Network Marketing For Dummies E-Book

Zig Ziglar

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 732

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Network marketing has helped people all over the world achieve financial independence--and it can help you do the same. As a profession, network marketing invites all people, regardless of gender, experience, education, or financial status, to jump on board and build a satisfying and potentially lucrative business. If you want to improve your current financial situation and are ready to become your own boss, then networking marketing is the way to go. Whether you want to work full-time or part-time; whether you dream of earning a few hundred dollars a month or thousands of dollars a month, Network Marketing For Dummies can show you how to get started in this business within a matter of days. If you're currently involved in network marketing, this book is also valuable as both a reference source and a refresher course. Network marketing is a system for distributing goods and services through networks of thousands of independent salespeople, or distributors. With Network Marketi ng For Dummies as your guide, you'll become familiar with this system and figure out how to build revenue, motivate your distributors, evaluate opportunities, and grab the success you deserve in this field. You'll explore important topics, such as setting up a database of prospects and creating loyal customers. You'll also discover how to: * Get set up as a distributor * Develop a comprehensive marketing plan * Recruit, train, and motivate your network * Maximize downline income * Take your marketing and sales skills to a higher level * Cope with taxes and regulations * Avoid common pitfalls Packed with tips on overcoming common start-up hurdles as well as stories from more than fifty successful network marketers, Network Marketing For Dummies will show you how to approach this opportunity so that you can begin to build a successful and satisfying business of your own.

Leseprobe

Network Marketing For Dummies®

by Zig Ziglar with John P. Hayes, Ph.D.

Network Marketing For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 00-109411

ISBN: 978-0-7645-5292-2

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Zig Ziglar (Dallas, Texas), speaker, author, and authority on high-level performance, is chairman of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, which is committed to helping people more fully utilize their physical, mental, and spiritual resources. Hundreds of companies use his books, tapes, and videos to train their employees. Zig has traveled more than 5 million miles, addressing over 300,000 people every year at the Peter Lowe Success Seminars and at businesses, sales organizations, schools, and church groups. He also reaches countless numbers through television and radio appearances. Zig is the author of 17 books, including 10 best-sellers like Secrets of Closing the Sale, Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World, and See You at the Top, which has sold over 1.7 million copies, and his two most recent books, Success For Dummies and Something Else to Smile About. He also develops and markets training audio- and videocassettes for worldwide distribution. His works have been translated into more than 38 different languages and dialects.

John P. Hayes, Ph.D. (Dallas, Texas), enjoys a multi-faceted career as author, speaker, trainer, and businessman. Network Marketing For Dummiesis his 17th book in an impressive list of titles that includes business books and biographies. A “Signature Series Speaker” for Ziglar Training Systems, John speaks to small businesses, entrepreneurs, distributorships, and franchise companies on marketing and strategic planning. He also coaches individuals and companies to help them build more satisfying and profitable businesses. John is a member of the Board of Directors and a marketing advisor for The Dwyer Group, one of the world’s largest franchise companies. He is senior counsel to Bizcom Associates, a Dallas-based public relations firm. You can request a copy of John’s free Special Report: The Network Marketing Checklist, by sending him an e-mail at: [e-mail]. Type “NM Checklist” on the subject line. Or visit his Web site at www.drjohnhayes.com.

Dedication

Dedicated to those courageous pioneers who brought network marketing to life years ago and created a multibillion-dollar industry that has produced numerous millionaires and opened the doors of opportunity for many thousands of “average,” committed, hard-working men and women.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

Writing Network Marketing For Dummies required the time, energy, and cooperation of a network of individuals, and we want to convey our personal thanks and gratitude to each of them. First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the network marketers who contributed their knowledge, expertise, and “heart” to the project. These people are:

