So in this post, I want to set the record straight for those who are in fact “Lying” through their teeth but don’t know any better, are teetering on the edge of fakin’ it or are teaching their new recruits to wrongfully fake it.

“Fake It” – It’s Image Today

In today’s fast paced world, it’s all about how much you can get done in the least amount of time possible. How fast can you rise to the top and who can you step on to get there. And to get to the top, you have to feed people an image of who you want to become….not who you really are. Many network marketing companies are doing it the same way. They’re putting all the focus on the rich and wealthy lifestyle, the fancy cars and loads of cash! Work two hours a day and make millions, all from the comfort of your poolside chair. But what they’ve really done is created a monster. They’ve taken the focus from the actual product and have handed the industry over to those who put image over principles and standards.

I personally know those who have posed next to their dream car or home for a quick snap shot and later posted that image to their site with the words, “My new Jaguar!” Selling the fake image at its best.

Now tell me, if wealth is the product, then how effectively can I sell you riches if I’m struggling to make my bills…which is why I started looking for a home based business in the first place? I can’t…unless I lie about it. Who would buy the promise of wealth from someone who knows nothing of it. If I just got started in that business, as a newbie, I would feel like I had to put on a “fake it” image until I could start having results.

Putting on this fake image is more damaging than just lies. It will eventually take a financial toll. There are those who feel like they have to go out and buy that new hot rod, eat out at fancy restaurants and travel the world when their income can’t support it. They’ll find themselves up to their neck in debt before they know it, if they’re not careful…and all just to maintain an image they’ve created for themselves before their income reached that level.

A Lesson I Learned From a Salesman

Now, before I tell you this extremely important lesson, know that this salesman is the man. He gets results and is a good friend of mine. So, if my buddy reads this, I apologize ahead of time…but he already knows we don’t sell the same way.

Right or Wrong – When you’re selling something to someone, it doesn’t matter what you tell them about yourself, your personal life, your job, or even your religion….even if everything you’ve said was a lie….as long as everything you say about the product you are selling them is true.

If the end result equals a sale for you and a happy customer, does that justify everything else you just did? Sure, you may never see that person again in two lifetimes and everything you told the customer other than the product information doesn’t technically matter….but it’s a toss up.

LESSON – It will come back to bite you. That’s the lesson I’ve learned. If you’re lucky, maybe it won’t get you. But as for me and my house, we know it will. I can’t sell that way because I wouldn’t want to be sold that way!

“Fake It” – The Correct Image

“Fake it ’til you make it” really just refers to your leadership abilities. Act like the leader who is having the results, don’t lie about your results. The important message that you must understand is that people will follow you for where you are heading, not were you’ve been. Don’t ever feel like you have to put on a fake image to impress your future business partners and customers. In business, integrity is everything and I feel that the network marketing industry has taken a hit because of the improper use of the “Fake it” concept. And what you’ll notice is that the companies who sell wealth instead of quality products will never hold on. They’ll disappear. I’ve seen it.

And if all else fails, and you’re struggling with being the leader, just be excited. People will get started in your business, even though you’re the greenest one around. Just stay close to your goals and be yourself!

I’d like to hear from you. What’s your opinion on “Fakin’ it ’til you make it?” I’d love to start a discussion on it. Voice your opinions below.

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When my wife and I first started looking for a way to generate some extra income, we turned to the internet for answers, and of course, we stumbled across a network marketing company. We joined that company and were very successful, but truth of the matter is, a home based business doesn’t have to be in the network marketing industry. Most likely, the only reason we jumped into network marketing was due to the internet being flooded with network marketing opportunities.

Network Marketing vs. Traditional Home Based Business

Compared to the network marketing business model, a more traditional home based business falls second in areas of mentoring and turnkey operations. There’s no real guidebook to starting a traditional home based business in the medical field or in internet marketing. When you join a network marketing company, most have the training and tools to help you setup your business.

