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21st Century MLM Survival Guide - Part 2

Posted by khai
July 20, 2008

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image Choosing Your Team

Let’s face it. It is not uncommon for people to move from one MLM company to another. I guess it is the hallmark of a true networker - ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’!

If you do find yourself in a situation where you have to make a choice to join a new opportunity, either you’ve just left your previous MLM company (for whatever reasons) or you are new to MLM and you are eager to participate in an opportunity because you are finally convinced about the viability of the business…

But hold your horses! Make sure you consider the following criteria before you get sponsored by someone (or someone else). After all, it is a bad idea to mix rational business decisions with emotional decisions which you might regret later on.

Without further ado, let’s see what are the hallmarks of a good upline and the criteria which you should base your choice on.

Experience In Network Marketing

A good upline is definitely someone who has lots of experience in network marketing.

Of course, I’m not implying that you have to be down in the trenches for years to make a good upline, but experience can really come in handy because they will guide you and show you what to do when you are facing struggles in your business.

Proximity

There are pros and cons of having an upline either near your house or if they are based overseas.

Near: There is this Chinese saying (direct translation) that goes - better to have neighbors that are nearby than relatives that are far, far away. This means that when your upline is around, you will be able to counsel regularly with your upline and build the bond with him and his team. Of course, the cons are that most people take their upline for granted… especially when they are always around. Be careful - don’t cut open the caterpillar’s cocoon otherwise, the butterfly will grow up ‘crippled’. It is the struggle of independence that makes a distributor a strong one - and through independence, will someone take ownership of their business.

Far: When your upline is too far away, you will have difficulties communicating with him and leveraging on his assets. In other words, you will have to do everything on your own. Of course, as I’ve mentioned above, most people need to be independent in MLM otherwise they will not be building their business but rather, their upline’s business.

Friendship Versus Strangers

It is implied that most people don’t choose their first network marketing company but the company is chosen by their first upline. This is quite normal actually because the new distributor’s mind has to be opened by someone they trust or someone they are comfortable with. That is why friendship plays an important role when it comes to having a good upline.

However, just because your sponsor is your best friend doesn’t mean that he is a good upline. Remember, there is a clear line between business and friendship and when you try and mix the two together, your friendship will no doubt, be tested.

Even if you are sponsored by a complete stranger, it is still okay because you can build the friendship as the business progresses. Bear in mind though, too much ‘friendship’ can even get in the way in your business if you are not taking your upline seriously. That is the problem with being sponsored by your friend because you might not take your good old ‘beer drinking buddy - Joe’ seriously as an upline. In this case, keeping the business strictly business is good when you are dealing with an upline who is a stranger.

Values 

A good upline is also someone who practices ethical values. Beware the upline who thinks he is above the law… especially when it comes to company policies.

If they do not abide the ethics of their team - especially when it comes to line pinching (prospecting people who have already been contacted by other teams or sidelines), do not be surprised if one day, your prospects wind up directly sponsored under your sponsor (hence, your prospect becomes your side line).

These are things that you will have to work out with your upline. Upline-Downline positioning is very important so make sure you discuss the genealogy building with him especially when you guys are common friends.

Besides that, a good upline is also someone who is kind, considerate and willing to go all out for you and your team. Is your upline someone who is calculative? Someone who is not willing to help a downline that is beyond their pay level (too deep in the network to be worth his time?) Or is your upline someone who is willing to treat all his downlines as his children and help anyone who is in need? These kind of uplines are a gem to have.

Leadership And Credibility

A good upline is also someone who can lead.

If an upline has good credibility, you can leverage on that and bring your prospects to him. That is the best thing about credibility in MLM, if you don’t have it, you can always borrow it from your uplines or your side lines.

You must be able to respect your upline and follow his lead - otherwise, you will be self-sabotaging your own business. Imagine this - if you don’t respect ONE upline, what if you have 15 downlines and they duplicate this? Then you will have a headache because 15 of them won’t respect you!

If your sponsor can’t lead, make sure you counsel with HIS upline and seek leadership counsel.

Are You Ready To Make A Decision?

Now that you are clear about what a good upline is, you can make a choice if you are still in the choosing process.

You don’t need to join someone just because they prospected you first. You always have a choice. Don’t feel obliged because they ‘went to all that trouble’. It is YOUR business and being under the wrong team will definitely affect your future in a negative way. Take your time and choose the right person because it is a long term decision.

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About the Author:

Khai is a network marketing analyst who specializes in online traffic generation, direct-response copywriting and has great great interests in dissecting MLM compensation plans. He has authored many network marketing e-books and has generated thousands of dollars on autopilot MLM income on the Internet.

Check out his site for more information about making money online.

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