Louise Adrian, Party Lite Gifts; Shapira Alexander and David Kohina, Dr. Nona International; Cathy Barber, Pampered Chef; Jimmy and Carol Bishop, Zig Ziglar Network; Jim Bruce, TVC Marketing; Mike Cheves, Zig Ziglar Network; David D’Arcangelo, author; James Davis, Horizons Marketing; Kamie M. Downen, Enviro-Tech International; Connie Dugan, Oxyfresh; Todd Falcone, ProSTEP; Dan Gaub, Market America; Ray Gebauer, Mannatech; John Greene, Pre-Paid Legal; Jennifer Harper, Henn Workshops; Priscilla Harrison, Starlight International; Dan Hollings, i360inc.com; Atticus Killough, AtticusKillough.com; Kim Klaver, MLM911.Com; Lee Lemons, Excel Communications; Melynda Lilly, Discovery Toys; Edward Ludbrook, Direct Sales World.Com; Jack Maitland, Nikken; Dayle Maloney, Nutrition for Life; Nuala McDonald, Kleeneze; Jon Miller, Body Wise International; Luis Mogas and Miguel Ganem, ORBIS; Rod Nichols, USANA; Russ Noland, Excel Communications; Tom Paredes, Nutrition for Life; “Tremendous” Bill Pike, Youngevity; Bill Porter, Zig Ziglar Network; Brett Rademacher, Recruitomatic.com; Fred Raley, Ameriplan USA; Jeff Roberti and Gordon Hester, National Safety Associates; Ken Rudd, Premier Systems, Inc.; Tim Sales, Nu Skin/Big Planet; Tom “Big Al” Schreiter, Nutrition for Life; Bob Schwenkler, Nikken; Gavin Scott, Kleeneze; Kathy Smith, Discovery Toys; Todd Smith, Rexall/Showcase; Arce Trujillo and June Sweetser, Rena Ware International; Vernon Walker, Zig Ziglar Network; Shawn Wheeland, New Image; Mark Yarnell, Legacy; and Colleen Zade, Epicure Selections. Each of these network marketers gave unselfishly of their time to be interviewed for the book. To all of you we extend our admiration for your success.

Two other network marketers endured lengthy interviews and then went out of their way to contribute to the book. Jan Ruhe, Discovery Toys, may know every network marketer of note worldwide! We know she has trained many of them, and those we interviewed showered praises upon her. Jan, consider us members of your fan club! We also are thankful for the devoted assistance of another trainer, Doug Firebaugh, Mlmleadership.com. Doug has produced some of the best products available to network marketers, and he is one of the most knowledgeable resources in all of network marketing. Doug, thanks for contributing so much to this profession.

Other professionals who contributed to the book include Jeffrey A. Babener, Babener & Associates; Travis Bond, vice president of sales and marketing, 2021 Interactive, LLC; Holly Cherico, Better Business Bureau; Bryan Flanagan, Director of Corporate Training, Ziglar Training Systems; Joe and Blake Gecinger, Century Small Business Solutions; N. Ridgely Goldsborough, Network Marketing Lifestyles magazine; Clifton Jolley, Advent Communications; Hilton and Linda Johnson, MLM University; Charles King, University of Illinois; Joseph Mariano, Direct Selling Association; and Kyle Wilson, Jim Rohn & Associates. Don Sherman straightened us out on several compliance issues; he’s vice president of associate relations for the Zig Ziglar Network. Michael Sheffield, Sheffield Resource Network, is a consultant who never tired of our questions or requests; he contributed mightily to our work, even while traveling internationally to meet with his clients.

We greatly appreciate the thoroughness and the energy of our editorial triad at Wiley: Suzanne Snyder, Tina Sims, and Pamela Mourouzis, as well as Maureen Kelly and Ben Nussbaum. Please, ladies (and gent!), no more editorial queries! We could not have managed this project without the help of Zig’s personal editor, Julie Ziglar Norman, and Laurie Magers, his executive assistant for more than 23 years. This dynamic duo flawlessly managed the writing and editing process and bolstered our confidence as we completed the book. Ron Wuerch, who provided his services as technical editor, contributed many good ideas and helped clarify the messages we wanted to get across.

Our gratitude also for Tom Ziglar, Zig’s son and chief executive officer of the Zig Ziglar Network, and Richard Oates, Zig’s son-in-law, and chief operating officer of Zig Ziglar Network, both of whom envisioned this book even before its authors; Bruce Barbour, Zig’s super literary agent and friend to both authors; and Mark Butler, who as acquisitions editor had the confidence (and, might we add, the good judgment) to invest IDG’s time and money in this book. Thank you, all.

