I lived in a tipi.

Yes, a real Indian tipi, with a fire pit in the middle, smoke flaps, and lodge poles.  In fact, I did it for about 2 years.  But that’s not all.

Winters in the tipi were the best.  I had 2 black labs, and at night, I’d build a huge fire and the 3 of us would huddle around it, listening to sports radio on the small, wind up radio I had.

At first glance, most people thought it would be a dream lifestyle, and I can tell you that I loved it.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  But then again . . .

It wasn’t all just playing with the dogs and working in the garden.  Yea, I loved the downtime, when the work was done, but there was a lot of work to do.

For example, in August, I began chopping and piling wood.  I did this through October and mid-November.  The wood was mostly cedar.  I can still smell it.  Sweet.

As back-breaking as this work was, I knew that if I wanted to be warm through the winter months, I had to do it.  Who else would do it for me?  But there’s more.

You see, I had no well, spring, or stream on the property, so I collected rainwater.  I did this by hanging plastic tarps with buckets on the ends to harvest the water.  But here’s the really back-breaking part . . .

The 5 gallon buckets I used to collect the water had to be emptied pretty quickly into larger 55 gallon containers.  I found myself, many times, in the middle of a rainstorm, toting these buckets to empty them.

Do you know how heavy a 5 gallon bucket full of water is?

Still, this is a task that needed to be done if I were to have water.  Did anybody force me to do it?  Would anybody have even known, had I not done it?

I chopped wood and gathered water because I knew they needed to be done.  If I didn’t, I would be the one who was cold and thirsty come December and January.  Nobody else would suffer.

What does this have to do with my MLM business?  Well, there are certain tasks I need to do every day if my business is going to succeed.  What could I possibly be talking about?

Well, since network marketing is a people business, I need to be talking to people every single day.  I need to constantly be using the tools I have at my disposal to generate new leads.  But here’s the thing.

I can sit back and judge my upline, saying they haven’t provided me with sufficient training, or I can choose to believe that my downline needs to work harder, but the truth is, if I perform certain tasks every day, I will succeed.

Just as chopping wood ensured I would have a toasty fire, commenting on others’ blogs builds my credibility.  Writing articles and blog posts attracts potential prospects to me like crazy.  But I don’t stop there.

I’m constantly looking for more and unique ways to market my MLM business.  Today there is an almost unlimited supply of tools we can use to build our business as big as we want.  But you know what?

The tools don’t do the work.  You and I are the ones who put in the hours, who sweat to see that what needs to get done actually gets done, and our network marketing business gets built.

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Article marketing might not be the fastest way to generate leads, but if you’re in business for the long haul, you really can’t afford to ignore its effectiveness.

If you have more time than money, or if you’re on a budget, article marketing is a sure way to get targeted leads.

Notice I didn’t say these leads are free. You’ll have to work your butt off and, depending on your degree of proficiency, writing articles might take you anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, just for one article.

Yes, I know, there are all these programs out there that promise you free leads, but please tell me you’re not so stupid as to believe their claims.

If you’ve ever fallen for these schemes (as I have), then you know that about two thirds of the numbers don’t go through, and those who do answer their phones definitely don’t sound like people I’d want in my business.

Article marketing, by contrast, delivers you highly targeted, responsive leads, who are the warmest of the warm.

I mean, think about it. This person just read one of your articles, liked what they read enough to click through to your capture page, then entered their information to learn more from you.

Leads just don’t come much hotter than that.

If they’ve downloaded your ebook or subscribed to your email course, they’re even more familiar with you. And, as we’re constantly reminded, people join people that they know, like, and trust.

Article marketing is the perfect medium for building such trust.

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So, you’ve been buying network marketing leads, and maybe you’ve even called some.  Your list of warm market prospects turned to ice somehow.

Your upline tells you to keep doing more of the same.  You can’t see that happening.  But that’s just the beginning.

You’re thinking about quitting MLM altogether.  It’s not what you’ve been led to believe it was.  The promises of the beach lifestyle and fast cars grew distant weeks ago, and you wonder if the stories are true.

You know, the ones that say only those at the top are the ones making the real money.

You might have heard about something called attraction marketing.  Again, it sounds too good to be true.  Let me explain.

Attraction marketing allows you to generate your own network marketing leads without the need to cold call prospects from a list, attend hotel room meetings, or hassle your family and friends.  But there’s something else.

Yes, it’s a little more involved than the traditional approach, but those of us who use it find that it’s well worth it.  To be truly successful with attraction marketing, you will need some MLM tools.

MLM Tool Number 1:  A Giveaway

If you’ve been online any time at all, you’ve seen a giveaway.  This is simply a product you give to prospects in exchange for their name and email address.  But that’s not all there is to it.

Your product should ideally be something that you’ve created.  It can be anything from an ebook to a special report of only a few pages.  Some network marketers even give away videos or email courses.

