Before you spend money on network marketing or business opportunity leads, watch my video. Over the years I have had my eyes opened up about how many leads companies are nothing more than crooks.

Hey, if you want to try out MyLeadSystemPro, you can take a 14 day trial. I’m sure you will be as impressed as I am. With 16 years in the network marketing industry, I have seen a lot and very little impresses me.

I’ve been noticing a growing trend lately. Every day I get 3 or 4 phone calls from people pitching their network marketing business using an autodialer. Most of these phone calls come from the same area code.

For any of you who haven’t heard of autodialers, it’s the automated sending a prerecorded message to the phone numbers on a list.

A while back I checked into some of these autodialer companies when I learned an upline and a couple of my downline were using this technique to promote their business. They claim the leads are all phone numbers of people who requested information on business opportunities.

These guys are selling people a line of crap. I know for a fact I NEVER requested info on any business opportunity or any tools for building my business. I have been in my primary company for over 13 years. I am not someone who is looking for a business, nor am I looking for a way to increase my weekly sponsoring. That is something I know and teach already, and it does NOT include the methods these guys are using.

Just based on the sheer numbers of these guys calling me DAILY, I know they are a bunch of liars. They are selling leads that are not leads at all. They probably went online and got a bunch of known network marketers and are passing them off as leads.

I don’t recommend using autodialers to promote your business. I know it may seem like a good idea if you are someone who feels shy about contacting people about your business.

Besides the fact that the leads are not true leads . . .

Here are a few more reasons this is a bad idea:

- The key to success is building good relationships with people.

- Getting a pre-recorded sales pitch is highly annoying and makes most people angry. Actually it’s despised by 90% of your prospects.

- Angry people hang up. How is that for building good business relationships?

- It is actually illegal as of September 2009.

Here’s another thing to consider . . .

I have been screening the calls from the most notorious area code so I can let my voicemail pick up and get a few on recording for coaching on good vs bad marketing ideas. I was planning to play back some of the silly ones but I have had a dickens of a time recording one of these calls. The voice mail almost ALWAYS captures the very end of the recorded message. Basically it’s press 9 for more info or whatever. Well that was a waste of someone’s money!

This type of marketing is so unnecessary. There are lots of ways to build your business, even if you are shy about approaching people. I have been building my network marketing business for over 13 years. I am the QUEEN of Getting People to CALL ME. This is the technique I teach my downline.

I have done cold calling in the early days. That was how I started because that is what I was told to do. I bought leads and I called them up. I HATED IT!

I decided, If I hate this so much, how can I expect my downline to want to do this. I knew there had to be a better way and I set out trying different ways to promote my business. Then I taught my downline the ways that worked for me. Those that applied the things they learned have successful growing businesses. Several are enjoying a lifestyle of freedom that comes from being a full time network marketer.

If you are thinking about using autodialers, be careful. Here are a few things you should check out:

FTC: New Rules For Robocalls: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/phonefraud/robocalls.shtml

Judge Freezes Assets, Stops Operations of Robocall Company: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e5b4a6fc-c98c-482b-b862-bd982be56d60

FTC: Robocallers To Pay Over $655,000 and Sell Assets For Consumer Redress: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/03/voicetouch.shtm

FTC: Court Halts Massive Robocall Operation: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/06/asiapacific.shtm

“Early to Bed, early to rise, work like heck and advertise” — Ted Turner

There is an advertising mistake that many network marketers and home business owners make. It’s no surprise, the mistake is that many network marketers make is that they don’t advertise.

What is it you want to accomplish with your business? Whether you want to earn a supplemental income to help your family’s financial situation in a sluggish economy or you want to experience FREEDOM from working the 40 hour Work Farce, isn’t the bottom line to generate money?

The really big income earners in network marketing are masters of mass prospecting. They have a goal, they know WHY they want to have a successful business and they have a PLAN!

Part of that plan includes advertising and an advertising budget. That budget should include money you set aside to do weekly and monthly advertising.

In the beginning of my network marketing career I was in the middle of a financial crisis and money was tight. My advertising budget was $25.00 a month. I saved coins in a jar for extra money for my advertising budget.

At that time I was doing a lot of postcard mailing and putting up tear sheets and handing out flyers to people I came in contact with. Whatever I could do to get people to come to my web site or give me a call.

There are also lots of free ways to advertise but these require a large budget of your time. Social media is a way we can do that today. I the early days of my business, I didn’t know about social media. I don’t even think it was around yet. That was 15 years ago.

You can find money even in a tight budget. Sit down with your family and discuss ways you can reduce spending in areas of your life.