Writing a book is an exhilarating experience and an awesome responsibility. Any errors or omissions are entirely ours and in no way reflect on the people who assisted us. When it’s all said and done, we hope you, the reader, will have enjoyed the book as much as we enjoyed writing it for you. Thank you for reading.

Zig Ziglar

John P. Hayes, Ph.D.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Online Registration Form located at www.dummies.com/register

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Suzanne Snyder

Acquisitions Editor: Mark Butler

Copy Editors: Tina Sims, Ben Nussbaum, Maureen Kelly

Acquisitions Coordinator: Lauren Cundiff

Technical Editor: Ron Wuerch — Zig Ziglar Network Founding Associate, Presidential Founder/Silver Director

Editorial Manager: Pam Mourouzis

Editorial Assistant: Carol Strickland

Cover Photo: © FPG International / VCG

Composition

Project Coordinator: Dale White

Layout and Graphics: Amy Adrian, Beth Brooks, Maria Mitchell, Kristin McMullan, Brian Torwelle, Jeremey Unger

Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Andy Hollandbeck, Susan Moritz, Susan Sims

Indexer: Rebecca R. Plunkett

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

What Network Marketing Isn’t

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Why Network Marketing Works

Chapter 1: Don’t Laugh — $100 Billion a Year Is Serious Business

Getting the Facts about Network Marketing: You May Be Surprised!

Understanding How Network Marketing Works

Understanding Why Network Marketing Works

Choosing Network Marketing as a Career

You Get Out of It What You Put into It

Chapter 2: Coming of Age: The Future Belongs to Network Marketing

Emerging from a Murky Past: Defining Legitimate Network Marketing

Sizing Up the Challenges Ahead

Worrying about Saturation Is a Waste of Time

Defining a New Profession

Chapter 3: Deciding Whether Network Marketing Will Work for You

Success Begins with Desire

Becoming the Right Kind of Person for Network Marketing (Or Anything Else!)

Ways in Which Network Marketing Can Work for You

Understanding the Money Issue

Part II : Finding and Evaluating the Opportunities

Chapter 4: Investigating Before You Invest

Industries That Use Network Marketing: Profitability and Reputability

How to Research Network Marketing Opportunities and Avoid Becoming a Turnover Statistic

Questions to Ask Before You Join a Network Marketing Organization

Chapter 5: Evaluating Network Marketing Companies

Doing the Right Thing by Doing Your Research

Looking Beyond the Logo

Discovering Who Owns the Company

Determining the Company’s Financial Situation

Knowing the Company’s Philosophy

Questions You Should Ask Before Joining a Network Marketing Organization

Chapter 6: Evaluating a Company’s Management Team

Knowing How to Recognize a Good Management Team

Getting to Know the Management Team

Having “Been There, Done That” Is a Good Thing

Calling on the Pros When They’re Needed

Commitment to Employees: Attitude, Ethics, and Quality

Questions to Ask Yourself After Doing Your Research

Chapter 7: Evaluating a Company’s Products and Services

Deciding What You’d Like to Sell

Deciding to Whom You’d Like to Sell

Marketability Issues to Consider

Tracking the Market: Where Did That Market Go?

There’s No Substitute for Quality

How Much Training Is Required to Learn about the Products or Services?

Delivering Products: Is It Your Responsibility?

Questions to Ask a Network Marketing Organization about Products, Services, and Training

Chapter 8: Evaluating Your Opportunity to Make Money

Defining a Compensation Plan

Payday Was Never Like This Before

Recognizing the Major Compensation Plans

Considering Compensation Plans

Seeking a Balanced Compensation Plan

Evaluating Compensation Plans

Questions You Should Ask Before You Join a Network Marketing Organization

Part III : Signing Up and Setting Up for Success

Chapter 9: Organizing Your Business

Network Marketing Is Not a Hobby

Setting Up Your Business

Going into Business with a Partner

Working from Home

Relying on Your Corporate Office for Assistance

Chapter 10: Knowing What to Do After You Sign Up

Preparing Yourself and Your Surroundings for Business

Understanding the Company’s System

Getting the Word Out

“You Can’t Be Serious . . . Can You?”

