In a recession, while opportunities may seem scarce the truth is, during tough times is when fortunes are made. But be careful if you are on the lookout for a work from home opportunity because it’s also a time when scams increase significantly.
Internet home business scams have tainted the at home business landscape with many being stung by opportunities promising wealth beyond a person’s wildest imagination. The fact that the internet is now so accessible means these scam artists have a wider reach and generally target inexperienced online users.
In the network marketing arena, many are now moving their prospecting efforts online but with this move comes a lack of experience online. While building an internet network marketing business is a lot easier now, so is the risk of losing focus as one runs into make money advertisements. It takes time to build a network business, that’s a fact and for many, it’s sometimes too slow.
So the risk here is people go looking for faster ways to make money and the truth is, they don’t need to go looking very far. In fact, the get rich quick advertisements usually find them. They are tempting after all, how can anyone resist the temptation of earning thousands of dollars a month in literally weeks.
Scams In The Internet Home Business Landscape
But beware, if it sounds too good to be true then it usually is. We’ve prepared some tips to avoid falling for these online home business scams.
- If the income opportunity for a home based business you’re interested in is being promoted as high then be wary. But if that income opportunity is also being promoted as instant or earned in a very short time then your alarm bells should be ringing.
- When investigating opportunities being promoted online, always look for contact information. An email should be listed but you really want to be able to speak with someone over the phone. Test the email and see if you get a response within 24 hours. Also test the phone number.
- Be wary of outlandish claims in big bold headlines. Also, treat with “a pinch of salt” any income testimonials which are displayed on a sales letter such as affiliate accounts or even bank statements. These can be easily falsified.
- If you need to part with money just to get information our suggestion is to give it a miss. Information is readily available on just about anything over the internet for free.
- Also seek confirmation from watch dogs such as the Better Business Bureau.
- If you want more clarification, check with online forums on a particular home business opportunity.
Generating leads is an essential part of building an at home business. Without leads, your business will cough and splutter and really go nowhere.
One of the big mistakes at home business owners such as network marketers make is driving their leads away after attracting them into their funnel. Sounds crazy doesn’t it and it’s called the desperate marketer syndrome.
People willing to do everything but give their prospect what they really want during the initial contact and that’s what’s in it for them and how do I get there. It’s called giving value before asking for the sale and the truth is, if it’s executed correctly then in many cases, the sales pitch won’t even be required.
An home based business is hard enough to establish and grow without sabotaging it with desperate marketing tactics which leave a sour taste in the mouth of a prospect and you a lead lighter. So what is a desperate marketer and how do they behave. Does this sound familiar?
The Desperate Network Marketer
Here’s an example of a desperate marketer. He gets a lead and is due to speak with them on the phone. Now this first step is going to tell a prospect a lot about the person they’re thinking of joining in business. And this is where most network marketers fluff it. Many suddenly get gripped by the desperate marketer syndrome.
They get into a lather about “what if this person doesn’t join my business” or “are they a potential Diamond Director and what if I lose them.”
And the phone conversation will go something like this…”Hi Joan, my name’s Ron and it’s good to meet you.” After the initial pleasantries the desperate marketer takes over. The conversation deteriorates to something like this.
“I’m with company xyz and we are the best company in network marketing. Our products are life changing and will cure anything and boy, our compensation plan is the best. You’ll make a fortune with company xyz and you can’t fail because we do all the work for you. And if you don’t join our company you’ll be sorry because now is the time to get in blah, blah, blah…”
The Dreaded Early Sales Pitch
What’s wrong with this picture. Right, there has been nothing asked about what the prospect wants, their needs, their pain and how they can reach their goals. The desperate marketer has launched into a sales pitch from the get go and it’s been all about him.
The truth is, the company should never be mentioned unless the prospect specifically asks what it is. Never mention the products and never threaten the prospect with “if you don’t join…”
Make this initial conversation and one’s to follow all about the prospect. Give them information, training materials, educational resources. Show them you are genuinely interested in helping them achieve their goals. Show them you are someone who knows what you’re talking about and more importantly, earn their trust first and watch your at home based business grow.
The art of attracting network marketing leads is something many don’t have the ability to do or the stomach to attempt. The latter reason applies particularly to network marketers using old school methods of prospecting which meant approaching people directly and pitching a business opportunity.
The truth is, it’s a style most hate and just don’t want to be part of. And who can blame them. It’s unprofessional and hit and miss. The key is to pitch your opportunity to people ready to receive your offer.
