By Ron Kushner
What makes this business work? What causes people to join an opportunity? Once they join, what causes some to drop out and others to become successful?
Drop-outs
Once someone joins a particular opportunity, as long as the program is legitimate, has a decent compensation plan, is run honestly and has a sound system that can be readily implemented and duplicated by new people, only three things can happen:
- The person makes a small but steady profit and is happy with the extra money on a regular basis.
- The person will become very successful and wealthy.
- The person will become discouraged and drop out after a relatively short amount of time.
Let’s explore the reasons why people quit.
Many have put out the idea that success in network marketing requires a minimum effort and a minimum of one’s time. Unfortunately, the truth is the opposite. This business requires a lot of work, especially in the first few years.
Most programs are simple but not easy. It does take hard work along with persistence. Those who stick it out are offered a very realistic path to financial freedom.
However, when faced with the hard work, many people simply give up. They want to become rich with no effort. Unfortunately, it will never happen.
Fortunately, network marketing is fun. It becomes very lucrative after a few years but the hard work involves prospecting many people to end up with just a few who are also willing to work hard over the next few years. There are so many programs promising wealth within a month, a million dollars the first year, hundreds of checks in your mailbox daily that it’s no wonder people drop out of a legitimate business to “get the gold” quickly.
When it doesn’t happen, folks looking to get-rich-quick end up quitting opportunity after opportunity and eventually saying “none of these programs work”!
Lack of Persistence and False Promises
Another cause for dropping out is the lack of persistence. There is no sustained effort and their desire just isn’t strong enough.
Then there are the false promises or lots of hype to join an opportunity with no support afterward. This is what happens in many programs. People join and then are left to their own devices. There is no one to talk to on a regular basis to help them, answer their questions and make sure they are doing the correct things to insure their success in the program. They become a bit lost and their initial enthusiasm and incentive disappears.
Trying to Get Out Of Your Own Way
Here’s just a quick laundry list of reasons for defeat – do any of these “ring a bell” for you?
- No organized and defined plan of action and goal in writing.
- The initial desire for something that caused you to join in the first place never became more than a wish or a prayer for something. It was certainly never concentrated upon every day.
- Unrealistic goals, such as over night riches with no capital investment. Every business opportunity will require some amount of up front cost for marketing, supplies, postage, etc. to get it going. Not having adequate funds in the beginning to commit to the business is a source for concern and reason for some to drop out.
- Blaming others for their lack of marketing skills with excuses such as, “people don’t want to join”, or “it’s too expensive”, just to name a few.
- Willingness, even eagerness to quit at the first sign of frustration, discouragement or defeat.
- Lack of interest in acquiring knowledge and training in marketing, sales, advertising, etc.
- Fear of criticism. What people might think or say is stronger than the desire for success.
- Some folks are not coachable and don’t want to duplicate the systems that their company or sponsors present.
Are You Spending Time on the Wrong People?
Many quitters are wasting time with the wrong people. Most newcomers to an opportunity want to bring everyone they come in contact with into the business. They think everyone will love it!
They don’t realize that 97% of all people have no interest whatsoever in a home-based business or bettering their financial position in any way; that only 3% of everyone they talk to may be interested. That’s only 3 people out of every 100 contacted who might be interested. Quitters didn’t learn to let the others go! They didn’t concentrate on the 3% that would have made them rich!
Positive Mindset
Many have a lack of positive emotions influencing the mind. Fear, greed, and superstition outweigh desire and enthusiasm.
Are you aiming at riches; and instead, compromising with poverty?
Bad Habits vs. Good Habits
Never creating a habit of working the program can prevent any possible success. Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes a part of the daily experiences upon which it feeds. If anyone wonders and doubts and considers that these programs “don’t work”, they will fail. When one is in doubt, more doubt is created and results are not produced.
Whatever one thinks, they are right. If they decide they can’t, they won’t.
Procrastination is usually backed up by excuses:
- not enough money to market or advertise
- not a good time – too hot in summer, too close to holidays, etc.
- not enough time to work the program.
Every day one procrastinates is a day of opportunity lost.
To be continued next month with Part 3 “Becoming Successful”.