Chapter 11: Sponsoring, Training, and Motivating People in Your Downline

Three Reasons Why Building a Downline Is Important

Deciding Whom to Recruit for Your Downline

Training Your Distributors to Shine

Motivating Distributors for the Long Term

Part IV : Sales and Marketing Skills to Help You Build Your Business

Chapter 12: Know Thy Customer

Determining Your Most Valuable Asset as a Network Marketer

Creating Customers

Identifying Your Customers

Giving the Best Customers the Best Experience

Chapter 13: Determining a Customer’s Value

Calculating the Cost of Acquiring a Customer

Determining the Value of a Retail Customer

But There’s More: Making Customers Distributors

Determining the Value of a Downline Customer

Chapter 14: The Art of Prospecting

First Things First: Setting Up a Database of Prospects

Making Two Decisions Now

Getting on the Fast Track to Prospecting

Being a Good Ambassador for Your Company

Chapter 15: When the Prospect Says Yes, You Shout . . . “Hallelujah!”

Some People Are Just Waiting to Tell You Yes

Every “No” Is a Step Closer to a “Yes”

Working Your Leads Repetitively

Follow Up Even When You’d Rather Not

Using Technology to Do the Follow-up for You

Asking for Help Is Another Way to Follow Up

Following Up Keeps You from Giving Up

Chapter 16: Deciding On the Best Ways to Attract Customers

Developing Your Personal Marketing Plan

Dipping into Your Bag of Marketing Tools

Getting Face to Face As Soon As You Can

Chapter 17: Marketing Activities 101

Advertising in Newspapers and Magazines

Ring, Ring: Use That Telephone

You’ve Got Direct Mail

Speak Up! Speak Out! Speak Wherever You Can

You’ve Got E-Mail

A Web Site for Every Networker

Chapter 18: “But I Don’t Want to Be a Salesperson!”

Selling: One of the World’s Most Honorable Professions

Selling Is a Process, Not an Event

Understanding Your Role in Sales

Chapter 19: Taking Your Sales Skills to a Higher Level

Understanding Why People Don’t Buy

Focusing on the Customer by Asking Questions

Asking Questions Leads to More Sales

Selling Big Requires More than Being a Good Salesperson

Overcoming Sales Objections

Managing Objections

Going for the Sale

Chapter 20: Creating Satisfied, Loyal Customers

Keeping Customers Equals More Profit

Loyal Customers Require a System

Building Customer Loyalty

Gaining Loyalty by Meeting or Exceeding Customer Expectations

Keeping Customers Loyal

Building Your Business from Referrals

Handling Customer Complaints

Part V : The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten Plus Two Resources for Network Marketers

Network Marketing Lifestyles Magazine

Direct Selling Association

Babener & Associates

mLmSuccess.com

Direct Sales World

Passion Fire International

www.recruitomatic.com

www.mlm911.com

MLM Insider and Network Marketing Today Magazine

MLM Nuts $ Bolts

Performance Tracker

The Wave 3 and Wave 4 Books by Richard Poe

Chapter 22: Ten Characteristics of Top Network Marketers

They’re Dreamers

They Don’t “Try,” They Commit

They’re Teachable

They Have STEAM

They’re Builders

They’re Good Finders

They’re Always Present

They’re Motivated

They’re Persistent and Patient

They Have a Heart Condition

Chapter 23: Ten Business-Enhancing Ideas

Work “on” Your Business, Not “in” It

Organize a Business Mastermind

Feed Your Mind Continually

Don’t React to Life; Respond!

Celebrate Your Victories

Don’t Take Defeat Personally

Look for Opportunities to Help Others

Practice Your Affirmations Daily

Maintain a Balanced Life

Make Success a Habit

Chapter 24: Ten Questions That You’ll Probably Ask about Network Marketing

Do I Need a Lot of Capital to Become a Network Marketer?

Do I Need to Buy Products or Services Every Month?

