First of all, I like to tell you that this post is gonna be a long one. Quite a long one which may take at least 4-5 minutes for you to finish reading (if you learn speed-reading) or 8 minutes if you didn’t. Maybe you would like to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy what I wrote about Tim Sales here.
You may ask who’s this person about Tim Sales that I got so much to talk about. However, I would assure you that this is my 2 year personal story with Tim Sales, and I noticed a major shift in Tim Sales in this 2 years.
Now, Let me give you a brief introduction of who Tim Sales is.
Tim Sales is an MLM millionaire who created his fortune from the MLM industry with the first MLM company he joined. He was previously from the US Navy and he met the MLM industry when he answered an ad from the Washington Post. From there on, his life have changed. He went on to build a downline of 56,000 (this is past statistic, I’m sure he has hundreds of thousands now…) and retire as an MLM millionaire.
However, what bothers him is the branding and image of MLM, which is clouded by misconceptions and misunderstanding, which has prevented many people to create their own future by building a MLM business. He then decided to step up and become an ambassador for the MLM industry, by creating the most-popular movie that explains the MLM business model without hype or fluff – The Brilliant Compensation. This CD has helped millions of network marketers worldwide build massive downline organizations.
He’s also the founder of FirstClassMLMTools.com where he provides a lot of tips and training resources to help new and struggling network marketers build their business. I have personally get many tools from him, notably his famous training packages – The Professional Inviter, The Brilliant Communicator, The Pocket Tracker, and the latest The Professional Presenter.”
Okay, the introduction above is fully written by me, and not copied from his website or sales page, because I knew him for more than 2 years, and almost read all his newsletters and training packages.
“How Tim Sales Saved Me”
If you’ve read my story before, you would knew that I started my MLM journey from a fake MLM company. Fake means not real. Fake means scam. Fake means illegal. Anyway, I’m naive that time and I join with massive promise by my then uplines about driving Mercedes C-Class at the age of 20 with 4 months in business, wearing SGD $1000 dollar tailor-made suits, carrying thousand-dollar Mont-Blanc pens and wearing Golden watches… (or many others which you can name it yourself…)
Needless to say, I buy into hype, and failed eventually when the company close down. Many of my then teammates lost hope in MLM, and shouted MLM is Scam everywhere, in forums, in blogs, in newspapers…etc. However, one of my teammates showed me a movie and explains to me the full model of MLM, and how it works.
You Guess It? That movie is Brilliant Compensation… by Tim Sales!
At first view of the movie, it immediately caught my attention, because it explains why MLM is not a pyramid scheme, and differentiate itself from the pyramidal corporate structure. It also answers many frequently asked questions about MLM, and shows truthfully why MLM is the Most Fair business model of all, without any hype or fluff.
Thereafter, I’m an addicted fan of FirstClassMLMTools.com, and read Tim Sales’ MLM articles from Top to Bottom, Left to Right, Forward and Backward. I read everything to clear all my doubts about MLM, and you guess it (again), I’m on fire for MLM! Almost an full-time Evangelist for MLM!!
“They Called Me Crazy”
I finally understood that MLM is not a scam, MLM is not a pyramid scheme, MLM is legal in Singapore, I know how to differentiate a legal and illegal MLM (regret I didn’t know this earlier…), MLM being the most fair business model of all, MLM is not about chasing and harassing friends, and can be done professionally… all those Tim Sales have taught, I read it all.
Then, with his glowing fire of enthusiasm of MLM in me, I went out and call of my former teammates who failed with me in that ex-company. I wanted to share with them what I’ve learned and help them understand the MLM industry better. I also gave them the Brilliant Compensation Video to watch and explains to them everything about MLM after the video.
However, not many of my ex-teammates listened to what I shared with them. Some of them really hate MLM to the core, as they had really lost hundreds of thousands in that ex-company, and vowed never to come into contact with any thing with these 3 letters – M.L.M. However, the sad truth is they still don’t know the true difference between a legal and an illegal MLM.
But to my surprise, some of them really listened to me, and watched the Brilliant Compensation Video with me over and over again to get a full understanding of the MLM industry. I’m so delighted that I’ve made a difference in their lives, and helped them to get out of the nightmare (even though some regrets will still linger…)
“Time For A Comeback!”
I made a decision to build a real MLM business, after about 7 months break from my ex-company. I analyzed the MLM company and felt that it can help me build a successful MLM business. I got my friends who watched Tim Sales’ Brilliant Compensation Movie to join me too.
I go on and build my MLM business professionally with the communication skills I learned from Tim Sales’ training packages. I also had a mission to do the business the right way professionally and proved to others that whether MLM is professional or not, depends on the person doing it, and not because of the MLM industry.
