I’ve met and spent a lot of time with many men & women in the direct sales industry. I’ve met many who have made fortunes in the industry, and many who have made respectable incomes in the field as well. I’ve also met many who have spent more money than they ever made. In my circle of influence now, I’m speaking daily to people that fit in one of those three categories– and everything in between.
I consider myself an MLM expert, and I’ve spent some time compiling some characteristic traits I see in our most successful team members (and even those outside our company). Here’s my take on the 5 traits they all have in common. (Side note: There are, of course, many many more; these just happen to be the most prevalent).
1. They have a vision of what they want and why they want it.
I have observed consistently that the most successful MLM people see the bigger picture. Times will get tough. It’s inevitable. It boils down to what you are willing to do when that happens. Do you let the hardships bring you down and discourage you? The successful ones continue to dream and picture what’s possible. They surround themselves with people that inspire and encourage their dreams, not squash them. They know what they want and they will stop at nothing to achieve it.
2. They have a willingness to listen and be taught
They don’t claim to be experts. They are shapeable; they are humble. They are what we in the business call “coachable.” If they are uncertain of something, they ask for help or they figure out a way to learn it (even if it’s the “hard” way). They don’t “reinvent the wheel”, they rely on those that paved the way before them to teach them, coach them, mentor them.
3. They have belief in one of three areas: the company/products, themselves, and/or the industry
If you’re lucky, you’d be in a place in your career where you believe immediately in all three. But more often than not, it’s just one area, and the others follow eventually.
-Belief in the company and/or products allows them to shake off those that don’t say yes right away (or possibly never say yes!). We call them the “forever maybe’s”. With belief in the products, you don’t care what people think or if they say yes or no, you know from the core these products make a difference and no one can shake that.
-Belief in themselves is an amazing characteristic and one I rarely see someone have in the beginning, but my most successful petPros have confidence in themselves. Again, they don’t care about what others think. They know they have something special and are looking for those wanting to hear about it They will not get discouraged at the “no”, but because of their faith in themselves, they will stop at nothing to share what they have and eventually get the yes.
-Belief in the industry. This too is a special form of belief. There are many who will question or doubt the industry. The journey of a multi-level marketing consultant (network marketing consultant, direct sales consultant…call it what you want) is filled with ups and downs. If you have unwavering faith in the industry, that it’s a viable source of income, that it can support you in your dreams and desires, then when times are tough you keep going.
4. They have a backbone– they are “resilient”
This is an extension of everything previously mentioned. People might be mean. They may say things that can be hurtful and just plain rude. People will ignore you, avoid your calls, not call you back, tell you they are interested and then disappear, never to be heard from again. But do you let it crumble your dreams? Your belief in the products? Your belief in the industry? The great MLMrs certainly do not. They keep going. They keep searching. They don’t give up. They know you can’t do this business without resilience.
5. They have a will to succeed that outweighs their skill.
There’s a reason this is the last one on the list. It just so happens to be the most important. Your mindset will trump your skill set every single time.
There have been many times I considered quitting. Many of those I coach and mentor now, and those I have previously mentored, have expressed the same frustrations. This business is not for everyone, and there are many times you’ll find yourself on the roller coaster of emotions wondering why you joined in the first place. Quitting would have by far been the easiest thing to do at many different points in my business journey. However, my belief in the company & industry was so strong that I knew it would be successful with or without me. My will to succeed and my desire for change are the ones that help me decide day in and day out: I wanted the company or the movement to succeed WITH me. I see this in others who have succeeded as well. They are vested. They know something is right around the corner. When one door closes they are willing to go find the next open door. The will far outweighs the skill– and the great ones do everything they can to reach that next milestone.
