Some call it swagger. Some call it confidence. Take it too far and some will even call it arrogance. Whatever you want to call it, it's essential for your network marketing business. A hard truth about our industry many people try to get around- only Leaders make money in network marketing.

No one FOLLOWS a FOLLOWER. Period. And a main ingredient in a leader is confidence. Leaders tend to be extremely confident in what they know, share their views and opinions without fear, and don't let criticism and judgment from others affects them.

Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest things for marketers, especially new marketers to acquire. Not many new recruits are able to go out their first day and convince prospects that their opportunity is the best thing since sliced bread.

There are just too many uncertainties running through their heads:
-What will this person think of me?
-How does the compensation plan work again?
-Will they call it a pyramid?
-What if they don't like the products?
-This prospect is too successful/busy/rich, etc… to be interested.
The list goes on and on…

In order to get people to join YOU (and the real selling point is you- not your opportunity), you need to come across as an absolute authority in what you're presenting. The good news is that you are an authority. It doesn't matter if you've only been in the company 1 day- that's still one day longer than your prospect!

Of course there's still a lot to learn and experience before most people truly FEEL like an authority. So how can you get your mentality from that of an uncertain beginner to that of an expert?

Well here's where your job starts. The answer is to LEARN. Many people are afraid to speak to their prospects because they don't know all the answers.

This is YOUR business and in order to make it successful you need to work at it. It is up to YOU to become an expert in network marketing and in your particular opportunity.

LEARN the history and background of your company. STUDY the company products and compare them to those of your competition. What advantages does your company have over its competitors? What disadvantages? LEARN your compensation plan and be able to explain it both to the prospect that's never heard of MLM and the one that's been in the industry 20+ years. This will include understanding the other compensation structures that exist in the industry and how yours compares. KNOW if there's a minimum product order each month needed for a rep to stay active?

What TOOLS does your company provide for marketing your business and how do they work? Is there any sort of TRAINING available to new reps? If so, make sure you go through it and know it inside and out.

And DO NOT limit yourself to learning simply through what your company provides. This is CRUCIAL! Most companies preach "IGNORANCE ON FIRE" for their representatives. We've all heard this- "you don't need to fully understand everything, just go out and show as many people as you can using the company tools!" And the hope is we're going to get lucky and show it to a few people who'll sign up and run with it! This shotgun approach is used by companies because it's not hard to learn and is easily DUPLICATABLE by all recruits.

The problem with this approach is that it doesn't develop you into a leader that people will be ATTRACTED to YOU and WANT to join.

To truly become a leader you must DEVELOP into one. Read books and take classes on personal development. Go to leadership and networking seminars. Work to understand the human mind and WHY people buy. These are skills that will not only benefit you in all aspects of life, but help elevate your status and value in the eyes of your prospects. This, along with a TARGETED campaign to approach the right type of prospects will work to grow your business beyond your wildest imagination.