My initial experience in Network Marketing was with a distributor organization that taught all of its distributors to begin their career in MLM by making a list of 100 people that they knew and then badgering them about the "best business opportunity on the planet." After you ran through that list (or rather the people on that list began to run from you) you were told to prospect using the "3 foot rule" and "mall walking" or such things like that. Chasing people down became the order of the day and those who didn't have the stomach for it were just left in the dust. Attraction marketing takes an opposite view by teaching you to provide real, substantial and usable information to would be prospects BEFORE you even bring up your business offer.
This kind of marketing has been done offline throughout the course of history. Have you ever gone to the grocery store and seen food companies with a new product who were giving samples away and not even asking you to buy. Have you ever heard of a Doctor offering free consultations before asking people to become their patients. Some companies will even do the work first and if you don't like it you don't pay.
Yet, in network marketing we expect that people will just "join our team" and then find out if we can help them build a successful business. Oh, we tell them about the
greatness of our company and the power of our upline and assure them that they are in business for themselves but not by themselves. What we never seem to do is to prove ourselves FIRST and then when we have made clear our abilities, then show them how they can join us and have the advantage of our expertise.
Until we who love and work in this industry learn to give first and then receive, we are going to always be fighting an up hill battle. It is much easier to provide information that will attract people to us first than it is to deal with all the struggles (and bad online press) that comes from unhappy distributors who have no problem telling everyone who will hear how we ripped them off. When we attract people to us first we will also find the best and most targeted traffic. If we continue to treat these attracted customers well, they will become raving fans and bring scores of new distributors into our organization as well. This is viral marketing at its best.
Getting involved with attraction marketing may seem to be "giving away the farm" and a long term program but it is one that will revolutionize your MLM business model. Think about it, if you could find that steady stream of people looking for good, useful information and you could give them what they were looking for wouldn't they get hooked on you? If you become the source of their most treasured information, doesn't it seem likely that if they were then to join our industry, that they would choose you to work with? It is much easier to work with someone who is already attracted to you than someone you have yet to convince.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Find your downline's niche
You just sponsored a new distributor. He came to you because you have built a relationship as someone who cares for your downline and wants to see them successful in this new business. This new distributor is excited and ready to get things going.
So ... what do you do with him now? How does someone who wants to build with integrity handle a new team member? Well I think that the most important thing is to find the best way for your new team member to build his business. It becomes your responsibility to work with your new person and figure out their talents and abilities and then help them use those to sponsor and train their group under them.
You can not just give your new downline the same information you got and expect them to be you. They have unique personalities and cannot be expected to build their business in a way that is contrary to their personality. If that is the case, you have to help them discover the best way for them to sponsor and lead their new group. (Remember, you get paid for helping them succeed!)
I was talking to a friend that has been in the Real Estate business for over 30 years. He said that when he started, he walked into the office the first day and the manager told him, "here is your desk and here is your phone." That was it, he was on his own from that point on. In network marketing newbies often get similar advice. "Here is your product, here is your website, just download the training material and get on the conference calls and you will do fine." If the newbie calls to ask questions, he is usually told that he just needs to keep talking to people because building this business is just a numbers game. After 90 days of struggling on their own, they quit and you get mad at them.
If, when you sponsor new people, you commit yourself to their success and find the best way for them to build and lead, you will have a strong and healthy long-term business that will grow year after year. So ... take the time to train your new people and you will always be better for it.
So ... what do you do with him now? How does someone who wants to build with integrity handle a new team member? Well I think that the most important thing is to find the best way for your new team member to build his business. It becomes your responsibility to work with your new person and figure out their talents and abilities and then help them use those to sponsor and train their group under them.
You can not just give your new downline the same information you got and expect them to be you. They have unique personalities and cannot be expected to build their business in a way that is contrary to their personality. If that is the case, you have to help them discover the best way for them to sponsor and lead their new group. (Remember, you get paid for helping them succeed!)
I was talking to a friend that has been in the Real Estate business for over 30 years. He said that when he started, he walked into the office the first day and the manager told him, "here is your desk and here is your phone." That was it, he was on his own from that point on. In network marketing newbies often get similar advice. "Here is your product, here is your website, just download the training material and get on the conference calls and you will do fine." If the newbie calls to ask questions, he is usually told that he just needs to keep talking to people because building this business is just a numbers game. After 90 days of struggling on their own, they quit and you get mad at them.
If, when you sponsor new people, you commit yourself to their success and find the best way for them to build and lead, you will have a strong and healthy long-term business that will grow year after year. So ... take the time to train your new people and you will always be better for it.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
100 new downline in 30 days!
I just read a thread on a forum that I fequent that said that the writer said by using his system I could bring 100 new downline in the next 30 days! Wow, think about what that would do for me. That would bring in an awefully comfortable amount of money for me and make me the fastest growing organization in my company!