Will I Need to Store Products and Then Deliver Them to My Customers?

Do I Have to Work Full-Time to Make Money?

This Is Just Another Get-Rich-Quick Scheme, Right?

Network Marketing Isn’t a Real Business, Is It?

Is Network Marketing the Same as Multi-Level Marketing?

How Often Do I Have to Attend Meetings?

If My Spouse Isn’t Involved in the Business, Is That a Problem?

If Network Marketing Is a Global Phenomenon, How Come I Rarely Hear About It in the Media?

Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Get a Quick Start in Network Marketing

Find a Good Company and Join It

Get Involved with the Intent to Succeed

Be Selective about Your Upline

As Soon as Your Kit Arrives, Contact Your Sponsor

Learn One Good Lead-Generating Technique and Use It

Learn How to Make Your Presentation

Make Your First Real Presentation with Your Sponsor’s Support

Commit to Share Your Business with Three or More People Daily

Attend All the Meetings You Can

Always Continue Learning So That You Can Improve Your Skills

Appendix: Glossary of Terms

: ZigOnline

ZigOnline — A Life-Changing Experience: Use It to Get Answers; Use It to Build a Global Business from Your Home!

Introduction

A lmost every day, in just about every country of the world, people are sitting around their kitchen tables with family and friends saying something like this: “Sooner or later I’m going to figure out what I can do to make money on my own. I’m going to start my own business.” Have you been a part of that conversation? Have you ever initiated it? Chances are, you have. Chances are, you’re one of the many people who are looking for a financial opportunity.

If we could sit at your table during this conversation, we would ask you, “Why haven’t you found an opportunity yet?” You probably would give us one or more of the following answers:

“I don’t have the money.”

“I don’t have the experience.”

“I don’t know how.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

We would then say, “Friend, if you’ll give us a moment, we’ll show you how you can overcome that challenge. We’ll also show you how you can start changing your financial situation within a matter of a few weeks, and possibly as soon as several days.” If you then gave us permission to continue, we’d pull Network Marketing For Dummies from our briefcase and begin to share it with you. And it wouldn’t take much time at all for you to see that absolutely nothing is standing between you and a business of your own. Whether you said you wanted to work full-time or part-time, whether you dreamed about earning a few hundred dollars a month or multiple thousands of dollars a month, you would be able to get started sooner rather than later.

Why are we so confident about your financial future when we don’t even know you? We’re confident because we know people like you. We know they had doubts just like yours. We also know what they’ve accomplished financially and professionally, and we believe, as they would tell you they believe, that you can do it, too. If you want to. Oh yes, you really have to want to, because even though we can show you how to get started in your own financial enterprise, success won’t come easy. You won’t need a lot of money to get started, and neither experience nor education matters. But you will have to work hard. Hey, you’re probably doing that already, aren’t you? Except you’re doing it for someone else’s business when you could be doing it for your own.

Would you like to know more? Then let us show you the opportunities that exist in network marketing, or what you might know as multi-level marketing. It’s all in this book. Even better, let us introduce you to more than 50 successful network marketers — we think of them as the masters of network marketing — and a dozen experts, who tell you through the content of this book what to do and how to do it so that you can build a successful and satisfying business of your own. Network marketing accounts for nearly $100 billion in sales worldwide. Network marketers sell thousands of products and services every day, and hundreds of companies are just waiting for you to join them. Put aside your fears, your objections, and any utterance that begins with “I don’t” and begin to consider your future in network marketing.

What Network Marketing Isn’t

If you read this book after someone recommends it to you (and we hope that’s the case), that’s network marketing. If you read this book and recommend it to someone else (we really hope that’s the case), that’s also network marketing. The fact is, we all participate in network marketing every time we share information about something we like or don’t like. Now imagine getting paid for doing it. That’s professional network marketing! And that’s the subject of this book.

Would you like a technical definition? Network marketing is a system for distributing goods and services through networks of thousands of independent salespeople, or distributors. The distributors earn money by selling goods and services and also by recruiting and sponsoring other salespeople who become part of their downline, or sales organization. Distributors earn monthly commissions or bonuses on the sales revenues generated by their downline.

