Wherever you are in your network marketing experience, from "just looking into it" to "seasoned veteran", you've probably heard some form of the expression "Ground Floor Opportunity".
Maybe you've used it to describe your particular network marketing opportunity when talking to prospective distributors. Maybe someone has used that expression on you.
There are four descriptive variations of the "ground floor opportunity".
The Standard Description
The standard description simply refers to a network marketing company that is just starting up, or is fairly new.
Sometimes a ground floor opportunity like this can make a good network marketer who gets in early with such a company incredibly wealthy. And this can often happen in a fairly short period of time.
Can you imagine having gotten involved with Amway back in 1959 or NuSkin in 1984 when they were founded? Not only did a lot of those early Amway and NuSkin distributors make boatloads of money, some of them went on to become network marketing legends.
It was these very success stories that gave rise to the use of the "ground floor opportunity" claim as a potent marketing tool.
The Hybrid
The hybrid is a company that offers a ground floor opportunity with an established company. This refers to an established company launching a new division or product line.
For example, When NuSkin introduced Interior Design Nutritionals (IDN), a nutritional supplements division, in the mid 1990s, it was touted as a ground floor opportunity. The obvious benefit was that it was backed up by the experience, deep pockets, infrastructure, and credibility of a well established company.
The Basement
Then there are those who cleverly refer to their opportunity as being "The Basement". There is no difference between a basement and a standard description ground floor opportunity. It's purely semantics employed for marketing purposes.
The idea is to make one particular opportunity sound more "ground floor" than any other ground floor opportunity.
The Pre-launch
Finally, there's the pre-launch. This is a popular marketing ploy on the internet. It basically involves joining a company before they're even ready to start actually selling products or services.
The idea here is to build buzz and a large distributor force before you actually sell anything.
I think this model is suspect at best, and may even be illegal in many places. However, I'm not an attorney, so don't quote me on that in court or if you're called in for a deposition. Suffice it to say, I don't recommend getting involved in a pre-launch.
If a new company really is the next best thing, it won't hurt to wait until they actually have an opportunity and products or services you can evaluate and perform due diligence on. There will be plenty of time to get involved once they've actually launched.
Too Much Hype
Whichever variation of "ground floor opportunity" is used and whatever the circumstances under which it is used, it's always meant to imply that you are more likely to make a lot of money with that particular opportunity than any other.
It seems to me that far too much is made of this entire "ground floor" issue. It creates too much confusion for prospective and new network marketers in an industry that wants to be known for its simplicity.
Adding fuel to this fire of confusion is the ongoing debate between the "ground floor" proponents and those who promote the "stable is better" philosophy.
I'd like to offer a simple point of view on the subject that could end this particular debate and allow us all to just get on with building our businesses.
Whether an opportunity is with a newer than new company in pre-launch, a well established company, or one that lies somewhere in between, there is no real guarantee of success. Those of us who have experience in this business know that all too well. We know from personal experience that success in this business really depends on only one thing, the network marketer himself - and that's a whole 'nother article.
I believe that in network marketing they're all ground floor opportunities!
Whichever MLM company you decide to affiliate with, you will add the "ground-floorness" to it because you're on the ground floor of your personal network of contacts. You are on the ground floor of the business building tactics and strategies you decide to use.
Even if some of the people you market to have heard about network marketing and/or your opportunity before and passed on it, you bring something new to the equation that makes it new, unique, and "ground floor".
When you join a company and create your own well thought out marketing plan, rather than blindly following the stale "system" your company and upline promotes, you're starting on the ground floor.
By developing and implementing your own customized marketing plan that takes into account the skills and resources that you have, you'll be taking personal control of and accountability for your own success.
Think about it.
For some outside-the-box information and resources on how you can succeed in network marketing by making whatever opportunity you pursue a ground floor opportunity, visit http://www.home-based-business-school.com/multi-level-marketing.html
Bob Ford is committed to the idea that people who start and operate a successful home based business are better equipped to deal with the periodic fluctuations in the economy. As Editor and Publisher of Home-Based-Business-School.com at http://www.home-based-business-school.com, Bob helps home based entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and goals.
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