How to Select and Build a Successful Network Marketing or MLM Business

Watkins Incorporated is a network marketing company based in Winona, Minnesota. The company was founded in 1868 by Joseph Ray Watkins. Watkins’ first product, produced in his kitchen and manufactured at home, was a topical solution used to treat a variety of ailments, including muscle aches, body aches, arthritis, gout, and rheumatism, called Dr. Ward’s Liniment. Still produced today and called Watkins Red Liniment, the liniment line has expanded to include white liniment. Both products reduce inflammation, relax muscles and relieve pain. Watkins Liniment creates deep penetrating heat that penetrates the skin and relaxes muscle tissue, reducing pain.

Watkins’ product line quickly grew to include Petro-Carbo Salve, Black Pepper and Cinnamon. Today the company produces 350 different products that are used in the home. Watkins’ complete line of products now covers organic spices, flavors, condiments and extracts used in cooking, household cleaning products that are organic, biodegradable and safe for the environment, weight loss products, nutritional supplements, beauty products, first aid products and more.

Since its inception, Watkins has been connected to direct sales for the marketing of its products. I grew up in Louisiana on my grandfather’s 32-acre farm, accused of monthly visits from our “Watkins man.” My grandfather and parents used Watkins Petro-Carbo Ointment to treat every scrape, cut, puncture wound, or burn experienced in our family.

Watkins Petro Carbo Ointment was truly a miracle ointment as far as my family was concerned as accidents always happened on the farm. I can remember having small splinters of wood on our hands or feet that we couldn’t remove or would break when we tried to remove them with pliers. My grandfather used to say, “Dress that up with Petro Carbo ointment and it’ll get that splinter out in a few days.” And guess what? His advice and predictions almost always came true. Although we used Petro Carbo ointment religiously and frequently, there were many Watkins products that we use and continue to use. Red liniment, for example, has been in my family members’ medicine cabinet for over 60 years.

I have purposely shared this personal story with you to demonstrate the value of Watkins products and what users of Watkins products think about them. All Watkins products are manufactured with the utmost care and attention to quality. For example, when Watkins decided to produce a line of nutritional supplements, he made the decision to produce them under the stricter guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration. All supplements Watkins produces are approved by the US FDA. Watkins is only one of 99 companies in the United States with an FDA license. Countless network marketing companies that produce and sell nutritional supplements are not approved by the FDA. This speaks highly of Watkins’ management.

Speaking of management, in 1978 Watkins was acquired by Minneapolis billionaire businessman Irwin Jacobs. Under Mr. Jacobs’ direction, Watkins quadrupled its sales between 1978 and 1990. Since then, the company has continued to excel at an accelerating rate. Today, Watkins operates in the US, Canada, and China and has co-branding and marketing agreements with companies designed to increase brand awareness to make it even easier for its 50,000-strong sales force to market its products. Watkins associates like me.

In the 1970s I first tried network marketing. For legal reasons I will not mention the name of the company. I was sponsored by a friend whom I respected and trusted. I quickly set some sales records, but decided to quit in a few months because I just didn’t like the over-the-top, wacky mentality displayed by all the successful salespeople I’ve met at this company. Although I liked and used the company’s products, I was very discouraged by the high-pressure sales tactics I saw successful reps practicing and the company’s recommended recruiting methods.

Despite my strong belief in the network marketing business model, the experience of that first foray into network marketing was so unpleasant that I turned down everyone who tried to recruit me to join another network marketing company for 33 years. . That’s a long time, but when you consider the fact that most people tell me that I’m the best salesperson and marketer they’ve ever met, you can imagine how many times I’ve had to say “no” to people who want to recruit me into the marketing online.

So what brought me to Watkins? Oddly enough, they didn’t guide me, but I chose my way to Watkins. Looking for a new adventure and something to do after retiring one day, I decided to spend 6 months researching numerous business opportunities. My criteria were simple:

• He wanted an established company that made fantastic products that he could believe in. Because if you don’t believe in what you are selling, an honest and caring person will not be successful in selling the products you represent.
• He wanted a company that had a strong, trustworthy and supportive management team. I wanted a company that not only I, but also my clients considered ethical. Irwin Jacobs and his son Mark passed this test with flying colors because they consider the lives, families, and financial futures of their associates in every decision they make regarding their product line, compensation plan, and methods. of marketing
• I looked for a company with an impeccable reputation when endorsing their products. Since Mr. JR Watkins is credited with inventing the infamous name “money back guarantee” and Watkins continues to offer a money back guarantee on each and every one of his 350 products, Watkins policies at this area exceeded my highest expectations. In fact, Watkins not only offers a money-back guarantee on his products, but also on his sales kit for new associates. That’s right, if you join Watkins and find that you don’t meet his expectations, you can return your sales kit to Watkins for a full refund of your money. Honestly, I don’t know of another network marketing company that makes such an offer.
• I wanted a company with a broad line of consumable products that are not only used regularly by my customers, but are preferred over competing products to the extent that my customers call me before choosing to purchase a competitor brand at your local supermarket or department store. I read countless documents during my research on Watkins to confirm that the company uses the purest, freshest ingredients known to man. For example, since its foundation, Watkins has gone to the four corners of the earth in search of cinnamon, pepper and spices to obtain the best quality and quality of the product from countries such as Indonesia, India, Colombia, etc. In short, Watkins passed this test with an A+ in my book.
• I wanted a company that had a great compensation plan and a realistic chance of earning a six-figure income within 3-4 years. Watkins Associates start with a 25% commission on all personal sales they make and can earn up to 39% in commissions as their business and downline grow. If you stop and think about it, there are numerous companies in the world that do not make 25% to 39% gross profit. Knowing that for as little as $39.95 I could start my own home business and earn up to 39% if I am successful was more than I ever expected or could have dreamed of.
• Now here’s the tricky one. He was looking for a company that could offer all of these things and more, but not saturate the market. After all, how difficult would it be to sell a company’s products if every time you turn around you see another representative of the company. After thinking about Watkins I realized that in the 24 years I have lived in Houston I have never been approached by a Watkins representative. I have always ordered Watkins products through my mother and father’s Watkins associate. I thought about this some more and realized that 50,000 Watkins associates in Canada and the US is roughly 0.0149% of the total population. Expressed in more easily understood terms, there are approximately 1.5 Watkins associates for every 10,000 people in North America. That was proof enough, a true confirmation that there is a lot of fertile sales ground to be plowed for myself and every associate I recruit.
• I looked for a company that didn’t believe in high-pressure sales tactics, or wasn’t the result of over-the-top recruiting tactics by sponsoring new associates. And this, my friends, is the true beauty of Watkins. The company also does not condone these practices. In fact, my upline sponsors have recommended that when recruiting new members I emphasize that while Watkins is a great way to earn income, it’s not a “get rich quick” opportunity.

This not only sums up my reasons for joining Watkins, it also demonstrates why Watkins is one of the most successful network marketing companies of all time. Because the company has been around for so long and many young people these days want to “get rich quick,” they frequently make the mistake of choosing “the next big thing” or the fad, only to fall victim to yet another failed network. marketing company that cannot deliver on its promises. If only I had been smart enough to join Watkins when I was 20 years old. I consider that not having done it is the “mistake of my life”. My advice to young people who want to own their own business and build a six-figure income in 3-4 years, starting part-time in the process, is to consider a Watkins business. Honestly, I think Watkins’ opportunity has never been better, never greater. There are great things happening with Watkins, I encourage you to be a part of it. For more information, visit my Watkins Summit Group link below.