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Network marketing, or "MLM" can be a great way to earn everything from a small additional income to a generous full time living.

However, many people join mlm type opportunities without really knowing what they are getting themselves in to. This is probably one of the biggest reasons for the fact that some people have very low thoughts about this type of business.

Mlm works if you do it right. Period. That said, here are seven really poor reasons for enrolling in a network marketing opportunity:

1) Earning "easy money"

I know - the mlm-companies are very good a promoting their business as a simple 1-2-3 process that anyone can do and become an instant millionaire. Especially online it has almost become a standard to use super long and totally over hyped sales letters.

This is the equivalent of claiming that anyone who can open a can of beans can be a master chef.

Don't get me wrong, I do think most people CAN make it in mlm if they put their minds to it. But you must be prepared to learn many new things and you WILL have to work for it. Make no mistake about that!

2) Expecting that "spill over" will do all the work

Many mlm opportunities are built on what's called a "forced matrix". For example, in a 3x9 matrix, when you have sponsored your three first new members, the fourth will be placed under the first person you sponsored. This person has thus gained one person in HIS downline, without any effort on his part.

Now, some companies would have you believe that their top recruiters are so effective that the spill over from their marketing will automatically make you, who are joining at the very bottom right now, an instant success.

This is simply a pipe dream - it will never happen. Yes, you probably will get a few people spilled over into your downline, but nowhere near enough to guarantee your success. The sheer width of the matrix on your level, means that there is an enormous amount of representatives that will have to shear any amount of spill over.

And who says the top recruiters are as active as they once where anyway? Worst case scenario, they are now working on something else entirely, because their income in this particular opportunity is already secured.

3) Thinking that a product is so great it will sell itself

This is a classic mistake, because most mlm systems simply aren't really about the product. This fact is difficult to swallow, I know.

As a greenhorn I remember joining this lottery syndicate-mlm, thinking that "everybody" would want better chances at winning the lottery - right? The disappointment was huge when I discovered the truth - some people even made fun of any attempt to mention this great new thing I had discovered.

Likewise, in mlm, it will not matter if you are selling a breakthrough product that contains every mineral and vitamin under the sun - if you do not understand what network marketing is really all about.

4) Doing an old friend a favour

We have all been there - an old friend you haven't met for years who suddenly calls you and want to set up a meeting about something he will tell you more about when you meet...

I'm not saying that this couldn't be a potentially good business. But calling all your friends is a very ineffective way to do mlm, and you should never join any opportunity only to do someone else a favour. Because in the end this is about you, your money and your career.

5) Earning a lot of money in a short period of time

Most mlm testimonials always seem to go something like this:

- In my first month I made $800 and now, in my third month, I have been able to quit my job and...etc.

While not outright lies, testimonials like these are usually collected from individuals who, through luck or skill, managed to join this particular opportunity from the very beginning. They are simply at the top of the pyramid and they often know exactly what they are doing - the're the mlm experts.

Like most offerings, mlm opportunities have a life cycle that grows rapidly in the beginning. During this phase of explosive growth it can be very easy to sponsor dozens of new people per day, with relatively little effort. After all, this is something entirely new and one well placed ad can do wonders.

However, if you join after this initial explosion, it is much more difficult to see quick results and it requires more effort to attract new people into the business. Patience, knowledge and the right strategy is required to succeed here.

6) Big name X endorses this program

This is somewhat related to the previous point. Mr. Big Hitter have made thousands of dollars with this opportunity already and he is not shy about telling anyone how EASY it was. And he's probably not lying either. It was easy - for him.

Because, like noted above, he probably got involved in this opportunity long before it was launched to the general public, because he already knows all the right people.

He (or she), also know their stuff, and have the resources (large email lists, advanced Internet marketing tools etc.) to quickly and efficiently let the word out to a large number of people.

If you are relatively new to this game, it is a very bad idea indeed to assume that you instantly could pull off feats worthy of a network marketing guru. Would you compare your golfing abilities to those of Tiger Woods?

I didn't think so.

7) Thinking this will be a free business to run

I'm not talking about the membership fee of your mlm opportunity here, because that is a given. But many people falsely believe that they can market entirely for free using the Internet.

While it's true that there are some effective low cost Internet marketing techniques you can use, you should never fool yourself into believing that Internet marketing will be a no cost affair. Moreover, the online competition is usually quite fierce.

To summarize; Mlm can offer an exciting new way to earn money. But your motivation for joining a mlm business shouldn't be based on one of the misconceptions mentioned above.

Treat your business like a business, and you will be okey.