If you don’t feel up to creating a product just yet, you can use somebody else’s product.  There are loads of ebooks out there that you can give away with the author’s blessing, as long as you don’t change anything.

I personally prefer to create my own product, as it builds rapport with the prospect faster than if they’re reading something written by someone else.

MLM Tool Number 2:  A Way to Capture Leads

Next you need a place to send potential prospects so you can gather their information.  This is called a capture or squeeze page.  This is the page that has the form on it, along with some convincing text.  But check this out . . .

After your prospect enters their information into this form, they’ll be able to access or download your giveaway, and you’ll have their name and email address.

You can experiment with different techniques.  There is even software that can help you design professional-looking pages.  I personally keep mine as simple as possible, while still maintaining a professional feel.

I’ve used videos on my pages, pictures, etc.  I generally don’t anymore, however.  I find these days that prospects are finding the simpler pages more appealing.

MLM Tool Number 3:  Your Autoresponder

Here’s a little secret:  All successful marketers who market on the internet have an autoresponder.  Without exception.  Why do you suppose that is?

Your autoresponder is where your leads go after the prospect enters his/her name and email address into the form.  It also allows you to send broadcast messages to everybody on your list, and even automate these messages, so you can be sleeping and your leads still receive your messages.  But here’s something you need to keep in mind . . .

There are lots of different autoresponders out there today, and they all cost about 20 bucks a month.  Now, you’d think that since they all cost about the same, you’d be looking at the same quality.

You’d be wrong.

I’ve used some that are just horrendous.  Some give you opt-in forms that look amateurish, messages not getting delivered to leads, etc.

There are some that are top notch, however, and, if you notice, are used by most of the pros.  Two of the biggies are Aweber and GetResponse.

If you’d like to learn the specifics about how to attract prospects to you and start generating your own network marketing leads, simply fill out the form on the right.

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It hardly seems fair.

My friend Paul had been a network marketer for years.  He attended all the meetings, used the products, and talked to people about his business.

He even started a blog and posted some videos.

Still, after 6 years in network marketing, he was barely able to cover his marketing expenses.  His wife still told him he was wasting his time.

And still, he plodded on.

Steve, on the other hand, never really thought about working a business from home.  He saw something online, however, that looked kind of interesting, so he filled out the form for more information.

In a couple days, Steve had joined a network marketing company.  In 12 weeks, he was able to quit his day job and work his business full time.

In 6 months, Steve moved to Fiji, and was working his business just an hour a day.

How can this be?

MLM Secret Number 1: Be Credible

Well, as in life, it’s survival of the fittest.  Fittest in our industry means the most credible.  Some people are just born with that level of credibility.  People flock to them like rock stars.

Most of us, however, have to work at it.

We buy courses, study them, then write and post videos about what we’ve learned.  We imitate the successes of our predecessors by following their instructions, and tell others what has and hasn’t worked for us.

Eventually, people start believing that we really know what we’re talking about.  This is especially so if they’ve tried a technique they learned from you and it worked for them.

MLM Secret Number 2: Be Consistent

In addition to being credible, it’s also essential that you’re consistent.  Again, just like with credibility, some of us are born with a natural urge to be consistent, and some of us have to focus intensely on not allowing distractions to consume us or take us off our chosen course.

Since I like to write, I do a lot of article writing.  If I only write when I feel like it, however, I probably wouldn’t see much results.  By consistently writing every single day, however, I can count on a certain amount of leads being generated every day.

Of all the marketers I’ve met, consistency is probably the single most common ingredient responsible for their lack of success.

MLM Secret Number 3: Get Your Head On Straight

Another trait we hear a lot about is mindset.  Honestly, this one goes hand in hand with the others.  It’s impossible to be consistent without the proper mindset, and it’s impossible to build credibility without consistency.

You obtain the proper mindset by surrounding yourself with people you want to imitate.

That being said, many of us find ourselves in cubicles, tolerating the worst mindsets known to mankind.  When we get home, we’re bombarded by even more negativity.

Does this mean our situations are hopeless?

If you find yourself immersed in negativity and you’re unable to hang with the likes of Bill Gates or Les Brown, you can still reap the rewards of their presence.  You do this by reading.

I find when I’m reading a Jim Rohn or Tony Robbins book, it’s like they’re talking directly to me.  I am surrounding myself with their influence.

This is especially helpful if you have audios or videos of people you want to be like.

If you have a successful upline, give him/her a call on a regular basis.  Make that person your friend.  Have them introduce you to others they know who are successful.

If you fill out the form on the right, you will learn how to attract prospects to you like crazy.

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If you work your network marketing business the way I did when I first started in this business, your friends and family would rather be mauled by a grizzly than take your call or sit through one of your visits.

But why?  Didn’t your upline tell you to market this way?  Aren’t you supposed to make a list of family and friends and call them up to tell them what you’re doing?

If you’re like I was, you probably believe there are about 6 billion prospects for your business.  But you’re wrong.

