subject: Constructing a Virtual Team [print this page] The most difficult task for a network marketer isconstructing a team. Traditionally, newcomers to network marketing are encouraged to work their warm market by sharing their products and services with family and friends. This is a hard sell when usually members of your warm market are not interested, don't return calls, assures you that they will attend meetings but don't show-up, and give you empty promises of support. This can be discouraging and will determine if the newcomer will remain motivated to grow their business or give up. The newcomer may create a mindset or belief system that "if my family and friends don't support me, then how will I be successful?"
Family and Friends are NOT the Answer!
Common mistake people make when sponsoring people into their business are focusing on family, friends, and in some cases, paying others to join your business. If you depend on your family and friends to build your business, you will never be successful. Your warm market may support you but may not join. Many are skeptical about network marketing businesses and are not interested in learning how to make money that can eventually replace their income. If someone does not have the money to be a part of your team, paying them to be in your down line does not take the money issue away. If a person does not experience a financial commitment, they will not take the business seriously and will not see the value in what you do. A network marketer wants to create leaders that can duplicate their system by building strong working team. So, what is the answer? When the list of people in your warm market dries up, searching for innovative ways to find new business partners and promote products and services is the key. The internet provides a marketing forum for entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next level.
Developing a Virtual Team
A virtual team "works across space, time, and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technologies" (Lipnack & Stamp, 1997, p. 7). A virtual setting involves mediating communication using technology to dispense work across geographical locations (de Leede et al., 2008). In network marketing sponsoring people into your business creates growth and momentum within your team. The latest statistics indicates that in North America alone 266,224,500 people use the internet daily (Internet World Stat, 2010). Therefore, Using the internet to brand you as a leader and to construct a virtual team has made many entrepreneurs an overnight success. You can be one of them.
Building your Team using the Internet
Social media is a great start. Using Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and YouTube are examples of social medias that can be used to build relationships and attract people to what you do. Branding yourself by creating blogs on sites like Wordpress.com and Blogger.com are also helpful. Blogs are forums where people create relationships by sharing information about themselves, worthy cause, products or services. Bloggers receive feedback from their readers and are able to engage in discussion on relevant topics. The ability to distribute content to a larger business community is useful when creating a presence on the internet. YouTube is another valuable resource that networkers use to promote their business through video media. On Alexa.com, Facebook is ranked the second top site on the web, YouTube is third, and Blogger is ranked number eight. The site with the most traffic on the web is Google.
It can be discouraging when you first join a network marketing business. Although it can be difficult building a team, taking advantage of various online resources can expose a network marketer to an abundance of resources that encourage self growth as a leader and help build a business.
Reference
Alexa.com (2010). Top Sites on the Web. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from, http://www.alexa.com
de Leede, J. Kraan, K., Hengst, M. & Hooff, M (2008). Conditions for innovation behavior of virtual team members: a high-road' for internationally dispersed virtual teams. Journal of E-working, 2(4), 22-46.Retrieved on August 30, 2010 from, http://www.inderscience.com/www/info/ijwi/art/tjew2103.pdf
