There has been a lot of talk about network marketing dead in Zambia. I had some initial success with Amway and MLM but it was not long before I was on my own in Zambia selling Amway and direct sales. This is one area where so many people quit and give up the dream of making money in the network marketing industry. Amway did a poor job of teaching us how to market and promote our business and once we actually arrived in Zambia, the opportunity was just not there to support us financially.
It took many years to build my first team in Zambia, and this is something that many network marketers seem to ignore when they are in their home country. We had some great direct sales teams, that became very successful in Zambia. The problem with network marketing dead in Zambia is that it is very difficult to sustain a downline once you leave your home country. I started my business in Zambia as an expat and had no idea of the challenges of building a team from scratch. I had no experience or network marketing experience and the people I met were much more interested in fitting into the Zambian culture than building a business.
It is very difficult to build a downline in a country like Zambia where everybody knows everybody and so the challenge was to get introductions and friendships first. My experience was that many people in the network were like minded and would do business with me. The biggest challenge was actually getting past the local culture that I was coming into contact with. We used to go out for a meal now and then, but that was it. Zambians did not like Americans or foreigners coming to their country and they definitely did not like me.
As I got further away from home, I realized that the only way I could see myself doing network marketing in Zambia was if I had to change my whole mindset about who I was. I had to become more outgoing and confident. I had to understand that the people in Zambia do not have preconceived notions about foreigners coming in and trying to make money in the rural African culture. I also had to be willing to accept that most people I met there had little knowledge of the internet and would not know what to do with it so I should not be held up or judged on my lack of technical savvy.
I also realized that I was not going to succeed if I was trying to sell my opportunity to as many people as possible. I still had to give people a reason to want to be part of my network marketing team. I learned that I should be more friendly and approachable and I realized that I had to get out and meet as many people as I could. That is when I finally understood that I had to quit my American Dream and stop trying to chase down dollar signs at every opportunity I came across. It was time to go back home to the USA.
In Zambia there were no “American Dream” type companies that had collapsed. There is no need for you to create your own network marketing company in order to be successful. In fact, in Zambia, if you wanted to start your own business, there were more companies starting than dying. Zambia has been very successful in building its own economy. There is no need for you to be a part of a network marketing company to fail.
So is network marketing dead in Zambia? No, it is not. In fact, the number of companies that are being set up is still very high. The problem is that there are thousands of new people trying to get involved in the game and many are not motivated to put in the time or effort needed to be successful. If you are serious about making money on the internet you must understand that you must be relentless and never give up until you achieve your goal. If you are not motivated to succeed then you are destined for failure.
One of the things that attracts people to network marketing is the opportunity it offers to build a business from home. If you have the desire and ability to do the work necessary to achieve this dream you can certainly do it. You just have to make sure that you are willing to put in the effort. It is a grueling industry and it will require you to work hard but if you are dedicated to the business you are sure to succeed. You must also be willing to learn and adapt as well as being able to communicate effectively with others in order to be successful.