But, as I clicked on to his site I began to wonder, "How would I train 100 new people in 30 days?" How could I be responsible for the success of 100 new people? How could I talk with all of them and make sure that the square pegs went in the square holes and the round pegs went in the round holes?
When I realized that I could not handle that many personally sponsored new downline, I clicked off his site and made a mental note not to have anything to do with him or his company. I couldn't help but wonder if his system was so good and if he was bringing in 100 new downline every month then why would he have to spam one of my favorite forums with his ad?
You see, our industry is full of people who will make these kinds of foolish appeals to those who are desperate. They are preying on those who are really trying to make money in this industry often without any help from their upline and no help from the company. Then up from their favorite forum appears this churn and burn expert who is looking to make a fast buck, not caring at all for those they hurt in the process.
Integrity is about caring for the people you sponsor. Even if someone comes to you via an ad or by randomly landing on your site. Once they are yours, they are yours and you have a long-term responsibility to them. Don't get me wrong, sponsor as many as you like as long as you can take care of those whose sign-up puts money in your pocket. But, don't let the loosers posing as leaders sell you the proverbial "bill of goods."
But, as I clicked on to his site I began to wonder, "How would I train 100 new people in 30 days?" How could I be responsible for the success of 100 new people? How could I talk with all of them and make sure that the square pegs went in the square holes and the round pegs went in the round holes?
When I realized that I could not handle that many personally sponsored new downline, I clicked off his site and made a mental note not to have anything to do with him or his company. I couldn't help but wonder if his system was so good and if he was bringing in 100 new downline every month then why would he have to spam one of my favorite forums with his ad?
You see, our industry is full of people who will make these kinds of foolish appeals to those who are desperate. They are preying on those who are really trying to make money in this industry often without any help from their upline and no help from the company. Then up from their favorite forum appears this churn and burn expert who is looking to make a fast buck, not caring at all for those they hurt in the process.
Integrity is about caring for the people you sponsor. Even if someone comes to you via an ad or by randomly landing on your site. Once they are yours, they are yours and you have a long-term responsibility to them. Don't get me wrong, sponsor as many as you like as long as you can take care of those whose sign-up puts money in your pocket. But, don't let the loosers posing as leaders sell you the proverbial "bill of goods."
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Waking Up the Leader in You
As we talk about building a network marketing business with integrity one thing has to be in place before you can really make a difference for your team. You have to develop your leadership skills.
Leadership skills in a network marketing organization will take that organization into pretty rarified air. More than sponsoring skills, more than marketing skills, more than sales skills, leadership skills make any distributor organization more stable and more profitable. Handling the questions, issues, and yes even the problems of your distributors will instantly place you in a position that is different than the vast majority of organization leaders.
Now before I get jumped by leaders who think that if they sponsor enough people that the "cream will rise to the top," let me say one thing. If you sponsor them you are responsible for them. If you don't do everything in your power to train all your personally sponsored distributors, you are acting outside the definition of integrity.
I know that this goes contrary to what the "gurus" teach, but that doesn't make the idea wrong. Think about it with me. Do you want to be the kind of leader who leaves more "dead bodies" in your wake than strong leaders in your organization? And what do you say to those slow starters who never make it, not because they don't have the skills, but because you were too busy sponsoring to train those you sponsored to lead their new groups.
Every organization must have a balance between bringing new people on board and bringing those you bring on board up to speed. Think about this from the aspect of integrity and I think you will agree with me!
Dave
Leadership skills in a network marketing organization will take that organization into pretty rarified air. More than sponsoring skills, more than marketing skills, more than sales skills, leadership skills make any distributor organization more stable and more profitable. Handling the questions, issues, and yes even the problems of your distributors will instantly place you in a position that is different than the vast majority of organization leaders.
Now before I get jumped by leaders who think that if they sponsor enough people that the "cream will rise to the top," let me say one thing. If you sponsor them you are responsible for them. If you don't do everything in your power to train all your personally sponsored distributors, you are acting outside the definition of integrity.
I know that this goes contrary to what the "gurus" teach, but that doesn't make the idea wrong. Think about it with me. Do you want to be the kind of leader who leaves more "dead bodies" in your wake than strong leaders in your organization? And what do you say to those slow starters who never make it, not because they don't have the skills, but because you were too busy sponsoring to train those you sponsored to lead their new groups.
Every organization must have a balance between bringing new people on board and bringing those you bring on board up to speed. Think about this from the aspect of integrity and I think you will agree with me!
Dave
Sunday, June 1, 2008
90 Day Goal
On this first day of June, I have set a goal for myself and for the Network Marketing with Integrity Blog. I am stating this goal publically so that everyone who visits this blog can see our progress and keep me accountable to you and my goal.
