Even though I am involved in both affiliate marketing and network marketing business ventures, I find much greater satisfaction from being a network marketer. In this post I thought I would share a few of the reasons I think it is great to be involved in a network marketing business.
At times you may have heard others refer to network marketing as a people’s business. Others have even gone so far as to call it a people’s franchise because of the similarities to a franchising business model. Industry advocates refer to network marketing as the ultimate people’s business, adding that there is nothing quite like it. The majority of people involved in network marketing would wholeheartedly agree with this.
One of the things that makes network marketing unique is the fact that every individual distributor is in business for themselves, although because of the team component of network marketing, they are never by themselves. The network marketer will always be part of a larger organization, with the compensation models designed in such a way so as to encourage some form of ongoing support from their upline.
We have all heard of the fortunes that can be made in this type of business and many have been able to accomplish great success. Even though this may not describe the majority of network marketers, it should be understood that every individual distributor has the same opportunity for success. The success or failure of an individual in network marketing is not dictated by politics, race, age, background or gender, but simply performance. In this regard it is also one of the fairest business models that can be undertaken by the average individual.
It is important to realize that the true value of network marketing business may not simply be in the financial return. The life lessons through the process of starting, operating and expanding a network marketing business are truly priceless. In many instances, people experience great personal transformation as they meet the day to day challenges of operating an MLM business. As they leave their comfort zones, they not only grow their businesses, but they also grow on a deeper personal level.
So how is this unique to network marketing, doesn’t every entrepreneur have to deal with challenges? The answer of course is: Yes, they also experience personal growth; however, many entrepreneurs are self made success stories, who learned their craft largely outside of confines of formal education. In most cases they were taught by a family member, mentor or in many cases they learned everything the hard way: by trial and error. It is rare to find an entrepreneur who starts out with an extensive library of books and tapes on personal development. Most entrepreneurs don’t have the opportunity to attend seminars and motivational trainings that are directly tied into their business. The opportunity to learn from those who have already achieved a certain measure of success in the same business is one of the most valuable components of network marketing.
In at typical network marketing business, this type of education is built into the training system of the MLM company. There are few businesses that place such a strong and direct emphasis on the importance of personal development as the network marketing industry. While many companies might argue that they spend a great deal of resources on continuing education and employee training, what they are undertaking is personnel development. Even though the words may seem similar, their meanings are vastly different.
Network marketing is all about developing people. It is probably one of the best resources available for learning about what it takes to succeed in life, no matter who you are or what your background may have been.
