Aha! Moments in MLM and other Direct Sales Organizations

Tuesday, Nov 24, 2009

As guaranteed, The Symposium held November 16-17 in Salt Lake City by The Symposium Group delivered plenty of “Aha!” moments. The Symposium is a bi-annual MLM startup conference that provides training and strategies for success to entrepreneurs interested in starting an MLM company as well as direct selling executives. Hopefully, these “Aha!” moments will draw some “Ahas!” from you!

Salespeople think more like customers than business people.

Jerry York, ByDesign Technologies

In the direct selling business, the trust/fear dichotomy is always present.

Jerry York, ByDesign Technologies

A brand is not a cure for all your ills.

Jason Sherwood, Du0

An MLM company’s vision includes: 1) mission, 2) purpose, 3) culture, 4) character, and 5) cause.

Spencer Clawson, Innolect Inc.

A compensation plan is not a system where money is paid for recruiting others or else it’s a pyramid scheme.

Mark Rawlins, InfoTrax Systems

No compensation plan ever really dies. It goes into hibernation and comes back.

Mark Rawlins, InfoTrax Systems

Make sure you create baby steps for your distributors and then build and reward people step by step—no Grand Canyon leaps!

Dan Jensen, Dan Jensen Consulting

The key to the big check is the little check.

Dan Jensen, Dan Jensen Consulting

Create a mystique, an aura, around your product. MonaVie’s focus is the exotic/fascinating--the acai berry, Amazon Rain forest, Tahiti, Himalayas, and philanthropic efforts to save the rain forest.

Gem Morris, a Top MonaVie Distributor

10 out of the top 11 companies on Google’s MLM 500 Top Earners are nutritional companies.

Gem Morris, a Top MonaVie Distributor

50% of businesses that lose critical data for 10+ days will immediately file for bankruptcy.

U.S. National Archives Records Administration

Cited by Wendy Yurgo, Metrics Global, Inc.

There are 400-1,200 MLM startups per year and 18% survive past one year. The leading causes of failure are loss of momentum and field attrition.

Dave Taylor, LaunchSmart

If your company performs according to industry averages—20% retention rate—you will lose 80 out of every 100 field reps. 50% will be gone in the first 90-days after enrollment.

Dave Taylor, LaunchSmart

Digital has changed the playing field in MLM. It has given startup companies a competitive advantage and they can go head-to-head with larger companies.

Reed Wright, Axis 41

Today, people judge a brand by what it does, not by what it says. Digital has fundamentally and irrevocably changed the model of branding.

Reed Wright, Axis 41

You have to do what you ask your distributors to do.

Bob Hipple, Eagle Cap Consulting

The quest for rapid company growth can sometimes create a culture of impatience and aggressiveness. Sometimes direct sales companies experience exponential growth early but most do not. You don’t have to have rocket growth! The fact is MLM works! This is a great industry. Stay in it. Let it grow over time. Are you patient enough to let it grow?

Bob Hipple, Eagle Cap Consulting

Network Marketing is changing now with Social Media. By using Twitter, Facebook, Ning, My space, and some other popular sites Social Media sites you are able to reach large amounts of people. You can meet someone online and Sponsor them into your business with out ever really being face to face with them. I am renaming Social Media in the MLM world as "Crowd Conversion" Leason to be learned.. People join because of you not your product, Orac value is higher, brand new videophone.... You get the point. Start selling you and let the products and services sell them self.

Rik Rollins, SponsorMore-Reps.com