Twenty years ago, I heard about a secret formula that was supposed to explain why and how hugely successful people got rich, as described in author Napolean Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich. The formula is OPE, OPI and OPM: efforts from other peoples, ideas from other peoples and money from other peoples. This is not to say that you shouldn’t rely on your own ingenuity or hard work. It’s more about seeing the big picture, taking advantage of opportunities, and not thinking that you have to do everything from scratch or on your own. Here are some simple examples of the formula using problems people have as a starting point.
OPM: “I don’t have enough money to start my own business” Solution: Borrow the money, bring in partners who have money, or take advantage of someone else’s guarantee.
OPI: “I wish I could come up with a great invention like the next Pet Rock and sell it on TV” Solution: Don’t wait for the day when you miraculously discover a new invention, see what other people have invented that people are buying and giving their tap, or better yet, simply sell more than you’re already selling without the risk of inventing a new product that might not sell.
PEO: “If these gadgets only cost $20, how am I going to sell enough to make a decent living?” Solution: Hire others to sell for you by giving them a share of the profits.
The efforts of other people are at the heart of a capitalist society. Your own ingenuity, common sense, and hard work is how you recruit, train, support, and cultivate a sales force to distribute your products. You are the leader; the one with the vision. You are the entrepreneur who takes risks.
You may be risking your own investment, or it may be other people’s money. The product you are selling may be your idea or it may be someone else’s idea. It may seem easy to hire someone else to do things for you, but unless you’ve owned your own business or held a senior management position in a business. Managing other people’s efforts is more difficult than it seems.
In network marketing, other people’s efforts are at the core of building a downline. They are all connected at some point in the chain, but they all have the same goals, aspirations and products. Each one is their own business, with unlimited potential to grow as they wish.
However, the “effort” put in by “other people” must be carefully cultivated as if you were cultivating a garden. In order for them to flourish, they must be nurtured and cared for so that they in turn can take care of their respective gardens.
Part of the success of growing a successful downline through the efforts of others is your ability to be confident as a leader. You must be someone that people can trust. Someone whom people can get the feeling that you didn’t recruit them to get rich, but sincerely want them to succeed. They feel a true caring attitude and that you are willing to give of yourself so that they can achieve their goals.
The effort of other people is how society works at all levels. In network marketing, however, everyone is self-employed and employs no one. Your downline are not employees. Successful leaders at the top of the matrix are only successful because of their leadership and persistence to build a downline over time. Anyone in your downline has the potential to grow your business in the same way.
Your success as a network marketing business entrepreneur is not limited to focusing on building and supporting other people’s efforts through your downline. You, in turn, are in someone’s downline and therefore need to consider your upline’s efforts. Your organization doesn’t stop with you.
Successful leaders have successful upline leaders. Part of your success is making yourself known to your upline, standing out from the crowd and stepping up and being ready and willing to take action. It is often said in network marketing that prospects must be teachable and trainable. In other words, “Show them how it works and then give them the tools and guide them to show it to others.” This is what is known as a “replicable system”. A franchise is a system that works for others to follow.
Don’t lose sight of the OPI principle here. Other people’s ideas are rooted in the concept of a replicable system. It is the core of the business model of a franchise. Other people have already designed a system that works (IPO) and it is set up in a way that others can follow (OPE).
These concepts are good to use when discussing the benefits of multi-level marketing and overcoming the stigma attached to that name. Perhaps it would be more helpful to describe your business as a franchise that pays on multiple levels, but doesn’t cost a ton of money (OPM) to start.