I don't know about you, but something about the terms ?network marketing? and ?multi-level marketing (MLM)? just scares me a little. When I think ?network?, I think ?people?, and when I think ?people?, I think ?yikes?! This is an internet business I'm involved in ? not a brick-and-mortar business where I have to deal with people!? Well, the good news for all of us non-people people is that it's true ? you can be involved in an online network marketing or MLM business without having to deal with people face-to-face. But it's also true that building a network of people in your business that you communicate with either face-to-face, on the phone, or via email can get your business booming and can create a lifetime of wealth for you and those on your team - both financially, and personally. What is a network marketing business all about anyway and how does it differ from a traditional retail business?



Network marketing is really all about relationships, partnerships, and joint ventures with the organization you are involved with ? Success University to use my own example ? as well as the customers, affiliates, or down-lines that will distribute that organization's products and/or services. In this way, it really is a people business because you have to choose the people you will work with on your team, and nurture those relationships through constant communication to ensure the success of your entire team. Being successful yourself starts with being in love with what you do, and being in love with your products and services. The best network marketers know their products and services inside and out, and they truly believe in them, and in the organization they represent. You don't have to be in love with your team, but you do have to love them by showing that you care just as much about their success as you care about your own.

Why choose network marketing over a traditional retail sales business? The choice is really yours because some people just prefer direct product sales for big- ticket items and that's just the way they are. But there are many advantages to network marketing that far surpass the advantages of traditional sales. When you sell products, you may have to spend a lot of money on your inventory. Finding people to join you in this venture can be troublesome, and you won't make any significant residual income doing this. When you get involved in multi-level marketing on the other hand, you may sell smaller-ticket items, but products that people tend to re-order, which in the long-term can result in much larger profits than the traditional business. You will get a significant residual income being a network marketer, and when you achieve your own success, you become a teacher to those on your team, sharing your ideas on how to reach important goals and dreams.

When you get to a point where you can help others understand what network marketing is all about, and can show them how to do it, then you are already starting to build a solid network by being a true leader. The importance of the network you build and how you do it cannot be undermined, for once you have found enthusiastic people for your team who are also finding enthusiastic people for their teams, then you tap into the real potential for business growth and prosperity. Building a network of leaders means giving your time, energy, and effort, and finding people who will give their time, energy, and effort. If you think about what it takes for you to be inspired and energized by a new business opportunity, you will notice that it usually involves realizing the value of the products and services, and knowing how being involved in the business will improve your quality of life. When you have found that sense of worth in what you do, you will be energized to do it, and teach others how it's done so that they, too, will put the time, energy, and effort into building onto the network of dreams. I don't know about you, but suddenly I am excited about the terms ?network marketing? and ?multi-level marketing?!