I go on and utilize all the tools I have bought from Tim Sales at FirstClassMLMTools.com, and attended the training from my upline team. I’m so excited that my business took off when I recruited my first business partner… professionally!
Where’s My Enthusiasm Now?”
As you know when you’re doing anything, there will definitely comes a time when things didn’t turn out as you expected. This happens in business too, and it happened to me. My enthusiasm for my business has dropped dramatically when I realized that most of the people I talk to are not interested to join my business. Of course, I presented my business to them professionally, and they gave me their valid reason of not joining me at that moment. We are still friends after all. I realized that the people I talk to are mostly unqualified and not interested to do any business. I sorted them out, and realized I got not much people left.
Then, I was told by my upline team to go cold-calling in shopping malls, book fairs, seminars, workshops, and attend networking events to know more people who are like-minded like us. I find that can be quite a good idea, and Tim Sales taught us how to open a conversation with anyone anywhere in his Professional Inviter Training. So I did. I spend money to go for networking events, get contacts and meet new people. I even tried cold-calling in book shops where I usually buy books.
However, this does not tick with me. Even though I can open up conversations with new people, I somehow just don’t feel like doing it everyday as a strategy to build my business. It’s really tiring (you’ll know if you have tried…), and it’s not the best return on investment on my time and money.
“This Book Almost Killed Tim Sales”
However, whenever I felt down, my upline team will encourage me, motivate me, inspire me to go out again. I would also turn to Tim Sales and see if I have missed out any ‘puzzle’ to my business and any resource I could get to get my business on track again. One resource I would like to get from Tim Sales, is the First Class MLM Leads that his company provide, which helps you generate highly qualified leads for your business. However, they are only available in US, and I’m in Singapore.
I look onto the internet and see if there’s other ways to find leads, and get to know people who are qualified for your business. Then I found this book.
If you’re in the Internet Network Marketing world for some time, you would know this lady by the name of Ann Sieg. She wrote the book “The Renegade Network Marketer”, and teaches the concepts of attracting targeted prospects to you, using the internet, and get people to come to you instead of you going after them.
Now. Here’s a conflict. I’m at the valley (a.k.a. lowest point) in the business now, and I also don’t know who to believe. Tim Sales or Ann Sieg?
At that moment, I didn’t really know who can help me, hence I go on and buy that Renegade Network Marketer eBook. I read it, and complete it within a day. It’s 160+ pages by the way, a lot with other audios and video trainings.
I understand the idea of the concept called Attraction Marketing, which is relatively new in MLM. Then it was year early 2009. I bought the concept, and see it as a new hope to my MLM business! I stopped everything I do then. I redesign my attraction marketing plan, and take about 1 month rest in my business. I didn’t do any prospecting or invitation then.
“This Won’t Work!”
As I’m dormant in my business, my upline team leader came to talk to me if I have any problems in my business, as I was not doing anything. But before I want to bring up the idea of attraction marketing to him, he told me that, as long as I follow hissystem, I will be successful.
Yea. His system is to do cold calling and use offline methods to generate leads, then attend motivational training to pump members up so they will talk to prospects full of energy and excitement. He keeps on preaching that his method will work, and told me not to try any new methods. Just Follow The System!!
Somehow, I can’t get the idea of attraction marketing get into my upline team members, as they have really build good residual income from offline business. And many of them, including other people in my company, do not use attraction marketing that time, and all of them use offline methods. Most people there are 45 years old and above, and at age 21, I’m considered the youngest there.
In the end, nobody supported me in my idea, and it eventually didn’t take off with me. This idea is also very new in Asia, my upline team just keep telling me to follow the system. After much hesitation, I decide to put my idea away, and try to use my upline’s system again.
That time, I can say it’s also the most controversial period about the MLM industry, whether people should use the internet for MLM, if attraction marketing works, is old-school traditional methods gonna be replaced by new-school marketing techniques.
“Where Are You, Tim?”
This got many people together for a ‘heated’ discussion, with the New-age Internet network Marketers lead by Ann Sieg, Mike Dillard, Mike Klingler VS the old-school MLM Millionaires including Randy Gage, Eric Worre… any many others. Many other network marketers also made comparisons between those two, and the internet that time is really full of all these topics – Old School Vs New School…Traditional MLM Vs Internet MLM… Attraction Marketing Vs Chasing Friends and Family…etc
However, despite so much argument out there, I discover one thing. Tim Sales is not involved in any discussion over those topics. He just continued to teach people how to communicate effectively, become a professional networker and brilliant communicator. I was trying very hard to look for clues if he ever entered into this topic.
