If you are in network marketing, you’ve probably heard this traditional rule of thumb…“If it’s not duplicatable, don’t teach it to your team!”
Sounds logical, sure. But, are you aware that most of the things you are taught are actually NOT duplicatable?
Yup, that’s right!
Let’s discuss:
What it means to “Duplicate”
This word gets thrown around alot. If you are new in the industry, you might not fully get all its implications.
“To Duplicate” is to copy, exactly like the original. When something is said to be “duplicatable” it means that anyone can do it, exactly the same way as it was taught, and with relative ease.
It can be replicated, with the exact same level of success, or with very similar results as it was achieved previously.
By extension, it means that when you teach it to your team, they will accomplish the exact results as you, as your upline, and as your upline’s upline, and so on.
To be fair, maybe not at the exact same level of success as seasoned network marketers, but it is assumed it will work in a very similar, positive way for you and your team.
Honestly, can you, or anyone else, say that everything you’ve been taught in traditional network marketing can be duplicated?
Probably not.
Regardless of the significant disagreements you and I might have as to what people should be taught or at least exposed to, you and I both know that most of the staples taught in network marketing are not truly duplicatable.
Sorry, but they just aren’t.
What you CAN NOT Duplicate
“Cold Market Prospecting”
Have you heard this one? “there are LOTS of people to talk to out there…don’t forget your friendly waiter!”
Cold market prospecting means going out into the world and talking to strangers.
It entails not only generating a lead or prospect out of the first meeting with a stranger but actually trying to convert that prospect into a member of your team.
That is NOT duplicatable and it’s actually a very difficult skill to learn.
Cold market prospecting can work and I know some people that are very good at it.
It’s still not duplicatable.
In order to be successful with this approach and make it work for you, you need to commit yourself at a very high level and completely overcome the fear of talking to strangers.
You need to develop professional sales skills, such as how to approach and start conversations.
There’s a great deal of strategy that goes into cold market prospecting. Such as going out into public places, like the mall, and starting a conversation out of thin air, even if that stranger is your very friendly waiter.
It’s not easy and doesn’t come naturally to the vast majority of folks, period.
“Cold Calling”
Although it can work for some, cold calling is another skill in traditional network marketing that is not duplicatable.
Do you actually listen to your average telemarketer pitch, or do you usually just hang up the phone?
Most people hang up their phones.
Most telemarketers don’t have the skills needed to convert those people.
They would need proper training, practice, and a supportive mentor.
Getting a script and some random numbers and being told to, “go for it” – doesn’t work for most.
Believe it or not, there are still people in network marketing, not only teaching people how to cold call, but charging thousands of dollars to teach them how to get good at it.
Mastering cold calling is a great skill to have, sure. However, if you have to pay somebody $5,000 to learn that skill, then clearly that skill is not duplicatable.
It’s not something that you’re going to learn overnight.
“Prospecting Your Warm Market (ie friends & family)”
Sound familiar? “Make a list of all of your friends and family and start telling them all about your new opportunity.”
One of the greatest skills in life is maintaining good relationships with your family and friends.
Most network marketers, when they are just starting out, fumble with this one big time; it’s painful to watch.
Most newbies damage their relationships with friends and family.
Keeping good relationships is not duplicatable.
Screwing up those relationships, on the other hand… well, that is very duplicatable.
It happens all the time, and clearly, that’s something people have to work on and improve upon as an industry.
Newbies need to know the right way to approach their warm market in order to be effective not only in business but also in preserving those close relationships.
“No” actually means – “not right now”
Unfortunately, most companies teach that “no” doesn’t really mean “no,” that it means, “not right now.”
NO means NO.
You’ve no doubt heard that before in another context, but it’s also the case for network marketing.
Accepting a “no” is a great skill to have and should be duplicatable.
If somebody says “no,” take their word for it, and move on.
Now, should they ever bring it up again and ask about your business, then that’s a different story.
You can do a lot to preserve your personal relationships by simply accepting a “no.”
“Sacrificing time with family”
Leaving your family with a nanny is going to cost you hundreds of dollars a week, if not thousands of dollars a month.
Coming home late at night is not duplicatable.
Have people built massive businesses doing home or hotel meetings? Absolutely! But it’s not duplicatable. Period.
It’s not something I wanted to do either.
It’s a tough thing to do night after night, over and over again (sometimes with no shows).
Not everyone is willing to make that sacrifice, so clearly, everyone in your team can’t duplicate that skill.
No one should anyone expect them to.
Two necessary leadership skills that are NOT duplicable, but can be developed
Switching gears right quick…Let’s discuss actual skills you need to be successful in network marketing, which you’re typically not told you need to learn.
Effective presentations
Whether you’re doing one-on-ones, home or hotel meetings, or even online presentations through webinars – sales presentations are not easily duplicatable.
