7.7 MLM Success Strategies Taught By Billionaire Sir Richard Branson
Posted on 29. Jan, 2010 by Keith O'Brien in Expand Your Mind, Leadership, Online Marketing
Is Richard Branson teaching a class on network marketing?
No, he isn’t.
Honestly, since I have never even seen anything published by him on the subject, I couldn’t honestly say what he thinks about the industry.
But I have built a large part of my life around the study of successful people and success itself and key fundamentals hold true regardless of the industry. If you take a look at Sir Richard’s life and look at how he’s lived it and how he runs  his businesses, you will find many nuggets to pull out for your daily use. Assuming you are a network marketer, these lessons can support you in growing a massive, long term business…and enjoy every step of the ride.
Take Risks
If Branson’s life has been about anything it’s been about taking the leap first, then figuring out what to do. Sure, he has planned and executed extremely well, but throughout his career he was constantly faced with challenges. Those challenges always brought choice.
Branson has consistently chosen the biggest possible direction, regardless of whether he knew exactly how he was going to do it at the time. He’s followed the motto – commit first, then figure it out.
We often think we need to study this, learn that, be this or be that before we can really get after growing a huge business. Just go for it. Life rewards the courageous.
Push Through Your Perceived Limits
Branson can almost be viewed as an adventure extremist. Whether it’s the hot air balloon journey’s attempting to circumnavigate the globe or the transatlantic crossing in an open hull Hobie cat, he has constantly push his own personal limits. He’s not only done the above feats once, but numerous times. He’s a man that, even still at 60 years old, is constantly pushing himself to learn more, do more, become more and achieve more.
In MLM, this stops people in their tracks. People get to a point of uncomfortable and shrink. It’s only on the other side of the turbulent atmosphere that we get to enjoy the peacefulness of outer space. Push through your self-imposed limitation and you will surprise the hell out of yourself as to what you are capable of.
Delegate & Empower People
As of this article in January 2010, it’s reported that the Virgin Brand now owns more than 200 companies. I have also heard from reliable sources (although I couldn’t confirm) that Sir Richard himself owns 432 companies. Let’s just take the 200 number. That’s 200 companies; all with infrastructure, products, employees, salaries, benefits, customers, marketing…you get the picture. And it’s not like they are all in related industries…the Virgin brand owns pursuits in music, aviation, beverage, finance, literature, mobile technology, radio, wines…and don’t forget…SPACE TRAVEL!
There is simply no way to build an empire like that if you hold on too tight. Branson often says he hires incredible people and believes in their ability to carry out their jobs. You have to let people surprise you. They often will if you empower them to do so.
Build your team up. Give them the tools to be successful and let them step up and lead. Get new people involved early and see what they can do. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Surround Yourself With People You Trust
The Virgin Group of companies is run in a very unique way. Individual companies are entrusted to carry out their daily functions and run their business. These companies are all part of the Virgin brand and at some level, that brand has an identity all its own. The Virgin brand is managed by an advisory and special sector teams around the world. They support all the companies on finance, marketing, branding and customer experience.
In every aspect though, Branson has put amazing teams together and even though they have 50,000+ employees in 29 countries, they work as an excited, tight family birthing new companies all the time.
There is nothing that will crash a team faster than people in leadership roles who don’t have integrity. Keep your core group in close contact and build together with the same core values, purpose and mission.
Take Really Good Care Of Your Customers
Anyone who has ever done business with a Virgin company knows there is something a little different going on at these businesses. There is a feeling of fun, energy and passion. Take a look at the limo-like cabin of a Virgin America plane.
On Virgin Atlantic flights, you can even get foot massages! With the Virgin brand, it goes deeper than that. They started a program on international flight that people can donate their loose international currency.
Virgin team members would collect in and donate out into the countries it came from. A simple, yet brilliant idea to make a difference with a massive amount of people.
Make sure you are communicating actively with your team. Send them gifts if you can. At the very least, send them cards and notes with things you know are of interest to them. Treat them with unprecedented respect and courtesy.
Build Your Brand
Branson, very early on in his career, went on a quest to make Virgin the most recognizable brand in the world. I don’t know if he has done that yet, but he is certainly well on his way. Everything they do is about furthering their brand.
They have clearly identified what Virgin stands for and that message is alive in every single thing they do. It’s incredibly obvious. From customer service to manufacturing to packaging…who they are comes shining through.
Have you figured out what you are all about? How do you want people to experience you? What do you want them to say about you when you aren’t there to listen? Get clear on your core values…choose your niche and start building your brand.
Always Find A Way
If you read Losing My Virginity, Richard Branson’s first book, he tells the story of the beginnings of the Virgin brand. At age 15, he started a magazine called Student and in it, they started selling records through direct mail. Well, one day the mail carriers were poised to go on strike. Branson knew he had to do something to keep distribution going on the records so he found a 2nd story space and opened the first Virgin record store. Over the years, he opened just a couple more of those things!
This resiliency is inherent to who Branson is. He just finds a way to get it done. When you are that committed, the Universe conspires on your behalf and you often get rewarded many times over for your efforts.
What do you allow you to stop you in your business? Do a few “no’s” send you into a self-destructive tizzy? Or, do you just figure out how to win and get it done?
Have Fun While Building Your Business
If you learn anything from Branson it should be this. Enjoy the fricken journey. He works his tail off and plays just as hard. In fact, fun is such an inherent part of the Virgin brand it’s virtually impossible not to have some play mixed with their work.
Early in growing his empire, he bought Necker Island, an island in the British Virgin Islands (of course) as a remote getaway and escape. He has spent a ton of time there and now, actually, you can too if you want.
Building a business is a lot of work. Things that are worth having in life are worth working for. I honestly believe that the more we can wrap fun and joy into our work lives the more successful we are and the faster we’ll grow a business that we love.
Millionaire maker T. Harv Ekar believes in putting 10% of your net income after taxes into a “Play Account” to do just that…PLAY. This account MUST be emptied every month or every quarter.
Branson on MLM
An early mentor of mine used to say, “Success leaves clues.” Meaning if you look at successful people, there are clues everywhere as to what makes them that way. Figuring out the clues is the easy part. The question is…will you do the things you need to do to grow your business and transform your life?
The education and training to build an incredibly lucrative and joy-filled business is readily available. Whether you apply what you learn is another story altogether. The world needs people like you to step into their power and be great. Mediocrity won’t change the world. Choose greatness.
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