Chris Polson Talks About the Glaring Absence of Leaders In the MLM Industry

Over 90% of HOME BUSINESS participants are failing!!
Why? and …How can YOU select the right one?
 
 
                                                                                                            By Chris Polson
 
It’s really pathetic, isn’t it? All the surveys reveal the awful truth: The overwhelming majority of folks who try a home business FAIL…usually, within a few months, often just a few weeks. To make the setback even more painful, most of the people who leave the playing field have spent thousands of dollars…and in these tough economic times.
 
A QUICK ASIDE: We are making a key assumption in writing this article. We’re directing our comments towards those who are really well-suited for home businesses. Though there are many compelling reasons to start one – there are actually quite a few who are better off in a more conventional work environment…..believe me!.....(I will address this in a future article.)
 
Back to our topic……..How can so many people fall short? Well, it’s happened to me….TWICE! (Fortunately, these failures gave me the wisdom to finally get it right; and I have now found a winner.)
 
However, if you are like me, “wisdom” almost always arrives with a certain “misery quotient.”
 
Do any of these MLM experiences sound familiar?
 
·        You run expensive ads…but you have no idea what you are doing.
·        Someone mentions “search engine optimization”…..    Say what?
·        One of the “big hitters” strongly suggests you buy costly “leads” from a mysterious “lead generator.”
·        You are pressured into attending conference calls, which are more like pep rallies.
·        You decide to take bold action, and create your own list of “prospects”…from among friends and acquaintances.
·        You become quite discouraged when – not only is no one interested in your “pitch”, old friends are beginning to avoid you.
 
Sadly, the list could go on and on…….
 
After going through all of this, I began to wonder, “How could such unproductive and frustrating things possibly happen in the MLM industry – where the success of one’s downlines directly effects one’s own commissions?”
 
As I pondered this, my own unique perspective – gained from 35 years of recruiting senior talent within the executive search industry - began to kick in. During the last few years of my previous career, I got a very close, daily firsthand glimpse of a glaring problem….existing throughout the business world…and throughout much of the country…..AN ABSENCE OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS!
 
I have studied leadership all of my life. (Some would even say that I have been an effective leader) It flows from depth of character…not surface personality. Inspired leaders will sacrifice for the common good, because they know their efforts will accrue rewards for ALL. These are the coaches, the mentors, the “example setters.” To be a leader requires daily effort; discipline. So - despite the potential for rich rewards – why don’t “uplines” take the time with their new affiliates? They won’t…..mostly because they simply can’t. They are lacking the capacity for mentorship. They will seek shortcuts…..such as directing people toward “plug and play” hopeless and ineffective replicated websites.
 
So here – in my opinion – are some reasons for the “big letdown” in the MLM world….and of more immediate importance – what each of you can do about it.
Again, in trying to better understand the “what”, it is sometimes helpful to grasp the “why”…….
 
1.      Clever marketers are far more abundant than inspired leaders; so – as human nature takes hold – folks will reflexively do what they do best. The net effect? A lot of folks are good at signing you up….but then, they have no earthly idea what to do with you – and maybe couldn’t care less!
 
2.      The computer seems to foster the mistaken idea that “the machine will do what I am unwilling, or unable to do on my own!”
 
3.      If someone doesn’t have to deal with his/her associates and affiliates face-to-face, it is surely easier to ignore them, mislead them, exploit them….(incidentally, this is how psychologists explain rudeness on the traffic ways)
 
4.      And maybe the biggest factor of all: a combination of shortsightedness and laziness. It’s just like Corporate America: (We were going to escape all of this, remember? People are shuffled about…while the quarterly report reigns supreme. We can always pick up the pieces tomorrow, right?)
 
And the MLM equivalent?.........Hi-powered ad campaigns, complete with alluring images, over-the-top promises….all leading to SIGNING YOU UP…AND OFFERING YOU NOTHING!! This ridiculous business model seems to be built upon pure laziness…and the completely upside-down notion that it is easier to find new customers than maintain existing ones. NONSENSE! THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE! STUDY AFTER STUDY SHOWS THAT IT IS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EASIER – AND CHEAPER - TO MAINTAIN EXISTING CUSTOMERS THAN IT IS TO GAIN NEW ONES!
 
 
So, as we tour the vast “car lot” of MLM offerings, how do we avoid the costly “lemon” purchase? Based upon my experience and the experiences of my colleagues, here are some ideas………..
 
·        If someone is pushing expensive “paid leads”, watch out!
 
·        If a group is using REPLICATED WEBSITES, be very careful. (search engines hate these.)
 
·        If someone is trying to sign you up with NO MENTION OF TEACHING YOU, OR EXPOSING YOU TO PROVEN INTERNET MARKETING TOOLS…SUCH AS “ATTRACTION MARKETING” ..use great caution
 
·        If someone is attempting to sell you, but will not allow you access to referencing one or more of their key downlines…that is not a good sign.
 
…And there are more……..
 
 
So I simply say to my readers, “Caveat Emptor!”…….” “Buyer, Beware!”
Sadly, the field is crowded with folks with either the wrong values, or an absence of leadership skills, or both. To count on these very same people to provide vital mentoring and coaching help is absurd. You could spend thousands before you discover your mistake.
I would rather you didn’t.
 
There are a few good offerings out there. Work hard to find them…Do your homework…Make the right decision
 
 
 
About the Author:
 
Chris Polson is a Marine veteran, father of three, and a successful entrepreneur who built a high-level retainer fee executive search business in the Twin cities. He is currently applying his leadership and teambuilding skill in his own network marketing business.
 
He can be reached at

cpolson@usfamily.net