Building a personal brand in multi-level marketing (MLM) can be a game-changer for ambitious women looking to make their mark.
This post will guide you on how to create a strong personal brand and leverage it for success in MLM. Here’s what you will learn: the importance of mindset and strategy in personal branding, and practical tips to stand out in the MLM industry.
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I work with ambitious women in multi-level marketing, and the biggest question I get is, “How do I create MY personal brand in multi-level marketing?”
I’ve found that your personal brand is the number one reason your clients and your downline are going to know, like and trust you. Who you are day-in and day-out is what will make you stand out in a crowded industry. Personal branding is 80% mindset (who you are) and 20% strategy (how you are going to do it). You can deep dive into my personal brand model in my book, Find Your Clear Vision.
First, let’s do a quick overview: What is Multi-level marketing?
Multi-level marketing is a business strategy that uses direct salespeople, called independent business owners, who generally work from home, to sell their products to clients. Think Stella & Dot Stylists, Doterra Wellness Advocates, and Rodan + Fields Consultants. As you grow your business, you typically stop looking for individual sales and instead build distribution channels, called a “downline.”
In essence, there are multiple levels and a hierarchy to how this idea works.
At the top level, people are making money from their downline, those that are underneath them. From a brand and leadership perspective, they are directing and leading their downline.
People are following them because of their personal brand approach, their mindset, and how they are showing up in the world.
What is so compelling about multi-level marketing businesses is the opportunity to build your personal brand within a company structure and make a fantastic income if you do it right. Think financial freedom and flexibility!
Here are my top 3 recommendations: how to build your personal brand in a multi-level business.
1. Determine what success looks like for you
This is your business, your passion, your desire to make an impact in the world. Success can look many ways. Inside a multi-level marketing company, there are going to be a lot of other people who are wildly successful doing their thing. It’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game.
And you will not win that game. So stop.
Stop and ask yourself, “What impact do I want to have in the lives of others? And what type of lifestyle do I want to create this year, next year?”
What does that finish line look like? Is it staying on the ground working with clients one-on-one? That personal commitment looks a lot different than becoming a top distributor.
What success looks like is going to determine your personal brand commitment and mindset, as well as the marketing strategy to get you there (if you don’t know your personal brand commitment, hang in there till the end of the post, I’ll show you).
Bright Flash:
- Define your personal goals and vision of success.
- Avoid the comparison game to focus on your unique path.
- Your definition of success shapes your brand and strategy.
2. Tell your story with intention and heart
I had a coaching session with a woman who sells essential oils. She is 50+ years old, a brunette, lives in San Diego, California, and feels like she is competing with blonde 20-somethings who have designer dogs, all the time in the world to post on social media, and massive followings (her words, not mine).
Do you hear the disempowering story in there? “I’m too old, I don’t look right, I’m not enough.”
We dispelled the negative story surrounding her mindset and looked at it with fresh eyes. Why did she sell essential oils? She LOVES them! They have turned around her health, she’s vivacious, full of energy, patient, and has a wealth of ways to use oils on her skin for aging and in her food for nutritional value. Now THAT’s a story!
Together we saw that no one was in the 50+ year-old market selling essential oils as an anti-aging and nutritional value. It was wide open! 50+ year-old women are going to resonate with her because of her story, heart, and intention. Coming from who she really is and sharing from that place is going to have such a positive impact on her community.
Get curious about your intentions and your audience. Sure, there are people selling Optavia, Young Living, Arbonne, and Beautycounter, so you have competition. But what no one else has is your story. How you share your story and own who you are and what you can offer is your personal brand, it’s your mindset, and it’s your marketing position. That unique space where you get to be you, and people like, know, and trust you.
Bright Flash:
- Share your unique and authentic story.
- Focus on your intentions and connection with the audience.
- Your story sets you apart from the competition.
3. Go where your clients are
I can’t tell you how many house parties I have been to, and I love them! I love the connection, small talk, and the opportunity to shop in the charming warmth of someone’s home.
But, I’ve been told that it gets really old really fast for the multi-level marketing rep. So, here’s the opportunity: How do you stay fresh and in front of an audience outside of the traditional house party? Know where your audience is. Here are some ideas:
- Where do they shop?
- Where do they volunteer?
- What books are they reading? Book club anyone?
- What concerns do they have about their health? Skin? Sleep?
- How can you make their lives easier?
- How can you show that your life has been transformed by the products you use?
- How have you been transformed?
- How can you be top of mind?
Consider developing an outreach plan that involves educating, inspiring, and entertaining. This doesn’t have to happen on social media either; 50+ year-old women generally aren’t on Instagram.
You being you, being your personal brand, showcasing your life and how these products transformed your lifestyle is a great place to start.
Bright Flash:
- Identify where your audience spends their time.
- Develop an outreach plan beyond traditional methods.
- Showcase your transformation and connection to the products.
3. Go where your clients are
I can’t tell you how many house parties I have been to, and I love them! I love the connection, small talk, and the opportunity to shop in the charming warmth of someone’s home.
But, I’ve been told that it gets really old really fast for the multi-level marketing rep. So, here’s the opportunity: How do you stay fresh and in front of an audience outside of the traditional house party? Know where your audience is. Here are some ideas:
- Where do they shop?
- Where do they volunteer?
- What books are they reading? Book club anyone?
- What concerns do they have about their health? Skin? Sleep?
- How can you make their lives easier?
- How can you show that your life has been transformed by the products you use?
- How have you been transformed?
- How can you be top of mind?
Consider developing an outreach plan that involves educating, inspiring, and entertaining. This doesn’t have to happen on social media either; 50+ year-old women generally aren’t on Instagram.
You being you, being your personal brand, showcasing your life and how these products transformed your lifestyle is a great place to start.
Bright Flash:
- Identify where your audience spends their time.
- Develop an outreach plan beyond traditional methods.
- Showcase your transformation and connection to the products.
This is all great, Lisa, I get it, I need to blend my personal brand commitment with strategy, but how?
Do you need help finding that special story, or that special connection that is going to make your personal brand in a multi-level marketing business stand out? I want to invite you to join me for an introductory coaching session.
Ready to Reinvent your Marketing?
Being a heart-centered professional woman has its challenges, but here’s the truth: your potential is bigger than what you currently believe.
This is your one-time invitation to transform your mindset of what’s possible for you and design your life and personal brand from the inside out. Book your introductory coaching session with me today.
