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What do you need to learn in order to become a leader in network marketing. I believe that the main component in being a leader in this industry is setting an example. In my opinion, if you set an example, you would be able to duplicate it throughout your downline.
If you have a big downline, you shouldn't take leadership as a joke. You don't want people in your downline quitting on you because you don't make a good leader. A good leader contains one of these characteristics:
Set an example
Be a good communicator
Be a good listener
Keeping their schedule consistently
I'm sure there are many more, but these topics are all I will discuss and is based on experience.
Why set an example?
Setting a good example is one of the success factors in network marketing. Doing this impacts duplication. Look at McDonalds, Macys, Burger King, and many of the fast food restaurants and department stores...they have a business system that works very well because of duplication. A good example you set provides a good system that's duplicatable. That would go as well as a bad example.
To be able to set up a good example, you should come up with a good business plan. Since there's no one right way of doing it, you should at least come up with one that would be duplicatable with your downline. For example, if you're retailing computer discount services memberships for $10 a month, here's what you may do.
Make yourself some flyers and put your contact information in it.
Set up a business number to use for potential clients to call.
Go around your neighborhood and place your flyers inside everyone's mailbox.
Wait for their call. Don't expect to hear from them.
If you get a call from them, tell them about your services.
Pitch the most inexpensive service they need.
Make sure you upsell to upgraded services
Close the sale and thank them
Perform the services they asked you to do in good faith
Keep in touch with them by email. You may call some of your good customers.
Ask for referrals
Know what to do in the event something made them unhappy.
Provide good customer service. Don't screw the good customers. If it costs $50 on you to replace the part, pay for it because in the long run, they may bring you $500 worth of business.
It goes on and on and on.
This may be one of your typical business plans. Make sure you're consistent with it. Consistency means success and your downline will be successful as well if they follow your system.
Another way of setting a good example is training the people who will work in your team. You may set up a website, get them into conference calls, one-on-one, or classroom style. There's no right way in doing this, but make sure that you're able to bring the information across the people you're training. Otherwise, it will be a waste of both your time and their time. As an experienced trainer, I prefer classroom training because I can also provide one-on-one interaction with the student and hands-on training as well. However, online training is just as effective. I'm sure that most of your downline come from other locations, thus you would need to use online methods.
Being a Good Communicator
Communication is important. I myself had trouble with this, but as time goes by, I get better at it. I'll be honest with you. Your communication skills are very important because if you suck at it, it becomes a barrier between you and closing each individual sale. Here are some other factors that I recommend you practice in your business.
If that person speaks a different language that you speak, get a translator.
Tell them the truth. Although you may not close a sale, you never know. That person may refer someone else to you. If you lie to them, it will spread virally. I've had people lie to me before, such as those that say they will deliver the product/service that I asked for, but they never intended to deliver it.
Keep your word. If you don't, you won't be trusted. We had a client in Oxnard, California, a gym company (no names), that said that they will pay for computer parts that we purchased for them to get their systems up and running and was hesitant in paying for those items until we threatened to shut their services down. That same company had someone put marble flooring in their facility and had never paid for the service in full. Furthermore, that same company had upholstery done and the person who performed the service never paid for it. All I can tell you is that we'll never bring customers to them nor provide services for that company. My point is, it's absolutely important to keep your word and you will never be a good leader if you struggle with this.
Learn how to do presentations. We're talking about putting main points on your slides, but not put the whole text. For example, if one of your points you will talk about is "How to add more memory to your computer", make sure that you don't put the whole text on it. Just briefly mention how you do it. Do demonstrations if you have to , but don't read it on the slides. You do that and it will turn your audience off. Build curiosity on your audience.
Ask for the sale. Someone else said that if you don't ask for the sale, they won't buy. Expect them to say no. It doesn't mean they don't want it. Don't burn your bridges with that person because they aren't interested in buying. Instead, ask for referrals.
Attend all the training you're asked to attend by your upline. You can also improve your communication skills by just listening to them.
Being a Good Listener
A good listener shows that you're interested in hearing what they have to say. You want to show some interest in them because it determines if what they say will have an impact to how you do business. Take some good notes if you come across important information from them. Wait till they finish talking before you speak. Cross-talking is not effective communication. If you're a good listener, the person you're talking to will return the favor by being a good listener and makes communication effective.
Keeping Your Schedule Consistently
If you said that you will do this particular task, make sure you keep up with the schedule. Don't wait for the last minute to do it. When you wait for the last minute to perform the task, you will be distracted in being able to perform it in good faith. Give yourself plenty of time to do it. As you get better at it, you would probably need less time.
When you schedule an appointment to meet someone, you better keep it. I get turned off when people don't keep their appointments. If this has been consistent with the same person, I put that person in the bottom of my list (or I call it my flake list), in favor of someone who will keep their appointments. If this turned out to be a customer, you better be on the ball with it or they will take their business somewhere else.
If you have to, get a planner. Make sure you can see the whole picture for that day, week, month, or year. A planner helps you make a decision in whether you can meet with that person or not. This will help you keep your schedule consistently. A planner on a piece of paper is better than no planner at all, so make sure you have one.
Conclusion
If you're going to survive in network marketing, be a good leader. There are lots of leadership training out there, but if you decided to invest in one, make sure that it's geared towards both leadership and network marketing.
A good leader impacts those people in their downline.
Sidney Juachon is a freelance web developer, information technology instructor, and internet marketer. His degrees are a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University at Northridge http://www.csun.edu and holds Master of Science degrees in Accountancy and in Information Systems from California State University, Los Angeles http://www.calstatela.edu He has six years of experience in teaching information technology such as the Microsoft MCSE courses, computer hardware and networking courses leading to the A+ and Network+ certification. He currently resides in Oxnard, California and has a wonderful wife and a rascally-intelligent 8-year-old daughter named Katherine.
When Sidney takes a break in the action, he usually chats online in Yahoo Messenger (YM:sidneyjuachon), plays on his new Playstation 3, or go out and eat.
You can reach him at sjuachon@networkingleader.com
Sidney Juachon
sjuachon@networkingleader.com
http://aboutsidney.weebly.com
