Secure Your Future by Building a Strong Foundation

John has a degree in finance. He was fortunate to get a reliable job after 2 temporary engagements. He worked in the accounts department of an international organization. The pay was fair and he could survive on it, though not as comfortably as he would have wished.
One day, Martin – a good friend of his – requested him to accompany him to some place. He tried to find out some details about the place they were going to but his friend would not volunteer any information. He trusted Martin and so he decided to wait and discover what the big secret was.

The two friends arrived at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). They walked into a big hall. The venue seemed to be all set for an event. There was a red carpet right from the door. There were balloons and other decorations on the podium. A few smartly dressed young men and women were speaking is small groups. Martin welcomed him to the event and told him to feel at home as he was going to enjoy the day. They two of them sat down somewhere close to the podium and engaged in small talk as they waited for the event to begin. It did not take time for the hall to fill up. Soon the event began.

John was definitely curious to know what the event was about. Speaker after speaker walked to the podium and spoke about their personal experiences. Many things were spoken but one speaker caught John’s eye; an immaculately dressed gentleman whom he assessed to be in his mid-30s. The gentleman spoke with passion. He was clearly excited about what he was talking about. He shared his experience about how he had struggled with debts for years, ranging from student loan to car loan, credit card debt, his mother’s medical bills and much more. He said that it was only after he discovered this opportunity that he was able to take charge of his financial situation. John sized him up and could see that he carried himself like someone who was doing quite well. A number of people – both men and women – were called to the podium and awarded. There was a lot of excitement in the hall.

John found himself questioning some things about his own life. He had a stable job with a regular income, but he borrowed a lot. He was still paying a car loan that he took 2 years ago. He wanted to undertake a Master’s degree but he was still not financially stable enough to be able to finance the studies. He definitely wanted to know more about the opportunity that was being discussed today. At the end of the event, Martin introduced him to one of the gentlemen who had been called to the podium for recognition. The three of them sat together. The gentleman introduced himself as George. “What have you liked about today’s event, John?” he asked. John could hardly wait to learn the secrets to transforming his finances, and he went straight to the point; he wanted to know how to be successful in this opportunity. That was how John got introduced into network marketing.

He registered for the opportunity at the end of the month and was ready to begin his journey to financial freedom. The journey did not turn out to be as easy and straightforward as he expected. He showed the opportunity to his brother who told him that he had been scammed. He could not agree with his brother’s opinion as he felt that it was wrong. It did not take him long to discover that most people had a very negative opinion about network marketing. Two months down the road and he had not sold a single product, had no one in his team. One day he was waiting for someone outside a building in the city, next to a book vendor. He decided to kill time by checking on the books that were on sale. He picked different books and checked them out. He fell in love with one book; The Business of The 21st Century by Robert Kiyosaki. He checked out a few chapters and he liked what he was reading. He bought the book. That day marked the turning point for John. He fell in love with what he read and that sparked a hunger for knowledge. He invested in more books and audiobooks. He always had a book in his laptop bag as well as in his office drawer. He would read over lunch break and in his free time. He would listen to audiobooks in his car as he drove from one place to another.

John did not make much money his first two years in network marketing but he already loved the business model and was not going to quit. He started seeing some results the third year. He resigned from his job after 4 years of doing network marketing part time. By that time, the income from network marketing was more than twice his salary. He was also enjoying other benefits such as training allowances and an occasional holiday paid for by the company. He was ready to give network marketing his undivided attention.

Build A Successful Network Marketing Business and Secure Your Future

There is a story I really love because it clearly brings out the journey of an entrepreneur. It is the story of the Chinese bamboo. A farmer planted seeds of the wonder tree. For 4 years he watered the ground where he planted the seeds but the ground remained bare. In the meantime, the farmer planted other crops to sustain his family as he waited for the bamboo tree to grow. He kept watering the seeds for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years. For all those years he earned nothing from the bamboo tree that he had planted. He had nothing to show for it, no results. Everything changed in the 5th year. You can watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFDmrLGgYM

Many people join network marketing expecting to become millionaires within a few months. That is what I call unrealistic expectations. If it was that easy to become a millionaire, everyone would be one. On average, it takes around 20 years of sustained effort to become a millionaire, the field notwithstanding. If you are in professional sports, the process can take a shorter period of time than that, but the preparation will be intensive and only a small fraction of the population succeed in professional sports. My son plays professional rugby so I know how intensive the process to becoming successful in professional sports is. There are very many people who fall along the wayside, sometimes the body just gives way and the person has to quit because of injuries. I have seen my son unable to play for months as he recovers from injuries. During the preparation period, you put in but get no returns on your investment.

