Being successful in Network Marketing means being patient and persistent, bottom line! Just ask Professional Network Marketer Ben Mueller;
“One of the main problems in Network Marketing, or rather the people that decide to join this Industry, is that they do not have a grasp on business reality. This is one of the elementary truths about Network Marketing.”
Business reality simply means what to truly expect when owning a business. With almost all businesses, it takes years to start generating a profit, if that profit even comes at all. Per the Small Business Administration (SBA), 7 out of 10 businesses survive the first two years and only 51% survive at least 5 years. What does this tell us? That opening a business is difficult.
Unfortunately, there are many that come into the Network Marketing world and expect to be millionaires in their first 15 days. This is simply unreasonable and, for those people that are telling you that this is the case, run as fast and as far as possible from the person and the “opportunity”!
I was compelled to write this blog today because of gratitude. Gratitude that I never gave up on my Network Marketing business and I want to share my story with you to give you hope and hopefully some strategy to create a successful Network Marketing business.
Ben Mueller’s Network Marketing Journey
In 2005, I joined Life Force International as a Distributor. The thing is, I was very much against this type of model because I thought it was a bunch of “BS”. But, I was slowly drawn into the power of Network Marketing because experience and education started to seep in.
I had just come off my 4th major back surgery and, having two Staph Infections in a row, a friend of mine introduced me to Body Balance (Life Force’s flagship product). Body Balance blew my socks off in terms of; energy, sleep, mental clarity, etc. I had another major benefit which you can watch on You Tube. I remember specifically telling my friend that I would love to continue on the product, but do not want to be involved in any “Pyramid Scheme”. Obviously, this was an uneducated statement so know that I forgive you if you have ever thought this way.
About 3 weeks into using the product, I told my neighbor Jim about Body Balance and how it may help him. Now remember, I was “not” in the business, and was only thinking about Jim’s well-being. Jim put in an order for 8 quarts of Body Balance and I received an unexpected check in the mail a few weeks later for $65. The mind started to churn at this point and the “Pay It Forward” concept was born for me.
You see, I had been in an International Accounting career that was very lucrative, but I was flying all over the world and spending way too much time trying to climb the company ladder. In 2005, I met my wife and we wanted to build a family. Question was; how was I going to be a good father/husband when I was traveling so much? Was this Life Force thing the answer? “Yes” as the light went off in my head and thought, “This is my ticket out of the Rat Race”.
I started learning as much about Network Marketing, my Company, and the products as I could. I started with getting a true definition of what Network Marketing was and its benefits to the company and to the distributor versus what a “Pyramid Scheme” was.
For the first 3 years, I only had 5 hours per week to put into this business. Again, I was still in my Accounting career, had twins in 2006 and another baby in 2007. Needless to say, I was very busy. But, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that if I kept doing the ACTION STEPS, it would pay off one day. My business grew slowly but steadily and had a ton of ups and downs. I remember thinking several times, “I am done with this sh#t”. I was having a hard time with the roller coaster of events that occur in every business owners’ life.
Thanks to many friends and business partners, they helped me to continue to move forward. At the end of year three, specifically October 21st, 2008, I was able to walk away from my corporate job to focus on building my own business.
From 2008 to the end of 2011, my business continued to grow exponentially, but in the beginning of 2012, it went into hyper drive! A Professional Network Marketing Consultant/Distributor, David Colister, came into the company and introduced the Simple Dream Kit which is a duplicable sampling strategy that blew the doors wide open in my business. From the beginning of 2012 until June of 2012, my total business organization DOUBLED. What took me six years to build was doubled in a matter of 6 months.
Naturally, I was on top of the world right? In May of 2012, I was introduced to a Professional Network Marketer in a country across the globe. He has an organization with another company that makes mine look like a small gas station in the middle of the Badlands. After 5 months of working with him and Life Force, we will be opening the doors of Life Force in his country as part of my organization. To add to this excitement, 2 weeks ago, I was informed that another leader in a country that we are already in, is joining my organization. Bottom line, the business has gone International and will become a multi-million dollar a year business.
Network Marketing Patience
This write up may seem like I am being braggadocios, but in reality, I am trying to convey a very important message for those of you that want to build a large business in Network Marketing and secure wealth for you and your family for a long time.
The message is this; realize that every action step you are taking, although you may not be seeing the immediate results, is moving you closer to the goal. Network Marketing is one of those businesses where the “fruits of labor” are sometimes far removed from the actual production. In a traditional business, you buy inventory, sell a widget, and realize a profit. It is much easier to stay motivated and plugged in when you have this immediate gratification concept. But in Network Marketing, you have to have patience and FAITH that all this work will pay off down the road.
Part of the equation is persistence. Persistence that; no matter what happens, you will not quit. One tool that I use is when something occurs that could be perceived as a negative, I use it as fuel to push me harder instead of letting it deflate me. Anyone that has succeeded in this life, whether it be financial, charitable, love, relationships, whatever, has had persistence as a main ingredient to their success.
One more point. Remember above when I said, “I was only thinking of Jim’s well-being”? This is a very important aspect to Network Marketing success; it is natural to want for yourself and think about yourself when building a business, but the quicker you can get to a point that a successful business is about benefiting others, the quicker things will explode. After learning some hard lessons in year one, I had a major shift in my thinking; worry about how you can be of service to others above all else. The wealthiest people on this earth, whether it be financial, joy, fulfillment, are those that have helped the most people. Build your business based on helping others and you will be amazed.
If you are in the beginning stages of building your Network Marketing business or are at a point where you are stuck in your business, I hope I was able to illustrate the importance of NOT GIVING UP. The only way a person fails in any endeavor is to quit. Therefore, realize your potential, keep your faith, and be persistent with the action steps you have been taught. It will come to fruition some day!
For other Network Marketing training, visit my channel on You Tube or visit my website.
Ben & The Balance You Need
Ben Mueller: Professional Network Marketer.
