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Joining a network marketing company has many advantages. One of them primarily being that you can start your own business without having to do it all from scratch. You don't have to come up with products or services. You don't have to scout out a location for your business. You just have to learn some marketing skills, use the products, and believe in what you are doing.

Building Your Belief in the Company

When you come across a great company and great products, you begin to establish a belief system about whether or not joining the company could actually work. You may begin doing your own research, sampling products, and talking to other network marketers about their own experience.

Once you have become a part of the company and begin growing your business, your belief will no doubt grow even more. You'll be immersing yourself in the business and using the products. Belief is important because without it, you will find it even more difficult to promote it to other people.

Visiting the Company

Another great way to build your belief is by scheduling a visit to the network marketing company that you have joined. If you live close by that is simple enough, otherwise, it may require flying to another state.

I haven't visited the company headquarters of my network marketing company, however, they are close by and I'm sure they wouldn't mind a visit. I have been in contact with their customer support and they are always so helpful and nice. Visiting the actual headquarters can help build your confidence in your own business.

You would get to see first hand how the company runs, the faces behind the emails, and more. I'm almost certain that most networkers don't take the opportunity to do this. I haven't even done it myself but I wouldn't mind.

I don't know how receptive other network marketing companies would be to a visit but if they are a decent company, I don't see why they would mind having their representatives stopping by for a visit.

Have you ever visited the headquarters of the network marketing company you are a part of?

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Since I have been in network marketing I have experience with someone signing up under me only to become inactive and someone who was highly motivated (at the time) to sign up but never follows through. What do you do when these situations happen? Move on!

You see, you will probably have other people in your network who truly want to be there. You need to focus on being a good sponsor for those team members rather than dwelling on the folks who have lost interest. If you are in the position of not having anyone in your network just yet, move on anyway and continue to network.

Network Marketers Who Become Inactive

It's unfortunate when this situation arises but everyone has there reasons. Maybe the person has signed up and realizes it's not easy or takes up too much of their time. There could be a number of reasons and before giving up on them, take an opportunity to reach out once more. I had one person under me who was very unresponsive to training that I wanted to offer.

I reached out multiple times but no response. In this case, it's best to let them be. There is no point in harrassing and asking why they have become inactive. Not everyone feels the need to justify why they have stopped and you don't need to push the issue.

Those Who Don't Follow Through with Signing Up

I handled this in the same manner. I spoke with a person on the phone and this person was eager to get started. I was excited to take on a new motivated team member but unfortunately after my follow-up email, no response. There really isn't anything you can do at this point. Maybe the person decided to sign up under someone else or possibly did more research and realized it wasn't for them. Whatever the reason, you have done your job by following up.

There really isn't a need to pester people unless you want them to be angry with you. I feel for every person that backs out there are others who are truly wanting to take the opportunity and make it a success.

Have you had experience with these types of individuals? What is your opinion?

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One thing that I've learned so far since I've been a network marketer is to not take a new lead for granted. Yes, you will run into people who ask for more information and then blow you off after you have given it to them. Yet, there are those you will get in contact with who are truly interested in the opportunity.

Once you get into the hang of things, you will begin to get requests for more information and you'll need to do some following up. Below are some tips to take advantage of every lead that you get.

An Email Request for More Information

If you get an email requesting more information, respond to it as soon as possible. A good way to save time is to have a basic email template which briefly describes your opportunity and personalize it for each person. At the end of your reply, ask if they would like to chat over the phone or if they have any more questions. End the email with some type of call to action so that the urgency is there to at least reply to you even if they are not interested.

Phone Call Follow-Ups

If your lead says yes to a phone call, find out when a good time would be to call them. Keep in mind the time differences depending on their location. It helps if you set a specific time, however, if they tell you anytime is fine, try to call before or after dinner hours. If you call at an inconvenient time, ask for another time to call or have them call you when they have the chance. Most people have cell phones and free long distance so they may not mind calling you back at their convenience.

Following Up After an Initial Phone Call

If you call and they are unable to speak with you at the moment, be sure to send a follow up email thanking them for their time and letting them know that they can contact you anytime. Let the person know that you are available by email, instant messenger, phone, etc. Make it as easy as possible for them to reach you and get the information that they need. If they are truly interested, they will reach out to you again.

Don't be tempted to blow off a potential lead. It's easy to think that they are not truly interested but chances are they really want to learn more. The one you let get away could have been a shining star for your team. Make contact and follow up!

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Once I became involved with network marketing, I began doing research to learn more about the business. If you do the same, you will eventually come across other marketers and other types of companies. I have heard of other people being involved with more than one company but as for myself, I don't think I could manage.

