I have to say it, “success is the result of upline relationships and teamwork.”  How many of us have talked to our fellow network marketing professionals and heard the horror stories of upline support?  They are usually very similar in nature-they are non-existent!  So what’s the real deal behind this anyway?  If there’s solid upline relationships in your team then there’s at least a possibility of success.  I don’t know how often I receive some random invitation to join some social networking group that boasts bring 350, 000 new leads into your organization in 3 weeks.  That’s a lot of PEOPLE!  Not LEADS. Not NUMBERS. People. Some are mothers, some are fathers, some are grandparents, sons, daughters, and neighbors-but what they ALL have in common is that they are people.

And when dealing with people it is not possible to form a lasting, quality relationship with them by ‘getting them in’ and moving on to the next 350, 000.  Some will need mentoring, some will need technical training, some will need personal development, and all of them will need to have a relationship with YOU, the leader of your organization.  So how is this possible if you have hundreds maybe thousands of leads in a short period of time?  It’s not, and so many people miss the opportunity to follow their dreams in this amazing industry because of this very failing.  They become jaded, they get burned, used up, and cynical.  It happens for two main reasons: greed and ego.

So, it would stand to reason that there should be a checklist when looking for a network marketing organization.  The most important is, almost always, buried deep within a lengthy document written by lawyers-it’s called the policies and procedures.  Here is the first time the upline relationship needs to be solid, accommodating, and accurate.  Second, is the compensation plan.  Sometimes this one can be harder to decipher than Egyptian hieroglyphs so having a sponsor to explain exactly what it’s going to take to make the kind of income you want is vital.  There should be no stuttering or evasion when asking questions about the compensation plan, and it should be easily found along with the policies and procedures BEFORE you sign up for anything!  Why?  Because how can you expect to be successful without ALL the information?

There are several other things to consider about any MLM company or opportunity but for me the relationship and support from your upline and your team are crucial ingredients.  I like to think of success like baking a cake.  Mmmmm….cake.  What happens to a cake if you use salt instead of sugar?  You might get a cake that looks good but tastes like, well you know what.  And if there’s not a supportive upline relationship then you might end up like thousands of people who wander from one MLM scam to another like a junkie wondering what’s wrong with me that I can’t succeed?  Like the casinos in Las Vegas the ‘House’ has an edge and the cards are stacked in their favor.  And without a team working together to help each other to reach success and good upline relationships the cards will continue to be stacked against your possibility of achieving your dreams.

I’m feeling a curious sense that like most people who have made a one year commitment to a specific goal I will be amazed before I am halfway through the year as to the power of this process. What will it mean to my personal life, business life, or spiritual life? What will it do to my motivation in my day job, my on-line business, wellness, or more importantly to my self-confidence?

I believe that the first opportunity it will provide me with is being accountable to myself, my team, and help with focus as I work from home. I can see that it will also allow me to free up time for self-improvement, time for meetings, and increased productivity. And who couldn’t use help in these areas while building a wildly successful, highly profitable, fun-loving/having, network marketing organization?

I suppose it’s the difference between a professional and a wannabe home-based business builder. There’s no doubt my upline will agree that being coachable, having a yearly commitment to self-improvement, and a definite business plan are the essentials that lead to success. I will commit to a year for these reasons, and besides what’s to lose? A few bad habits, a few beliefs that weren’t mine to begin with, or more importantly fear of failure. Can you imagine a year with commitment and purpose-I can, starting today!