Building your team can take a lot of work and be a bit daunting at times. This is especially true when you are just getting started. One thing that is very true for most of us in network marketing is that we put in a lot of hours and learn a lot in our first year in the business. Even the best of us are trying different marketing strategies, honing our communication skills, and building a list of potential customers and business partners. This work often does not return immediate results. It's like a tide brewing where you are building, building, and building and then, finally, you get momentum and everything just falls together. There is no better feeling.
It is easy during this building time to get frustrated. Try and stick with one or two strategies to make sales and build your teams and give them time to grow and show results. A few weeks just is not enough time to build your on-line presence, your local marketing, or your reputation – especially if you are new to the business.
While it may be tempting, do not fall into that quick fix trap by spamming, purchasing mass leads, or putting out quick content with no substance. Avoid putting too much marketing into your friends and family too. In network marketing, you are building relationships and building a reputation. Most, if not all, of the quick fix internet marketing tactics will do more harm than good for your business.
As you are working on building your teams (and your customer base), remember a few key things:
1. Keep your funnel full – I recently heard this from a mentor of mine and it is so true. Keep up the network activities and dedicated time to it on a regular basis. This way you are always adding potential business partners and customers to your realm of influence. It happens time and time again where someone I networked with a year ago is finally ready to buy or join my team. If I had not taken the time to put them into the funnel, and stay connected, I would have missed out on a real opportunity.
2. Relationships NOT sales – it's your skills at telling your story and relationship building that will build your business in the long run. Not those salesman qualities. Listen, share your story, show your enthusiasm in your products and your business, and network. All the rest will fall into place.
3. Take time to Teach – Teach what you know within your team and outside. This benefits the entire network marketing industry and image as through teaching, the facts and real potential of this business model shine true. Also, when you teach others, you empower your team, light a spark in those around you, and learn so much yourself.
4. Stay in Touch – A "no" today may well be a "yes" tomorrow. You want to stay in touch with all of your contacts regardless if they are a current team member or customer. You may have planed the network marketing seed in that person from church you chatted with about the business last year. Make sure you are still in their circle when it's the right time for them to join the business.
Do not get discouraged and keep working it. As long as you network, teach, and focus on relationship building your momentum will grow and so will your business.