The Problem with Joining More than One Company

I feel that it is much too easy to get caught up in the "shiny ball" syndrome. This means that you see a new network marketing opportunity pop-up and feel that if you get in early, you will be on top. You may even just become attracted to new products or services and want to try your hand at them as well. You may have watched a video or read about someone else having huge success with a particular company and feel like you can do the same so you sign up.

The big problem that can occur is lack of focus. I find that running one business takes up plenty of time between all of the marketing I am doing. Unless you have tremendous multitasking skills, being involved with multiple network marketing pursuits can leave you drained. I'm sure there are other people out there who are having success with it, but from my viewpoint, it seems like a huge task.

What About Multiple Streams of Income?

Some people may choose to join more than one network marketing company as a way to ensure having multiple streams of income. This is a great idea - if you can manage it. There are other ways to produce multiple streams of income other than joining various companies. It's great to have variety and with the internet, it's much easier to do so.

For instance, I use internet marketing as a way to make money online. I also continue to do freelance work. Eventually I would like a majority of my income to come from network marketing and internet marketing. However, I am still bringing in income from multiple sources. The cool thing is, I use what I learn from internet marketing and apply it to network marketing.

Spending More than You are Bringing In

Another reason that you may want to avoid signing up for more than one network marketing company is the fact that it does cost money to run them. You have to spend money on marketing (web sites, advertising, etc.) and you have to buy products each month (for most companies.) By joining more than one company, you will probably end up spending much more per month than you are bringing in.

Too often, new marketers are chasing the money instead of treating the opportunity as a real business. Any business takes focus and dedication. Running more than one when you are starting out is an easy way to spread yourself thin.

That is my take on joining more than one network. Have you had experience in this? How was it for you?

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Many people who begin looking into network marketing are often turned off when they realize that there are ongoing fees involved with running the business. These "fees" are primarily purchasing a specific amount of product per month which are often for personal use. The upfront costs of joining a network marketing company typically involves the initial investment which can range from $40 to upwards of $200 plus. After setting everything up, you spend so much per month to stay an active member of the business.

Typical Business Cost Comparison

Brick and Mortar - Starting a business from scratch can cost in the thousands of dollars if not more. If you are starting a brick and mortar - meaning having to rent out space, purchase equipment, and more, your costs will be very high. Most of the time, starting this way may require obtaining a business loan or seeking investors. The risks are very high as most statistics say new businesses often fail within the first 5 years.

Franchises - This business model is a good comparison as like network marketing you make an initial investment, however, investing in a franchise can range from $1,000 to $200,000 or more depending on the company. You also continue to pay fees which are royalties to the franchise which comes out of the revenue that you make. Franchises also require much more when starting up. You have to be able to put some money down and have assets. Overall, the costs are very high for the average person.

The Big Difference

As you can see, most businesses require money to get started. The appeal to network marketing is that the start-up costs are very low. Almost anyone can start their own business for $40 or more. The ongoing costs are staying active by purchasing products. If you choose a company that you truly like, purchasing and using the products shouldn't be an issue for you.

One thing to be aware of is that there are shady companies out there that are based on pyramid schemes. A company you decide to join should not require that you recruit people under you in order to make money. These types of businesses make money off of sign-ups and deliver a low-quality product if any product at all.

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I became a Beachbody® Coach in June of 2009. The decision didn't take long for me to make. It came about by a stroke of luck as I run another fitness blog and conducted an interview with a doctor of physical therapy. In the interview, the doctor had a link to his web site which was his own Beachbody business. I emailed him and wanted to learn more about it.

When I found out the company produced the wildly popular P90X®, I became even more excited as I had seen the commercials and have wanted to try it myself. I talked more with the doctor and signed up with the company. Now he is my coach and I couldn't ask for a more supportive and helpful coach.

Learning Network Marketing

Beachbody® is also a network marketing company. This was new territory for me but I had read and heard my fair share about network marketing. I already knew that the term "network marketing" and "MLM" can raise a red flag for many people, however, that is only due to the shady practices of other network marketers as well as the shady companies.

I look at the learning process as a challenge. The biggest benefits I like about the programs and nutritional supplements is that they are not hard sellers. If you use the products and believe in them, it isn't difficult to share them with other people. My first sales came from simply sharing what I liked about the products and how they have helped me.

I plan on sharing my experience in both fitness and business as I grow my Beachbody® business. So far it is fun and I enjoy working on it more than the other stuff I have to do that is "work." I look forward to growing my team and meeting other coaches who are growing their businesses as well.