If you are ever told you can make money with an opportunity and you don’t have to sell anything or the product “sells itself,” look for another opportunity. Let’s face it, how does a company or one of its distributors make any money without selling a product or service? Unfortunately most opportunities promote themselves as easy money. They’re trying to attract the hoards of people out there looking for easy money in the hope that they’ll get a few who will turn into real super stars for the business. Look for companies that tell a realistic story about the work it takes to get a business started and what it takes to achieve success.
One of the things that I have always found annoying was the fact that in order to find out the details of some opportunities, you had to spend $40 or $50 on a “start-up kit” to get any information other than how great an opportunity it is. Any opportunity that’s worth anything should let you get all the details before requiring and monetary commitment. The best opportunities will allow you to join for free.
I have found the best direct network marketing opportunities provide both multiple products and multiple streams of income. By this I don’t mean multiple tiers of commission payments. I mean multiple ways to earn income in the program. This could include commission overrides on your personally sponsored downline, product sales to non-members, shares of company sales, etc. Look around. There are some very lucrative opportunities out there. But don’t think it comes with little or no work.
Training and support are all things to think about and you want them to be provided – the more the better. But avoid those opportunities that do everything for you. Many will provide replicated websites as a way to get you started quickly. It will get you started quickly, but at what cost. These sites that hundreds of other people are promoting DO NOT WORK! You need to have your own web presence to brand yourself.
Certainly you want to be associated with a company that is going to be around for a while. The best way to judge that is to look at its track record. A company should have been around for at least 5 years and ideally 10 or more.
Take some time to choose wisely. It will benefit you in the long run – unless of course you are looking for that easy money opportunity. Then just take the first one that you see promising riches overnight.
Todd Gleason is a frequent author on small business development and internet marketing. You can learn more about the new skills needed for direct network marketing and get a free copy of “7 Secrets to building a Productive Downline” here.
