Rules of Engagement - The How Not To Approach

Rules of Engagement

Everybody wants to be the best marketer but nobody wants to listen.

There's actually two meanings in that sentence and I'm not sure many will get it right away.

A couple of days ago I accepted an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. I don't know about you but I'm at the stage where I won't connect with just anybody. Some of you might still be working toward what is believed to be the magic 500 and if so, fair game to you. One thing I will suggest though is that once you're there and the numbers continue increasing, counter measure for a bit by getting rid of some of the dead wood connections you made along the way.

Anyhow, this connection came via the standard unedited pre-written intro that LinkedIn uses. Not ideal, but something one has to get used to due to their mobile app not providing the editing of, and mobile often being the device of choice nowadays.

Before accepting I will generally head over to investigate the invitees LinkedIn profile and on this occasion there was a fairly well written list of services provided by Bob (just a sample name I chose to use instead) and his associates all working within the financial sector.

Looking all above board and genuine I wondered if this individual was actually showing an interest in my own offerings or simply wanted to exchange a few words where we may have been able to work out how best to support and benefit each other. That after-all is what networking is about is it not? I accepted and decided to wait for Bobs introduction.

It wasn't long before Bob got in touch and what a nice line he used:- "Hello Keith,
Good to connect with you as a local successful business person. " Nice don't you think?

Then the next line:- "If you could spare 5 minutes sometime I would love to introduce myself to you face to face and take control of your finances."  Rather a let down don't you agree?

His was not a lengthy message but apart from that single first sentence the whole message was based on him, what he does and wanting to meet up. No mention of his company name, no interest in anything me and no conversation what so ever.

My initial response was to point out the error of his ways as far as I was concerned, however,  I decided to play it differently. My reply was one stating that the services he offered were already being provided (truthfully) by a friend in the same industry so I thought it only polite to decline. Knowing my services are something that could definitely benefit him, I did finish my reply asking if he would like further details on what I do assuming he had viewed my profile.

Today I received his reply acknowledging and congratulating me on looking after my finances correctly and then going on to indicate how, for my own well-being, he and his partners should not fail to be considered. Oh, and also to keep his details safe for when needed????

Now back to those two meanings at the start of my post.

#1  I'm pretty sure you can recognise that there was no listening on Bobs part. If you want to find out if your product is a fit for your client, you have to listen for their needs or requirements. Constant reference to your own services simply provides your client with points to raise objection towards.

#2  Somebody may get your attention by shouting at you but does it make you inclined to listen? All Bob did was to push his services on me, I might well have heard his message but I can assure you that I was not listening.

That's probably not the most interesting example you've heard on how not to handle approaching new clients but it is a regular mistake I see network marketers making. If you are using similar tactics, maybe this will help you recognise why few are taking you up on your offer.

If you have received any level of value from this post  please feel free to comment or share, it could well help the next person equally.

Keith

An Unexpected Honeymoon Horror

An Unexpected Honeymoon Horror

If there is any single type of holiday that deserves more thought and organisation than any other, I think most of you would agree that honeymoons at the start of a happily  newly married couples lifetime together should get top spot.

I am about to share with you a recent experience that literally  took my breath away because of the reaction it attracted, however in hindsight it could merely have been my approach that rocked the boat.

For those that are not aware I am a representative of a global discount holiday club allowing it's member amongst other benefits, guaranteed best price on all travel and holiday experiences through an incredibly affordable savings plan. More details on request.

With that in mind, you can imagine that my chosen product line is very much end user friendly and with that also in mind you would think others would jump at the chance to explore how to add it to their own offerings.

Well, I recently approached a wedding organiser that obtains commissions for referring her clients to holiday companies who then go on to organise the happy couples honeymoons and the response was astounding.

My proposal was to explain how they could help save future happy couples hundreds if not thousands off of their honeymoon expenses.
If the lady owner of the company had broke for wind, I could have explained how this would result in a far greater income for her but sadly though, she was furious at the thought of lower prices meaning lower commissions and literally declared that she would much rather her clients pay more for their poxy glorified holidays.

Her disgust was so that I literally struggled getting a  word in edgeways so I basically made a polite retreat and ended the phone call.

Hopefully your shock at her apparent focus on GAIN rather than the quality or authenticity of my proposal for her clients will be on line with mine. Its not that I am sorry not to have introduced somebody else to my business but the sheer lack of care or interest at providing better for her clients that horrified me.

Now, I'm not going to criticise this lady any further because there is a good chance the blame of her reaction was in my own approach.

When marketing your business it is wise to try to determine where your contact is in relation to their own operations. On this occasion and due to the fact that it was she that phoned me due to my previously leaving a message with her receptionist, I was part way distracted by what I was doing when my phone rang and on request, led right in with my proposal.

