Should I get new MLM Software? Why would I want new MLM Software?

The average Multi-Level Marketing Company will go through 2-3 different MLM Software companies and even though when you Google “MLM Software” you see 1.1 million results, MLM Software is very much a niche industry. There aren’t a lot of us and only a handful of companies here in the US.

Most MLM companies will go to 3 different companies before they make a decision. I’d like to give you some information that may help you pick the right MLM Software company on your first try so you don’t have to go through the headache and expense of switching software provider later on.

Relationship

The first thing you should look at is the relationship. We are in, if anything, a Relationship business. The days of the “Hard Sell” and the “Fear of Selling” have gone by, we are in a relationship industry and you need to feel a comfortable relationship with the software provider you’re working with. You need to feel like they’ve got your back. They need to understand what it is you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and not just in business to get money. That they’re in business to empower you, to empower distributors, and empower customers to purchase your products and services and most importantly for those distributors; to make sure they’re paid their commissions on time.

Make sure that it’s a good relationship, that there’s a “warm a fuzzy”, that you’re going to be able to work with them. If you watch some of my other videos, I mention it’s not a matter of “if” there’s a problem, it’s “when”. You’re going to have a problem with every vendor you work with. Just like a relationship with your spouse or your kids, there’s going to be challenges. Did you build that relationship on a good solid foundation that when you do have that problem you’re going to be able to resolve it and learn from it.

Communications

When looking at most companies, the point where they fail is in communications and managing expectations. Even within our own company, we are constantly finding that communications and mutually managed expectations are the key to how well we do, or how well our day goes.

You’ve got to have a good method of communicating with your software company. You’ve got to be able to call them on the phone, or text them; you’ve got to be able to get ahold of somebody. They’ve got to communicate with you when things are done. Most importantly they need to communicate with you when something is not done. So many companies I’ve worked with or heard about over the years, they don’t want to tell you when something went bad. But you need that software company that’s going to communicate with you, when something went bad or when something isn’t done.

Mutually Managed Expectations

There’s a mutual trust between the vendor and the software provider. Most companies think “well, I’m paying you good money, you should just do everything I ask you to do.” But that’s really not the relationship that anyones wants to be in these days. It’s got to be a win-win. There’s a saying that r’eally good relationships go 0 – 100; you expect 0 and you give 100 percent.’ And you’ve to be willing to do that even with the vendors you work with.

The expectations are; What are they going to do for you? How are they going to do it? When are they going to do it? And is it going to be done? What are the expectations that you have of the software company and what are their expectations of you? One of my other videos I discuss what should be in a compensation plan, that’s an example of a mutually managed expectation. What is the software going to deliver? Is it going to work with 10 thousand, 100 thousand, or a million people? There are lots of questions you need to ask, but you need to have good mutually managed expectations.

You should have a point to point contact, one person on their team and one person on yours that can be reached for communication, with that person disseminating the information. That’s a good working relationship.

Something interesting to share with you, I was talking to one of the key MLM industry attorneys the other day and he said “You know Robert, the vision that is in an MLM company’s head of what the software should do and actually what the software does never comes into alignment.” For some reason, MLM Companies tend to think that the software is going to do everything and that when there’s a problem it’s going to be resolved instantly because it’s on the internet and it’s technology and ‘the latest and greatest’. The truth is, what you have in your head is never going to match what the software is actually going to do. Whether its the shopping cart, the back office, the genealogy, the reporting system, how you manage the website, it’s never going to meet your expectations 100%. Try to make sure that you understand that and that software is not going to be the end all be all to everything that you do.

Technology is constantly growing and if it wasn’t constantly growing then we wouldn’t have Microsoft Windows 10, or Chrome 11, or an iPhone X. Technology changes, understand that it’s going to continue changing.

Commissions Calculation

The number 1 reason why MLM companies leave their software company is when their commissions didn’t calculate correctly. In one of my prior videos I talk about how a properly documented compensation plan should be done and that’s going to be the #1 reason. The software can go down, the server can go down, support may not be answered, but if you don’t pay your commissions on time, every time, all the time, and accurately you’re going to have angry distributors on your hands and you’re going to leave your software company. That’s why it’s so important that you spend a few days fully testing your commissions engine before launching your company.

 

 

I’ve been doing this for more than 20 years and I’ve seen a lot of the issues that cause many new MLM Companies to fail. If I can help you, if I can answer your questions about the MLM industry or MLM Software, please call me, email me, or comment down below