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MLM and NETWORK MARKETING: Is there a pie in the sky and is it a fit for Real Estate?

By
Education & Training with REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars

IS there really a pie in the sky? Is there ever easy money?  Another wall of words to ponder over!

I have heard it again & again...Maybe because when Donald gave a green light to MLM - the world looked less at MLM as a TABOO and more of it as a business tool!

Still, when hearing MLM by the investor of all times & money maker real estate man himself - THE DONALD TRUMP  we have to ask...is it his comments or just hard times that everyone is jumping in, on or around some form of MLM or Network Marketing plan in the search for success?

 

Now, if you are a successful sales agent or maybe even if you are not so successful sales agent you have probably been approached more times than you can remember to "Meet someone to show you something" or "You have to see this new product" or "please come to our Tuesday night meeting" or you have been given the "Just give me 5 minutes" spill a million times!

OR maybe you have been a part of this one:

 

I personally have worked my rear off to make a great living selling real estate and I still love chasing leads like a dog but have to often wonder sometimes why I did not choose to sell insurance so that at least I would have also have residual CLIENTS that paid me residual income!

Now - do not get me wrong...Residual clients are AWESOME and a BLESSING! I have sold some people now 6 homes in my 15 years of being an agent but let me ask you something?

 

Does Donald Trump have a point?

 

Here was the interview: Donald Trump was asked if he could do anything over again what would that be? He answered that he would have got into MLM and Network marketing 1st and then real estate 2nd, instead of the other way around. His reason is that the MLM companies would have allowed  him more of the income to use for real estate without the head aches...So - if The TRUMP has thrown the trump card on a past TABOO -  

What is the secret that we are all missing?

Does he have the answer to the piece of puzzle we are looking for?

 

 

I personally researched for years MLM and Network marketing and to be honest I have even tried a few. I have sold Mary Kay in my tween years (I made great money but was forced to resign as it was a conflict of interest in the hair salon I worked - I still have products from 18 years ago) - I was set up in QuixStar a division of AMWAY but never had any money to buy products from myself to pay me anything back. I looked at Excel phone cards when I 1st started in real estate because I thought it may be a nice gift for clients - I never made a dime - I bought a distributor pack of GOJI from FreeLife to use on my own at cost but do not ever see trying to sell it because I just do not find it a fit for my business or message...I sell real estate and I work with the public - I do not promote vitamins or juices!  If I were a fitness trainer maybe, but I am not...

Now after 15 years of looking I would say all together I have now spent over $10,000 looking for the easy street and the pie in sky residual income from MLM and networking marketing...But nothing has every seemed to really FIT!

 

Until NOW!

Stop reading now if do not want to be offended by me trying to sell you!

I say that because I have been wowed, wooed and way impressed with a company that has shown me a message that is true to my core belief! I believe in follow up and as an agent it has been the hardest thing to ever really "MASTER"! So, I joined a company called SendOutCards in October of last year (2007) - Honestly, I joined NOT knowing it was MLM or a Network marketing based. I joined on the Entrepreneur level for one reason alone...I wanted 5% of my own spending back on my snail mail postcards and greeting cards that were sent out to my sphere and farming. I was surprised and excited to finally get a tax write off and money back from my marketing efforts! The cards were less expensive, of great quality and I could upload my personal handwriting and 4 signatures! All this was great but I was even more surprised when in December I started getting checks in the mail from the company! NICE CHECKS! THAT is when I called and discovered I had found myself again in MLM and was part of a downline.

1) I paid $398.00 for product and lisc., points to send cards and gifts, my handwritten font form to send in and the ability to use pictures to customize cards...

ME

 

2) I mailed in my handwritten font form and 4 signatures - it was loaded within 7 days!

I started sending carda and gifts!

 

 

 To be honest, I was not real sure what to do after that! I had customers already just from sending my farming postcards out and a few people that were signed into this system to use it just like me - for 5% BACK...

My fate was sealed when I had a cancer scare in December and used the online snail mail card system to send out "I love you" and "words of wisdom from mom" greeting cards to my kids each quarter for the next 4 years. I also set up all birthday cards and Holiday cards for my mom and dad, sister and many loved ones that have been missed out on by my "lack of time" and forgetfulness! This is when I saw the POWER of this company and the fact that it was a perfect fit for my real estate business! I had found a match for network marketing, but was it the pie in the sky? Is it easy? It is long term residual income? I agreed to myself, I would take it day by day, step by step and I would only share it when I would speak to groups outside of my home area until I saw if it was income producing.

I spent the next week putting my creative talent to work and created FSBO plans, EXPIRED LISTING PLANS, 1-4 YEAR CLIENT FOLLOW UP PLANS with and without gifts, JUST LISTED FOLLOW UP, OPEN HOUSE FOLLOW UP and so many more real estate campaigns...

 

I discovered that anyone could make campaigns and could use the system. Stagers, bankers, coaches, teachers, inspectors, churches, fundraisers, housewives and even OTHER MLM companies!

 

    

Needless to say - the answer is yes. It is the pie in the sky. Is it easy? Nothing in life that is going to make you any amount of money is easy, however, I have never seen such easy checks come from sharing something that is so user friendly and relates to every walk of life and industry.

The money has been an added blessing in a down market and

 I encourage you to just take a peek for yourself.