Wait a minute now. We can imagine some of you thinking, “Oh, network marketing. That’s for salespeople. It’s not for me.” That’s “stinkin’ thinkin’,” friend! It’s jumping to a false conclusion. You don’t have to be a super salesperson to build a network marketing business. Experience does not matter. If you’re capable of communicating with people about products and services that you like, and hopefully use, then you’re capable of building a successful network marketing business. This book covers plenty more about this topic. Give yourself the opportunity to consider the facts about this profession.

Here’s what network marketing is and isn’t:

Network marketing, or multi-level marketing (MLM), isn’t illegal, fraudulent, or unethical.

Network marketing isn’t an opportunity to get rich quick off the payments of others who join the organization. That’s a pyramid scheme.

Network marketing isn’t a pyramid scheme, which is illegal and unethical.

Network marketing isn’t an opportunity to get rich quick. Period.

Network marketing isn’t built on simple mathematics where many losers pay a few winners. That’s also a pyramid scheme.

Network marketing isn’t an opportunity to let someone else build a sales organization for you.

Network marketing isn’t just for salespeople.

Network marketing isn’t expensive. Unlike most other business opportunities, the start-up costs are low, almost always less than $500 and often under $100.

Network marketing isn’t a way for companies to sell huge amounts of inventory to distributors.

Network marketing isn’t a way for distributors to sell stuff that nobody wants or uses.

Network marketing isn’t a license to sell products and services at inflated prices.

Network marketing isn’t for people who aren’t willing to work hard.

Network marketing isn’t for anyone who can’t or won’t follow a proven system that leads to business success.

As a profession, network marketing invites all people, regardless of gender, experience, education, or financial status, to jump on board and build a satisfying and potentially lucrative business. It’s not a profession that everyone will master, however, but that’s only because some people are unwilling to make the sacrifices and the commitment that’s necessary to succeed. After reading this book, you’ll know exactly what sacrifices and what level of commitment will be required of you. You’ll also know the steps involved in mastering the profession. From there, your success in the profession is entirely up to you.

About This Book

You don’t have to start reading this book at Chapter 1, and you don’t have to read it from cover to cover. We wrote the book as a reference tool so that you can read sections and chapters if and when they appeal to you. For example, if you want to know how network marketers earn money and how much money they earn, turn to Chapter 8. Or if you’re curious about the qualities that people need to succeed in the profession, first turn to Chapter 3 and then jump back to Chapter 22, which lists ten characteristics of top network marketers. When you’re ready to join a network marketing company, read Chapters 4 through 8 to find out how to select a good company. If you’re already a network marketer and you’re counting on us to help you brush up on your prospecting and sales skills, check out Chapters 14, 18 and a couple others. You have the idea, don’t you? It’s your book, so read it your way. It doesn’t matter where you start reading; just start reading somewhere. There’s plenty here to help you achieve the results you want to get in network marketing.

Conventions Used in This Book

The one thing that’s consistent about network marketers is that they’re not! They’re fiercely independent. Like any profession, this one has its own jargon — you know, words that make sense only to network marketers. In fact, the combination of the words networking and marketing is jargon. It’s another way of saying multi-level marketing, which some people call referral marketing, and others call relationship marketing, and now the computer geeks have come up with viral marketing! You’ll find that we use network marketing most of the time. We also use the word distributor, which is short for independent sales representative, which is a consultant to some, an associate to others. When writing about compensation, we prefer the term compensation plan, but we could have used marketing plan or even pay plan. But don’t worry about the terms. We include a glossary to help you out — you know, a list of jargon words with their definitions.

Foolish Assumptions

Here are our assumptions about you:

You’re tired of working for someone else. Or you’re tired of meaningless work. Or, as network marketers like to say, you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired! Then it’s a good thing you’re reading this book because network marketers work for themselves — they’re mission driven, so they realize they’re helping other people with the work they do — and they’re about as enthusiastic as any group of professionals you’ll ever meet.

You want to earn more money than you’re earning now. Many network marketers want to earn a few hundred dollars a month; others want to earn tens of thousands every month. Either is possible in network marketing, and this book introduces you to people who are doing both.

