How would you define network marketing?
Network marketing, for me, is as simple as the vehicle that can take anyone, from wherever he is, to reach his dreams, to reach financial freedom, without taking the risk of engaging in a conventional type of business. In my opinion, it’s the greatest opportunity being put in the history of mankind, because anybody with not enough capital can still build an organization that will eventually give him the same revenue as someone else investing a huge amount of capital.
Good business ethics starts with me. How would you pledge or promote this line?
“Good business ethics starts with me.” Yeah, that was one of my main aspects of my practice in the business from day one. I was very much keen and careful not to do anything that might be seen to be against the industry, against my company, against my personal behavior. I was always very transparent, very honest, and I did my best in everything to protect the integrity of my business practice.
You are aiming for QNET to become the breakthrough for good business ethics and build a positive reputation for network marketing in Africa. Would you like to explain more?
We are going into this direction – how to be the company that will lead the formation of the Direct Selling Associations in Africa. As you know, in the continent, there are no regulations for the industry, and I’m very confident that QNET will play this role. According to our network now, I believe, we are the fastest-growing network marketing company right now in Africa. We have the chance. We have very good relations with many senior people, with many authorities around sub-Saharan Africa, and we can leverage on that.
We see that misinterpretation of products and the compensation plan is one of the major problems. How do you think we can avoid this? And you can speak of this as if you’re addressing the network – like what do they need to do to avoid these problems.
I believe it’s a lack of training to our downlines. Many people– my advice, of course, to the IRs – to QNET – that they must assure that the new guy who’s representing the business, he has enough knowledge, he carries the right mindset. The fact that the industry is getting this reputation is because the people that are going outside trying to represent and present the products and the business with not enough knowledge. They don’t have the right mindset. They don’t have enough belief. As the result, they talk and represent halfhearted – of course, it’s easy to be defeated, and that’s what brings this reputation to our industry. My advice always to the IRs is: Please, make sure that you don’t send new people to the field before they are ready. Invest in the mindset, invest in training them properly before you send them out – nothing to rush about. QNET is there. QNET is big and strong, and we have the best products available in the industry. They only need to carry the right mindset and enough knowledge.
Apart from the misrepresentation of products and the compensation plan, what do you think are the– is there another one big mistake that network marketers today do that affects the reputation of the industry?
When they are trying to use shortcuts, they’re trying to make it sound like you can be successful without doing anything – “Just buy the product,” and all these kind of statements – “Buy the product, do nothing – I will build for you.” There are so many statements that many people use, and it’s not the right way. To represent the business, I’m just advising them to stop using shortcuts. Shortcuts will never lead anywhere. This is not the right way.
Can you share how important transparency and intentions are in building the business? because we’re a business of relationships also.
Yeah, in our business, we build family here. If you understand that the people I’m going to convince to follow me in this journey, they will become family members. We are not closing sales. We are closing family members. If I’m closing a sale, I can lie to you because I just want you to make the sale and maybe tomorrow, we’ll never meet again for the rest of our lives. If I meet you tomorrow, and after tomorrow, and the next month, and the next year, and the next decade, and maybe– God knows. I’m building a family, I cannot lie to you. I need to be very transparent. I should always be very transparent. I should always give you the truth and speak the truth. At the end of the day, that’s what we’ve learned from our mentors here, Dato’ Sri, Japa, Chief, and all the V Partners.
I’m very sure there are a lot of fun and benefits that one person can get from network marketing that are not easily available or can be taken from other businesses today. Can you share some of the fun or the benefits that one can get from network marketing?
Of course, there are many benefits. We can list and the list is very long. I always believe the biggest benefit is the freedom to choose – the people we work with, to choose the time we work at, to choose the places. It’s not like being trapped in a job. I don’t have any options. Sometimes the person sitting next to me is the most irritating person in life. I still have to live with that – I have no option. However, in QNET, I have the options. In our industry, I have the options. This is very much a relief to everyone – that I have the freedom to choose, and the more we are free, the more fun we can have.
