Network Marketing: Beware the Kook Factor

Having discussions about Network Marketing with people outside of the industry can often yield very important insights. I recently had the opportunity to do so with a gentleman who neither had any involvement nor experience in the Network Marketing industry and he opened my eyes to a very critical issue: The Network Marketing Fanatic.

We’ve all seen them. They’re not difficult to spot, even in a crowd of 10,000. It’s those individuals at your company convention that deck themselves out completely in the company’s colors. Some don goofy hats and other silly accessories while some go as far as coloring all their hair (beard and all) to match.

Whose attention are they trying to get?

Don’t get me wrong. Network Marketing does call for a level of enthusiasm and loyalty, the kind of unwavering faith required to succeed in a venture where the deck is often stacked heavily against you. But like with anything you can over do it.

For instance, at your company convention, if you look more like a spectator at a sporting event than you do a business person, then you may want to reconsider your outfit. It’s not as if everybody isn’t there to cheer on the same company. There’s no opposing team. If you want attention, earn it by advancing in pin level or achieving a special bonus. That type of recognition is well more worth it.

Now I’m not trying to tell you how to dress. Goodness knows I’ve gotten my share of flack from “serious” Network Marketers about the being too casual. And as short sighted as I think that is, we have to accept the fact that if we are to present Network Marketing to the public as a viable and legitimate profession we have to maintain a degree of well… professionalism. We are after all much more than just cheerleaders for our companies.

Here’s the thing: remember my conversation with the non-Network Marketer? Well, he was all but convinced of the solid principles of Network Marketing and its ability to generate solid incomes for people involved. His only hesitation was the “Kook Factor”. In his mind, the risk of being seen as a kook and of ruining his reputation was equal to if not greater than any financial risks or demands on his time.

Does attending your convention looking like big orange Santa Claus taint the public’s perception of the Network Marketing industry? It certainly doesn’t help. So, the lesson I think is we must remember that as distributors, we are all representatives of the industry and we must be wise in how we present ourselves because that is exactly how the public will perceive us.