It requires practice, training, and development to do them properly and effectively.
You can’t simply sit down with someone for 15 minutes and teach them how to do it and expect that all of the sudden they’re going to be really good at it.
Just like any other high-value skill, to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice.
You need to learn by watching and then by doing it multiple times. You’re going to do a lot of meetings and you’re going to screw up a lot of presentations, where no one joins your team.
And hey…that’s part of life; it’s how the cookie crumbles.
This is a skill that leaders commit to. Not everyone on your team wants to do this.
Leadership Skills
Make no mistake, leadership skills and cultivating a supportive and motivational team culture are essential elements for being successful in network marketing and in business in general.
Unfortunately, not everyone can be or wants to become, a team leader.
Anything that requires you to learn processes, requires practice, professional development, commitment to learning, and managing or motivating others are all considered to be leadership skills.
If you’re still with me and have not abandoned ship, let’s discuss the skills that you can easily duplicate within your team:
What you CAN Duplicate
There are lots of ways to build your network marketing business online.
Not only can you preserve your relationships, but you can also structure your business so you have people asking you about your opportunity or products, instead of you having to chase after them.
Some of the duplicatable systems include:
Creating a website to capture leads
Building sales funnels
Having automated messages sent to website visitors
Running ads and reviewing analytics
Using online resources such as social media
How do You Think This Stay-at-Home Mom of Two Built a Network Marketing Downline of Over 9,000 People With Social Media?
Yes, yours truly did that 🙂
You can read all about it in my Social Media Recruiting Frenzy Guide. Click below to pick up this free resource.
Thanks to social media and the power of the internet, we all have an infinite amount of prospects we can connect with and add to our friend’s list.
This strategy only requires you to learn simple skills, such as how to create eye-catching posts and how to actively prospect people.
That, to me, is MUCH more duplicatable than cold market calling or prospecting.
Now, just to confuse you a little, both of these strategies are technically pursuing a “cold market” strategy.
Traditional cold market prospecting is where you leave your home and talk to strangers face-to-face at places like the mall or call a long list of names.
Social media cold market prospecting can be done in the comfort of your own home and normally people are coming to you for more information.
There are other methods which are also easily duplicatable.
Running Facebook ads to generate leads is incredibly easy to duplicate.
Currently, hundreds of people are generating thousands of leads using a system that absolutely duplicatable.
How does it work?
Example 1
I teach someone to create a Facebook ad with a photo and three paragraphs.
The ad could tell the story of a positive result somebody has produced in their life and the person reading the message relates.
It could be about a particular product or how to effectively build a business online.
The ad links to a one-page website that captures leads.
That one-page website offers a prospect something of value in exchange for their contact information.
The prospect completes the form.
That person now has a lead that is interested in their product or service.
Example 2
This example is a bit simpler and easier to copy without a website.
Create your Facebook ad as noted above.
Towards the end, create copy (sales writing), which says, “Comment below for more information.”
No website required.
Your “call to action” (what you’re asking your audience to do, in ad-speak) doesn’t need to actually go anywhere.
Those interested comment asking for more information.
Again, that person now has a lead that is interested in their product or service.
Is it Duplicable?
Can you be taught to write three paragraphs, add a positive image, a call to action, and include a way for an interested lead to offer their contact information?
You, one hundred percent you can!
I do this everyday. I teach people on my team how to duplicate that process.
I love to empower people with methods that work.
In fact, someone that follows me did exactly that.
She wrote three paragraphs about a mentor she had met. She explained a little about the strategy her mentor was using to generate leads online and used a picture with her mentor for the ad. Then added a call to action that said…“Hey, if you want to learn more, comment below more info, and I’ll send you some information.”
That’s it!
With $20 worth of ad spend, she had 26 people reach out to her!
That same day, she had talked to four of them and three became customers. How cool is that!?!
Would you say that is duplicatable? Yes, it is.
In fact, you can teach that technique to anybody.
And you start off slow and easy, just like I did. Isn’t that nice?
My mentors have taught me easy methods and more advanced stuff too, but first, we have to master the basics to create quick results and more leverage.
Now, if you want to make your life a little easier, start building your business online, then teach your team how to do it effectively.
I have a free resource that can help you get started here – just click below!
My goal is to PROVE to you that building your network marketing business online is duplicatable!
I’ve done it and you can do it too.
Did this help you? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments.
Cheers to your success!
Success Junkie Blog
Email: info@createsuccesswithjulie.com
Hi! I really enjoy your strait forward strategy in how to network market. I’m a working Mom of 2 little ones trying to get my “2nd” job to take off.
I’m doing self help books and learning about the business. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Kindest regards,
Erin Blumfeldt