Mention Network Marketing to most business people and they run a mile, however, there is so much this ubiquitous business can teach us about how to sell effectively in any kind of business. My friend and long term stalwart of Multi Level Marketing revealed to me his new powerful secret.

I remember it well. I was 17 years old. It was the early 1980’s and my first ever Sales role as an Amway distributor. After meeting all my mentors and receiving some very slick sales training, we were sitting at home, all alone with a big telephone and a list of all our friends and colleagues.

Our mission was to call 100 people just to get at least 2 to turn up to a meeting to see the opportunity. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done and after 20 calls I was beaten to the core and guess what, not one single person turned up?

The people that I did call avoided me when they saw me like I was some kind of leper or religious fanatic, not in touch with normal life. It really hurt my popularity and when you are 17 your popularity is as important as your music. The experience haunted me for a long time.

I saw the money people made in Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) but my own belief system kicked in to justify why I could not make a lot of money in it.

Excuses like ‘You have to be a little socially inept to be good at MLM and be blind to when people are ridiculing you.

Then just recently I met up with one of my best friends in UK for a coffee, and he has been a product of MLM since I knew him in 1990. I asked him how things are going and he said you would not believe the changes. As a person interested in any sales work and changes to the industry I was intrigued.

He told me: “Now we sieve people to find the leaders. Remember back in the day we were told to work the numbers? Speak to 20 people a day and draw circles (the plan) at least once a day, to eventually get your 6 leaders who have a team all selling your main products. The revenue commission through these teams means you have reached the MLM Elysium of time and money.”

I asked him further about this ‘sieving’ process.

He Continued, “Well, now instead of speaking with 20 people a day, which as you know is hard to do, you have to find new venues with new people all the time, because you eventually run out of contacts to speak to. Now when people ask us what we do, we tell them a bit about ourselves and say ‘Just recently I was accepted by a team of very wealthy and financial business people into their circle to learn the secrets of wealth,’ and we leave it right there, not another word. If the people say, ‘oh good’ and then talks about something else you know!’

“You know what?” I replied, now very interested.

“You know if they are a potential leader,” he said. “However, if they say, ‘Tell me more’, well then, we keep composure, and tell them that it’s a very stringent process, I mean they don’t just accept anyone. It’s not just about education or certificates any more. As we well know, education on its own does not in any way equal time and money wealth. It’s aptitude they’re looking for and again wait to see what their reaction is. A leader will be in your face asking to know more, and how to get in the circle.”

“If they are really keen, we then tell them we cannot promise anything and we will get in touch. Leave our card with them, then over the next few weeks you wait to see if they call you.”

“Wow, this is all brand new,” I replied. “A far cry from MLM in the beginning which was all ‘back foot’ selling.

Are you thinking, “This is starting to sound familiar now?”

“Yup”, my friend said very confidently. “We are in complete control over the situation at all times. The ones that keep calling after you have ignored them a few times are then ‘accepted’ and put into a questionnaire process, whereby they get asked numerous questions online to see how good their aptitude really is, and what they understand about the meaning of the ‘sacrifice to wealth journey’.”

“After quite an exhaustive process we hope the non-leaders will fall out and forget it. The real leaders will have come so far, so at this time, they get to meet the team and more interviews. It actually takes a few months now to groom for business acumen.”

“I love it, and it saves you months of heartache; no shows, people avoiding you, the crazy stares!” I told him.

“Oh, that MLM is dead and buried now, and so are the websites you see every day with images of freedom, cars houses, beaches, etc. It’s so materialistic and it’s all so antiquated. People know you have to work for your dream, that nothing comes easy. We don’t use those old platitudes any more. We need business people not hopeless dreamers!”

My friend and I have helped each other out over many years. I always loved what he did, and he saw me start my own business and has always supported me in my endevour. We go to each other’s seminars and learn what we can. Our advice for one another has been so useful him coming for a basic B2C environment and me B2B.

The one lesson I learned from our chat the other day is that sales is not about persuasion. Sure, billions have been sold using this method over the last 100 years but that is why sales got a bad name because if you sell based on being able to beat someone in a mental game, then after you leave, they will feel cheated somewhat.

Sales is about making people come to their own logic about what would work for them and leading them to their own conclusions and knowing what your customer needs.

It is about having a product or service so powerful people come to you and never you having to go to them.

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