You don’t have a clue how network marketing works, but you want to find out. Or you already know about network marketing because you’re in it. Maybe you’re making a little extra money every month, too. But now you’re ready to make a commitment and go full-time. This book shows you how.

What you do know about network marketing isn’t positive. We wouldn’t be surprised if you hide this book so that no one knows you’re reading it — sort of the way people read the National Enquirer. Few will admit they read it, but it’s the largest circulation weekly newspaper in the world, or one of them, at least. If you don’t want people laughing at you, taunting you, or ridiculing your choice of reading material, we probably won’t see you reading this book on an airplane or on the beach. But that’s okay. We debunk the myths about network marketing. Of all the people we interviewed for the book, not one was afraid or ashamed to say, “I’m a network marketer,” or “I’m in multi-level marketing.” We think you’ll feel that way, too, after you know the facts. And after you make some money as a networker, you’ll no doubt place Network Marketing For Dummies on your coffee table at home.

You have dreams, and you’re just not sure how to fulfill them while working at a J.O.B. — Just Over Broke — as the network marketers say. Wait until you read about the dreams that have been fulfilled by the networkers who tell their stories in this book. We’re talking about people who bootstrapped their way to the top while clinging to their dreams. Some of these folks were broke, and some carried huge debts until they became masters of network marketing and then masters of their earthly destiny. You hold on to your dreams, and we’ll show you a way to make them come true.

You’re scared. Go ahead, admit it. We won’t tell anyone, but it’s important that you face the facts. Fear remains a crippling state of mind until you discover that it’s merely False Evidence Appearing Real. You’re scared because you don’t know the facts about network marketing. You will, however, after you read this book.

How This Book Is Organized

This book includes five major parts; each part has been divided into chapters, and each chapter has been separated into bite-sized, modular sections. You can pick up the book and get a taste for what you want to know without necessarily reading the content that comes before. You can’t read a novel that way, but by golly, you can read this book any way you want. Ain’t it great to be a nonconformist? At least once in a while?

The following sections, bite-sized and modular, show you what’s to be found where in the book.

Part I: Why Network Marketing Works

This is the non-how-to section of the book. While the other parts of the book include chapters that tell you how to do this and that, Part I is a little bit history, a little bit future, and a little bit “Will it work for me?” By “a little bit,” we don’t mean we’ve slighted these subjects. Not at all. But we don’t beat ’em to death either because we know you’re just “a little bit” interested in them. We begin with a fact-packed first chapter that explains how network marketing got started and how it has developed into a multi-billion-dollar business. We like what the experts are predicting about the future of network marketing, and you probably will, too. In good times and bad times, economically speaking, network marketing offers plenty of opportunity. And now with cyberspace, wherever that is, network marketing is marching into a new frontier. We wrap up this part with a chapter to help you decide whether network marketing will work for you. It’ll work for just about anyone, but you’ll want to make sure you have the right stuff.

Part II: Finding and Evaluating the Opportunities

Roll up your sleeves for Part II because this is where you can get your hands dirty. Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash to invest in a network marketing company, we think you ought to know as much as you possibly can up front. Yeah, it’s true that we’re talking about an investment of only a couple hundred to a few hundred dollars, give or take some, but we want to help you invest it wisely. Because there are so many network marketing opportunities to choose from and even more products and services to represent, you can easily get confused and discouraged. But not if you dig into each of these chapters. Our masters of network marketing and several of our experts provide laserlike insights so that you’ll know which questions to ask, whom to ask, and why you want to ask them. Rarely does anyone get into this business with a working knowledge of their company’s compensation plan, and we don’t promise to turn you into a compensation plan guru. But you’ll get the basics, at least, and then some. Besides, the majority of our masters said they didn’t have a clue what the compensation plan was about when they got started!

Part III: Signing Up and Setting Up for Success

If you’ve owned a business before or you’re currently in business, you may not have to spend much time in this part of the book. But that’s not the case for most people who start a network marketing business. Imagine working hard for a couple years, making a good amount of money, and then getting a visit from the revenue collectors only to have them issue a demand note for extra taxes due! You can probably avoid such a disaster by consulting with professional advisers, including an attorney, an accountant, and a tax expert. Get their advice early in the life of your business and keep them fully informed of your progress. Network marketing isn’t a hobby, so don’t treat it like one!