Not everyone who joins network marketing will become a millionaire, even if they stay with it long enough. Let us look at some of the factors that determine whether one will actually go on to become a millionaire or not. Learn the tips and create your own luck.

Work harder on yourself than on the business

Very many people in this world work hard all their lives and end up retiring poor and dependent on others. Working hard is important but is not enough. To rise to the top in any field, BECOME, and then DO. That means that you work hard at transforming yourself otherwise you become just another hard worker like everyone else. Invest in yourself. Get rid of limiting beliefs that hold you back. Master your thought patterns. Build your self-confidence. Become a person who attracts success. Become the person who believes that you deserve to become successful. Believe, really believe. It takes work to transform your mindset, and many never achieve it so they sabotage themselves over and over again even as they work hard.

Constantly Expand Your Networks

A baby is not born today then goes to university next year. The people you bring into your network marketing organization are like new born babes, they take time to grow and become competent in building the business. You become more successful as people in your organization get results. Think of a young professional who graduates from the university, probably as a lawyer or doctor. What are the chances of him rising to the top in his field? How long will he take to get there? Is it all about hard work? When he is starting out in his career, he is unlikely to have the who’s who as his clients. Why? The who’s who already have a long relationship with their lawyer or doctor, who was probably a high school buddy, a childhood friend or someone they have faced many challenges with over the years. They are not looking for such a professional. It takes time to build solid relationships.

Create your own luck. Have as many people out there who have nice feelings towards you, who would not hesitate to recommend you or your services to someone else. Avoid burning bridges. The Bible advices “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18). It is normally not possible to live at peace with each and every one because just about everyone has critics and people who differ with his position. But try as much as possible to live at peace with everyone, to the extent which it can be done. That security man or gardener in your neighbourhood might not seem like much, but one he might just work for someone who could open doors to greatness for you so don’t despise or mistreat him. Promote brand you to one and all. Let everyone know what service you offer. What good will it do for people to have warm feelings towards you yet they have no clue what service they can seek from you or recommend you for? Do more than you are paid for. Have a network of satisfied customers. Make it a habit to go the extra mile. You just might never know when one of the people you serve will put in a word in the right circles and give you the big break.

Be Persistent

Keep on doing good and don’t tire. A seed is not planted today and harvested tomorrow. It takes time for the people in the circles of a young professional to grow in their own fields and become successful enough to give him good contracts. Acquiring the necessary skills and expertise in order to attract the serious clients is also a journey; it takes time. The young professional will get there some day. His childhood friends and campus classmates will also grow to become successful, own some serious businesses and contract him as their lawyer. Rising to the top in any field is a journey and has a learning curve. So when anyone tells me that network marketing does not work because they tried it for a few months or probably a couple of years and did not make the big money, I would like that person to learn from the story of the Chinese bamboo. Just like the farmer described in that story, make your network marketing journey a 5 to 10 year journey. Continue watering your seeds even as you grow other crops to sustain yourself and your family till your Chinese bamboo finally grows.

My advice is; begin your network marketing business on part time basis. Keep doing whatever else you are doing until you double your current income, then you can go full time. Be persistent. Keep going no matter how hard the going gets. Don’t ever put yourself in a situation of desperation by expecting to earn a full time income from network marketing during your first one or two years. That is the no. 1 reason why many give up and quit; they want the Chinese bamboo to grow at the speed of beans; it does not work.

Susan Catherine Keter is a network marketing professional, personal development mentor, life coach and blogger. Catch me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Financial.Literacy.Africa/?pnref=lhc