10 Reasons Why Direct Sales Isn’t Working For You

1. Not seeking personal development/growth
2. Not willing to change
3. Lottery ticket mentality
4. Bottle rocket (see 3 fuels)
5. Not a believer in the mission even if believe in the product
6. Not reading the right books
7. Still not a true risk taker
8. Wrong expectations
9. Poor leadership, if any
10. Compensation plan makes it impossible

I visit with people all the time and really enjoy getting to know folks. I absolutely LOVE meeting new people and discussing ideas and possible new ventures. When I visit with other “like minded folks”, the conversation will usually touch on Direct Sales. I am baffled by how many people have been involved in one. More than that, I am baffled by how many people dipped their toe in the water and ran the other direction. I wonder why they would even spend their own money to get into one and do nothing with it. I’m like, “Uhhh…. Give me $99 and walk away”. Essentially, that’s what they’ve done.

After some conversation about their experience in the MLM those chose the truth starts to ooze out. Many people are swept off their feet by the idea of owning a mansion, helicopter and Ferrari. What they don’t see is the road between where they were when they said “Yes” and the Ferrari. I’ve mentioned it before, it’s usually a very simple process and it’s not easy. Once people realize what they have to do after they’ve paid their money they run, they give up and most end up being a naysayer about the industry. Although, facts speak for themselves pertaining to the industry. The Network Marketing industry produces more millionaires than any other industry. You’ll hear that a lot at your conventions because it’s true. You’d almost think the business are illegal, but they are not. Not 99% of them. So here is a list I came up with based on conversations I’ve had with people who say they tried, and it didn’t work.

1. Not Seeking Personal Development/Growth

The best thing I’ve personally gotten out of the industry is this one. That’s why I put it at the top. You can’t expect to go from babysitting kids for people in your home to becoming a millionaire in a year without some sort of growth. If you’re doing the same thing this year that you did last year and are expecting something different to happen then you’re sadly mistaken. You have to grow and to grow you have to get uncomfortable. Period. I used to want to read but hated reading. Once I entered into this industry I’ve been a reading machine. I watch about 5 hours or TV per week. The rest of my time is spent on developing and improving myself with my family. You HAVE to attend seminars, watch videos (take notes), read books THEN put that knowledge into action. If you’re not trying to improve yourself, you wasted your money. You should’ve sent it to me!

2. Not Willing to Change

This is a caveat to #1. If you’re not willing to change you’ll fail. Again, getting uncomfortable means you have to evolve and become something/someone you haven’t been. Not in a bad way but think of it as You 2.0. You would agree that if you were that person with the fancy cars, boats, houses that you’d be different then than you are today? I’ll answer that for you with a resounding YES! You have to change your social circle and lifestyle which changed you by osmosis. Your thinking has to change to achieve those goals and dreams. Oh, goals? Yeah… If you haven’t been a goal setter you’re going to have to become one. You’re going to have to change the way you perceive yourself, the way you dress, how you talk and how you think. How do you do that? See #1 and seek out books, seminars, etc. Lastly, you have to expand your social network. That’s why it’s called “Network Marketing”. You have to be liked by people. Not everyone. Your social media pages are your digital business cards. Ask yourself when looking at your own pages, “Would I do business with that person”? Clean it up.

3. Lottery Ticket Mentality

This one is probably my favorite! Simply because it kind of makes me laugh. It amazes me how many people jump into a company, sit back and wait for the checks to start flowing in. It truly boggles my mind how people think it works that way. No, it’s not a lottery ticket. You don’t just pay the admission fee and wait. You actually have to take action and WORK IT!!

4. Bottle Rocket (3 Fuels)

I wrote an article on this one, so I won’t go into great detail. Basically, it’s like joining a CrossFit joint. The first month you’re that annoying person who post everything CrossFit related on Facebook. After a month you don’t see that sculpted body like the trainer has and you quit. Then you go tell everyone it doesn’t work. Ha!!! This one cracks me up, too. The Three Fuels of Success

5. Not a Believer in the Mission Even if You Believe in the Product

This one is an interesting one. Above the products you’re trying to sell, there is an overall mission statement from the company you’re with. If the overall mission is to feed starving kids in Africa and you don’t believe in it, then the conviction piece is going to be missing. See, with my company I truly believe and have the conviction to support the overall mission of the company. I know the products work because I’ve sold and to many people and have seen them work first hand. So, there’s a double win for me. You have to understand what the mission is for the company to understand WHY helping it to be successful is so important. Knowing that, you’ll want to go out and do your best every day to grow your and the company’s business.