In hindsight there is the possibility that her business is barely making profit, maybe it is simply a case of surviving one customer to the next. This is an extreme example and one I seriously doubt is anywhere near the truth but it does open up to a whole new approach that I intend to go back and put to her.

I'm not expecting to rescue what is probably an already written off option for her to entertain but I am going to go back and approach her with the question as to whether if I had led with the focus on increasing her turnover with minimal actual cost to her to see if that would have gotten me further.

There is a good chance that what transpired is a common but typical case of leading without listening. Something notable from many a good sales guide yet regularly and generally ignored through lack of understanding.  I admit to going in without initially investigating the needs or desires of my potential client, the result of which left me horrified. In all honesty the blame may lay entirely on my shoulders  for forgetting a simple but important step. Tomorrow will tell.

Thankfully this isn't one of my typical experiences but I can see how many of those struggling within the industry could well be dealing with a continuous flow of objections based simply on not listening first. Ask questions, get a feel for whether your product could fit into what they are looking for and make your move accordingly.

Even an objection free rejection can seem a triumph during the long haul. I hope that's give you something to think about during your next bout of calls,

Good luck and may your hard work be handsomely rewarded

Keith

Network Marketing Is Amok With Misguidance

Network Marketing Is Amok With Misguidance Probably Causing The 97%

Something that I like to do when approached to join someone else's networking opportunity is to ask them about their marketing strategies and how they are working out.

For me it's a foregone conclusion that if somebody introduces themselves with a direct link to their opportunity then their marketing is going to be somewhat flawed.

Sadly, the majority of the time my instincts are further reinforced by the sheer fact that my not jumping for joy at their introduction causes no further contact. I bet there's a few of you who will be familiar with what I mean there.

Add to this a quick look at what they are proposing is a great opportunity and it's easy to see why they will be jumping onto the next exciting launch that comes along. So what is it that causes so many to continually follow these poor tactics in the bid of making the big time?

For me it is the hype and misguidance provided by what ever opportunity they have chosen to follow. Sometimes it's a miraculous berry laid undiscovered except for the solitary tribe of natives who are living to 250 years of age by refining it's extracts, combining them with the oils of a fruit seen only once every 11 years and adding it to their regular diets. Oh, and they sold the licence to wrinkleberrygone.com for the sole purpose of retail via direct selling.

Or

It's the free to enter matrix where no monetary input is required in order to receive an income from recruiting other non paying members who all try desperately to market some low level strategic training material that the quality of which can be found freely anywhere you look online . OK, maybe not gardeners world or something like that.

My point is, these people come online to find solutions to their problems. For many it is monetary problems and having little to play with they become susceptible to offers that announce easy gain with little input or commitment.

Truth be known, network marketing can be really tough going for the newbie and with offers of easy money who wouldn't go for the easy option.

It needn't be hard though. With a little forward thinking, seeking out those that provide freely and taking a few  weeks out prior to jumping in, a typical newbie could come into the industry fully able to get it right first time. My personal opinion is that if more people took to learning before earning then the estimated 97% would soon drop to at least 79% or much lower. Why, because we would have a better class of marketers teaching the new newbies.

The punch line is, and yes it's a crafty one. I work with a team who are prepared to provide just such training at no charge. Why? because we're confident you will like what we do and we hope you'd choose to join us. If not, then you are free to go off and make your fortune your way but at least we're changing the percentage of failures.

Out of nothing and Know-how a way was made

Keith

Reasons Your Prospect Isn't Answering The Phone

Reasons Your Prospect Isn't Answering The Phone.

We've all had it, those of us in Network Marketing at least.

They've provided their details, You've made first contact and successfully explained your proposal be it an arranged time to provide further details, a follow up email or to send over your presentation for their viewing.  The time comes and nothing, so what has gone wrong?

Here's a few reasons why they make you feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall. Hopefully rather than deter you, they'll make you consider upping your game.

• What you are proposing goes against everything they have ever learnt about earning an income.


• You have failed to make them feel comfortable.


• You haven't given them reason to pursue further.


• You haven't listened and responded accordingly.

Those are just a few of the basics one needs to focus on. What you have to remember is that a good number of the leads that come in are from people who are randomly applying for anything and everything. Just two minutes before they saw your add, they could have been on Gumtree or  another site applying for employment there too.

Unless you are specifically targeting existing Network Marketers or Direct Sellers, then you are quite possibly communicating with somebody who doesn't have clue about the industry and it's benefits. They could be conditioned into traditional employment being their only option. You've got to break it to them gently, find out their problems, desires, needs and wants and whether they are prepared to be open minded about what you wish to propose.

