Building your network marketing business takes commitment.

To have success in network marketing or any other business, you’ve got to look at the long-term. Of course you want to plan to be profitable as quickly as possible. But you need to plan for how you will build your business week after week, month after month, year after year.

A lot of people say they aren’t looking for “get rich quick,” but if they aren’t making fistfuls of money within six to eight weeks, they are history. It may take longer.

It seems most people come into MLM without a great networking database from their past. To build in MLM, you must have a database, so that means they have to create a new group of people who know, like and trust them. You can’t do that overnight.

First thing you need is to build trust with well-targeted prospects. You can do that by providing real value, something that costs you nothing or very little, but which is very valuable to the person you give it to.

This may be an ebook or audio or video or some other piece of content which will really help out your prospects. And in exchange, they’ll give you their contact information and permission to talk with them. Remember what Humphrey Bogart said in “Casablanca,” that “could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship!”

To make your fortune in network marketing, you have to plan long-term. Plenty of people just figure, “I’ll try this for awhile.” The chance of success with that lousy commitment isn’t very good.

First, it’s a real key to focus on the idea of building relationships and to realize that relationships just take a “forever” commitment. Nobody says they’ll try marriage for three months and see if it works. You can make a good, stable income in MLM, when you use a system that works, and when you have chosen a good company.

So let’s assume you’ve got that part. Next, you have to really strengthen your own commitment. Identify each specific task you’ll be doing. Plan a regular schedule each day to do these tasks. Where will you be? Who can you get a hold of to quickly answer questions?

You want quick access to a successful system-user who is getting good results with it right now. You need to see in a hurry by your own experience that your system works, or you’ll find excuses not to do any work. Most of these business tasks, you realistically cannot do them while you are babysitting. You have no real opportunity for success. If you’re making phone calls, you have to be sure to set aside time that you can give prospects your undivided attention.

These thoughts are a sample of what you get in the ebook “Success In 10 Steps” by long-time MLMer Michael Dlouhy. This free ebook has become a classic in just a few years on the market, and it is available to anyone in network marketing to use as part of their own lead generation system.

The ebook’s popularity with network marketers comes from telling a long, common story of frustration with the industry. And, of course, offering solutions to every aspect of the frustration. The fact that you can then turn around and promote the book to generate your own MLM leads is what has brought in over 100,000 downloads over the years. I highly recommend this system.

Question about business learning

Small businesses not used to intercultural communication, can easily find dealing with international prospects challenging. It is sometimes hard to figure out exactly how your sales message has been received. You may have difficulty understanding what your international prospect needs to hear from you.

Just like with your own local leads, some of international prospects can appear to be ready to make the sale, some are hesitant and some just do not appear to be interested. With international clients, it is often not easy to interpret their reactions. How do you know if you should step up your sales pitch, slow down or if it would be better to pass the ball to one of your colleagues who is a different gender than you are?

Often you naturally realize that you need to do a little more adjusting in your communication style to fit your international prospect. This is especially true when your client is not following you, or appears to want to be someplace else in your sales process. The result is that you may appear less professional than you would want.

Destabilizing situations can arise.

Things can even become comical. Or worse, you can have a frustrated prospect losing patience with you and moving on. Your international clients like to feel understood

How do you avoid this type of scenario? There is only one thing to do.

Open your high power listening antennas and proceed slowly. Ask your prospect simple questions to confirm what he needs to have addressed. Adjust your communication accordingly. If your prospect appears excited about your product or service, reconfirm this a few times. This will give him the time to assimilate things more deeply.

If your prospect appears to be uninterested, do not assume you should not spend time with him. This may be normal for him. He might be used to different sales practices and needs time to adjust to yours. Again, put on your high power listening antennas and proceed slowly. Ask questions to confirm what he needs to have addressed. If you prospect seems to be hanging around, find out what is of interest to him in your product or service and get him to open up.

Sometimes international prospects require a little more personal attention in the beginning. Creating a multicultural relationship requires time and effort for both parties.
The extra time can well be worth the investment. International prospects can become very loyal long term customers if they are happy with your products and services. Good international clients will often provide you with much more word of mouth advertising than your local clients.

When you think you have mastered the international communication skills to handle your international prospects, remember to set up a systematic case study and referral strategy.

