How Network Marketing and MLM Have Changed Over the Last 20 Years

Many things have changed in the last 20 years, and the way we build and grow our network marketing and MLM business is no exception. Technology has brought us so much closer to an ever-expanding sea of prospects for our business. It has never been so easy to reach so many prospects so quickly.

Home based business startups are on the rise. Working from home is no longer the exclusive domain of a select few. Opportunity abounds today for anyone willing to take a chance and make a commitment.

One thing that has changed dramatically in network marketing and MLM is the ability of anyone to be introduced to multiple opportunities in a very short period of time. This has presented challenges for all of us who work hard to build strong and successful businesses.

For example, 20 years ago the MLM and network marketing world consisted mostly of local groups which were typically built around in-home meetings and presentations. Some of the larger MLM organizations often rented hotel space to conduct presentations and training for distributors and prospects in their area.

In that day, a person signing up for a network marketing opportunity had a reasonable chance of staying focused, and feeling a part of something. The local meetings and get-togethers, while sometime inconvenient, did serve a purpose. They helped to build a cohesiveness and loyalty in that group. The odds of being quickly tempted into some other deal in those days was less.

Fast forward to 2009. With technology that delivers recruiting pitches and enticements online 24 hours a day, it’s harder for new network marketing and MLM distributors to keep focused during the early stages of building their business.

Unless there is a strong relationship between the new distributor and their sponsor, it can be very easy to get distracted and move to something else. If there is not enough profit made early on to provide encouragement and momentum, it can serve as justification for moving to something else before anything much has a chance to happen.

When else in history has it been possible for a home business seeker to sign up and then be bombarded with a dozen other opportunities and pitches within 24 hours?

What does this mean to us as sponsors? It means we have to be very diligent and make a strong effort to develop a relationship with our new associates early on. We need to help them start making money as quickly as possible.

This can be a bit more challenging when the new associate lives hundreds of miles away. Challenging, but still doable.

In 2009, let’s all remember one of the major keys to success in network marketing and MLM – developing relationships and friendships. This has always been important, but these days it is really crucial. Our new associates have lots of choices and it’s very easy for them to get information on demand.

Let’s take care of our new people and help them get started right.