Community Marketing, a viable job in an unsure world
Network Marketing offers entrepreneurially minded people the opportunity to build a company with low start-up and overhead costs
By Alexia Saleem
“Network Marketing. What is it? Is it one of those things?”
“Which things?”
“Do you know a pyramid scheme?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know. Like one of those shady things. I don’t really know. I just know they’re bad. Isn’t all that money going up and everyone down doing nothing?”
This is a question that network marketing professionals often ask. It’s a question that has always made me uncomfortable. I don’t feel like that anymore. It just means that the person I’m talking to is unfamiliar with the industry and doesn’t know what’s so great about this business.
First, pyramid schemes are illegal. If the company you were introduced to is a member of the Direct Selling Association, which is very easy to determine, the chances are it is legitimate.
Second, the only people who get to the top of a network marketing company are people who worked really hard to get there and didn’t stop. A bit like most people at the top of an organization. The difference is that in network marketing there is not just one CEO. In this industry, everyone is the CEO of their own business. And everyone has the opportunity to get to the top; When they have the drive, courage and work ethic to get there.
What the folks at the forefront of network marketing haven’t done is take advantage of someone to get there. If they did, they wouldn’t be on top. People struggle to understand this because this industry is different from any other industry where people really want you to succeed and make you succeed. Your own success depends on it. However, the responsibility whether you do or not is yours. Which many of us don’t like to hear. We all like the idea of a lot of money. We all like the idea of part-time hours. We all like the idea of financial freedom. What we don’t always like, however, is the idea of being out there, rolling up our sleeves and getting to work to make it happen.
Network Marketing is not a quick program for getting rich. It’s not a simple monetary system. It’s a proven, viable profession. A profession that helps millions of people to get ahead financially and to get many closer to their dreams.
According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), 118,408,732 people worldwide had a network marketing business in 2018, up from 116,559,212 in 2017.
There is no doubt that the industry is growing. Starting a home business is more common than ever. The support systems are bigger, the training is better, and the community is bigger than ever. More and more people are also looking for ways to supplement their income because wages and job security are simply not what they used to be.
What is Network Marketing?
Network marketing is simply another sales method used by the world’s leading brands and smaller businesses to market products and services to consumers by eliminating the middleman. To do this, they use a network of independent consultants who, as brand ambassadors, market the products and services on behalf of the company.
Companies market all kinds of goods and services under this model, including wellness, personal care and cosmetics, jewelry, cookware, housewares, energy and insurance, and more.
The key word here is different. Anything that is different is often viewed with suspicion by the masses.
What people don’t always realize about network marketing is that it is equal opportunity regardless of age, gender, race, religion or level of education. It’s also one of the few industries where women make dollars for the dollar that men make. In fact, the top 20 percent of network marketing income earners are women and couples.
Another difference between traditional retail and network marketing is that it’s not just about getting great products and services into the hands of consumers by cutting out the middleman.
It’s also a means for entrepreneurial people to work independently to build a business with low startup and overhead costs.
Network Marketing allows you to do business from home using a smartphone or computer. You don’t have to sign a long-term rental agreement for a stationary company. You don’t need to take out business insurance. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on advertising. The liability is lower.
Unfortunately, some people think that when the liability is lower and it doesn’t cost a lot of money to get involved, making a lot of money has to be easy. Is not it. It takes tenacity and determination and a willingness to learn new skills in order to make big bucks. It also means talking to a lot of people. Is it worth? From my point of view, 100 percent. Everything in life that is worth a job. The difference, however, is that network marketing can be done part-time on your existing commitments and is not rocket science. It also means that you are your own boss and the money stays with you.
Network Marketing is run by consultants who build strong personal relationships with prospects, primarily through face-to-face discussions and demonstrations. In the age of social networks, it is increasingly becoming a marketing strategy for many companies and product lines as it may be more effective than traditional advertising or securing premium shelf space.
Millions of people around the world choose network marketing because they enjoy a company’s products or services and want to buy them at a discount. Some choose to market these offerings to friends, family members, and others and earn commissions on their sales. The most successful consultants may choose to grow their business by building a network of other consultants.
It is a profession where you can earn money by studying. That means you are going to make some mistakes. Just like you would if you started something new. You need to learn new skills and how to reach out to people in a friendly, non-spammy way. You need to train your team to do the same.
The world we live in is changing. Fast. There is no more job security. If your job can be automated, chances are it will be in the next five to ten years. Even if your job cannot be automated, more people will be unemployed and there will be a lot of competition in the job market.
Network marketing is quickly becoming a plan B for more and more people. A way to generate extra income for large numbers of people. For others, it offers full financial freedom. It is a profession that is not threatened by automation. There is no limit to your income. You get paid for what you do. It gives you, the average person, the opportunity to generate some residual income and be part of a highly supportive community of like-minded individuals.
Alexia Saleem
Alexia Saleem is a journalist, author and independent consultant and district manager at Arbonne International. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology
My story
To be honest, I never expected to get into network marketing. It wasn’t an industry I’d heard of, and I certainly don’t consider myself a salesperson.
In fact, my background is in journalism, not sales. I actually ran a newsroom for an English language newspaper in Cyprus and I really enjoyed it. When I moved to the UK I started working as a bid writer for a recruitment company and also wrote their internal and external content. I loved that too. Everything writing related was right on my street.
And then I had children. Twins. Unfortunately, my salary did not cover childcare for the hours I worked. So I decided to do what a lot of mothers do. I quit my job. I was really very happy to take care of our children. What I didn’t include in the equation was that our main source of income, my husband’s salary, could disappear overnight. What it did. Last summer.
The political impact on the economy made it not as easy to find another role as we initially expected. It was an extremely scary time for all of us and I realized that nothing is guaranteed in life and certainly not a traditional 9-5 job. I decided to do something to get an extra income and relieve my husband of the stress we were under. Then the opportunity landed in my lap. I had never heard of network marketing or the company before, but it all made such sense to me.
Since then it has breathed new life into me. I’ve always been very hardworking and persistent. I know that my work ethic will make my business a success. I want to help other people do the same.
I cannot put into words what the opportunity has done for my family and me. What started out as a way to make a little more money has become so much more. I write this back on the tremendous amount of personal development that you need to do in building a business that, for me, is the best part of this opportunity.
For a long time I had forgotten that I had so much more than what I shared with the world and my family. This business has allowed me to really grow and develop, and there is no price to be put on that.
Network Marketing brings out the best in you. It challenges you. It gives you permission to dream again. To do the things you’ve always wanted to do and postpone them for another day because naysayers told you you couldn’t and shouldn’t dream big. That you’d never mind
This is not the case in network marketing. In this industry, you are encouraged to dream really big. You will be supported in every way. You are in business for yourself, but not for yourself. You can be your own boss. You can mentor and coach people and help them succeed. It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never been part of something so much bigger than me and with the potential to change so many lives on a grand scale.
I also realized that if we don’t move forward, we will stagnate. Life is too short to not take advantage of it and live it to the fullest. Not everyone will understand what I am saying. Many could even make a fool of me. But at least I know that I can say that I have tried my best, that I am coming to the end of my life and not filled with regrets, that I can say that I dared to dream and worked to win that I have helped other people do the same and that I have taught my children the same lesson.
In all of the years I’ve spent working, no one has ever come to me to better provide for my family and secure the kind of life I want. If all it takes is hard work learning new skills and grit, why not give it a try?
If you would like to learn more about network marketing and start your own business, please contact us here: www.alexiasaleem.arbonne.com