| In his book, "Super Prospecting: Special | | | | to a desire to find a program that will in |
| Offers and Quick-start Systems", Tom "Big Al" | | | | some way do the work for him...make income |
| Schreiter tells the story of an old | | | | for him. Unfortunately, network marketing is |
| lumberjack who observed a young lumberjack | | | | a business...albeit a special kind of |
| laboring to chop down a tree. After watching | | | | business...and it works best when worked |
| the youngster work himself to nearly | | | | certain ways. Many successful network |
| exhaustion without accomplishing much, the | | | | marketers have written many excellent books |
| old man said, "Looks to me like it'd be | | | | and articles on the subject, and there are |
| easier if you sharpened the axe."To which the | | | | marketing and internet marketing training |
| younger man replied before returning to his | | | | programs available for those who wish to |
| attack on the tree, "I don't have time to | | | | learn. Some colleges are even offering |
| sharpen the axe, I have to get this tree cut | | | | courses and classes on network marketing and |
| down."Now, it seems obvious to most of us | | | | internet marketing.People going into network |
| that a sharp axe would probably make the work | | | | marketing should be doing more than simply |
| go faster and easier. The young lumberjack | | | | listening to the person who recruits them and |
| would be able to cut down more trees with | | | | scanning the company literature. If they |
| less work just by taking a few minutes to | | | | were hired to do any job they had never done |
| sharpen his axe. Prepare his tools. Learn | | | | before, no matter how menial, they would |
| his trade, you might say!You know, it's | | | | recognize the need to familiarize themselves |
| funny. Most of us have no problem seeing the | | | | with the business and how it is conducted. |
| point of that story, but everyday, people | | | | Especially if they intended to rise in the |
| sign up for network marketing programs and | | | | business and succeed.A few books the |
| then start hacking away with very blunt axes! | | | | beginning network marketer might want to read |
| Most of these folks have no idea of what | | | | are: |
| network marketing is, how to go about it, or | | | | |
| how to measure success.I recently received an | | | | |
| email from a gentleman interested in getting | | | | |
| into network marketing. He asked some very | | | | Super Prospecting: Special Offers & |
| insightful questions, but one demonstrated | | | | Quick-Start Systems by Tom "Big Al" Schreiter |
| his misunderstanding of most genuine network | | | | |
| marketing programs.He asked, if I remember | | | | Your First Year In Network Marketing by Mark |
| correctly, how long it would take to make a | | | | and Rene Yarnell |
| significant income from a certain network | | | | |
| marketing program, and seemed to indicate | | | | The Wave 4 Way To Building Your Downline by |
| that he would expect a sucessful program to | | | | Richard Poe (and several others) |
| generate an income of about $48,000 or more | | | | |
| within a relatively short period of time. | | | | The Greatest Networker In The World by John |
| Otherwise, he would consider it a scam.Well, | | | | Milton Fogg |
| honestly, I guess my two friends who I often | | | | |
| hold up as examples somehow missed that | | | | Off-The-Wall Marketing Ideas by Nancy |
| point. It took each of them about three | | | | Michaels and Debbi J. Karpowicz |
| years in perfectly legitimate programs to | | | | |
| begin making money anything like what my | | | | |
| correspondent expected. At that point, by | | | | |
| the way, their incomes began to grow | | | | These tend to be a little old but can |
| exponentially until they were taking home | | | | probably be found thru Amazon.com, and they |
| over $100,000.00 a month. We'll say nothing | | | | are excellent education for the beginning |
| about countless Avon ladies who are network | | | | network marketer.The person who fails to |
| marketers and whose income from network | | | | educate himself or herself about network |
| marketing is less than $20,000.00 a year, who | | | | marketing in general and their chosen |
| consider themselves successfully affiliated | | | | business in particular, has chosen to fail. |
| with an honest company.Or, I guess I should | | | | Like the young lumberjack, they will flail at |
| be concerned about my affiliation with a | | | | the tree until their strength or motivation |
| nationally recognized company (you've | | | | fails them, and then they will wander into |
| probably seen their commercials on prime | | | | the forest...perhaps complaining loudly about |
| time). The first year, I only made a few | | | | trees, axes, lumberjacks...anything but |
| hundred dollars. The second year a few | | | | themselves. They will not know why they |
| thousand. I'm in my fifth year with them, | | | | failed, how they could have succeeded, or how |
| and I am now making the magical number...a | | | | to measure success.Their axes will be dull, |
| six figure income from that program alone. I | | | | indeed.The author is retired from the Army |
| presently have over 200 fully satisfied | | | | after 21 years of service, has worked as an |
| customers and tons of repeat business. Not | | | | accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant |
| what I would call a scam!I don't mean to | | | | manager, and instructor. He has been a member |
| insult the gentleman who sent me the | | | | of Mensa for several years, and has written |
| question. His questions were valid, and I | | | | and published poetry, essays, and articles on |
| understand his concerns and applaud his | | | | various subjects for the last 40 years. He |
| attempt to gain some insight into network | | | | has been an active internet marketer since |
| marketing. However, it appears his | | | | 2000, and now makes his living online. |
| understanding of network marketing is limited | | | | |