Read More: 
Views: 2,910
| 
Comments: 31 
I know that starting to build an internet business from scratch can be intimidating. So,for a limited time, I'm offering you a FREE 30 minute consultation (Value $87.50) to help guide you in your marketing efforts.
The Prescription for Information Overload
When I started marketing online in January of ‘07, online network marketing was fairly new. I've witnessed just how far this industry has progressed over the past 3 ½ years, but more importantly, since I hibernated for a little while, and have recently returned I am able to view our industry through the lens of a newcomer.
One of the biggest shocks when I returned was the sheer quantity and quality of information available for beginners. Back in 2007 (I’ll refrain from calling those the “old days”) 
… the information was very conceptual in nature. You know, information like “I get 5,000 leads a day using article marketing” which was shortly followed up with ‘but I don’t have time to get into all of that stuff right now…”
Well, it WAS very valuable information, BUT I was left to figure out how to implement the nugget of information on my own. Now there are tons of step-by-step guides out there. But now beginners are suffering from information overload, and it's no surprise considering that you’ve got courses on:
- You Tube
- Blogging
- Article Marketing
- Copywriting
- Video Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- PPC
- Product Launches
- Sales Funnels
And the list goes on and on and ON!
Now, many products say that they’re a one-stop-shop but they're rarely the one-stop-shop for a beginner. That’s because in reality, it may be to go-to resource for a particular concept/tool/strategy. But, few products teach you how to put the WHOLE system together based on the exact product/service that YOU are selling.
Fortunately, I’ve noticed another trend,which is the prescription for information overload...
COACHING/MENTORING
Many of the “advanced” marketers are accepting coaching/mentoring students at very affordable rates. This is a serious blessing for any beginner or even someone with some experience, who is looking to take their business to the next level.
When I got started, coaching was not as common as it is today. Now, you can get coaching for as little as $125-$150/hr. That’s a massively sweet deal. If you invest $1,000 to $2500 for a great coaching package (whether its for one-on-one or a small group) you can save way more than that because you could avoid chasing rabbit trails and wasting money on courses you don’t need.
If I had it to do all over again today, I would've invested the money for a coach/mentor to help me formulate a plan based on my particular strengths and my particular company. Sure I was able to succeed on my own and generate tons of sales and personally sponsor lots of people into my business....BUT I would've succeeded quicker (it would have cut my learning curve by at least half, if not more) and saved thousands of dollars.
Today, people are so used to dropping $300-$500 per course for something that ends up on their shelves or sits in a folder on their desktop unopened. I believe that the money would be better spent on consulting with a coach, who can tell you what you need for your business. That’s not to say that a coach is substitute for courses- they absolutely are not!
But your coach should serve as your tour guide through the mountains of information that fill your inbox every day, and show you what things you need and don't need based on your business, your skill-set, your personality, your budget and your schedule.
For example, if you don’t have the money to spend on PPC- why are you purchasing a PPC course? (Don’t act like this is absurd- there are tons of people out there who do this… you know who you are!) ; )
There's one cavet to hiring a coach. A lot of people out there have heard that you need to offer coaching, so they do…eventhough they haven’t achieved any success yet (note, I said “yet!”) However, you don't need to spend money to be someone's guinea pig!
You need to make sure that you hire someone who has had success, and can help you get where you want to be. That’s not to say that you should only hire “gurus” (because they’re pretty pricey) but, there are plenty of people out there that have been able to sponsor people steadily using attraction marketing; generated low-cost PPC leads, generated tons of leads through Facebook or blogging, etc. etc.
You just need to go to the people who have achieved what you want to achieve, and hire them. Just make sure that you speak with them about your expectations, and ensure that they will be able to meet them!
Like this article? I want to hear from YOU!
Please leave me a comment and Vote & Share this Article! 
To The Top,
PS Connect with me at http://www.NatashaNassar.com
About the Author: Natasha Nassar
Member Since: 03/10/2008
I'm a Distributor For:: PRO U
Other Company: Fast Forward Marketing, LLC
Industry: Communications and Networking
Primary Web Site: http://www.NatashaNassar.com
I Couldn't Have Said It Any Better!
