by
Lon Lindsey

In the network marketing arena, we hear of the "next wave" of marketing that is coming or perhaps we read books on the past eras of marketing goods and services.

There is a wave of marketing that network marketers do not like to talk about. It's the "Goodbye Wave."

I'm not talking about people saying "goodbye" BEFORE they become a member/distributor/associate for a business. I'm talking about the "Goodbye Wave" AFTER they make a decision to participate in a business opportunity. In fact, for most marketers, it has become an epidemic to such large proportions that some businesses look like a revolving door of people coming in and distributors going out. Dare I say that people are recruiting and sponsoring too many people?

Why is this epideminc taking place? Actually, the drop-out syndrome is nothing new. It has always been an issue, but not to the extent that it is now. The difference today is it is happening much quicker than it used to. For instance, ten years ago, drop-outs were the result of discouragement and lack of interest after a period of time working the business. You could figure on getting people to give a business at least a six month try. Today, they are in and out of one or more businesses within 30 days.

There are two major reasons for this "Goodbye Wave."

1. Bombardment of new programs. We are being hit with new program after new program daily. In many instances, each new program looks better than the last one. We are bedazzled by offers and pay plans and we have access to a medium (Internet) that is our promise for a piece of the new gold rush and we certainly don't want to miss out on that next "big one". The result is many network marketers get involved in numerous programs with the hope and even the intention of doing something with it, only to get sidetracked by the next new program that they can't seem to avoid.
2. Emphasis on recruiting. There has always been an emphasis on recruiting in network marketing programs, but never before has it actually become a problem. Let me explain! Because of new technology, recruiting has become easier because it is easier to get in front of large groups of people be it Internet or postal mail. In many cases, we even hear people say such things as "recruit, recruit and recruit and you will eventually find one that sticks." What they mean by that is if you recruit and sponsor enough people, you will eventually find a worker. That may be true, but networkers who take that attitude are losing out on what could be a gold mine for themselves. It appears to me that a critical element may be disappearing in network marketing . . . "DEVELOPING LEADERS".

Network marketing has prided itself on the idea of developing leaders. Notice I said "DEVELOPING leaders." Do you know that only 1% of the network marketing population are leaders which we call self starters? Our hope is to find these one percenters and let them build our business for us. I feel we have lost the art of developing leaders. I liken this to a statement I usually hear in the nutrition field . . "you are not what you eat, but what you absorb." You are not what you recruit, but you are the leaders you develop.

In other words, how many people can you work with at one time and develop each of them into a leader in your business? Some experts say you can effectively work with only 5 - 10 people at one time. This means a complete training program and a regular communication plan. It's actually harder work than recruiting. You would be much better off recruiting only five people and working closely with those five rather than recruiting ten or twenty people and not working with them. Why? Because you will lose those ten or twenty people within a month or two if you don't work with them. Recruiting massive numbers of people without appropriate training and communication is just like throwing money into the wind. It will all disappear in a very short period of time.

Another factor you will be dealing with is the attention span of your new recruit. If you don't do something to help him/her to focus on your business, he/she will start noticing that next exciting business that comes along. To get them to focus, you must give them something to focus on. Daily communication via email or phone is not too much in this day.

The Goodbye Networker is the same networker who can be developed into a leader and business-producer, but 99% will NOT do it on their own. YOU are the difference. Recruit less and develop more should be your goal. Watch your networking business flourish when you develop leaders and train your leaders to develop leaders. That is what networking is really all about. Make the next wave the "HELLO, I'M HOME" wave.