Here are a few ideas:

Use coupons for grocery shopping.
Reduce the size of the cable bill with a smaller package.
Spend less on entertainment and eating out.
Sell things in a consignment shop.
Sell things on Ebay.
Have a yard sale.

There are lots of possibilities. I used to watch the ground and pick up coins. I still have an ongoing joke with my husband and my son. I always tell them to watch for coins and pick them up.

On a side note:
In the book “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” T. Harv Eker says to pick up coins and celebrate your abundance and that you just attracted money. So, you have more than one reason to watch for coins.

Whatever the type of advertising you choose to do, if you are serious about the success of your business, you will invest both time and money into advertising. I recommend a variety of both free and paid advertising. As your income grows, your advertising budget grows.

“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” – Steuart Henderson Britt

Recently I heard that over 80% of the people involved in network marketing today don’t EVER promote their business. They don’t talk to a single prospect, place a single ad or take even the smallest step beyond joining their company.

I was a little stunned at that percentage but when you think about it, that is probably pretty accurate. In over 15 years in network marketing I have seen many distributors come and go. The majority of those who went, have never really began building their business. They never even let anyone know they had a business.

In any kind of business, but especially network marketing, you need to let people know you have a business.

Advertising in a variety of ways is important but today I want you to think about your warm market. Usually when you begin reading your company’s distributor manual or introductory training you are taught to “make a list of 100 people” you will share information about your business or products. I must admit, I was totally turned off by the idea of approaching my friends and family that way so I used a different approach. I let them know I had started a business. I used products in front of them and dropped little one liners to get them to ask questions.

With the economy the way it is I recommend hitting the reset button and rethink your warm market. Many of them could benefit from supplemental income. Rather than approach everyone directly with your business opportunity, try approaching it from a different direction.

Here is an example:
You approach Aunt Mary and say, “Mary, would you be willing to do me a favor?” Mary says yes. “Aunt Mary, you know I have a home business. Well, besides the great products, I also teach people ways they can supplement their income in times of bad economy. Would you be willing to take these flyers and share them with anyone you may hear of that is looking for a way to supplement their income?”

Mary will likely be willing to share your flyers. You never know, she may be one who is needing extra income herself.

You may find an Aunt Mary who will turn into a great lead generator for you. I learned from experience. I had a relative who said she “would not sell products” but she was willing to share my flyers and business cards.

Oh, by the way, you never know where that will lead. That person who said she would never sell products is my sister Melissa. She eventually realized she could be earning money too by doing what she already did to help me. Melissa is now supported by her own network marketing business and is one of our company leaders who teaches this technique to her downline.

Approaching your friends and family this way removes the pressure from both of you. Your family member doesn’t feel like you are pressuring them and you don’t feel that negative feeling that you are putting them on the spot. PLUS, they are usually willing to help you get the word out.

I also like to use this technique for people I meet who are not family. Asking them if they know of anyone who could be helped by extra income removes a lot of pressure and makes it easier to initiate a conversation.

I like to use mini flyers that are postcard size for handing to people. Put a web site address to direct people to so they can get more information. I also recommend having a newsletter they can subscribe to. If you have a blog, make sure you are making it easy for people to subscribe to your rss feed.

I learned a neat marketing idea from my friend Diane Hochman. Read the technique in her own words: 

“I just got some new magic markers and scratch and sniff stickers! (My marketing secret tools) Big Business Ahead!

Let me ask you this …

If you got a hand written post card in purple with a scratch and sniff strawberry sticker on it…

Do you think you might read it???

Sniff it???

And wonder who is the crazy lady who sent it???

And maybe spy on my site?

Or I could send you a company brochure selling the newest “patented nutriceutical” or amazing new antioxident juice with the highest Orac value and the best pay plan in the history of the industry.

Which one do you think would pique your interest more?

<giggles>

It’s all fun and games if you let it be ”

Blogging is an inexpensive easy way to get your information out to people. If you have a replicated web site with your network marketing company, blogging is even more important. You can link to your replicated site in your blog.

There are several free blog tools available. One is www.blogger.com With Blogger, you easily set up and be blogging in no time.

Blog about things you are experiencing with your company and products, things you learn that could help your team build their business and company news, news articles that apply to your business or product.

Blogs that offer information that people can use and benefit from will be most successful. Offer help that people will be able to use.

Be consistent and regular about posting things to your blog. One benefit of blogging is building rapport and credibility. As people get to know you, they will want to get involved in whatever company you are with.

Subscribe to things your upline publish so you can get ideas of things to post in your own blogs. Get permission to repost things they have published. When you quote someone, be sure to give them credit or link to them.

Read the article, 101 reasons for your small business to have a blog, by Brian Brown:

http://tinyurl.com/35tnez