Hi Natasha!
This is one powerful post! Thank you for sharing with us your "voice of experience". Yes, there is a definite distinction between coaches who are successful because they effectively market themselves as well as coaches who really know what they do and are focused on creating success stories... I truly value you and your wisdom and you my Friend are truly one of the best leaders this industry has!
Keep on shining!!!
Cheering You On,
Emma ;)
http://www.TheRelationalMarketer.com
The prescription
Hello Natasha,
Isn't it interesting that network marketing is so frequently promoted (wrongly) as a fast way to wealth? Yet so many of us find ourselves on a self-discovery journey of a lifetime putting the pieces together to become successful at this game. I love the journey, thank you for your words of wisdom and continue writing, I love your style.
All the best,
Alan
Very Practical
Great advice, Natasha! Yes, the amount of information for a newbie is completely overwhelming, and having someone who has been down that road to guide you is worth FAR more than what you pay for it. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
All the best,
Shecky
are we heading backward?
Very interesting piece and alarming to me, at least. I suddenly start thinking what are we doing here with the internet marketing? Didn't we all start with our own coach when we joined the MLM opportunity in the first place - someone called upline - and for free? Why on earth are we paying to hire another coach. If the system, whether on-line or offline, is duplicable, then how come we cannot duplicate it?
I guess somehow I accidentally realize the issue of simple duplication when I was developing my complete leveraging system. I included an element of self-coaching (as I am a business coach myself) in the system to strike a balance between high efficiency of the internet and yet custom to each individual their strength and interest. Isn't network marketing a people's business at the end of the day?
Back to basic.
All the best.
Bing Ha
http://www.360leverage.com
Struck a Nerve
Thank you for this great post which absolutely struck a chord with me.
Many Coaches/Mentors/Gurus want to teach students about THEM, not about the student's need. So, how does one go about finding that Ms. or Mr. "Right" Coach - who has been where the students wants to get?
Thank you for your leadership on this issue!
Stephen
Great Comments!
Thanks to everyone for your comments!
Emma- As are you- you are very much an inspiration to me!
Alan- Thanks! I'll definitely keep these articles coming :)
Shecky- Thanks for your comment- hoping that beginners can begin to see how valuable this investment in coaching is.
Natasha
We're not heading backwards!
Bing-
Your pont is very well taken. I would say, that as someone who joined an MLM with an "upline" who despite my success online, wouldn't touch internet marketing with a 10-foot pole! I think many people have found themselves in a position where they want to build online and their upline doesn't know a tweet from a wall post!
I don't think that it's a failure on the upline's part- different strokes for differents folks, right?
SO, if your upline isn't building their business the way that you want to- you need to find someone who can support you in those efforts.
Take care!
Natasha
How to find the right coach
I think the best place to start is by looking at the people who you like to follow online- people who've had some success online. See if they offer coaching.
Now, I know there are several people who say "Work With Me"- and that usually implies that you need to join their company to get their assistance. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a completely no-pitch ALL ABOUT YOU coach.
I know that most people (myself included) offer a complimentary 15 minute consultation. This ensures that you and the coach will "jive" well. That 15 minutes isn't about getting "free help" it's about assessing your needs and seeing if the coach is right for you!
I think that is the best way to find a coach : )
Hope this helps!
Natasha
We have great coaching......not Me ......but he's in BN.
This is a very important article.
I don't feel anyone qualifies to be a coach
until they make 10k monthly for at least 6 months.
That's my opinion.
I was an athelete in several sports and had some
great coaches and bad coaches.
The great ones always taught the basics.
The coach I'm speaking for IM produced and owns
the course we sell that teaches marketing
at all levels.
It can also be done strictly offline which
resonates with boomers.
Starting with great basics.
Copy and paste to start and far beyond.
We even offer FREE TRAINING for as long as you want
until many of the folks join us when they are ready.
If you wish I can connect you with him.