Another problem with the old method of prospecting is that even if you do manage to sign someone into your business the chances of them dropping out are high. They didn’t ask to see your opportunity in the first place and usually there is a lot of pitching and convincing taking place. Many resort to making wild claims such as you don’t need any skills to do this business.
So attracting MLM leads is not easy…well, not quite true. The internet has leveled the playing field…enormously. And better still, targeting only responsive leads has never been easier.
Who Wants To Hear Your Offer?
The secret is in attracting people who actually want to hear about your offer. In other words, targeted leads. Approaching anyone and everyone is not the way to source leads. It’s an unprofessional way to do business and will convey an image of desperation on your part.
The internet has breathed new life into lead generation for the MLM business in such a way that many are building successful downlines simply through targeted leads obtained online.
Now you may be thinking “well, I’ll just go and spend several hundred dollars and purchase a few thousand leads from a lead generation company.” No, that’s a shortcut to going broke. When you do this you don’t have control.
In the main, these are extremely unreliable and who’s to know how many times these leads have been used even though they are promoted as fresh and targeted.
How To Source Targeted Leads
The best way of finding network marketing leads are the ones you source yourself. How?
- By offering people something of value. By setting yourself up as someone who knows what they’re talking about.
- By building a blog or a website on network marketing and having an optin form to a report of some type which people can download for free.
- By promoting yourself to people who are looking for exactly what you have to offer.
- By building a relationship with your leads before you even talk about your offer.
Do you have an MLM Home based business? Have you in recent times moved your MLM Home based business online so as to increase your downlines and in the process increase your earnings ? Have you found that promoting your business on the internet is pretty confusing given the range of all the existing promoting ways that have a tendency to gulp all your funds ? Then you need to read these blog posts with complete attention .
If you are looking for a near free or cheap way of promoting your MLM business online, then you need to consider article marketing as a channel of effective advertising. A single, well written article can get your website from zero visits a day to above one thousand visits a day.
Stunning isn’t it? With articles, it is smoother to establish yourself as an authority in the online multi level sales business. Unlike many who have to strive to make a dime and are virtually unknown, you can use that platform to go from anonymity to popularity .
Unfortunately , not many folks are applying article marketing methods simply because it is seemingly cheap .
Writing articles not only sets you in the spotlight, it demonstrates the depth of awareness you have about the multi level marketing business. And what do you think newbies would be looking for when they start seeking opportunities to the internet ? An expert and well acknowledged voice in the business. A simple well written but highly educational article can generate income for you for years to come.
Today, avoiding home business scams has almost become a top concern with many opportunities emerging promising wealth, or even worse, instant wealth.
The internet has been an wonderful innovation over the past two decades. It’s made the world a smaller place but it’s also produced a new breed of “con artists” looking to make a fast buck. And the home based business opportunity sector seems to be a prime target.
New people are coming online everyday, many of them baby boomers with little to no experience online and many having no idea on what’s legitimate and what’s not. But there are certain things you can do to safeguard yourself against being scammed.
We have compiled a shortlist of things you can do and watch out for. There are some excellent at home based business opportunity models out there and it’s a matter of being a little patient and doing some due diligence.
How To Avoid Being Ripped Off With Home Business
1. If the home based business you’re interested in is being promoted as having very high income then be wary. But if that income opportunity is also being promoted as instant or earned in a very short time then your alarm bells should be ringing.
2. When investigating opportunities being promoted online, always look for contact information. An email should be listed but you really want to be able to speak with someone over the phone. Test the email and see if you get a response within 24 hours. Also test the phone number.
3. Be wary of outlandish claims in big bold headlines. Also, treat with “a pinch of salt” any income testimonials which are displayed on a sales letter such as affiliate accounts or even bank statements. These can be easily falsified.
4. If you need to part with money just to get information our suggestion is to give it a miss. Information is readily available on just about anything over the internet for free.
5. Also seek confirmation from watch dogs such as the Better Business Bureau.
6. If you want more clarification, check with online forums on a particular business opportunity. This resource lists just about any forum online and you simply type in the keyword you’re looking for - http://www.omgili.com
Income in a home business opportunity is usually the main selling point. The extent of the income is often quoted at it’s highest level. This is fine but you’ve got to understand that while some within that opportunity are making that type of money, you will need to do plenty of work to get there. In other words it won’t be instant and when it’s being promoted as exactly that, then tread carefully.