My point is….if you are creative enough, you don’t have to join a network marketing company to have a business from home. There are plenty of things you can do to generate extra income, and there are a few benefits to doing this:

1. You would be completely self reliant. Meaning, immune to having a network marketing company crumble beneath your feet. If your business crumbles, it would be completely your doing.
2. Your reputation is managed and influenced by you and you alone. In network marketing, mistakes made by the company or others promoting the same company effect your business. A few bad apples can ruin it for everyone.

Benefits to starting a network marketing company include:

1. Mentoring. You can get training from your sponsor, or enroller, as well as company training.
2. The product is already created for you. Plug and play!

Conclusion

Just know that if you are searching the internet for home based business opportunities, they will all most likely be in network marketing, especially if you type in the words “home based business.” But if you’re ambitious and self motivated, a good network marketing company is a great vehicle to use to get out of the job or create some extra income. But on that note, a more traditional home based business could be a better fit.

The type of business could be anything under the sun, but just operated out of a home office, or in my case, a living room/kitchen table/couch. There are a ton of things that can be done from home as your own home based business outside of the network marketing industry. My next post will be a list of 50 non-network marketing home based business ideas that will help you in your decision process.

Related posts:

1. The Best Network Marketing Video Ever!
2. Network Marketing Industry
3. Home Based Business Link Exchange Directory

Half the time it’s nearly impossible to understand what they’re saying because they have such a thick accent, but it’s fun to see the unique way they make their living. At times, they seem like they’re so happy that I just want to pack up and go hang out in the Bayou for a while.

On to my point. During one of the recent episodes, Troy was being interviewed. I believe it was right after they had experienced success for that day after having a streak of bad luck catching gators. Troy said something that should be common sense to everyone and I believe is his secret recipe to his success.

He said something along the lines of, “When times get hard, you just do your job….and you work harder than before.”

How many times have you seen others jump from one opportunity to the next because things get tough? I’ve seen it time and time again and it’s a real problem in the home based business or network marketing industry. When a shiny new business comes along and the current one isn’t doing as well,  jumping ship seems like the easiest solution. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?

Jumping ship, in most cases, isn’t but a temporary solution. To create the consistency of income most people look for within the home business industry, there has to be some loyalty and a little Bayou gumption. Instead of bailing, just do your job. Do what you know how to do best and do it harder than before. The results will come and so will the consistency you’re looking for.

We all know the popular phrase, “Successful people make decisions quickly and change that decision very slowly.” Translation…..do your research, choose a company, do your job and do it harder, and you’ll get the results you’re looking for.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

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Parts of the system includes scripts, lead generation and pre-built websites, so that when somebody finds your turnkey website, pre-populated with content and pictures, they can submit their contact information. That information then goes into a lead management system that sends out pre-written auto-responders that drip bits and pieces of motivational information about their decision to start a home business.

MY SECOND BIGGEST MISTAKE…..I didn’t build my list and USE it properly.

For the first few years as a network marketer I used their turnkey websites and systems to generate my leads and I allowed those leads to go into their pre-built lead management systems. I took on the belief that once I called that lead and introduced the business to them, whether they got started with me or not, that their information was then useless. The lead was then dropped and I paid it no more attention, at least when it came to continued marketing.

I might as well have been throwing twenty dollar bills down the toilet!!

Although I made my profit from the sale, I missed out on continued, residual profits that can and will come from building your email list. I let tens of thousands of email addresses go to waste….Email addresses for people who were desperate for information on how to make money from home!

A huge part of creating an online presence(Part of my first mistake) is setting yourself up to win regardless. Having a contact form on your site that sends the information captured(email, phone number etc..) into an auto-responder system of YOUR OWN, is where it’s at. You wonder how people can make millions of dollars online with a blog and how network marketers can have continued success regardless of the opportunity they are part of. It’s because the real money, the real income comes from continually marketing to your list of subscribers….people that have opted into YOU and what you have to offer them. And if what you have to offer them is of value…..well….that equals income for you.

Right now, I use AWeber for building my list. In my opinion, it is the best one out there. I did a post a while back on starting an email marketing campaign comparing a few other services. Feel free to check it out.

And feel free to subscribe to my emails to see how I do things. You’ll find the form on the left side of this blog.

So I think my point was made. Do it right the first time. Build the list!

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