I make no money as a coach but I will qualify within
the next year or two to be a coach if I wish.
The reason is what I'm learning through our course
which is really based on all the best training from BN.
They pretty much studied the same folks and branded themselves
through our system that sarts with free training.
I'm also writing about an "all about you coach"
I am far beyond a newbie and do help folks myself
but again I do not YET.... MAKE 10K MONTHLY.
I do help folks get started though regularily.
With FREE TRAINING.
heading forward
Hi Natasha
Thank you for your response. I do appreciate your point and actually that is my situation and I believe for the industry as well. I mean, the "old school" upline probably may not be the appropriate coach for our online marketing approach.
While going on-line for MLM has been for some time now, that's 1-2 generations in terms of MLM development. So we are supposed to be the coach for our downlines whom we recruit through internet? Is the model doing MLM online duplicable for them?
Thank you for your inspiring thought. It leads me to think a lot more.
Cheers
Bing
http://www.360levrage.com
Interesting Perspective
Nicholas-
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I personally don't believe that there is a monetary threshhold for people offering coaching.
The crucial test in my opinion, as I said in my article, is has the person you are seeking to hire done what you want to do?
For you, that's apparently making $10K a month, for others, it may be getting 5000 friends on Facebook, generating 50-100 leads on Facebook per day, or generating leads on PPC for less than a buck.
As far as whether people "deserve" to get paid- offering free training is great. However, in my experience, it is very easy to spend all day offering free training (I actuallly used to do this).
As I learned, it's very hard to make money and build your business if you're on the phone giving free training all day.
That's why I think that writing informative articles and making videos is a great way to offer "free training" to a lot of people. : )
Re: Heading Forward
Ahhhh the duplication question!
You know, I think that duplication is quite an interesting notion. I mean, my former upline showed me how to do 3 way calls, pass out sizzle cards, etc. Seemingly duplicatable, right? Wrong.
I totally stunk at that! I'm not "tough" enough to weather the 100 rejections to get to a "yes" : )
Yes, I absolutely think you should be the coach for your downline that you recruit online. I mean, if you recruited someone online- you should coach them on what you did to recruit them. Your strategies worked on them, right?!? : )
I think ideally you should offer some form of streamlined system. I personally think that this system ( http://www.fastforwardsystem.com)is a great thing to offer to your downline.
I also think that team advertising co-ops where folks put in money and purchase highly targeted leads that opt-in to your company marketing site is another great tool to consider.
Marketing online is duplicatable for SOME, but not all. Just like the "traditional" methods are duplicatable for SOME but not all. I feel like Duplication is another "magic bullet" that people keep searching for, but ultimately always end up disappointed.
If everyone is honest about it...no matter how great your system is- the 80/20 rule will be in full force. That's just the nature of the beast.
So teach your team what works for you. If you're online- and that's what they want to do, show 'em what you've done. If they like the traditional methods, send 'em to your upline for training!
Just my thoughts!
well said...
Natasha, great article. Most people who suffer from information overload can use your suggestion and find a real mentor to take on one challenge at a time like building Facebook friends, Twitter followers or getting setup with your first blog (check the link : D)
This is the only way to avoid the overwhelming feeling that push most to the quiting line.
I will be sharing this one, thanks.
http://bit.ly/9Oz5dC
; D
But they didn't teach this in school...
Natasha you give an excellent solution to info overload - coaching. The quality of the coach is so important. This solution really does help overcome the core cause which is we were never taught to direct our own learning.
We just plain do not know how to deal with all this stuff. We were taught in school to learn from the teacher. Now it appears everybody is a teacher. As a result we fail to direct our own way through the mountains of information. Ouch!
The Teach Jim Show dealt with this issue specifically last April by suggesting some "learning strategies" for handling information as a Self-Directed Learner. Maybe these strategies can help us identify the type of coach which will help us the most? Just a thought.
Teach Jim
( The blog post & link to the show are at http://blog.inetin.com/2010/04/mastering-internet-business-lead-generati...)
Excellent points, Natasha!
