How to start in
Network Marketing;
The smart person's guide on beginning!
Thinking about sharing “how to start in Network Marketing” brought back memories of the deep-water scuba diving I did off the island of Cozumel. And . . yah . . I realize that’s a bit odd but hang in for a sec.

You see, part of the Caribbean seafloor, known as the Cayman Trough, is 25,000 feet deep at its deepest point. I know because the results of a Google search said so but I also was told that where we were diving, the seafloor was about 3000 feet below us.
As I ‘hung’ there, about 60 feet down, staring at where the seafloor should have been, it was pitch black. Apparently no light returns from such a depth, through that much water, which was a detail I was unaware of when I went. I mean, who knew?
Anyway, the feeling it gives you, as you look into The Abyss (the movie of the same name was made about the same Trough), might be described as a little much to comprehend and that is a 5 word synopsis for describing to someone who is knew to the business about how much they could decide to learn about “how to Network Marketing” (yes, that quote contains English grammar that causes those who are sticklers to cringe. I will explain why it was included later.).
If what I wrote so far sounds like I’m warming you up to deliver ‘the bad news’, I am not, so don’t worry. And there is some really good news:
There is not much to learn to start making money, which ought to put a huge smile on your face!
Sure, you could choose to master this industry, like I have but that is just another option in your life, not a requirement to earn the big bucks. Just be glad that some do (learn it all) because they can share with you what you do need to learn.
It will be obvious, as you’re reading, that my style is deliberately targeting those who intend to truly succeed in Network Marketing and live a dream life due to that success. And for good reason.
My training doesn’t target people whose desire is an extra $500 a month. But that does not mean we don’t love those people or work with them, as a lot of people making a little bit makes us a lot, doesn’t it?
If you are at a point where you need to review a how to start in Network Marketing video or post to get the basics you could consider watching this YouTube by Darin Kidd.
My generic training does not target those with zero experience, as my talents are best suited for leaders and future leaders, as you will see.
Yes, this was written for those who are not going to “live a small life” (~Jim Rohn). And, for them, there are 4 keys to how to start in Network Marketing that are very easy to explain, so let’s start there.
How Network Marketing Works
Before I list these critical elements in regards to how to succeed in Network Marketing please note that I do not include making a list of everyone you know. Surprised? You won’t be for long.
Nor am I going to tell you to set your goals either because, if you are the type who is going all the way in this business, you already have dreams. There is no need for me to do dream building exercises with leaders (or recommend they make a dream board, not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Look, contacting those you know isn’t exactly rocket science and far from a secret. Of course you will use the “Notification Theory” and reach out to them. But, everyone runs out of people to do warm market prospecting with eventually, so we all need to know how to find other people, right?
There are so many ways to find people, online and off, that it would take several posts to cover that topic but because we need to find people consistently over a period of time to achieve our goals, I don’t over focus newbies on warm market.
TI assume you realize that I am not suggesting anyone ignore the people they know.
What would I like you to think about right now as you consider how to start in Network Marketing? That’s the question of the moment.
Here it is, are you ready? Unless you need the kind of head restructuring that might also be described as an attitude adjustment, the keys to this great business are skills and activity!
Attitude is the third key and there is a possibility that one may need to work on oneself first.
To put that another way; if your attitude sucks you can take a U TURN right out of this post and go find books, audios or videos by Jim Rohn or Tony Robbins or someone else who is a personal development master, as that is where you need to begin your version of the “how to start in Network Marketing” journey. Seriously.
However, if your head is indeed on straight, meaning you have a solid attitude, we are back to focusing on skills and activity. To which you might think; what are the required skills, and; how much activity?
Valid questions both. And I know I haven’t mentioned the 4th element yet, which is coming.
The two answers are;
(1) I will provide a link to where you can download the most important skills to learn with resources and script examples of them being used (there are some in this post too), and;
(2) Think in terms of consistently finding one person a day to share your business with.
Sounds simple enough, right? It is but let’s talk ‘crazy’ for a moment.
Over the 70 years this industry has existed, the few who became master mentors have been providing skills training plus a thorough explanation of the amount of activity needed to succeed and why, which properly sets a newbies’ (or new team member’s) expectations. And this is important.
Such a mentor may even offer to provide leads to help team members out too. But, that aside, no matter how excellent that mentor is, some people who need to change their life and see the possibility of doing that from what that mentor has shared with them plus sense they can get the help they need from this leader, still don’t make it.
Now, this explanation is a bit oversimplified, which means some people make some money while most people make very little or nothing but, what I am saying is; few become real leaders. So when I say “don’t make it” that is what I am referring to.
So, how to start in Network Marketing needs to make the point that if you are going to change your life you will need to set priorities. And, amongst other things this means that binging Netflix needs to be in your rear view mirror!
