Is Duplication a Myth?

By Priya Shah
Posted Saturday, October 30, 2004

Duplication is one of the most important concepts in Network Marketing.

It is the network marketer's ultimate dream to develop a system that can be replicated by anyone with average intelligence, just by following the exact methods passed on from one generation to another.

But the fact is that we're all very unique individuals with very different qualities and talents.

So should we really force ourselves and our downline to become clones, all mouthing the same scripts, whether we mean it or not? I don't think so.

In fact I believe its one of the main reasons that so many people drop out of this business - because the methods used by their upline do not complement their unique personality and character traits.

I truly believe that everyone can be a winner - but not by blindly following in the footsteps of our "mentors." You will never be successful if you are not comfortable with doing what it takes.

Here are a few tips that might help to overcome this problem.

1. Learn the Basic Skills

We all need to go to school to learn the basic skills necessary to find our rightful place in society.

So if you intend to do business online, you WILL need to acquire a few basic skills in internet marketing - using the software you need, writing ads, designing a simple website, writing articles, publishing a newsletter.

These are the A-B-Cs of marketing that you MUST learn if you want to survive online.

As a network marketer, you will also need to develop a winning attitude and to believe in your own ability to succeed.

But HOW you apply these new-found skills or attitudes may be completely different from the way your mentor or upline applies them. And that's the way it should be.

2. Celebrate Your Uniqueness

Your personality is a combination of your own life experiences, education and outlook on life. These are things that can never be duplicated from person to person.

Instead of being ashamed of your past lifestyle or failures, share them with your prospects and customers. Get personal and let them know where you're coming from.

Frank Garon, who makes over $130,000 a year, revels in being known as a 'former New Jersey truck driver.' Tom 'Big Al' Schreiter's revelations on his attempts to lose weight get more reader responses than any other section of his newsletter.

Sharing that bit of their personality helped them create empathy, an image of them in the minds of others, and made thousands of people trust them enough to join their business.

3. Be Yourself

Because marketing is all about building relationships, you should let your personality come through in your communications, so you can build trust and network with like-minded people.

If you force yourself to become a clone of someone else, no matter how successful they are, you will always sound insincere and that will put people off.

People are more likely to do business with someone they know and trust. Or with someone who forges an emotional bond with them.

Be sincere, let them know something about you that they can empathize with and you're on your way to building a relationship.

So throw away those scripts. Or read the best ones and make them your own. Rewrite them to complement the way you would normally speak or interact with people.

You can always try to duplicate a system, a script, or even success. But the only thing that can ever really be duplicated is "Uniqueness."

About the Author
Priya Shah is the Editor of "Be a Whiz at eBiz!" a free-wheeling newsletter on internet marketing and home business (http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com) She also publishes "The Glutathione Report," a newsletter featuring regular updates on the health benefits of glutathione. (http://www.glutathione-report.com)