6. Not Reading the Right Books

This kind of plays along with the self-development piece. I always ask other people in this industry what books they read. You can tell a LOT about a person by looking at their personal library; especially if they don’t have one. I have read some AMAZING books directly related to the MLM industry as well as books on leadership, team building, etc. Having spent 25 years in the Army has helped immensely as well. You really do have to be a leader to rise through the ranks. You have to show people the way. You also need to know how to cast vision for people. You have to be able to do this for yourself. If you’re reading Sci-Fi books and not reading to improve yourself in this industry you’re missing the boat terribly. I’ve posted my top books in other articles. If you need some guidance, simply ask me. I love to help people!!

7. Still Not a True Risk Taker

Let’s face it, jumping into one of these businesses is a risk. Many of them you can get into for 10 bucks. That’s not a big risk. If that’s the type of company you’re after that means you’re not a risk taker. That doesn’t mean you can’t afford it. I tell people if they are serious about this then they need to pony up and go big. Again, you have to get uncomfortable. You must be pushed. If you “invest” $1000.00 in one of these businesses and can’t truly afford it, chances are you’ll be more successful than the person who invested $10. Why? Because the ones who took that risk are going to work harder to make that money back. My recommendation? Go big or don’t go at all. If you treat it like a “side gig” you’ll make “side gig” money. If you treat it like a true business, you’ll make money like a true business. Lastly, taking risks make you grow and learn.

8. Wrong Expectations

I try to clear this up when signing up a new business partner. I want them to have clear expectations. I will give them the good and bad of it. The hard and easy of it. No, people aren’t going to flock to you after posting all over social media. I’ve told my wife and kids for years, “Expectations lead to hurt feelings”. It’s the same way going into a relationship with someone. I will say, however, aim high. This article outlines expectations and what to focus on. Aim High to Achieve Goals

9. Poor Leadership, If Any

This one I’ve probably heard the most. “Once I signed up, the person who got me into it bailed on me”. The same thing happened to me. The gal who got me into it is a very good friend of my wife. We love her like family and she’s an awesome young lady. I was never mad about it. I’m a bit different, though. I’m a soldier. When faced with a task, I get the task done. It doesn’t matter if I know how to do the task, I find out how and do it. Git Shit Done!!! Many people are not very good at accepting responsibility for their actions and owning their decisions. It’s easy to cast blame elsewhere. If you CHOSE to join a company and fail, you CHOSE failure. I don’t like failure, so I’ll figure out how to overcome it. That’s goes back to reading books, attending seminars, etc. After joining my company, I chose to buy a plane ticket and fly down to Dallas 2 weeks after I committed. I met with the top earners in the company and my upline. I still stay in contact with them today. “They” say, “To be successful you have to emulate successful people”. If they can make it work, so can I.

10. Compensation Plan Makes It Impossible

I’ve studied quite a few “comp plans”. People are always trying to hit me up to join their team. The first thing I do is I research the company to see if it’s publicly traded or privately owned. Then I look at their most recent Income Disclosure. After that I look at their comp plan. The binary is the most common one. Many companies use that. You also have Unilevel and Breakaways. The main problem with most Binaries is that you only get paid on your WEAKEST leg. The person who signed you up is going to continue to stack people under you on your strong leg as well as the people who join under them. It’s all on you to grow your “Weak Leg”. If you suck at doing it, so will your income. The one I’m in runs a hybrid. It’s pretty interesting, actually. I get paid on both legs. I actually have 3 legs. I get paid on everything everyone does in all my legs along with team building bonuses for those on my team, check matching, etc., etc. It is hands down the best compensation plan I have ever seen in this industry. It makes it so much simpler to make money. The car program is pretty killer, too!!

I know that was a long read and if you’re reading this sentence that means you’ve made the cut!! I hope that gets some wheels turning in people’s heads and more than that I hope it helps people. This is an awesome industry to be in just know that you’re going to have to work it to make it work for you! As always, if you like what you’ve read please Like, Share and Subscribe!! Leave a comment for some feedback!! I always appreciate hearing other people’s thoughts. Thanks!!!