“Finally Tim said something…”
For almost 1 year, till mid-2010, I didn’t see Tim mention anything about using the internet for MLM. Then Finally, he revealed something, and it was probably the period after all those hype and discussion about Attraction Marketing.
I remember Tim mentions something like this, “Regardless what methods you use to build your MLM business, it ultimately boils down to Effective Communication. It makes no sense to generate whole bunch of leads and prospects, and failed to work these leads effectively to become your customers or prospects.”
Now, that got me thinking. Tim Sales made 100% sense in what he said. At the point of him making that remark, there are many people who have also failed in the “Attraction Marketing Formula” shared by Ann Sieg. And then came to a final conclusion statement about those discussions.
“It’s not about chasing friends or family members. It’s not about pestering people on the streets. It’s not about using the internet to build your MLM. It’s not about using Attraction Marketing Formula.
It’s about Relationship Mastery! “
People who manage to build a successful MLM business, is because they know how to build strong, rock-solid relationships with people through effective communications.
Tim Sales, Randy Gage, Eric Worre, Ken Dunn… (those you say old-school MLM Millionaires), build million-dollar downlines without the Internet. They know how to build relationships with people!
Ann Sieg, Mike Dillard, Mike Klingler can use the internet to earn million dollars for their MLM business, while some other attraction-marketers-wannabe can’t, is because they know how to build relationships with people, while those wannabes don’t know how!
“Time For Action!”
I know that it has come a long way for everybody to accept that the internet can be used as a tool to build your MLM business! But sad to say, with so much things going on, and with the final verdict revealed above, my upline team still don’t believe in Internet!
Finally in July 2010, I made a very hard decision to leave my upline team, as I know the internet is a very powerful tool, and I will be leaving money on the table if I’m not using it to build my business. My upline team members are really fun people to work with, going business trips together, having late night out suppers, going movies and parties together. However, I believe my future is more important. I never want to look back and regret… “how come no one tell me I can use internet to build my MLM?”
I started to buy online training courses and educate myself on how to use the internet to my benefit. I started creating my blog, Ding-Neng.com in July 2010, and started generating my own leads.
Then, I also partnered up with my new MLM company which provide both online and offline support, from the US, and has its base in Singapore! I got all their online training and support and it really helped me bring my MLM business online… double the rate if I do myself.
“Tim Sales Finally into Online Marketing?!”
3 months into my new MLM business, and I’m doing really well, with about 20+ people in my own organization. I’ve been using blogging, social media, and various free online marketing strategies to promote my business and create my brand online.
During my 3 months in business, I also realized Tim Sales is also utilizing online marketing tools, as he had a Facebook Fan Page, and a Twitter account for his FirstClassMLMTools website too! I’m his loyal fan and follower. Go find him there!
About mid September, Tim Sales finally revealed that generating leads using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter is possible for your MLM business, and he is going to show you how he did it. Tim partnered up with his social media coaches and taught him what are the ways people can generate leads online.
Meanwhile, I also discovered a change in the MLM Formula of Tim Sales. Tim usually says the MLM formula is just broken down into 3 steps – Invite, Present and Train. However, he had added in one more step into it.
Now, It’s FIND, Invite, Present and Train! Tim has added a point to show that Finding Leads is part of the MLM formula! Did you sense something special is coming out soon?
Then, on October 1, 2010 Singapore time, Tim Sales finally revealed a Social Media Training course, with his Social Media partner who is very well-trained and experienced in MLM and is a keynote speaker for many social media conferences. She is MichelleCorteggiano. It’s just been released into the market. Go check out the Build Your Social Brand here.
Alright.
If you’ve read thus far, I really want to thank you for your time. Your coffee would have finished by now.
My favorite so-called “Old-School” First Class MLM Expert Tim Sales, have started to embrace the Power of Internet, and agree that utilizing the Social Media to build your MLM business can be profitable. Social Media has changed the way we communicate, and if used correctly, it can certainly be a good tool for your MLM business.
Here is a valuable advice…
Regardless of how you build your MLM business…
“The folks who build their M.L.M business the right way offline, are usually the ones who understand how to build it right online. They’re the ones who put my Inviting Formula to work on sites like Facebook and Twitter and see amazing results.”
It’s in one of Tim’s recent newsletters.
So my dear friend, Where does this leave you?
If you’re still thinking that the only way to do MLM is traditional offline prospecting methods, then you’re wrong.
If you’re still thinking that traditional offline MLM business building is dead, you’re also WRONG!
Again, my favorite MLM expert Tim Sales has proven that the MLM business can be built offline and online, a ‘certified’ marriage finally. This is because the underlying factor of MLM business is still effective communication skills!
Yes! That’s my Love-Hate-Love Relationship with the First Class MLM Expert, Tim Sales!