Watch Your Step

You've heard the stories of network marketing opportunities that take people from the brink of bankruptcy to six-figure incomes within months. If you expect to do the same, cautions Babener, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. "Probably less than 1 percent of the individuals who join an MLM company will make huge money," says Babener. "It's no different from any other endeavor."

What often happens with new distributors is this: You join a company expecting to make $20,000 a month after six months, with little effort, because that's what you hear the superstars say they've done when they give their testimonials at sales rallies. But after a few months in the business, reality sets in: You have yet to crack the $100-a-month barrier! Dis-couraged (and, if you gave up your day job, hungry), you decide to fold up your MLM tent and write the opportunity off as a bad investment.

The problem here, however, isn't necessarily the failings of the network marketing company-it may be that you're just giving up too soon. Success in MLM, as in any type of business, takes time. As Babener puts it: "Individuals should look at [network marketing] just as they would look at holding stocks in the stock market. The true rewards come after long-term involvement, not short-term."