What makes people rich is not money...

A conversation with Robert Kiyosaki

Rich Networker / Poor Networker: is network marketing the best system for the average person? Kiyosaki says, “Yes,” and explains, “In the corporate world if you don’t sell, you’re fired. In network marketing, they’ll work with you to achieve. What a deal that is! That’s revolutionary.” And much more…

Robert, this quote has been attributed to you:

“if I had it to do all over again, rather than build an old style type of business I would have started building a network marketing business.”

Did you really say that?

I said something like that, yeah!

Is it true?

Yes, when I looked at the problems I had to go through, but it’s how I started. I still like building companies, but it was harder.

When you and I first spoke, many years ago, you were not all that “high” on network marketing. what caused you to change your mind?

Let me explain. When I started as an entrepreneur, I had to learn how to sell. I started with Xerox in 1974. Today, when people ask me, “How would you start a business?” I always tell them to start with a network marketing company. Not because of the network marketing company per se, but for the training you get from the network marketing company.

THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WHAT MAKES PEOPLE RICH IS NOT THE MONEY. WHAT MAKES PEOPLE RICH ARE SKILLS. AND THE NUMBER ONE SKILL OF AN ENTREPRENEUR IS THE ABILITY TO SELL.

That’s why I recommend network marketing. It’s not that I’ve ever been high or low or anything on it. When I first started out, I just didn’t realize how good the training was with that business model, because my training came from the corporate world of Xerox. Not too many guys are going to get hired by Xerox today, and they don’t do as extensive a training anymore because people quit too early.

So my whole point on recommending network marketing is you go there and you gain priceless business skills. That explains further what I’m saying about if I had to do it all over again… I would probably to and get training through a network marketing company.

ROBERT, CAN YOU BREAK DOWN WHAT SOME OF THOSE SKILLS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT?

SELL! Sell, sell, sell, sell, four-letter word, you’ve got to sell,. And that’s the word everybody’s afraid of! But… sales = income.

So when someone has low income, 99% of the time it’s because they can’t sell something; they have nothing to sell or they can’t sell. You’ve got to learn how to sell.

If I’m going to be an entrepreneur then that is THE number one skill. That’s the theme to everything I tell you. You read Rich Dad Poor Dad, and it says, “I’m not a best writing author, I’m a best-selling author.”

Here’s where most people make a mistake. They go into things looking at how much money they can make versus what skills they need to make the money.

I KEEP SAYING, “JUST GET THE SKILLS, AND THE MONEY WILL SHOW UP!”

Robert, can you talk to me about the components that go into “sell, sell, sell?”

It’s training. You have to know you’re going to make mistakes. Look at the way the corporate world trains you.

When I was working at Xerox, every month they would post my record and if I was in the bottom twenty, one of us got fired. They fired two guys and they hired two new guys. So, the only reason I learned how to sell was because I was afraid of getting fired.

At least in the network marketing world, they’ll train you. It’s a whole different way of being taught. If you’re not making it, someone will be there to encourage you. It’s a lot more humane way of being taught that vital, vital life skill called sales.

Jesus Christ was probably the best salesman in the whole world, and Buddha and Mohammed; they were all great at sales. Look at the presidential candidates – the one that wins is the one that does the best job of selling his point of view.

There are two subjects that nobody wants to talk about; one is money and one is sales. Everyone seems to think of “cash” as a four-letter word and “sale” as a four-letter word, yet I’m a teacher and I make more money that most teachers in the academic world simply because I can sell better than they can.

WHEN I RECOMMEND NETWORK MARKETING TO PEOPLE, IT IS FOR ONE SIMPLE REASON: YOU GAIN A LIFE SKILL. IT’S CALLED “OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR OF REJECTION” – OVERCOMING THE CLIENT’S FEAR OF BEING SOLD AND BREAKING THROUGH THAT.

Robert, what makes you say that network marketing is a revolutionary way to achieve wealth?

Because they don’t fire you! They’ll work with you! They’ll help you build a business and once you have a business, you really do have an asset.

Assets are something that put money in your pocket whether you work or not. If you have a job… well, look at some of the big financial houses. One of them is firing something like 15,000 people in the U.S. and hiring 15,000 people in India. The day of the safe, secure job is gone.

At least with a network marketing business, you work really hard to build something that you can pass on to your kids and if you’ve done a good job, if you stop working, it will continue to support you. You’re not working for the rich, you’re not working just for money, and you are actually working to build an asset.

Is that what you mean in your book, The Hidden Values, when you speak about the value of a network?

The richest people in the world build networks. That’s why they’re called television networks or gasoline service station networks. The poor and the middle class and the educated work for networks. I’d rather own the network. Unfortunately, we haven’t had too many leaders appear in the last few years. The last leader that I really respected was Kennedy, because he really stood up.

You’ve witnessed a number of leaders in network marketing. What do you see them doing right?

They inspire people to be leaders. A leader doesn’t lead, a leader creates leaders. That’s why network marketing is so powerful, because if you can get somebody who is not a little paycheck grubbing, security-minded, but-kissing manager to actually come and lead people, their lives will change.

That’s not easy to do because of the mindset of the majority. That’s the hardest part.

SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SO AFRAID TO SAY, “I want to do network marketing,” not because it’s not a good idea, but because of what their friends and coworkers might think of them!

I love the movie, Braveheart, where Mel Gibson says, “They can take out lives but they can’t take our freedom!” Most people will sell their freedom so they can have their stupid little lives.

Now, I know somebody has to be willing to do the jobs, be a waiter or waitress, or a schoolteacher, and I appreciate that, but most people who do it are willing to sell their freedom, and what I’m talking to you about is freedom.

THE REASON YOU LEARN HOW TO SELL IS SO YOU CAN BECOME FREE. THE REASON YOU WANT TO BE IN NETWORK MARKETING IS FOR YOUR FREEDOM.

Do you realize most people can’t go to Mexico and do work because you need a green card? But if I’m a business owner, well, I can go to Mexico or China or wherever I want and do business. That’s freedom! But if you’re an employee, you need a green card – that’s not freedom.

THAT’S REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. DO I RECOMMEND NETWORK MARKETING? ACTUALLY I RECOMMEND FREEDOM!

That’s what I stand for. And I don’t care what that means to you – just go do it.

For me, freedom means I don’t have to answer to anybody, I can leave the country if I want to leave it, I can travel around the world and make as much as I want, legally, ethically, morally and I don’t cheat on my wife. I tell you exactly where I’m at; you don’t have to guess where I’m at. That’s freedom; I don’t worry about what somebody else thinks of me. That’s what I stand for, not network marketing. Network marketing is one of the ways you get there.

Do you think it’s one of the best ways for average people?

I think it’s the best system for the average person, yes. In network marketing they’ll work with you to achieve. What a deal that is! They will work with you to become free. That’s revolutionary.

Robert Kiyosaki is the author of the Rich Dad Poor Dad series. He is an investor, entrepreneur, and educator whose perspectives on money and investing challenge conventional wisdom. Rich Dad Poor Dad is the longest-running best seller on all four of the lists that report to Publisher’s Weekly magazine: the New York Time, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and BusinessWeek. It has held a top spot on the New York Times best – seller list for nearly six years and was USA Today’s no 1 money books for 2004.

To learn more, visit Robert Kiyosaki’s website: http://RichDad.com