Q: I got into network marketing because I liked the products and because of the money I thought it would generate. I still like the products but I am struggling with maintaining the business and experience fatigue every evening.

A. You have asked a fairly common question, and one that is multifaceted. First, some brains can get very excited about a product they perceive is cutting edge and can make them money. Depending on the product, some can also get excited about the benefits that can accrue to people they care about.

That said, liking a product is very different from running a business. Most network marketing companies have developed a system by which to train their independent representatives. All the systems we have evaluated to date teach processes that match Maintaining skills and (to some degree) Harmonizer skills.

The skills of the Prioritizers (e.g., setting goals) don't match the need for accomplishing repetitive and routine tasks such as follow-up (Maintaining), relationship building (Harmonizing), completion of forms (maintaining), and coming up with new marketing strategies (Envisioning),etc.

And rarely does the selling system match Envisioning or Harmonizing skills except for their perception of the value of the product, their creativity in enthusiastically talking about it, and their envisioning of profits.

Which type of brain usually catches the vision about a new product? An envisioner. Which type of brain possesses the skills for routine task completion as taught by many company reps? A Maintainer. Which type of brain has the relational skills to interact harmoniously with the customer? A Harmonizer. Which type of brain easily sets goals and prioritizes the tasks needed to meet those goals but prefers to delegate the actual accomplishment to other brains? A Prioritizer.

Second, depending on your brain's energy advantage and the style in which you are trying to build and maintain your business, you will struggle with parts of the process and accomplish others quite easily.

You need to know how your brain functions most energy-efficiently. Armed with that knowledge, you can then choose how to manage the tasks that are not a match with your energy advantage. In order for you to be successful and make money at network marketing, evaluate the company's business tool kit. Take the pieces that match your brain and implement those. Remember you want a 51% match between tasks and your brain's energy advantage.

Build your down line to include brains that are different from yours and that can help accomplish the tasks that are energy intensive for your brain.