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Exciting. If you're personally excited by the products and
use them yourself, your enthusiasm will be your best sales asset.
High quality. Your long-term residual income is based on
the product's ability to deliver on its promise and maintain
customer loyalty. You'll never have to make an apology for a
high-quality product.
Fairly priced. MLM products don't usually win as the
low-cost provider. However, high quality doesn't necessarily mean
overpriced. Make sure you or your customers are comparing apples to
apples when price-shopping the competition.
Lifecycle. Are you at the beginning phase of a new product
with a viable and growing market demand?
Unique. If it's 'another one just like the other one,'
you'd better look for a special marketing angle that separates this
product from the pack.
Exclusivity. Be cautious if it's available through other
channels of distribution such as retail stores, catalogs or other
MLM companies.
Satisfaction guarantee. A company that doesn't stand
behind its product will surely leave you embarrassed or potentially
responsible to your customers.
Sales aids. Make sure the company has promotional
literature that adequately supports product benefits and promotes
retail sales.
Once you've found a product or service you can believe in,
evaluate the company based on your personal needs and beliefs.
Here's what to look for:
Support materials. Company literature should be easily
understandable and provide a professional image to support your
business activities.
Policies and procedures document. Read and understand what
you can and can't do. These internal distributor regulations are
designed to protect the integrity of the business and deal with the
occasional renegade distributor who can ruin things for everyone. If
the company offers no policies document, heed this as a red flag.
This company either hasn't had good MLM legal advice or doesn't plan
to stick around very long.
Corporate executives. They should be committed to quality
and integrity, and have genuine concern for their distributors. If
possible, interview them if possible, or at least talk to other
successful distributors for their thoughts.
Ask:
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Does one or more have experience in MLM?
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Are experts involved in areas of administration, financial
management, distribution and commissioning software?
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Has the company hired professional consultants to help in
areas of weakness?
History.
How long has the company been in business? How
many countries does it operate in? How many distributors does it
have? What are its gross yearly sales? Is it well-funded? If it's
privately held, this information might not be readily available, but
it's worth a try.
Compensation plan. Does it sound realistic in its
promises? When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Was it designed by competent experienced MLM experts? Does it fit
your needs for part-time income or a full-time career opportunity?
Does the plan use time-tested and proven success concepts, or are
you part of an experimental program? Look for proof of success of
this concept as used by another MLM. Have your sponsor or a company
official explain it to you in detail.
Philosophy. Does it fit your style and make you feel
comfortable and proud to be part of the organization?
Sales and training meetings. Does the company or your
upline offer regular support sessions or telephone and online training?
Commission software provider. Did a reputable company
provide the software that will determine your bonuses? If new
software has just been installed, it's not uncommon to see glitches
for a period of time that can affect your anticipated income stream.
Communication. Look for good communication in the form of
newsletters, voice-mail capabilities, national conference calls and
a strong Web presence using all available communication
technologies.
Protection.
The only required investment should be a
noncommissionable sales kit. All other investments should be
optional. Beware of large inventory load enticements or offers to
buy positions. In case things don't work out for you, make sure
there's a buy-back policy on your unsold inventory.
One important thing to keep in mind: If you're inexperienced,
even selecting the right company won't assure your success. Choosing
the right upline sponsor to support you can be equally important. Is
there someone in your first three upline levels who has had
substantial success and can show you the way? This can be your
shortcut to accelerated growth and my strongest recommendation for
gaining early momentum.
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