I hate to be the one to shatter your bubble (I’m lying, I’m really loving this), but most people you come across won’t have the slightest interest in your business or your products.

I know.  After getting all hyped up by your upline about how people are going to just magically jump into your business, this might be a hard pill to swallow.

It’s best you hear it from me, though.  You’ll find out soon enough when you put those techniques to the test.

Trust me, I’m saving you a lot of pain.

So, if how you’ve been taught to market your network marketing business is all wrong, then how do you do it the right way?  You find people who are hungry for what you’ve got.

And there are people like that.  I promise you.  Your task is to find those people.

Now, a lot of network marketers these days shun anything that resembles the old school techniques.  If you’re not familiar with these techniques, they’re methods like the 3 foot rule, where you present your business to everybody who happens to come within 3 feet of you.

These marketers that shun the old ways say the internet is the only way to go.  And, it’s true that the internet has made life much easier for network marketers.

But does that mean you can work your business exclusively online?

I honestly haven’t found one heavy hitter who markets only online.  Not one.

But marketing your network marketing business offline is not really what I consider to be old school.  There are some fantastic ways to market your business offline that are much more effective than the 3 foot rule.

For example, I sometimes call professional people who I find online.  Yes, I just call them up, out of the blue.  Now, do I just launch immediately into a business presentation?  No.

I usually just ask them something like, “Do you keep your options open in terms of earning income outside of what you’re currently doing?”

If they say yes, I’ll send them either to a website or some information through the mail.  I find this method very effective.

How would this apply to friends and family?  Well, instead of throwing a “party,” and then turning it into a business presentation, as I’ve been taught to do in the past, I just ask my friends and family a simple question:  Would you be open to another way to make money?

If they say no, or ask me something stupid like, “This isn’t one of those pyramid things, is it?” I drop the subject.  I say something like, “You know, on second thought, this is probably not something you’d like anyway.”

You’d be surprised at how many people insist on me showing them the business after I say something like that.

Yes, you can market your network marketing business online effectively, and I highly recommend you do so.  This can take a lot of time, however.  There are lots of things you need to learn, and the benefits are not immediate.

To really start attracting prospects to you like crazy, fill out the form on the right to get access to my ebook, “7 Secrets To Attracting Prospects.”

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When I was practicing therapy full time, I helped a lot of people change their lives.  I also heard about a million excuses why they couldn’t do so.

When these clients first came to me, many were looking for a scapegoat.  They wanted validation that their life was out of their control, and there was nothing they could do to change that.

Man, were they disappointed.  At first, anyway.

When I pointed out that they actually were in control, and that they could change any aspect of their lives they chose, I could feel the walls going up.  This was not what they wanted to hear.

Most blamed someone or something else for their woes.  Without fail, however, the real reason for their condition was themselves.

“I tried this,” or “I know I should do that, but,” phrases spilled out of their mouths like a bad Hollywood script.

When I helped them realize, by way of questioning, that their mentality was that of a victim, and that they wouldn’t be able to change anything without addressing that, I saw a shift taking place.

What does this have to do with taking massive action in your network marketing business?  Well, I’ve coached people with almost the exact same mentality.  Some have been in network marketing for years, with very little to show for it.

“But I tried calling my leads and they didn’t answer the phone so I just quit.”

“I know I should be more consistent with my marketing, but after working all day, I’m just so tired when I get home.”

Do these excuses sound familiar?

“Trying” network marketing and “doing” network marketing are completely different things.  Lots of people try.  Doing, however, requires commitment on your part.

Massive Action Step 1:  Know What To Do

It seems self-explanatory, but to take massive action that’s going to bring you closer to your goals, your actions have to be focused.  I mean, you can make 200 cold calls every day from a phone book and, while that could be considered massive action, it’s not very focused, and probably won’t get you want you want.

If your upline doesn’t give you a plan or a routine for building your business, you’re probably going to have to look for some generic training.  There are lots of courses out there, many of them without charge, that can get you on the right path.

Massive Action Step #2:  Do A Lot Of It

Once you find something that works, stick with it until you master it.  Are you good at writing?  Do you like to write?  Fantastic!  Invest in all the article writing courses you can and learn how to market your business that way.

And write lots of articles!

Don’t like to write so much, but you love meeting new people?  Join or form your own meet-up group, and go to a different meeting every night.  Before you do, however, you’ll want to research what to say to these potential prospects.  You don’t want to be known as “that guy/girl.”  You know, the one who’s pitching their business wherever they go.

Massive Action Step #3:  Write It Down

This is probably the simplest, easiest way to take massive action, but not doing it could mean a lot of sitting around wasting valuable time.

While reading this, I want you to open a text editor like notepad, or even a word processor like Microsoft Word.  Then, list five actions, in order of importance, that you want to get done tomorrow.

I do this every evening and, when morning arrives, I already have a blueprint for what needs to be done.  No hemming or hawing; I just follow my list.

This helps me be consistent every day, as I don’t go to bed that night until all five of the items on my list are completed.