Why do so many fail in an industry that is a time-tested, proven vehicle for so many others?

If there were ever a true business anomaly, it would be Multilevel Marketing.

Most people obviously miss at least one of the required pieces to successful complete the Multilevel Marketing puzzle.

In this continued overview I'll cover issues 6 thru 10 of the 15 primary puzzle pieces I've established. For specific breakdowns and solutions to a given topic, see some of my other articles on these Multilevel Marketing issues.

6. Your Sponsor's Obligation and Network Team Support: In reality, most people join any given Multilevel Marketing opportunity "under" the person who introduced it to them. By "under" we mean you are sponsored by that person and reside on the "first level" or "first generation" of their income genealogy.

As your sponsor, they have an obligation to support you, encourage you and even to train you. Their #1 goal should be to assist you into the first stages of success.

On the other hand, if you are in a position of "shopping" for a Multilevel Marketing opportunity AND a sponsor, then there is no emotional attachment and business side of your brain should be looking for these features in your potential sponsor.

Here's where the bubble bursts for most Multilevel Marketing rookies. FACT: your sponsor is NOT there to do it for you. You will never be successful until you learn to BE successful. So the fine line is that your sponsor or Network Team should be available to assist you and provide tools, training and resources - but they should not be building your business for you. Nor should they be promising to in any of their promotions.

If your dream is to sit back and let someone else make you wealthy, buy a lottery ticket.

7. The Fruitful Art of Not Selling: Forget what your sponsor told you. Forget what the promotions promised you. Bottom line: you are selling. You are selling an idea, a concept, a dream of prosperity and independence - in addition to your product or service.

WHAT? Yes, you are offering something that others want and are willing to pay for. That's business. That's selling.

The key is in the way you offer it. Your pitch. Your presentation. Your recommendation. The key is to sell without being a salesman. Being a salesman doesn't duplicate very well to Joe Average and that's who makes up the bulk of your sales force in Multilevel Marketing. Yes, you are building a sales force. Deal with it.

Facts Tell and Stories Sell. Burn that one into your brain. Facts tell and they also "turn off" most of your prospects, even the good ones. Stories sell and should be the primary method for presenting your opportunity or product. Use short, emotional and REAL stories about real people that will create an emotional reaction in the prospect. Remember Puzzle Piece #1? This is where you USE that fact to your advantage.

So, stop reciting facts. Stop blabbering on about details, statistics, ingredients blah blah blah. Tells stories. Your own hopefully. If you don't have one yet, tell true stories shared by immediate members of your upline team until you develop your own story.

8. The Fortune is In the Follow Up: A huge pitfall for many Multilevel Marketers. They promote like crazy and generate responses - inquiries - curious replies - but don't follow up. Organization and time planning play a huge role in your business success. Part of that MUST include following up on active suspects. In fact, much of the process that turns suspects into prospects is actual a result of following up.

For crying out loud - call them back! Whether it's the first time you've been contacted or the fifth, follow up. Get back to them. Find out what they need and THEN determine if it's worthwhile to continue spending time on them. Yes, some suspects are a waste of time - I call them tire kickers. But, how do you truly know until you follow up?

Do not prejudge based on a name, a location or an accent. Do not continue to generate leads if you are not following up on the ones you already have. And most of all, do not expect to be a successful Multilevel Marketer if you don't have a simple way of organizing who you've talked to - when you talked and what you talked about. In those notes, include a reason to call them back or visit them again.

9. Your Future is in Your List: For Multilevel Marketing rookies, this aspect is not critical for success on Day One. Don't worry about not having a list. However, you should start building one that will grow as your business grows. Your list is simply your contacts. Whether they've joined your program or not, the people you get to know are valuable resources. They can be tapped for knowledge, referrals and more. Keep notes on the people you talk to. Use a contact manager of some kind to keep this simple.

Over time, you will get involved in different Multilevel Marketing projects. You will go back to your list over and over again for information and prospecting. Make a point to build friendly, trusting relationships with as many people as you can. That's networking!

And those who are just names with no relationship should be kept on file. They may be a great prospect for something you will be offering 5 years from now. If you don't keep and maintain an active list of contacts, you will always be starting over.

For online marketers, the necessity for a list of email names is well known. Most marketers spend as much time expanding their email lists - and working them - as they do on any other aspect of their business.

10. Your Monthly Income vs. Financial Security: This issue is rarely discussed in training materials, even by seasoned marketers. Typically, we're told to sponsor, sponsor, sponsor. It's a numbers game. Some will, some won't, so what. And on it goes.

However, with the exception of binaries, most Multilevel Marketing pay plans consist of "levels" or "generations." And there are 2 aspects to these levels that need to be considered. Width and depth. Remember this fact: money is in the width and security is in the depth. Build with that in mind and temper these 2 factors as you grow.

You have the most immediate impact on your first 2 or 3 levels. These are the people you can influence the most. As mentioned in Puzzle Piece #6, you have an obligation to offer support - but not to do it FOR them. It's the old "teach a man to fish" scenario. It is in YOUR best interest - and THEIRS - to help your people achieve their early goals and the "Point of No Return." (see Puzzle Piece #13)

If you do nothing but sponsor first level members, you will make lots of short term income. But, you have no security unless you help THEM to do the same. The deeper your levels grow, the more long term income you build because you have more members earning. Multilevel Marketers who earn don't quit.

So, it becomes a balancing act. Your time should be divided between expanding your first level and taking time to work with your team members to accomplish the same objectives on THEIR respective first levels. It should be noted that not all members of your Multilevel Marketing sales force with be active or grow. Make yourself available but don't waste time trying to convince them to produce. Work with the workers. For every 4 you sponsor, it's possible that only 1 will be as active as you. Work with that ONE. Get him/her to the Point of No Return. Encourage the others, but move on to find new workers.

The Point of No Return is a goal line. You want to lead people across it - you don't want to drag them. Some will, some won't, so what. Move on.