 

 

The best way for you to do that is going to be for me to GIVE you a FREE gift account. Just click on this link and send a FREE card to either yourself or someone that needs to hear from YOU today! Please ONLY ONE CARD PER USER!

www.soclink.com/wardsmall

 

If you wish to sit in on a training class on the program please click this link and sign up for a FREE webinar Friday, August 1, 2008 at 11:00 EST:!

USING THIS HIGH TECH-HIGH TOUCH MARKETING IN YOUR CURRENT BUSINESS

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/179380542

 

 or feel free to join me on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 12:00 EST:

 HOW TO MAKE AN INCOME OR HAVE A FUNDRAISER WITH SOC

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/568397639

 

if you wish to talk to me personally about this and how YOU can make income with this company without leaving your current career please email me direct at liz@The3BMethod.com or call me at 336-516-4506!

 

More than anything - for this blog - I would love your input! How do you feel about the mix of these businesses within our industry? Are you involved in MLM and are you making any money?

Also, after you make your free card - please share your thoughts on the system?

Was it easy? Did you like it?

 

I look forward to hearing from you!

 Liz

 

Comments (7)

Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Hi Liz, I am very happy finally one idea you are working on has succeeded. I have looked at countless MLM businesses and chose none of them. They never made sense to me or the return was too low for the effort. I do agree that some if you really apply yourself to them can go somewhere, if the results meet your expectations.

Jul 30, 2008 07:35 AM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Gary: Thanks for your comment. I think the best part of this system is I am still farming and prospecting - however, the money I pay for it is now paying me back!

Jul 30, 2008 11:56 AM
Paul LeMay
Caretaker Property Services - Tulsa, OK

Having been in and out of some MLM ventures,  I have learned that the key to MLM is, one the stability of the company, their reputation, the product and the Payment plan.  Most products in MLM are HIGH priced, obviously to cover, the bonus paid to downline.  However MLM is not bad, for example, a product that is of higher quality, will be worth the consumer expense, does it over value, is it unique.  There are only one or two companies I would feel comfortable with.  Not knowing this one, it sounds like the product or service is unique, seems to tie in with realtors, As for me, I need to concentrate on Real Estate and would look at a MLM venture as stealing time from me.  However that said there may come a time where one would fit with the other, because it has crossed my mind.  MLM if worked persistently will have some long term results, the problem in some companies it takes a year or longer to build it full time.

Good luck, I may check your program out at a later date.

Jul 31, 2008 08:18 AM
Anonymous
Sara

How much time do you spend on the MLM per week?

Jul 31, 2008 02:00 PM
#4
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Paul:You have some excellent points and are more versed on the MLM than myself...I really jumped on this one for the follow up aspect because it really does tie in with my belief in marketing and farming...I agree you have to keep your focus on your core business and would never ask you to do anything to take away from that - however, I will tell coming from the shoes of a National Top Producer in listings sold - I have really never seen a system so neat for client follow up and prospecting...

Rick Deluca taught me in 1995 to follow up with personal cards, to handwrite  them! I do that with this system, yet - I do it without driving to the mall, I do it and can add a gift or gift card and I love that we can set it up to do for us for up to four years in advance. I did look at something today and thought I would share this for others as well...I have sent 3100 cards since Jan. 1, 2008. These cars have cost me either .31 for postcards or .62 for the greeting card - I have sent gifts, gift cards and have used it for all my mailings, FSBO, expired campaigns and farming in 2 communities...I have paid $4200.00 in cards, stamps and those gifts. I have profited way more than that so I am pretty happy! I am not the pie in the sky millionaire (YET), but marketing for free is pretty cool! That excites me!

 

Thanks so much for your input! I wish you all the success in all you and I will always be here to help you be the best agent you can be! That is my core goal!

Jul 31, 2008 02:44 PM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Sara:

I work an average of 32 hours a week. My 3 B's of being Busy Balanced and Blessed go like this:

Busy: 32 HOURS A WEEK includes time for speaking, webinars, listings, closings, SOC - by the way that is the order of the hats I wear in BUSY with business!

Balanced: The rest of time and that is being busy with my children, feeding my husband whom is training for a Sept. 20th body building show and fitness for myself! Yes - same order of priority!

Blessed: That is 1st all the time and I am so blessed and thankful!

If you were wanting to know how much time is spent on SOC - it is not much - I teach 2 webinars a week on it and I spend about 10 minutes a day sending a card to someone and of course, I read the paper to see if there is anyone I need to send a congrats card or checking for new FSBO or Expires to start the campaign on - but that is Real estate prospecting so it really just fits!

Jul 31, 2008 02:51 PM
youHUGE TradeShow Displays
youHUGE.com - Lake Forest, CA

I have always admired the way MLM opportunites are structured.   It is one of the few ways we can break the bonds of trading hours for money.  After all there are only so many hours in a day. 

I too love the concept of residual income.

To those who cry "pyramid" I say that as long as there is a product of value at the hart of the venture, most Multi-level Marketing plans resemble traditional distribution channels in this country more than they do pyramid schemes.

Having said that you will always hear sour grapes from those who thought it would be easy money and failed. The plans are usually simple but rarely easy.  Sort of like real estate sales.

Good luck Elizabeth!

www.youHUGE.com

Sep 13, 2009 12:42 PM