At the time of sale when your international prospects actually become your clients, gently initiate conversation about your company’s Case Study plan. Talk to them, ask what they are hoping to get out of your product, if they have had any specific problems they are hoping to solve with your product,

And then tell your new international client that you have a company plan where you follow up with clients at the appropriate time to see how they liked the product. Ask if you could do that with their company. Who should you call?

International clients will often be happy for such communication. This will also show them you are very interested in serving them even if they are located far away.

Question about business learning

Getting A Business License: Once you have met with the zoning and business license departments and have determined that your business meets all the specific requirements for operation as a home-based business, you are ready to officially apply for the license. Business licenses are generally issued through the city or county clerk’s office and require completion of an application form. The most common information asked will cover business name, type of legal structure, location, type of business, number of employees, expected gross income and vehicles to be operated. Upon submission of the application and fee, the application will be reviewed prior to being issued. The license is renewed annually, subject to adherence to the city’s codes and regulations.

Filing Your DBA: If you plan to conduct your business under a fictitious name, you must file a DBA, which stands for “Doing Business As.” It may also be referred to as the Fictitious Name Statement. A fictitious name is any business name that does not contain your full legal name as a part of it. In some states you will be required to file a DBA even if you are using your legal name.

The purpose of the DBA is to inform the general public that you are beginning an operation under an assumed or fictitious name and that you are the individual who will be conducting that business. It must be published in a general circulation newspaper in the county in which your business is located. The ad generally must run in four consecutive issues. During this time, anyone may challenge your right to do business under that name. Following publication, verification must be filed with the city or county clerk.

The DBA gives you the exclusive right to use the name and keeps others from using the same or similar name. The time and money spent is very small compared to the benefits you will derive from becoming the owner of your business name.

Obtaining A Seller’s Permit: A seller’s permit number is required of anyone who purchases items for resale or who provides a taxable service in all states where sales tax is collected. An example of a taxable service would be clock repair. The labor or repair is not taxable, but the parts may be. A seller’s permit is obtained through the state agency responsible for the collection of sales tax. Most often it will be the Department of Revenue.

The retailer or final seller, not the customer, is responsible for paying the sales tax. Consequently, every seller engaged in the business of selling a tangible product or of providing a taxable service in a state where sales tax is collected is required to hold a seller’s permit for the purpose of reporting and paying their sales and use tax liability. The seller’s permit may also be referred to as a resale number or a resale certificate.

Your application must be based on the fact that you will be purchasing taxable items that you will offer for sale to the ultimate consumer or to other resellers or that you will be providing a taxable service. Any other reason for your request may be grounds for denial.

Sales Tax: The rule of thumb is: if you do not intend to resell your purchase through your business, do not use your resale number to buy it tax-free. Contact the agency responsible for the collection of sales tax in your state to determine the regulations on your particular type of business.

Setting Up A Business Bank Account: Often a business owner is tempted to run business finances through personal accounts. It is imperative that you keep your personal and business finances separate. Failure to do so can cause problems with your recordkeeping and tax computations. Business accounts are necessary for credibility when dealing with other businesses. You will not have much credibility with wholesalers or suppliers if you do not pay with a business check.

The first account opened with a bank is usually the business checking account. You must show proof of DBA filing before the account can be opened under your business name. The DBA gives verification that you are authorized to deposit checks made out to the business name. The DBA gives verification that you are authorized to deposit checks made out to the business name. Be sure to take your verification with you. The bank will make a copy for their records.

Tip: When you open your account, request that your checks be numbered beginning with a number higher than 101. This is a tip-off that you are a new business. You want to look established in the eyes of your creditors. The selection of the bank with which you will do business should be undertaken with consideration. Banks vary greatly in the services they offer, as well as in the charges for those services.

Question about business learning

One of the most effective means of marketing your Website is by writing business related articles. Ordinary people like you and me are more than capable of writing articles about their own experiences.

Writing and distributing articles is an extremely effective way of attracting visitors to your site. Don’t believe that you need years of experience to be able to write articles. Once you’ve started your own online business, and have been through a few hoops, you’ll already know far more than the millions of people online, who’re looking for information!

Write from your own experiences in getting started with your internet business. Help other people through the elimination process you’ve been through, in examining the options you considered, and describe what prompted you to go the route you’ve chosen.

