The Keen Marketer

When we introduce our products to others, we always emphasize the benefits they will provide the user with.

But how many of use think about using reverse psychology?

What I mean by that is using a little marketing technique that we fall for all the time called “loss aversion“.

Humans are very funny creatures.  The idea of losing something is twice as psychologically powerful as gaining something.  This has been proven scientifically.

Let’s try to apply this to a product. If I was selling you something  and I convincingly made the case for a REAL loss you might experience in the future, and I showed you that my product could spare you future pain, would you be motivated to buy it?

I’m not saying you should become a fear monger during your product presentation but if you can figure out a LOSS that your prospect may suffer if they pass on your offer, then certainly don’t be shy to spell it out.

See, if your message relies too heavily on the POSITIVE outcomes your products or services can deliver, people become resistant.  People hate to be sold to but love to buy. However, they are more receptive when you’re describing the nightmares they can avoid.

Take yourself for instance. Are you likely to listen to a stranger who wants to sell you something to make your life better?  Probably not. That little mental alarm goes off and your suspicion antennae start rotating.

But meeting a stranger who wants to sell you something that will help you escape a terrible fate, is another story..one you are prepared to listen to at least.

So using “loss aversion” can be a great tool to get inside the prospects defenses and show them that you’re really out to help THEM, rather than take advantage.

My tip for today is show your prospect that they can avoid a REAL loss that only your product can help with.

I must caution you here to use “loss aversion” only when its appropriate and when there is a REAL risk that your product can help your prospect overcome.

Creating fear for effect only is not ethical and you will suffer for it in the end as your prospect will lose confidence and respect for you.

If in doubt about how best to use “loss aversion”, don’t.

Are you being coached by competent trainers that give you all the tools you need for success?

I just wanted to talk briefly today about using promotional post cards as an excellent tool for prospecting.

Postcards are efficient, very easy to create and can be a very powerful marketing tool.

Now you can snail mail post cards but you can also email postcards which are much more economical and just as effective. Why?

Because postcards are sent after you’ve created a bond between you and your prospect.

The person receiving it is expecting it and wants to hear what you have to say.

They’re useful for customer up sells and cross sells, direct purchase, lead generation and brand awareness. It’s truly amazing how an effectively written postcard e-mail will do the trick.

A promotional postcard e-mail sometimes promotes an event, but not always.

Here’s a quick example:

If I helped you get started in an online business from home, and in a few short years you were earning enough money to retire and still make a good income and live the lifestyle you always wanted to live, would you send me a Thank You note?

Well, that’s what I want to do. Please take my tour at the following web site.

You could also try the promotional teaser - an e-mail that is exactly what it says it is - it teases you, leaving you wanting to know MORE.

Again, here’s a couple of quick example so you get the idea:

Subject: Lions and Pigs

Be there when we need you!

Now you could really make things more interesting by sending an audio postcard. There are membership sites which already contain everything you need to do this for a nominal monthly fee.

I used one when I first did my cleansing program and sent it to all the people on my warm contact list. The response was clearly positive. Click here if you want to listen to my first recording.

It has become a tool I use a lot now even just to send a hello to someone I love.

With the advent of the internet, network marketing has changed so much that one can hardly follow the old ways anymore. Sure you can do it the old way and succeed but it is so much harder than it needs to be.

According to research done by tax preparation services, only 1 to 2% marketers earn substantial incomes. That means that 98% never reach a positive cash flow in their business.

So, being a newbie can be a challenge and there are many don’ts you should be aware of before launching yourself into network marketing.

The first don’t is about sharing your product with everyone right away. Ignorance on fire can be ok, but you really must be provided with training of some kind before you even open your mouth. If not, then you will be wasting your time and that of others and you will quickly get discouraged.

At first, most of us suffer from verbal diarrhea and overwhelm the prospect with too much information. So much so that the next time they see you, they want to run away.

Good training teaches you to shut up at just the right time.

Another newbie faux pas is to think that this business is for everyone. If you’re taught that anyone can do this business, then no wonder you’ll be quitting soon. It should be for everyone but not just anyone has the commitment and will to do this type of business.

If you’re taught to hype and exaggerate claims about your product, you are being unethical.

