Three Questions to Ask Before Joining a Network Marketing Opportunity

A network marketing opportunity gives you the chance to work from home and create a money-generating business from the comfort of your living room. There are many different products and services that you can get involved with, from health and wellness to travel to marketing to several others.

Network marketing is an industry that opens up the doors of opportunity to those who are looking for alternatives to their current streams of income. But just as quickly as the industry opens the doors to you, it can just as quickly slam them in your face.

There are many statistics that show only a small percentage of people who set out to start their own home-based business actually turn a profit, or make any money at all. In fact, the most staggering statistic is the fact that 97% of home-based business owners fail in their Multi-Level Marketing, or MLM opportunity in their first year. These same people spend more money than they make.

So, with the odds stacked so highly against an industry “newbie,” how can you be successful in network marketing?

There is a simple solution. The reason so many people do not succeed is because they look into the wrong criteria when considering their options. They pay far too much attention to the popularity of the product, the position of the company (pre-launch or established), the start-up cost, and other areas that don’t lead to long-term success.

When a company is right for you, you’ll know because everything will make sense. But it’s important not to get caught up in the areas of business that won’t lead to long-term stability in network marketing.

When considering any network marketing opportunity, ask yourself the following three questions before making the final decision to become a distributor.

1) Will this business allow me to change my lifestyle? – The main reason people start their own business is to change the way they live their life. Some people are tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck, while others are merely looking for a secondary source of revenue to add to income they already have coming in from a regular job. Regardless of the reason, the extra money is for a lifestyle change, whether it be a complete lifestyle overhaul or simply adding another stream of income.

You have to look at the opportunity and decide whether the income potential will allow you to reach those goals. If you’re looking to run your business full-time, will your opportunity allow you to quickly replace the income you’re used to receiving working full-time?

2) What sort of leadership am I joining? – Another reason people don’t find success is because they join a company that lacks proper leadership. Even worse, they’re sponsored by someone who doesn’t care about the success of the people they bring into the business, only their own.

Leadership is the key element to your success. Will the leadership the opportunity you’re looking at provide you with the necessary tools to not only succeed, but un-tap your own leadership potential? Also, is your sponsor looking out for your best interests or are they only focusing on their own commission check?

3) What sort of training will I have access to? – This is one of the biggest reasons people don’t succeed in network marketing. They’re handed the keys to the car, but they’re never taught how to drive. They open up their own business, but they have no clue how to market, recruit, develop, lead, or even get started.

When you join a new business, you need to find out what sort of training your company and your sponsor has in place. Will they teach you the basic fundamentals that will lead to your success, or will they constantly bombard you with “hype” disguised as “training?”

These three elements are more crucial than the product you promote or the start-up cost you pay to launch your business. If all three of these questions are answered positively, it’s a safe assumption that you’ll find success if you commit yourself to doing so.