Be Product Based, Not Network Based

Sell the product, not the networking system. Sell the product, not people. Be product based, not network based, and you'd never go wrong.

A lot of networkers sell the networking system. They just show you the product and say something like, "This is the product. It's a unique toothpaste from Mars," and that's it. He proceeds with explaining the marketing system and spends much time for it.

Sell the product. Master the product, research on it, so you can present it well to prospects. I know I said somewhere on this blog that you should say outright when asked that what you are is a network marketer. Don't tell a lie. But do not sell the networking system. Begin with the product, it's unique benefits to users. Then, if they ask you if it's a networking business, then say so. Be honest.

The truth is, you are really selling a product. The networking system comes in second. The prospect should fall in love with the product first. Then he'd be further impressed by the concomitant earning system. Why is this important? Because marketing is really product movement, not people movement. The whole point about network marketing is developing a network of consumers always doing repeat purchases. Product loyalty. 

It is tempting to get out of clean network marketing and instead recruit a mass of people to be under you whom you can "use" to make money for you. That's what happens when network marketing is done without product expertise and emphasis. It becomes a scam. That's why we see unscrupulous leaders with big groups bolting away from a company and bringing with him his whole empire of unthinking downlines who do not realize they're just being used. He brings them to different networking businesses so that in the end he and some of his immediate cohorts are the only ones profiting.

Always be product based, not network based. Build a team of downlines educated about the product and committed to re-purchasing and benefiting from it. When there's product movement, everyone benefits, especially if the leaders and uplines make new entry slots (or buy again as a "new member") now and then under them that benefits their downlines. 

Later, they may decide to do another networking business while continuing to do the former. Business is investment, and you have to have more than one investment to play the thing safe. Unscrupulous networkers, on the other hand, leave the former business altogether once they have profited from it, unmindful whether their downlines have attained ROI and earned enough profits. They keep hopping from one business to another, and then brag about their wealth, to the detriment of their downlines' investments. But foolish downlines like it that way and are even proud of their uplines. 

If you want fair and righteous network marketing, be product based, not network based. Sell the product diligently, train your downlines, and the networking system will just be added unto you.