In this guide-

+ Background on multi-level marketing (MLM)
+ Features and services to look for in MLM opportunities
+ How to find the best multi-level marketing (MLM) opportunity for you

Background on multi-level marketing (MLM) opportunities
Multi-level marketing, at it's heart, is simply a form of distributing products, on the same level as retail stores, online stores, direct sales, door-to-door sales, etc. Probably the most famous multi-level marketing (MLM) organization is Amway, which pioneered and expanded this form of distributing by selling all sorts of household products, and which today is a multi-billion dollar company with operations across the globe. Today there are thousands of multi-level marketing (MLM) organizations selling everything from household supplies to energy and health supplements, men's products, and literally millions of other products and services.

The unique aspect of multi-level marketing (MLM) is that it is based on what is known as a 'pyramid structure'. This means that there is a hierarchy in which a member gets paid commissions for any products he or she sells, as well as for any products that are sold by members in their 'downline'. A downline refers to the people that a member has brought in to the multi-level marketing (MLM) organization. People in the downline can then recruit other members to the organization, and their sales generate commissions to people several levels up (hence, the 'multi-level' term). Revenue for members of a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization is generated in one of two main ways; by increasing the sales of products by each individual person, or by increasing the number of people in the downline. Adding members to the downline can result in exponential revenue growth, so it is typical that much of a member's efforts will be not in selling products, but in recruiting other members.

Features and services to look for in multi-level marketing (MLM) opportunities
There are three main components or characteristics of any multi-level marketing (MLM) organizations. The first component of the multi-level marketing (MLM) organization is the actual product(s) or service(s) that are sold. The second component is the actual commission structure within the multi-level marketing (MLM) structure. The third main component is the tools that are provided by the multi-level marketing (MLM) organization to help you sell products and help you recruit other members. Assuming that the products are of acceptable quality and the commission structure is competitive with other multi-level marketing (MLM) groups, the tools and support given to you by MLM groups is by far the most important issue to consider.

Some of the tools that are offered among multi-level marketing (MLM) organizations include:

Pre-qualified leads
Call centers
Personal web sites
Email marketing campaigns
Online advertising
E-library
Online training