In part one of my series on MLM sponsoring strategies I discussed the traditional “warm market” approach to network marketing.

In this article I want to focus on another powerful strategy for bringing people into your home-based business opportunity: targeting people who are currently in a multi-level marketing opportunity or have been in the past.

Why would targeting network marketers be a good idea? Well, consider the following.

• To quote Tracy Biller, “If you’re selling cigars, your target market is not your friends, family, and relatives… it’s smokers… specifically, people who enjoy cigars.” If you’re marketing a networking opportunity, it makes sense that people with network marketing experience will be more receptive. You’ll get much less of the typical, “Is this a pyramid?” or “I’m not a salesman,” objections you might hear from business opportunity leads.
• Every once in a while, you’ll run into a “heavy hitter,” a leader… someone who can take charge and build a large downline quickly. These guys often know other heavy hitters, and have a large sphere of influence. Bringing someone like this onto your team can quickly ramp up your income.
• The goal in network marketing is to duplicate. You want to bring people onto your team who are going to bring people on their team, and you want them bringing people onto their team. Until you’re four levels deep, you can’t even go on vacation without slowing things down. By sponsoring people who already understand this, and providing them with training on your team’s best practices, your organization will grow that much faster.

If we’re going to focus our sponsoring efforts on existing network marketers, the question is going to come up, “Where do I get network marketing leads?” There are a few effective ways to do this, actually…

Genealogy Lists

No, a genealogy list is not a family tree, nor does it have anything to do with genetics. It is a list of distributors from one or more network marketing companies.

Where do these lists come from? Some come from heavy weights who’re leaving one opportunity for another, or getting out of the business for whatever reason. Their downline’s contact information becomes yet another business asset that can be sold.

Other times, seminars or teleconferences are held that attract distributors from one or more network marketing companies. In order to participate in the education, these distributors must enter their contact information, which is then collected and subsequently sold.

These lists are often dated, and riddled with bad information. However, these lists are also very cheap, with leads costing as little as five cents a piece (this varies by provider.) So, even if you have to go through ten to find one good lead, that one lead ends up costing you fifty cents. And, that lead is a network marketer, which amplifies his or her potential.

Once you’re on the phone with a genealogy lead, keep it short and simple. Talk to these prospects as peers, who you’re inviting to take a look at an exciting opportunity they may not be aware of. If they’re interested, send them information (I recommend email, postcard, and recorded message.) If they’re not, move on… don’t chase or “sell” them.

Depending on where you buy your genealogy leads from the terms will vary. When you’re ready to buy a genealogy list, examine each lead provider to see:

• How fresh are the leads?
• How much data is provided for each lead? Name and Email? Phone Number? What about address?
• How accurate is the data?
• How many times (to how many people like you) are the leads sold?
• Have the leads been scrubbed against the Federal Do-Not-Call list? Recently?

Don’t ignore that last point… over 140-million numbers are in the National Do Not Call Registry, and since these people haven’t asked to be contacted by you, they can bring the joy of an $11,000 fine into your life. All it takes is one bored, lonely person who is bitter about network marketing to give you a really big headache. It’s not worth it. I use a list-scrubbing service called dncscrubbing.com, which is very reasonably priced and provides excellent customer service.

For genealogy leads and the best training on how to work with them, check out Tracy Biller’s Ultimate Success CDs.

Network Marketing Affiliates

If scrubbing lists and calling disconnected numbers is not your cup of tea, you should consider one of the many affiliate programs that target network marketers.

Often, people who achieve great success in the industry develop tools and training for network marketers. Not only do these “gurus” sell such tools and training on their own site, but many offer an affiliate program that provides you with (1) some cash to offset your marketing expenses, possibly even profit, and (2) the contact information of those who purchase the product from you.

These are the best networking marketing leads you could ask for. First, they are free, if you’re doing it right. They are active or interested in network marketing, and have already purchased a product from you. You also have valid contact information so it’s easy to send them a follow-up email, or give them a call to see how else you might help them with their business.

Since most network marketers are struggling, if you demonstrate good leadership and get to know these people, many will often join your team. These programs also give you a way to make money from the genealogy leads who decline your opportunity. If they’re in a program, they probably need leads, tools, and training. Now, you can offer those.

This also applies to others in your primary opportunity. If you go to the national convention, I’m sure you take business cards and make friends, but… do you make money from those relationships? Often, the answer is no… unless someone is in your downline, there is no way to monetize the relationship. With an affiliate program that generates leads and money, you have something they need too.

Here are some examples of self-funded lead systems. Each will provide you with an additional revenue stream as well as a stream of fresh, qualified network marketing leads:

• Robert Blackman’s MLM Mastermind program is a national lead cooperative for network marketers. You are introduced to the program by another network marketer (in this case, me), and if you sign up you get 100 surveyed, phone-verified leads auto-shipped each month for $1 each. The price is great and, in addition to the leads, you get training on how to handle them which is excellent; Blackman knows what he’s doing, and gives you everything you need to duplicate. As you introduce other network marketers to the program–either cross-line, downline, or in another company–you build a residual income.
• Mike Dillard’s Magnetic Sponsoring system is comprised of a video and email training series, which leads the prospect to purchase a book teaching them the basics of attraction marketing and self-funded lead generation. Then, they get an affiliate system that allows them to sell the book to other network marketers. Dillard also offers Building on a Budget and some more expensive training such as MLM Traffic Formula and Recruit with Words which, aside from having great educational value, can generate substantial income.
• Ann Sieg’s The Renegade Network Marketer eBook, and its affiliate system, is also a great self-funded marketing system targeting network marketers. Specifically, Sieg goes after network marketing distributors who are unhappy with the status quo in their company. Her style and tone is edgy, and brings in people who are looking for change. On the back-end, Ann provides a powerful affiliate system that generates residual income for you by marketing a host of online tools to the people on your list, all on auto-pilot.

If you’re not doing so already, it’s probably good to add affiliate sales to your marketing mix. The money and contacts you generate through these programs will provide you with an edge against the vast majority of network marketers. In an industry where 95% fail, we all need every advantage we can get.