Long before I ever joined a network marketing company I too was one of the naysayers, rolling her eyes at the requests of friends to join their team. The promises of easy money, great discounts and the promises of working from home all sounded too good to be true, so I brushed them off. Yes, yes – I ignored requests (although I now know they could easily see when I read a message and chose to blow them off. Oops.) – and just never responded. “They’re only out to use me,” I thought.
However, when I chose to jump into Beautycounter’s business model I felt it was different because it was a conscious choice on my part. No one pressured me or put me a corner. They just shared their story in authentic ways and let me choose for myself. They told me the qualities they were looking for in a team mate. They were honest that the work required actual work, but that it was rewarding nonetheless. The ball was in my court, and I chose the better path.
That being said, I’m now on the other side of the fence. I am one of those friends now who is thinking through and praying over the names of every woman she’s ever met, deciding who might be a great fit for her team. I face rejection and misunderstanding, and although I do so gladly because I know the right teammates always come when they’re supposed to, there are a few misconceptions I want to address.
So. Your friend has asked you to join a network marketing team. What are they really thinking?
- They’re thinking that you’re awesome. Let’s not forget that these women are building a team. I don’t know about you guys, but when I played sports I only wanted to play with the best. I didn’t want the teammates who couldn’t work together to reach a common goal. I didn’t want any that didn’t have talent. I didn’t want to play with people who couldn’t challenge me or encourage me to be better. I wanted to win. So when your friend is asking you to be on her team, it’s likely that she thought of you because you actually possess some incredible qualities that she knows will help the whole team to succeed.
- They’re NOT trying to use you. A quick throwback to #1 up there – when I ask people to join my team it’s because I want all of us to be successful. There’s no benefit to me if our entire team isn’t seeing success in their own business!
- They really believe in the company they work for. I know with Beautycounter I can’t NOT invite people to join. If I’ve found something that has worked really well for me, for my family dynamic, and brings the pleasure of fulfilling work then why wouldn’t I want to ask people I already love and trust to have the same thing?
- They don’t want to see you go into debt. Sometimes network marketing companies get a bad rap for luring people in to spend an exorbitant amount of money to start up a home business. I would never, in a million years, advise anyone to do that. Honestly, out of all the gals that I know who do network marketing for different companies, I don’t know a single one that would encourage anyone to do that. Be your own advocate, to be sure, but remember that these are your friends and you can be honest if no means you can’t afford it.
- They believe in YOU. They see what you’re capable of, they know what their product(s) are capable of, and they think the combination is one that could be great. They’re praying you see those amazing qualities in yourself and that they can help you to achieve the things you want to see come to fruition. They believe that you can do good, hard, beautiful things!
Obviously I’m biased. I know this. But I also know these things to be true. When I reach out to women about this job it’s because I know that they could be successful beyond their wildest dreams in several different areas. It’s because I believe they have what it takes. I believe in them and I believe in this company. So while the answer may not always be a resounding yes (and that’s OK!) I hope that there’s a small change in perspective that could encourage you to try something new.
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