It’s true, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. However, if that checks off the “crazy” box or point in regards to Network Marketing, here is the sane counterpoint;
Though the industry numbers prove only 2% or one person in 50 make it to a position of real leadership that provides the money and dream lifestyle that goes with it, those numbers skew dramatically lower when the coach or mentor is exceptionally skilled.
Notice I did not say exceptionally talented. So, have no doubt, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to experience fabulous success as an entrepreneur!
Yes, you do need to be reasonably intelligent but by no means did you need to be a member of Mensa.
When you boil it all down, this means skills are where it’s at. And that is undeniable.
What are skills? Well, aren’t they really just applied knowledge? Just ideas put into action?
Ask yourself this; what do we do in this business?
When I ask this question in a training webinar the responses are “recruiting” and/or “retailing” and sometimes “mentoring” (I especially hear that last one if they have checked out my training before). But all of those answers sort of prove that most people are not truly unique thinkers.
Most people need to be led to ideas, which is fine. After all, there is no job as a trainer if everyone thought outside of the box and could figure things out on their own.
Of course, that is why great Network Marketing leaders provide first class mentoring and training. In fact, all leaders eventually learn group training skills, which are different than recruiting skills.
The reason why you do not need to excel at certain skills in the beginning, including but not limited to providing training on Network Marketing, brings me to the 4th element of how to be successful network marketing (again the grammar error is intended & explained later).
Your mentor or leader is the 4th key.
Pick your leader well because, in the beginning, your leader will supply what you cannot (at least not yet).
In fact, if you work with the right people, they can even supply the presentation for your prospects, at least in the beginning. So you don’t even need to have those skills early on.
What can’t a great mentor do for you? And; what skills do you need when you start?
What they can’t do is find your prospects for you. And, really, that is all they can’t do.
Everything else they can supply while you are gaining more skills — and you will do that partially from observing them. But you have to find the people who are interested and that takes a certain set of relatively easy skills to learn and the most important skills in this business!
So, how to start in Network Marketing does not require you to learn mentoring skills, presentation skills, closing skills or group training skills. All you need to know is how to apporach people in the beginning.
Prospecting Scripts for Network Marketing
Let’s start at the beginning with an idea; why not focus on just giving people options?
We can give people the option to live longer with a regime that includes getting more vitamins and minerals every day. And I like the idea of living longer, don’t you? Won’t your prospects like that too?
So, skills are about an idea (“just give them an option”), our intent (how you feel when you think about just giving them an option, which translates into the tone of your voice) and the simple words we use to put it to our prospects (Network Marketing scripts), if that makes sense to you.
Remember, simple works, complex doesn’t.
Want some more examples?
We can give people the option to look better by reducing wrinkles using our skin care regime. And the idea of looking 10 years younger only this time with more wisdom is appealing, isn’t it?
We can give people the option of paying less for their utilities, Internet and mobile phone through changing where they shop so they can realize amazing ‘bundle pricing’. And the idea of paying less is great!
We can give people an option to get products that aren’t more expensive and do not contain harsh chemicals but still clean their home and clothes just as effectively, if not more so. And I like the idea of not having harsh chemicals in the house or pouring them down the drain after we clean, don’t you?
You get the point, I am sure. The idea is to just give people an option.
So, ideas are the basis of skills. For instance, if we want to approach a middle aged woman about skin care, to give her an option, what would happen if our conversation went like this;
“I just found out that we can look 10 years younger only this time with more wisdom!”
Do you think that woman would ask; “How?” Of course, right?
Before I go on, if you were 30 and saying this to a 60 year old it would not work. They key is not to make this woman feel bad abo0ut her age and wrinkles, that is why “we” is used (the person using this script should be older too).
In the download with the skills I will point out how younger people use this script with a slight but profound modification.
If you are middle aged, with the same woman we could say; “I just found out how we can shrink wrinkles while we sleep so that we look and feel 10 years younger only, this time, with more wisdom!”
The above prospecting scripts for Network Marketing are only advanced in terms of the unusual ideas that are employed, they are not tough to learn or apply. And that is what makes them so brilliant.
Before I cover the next section of this post, to download the Skills PDF click here.
How to be Successful with Network Marketing
Look, there is no way I am going to get into mentoring skills in a post about how to start in Network Marketing but, because I want to give you a sense of how to be successful with Network Marketing I did want to give you a close but albeit brief look at prospecting skills.
Now that you can see what prospecting skills can do, I trust you are sold on the idea of learning skills. And that brings me to my next point.
I’ve already stated that skills are just applied knowledge and that must mean you learn first, right? Well, sure, but . . hold on a moment.
We absolutely MUST apply what you learn as soon as we learn it. And that means you can’t sit back and study it all, then apply it.
It is far better to learn a little and apply it, then learn a little more and apply it and so on than it is to read every book on Amazon and/or listen to every podcast you can find on prospecting skills and then, after you have 40 gazillion pages of notes on all that study, finally try out some of those skills.
Retaining what we learn happens best when we practice. Think of it this way; you could watch all the videos you want about swinging a bat against big league pitchers but you will never know how to do it until after you have stepped in that batter’s box frequently. Right?