My goal is to have 100 people visitng Network Marketing with Integrity within the next 90 days. I also would like to meet as many of you who visit as possible. If you would leave a comment or just email me, I would love to get to know you all!
I am finding that this concept of integrity is not an easy sell in our industry and that the "churn and burners" far out number those of us who feel a need to build our businesses with integrity. So it would really be nice to hear from you and know that I am not all alone in this work.
My goal for myself includes helping 10 new networkers to start and begin to build strong businesses for themselves and their families. Having hundreds/thousands in your downline is only important IF (1) they stay long enough to build a successful business (by their definition of success), and (2) they actually buy/use the product that your company sells! Only then will you have the stability and profitability that you need for years to come.
So ... these are my 90 day goals. Help me by keeping me accountable. Email me and let me know how I can help you. Let's carve out a niche in this industry of great people who love integrity and want to build businesses using the integrity model.
My goal is to have 100 people visitng Network Marketing with Integrity within the next 90 days. I also would like to meet as many of you who visit as possible. If you would leave a comment or just email me, I would love to get to know you all!
I am finding that this concept of integrity is not an easy sell in our industry and that the "churn and burners" far out number those of us who feel a need to build our businesses with integrity. So it would really be nice to hear from you and know that I am not all alone in this work.
My goal for myself includes helping 10 new networkers to start and begin to build strong businesses for themselves and their families. Having hundreds/thousands in your downline is only important IF (1) they stay long enough to build a successful business (by their definition of success), and (2) they actually buy/use the product that your company sells! Only then will you have the stability and profitability that you need for years to come.
So ... these are my 90 day goals. Help me by keeping me accountable. Email me and let me know how I can help you. Let's carve out a niche in this industry of great people who love integrity and want to build businesses using the integrity model.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Integrity means training your downline
Training your downline. What does that take? How much time should you spend training your downline members? Shouldn't they have the motivation to learn on their own?
When you deal with taking on the responsibilities of making sure your downline has all the opportunities necessary to be successful in his/her business, you make upline leaders quake in their boots. We are all told that we are getting into network marketing so that we can make lots of money with an automated system that means you don't have to work again. The problem with this kind of sponsoring is that no one really learns enough to be really successful. Just successful enough to stay in but not succeessful enough to reach the mountain top. Oh, there are those rare ones who make it because of their own skills and tenacity but the greatest number just drift from year to year and company to company. This is, in my opinion, the dark underbelly of network marketing.
A networker who is working with integrity knows that he has a responsibility to those he brings into their organization. Their success is, at least at the beginning, the responsibility of the sponsor. The sponsor is the one who knows what the answers are or at least where to find them. The sponsor is the motivator, the mentor, the leader, and the principle trainer for his/her downline. If someone is just sponsoring and not helping those they sponsor, they are doing those sponsored, their company, and themselves a huge diservice.
Integrity demands more of the sponsor. It demands that one only sponsor those they have time to train. It demands that until a new distributor is on his feet the sponsor has a responsibility to continue to train and work with him/her. To turn your back on someone you promised to help is a lack of integrity.
Building a solid business with integrity is simple but it is not easy. Do you have what it takes to set aside quick profits for long term success? You can only do it if you have integrity.
When you deal with taking on the responsibilities of making sure your downline has all the opportunities necessary to be successful in his/her business, you make upline leaders quake in their boots. We are all told that we are getting into network marketing so that we can make lots of money with an automated system that means you don't have to work again. The problem with this kind of sponsoring is that no one really learns enough to be really successful. Just successful enough to stay in but not succeessful enough to reach the mountain top. Oh, there are those rare ones who make it because of their own skills and tenacity but the greatest number just drift from year to year and company to company. This is, in my opinion, the dark underbelly of network marketing.
A networker who is working with integrity knows that he has a responsibility to those he brings into their organization. Their success is, at least at the beginning, the responsibility of the sponsor. The sponsor is the one who knows what the answers are or at least where to find them. The sponsor is the motivator, the mentor, the leader, and the principle trainer for his/her downline. If someone is just sponsoring and not helping those they sponsor, they are doing those sponsored, their company, and themselves a huge diservice.
Integrity demands more of the sponsor. It demands that one only sponsor those they have time to train. It demands that until a new distributor is on his feet the sponsor has a responsibility to continue to train and work with him/her. To turn your back on someone you promised to help is a lack of integrity.
Building a solid business with integrity is simple but it is not easy. Do you have what it takes to set aside quick profits for long term success? You can only do it if you have integrity.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Happy Memorial Day
For those of you who live in the US, I just wanted to say enjoy your Memorial Day. It is a great holiday and when we have troops in harms way, it means more. Have a great day and God bless.
Dave
Dave
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