This is a no no. If you have positive experience, then by all means share your story, if not, then why are you promoting this product in the first place?

If you’re taught to place more emphasis on motivation and belief than learning the fundamentals of sales and marketing, your success may be questionable. A great team will have all the tools needed to educate you.

If you’re taught that your company’s product is the greatest with the best comp plan in the business, then reconsider your position, as there are most likely better plans out there. You just haven’t seen it yet.

If you’re taught that everyone is your prospect, you may be making more enemies than friends.

People don’t want to have anything forced on them. Yes it is important to get customers and some of those will become business partners but it has to be a conscious choice.

In the mean time, keep them informed about the product or special occasions that might peak their interest in joining you later on.

Most often it’s a lack of information that holds a person back from joining you. That’s why follow-ups are gold in this industry and that the drips you let drop on those that said no in the first place, may create a pond ready for swimming in one day.

The key though is to implement an effective marketing system, which will allow you to spend twice as much time in front of interested people and literally double your results immediately.

When you have that kind of marketing machine working for you, you’ll see more cash in your pocket, be less stressed and enjoy real results motivation. You also won’t have to work nearly as hard to get results…and your distributors will be more than grateful at having chosen you to do business with.

John Gray of “Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus” personally sponsored Rhonda Collier into my business opportunity and she had some really good tips when it came to team work.

T: Together: Connecting with people and gathering the right minded people takes time .  You must be ready to listen to their needs and discover the person’s greatness, that is why we share our story together as a team so that this person can identify with others who have gone through the same thing.

E: Everyone: Everyone needs your product but not everyone may be open to the opportunity.  That is why followups are so important because you are supporting this person in their endeavor and using the team to further give support.

A: Achieves:  You are not in business by yourself.  There are others who have your interests at heart because if you succeed it helps them succeed.  It is always about helping others get to where they want to go as it is for your up-line to help you get where you want to go.

Tools such as 3-way calls and training ensure that the team is doing similar challenges so all are on the same page, ie dupllication.

M: More: This is where leverage is really clear.  As your team achieves more, the hours and time you have invested in doing your part the right way also gets multiplied by the others on your team doing the same actions as you.

More actions = more revenue back to you.

Everybody wins!

And don’t forget to have fun.  Do things you love to do and get together for events whether it’s a barbecue or a company event.  This keeps your team awake and vibrant.  Offer incentives and challenges.

We all want a lifestyle of freedom, health, support and greatness.  Using your team and being part of a team with this ideal will certainly get you where you want.

Being in network marketing is simple but when it comes to applying what we learn, there is a learning curve involved especially when understanding and learning how to use leverage.

We know that we will be leveraging other people’s time and efforts to benefit us and others in our team.  But how do you really do that effectively?

First of all, this is a business in which you are not alone. If your team is a great one, there will be daily training calls, weekly calls and even corporate calls to tap into.

It’s easy as one two three.

Just invite one person on a call each day.  This way they will be getting the training they need and you will have more time to prospect rather than be tied down with training calls to your team.  This is leveraging at its most simple.

The advantages of doing this are really clear.

Your associate will get the right training and tips they need to be successful, in the same manner you did yourself.  It is duplicable and offers flexilbity.

Using the 3-way call is another under-rated tool.

The more you learn to use the 3-way call, the more your business will explode.  Use it even with someone that is not interested in doing the business.  It will offer comfort to the product users and expose them to other people’s stories.

Remember that it is the story that sells.

If you are not comfortable with 3-way calling yet, then practice using the 24/7 replay line.  Just ask your prospect to listen to the message that you go and get for them.

What could be simpler?

It all boils down to you working in an environment that provides superior training that will allow all associates to be as successful as they wish depending on the energy they give their business.

No matter what, it is a recipe for success!

In network marketing, there are 2 income producing activities you should be doing.

1. get customers
2. recruit business partners

This is easier said then done, of course.  But here are a few tips that might take the edge off.

First of all you want to attract people to you and you do that by giving value.  Find out what that person need.

In order to do that, ask questions.  Your’e not a mind reader!  Once you know what they need then you can better identify if your product can help.  Hopefully it will do all it is supposed to do or why else are you promoting it in the first place?

