Poker reminds me of a lot of situations in network marketing. Whether you play poker or not, there are a lot of lessons we can apply in our business.
Preflop
In poker, you have to first decide whether to play the hand or not based on information such as the strength of your hole cards, actions by other players and your position on the table, before you can see the rest of the cards. You evaluate the information and make your move accordingly. Similarly in network marketing, you evaluate the opportunity and decide whether to get involved or not.
Folding Preflop
Folding preflop means you are giving up the hand before it starts. When you decide not to join the business opportunity, you are folding on it preflop. Are you folding for the right reason, or out of fear? We don’t know what the flop will bring you, and if you don’t play, you’ll potentially miss out on a big hand. You don’t want to play junk hole cards, but even the premium cards will not win you the pot without posting the bet and playing the hand.
Limping In
Limping in means to match the minimum bet required to play the hand. It is not a strong move and it often invites many other limpers to join the hand at a cheap price. Are you serious about starting your own business, or are you just limping in? Your actions determine what you attract in this business. Do you want a lot of limpers or super stars on your team? Your call.
Raise
By raising, you are representing a strong hand and sometimes you can win the pot without even playing it. If you want to build a strong business, make a decision and commit to it. Most MLM companies have a choice of multiple entry levels at different price points. If you raise, you’ll be setting the pace for your team.
Check
Check means to pass on betting and not take any action. So you joined your opportunity. Have you been working on your business, or are you just checking? Checking is a safe option so you won’t risk losing more chips. However if you don’t add value to the pot, you will not be rewarded for it either. Keep checking and you may never see any commission checks.
Bet
When you are in a hand, you can either lead out betting and take control, or be passive and only call the previous bet when you have to. Often, aggressive play wins the hand. How active are you in your business? What kind of investment are you making with your time, efforts, and training? If you are not getting the results you are looking for, it’s time to raise. Be coachable and go all in on your efforts, and I bet you’ll see improvements.
Fold
They say there’s no shame in folding. Maybe so in poker, when you believe you are beat or you’ve got your odds against you. However, most people give up too soon in network marketing without having correctly worked on it for long enough to see the results. When you are not pot committed, it’s easy to fold. You’ll be dealt many cards that are not in your favor, face tough opponents and have bad beats. If you are folding too easily and too often without working through these challenges, another biz opp will not be your solution.
If you are only checking, calling or folding in your business, no wonder you are not winning. The good news in network marketing is this business is far more simple than poker. It does not require calculating the odds or knowing advanced strategies even ivy leaguers study, and it does not depend on unknown information or luck. It does however depend on you, and that’s most of the battle. Be consistent and you’ll have much greater chance of winning a big pot.
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