You will certainly have made some mistakes along the way. Write about them, so that others will benefit from your experiences. Describe the steps you took to correct your mistakes, and in this way you will be seen as a genuine, helpful person, who is prepared to share your experience, to the benefit of others.

You don’t need to be a language expert to write short articles; write in plain, simple, down to earth English. Read articles by other authors, and you’ll pick up ideas for subject matter. This will set your own chain of thought in motion, and you’ll be able to have a try at writing!

Once you start writing, you’ll find that the ideas and the words suddenly start to flow. That’s when to keep writing without stopping constantly to check for errors. You will need to correct these later, but try not to interrupt your creative flow.

Once your readers realize that your site offers useful information which can assist them in establishing their own businesses, they will come back for more information. The trick then is to keep a ready supply of fresh, informative articles, to be published once or twice a week. The search engines love fresh content, and this will move your site up in the page rankings.

Once you’ve written your articles – spend time proof-reading very carefully. Avoid publishing an article that’s littered with errors, or your credibility will be lost. Your computer has a spell-check, so do use it.

Keep paragraphs no longer than two or three sentences – this makes for much easier reading than long, complicated paragraphs. A direct, to the point style of writing has a more effective impact on your reader. Remember you’re writing to provide information, so avoid long flowery phrases and overly complicated explanations.

Articles should ideally be between about 450 and 600 words long. Most readers are looking for a quick overview, and something too long will deter many of them from reading your whole article. Keep your writing short and focused – don’t go into too much detail.

Remember of course that you’ll also get better with practice, so break the ice and have a go! It will be worth the effort for sure.

We’ll discuss more tips and ideas about writing and publishing articles in this current series.

Question about business learning

A few years ago I left the forces after serving a full 22 years. I joined the Army straight after leaving school; it still seems like yesterday when I walked into the careers office in Barnsley as a spotty eek. After numerous test, medicals and a 2 day assessment I was told I was going to be a vehicle mechanic ‘B’ in the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), a right mouthful when I was full of beer and attempting to chat up a young filly. Funnily enough when I enrolled in the REME I was not told I would be spending the first year after basic training in a technical school, if I had known this prior I would defiantly have tried something else.

During my career I became knowledgeable in a host of subjects, some unmentionable, the ones that are printable include; vehicle engineering, health and safety, human resources, general management. During my career I worked in some fantastically well organised, well managed places and unfortunately some not so good places. This leads me to the question; can a business really learn from the military?

Since leaving the forces I have been involved in a few business ventures, generally poor unsuccessful ones. Looking back I honestly believe if the management of these businesses employed a more military type attitude they would have not failed so easily. So what do I mean by a military type attitude? I certainly do not mean acting like the cast of Bad Lads Army.

This is what I mean:

In normal business life the main motivator is money or the fear of the boot. This is probably why so many people nowadays change job so frequently. These should not be the only motivation tools a company employ. The Army uses the best motivation tool there is ‘Time Off’. Of course having your workforce at home most of the time is counter productive.

In the early 90’s I managed a small vehicle workshop in Berlin. I had one military worker and one civilian. During the quiet periods I would call for the dice to be brought out, sometimes as early as 8am. The dice were thrown by all of us, the lowest combined score from 2 throws meant that person had to man the telephone all day, whilst the winners disappeared either home or to the local golf course. This management tactic as well as others ensured I had a happy workforce, production statistics don’t lie they showed an overall output increase. Other methods in different places included production meetings in the local pub, rewarding my hardest worker by giving him 5 days off; this certainly spurred the rest of the lads on and a host of other methods.

Of course there were times when I worked with unmotivated, self opinionated, lazy soldiers, on these occasions I adopted a sterner approach.

I then look at the majority of workers in everyday business life; I see they are generally unmotivated, unless they are self employed. I wonder if this is because they are not well managed. My guess would be they are not managed at all. My cousin works in a very busy establishment as soon as his boss leaves the office, everyone logs on to EBay. How counter productive is that?

To conclude in my opinion many lessons can be learned from the British military in how to manage and run organisations. I should send my article to the BBC maybe they will run a programme on it, now that would be funny.

About the author – Peter Arkwright recently retired from the military, he is now the Managing Director of www.bizseller4u.com
A new portal that allows people to list their Business for Sale

This article is free for republishing

Question about business learning