What if your team spent hours every day browsing the Web, reading online newsletters, chatting, and visiting forums with nothing but strained eyes to show for their efforts? That's right - no new sales and no new distributors.

Well, if you're not careful, the Internet could render your entire downline useless. Trust me, I know. I've been there. Luckily, I found a way out of this non-revenue-generating black hole, and I'll show you exactly how I did it.

First, I'll assume you have an email address. Next, you'll need a website. Your brother-in-law made a website once, and the people at his class reunion really liked it. I bet he'd make one for you, too, if you gave him a six-pack of beer.

You get online and sure enough, your site's there. Great! But now what? Simply having a website will not get you more sales or more distributors. Why? Because most distributor websites lack an Internet strategy. Success on the Internet boils down to the following six steps (minimum):

1) Finding prospects.
2) Tracking where you found them.
3) Presenting your business to them.
4) Following up with them.
5) Enrolling them into your business.
6) Training them.

Presenting and Enrolling

Most companies provide their distributors with a personalized company website. Something like: www.mlmcompany.com/ yourID. In most cases this site will accomplish steps three (Presenting) and five (Enrolling) of the six-step process.

Once prospects show an interest in your opportunity or product, they can learn more by visiting your company-provided website. When they are ready to join your business or buy your product, this website is also a great way to sign them up or place their order.

As you can see, most distributors have steps three and five covered. Not having the other four steps in place is the problem:

1. Finding the people and prospects. What methods do you have in place right now that will lead a qualified prospect to you? Signature files, online newsletters, banner ads, participating in forums, and online contests are just some of the ways to generate leads. But just because you're using the Internet doesn't mean you should limit your prospecting methods exclusively to the Internet. Using local classified ads or putting your offer on drop-cards, flyers, bandit signs, and labels to point prospects to your website can produce great local leads!

2. Tracking where you found your prospects. You need a way to track where your leads are coming from. Why? So you can put more time and money into the lead-generating methods that are working best and eliminate or find ways to improve the others.

4. Following up with them. Most prospects will not join after the first exposure. Sponsoring someone is a process and not an event, even on the Internet. As part of your strategy, focus on getting your prospects' names and email addresses. Then use an online follow-up system to educate them on your opportunity, product, and support team. You can do this over a period of a few weeks or even a few months.

6. Training them. Lowering your new distributors' anxiety level and increasing their level of knowledge is vital. Have a series of training letters ready to go and automatically email each new distributor the entire series, one letter at a time, over a one- or two-month period.

For more insights to building your business on or offline, visit MLMPlayers.com. You can also reach Art via email at art@mlmplayers.com or by calling him at 281-280-9800.