1. Unreasonable Claims

“Become a millionaire in 90 days.” “Make your riches working 3 hours a week.” You’ve seen the inflated claims. These are especially designed to appeal to the down and out desperate, wondering how they are going to put food on the table. Unfortunately, most of the programs making these claims ask you to pull out your credit card immediately in order to join the “sure deal” they have to offer.

2. Overpriced Products

“These products sell themselves!” If they did, why would they need you in the first place? Many network marketing opportunities are trying to sell products of low value at an inflated cost. Of course, this is the only way they have money to spread around in commissions and bonuses. But, how easy is it going to be for you to sell someone a bottle of vitamins for $80 when they can run down to Wal-Mart and purchase a bottle of multi-vitamins for $20? Unfortunately, this leads to many new recruits running up their credit cards purchasing products they can’t afford in order to receive a paltry little commission check at the end of the month.

3. Whose Business is it Anyway?

Most network marketing companies sell you on the idea that it’s your business. But, you usually have to pay to join (which would indicate it belongs to someone else and, at best, you own a franchise). When it comes to selling the product or recruiting people into your downline, does your parent company have a list of specific “dos and don’ts”? Be sure you read the rules carefully. Most parent companies will not let you develop and use your own product information brochures or flyers. You have to purchase only company approved and generated products. The same goes for business opportunity materials. In fact, many of them tell you how you can and can’t recruit! Most will not let you set up your own website to sell product or to recruit people into your downline.

4. Motivational and Training Materials

While most network marketing companies realize they can’t require people to purchase their motivational tapes, CDs, DVDs, and attend seminars anymore, they still heavily push the idea. Your upline and crossline likely apply subtle (and often not so subtle) pressure on you to buy these products or attend these events, insinuating that this is the only way to truly succeed at network marketing.

5. Drop Out and Burn Out

The sad fact is that 98% of the people who join a network marketing opportunity will drop out. Most of those will be more in debt after joining this fantastic money-making opportunity than they were when they joined in order to get themselves out of debt and enjoy financial freedom.

6. You Can’t Build a Downline Using Grandma’s Methods Anymore

Everyone realizes that the person who achieves success at network marketing is the one who is successful at building a big downline. That’s the only way to leverage your time, effort and money and to have that revenue stream coming in that you can reinvest in your business, or invest in other areas to continue bringing you residual income. Most people also know you aren’t going to build a big downline by calling your friends and family and asking them to come to a business meeting to hear about a great new opportunity.

7. Easy Money

There is no such thing as easy money. Just like there is no such thing as an overnight success. Ask any overnight success, and he’ll tell you it took him five or ten or more years to become an “overnight success.” The same is true with network marketing. Are there successful network marketers? You bet your boots! Did they become that way overnight? Nope. Did they achieve success paying an entrance fee, sitting back, and watching the money pour into their bank accounts? No. They earned their success.

You too can achieve success in network marketing, but don’t let anyone fool you. It does take work, and time, and effort. The old saying that success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration holds true in most areas of life, although I do believe they are swayed a little more in the network marketer’s favor than that.

If you truly want to be successful in network marketing, you have to set aside several hours every week to work on your business. Put these hours right on your daily schedule. Don’t let anything interfere with them. Set small, bite-sized goals, and set about achieving them one-by-one.

I have good news and bad news about network marketing. The good news is; you get to be your own boss. The bad news is; you get to be your own boss. Probably the number one thing that sets apart the successes from the failures in this industry is drive. Your boss at your day job may tell you that being motivated or a self-starter, or showing initiative is important. In network marketing, it’s critical.