Network Marketing: How Sharp Is Your Axe?

In his book, "Super Prospecting: Special Offers andinto network marketing. However, it appears his
Quick-start Systems", Tom "Big Al" Schreiter tells theunderstanding of network marketing is limited to a
story of an old lumberjack who observed a youngdesire to find a program that will in some way do the
lumberjack laboring to chop down a tree. Afterwork for him...make income for him. Unfortunately,
watching the youngster work himself to nearlynetwork marketing is a business...albeit a special kind of
exhaustion without accomplishing much, the old manbusiness...and it works best when worked certain
said, "Looks to me like it'd be easier if you sharpenedways. Many successful network marketers have
the axe."To which the younger man replied beforewritten many excellent books and articles on the
returning to his attack on the tree, "I don't have time tosubject, and there are marketing and internet
sharpen the axe, I have to get this tree cutmarketing training programs available for those who
down."Now, it seems obvious to most of us that awish to learn. Some colleges are even offering
sharp axe would probably make the work go fastercourses and classes on network marketing and
and easier. The young lumberjack would be able to cutinternet marketing.People going into network marketing
down more trees with less work just by taking a fewshould be doing more than simply listening to the
minutes to sharpen his axe. Prepare his tools. Learn hisperson who recruits them and scanning the company
trade, you might say!You know, it's funny. Most of usliterature. If they were hired to do any job they had
have no problem seeing the point of that story, butnever done before, no matter how menial, they would
everyday, people sign up for network marketingrecognize the need to familiarize themselves with the
programs and then start hacking away with very bluntbusiness and how it is conducted. Especially if they
axes! Most of these folks have no idea of whatintended to rise in the business and succeed.A few
network marketing is, how to go about it, or how tobooks the beginning network marketer might want to
measure success.I recently received an email from aread are:
gentleman interested in getting into network marketing.
He asked some very insightful questions, but oneSuper Prospecting: Special Offers & Quick-Start
demonstrated his misunderstanding of most genuineSystems by Tom "Big Al" Schreiter
network marketing programs.He asked, if I rememberYour First Year In Network Marketing by Mark and
correctly, how long it would take to make a significantRene Yarnell
income from a certain network marketing program,The Wave 4 Way To Building Your Downline by
and seemed to indicate that he would expect aRichard Poe (and several others)
sucessful program to generate an income of aboutThe Greatest Networker In The World by John Milton
$48,000 or more within a relatively short period of time.Fogg
Otherwise, he would consider it a scam.Well, honestly, IOff-The-Wall Marketing Ideas by Nancy Michaels and
guess my two friends who I often hold up asDebbi J. Karpowicz
examples somehow missed that point. It took each of
them about three years in perfectly legitimateThese tend to be a little old but can probably be
programs to begin making money anything like whatfound thru Amazon.com, and they are excellent
my correspondent expected. At that point, by the way,education for the beginning network marketer.The
their incomes began to grow exponentially until theyperson who fails to educate himself or herself about
were taking home over $100,000.00 a month. We'll saynetwork marketing in general and their chosen
nothing about countless Avon ladies who are networkbusiness in particular, has chosen to fail. Like the young
marketers and whose income from networklumberjack, they will flail at the tree until their strength
marketing is less than $20,000.00 a year, who consideror motivation fails them, and then they will wander into
themselves successfully affiliated with an honestthe forest...perhaps complaining loudly about trees,
company.Or, I guess I should be concerned about myaxes, lumberjacks...anything but themselves. They will
affiliation with a nationally recognized company (you'venot know why they failed, how they could have
probably seen their commercials on prime time). Thesucceeded, or how to measure success.Their axes
first year, I only made a few hundred dollars. Thewill be dull, indeed.The author is retired from the Army
second year a few thousand. I'm in my fifth year withafter 21 years of service, has worked as an
them, and I am now making the magical number...a sixaccountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager,
figure income from that program alone. I presentlyand instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for
have over 200 fully satisfied customers and tons ofseveral years, and has written and published poetry,
repeat business. Not what I would call a scam!I don'tessays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40
mean to insult the gentleman who sent me theyears. He has been an active internet marketer since
question. His questions were valid, and I understand his2000, and now makes his living online.
concerns and applaud his attempt to gain some insight