If you’ve spent any time in network or multi-level marketing, you know that more important than any product or plan is the ability to generate good leads over and over again.

Most of us jump into this seemingly lucrative business of leveraged efforts and downline work by focusing on not much more than the “circles” and layers we need to maintain to meet our monthly sales volumes. In doing so, we probably miss the most important aspect of any sales operation, that of using our efforts where they count most: introducing our product or service to those who really want what we offer… instead of those who feel compelled or they react. to an enthusiasm that few of us could sustain in the long term.

Lead Generation: The Most Underrated Asset In MLM/Network Marketing

Unfortunately, the result is often a quick but short trip to what appears to be a corporate utopia… until the friends and acquaintances we so vigorously recruit realize this business is not for them. We are then left with having to purchase more product to ensure our monthly volume is met. Too often, a few months later, we find out that our entrepreneurial dream was actually the biggest spending spree we’ve ever had, and we quit… until the next “ground floor opportunity” presents itself.

Despite our best intentions not to fail again, we often fall into the same rut thinking that this “new” plan or product offers potential that was somehow missing from all the others before it. When you take a closer look, you’ll find that the factor for success isn’t tied so much to a particular product or plan, but more to an individual’s ability to generate leads—good leads.

What are good leads? Those prospects who really thirst for what you have to offer…not the ones you have to beg, trick, or promote!

Look beyond the familiar for your business prospects

Chances are, if you count on your circle of acquaintances as an indicator of success in your new marketing effort, protect your savings with a lock and key, since you’ll likely spend more than you’ll generate through your next effort.

To be successful in MLM/network marketing, you need to be able to create a downline of people who match or exceed your level of enthusiasm for the business. More often than not, this will require stepping outside of your environment from both a relational and a geographical perspective.

You know it’s a numbers game. Do you really know enough people to get the numbers needed to develop a truly effective downline? The Internet has taken marketing to levels of effectiveness that were never thought of a few years ago. If you’re not using this essential tool, your “reach” to potential leads will be severely limited.

Minimize your prospecting expenses – Increase your conversion effectiveness

Obviously easier said than done, you can do a lot for your bottom line and overall effectiveness by learning how to use the free or cheap marketing mediums the internet has to offer, like ezines, landing pages, articles, etc. Today’s “Average Joe” can accomplish much for his own business that public relations specialists were hired to do for considerable sums not long ago.

Learning to write effective copy and taking advantage of pre-sales opportunities are skills that will pay off more than any MLM product or program you come across…because the core product is you and not some entity that could change at any moment.

Unlike print, TV, and radio, the Internet offers a truly affordable and increasingly effective means of reaching the people you need to reach through media such as pay-per-click ads, forums, or even creating your own website. However, the caveat is that ineffective use of these tools could result in spending significant time and/or money for little or no results when not used correctly.

Celebrate the formula instead of the product or program

When you can understand and find joy in the MLM/Network Marketing formula rather than the particular product or plan you might be currently involved with, it will become almost impossible for you not to succeed.

Successful marketing is more about getting the right people together than finding the right product or plan. Look for opportunities to learn how to target and recruit your prospects in a way that you are personally comfortable with, and the rest will follow. It is an understanding that you will take in any business venture you decide to undertake, an understanding that will undoubtedly be your most important factor in success!

Create a website that offers information… instead of a pitch

By now, we hope you’re convinced to become a resource in your chosen field rather than a virtual sales machine, as that’s how you’ll set yourself apart from the “others” out there. Building a website can be one of the greatest assets you develop, if you do it right.

A website that provides visitors with genuine and correctly presented information will establish you as authoritative and sincere and enhance the offer presented to them. Of course, this assumes that you intend to keep all of your promises.

All of this may sound like a lot of work, but remember that a good website generates a steady stream of traffic every day without continually sending inbound links to drive traffic. Instead, a properly prepared site will generate a steady stream of traffic, the kind you’re looking for… people with a genuine interest in your product or service.