Lessons I Learned In Networking From Mark Yarnell
Mark Yarnell is the bestselling author of “Your First Year In Network Marketing,” “Self Wealth,” and several others that have been classics in the MLM industry. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview with Mark and ask him some questions about the principles that have allowed him to create such a dramatic amount of prosperity in the MLM profession. In this article, I wanted to share with you some things that I learned.
First, Mark Yarnell is not a traditional networker. He doesn’t believe in the age-old adage that “duplication is king” in your MLM business. He cuts straight to the truth of the matter and teaches that if you want to be a leader in your MLM business, it doesn’t matter whether you copy your upline leader or not.
What matters is that you sponsor as many distributors as you possibly can, AND give people the training that they need to achieve their dreams IF they choose to listen.
A few years ago when I was struggling in my own MLM business, I ran across Mark’s books and I read his controversial views on MLM duplication. I about fell out of my chair. I couldn’t believe that a network marketing leader as well known as Mark Yarnell was spilling the beans on the age-old duplication myth. (I know that people like Randy Gage swear by duplication, but I had a miserable time building MLM companies until I stopped listening to this nonsense and started being myself.)
One of the things that Mark Yarnell told me was the plain and simple truth that’s behind the success of the greatest network marketers in the world is that they all have built a business in a way that is entirely unique based on their own individual set of skills, beliefs, and talents. Now there are a handful of similarities between top producers, but the fact is that their methods are entirely different, REGARDLESS of what any MLM trainer has ever taught you.
He painted a hilarious illustration talking about how if you accidentally got in a car crash and sponsored the other person in your business, you wouldn’t go around town crashing into cars hoping that you’d sponsor another one. It’s a silly example, but one that paints a good picture. Building a business in the MLM profession is about creating relationships, not copying your upline leader.
That being said, however, Mark Yarnell DOES talk about how important it is to have a mentor that you can really trust and connect with when you’re building your business. It’s important to find someone who is earning the kind of income that you would like to make and enter into a student relationship with them. It’s just that a GREAT mentor will exploit your individuality and your talents, not feed you a bunch of nonsense that doesn’t get results.
Perhaps the most important thing I learned in my interview with Mark Yarnell, though, is that building an MLM business is really about the numbers. There are all kinds of ways we can try and justify other explanations, but the truth is that if you look into any MLM organization in the world, approximately one out of every 30 people who join an MLM business go nuts and start making a few thousand dollars a month. About one out of every 100 people make a six-figure income in most companies, and about one out of every thousand people hit the mid-six figures to seven-figure level annually. Now the numbers vary a bit, but that’s about accurate for any MLM or direct sales business in the world.
So knowing that those are the numbers, it makes sense that rather than trying to motivate a downline of 10 people to make you rich, if you want to really produce big numbers in your business, you need about 100 people to find someone who will start to give you some massive leverage. So what you need to do isn’t baby your people, you simply need more people, and to help your team UNDERSTAND what they have to do to personally sponsor as many reps as possible.
That can be a harsh reality for some, but it’s a principle like nature. You can’t fight against a tidal wave in nature, you’ve got to get out of the way or ride the wave. Network marketing is the same. Take a hard look at your company and your business, and take a look at what has actually produced, and you’ll find that the numbers are the same. One out of five people sponsors a few people, one out of thirty sponsors a LOT of people, and one out of 100 are absolutely nuts with the amount that they produce.
It’s funny, but the numbers are EXACTLY the same no matter how you build your business, regardless of your style. When I was in Amway, I knew a guy who had more than 500,000 people in his downline and he had only personally sponsored 40 people ever. HOWEVER, he built his business by sponsoring HUGE groups of people in depth, and his numbers were the same. One in five did something, one in a thousand built something completely insane.
So Mark Yarnell and this guy had different styles, but the outcome was the same… LOTS of people in a team that ended up revealing a group of leaders that created a massive dynasty.
Knowing that, you’ve just got to ask the question: how can you get more people in your team FASTER than any other way possible? Also, how can you coach people together in a team environment that allows everyone to learn the skills that they need to break through? One thing I learned from Mark Yarnell is that although you’ve got to train people on how to be successful, in the end, you just can’t fight the numbers, you’ve got to embrace them, and when you have enough people in your team combined with an EXCELLENT company and a great team culture, there’s magic that happens for everyone.
P.S. Leave me your thoughts, comments, and questions below.
Comments
Bryan Ogilvie, December 3, 2009, 02:31
Hi David,
Just to say great post, actually all of your posts have been fantastic and informative. I have just listened to your webinar with Mark Yarnell, and what he had to say pretty much blew me away.
Thank you again for the opportunity to learn from a mastermind in this industry.
ravi, May 4, 2010, 05:02
Thanks, David Wood, for the valuable information about Mark Yarnell.
Jd Webb, October 21, 2009, 10:25
Thanks for posting!
Bryan Ogilvie, December 3, 2009, 02:31
Hi David,
Just to say great post, actually all of your posts have been fantastic and informative. I have just listened to your webinar with Mark Yarnell, and what he had to say pretty much blew me away.
Thank you again for the opportunity to learn from a mastermind in this industry.
ravi, May 4, 2010, 05:02
Thanks, David Wood, for the valuable information about Mark Yarnell.
Jd Webb, October 21, 2009, 10:25
Thanks for posting!
Felipe Morales, March 15, 2010, 18:12
This post is really inspiring, David! I’ve been in network marketing for a while, and Mark Yarnell’s teachings resonate deeply with me. His approach to leveraging individuality is something I’ve always believed in. Keep up the great work!
Linda Park, April 21, 2010, 09:47
While I appreciate the insights, I find it hard to believe that the numbers can be so consistent across all MLMs. Do you have any studies or hard evidence that supports this claim? I’d love to see some data to back it up.
Sarah Thompson, June 7, 2010, 13:25
David, could you explain a bit more about how Mark Yarnell managed to build such a large downline with so few personally sponsored members? What were his specific strategies?
Oliver Nguyen, January 12, 2010, 20:34
I must say, while the post is insightful, it seems to oversimplify the complexities of MLM success. Building a business isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about quality relationships too. Perhaps a bit more balance in the perspective would make it more relatable.
Maria Lopez, February 28, 2010, 16:50
Hey David! It’s been ages since we last caught up. This post reminded me of our old conversations about MLM strategies. Let’s grab coffee sometime soon and chat more. What do you say?
William Chen, July 19, 2010, 21:03
This post really hit home for me. A few years back, I was struggling with duplication in my MLM business, just like you mentioned. It wasn’t until I started embracing my unique style that things began to turn around. Thanks for sharing Mark’s insights!
Natalie Gomez, March 3, 2010, 08:15
I recently came across a tool called MyLeadSystemPro. It’s been incredibly useful in streamlining my network marketing efforts, much like what Mark Yarnell suggests. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend it!
Eric Jordan, August 2, 2010, 14:22
Thank you for this detailed post, David. I learned so much about how to approach network marketing in a more individualistic way. It’s refreshing to hear a different perspective, especially from someone as reputable as Mark Yarnell.