I know exactly what you mean about being overloaded. That's why I'm carefully finding mentors to help...
Dr. Dick
Very Helpful Natasha
Hi Natasha, thanks for your words of wisdom and guidance. You are so right. I am doing just what you said to do so for me...reading your post validated the steps that my business partners and I are taking.
Mary Kay Carr
Validation
Thanks for your thought Jim- very valuable as always!
Dr. Dick and Mary Kay, so glad that your plan is validated :) You've taken a very important step towards truly succeeding in your business. Way to Go!
I wish you both the very best as you work to achieve your goals!
Keeping it Simple
Great comments Natasha,
Perhaps the best one I've ever heard is to focus.
If you have money but no time then paid advertising - PPC & CPV are the ones to focus on.
If you have time but no/little money - FaceBook and Social Media is the place to invest your energy.
You're right, if you try to eat the whole buffet of possibilities at once you'll definitely slow yourself down.
Darag
Re: Keeping it Simple
Darag-
Couldn't have said it better myself! In fact- that's almost verbatim what I teach in one of the videos in my course!
Great minds think alike ; )
All the best!
Natasha
Word Up My Friend
I like your comment about income not qualifying a coach's ability to coach. I definitely won't be making over $10,000 a month in a long time, and if I was, I'd feel I was over charging people.
I have yet to prove in any way that my income determines my ability to help friends and clients.
Anyhoo, I liked this the first time I read it from the RSS feed and I'm glad to see it on BetterNetworker. You really know how to lay things out there for people and I feel I can connect to your writing. I'm really excited to keep reading more of your stuff. :)
Thanks!
Marianna-
Thanks for hopping over to BFN and commenting. Glad you've had the same expereiences about the correlation between income and ability :)
And a BIG THANKS for the compliment about my writing- means A LOT coming from a professional writer : )
That is right, why spending on something we won't work now.
Great comment Natasha, I think we should start one step at a time, depending on our budget will guide us where to begin. There are many tools out there that are great, but we have to realise that little by little is better sometimes.
As always, keep the good job.
Blessings
Jose Joe Lasa
Way to avoid being Overwhelmed
Your article is succinct and to the point. It described my path to this point. I'm fighting being overwhelmed now. This article has reinforced to me that I'm not alone. I'll probably have to defer getting a coach/mentor at this time due to finances. Slow and steady is a viable way for me to get experience for now in addition to pursuing the resources available on sites suchas Magnetic Sponsoring.
Finally
I love it. I totally agree. I interviewed someone and i cant wait to get started. I think it is common sense to follow someone that has already had success. Unfortunately not a lot of us get a chance to realize how this can be a lot of help. Thanks again and have a bless day!
Thanks for sharing
Jose- Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You're right, one step at a time is the secret to getting things done. It's a marathon, not a sprint!
Yetta- If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have a coach, but I have most definitely been successful marketing my network marketing business online. Just keep learning and implementing and you'll reach your goals!
Wishing you both all of the success you desire!
Natasha
Re: Finally
Mack- That's fantastic! Hopefully you'll look back and see that this was one of the turning points in your path to success!
Getting personally "coached" by someone who has achieved what I want to achieve has seriously propelled my business forward at a tremendous rate. It's awesome!:)
To the Top!
Natasha
Hibernating
I am that glad what ever woke you up did. This is one of the best posts I have seen in a while.
Thank you Natasha
Re: Hibernating
Richard-
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad I came back too... :) I guess all of the disappointment, frustration and just plain anger that I felt was all worth it in the end!
Information Overload is rampant!
Great article Natasha! I've been noticing too that everyone is rolling out informational promotions. I absolutely do agree with giving useful free content & some of it can be very valuable without ever buying into the courses. We all know that people buy with the best intentions but rarely DO the actual work. I think your suggestion of having a coach is the perfect solution. Having a personal connection with someone & being accountable to that person far outweighs the additional cost of a coach over a course in a box.
Thanks for sharing!
Nancy
Re: Information Overload is rampant!
Nancy,
Thank YOU for sharing your thoughts! :)
Natasha