This is experiential learning. If you do not apply it, no matter how well you memorize what to say, there is still an aspect of how you say it that takes practice. You do not truly have this or any skill until you experience using it repeatedly and there is no getting around this fact.
You know, I could wax eloquently about making a list, complete with tips that fall into the “warm market memory jogger” category, just so you can magically remember someone you have not spoken to since high school, track them down on FACEBOOK and prospect them. But I trust you are too intelligent to read such mumbo jumbo, let alone be that person!
When it comes to how to be successful with Network Marketing you most definitely do not have to harass anyone, including friends or the people you meet. All you do is give people an option. They are either interested or they’re not.
If your head’s on straight and you have some skills needed in terms of “how to start in Network Marketing” the only possible barrier between you and realizing your dreams is volume. The number of people you speak to.
There is another surprising benefit from having more prospects. You see, speaking to more people — you can find them online or off — makes you feel the opposite of what people who don’t speak to as many. The need to succeed during any individual presentation is just not as high, and that allows you to relax.
It is this feeling of always having enough people to talk to that makes it easy for anyone in this business to maintain the right intent when it comes to just giving people an option. The ones who have too few prospects tend to themselves be under pressure to close after a presentation, which is often picked up by the prospect (even if they don’t know it) and isn’t exactly attractive.
Simple, isn’t it and that is what makes this an art. You work away at this skill thing until you can say what you have to say in a way that is easily conveyed without pressure and the message is therefore easily understood and is attractive, instead of the opposite.
Watch your results skyrocket once you become that professional and relaxed. All you need is skills and enough people to talk to.
Remember, in the beginning your mentor is critical to your success. But, as you apply what you learn, you need that person less and less. And that is it, now you know what you need to know about how to start in Network Marketing.
If you want to get more of this kind of intelligent, straight-to-the-heart training, you can opt-in here.
** After Words **
That leaves me with some blog post housekeeping (so to speak). The primary reason why I write these posts is to help people but there is a byproduct of doing it that, once you have skills and success, you can use to your advantage too.
You see, some people approach me (the author of a training blog) to ask if I can help them in the business, which of course I can. And some of them end up joining my team/downline. So, writing a blog generates leads too.
Now, the key to getting leads from writing blog posts is getting people to read them and since Google does that for you, you have to play a little game to get the search engine to show your posts to people.
Simply put, you have to write content on the things people search for, which requires some research. If you write posts but not specifically on the topics being searched, your post won’t rank on Google and no one will ever read it!
What is the point of all this effort if no one benefits?
Anyway, a significant portion of the searches on Google are a kind of short form. Simply put, people don’t write out the entire phrase of what they are searching for. Call it lazy or whatever, but that is a fact.
This means they drop words, like the word “do” in the search “How to Network Marketing” . . they are really asking How to do Network Marketing but, hey, whatever. The point is, when you write blog posts, if you include the phrase searched instead of something that would pass an English grammar test, you will rank higher on Google for that search.
Now, this gets a little odd because you almost certainly want to rank for several keywords. So, in this post, the title is the focus keyword phrase and there are about a dozen other keywords from “warm market” to “how Network Marketing works!”
I also write and do videos on how to rank a website and blog post too (including simple SEO topics). So, once you are ready you can check out that content on one of my 3 websites. Happy prospecting!
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10 Responses
Love the article. You’ve hit the nail on the head. It is easy to give people options. Too many times sponsors tell their new members. “Get out there and start talking.” It ends up with diarrhea of the mouth. The prospect loses. The new team member loses. The sponsor loses. Learning what to say so people can give options is a skill worth learning. Steve certainly has done that.
Coaching by Dale Moreau
Yes, if we could just cure the “diarrhea of the mouth” that we see with those who are not yet professionals, the results will be a lot more professionals and dreams realized in this great industry! Thanks Dale.
A new classic for anyone considering a home based business but more importantly for anyone who wants to be a better mentor. Thank you Smiling Steve.
The goal of becoming a “better mentor” is definitely worth shooting for. Thanks to David “The Rabbi who got Rich on Sunday” Felsenthal for his insightful comment!
As always, valuable information from Steven. To the point and as I was reading the article I was “hearing” Steven’s voice.
Thank you Emanuel
Very valuable information. So often when starting a new network marketing opportunity the leaders always say “to write a list of everyone you know and have ever met” then call them up out of the blue and tell them that you have a new opportunity that they will want to hear about. More often then not this cold calling leads to a lot of disappointment. Your method of offering an option and is so much better. Thank-you Steve!
Yes, and we can also rethink the idea of “new” because a “new opportunity” is not easier to build. New or not, they both require someone to taken the same amount of action. Thanks Elizabeth.
Steve has given very good information and a way to look at offering people options. No need to feel like you are spamming people or alienating family and friends.
Thanks so much Kristian. Love the comment!