Dealing with broke people in network marketing has been a challenge for some time. In this blog post, I want to share when and how to help broke and nearly broke people have success.
For many network marketers, this will require a drastic change in thinking. During my years in network marketing, I have witnessed a culture of teaching networkers to avoid broke people and what was known as the broke mentality and to never accept the “no money” excuse for not joining the business.
When to help broke people in network marketing
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big proponent of recruiting up, not down. All of my marketing is geared in that direction. If too many of the leads you generate are broke, you need to examine your marketing.
But don’t turn your back on people who are broke or nearly broke until you know their story. If they are constantly broke because of bad behaviors such as laziness, poor budgeting, and over spending, they are not worth your time. They don’t need a network marketing mentor, they need a counselor and a change in behavior.
However, someone who is recently broke or nearly broke due to loss of employment, health, or family emergency may be a different story. If they are serious and truly motivated, they can be well worth your time. Recently I’ve come across an unbelievable number of talented, educated, hard working people who have fallen on tough circumstances. It’s a sign of the times. Help them the right way and they can be a super addition to your team!
How to help broke people have success
Industry-wide, network marketers have been taught that if someone wanted financial freedom bad enough, they would find a way to come up with the money to get started in your primary business.
But here’s the reality. Encouraging a prospect to make an investment beyond their means is just not right. I’ve lost track of how many times a prospect has jeopardized their next house payment or run up an already close to maxed-out credit card to join a business where the odds of success are against them. Broke or close to broke people have dug themselves into an even deeper hole this way.
Many network marketing businesses are expensive to start, especially for those in a financial jam. On top of that, many businesses have high monthly purchase requirements or require expensive marketing tools and advertising. Worst of all, many provide a lousy system that limits success anyway.
Well here’s the good news. I’ve found a solution for broke people. I use it myself. We include it in our team’s system and training. It’s a feeder program where they can learn the basics of network marketing, be part of a team, start building their list, and earn some money to join and build a good primary business.
Follow this approach and you, too, can help broke people in network marketing.
To your success,
Joe Barclay