MLM Team Sites: The Right Path

Frequenting numerous MLM blogs, forums, distributor websites, company websites, independent distributor websites, etc – there is a recurring topic that’s discussed a lot; MLM team sites. It’s not discussed in an overt way, but every consultant and web savvy distributor is confident their offering or advice on creating the most effective MLM team sites is the next best thing since sliced bread. After reading an interesting post from Marc Barrett, I wanted to explore some ideas into why a downline with an effective online marketing tool is good for everyone – if done correctly that is.

Why have MLM Team Sites?

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Being able to provide future team members with an effective online marketing tool can have its drawbacks as Marc points out, but overwhelming the ability for distributors to connect and build relationships with customers and potential recruits resides online. No where else does a distributor have the ability to socially interface with people 24/7, and no where else can they expand their reach beyond their warm markets so effectively.

MLM team sites allow upline distributors to provide real value to their downline. When signing up a new recruit, it’s a huge selling point to be able to show that individual a tool that allows them to effectively market the same opportunity to recruits of their own. MLM team sites can also build a level of codependency and support if the distributors who are active on the team sites share what has been successful amongst the rest of the team. In doing so, an upline distributor can reap the benefits of having an effective and well armed workforce that can not only retain their existing recruits, but easily acquire new distributors to successfully duplicate the process.

Give your downline a better tool, they perform better, more recruits join, repeat. Everything sounds great, right? Well, it all depends on how you go about opening the door to team websites.

MLM Team Sites: The Wrong Way

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Simply providing advice to distributors as to how to grow their down-lines through ‘generic opportunity websites’ is a recipe for disaster in the long-term. Not only does that put a barrier-to-entry for any new distributor joining the team in the forms of a learning curve and time invested to get a website built, etc – but it also creates a myriad of other problems. The two largest being compliance related issues, and increased distributor mobility.

– Compliance: The main focus of all my posts. By instructing distributors to leverage online marketing without any direct oversight over their activities, an upline distributor is opening a pandora’s box of compliance problems; The most prominent of which are novice distributors making misleading or questionable claims.

– Distributor Mobility: By aiding distributors with the foresight, wisdom, and skill to manage their own independent websites, an upline distributor is essentially enabling those distributors to easily swap from their opportunity to a better one at the drop of a dime. What that means is; if a distributor can master online marketing for his or herself, then that distributor no longer has to rely on your guidance and may defect when any opportune moment arises.

MLM Team Sites: The Right Way

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The right MLM team site should be a tool, a tool that will empower your down-line and give them the access and the resources they need to succeed and grow your business.  The right MLM team site should not put you in a place of having to give and take, or sacrifice elements of your business.  The right MLM team site will give your down-line all they need and more, without the risk of mobility.  The last thing any distributor wants is to give their down-line all they need to succeed, just for them to jump ship when another opportunity arrives.

Think of your business as a tree, all the branches, roots and leaves are attached, growing and helping one another.  A new branch starts growing bigger and stronger, its own twigs and leaves are also growing.  If that branch were to suddenly pop off one day and go plant itself in the dirt and begin a new tree, the original tree would only suffer.  Giving your down-line too much mobility would have this same effect on your business.

They key to MLM team sites is to offer resources while keeping a leash on the system that can monitor compliance and harness mobility.  This kind of Network Marketing software is available, but many companies are apprehensive over the irreversible effects of their distributors online presence.  Don’t let the wrong MLM team site hold you back.

Images: MelvinSchlubman (Team), Begnaud (MLM Team Sites Wrong Way) Caitlinator (MLM Team Sites help Growth)


January 27, 2011

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