Dear part-time MLM Networker,

Today I want to continue my conversation on how to be a successful part-time networker with 5 Tips for Part Time MLM Networkers.

1. Get your own domain name
2. Get a permanent email address
3. Get a dedicated phone number & voicemail
4. Get professional business cards
5. Setup your own web site (not the company site)

Some of these might seem obvious to you but I can’t tell you how many people on my team don’t do these basic things.  They treat their business as a hobby not a business!  If you want to attract GREAT leaders to your team then you need to follow these 5 simple steps.

Get Your Own Domain Name

Most people don’t understand just how simple this is.  You can register your domain name for about $10 a year (a little less or a little more depending on where you register.)  You can then “forward” your domain name to the web site your company gives you.  This is super easy to do and usually only takes a few minutes of your time. It makes you look A LOT more professional this way.

For example, my company provides me a web site like:

http://www.sendoutcards.com/1899

I bought a domain name to forward to my site like:

http://www.TryBensCards.com

Not only does it give you a more professional image but it has a practical reason too.  It is a lot harder for people to type the wrong name or to go directly to the company web site without my affiliate id.  I’ve seen people do things like type “www.sendoutcards.com/1899″ into Google.  Guess what? Google does a web search and doesn’t neccessarily show my site!  It might show an advertisement for another Send Out Cards rep!  Now if someone enters in “trybenscards.com” into Google they will only get results back that point to me, not another Send Out Cards rep!

Get a Permanent Email Address

Take this example.  You’re at a networking event for the local chamber of commerce and you receive two business cards for people with the same greeting card company.

One of their business cards has an email address:

redsoxfan72@yahoo.com (not a real email)

The other has an email address:

ben@TryBensCards.com (not a real email)

Which one looks more professional?

Again this both has a more professional appearance but it also has a practical use. If you have your own domain and email address associated with it you can forward your email anywhere. You can forward your email to gmail or yahoo or comcast or whomever you want.  When you change your internet service you just change where your personalized email address is forwarded!

Imagine you’ve been building your business for 5 years like I have.  Imagine someone who met you a couple of years ago is now at the right place and is ready to start a business. They contact you at your email address but it bounces back to them as undeliverable.  You just lost a new distributor because you changed your email address!

Forwarding your email address is usually as simple as forwarding your domain name.  Many domain name registrars will offer you email for your domain or email forwarding.  Usually there is no cost or very little cost (under $10) to do this. So why not do it?  Why risk someone not being able to get in touch with you because you changed your email address?

Get a Dedicated Phone Number & Voicemail

This one should be obvious but how many people get started in their business and put in their cell phone number or home phone number as their main contact method.  Imagine a business owner who just had a business failure and is interested in getting back into business.  He hears about your opportunity and contacts you but when he calls he gets your personal voicemail with the music background, the kids playing, the dogs barking, etc.  Is he going to take you seriously?  Worse, what about those of you pursuing multiple opportunities at once.  How do you setup a professional voicemail for 2 or 3 or 4 opportunities?  You need to get a dedicated number for your business!

There are a couple of good options for this.

#1 You can setup a toll-free number.  The service I use starts at only $2 per month.  You can give your business a professional image, get your own voicemail, fax service, etc. all for $2 a month. Then you just pay 6.9 cents per minute.  You can even search for your own numbers.  I figured out my name “BEN FITTS” spelled out on a telephone is “236-34888″ so I did a search for any toll-free numbers that contain 236-3488 and found 877-236-3488 was available.  I bought this for only $10 a month!  BOY what a professional  image that makes me have!  MANY times people have commented on how cool it is that I have my own name as a phone number. PLUS it’s easy for people to remember.

#2 You can get a cheap VOIP phone line.  VOIP phones run off your internet service. They offer unlimited calling, long distance, and voicemail for one low flat rate.  I have a VOIP line which comes in really handy for long distance calls to host conference calls, call back prospects, etc. Plus I have my own voicemail which I can record which is specific to my business.

You can get a VOIP phone for $199 a year flat rate.
You can also get a VOIP phone for $25 a month if you prefer to pay monthly.

Get Professional Business Cards

Your company probably provides some basic business cards for you to use.  However these are usually fairly generic. For example our “Send Out Cards” business cards have the company logo and such on them but they don’t really talk about what we do! They don’t talk about our products or our business opportunity.  It’s not a very effective business card.

Another practical reason to get your own business cards, as well as your own phone number, email, and web site is that you MIGHT change companies in the future.  My business cards say “The Custom Greeting Card Guy” on them.  They don’t say “Send Out Cards”. Heaven forbid if something happened to SOC I’d still be able to use my business cards.  They’re building my brand not my company’s brand.

You can even get free business cards at some place like Vista Print. You only pay shipping. (Or you can customize the cards and make really nice cards for only a few bucks extra.)

Setup Your Own Web Site (not the company site they give you)

This one is a little bit more advanced… But setting up your own web site is a great way to give yourself a more professional image.  It helps you build your brand, not your company.  People buy into you, not your company, your product, or your compensation plan. They buy into the belief that you can actually help them achieve their goals and dreams.

There is also a very good practical reason to use your own web site. That reason is Google loves unique content. Google hates all the company web sites because Google knows most of these web sites are the same.  I’ve actually written a 44 page ebook about this topic.  You see Google knows that when you have an affiliate site for your company 99% of the content is the same as everyone else in your company.  They know that you’re name and photo on your site might be different but the content is the same.  Google doesn’t want their listings to show 10 web sites that all look identical. Instead they want the 10 listings that show up to be unique.  Owning your own web site will give you an advantage in Google.

I don’t care if you start out with a Web Site Builder that basically allows you to answer a few questions and setup a web site, or if you pay a professional to do it for you.  The fact that you setup your own web site will be a huge advantage to you vs. all the other distributors in your company that don’t have one.

In Closing

Building your network marketing business part-time doesn’t mean you have to look like a hobbyist.  A few simple tricks like registering a domain name, setting up a permanent email address, buying a dedicated toll-free or voip phone, getting professional business cards, and creating a unique web site will give you a professional image. These tricks also often have practical uses that can help you be more effective in sponsoring and recruiting others.  Your total cost for these services is minimal and the rewards are truly great.

What other tips do you have for making your part-time MLM business have a professional image?

- Ben Fitts

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