Qualities That I Value: Plugging In

In Network Marketing, you often hear this statement:

"Don't worry, I will help you."

And of course, it is a very nice thing to hear. If you are putting yourself on the line for an MLM, you want to know that you will not be left out there dangling, that people actually will smooth the way for you, and make it easier for you to succeed (it least that's what I think "helping" should be like!)

I am reminded of some of the best manager/leaders I ever worked with in the corporate world. Their approach was usually like this: "I am not a boss, I am just the water-carrier for my team." or, "My job is to break down barriers that are in the way of my people."

So I bring this attitude to my role as "upline guy" in my present Network Marketing program (or MLM, or NM).

But how does this play out, in reality? What does it mean "to help"? And since, over time, more and more people will be asking for help, how do I choose where to focus my attention?

So, I will use the next several blogs to spell this out clearly.

In my case, "help" means, that I will go out and recruit people and place them in my downline. I'll do it myself if I have to. And over time, I will get better and better at it.

Let me say that again:

Over time, I will get better and better at recruitment. I am a pracitioner of continuous improvement and reaching for my personal best. I am going to get better at this. Count on it.

Now - once I have signed someone up, how do I decide where to place the person?

The least criterion of my list of 12 or so, is plugging in.

Plugging in is industry jargon that means showing up at meetings, training sessions, conference calls, etc. It is that expectation that you should make your presence known, be seen by others, especially the upline.

But most people are not into this. Many that will never join an MLM, avoid them for reasons like this. They don't want to plug in. They don't like silly meetings, or spending time with MLM people with whom they otherwise have nothing in common.

So, while Plugging In is on my list, it is the least of the items on my list. In fact, it barely registers on my monitor. There are other things that I value more highly, which I will unfold in future posts. I want a team that gets very large, but operates under the radar. I do not want a lot of attention drawn to my team. I want to creep up on our community and MLM. We will not create great waves, but we will make a lot of people wealthy.

So - to those on my team reading this, don't worry about making the meetings. I know that you have more important things to do. I also know that whether or not you go to the meetings, is not going to make or break you in this MLM.

It also might be helpful to you, to say sincerely to your squeamish friends: "No, you will not have to go to meetings or listen to conference calls."