The A-B-Cs Duplication

Duplication – I bet you weren’t too long in the network marketing industry before you began to hear about duplication. Every MLM training seminar, Super Saturday and ”Boot Camp” address the topic of duplication. 

Ask any top earner and they will include duplication as one of the keys to creating residual wealth. It is universally accepted that duplication is one of the major MLM success factors.


Without duplication, you can expect modest results, at best. No matter how many people you sponsor into your business, without duplication none of them will succeed and most will eventually quit the business. Without duplication, you have a self-imposed income ceiling. With duplication, there is virtually no limit to the growth of your residual income. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

The issue for most networkers is putting this fabulous strategy into action. There is no set formula, no “set in stone” blueprint for duplicating results. And contrary to popular opinion, success is not about duplicating your efforts. Exponential growth is a by-product of duplicating your results. Effort is meaningless unless it brings quantifiable results. Unfortunately, you can’t open a catalog and buy a duplication system. And unless your team leaders have a system in place that you believe in 110%, there is no simple answer to the question, “What should I duplicate and how do I go about doing it?”

Before we delve into the process of duplication, I need to give you some very strong advice. Creating a duplication nation is a major project, and it will likely take months, or even years, of trial and error before you get it right. If you can find something that works, or a team with a philosophy and vision you share, I strongly encourage you to join that team and plug into a working model. The only reason to re-invent the wheel is if you can’t find a wheel that works the way you think it should. 

Analyze everything. Build a system. Choose simplicity.

Analyze everything. In order to achieve your desired results, you must duplicate your activities. In order to duplicate your results, it is necessary to analyze everything you do on a daily basis. Is your advertising duplicable? Are your presentations, conference calls, and meetings duplicable? Can your members easily replicate your recruiting and sponsoring efforts?

Break down every task and every process, asking yourself if the functions you are performing can be easily duplicated by your team members. If the answer is “no”, rethink and rework that process. No matter how effective you are at sponsoring new members, you will never achieve true residual wealth until you learn to duplicate and multiply; duplicate your results and multiply your leaders.

Build a system. We’ve all heard the saying, “People don’t duplicate, systems do.” Effective systems can be high tech, low tech, or anything in between. According to famous author and consultant W. Edward Deming, “97% of all failure is due to the system and not the person.” Every successful networker utilizes a system and shares that system with their team.

The most frequent question new members ask is, “How do I build this?” or “How do I get started?” With a duplicable system, new members have a blueprint for building their business. With a viable system, their success does not hinge on their sponsor or team leaders. They are secure in the knowledge that as long as they consistently invest the necessary time and effort, they can succeed. Without a duplicable system, each member has to figure everything out themselves, and very few will.

The most effective systems utilize a building blueprint & tools. Provide any builder with plans and the right tools and they can build a house. Just like an engineer or builder uses a blueprint & tools to build quality structures that can withstand the elements, networkers need tools to build a solid business that will stand the test of time.

Tools increase the odds of successful duplication on your team.  By making the right tools available, you are giving your team members the opportunity to succeed. Anyone can use a tool and more important, teach their team how to use the tools. Systems duplicate, tools make it possible.

Choose simplicity. The best system in the world will not work if it requires technical knowledge or specific talents. Complex and complicated systems often look good on paper but rarely work in the real world. To build your business exponentially, your system must be available and accessible to the masses.

The secret is to give everyone the same opportunity and the “right” people will grab it. If it takes an extensive background or skill set to use your system, you will be denying the opportunity to a large segment of the population. If it requires 5 hours of your time to get a new member started, you will end up being the “bottleneck” in your business. If your average team member can’t easily understand and teach your system, you are doomed to linear growth and limited by the number of people you can personally sponsor.

There is one more key factor in the duplication process. No matter how good your system is, you won’t achieve massive results without the right audience. Your success depends on targeting the right people, with the right attitude. Focus your system on locating quality prospects and team members who are teachable and coachable.

Finally, remember that your responsibility is to provide the opportunity. You have no control over who takes the opportunity. Once you have assembled or plugged into a working system, make it available to your team, and work with those who are working. As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Many people talk a good game, but when push comes to shove, only a few actually step up to the plate. Teach the system to the workers, and then teach them how to teach their members. Duplication will naturally occur.