a successful distributor brings his loyal downline members and customers into your company which is more financially stable and which probably has a better compensation plan and bonus system.

If you have a good search on the internet, you will no doubt find information mainly in the form of video presentations which support these claims. However, there is no evidence which suggests that these claims are entirely true.

You, as an average distributor, do not need to start another business or organization other than your network marketing business. However, you will have to use the internet to reach an endless amount of prospects. You will have to give yourself the ability to use leveraged tools such as videos, blogs, websites, ezines and email marketing. However, all of these are useless without the use of article marketing.

Here is where you start:

-Write a minimum of thirty articles about network marketing business building aimed at other network marketers. This will give you an abundance of leverage. Share this strategy with your uplines and organization. This step is very important, it will position you as a mentor in this industry.

-You can also write articles which attract people to your products. However, you will find less leverage in this and can face a certain amount of competition.

-Submit these articles to article directories or article submission services.

Writing articles will be the first important step in acquiring prospects. Why not tell your fellow distributors about this fact.