The Secret of Working Multiple Steams of Income Without Knowing How to Swim or Losing Your Mind!

Copyright (c) 2007 Robin Rushlo Back many years ago-when being in MLM meant you were either in Amway or Shaklee-there was only one way to work a program. You made your prospect list in the small spiral notebook that you carried everywhere- because you never knew when you'd remember the name of someone who wasn't on your list yet! You wrote down everyone on your Christmas card list, anyone you did business with, all the names in your high school year book-yes, everyone you had ever known-including your mother-in-law (no-prejudging now!) and even those you thought you knew. Then you sat down (since no cells phones were around) and started the hard part of this NEW business. You called each name on your list to tell them you had something important that you needed their opinion on and was Tuesday or Thursday better for them? We NEVER gave any information over the phone! To understand this new marketing concept a person had to "see the plan"! Get those people and bring them to the meeting! Tell them that you'd be in their neighborhood anyway (OK, so they lived 30 miles from you) so you'd be happy to pick them up! Then a man in a navy blue suit with a red tie (the woman in her pastel shirtwaist dress would be sitting on the side of the stage with a beauty pageant smile... and never take their eyes off of HIM! ). He would stand up and draw circles on a white board to show us how we too could be free and living on the beaches of the world! We'd all take notes and make encouraging, enthusiastic comments to our prospect... who was lost in that maze of circles we knew and loved so well.Does anyone else remember those days? I do And I did that for over 30 years of my 37 years in this industry. Be very thankful that you do because we all learned a lot from the MLM giants. I bet you've still got your old Amway tapes too!!! Can you even imagine trying to do Amway on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Shaklee on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday??? Of course not! It would be impossible! Today is the age of technology. Today we contact each other all over the world-in seconds by fax, by phone, by computer , by webcasts, webnairs, and even IM. We meet and greet our prospects by letter and postcard, by ads in magazines and newspapers and on the INTERNET. It used to be how we'd try to convince our mothers-in-law that they just needed to "get in" and draw circles and they would get rich! They took one l-o-n-g look at us and somehow were not convinced. Then if your mother-in-law would the apply to the Federal Witness protection program so you can not find her when you find the Next pot of gold.Today we are EXPERTS, because no matter how little we know when we get on the phone with someone who has requested our information, we know more than they do. You are the expert even if you are in the program for one day you know more about the program than they do. No more three way calls."We all work as a team on this one, friend! I had great results with Product X-and I'd be happy to share this information with all your people, too!" So what about multiple programs??? Back in the days, we bought soap and vitamins. Now we get our office, our food, our telephone service, our health products, even our vacations can be purchased MLM. As a distributor (today often known as IC-Independent Consultant or MA-Marketing Associate) you can purchase products at a lower cost even if you never intend to market the program! Some programs just go hand in hand. For example, almost anyone who is in MLM now wants to purchase leads that is names, addresses and phone numbers of people actually looking for a business opportunity. This is a service and a product-that you should have available for your downline. Instead of sending your people to me for leads -- doesn't it make sense that they come to you?Will a lead program jeopardize what you are doing with your primary company? Of course not, it can only enhance it! Sometimes people may actually make money faster in the lead program than in your primary one. So what happens? They stay with you in both, of course, because obviously you know about these great programs and they certainly want to stay with the person who helps them to get a check!Having more than one program can also make your prospecting so much easier. Suppose you and Elena have gotten to know each other. You are both in different nutrition companies you love. She says "I wish there was a way we could work together! It would be so much fun and we'd make a great team!" In the past it would be wishful thinking. Today, you can say , "Well, I understand why you are so excited about Company X. I feel that way about my company, too. I do have something you might be interested in though. Do you drink coffee? (...need good MLM leads?... a computer program to keep track of your downline? ...like the idea of earning free Long Distance Service? ...ever wish you could eat wonderful gourmet food and make money too?) In the early days, we had product pick up from our sponsor's home... then our people would come the next day and pick up from us. There were deliveries to make and downline bonus checks to write. Today is soooo much easier. You introduce Elena to your coffee company for instance. She buys directly from them the only thing you handle is your downline report... and your check! Do you see how easily this can be done? Many of the heavy hitters in MLM suggest you work one program and work it hard! They knew more than I did -- they were heavy hitters, right? I built a large group in nine countries, working from my bedroom office with my babies playing on the floor. The company went through a major upheaval and all my work was lost! All that time and money invested! Gone! So this time I searched for several companies that could be worked together, complimenting each other. I talked to some of my contacts from the old company and things started moving again. In less than 2 months working several programs we were back on track and moving forward again! Sometimes I hear about how it can't be done or how I'll never make millions this way. That's OK. I don't need to make millions. Billions are easier, But as I tell the naysayers, with the companies and uplines I have chosen I have found financial freedom and more importantly than that" I intend to take a heck of a lot of people with me!