Once upon a time a man was found daily crossing the Nigerian border to Cotonou carrying a big bag of sand on his bicycle as he rode along. The first day he passed by the customs officials, they stopped him and declared “Wetin you carry”. The man responded that he was carrying sand. Not satisfied, they searched the sand thoroughly looking for hidden treasures, to their amazement, there was none. Since sand wasn’t a contraband item, they let him go.
This man however did not stop, he did this same thing everyday, and after 30 days of consistently searching and searching his bag, and discovering nothing, the custom officers were tired. In the desperation they called the man aside and told him that they were persuaded he was smuggling something, but whatever it was, he had beaten them consistently for 30 days. They begged him to share the secret with them, just for their own sake, that whatever it was, they were committing not to ever stop him. They just wanted to know, so they can at least stop talking about him so often. The man smiled, but only committed to share his secret if only they would put pen to paper and promise that they would not ever stop him. They agreed!
The man shared with them quite simply - “I have been smuggling bicycles!” :D
The Sand was nothing but a decoy, the real value that was moving across the border everyday was bicycles, and now that the boarder is open to him, he can now do the business full scale.
Funny isn’t it? But that’s the story of our industry. People are busy looking at the sand we all carry in the name of different products, but they rarely pay attention to the real value underneath our business. The bicycle in this case is the model - Network Marketing. Many people do not yet realize, but for the common man, I boldly declare, if you are not paying attention to this industry it’s because you do not know yet, that if financial freedom is a dream you have there are no other options for 99% of society. If you have a capital limitation, and have not been transferred wealth from your grand parents, this is an industry you need to pay attention to. The only unfortunate thing is that this industry is like gold mining! You many times have to dig through a lot of sand and rubbish before you ever strike gold.
Here are a few warnings that those in the industry must note!
1. Network Marketing is the least understood, most misunderstood and most maligned business opportunity in the world.
2. The greatest enemy of the Network Marketing industry are amateur Networkers. In an attempt to rubbish other companies that they should be promoting, they end up rubbishing the entire industry.
3. The good thing about Network Marketing is also a bad thing about Network Marketing – It’s a level playing field for every entrepreneur. What this means is, everyone is seemingly qualified. This however allows all types of people come in as they are, but requiring serious training.
4. If the industry does not unite, we cannot sponsor the bill in the Senate giving the industry it’s firm place in Nigeria. If we don’t unite we can’t collectively put an end to Ponzi and Pyramid schemes masquerading as Network Marketing Companies.
What Network Marketing does is - democratize entrepreneurship. It creates a level playing field where literally, everyone is qualified. An entrepreneur sees a problem, and pulls resources together to solve it, Network marketing provides huge leverage in the resources to solve the problems that we see.
What are the Initial Biases to being a part of this industry, even for people like me?
1. Amateur Networkers: Gave the industry a bad reputation and a bad name. We didn’t know, now we do! There are many jobbers in the industry and so many fakes because there is not any Bill or strong regulation in many countries outside the US. Also many people in an attempt to sell their own sand, rubbish someone else’s sand. What they don’t know is the net effect of all the bashing is pulling down the industry.
2. Price Perception: We were under the perception that the products were expensive and not of much value. This has been real in many companies, but what I can see around today shows that the products are very valuable, have a human touch and are decently priced.
3. Confusion: We confused them with other Schemes, and got burnt in these other schemes. Network Marketing is not the same as Pyramid Schemes that offer no transferable product (Please note, NGO, Donation e.t.c are not products, neither are they transferable)
4. Lack of Financial Intelligence: We did not understand finance, and did not know that the average human had very limited options. If only we knew what financial freedom meant, and the options we have to achieving it, we would do Network Marketing like our lives depended on it.
5. Lack of Understanding of Leverage: We didn’t understand the value and power of leverage in Business.
The Truth about Financial and Business Intelligence:
1. The Real goal is not making a fortune! It’s making residual income. If you make a fortune, parkinson’s law says it will be spent. If you create a system that can reward you alive or dead, you are truly wealthy.
