One of the hardest part of network marketing is staying focussed on the business when everyone is telling you “no” or offering you advice on other business ideas they think you should be considering since you’ve found your entrepreneurial streak. I suppose something like this ought not be a new experience for someone like me who went against the grain of tradition and chose not to practice dentistry even though I was a fully qualified dentist. These same people were also singing a similar tune back then, something along the lines that I ought to re-examine my decision not to practice.

I’m sure they were convinced I was making the biggest mistake of my life. When I look back, I still don’t think I would have done things any differently. Far from falling flat on my face for choosing the “road less taken”, I progressed a lot further than I had anticipated even for myself. I achieved far more than I had ever expected to and I grew immensely as a person from the experiences of taking what was perceived to be the “more difficult road”.

I know these people truly mean well when they offer all these advices. What makes it even harder is that they are usually family members or close friends. Having heeded their advice in many other aspects of our lives, it isn’t easy to ignore them now when they are convinced they have to save us from from spiralling to what they believe is our inevitable doom.

Ultimately, I think the important part of this process is to make sure you do your homework and know your facts so you can identify the truth from the misconceptions. Many of us make comments about things based purely on our beliefs and snippets that we’ve heard a long the way. Sometimes these thoughts are not even founded on facts. I’ve heard plenty of comments from people telling me that Network Marketing is illegal or a scam, when in fact they are confused with pyramid selling which has been designed to mimic a Network Marketing company. By knowing the difference between pyramid selling and a true Network Marketing company, we are not so easily mislead by what I’m sure was a well-intended, but grossly miscontrued statement.

If you are having doubts about the Network Marketing industry, the best people to talk to, are the ones who have succeeded in it. Anthony Robbins said, to fastest way to become successful in an area you desire is to find someone who has already succeeded in that area and mimic them. Once you have tasted success for yourself, you will never look back. The hardest part in pursuing your goal is the taking the first steps and indeed, the first steps of building a network marketing business are truly difficult.

Then again, think about the first steps you took when learning something new – whether it was a new language, riding a bike, familiarising with your responsibilities at your first job after University or anything else. It truly was difficult. Network Marketing is the same. Once you have the ball rolling, it does get easier. The important part is to keep moving and consistently working at it.

Don’t be disheartened by people who mock you. Honda was laughed at when he came up with his first engine design. Great people are the ones who see possibilities in things that others are too myopic to see.