Thinking of starting your business with a partner? Network marketing is like a magnet for partnerships, particularly between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers, sisters, and so forth. Partnerships often thrive in this profession, but not always. We offer some good ideas to help you make the most of your partnership, should you decide to get into one.

After you sign up with a network marketing company, you have some planning to do. We get you going so that you get the best possible start in your new business.

Part IV: Sales and Marketing Skills to Help You Build Your Business

Now you’re into the heart of the book. In this part, we take you through prospecting for customers, recruiting and sponsoring people in your downline, motivating your sales organization, building solid relationships with customers, sharpening your sales skills, and much, much more.

You discover in this part that network marketing isn’t about selling. That’s one of the hardest lessons for salespeople to learn when they transition out of traditional sales and into network marketing. This is a relationship business. The sooner you learn how to build and maintain relationships, the better. That’s when the money starts flowing in your business, and it’s when satisfaction skyrockets. Our masters of network marketing share lots of information about how to build your business.

Attracting and keeping customers are paramount to your success in network marketing, and we think you’ll be delighted with our information about how to value customers and win their loyalty and friendship.

Part V: The Part of Tens

Zig calls the last part of the book the “quick-read” section. John calls it “the end of the book.” You might call it the “beginning of the book” because it’s a good place to begin! “Ten Plus Two Resources for Network Marketers.” How about “Ten Business-Enhancing Ideas”? Or “Ten Ways to Get a Quick Start in Network Marketing.” There’s more! We tried giving you more than ten of everything — a baker’s dozen we proposed to our editors — but they did their job by keeping us within the page allotment. Good thing, too, or we’d still be writing this section because it’s so much fun.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout the book, we placed icons in the margins to point out a particularly noteworthy piece of information, a memorable quote, an inspiring story, or a message directly from Zig to you. Here’s what each of those icons means:

This icon directs your attention to ideas and information to help you build a more satisfying and profitable business.

We use this friendly icon to refresh your memory or let you know that we covered the same point earlier in the book.

This icon marks pearls of wisdom that come from our masters of network marketing, our experts, and sometimes from Zig.

We could have written a book of stories about our masters of network marketing. Instead, we condensed them and use this icon to point them out to you.

This icon keeps you from wandering off the network marketing path and possibly falling into deep water! If there is any possible way you can get into trouble, we let you know what it is and how you can avoid it.

When you see this icon, Zig is speaking directly to you.

Where to Go from Here

Where you go from here is purely a matter of what you want to know now. By reading the Table of Contents, you’ll know what’s where. Start reading wherever you like and return as often as you’d like. Have fun with the book and start to imagine what life would be like for you as a successful networker. Whatever you do, follow through on the ideas in the book. Because if you do, then we’ll close by saying what Zig has been saying for many years: “We’ll see you, and we do mean you, not just at the top, but over the top!”

Part I

Why Network Marketing Works

In this part . . .

When people talk about network marketing, also called multi-level marketing, they often don’t know what they’re talking about. Even when their comments are positive they’re often wrong! And that’s a shame because network marketing is a dynamic, exciting, and rapidly expanding profession worldwide. It’s also a legitimate profession (though some will try to convince you otherwise) that generates wealth for millions of individuals and contributes positively to our global society. You’re about to discover the truth about network marketing, and when you finish reading this part of the book you will be able to speak accurately and confidently about the subject matter. More importantly, you’ll be able to make some critical decisions about your own possible involvement in the network marketing profession.

In good times and bad times, economically speaking, network marketing offers opportunities to people just like you. While network marketing may not be for everyone, we believe it’s a profession worthy of your time and exploration because, when it’s approached knowledgeably, it can deliver everything that you want to get out of life. The future promises great advancements for network marketing, and if you decide that the profession makes sense for you, the chapters that make up this part of the book will help prepare you to get the most out of network marketing.