Secondly, when you’re not looking for customers, you want to attract other networkers.  Why? Because you don’t have to sell them on the benefits of network marketing.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are inexperienced people who start network marketing every day and they do quite well in the long run, but they need more time and training than someone who has already tried it before, even if they might have been unsuccessful.

Short of finding other networkers, you can broaden your search to business owners, teachers, people in areas of influence that have a large circle of friends.

You can find them at the Chamber of Commerce meetings, BMI’s, at the Y, the list is basically endless and  don’t forget going online.

Find out what makes them tick and what you have to do to change or improve in yourself in order to attract more of them in your life.  If you need to get a haircut, update your wardrobe, etc, then do it.  How you look physically can be a turn on or turn off.

You can even think of writing an e-book and give out for free.

Make sure that you enumerate the many positive aspects of network marketing.  Some opportunities, like the one I am involved in, has no overhead, no stock, no boss, no geographic constraints, no specialized education and best of all no limit on income.

When recruiting networkers, lead with the business.  They know there is always a product attached, but they also know that the compensation plans can vary greatly as can training.

This post is by no means complete as to how to find either customers or prospect other networkers, but just remember that attraction is a most compelling tool that will bring you some of both.

“It’s easy! We do it for you.”

You go online and you’ll find tons of opportunities that guarantee outrageous money while they do all the work. Sounds too good to be true?

It usually is!

Pt Barnum always said “There’s a sucker born every day”. There will always be people who want to believe that getting rich is quick, easy and risk free. I may be prejudging here, but these people are lazy.

Network marketing is a unique business venture that appeals to many people but it is not easy. However, perseverance and hard work can bring financial success much quicker than any You will be selling your product but you are also selling people on the business model which can satisfy their financial goals for the future.

Thing is, the average person has mainly been exposed to the employee model and may not know a whole lot about having their own business.

They may not understand basic business principles. So coming across a “hands-off” system that can generate big bucks with no investment of time or effort and little money invested can be appealing to many.

But if these systems did what they say they did, then why would they need you?

They wouldn’t! In a real network marketing business you are contributing a monthly investment in time, money and indispensable human interaction.

I am not saying that automated systems are bad. On the contrary, some are excellent but in the end it still is only half the equation and building a relationship with your clients and prospects is what will insure your success for the long term.

Personal interaction and mentoring is the glue that holds an organization together. When distributors hit those “rough spots” in their business, the coaching and advice that they receive from you or any other leader is what will keep them going.

You are really getting paid for managing an organization. Help your people succeed by developing leaders.

This, automation cannot do! It takes a human being to do this and that’s why you’ll never get paid for doing nothing.

Plus, all systems – no matter how automated they are – still require a human being to monitor and manage them.

Nothing runs on its own but don’t turn against having an automated system to help you in your prospecting. It can be the difference between achieving success the first year rather than 2 years down the line.

Get a grip people. If you’re in network marketing you’re in sales.

It’s always nicer to say that you are sharing though. At least I like to think of it that way but I do realize that underneath it’s sales.

So you’re a beginner and you were told to share with family and friends. Were you trained first?

If not, you are not being prepared properly and are being set-up for failure.

Sharing does sound less confrontational than selling and approaching your family and friends is less stressful, I admit that. But it gives a false impression of being easy. That’s one thing network marketing is not. It is simple but not easy.

The main reason people are told that it’s sharing is because everyone hates being sold to and sharing gives it a much cozier feeling, which can be ok if done right.

Although your role changes when there is monetary compensation involved, this should not deter you from tapping into your warm market.

Understanding this early may save you some sleepless night. But also understanding this should motivate you to learn effective sales skills.

Just recommending your products to people you know is not enough. You need to give them a good reason to buy from you.

Just because someone is your friend/relative does not mean they will or should spend their money with you.

It is not wrong to approach your warm market, in fact you should not need to go out of your warm market, but you have to give them strong enough reasons to buy your product rather than Joe Blow’s who lives next door.

You have to address their needs! Money is secondary to the help you can provide this person whether it is with a new product or even with the business opportunity attached to your product.

What does that person need in their life to improve it? And how can your product or business op address that need?

Good upline training will get you ready before you approach anyone in your warm market. If that is not the case, then find someone that will help you and be there at every step of the way.