2. Only 1% of an enlightened class of graduates make it to financial freedom by 65. Look around you! How many people do you know that are financially free? How many people do you know who will still be earning money that can take care of their family after they have died?
3. There are 5 options for passive income, 99% of human beings can only afford one. They have no options
1. Real Estate - To live a decent life in retirement you need about $1,000,000 worth of investments. (I’m using Dollars because that’s pretty much more stable across decades)
2. Paper Investments - To have a decent life in retirement, you need about $1,000,000 in investments.
3. Automated Businesses - To build your business to this level, you would likely have personally invested in an MBA or invest on behalf of your key management. Nothing less than $1m would have gone into this.
4. Intellectual Property - The chances that you will make it big in music, drama, writing, software development and invention is slim. It’s a place of time and chance.
5. Network Marketing - The option for everyone in middle class down. Don’t however allow desperation and greed run you into the wrong space. The fact that it pays fast is not good enough, a time must come in Nigeria where we refuse to do the wrong thing, even when we know we can get away with it.
What is Special about Network Marketing?
1. You have the advantages of business – ownership, money, time and decision making freedom plus the advantages of a job with a large company - good product, reliable accounting and support system.
2. The Best of Both Worlds – Creators, Marketers and Supporters. You have them all in one business and you can focus on simply marketing.
3. The Ability to be Small – You can start this while still working full time. While thinking big, you can do small. There are not many businesses you can do part time while running a full time job, this is one. You can remove your leg from your trouser one leg at a time.
4. Freedom! This is an ideal that many noble people die to secure. In our industry it’s abundant!
5. Priceless – Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy.
The Solution to Promoting the Industry correctly is ETHICS!
Because everyone is qualified for this industry, many untrained people start and stop before they really get started. If we will really have sustained growth and actually take our place in our nations economy, we must be ready to have an irreducible minimum that will characterize professional networkers. Our country needs us, this time of CHANGE is the time of our industry. We have been voted the Business of the 21st Century by seasoned thinkers!
I learnt this from Robert Allen and I think every networker needs to move from being a networker into being a PEN - A Professionally Enlightened Networker. The ethics below make us so!
The PEN - Ethics - Professionally Enlightened Networkers Ethics.
1. I Commit to tell the truth - It will be harder than you think. It will take longer than you hope. It will cost more than you want. But when you succeed, it will be worth more than you can possibly imagine.
2. I commit to Plant realistic expectations – If you get 1% from your name list that’s good. 2%, that’s phenomenal! Finding good, solid business associates is HARD. 4yr Career Plan. Set the worst as expectations, and people will breeze past them.
3. I commit to appreciate the real value of residual income: The implication of residual N100,000 per month is N24m in investment. A PEN woke up from his comma to realize that while doctors battled for his life, he was earning more then they all while he was nearly dead.
4. I commit to refuse to be offended – Amateurs convince; Professionals sort. Once I make up my mind that everyone is not qualified to be on my team, only those with the attitude, optimism and perseverance, only those who are willing to pay the price for their dreams, and those who are detailed enough to find out about the industry before judging it based on the pennywise they did when they were not so wise will be qualified.
5. I commit to finish strong! Optimism is the belief that tomorrow will be better than today. Persistence is the willingness to keep moving even if it isn’t. Think positive and persist.
Don’t join the bandwagon of those who have been burnt by their ignorance in the past. I have been! I started out with Forever Living Products in 2001, and I failed because I quit. I did many others between then and this one that I have done for 8 years. I have learnt how to quit quitting!
This industry is the only hope for the everyday man to ever have residual income of even as little N50,000 per month, and as high as N10m per month. Don’t prejudge, get informed.
I wish you well.
#HelpingHands #TouchingLives #EmpoweringPeople
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