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                         M A S T E R   N E T W O R K E R
                          The Art of Building A business
                                by Lon Lindsey
                 MASTER NETWORKER Number 107    October 28, 2003

                   FALSE EXPECTATIONS - The Epidemic In MLM Today

                    THE LEADING CAUSE OF DOWNLINE ATTRITION

How would you like to spend hard earned money and valuable time
sponsoring ten people into your chosen MLM program one month, only
to have five to eight of them quit after only their first month?

I'm seeing this very thing happen right before my own eyes and it is
happening again and again, over and over.   It has very little to do with
whether the cost is $149.95 or $24.95 monthly.  The cost is not the
real problem.  It doesn't matter if sponsoring is done via mail order or via 
Internet marketing.   I am seeing a 50% - 80% drop-out rate taking place 
and that is within a month of people signing up.  It has never been so high 
as it is now.  I remember the days one could expect a 25% attrition rate, 
but you can double that now.

I have been involved in MLM for over 20 years and never have I seen
such an attrition rate taking place in MLM companies.  There are
several reasons for this, but the major cause is "FALSE
EXPECTATIONS!"

Most industry experts will tell you the main reason for this huge
industry problem is the numerous business opportunities that are
available and although that is certainly a factor, the number one
cause of MLM drop out is false expectations.

It's almost a "catch-22" problem now because of the nature of
people.  You see, people respond to offers based on what THEY WANT
TO HEAR.  People not only want to make big money, they want to make
big money FAST!  It's even more than a "want" right now.  People
NEED money NOW!  

The problem extends beyond the need for big money now.  People are
so busy being in a survival mode, they don't have the time to do
what is necessary to effectively build a long-term residual income
business.  So, not only do they want big money fast, they want it
without having to do much of anything because they don't have the
time.  That doesn't even address the need to have a business-
building budget which requires even more money.  You know, the "it
takes money to make money" concept is not a well received concept
these days.

Here is the problem!  In order for us to get the attention of others
so they will at least take a look at what is available, we say things 
like "MAKE BIG MONEY NOW AS YOU WORK TOWARD A $10,000 MONTHLY
INCOME WITHIN SIX MONTHS WITHOUT HAVING TO SELL ANYTHING OR RECRUIT
ANYONE." 

Can you believe there are people who actually believe that and some believe 
it two or three times until they finally figure it out that it is all "hype."

Do you know what is sad?  Placing truthful, meaningful ads of
integrity doesn't get much response because people are attracted to
the "hype" because the hype tells them what they want to hear.  The
hype sells the next step of finding out what the opportunity is all about.  
Then they get email after email of confirmations why they don't have to do 
anything on their way to making all this fast money if they will just join this 
next fantastic program.

Quite frankly, I'm sick of it all!  We have propagated a lottery mentality and even 
the professional networkers of the past are now buying into the big money/little 
work hype.    Maybe they are doing so just to compete, but I can't believe they 
are doing it because they actually believe it.  Heck, they know what they had to 
do to build a business and how long it took them to persist over time.

Guess who your complainers and whiners are going to be?  Guess who
are going to be the ones you are going to be spending most of your
time with?  Guess who won't know what to do and guess who will
just move on when you tell them what you really have to do?  Heck, 
guess who can't tell them what to do because they got involved under
the auspices that they didn't have to do anything?  That's right . . the sponsor!

Guess where your energies will go to because they have a
way to get your attention?  Yes, it is those people who we have
attracted based on false expectations.  They will demand, complain,
expect you to teach them everything and then they will fault you for
their not making any money.  Could it be we got what we asked for?
Are we attracting the wrong kind of people with our hype?

The Internet has really done a number on this because people see the
Internet as the "do it fast and easy" route to making money.  They
have no idea what it takes to get a person to just read an email let
alone actually go to a specific website and then to take the time to
read what is on it.

You see, it happens this way.  People latch onto what they want to
hear.  They want to believe the hype and after some arm twisting and
smooth "this is different" talk, they actually believe what they
hear.  Next they see the rest of the story . . . the additional
money and time it will take and then when they find out it just 
wasn't what they were led to believe, they begin having second
thoughts and start questioning their own decision and they move on
to the next hyped opportunity or in some cases then decide that MLM
is one big scam.  

I've listened to person after person who can't understand why they 
are not making any money when they haven't even done anything to 
create a business so they could make money.   The problem for many
is not that they can't read on a 5th grade reading level, it the fact they
don't want to read at all.  Let's just do and let's just make some money.
Yeah!/Right!

It really is a sad state of affairs as to what is going on in the MLM
industry these days, but you know what?  It's bigger than MLM.  It's
a societal problem.  Even the courts propagate it by awarding people
money for such things as a hot cup of coffee or less.  People no longer
want to take responsibility for themselves.  It's someone else's responsibility
thus someone else's fault.  People, we now live in a "me" society and MLM is 
simply a reflection of society in general.

You see, it is not how fast a person can build a business, but how
solid a business a person can build.  Why sponsor ten people only to
find 5 - 10 of them don't even order product their second month?

                    WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

As negative as I may sound, I still believe in the MLM concept.  I have just lost
faith in people and society in general.

What is the answer for those willing to work?   Well, we are back to where 
we were years ago. Building a solid business requires being able to realistically talk
about a business opportunity and what they can expect over time
based on truthful expectations rather than unrealistic hype.  

What this means is people have to be in the business of building
relationships as they share something with others.  Sponsoring
people into a business is a process and not an event.  Being real
with people and keeping their expectations in order will go a long
way toward building a solid business organization.

Lon Lindsey
Publisher