She shows the authentic, and successful, way to do networking marketing

I met Tessa Meier earlier this year when I was preparing a webinar on business ideas that were thriving during the pandemic.

Right away, Tessa’s approach was to help. Give, rather than receive. When I realized her business was based on network marketing, I understood why she was successful.

Tessa works for Primerica, which provides full, customized financial planning for families. She is driven to help others, which is the basis by which she works with families and finds members for her team.

And as you’ll read, Tessa didn’t have any financial knowledge when she started. She was trained on the go. Her story demonstrates the power of an open mind and a desire to learn.

I think Tessa is a great example of network marketing done right. Through her authenticity, she has been very successful at it.

Here is my conversation with Tessa.

How did you get started in your business?

Just over 5 years ago, I met with a woman named Chelsea to discuss getting a handle on my finances. I was working part-time at a local hospital as a medical laboratory technician (what I originally went to school for). I was paying my bills, and trying to hack down my student loan and credit cards but felt that I wasn't making any headway. I honestly pushed off my meeting with Chelsea for a very long time, until I finally picked a date and made it work.

At the time, I was having my first go at network marketing with a health and fitness company (Isagenix) and my idea was that we would "exchange business for business". Long story short, Chelsea showed up professional and organized and I showed up as the exact opposite! I quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing and allowed her to take the floor and show me how she could help me. In one short hour I had learned more about finance and how money works than ever before, despite having family working in the banks.

Her approach made me feel extremely comfortable and I did not feel that I was being pushed on anything. I knew immediately that I wanted to have her help me with my own financial plan, but was also curious how she made money. Once she illustrated the business side of what she does, I knew immediately I had to at least give it a shot and find out if it could be a good fit for me. Fast forward 5 years later and I am now approaching my VP title with the company!

You didn’t have any financial experience when you started. How did you learn everything?

Like Chelsea, I did not have any prior experience in the financial industry and was trained "from scratch". The company heavily invests in our new representatives, and as a result I also had my provincial licensing courses subsidized. Since I was afraid of diving back into OSAP debt, I was over the moon when I learned that the training program was fully subsidized!

What I found to be difficult was wrapping my head around the idea of recruiting, training, and developing a team of my own as I was very accustomed to being an employee, always having been recruited myself, so to speak. The exams were not as difficult as I had anticipated, which was a relief.

However, once you fall in love with the crusade to help families, I feel it's something you never lose. I have seen many families, including my own, be taken advantage of when it comes to financial products and services that are more geared towards the company rather than the client. Leaving a family's home knowing they're in better shape than when I got there is truly a freeing feeling and can be very emotional.

What are you most proud of?

What I feel I am most proud of is being one step away from becoming a Regional Vice President with the company and opening my own branch. This is a true reflection of how many families I have helped, whether they are the amazing people on my team that I have trained or the families that I have helped. Helping others to either make more money or getting families out of products and services that are not right for them is again all part of my crusade and something I feel wonderful about every day.

The worst feeling I believe we can have (and I used to have this!) is worrying about going to our jobs the next day. It truly isn't healthy. I believe that if there is even a small part of you that dreads Monday and lives for Friday, you've got to make some changes and find a career that you are either passionate about or that you know will set you free and provide a future of time and money to do the things you really love!

You’ve built a successful business using network marketing. How you done this?

We are the largest independent financial services marketing organization across North America. In the beginning, the simplicity of sharing my new path with friends and family was the easy part. At first of course I worried, but once I learned what we do for families and began to do this for the people I love and care about the most, it became simple and exciting.

But warm markets can become stale over time if you are not putting in the effort to meet new people. For me, I had to learn a concept that I call "10 lines in the water" which really boils down to having a variety of different ways to meet new people and share what I do. I am now part of many different Facebook groups where others seek financial advice or alternative income streams. I also get involved with community events as often as I can (maybe not currently, thank you COVID!) and gain introductions from satisfied clients. I post on social media and am beginning to create specific pages for specific content. I speak with local business owners to share ideas and exchange services.

At first, I was honestly afraid to do all of this. As I continued to work and build my confidence, it became easier over time. I learned that I had to trust those in my business who had gone before me and learn from their successes.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone else who is considering pursuing a similar path?

My greatest piece of advice is to leave your ego at the door, be coachable, and practice what you feel are your weaknesses. I can't tell you how many times I have voice recorded myself, role-played presentations and phone calls, etc. It was all VERY new and strange to me, but I had to trust the process and truly apply myself.

Feel the fear and do it anyway. You will thank yourself later!

Tessa Meier can be reached at 905-962-1606 or tessaleighmeier@primerica.com.