If your answer is "I hope so!", then you have probably at some time in your life felt the rejection it can bring.

Like when your sister says that she can get her vitamins cheaper from the shopping mall, or your mom says that she just can't afford to buy any more super cleaning fluid from you.

Or maybe when your next door neighbour really doesn't see how he can be a millionaire in the next ninety days if he joined your scheme.

For those of you that have tried network marketing, or MLM (same thing different name) then you will be all too familiar with these scenarios - having to try and convince your family, friends and work colleagues that your products are superior to those that can be bought in the local store, while also trying to convince them that if they joined you in this scheme that they could achieve great wealth by reaching the top level as a "supervizor starfleet commander" at the top of their own "inverted pyramid" (well that was the usual kind of terms used).

If you haven't tried network marketing it may well be the almost evangelical approach of someone you know in trying to get you to join their plan, or buy their products, that has put you off.

And here was the problem.

The idea of traditional network marketing is that everyone you know should be your customer (irrespective if they wanted, needed or could afford your product), and everyone you know should be one of your distributors (whether or not they had an ounce of motivation).

This made things worse - with such a small target audience of the people around you, the only way to sell your products, was to SELL. And the only way to get people to join your scheme was to SELL that to.

This made some realise that they could NEVER do network marketing - let's face it, there aren't many people who do like selling to earn money - the negative picture of trying to talk somebody in to something that they don't really want, and the ensuing rejection is enough to put anyone off for life.

So what's changed things?

In two words - the Internet. The major difference this has made is absolutely incredible, and the reason is twofold.

Firstly, until now the average person, had only his or her own circle of friends and family as possible people that they could sponsor into their business. There is now a tool that allows the average person to make contact with a huge amount of people while sitting in front of their computer screen. The real beauty in this, is that with the vast amount of people that can be reached, there is only ever need to deal with people who are interested and motivated.
What's more it can all be done online - sure, you can give them a call if you want, but, these are people who want your opportunity - NO selling, NO pressurizing, and above all NO rejection.

More importantly, this sounds like the type of thing that COULD be duplicated!

The second reason that the Internet has made such an astronomical difference to network marketing is extremely important - the products.

All of a sudden there is a new industry that has many products and tools that are required on an ongoing basis. There are things, such as good web hosting for example, that are REALLY NEEDED by people. Instead of seeing network schemes, that have great pay plans and bonuses, but no good products, we are now getting schemes that are built on a solid foundation of satisfied customers.

Even better, the type of products involved and the fact that people are paying by recurring credit card payments means that they are much more likely to stay as customers.

Is network marketing dead and buried?

Far from it - it's alive and well, but dressed in a new set of clothes.

But, and this is much more important - it has a new strong, reliable heart.