In basics, you'll struggle every time if all you do is promise the earth if all they want is a garden. By all means supply the seeds but don't go rearranging the borders without consent.

If this resonates with your results at all then I hope it has given you some inspiration. Even the shyest among us has the strength within us when we truly believe in what we are doing. If you are truly providing something of value, learn to communicate it properly and do it justice.

Be helpful, be constructive but above all else be yourself.

Keith

Scepticism About Network Marketing

If you've been involved with network marketing for any amount of time you'll no doubt have come across the sceptics.

On the other hand you may have come across this post because you are sceptical about network marketing and are looking to investigate what side of the coin is actually the right fit.

I think many of you would agree that if we could eradicate the words and knowledge of the understanding of the words pyramid and scam, there would be far fewer arguments. The thing is these words have stuck like glue to a industry that has evolved beyond most peoples recognition as a means to earning an income. I heard this morning that over 80 billion dollars is being paid out to participants within the network marketing industry every year. I don't know about you but that begs the question "How does this not work"?

Take my own story for example, no I'm not going to bore you with the whole thing but just going back twelve months and I was working for a relentless boss who had no concept of the words fair employment. Although our contracted hours were 7.30 until 4.30pm, most evenings it would be 6.30pm+ before our set tasks could be accomplished and the latest I actually finished was 11.15pm. That didn't include my 45 minute drive home either. That in my eye's was a scam. we had a written contract but unless we chose to ignore it and suit his wishes we would undoubtedly have lost our employ.

I had stuck that job many years and each year I would have to say to my daughter "Maybe Next" as I had promised her that we would all be going to Disney Florida as soon as I could afford it.

Thanks to network marketing that employ is now far behind me and we are looking forward to Disney next year. Why not this you may ask? Priorities, my main was to gain freedom from my relentless employer and my second to stabilise our finances. Happily though and because of my chosen opportunity, when it becomes time to go I will be paying far less than I ever expected plus there's also the chance that I could even get paid for going. This post isn't about recruiting into what I'm doing so I'll not go any further with that.



Basically what I am saying though is that I felt backed into a corner. With the state of the economy I could see no exit from my employ so I plucked up the passion to work hard in what time I had and invest it in network marketing.

I'm not saying that all opportunities are equal, they are far from that but there are many that with the right attitude and discipline can and are serving the purpose their members participate for, to earn that additional income.

If scams and pyramids are your best argument against network marketing then take another look. You will find countless people just like you and me who have turned their lives around. Don't necessarily  take my word for it, go and ask others. In honesty the biggest disservice you are doing in remaining sceptical is to your self and the future of your loved ones.

Industries, choices and views change, do your self a favour and put your scepticism aside for the sake of self.

As always I am open to comment or objection, I would love to hear your views on network marketing either for or against. Please also feel free to share if you think I've provided value

Keith

Getting Started in Direct Selling

Getting Started in Direct Selling - Working From Home
For those breaking into the world of additional incomes working from home, namely internet based sales and marketing, there are quite a few factors that could well be making you hesitant in your progression. On this basis I am going to try to put your fears at ease by pointing out some do's some don't's and some what to look for's. I hope you find this helpful.

Is Direct Selling A Legitimate Industry
When starting out and first mentioning what you are doing to your friends and family, the two most common questions you're likely get asked are "is it a scam or is it a pyramid scheme?" The simple answer to both of these is "NO."

The true fact is, is that the majority of people are looking for something to protect themselves from something they don't fully understand and ideally we are out to help them and not confront them.

Lets Start With Scams
What exactly is a scam? Respond to the question about it being a scam with "What exactly is a scam?" and half the battle is won. Most people will come back at you with a description of trickery and/or deception which would indicate that nobody but a select few will ever make any money from what you are doing. The chances are there are thousands of people who came before you that are already making a living just like you are hoping to do with your chosen opportunity. Grab some testimonials, the names and stories of those most like you, people that have already put their faith in what you are doing and are succeeding. Where does their scam argument take them now?

Pyramid Schemes.  
Probably the most common reservation stopping anybody getting involved is the thought of what you are doing being part of a pyramid scheme. This still amuses me as it is another safety shield for lack of understanding. If you're going to tell them that, it may be a good idea to be careful how you put it. Nobody likes to be told they are insecure.
If you look at the model of Direct Selling you will generally see that the payment structure does indeed work on and look like an upside down funnel (a pyramid) but that's about as far as it goes. Pyramids, or the things they are generally referring to were actually outlawed years ago. Some start-ups may actually still try to implement something like this but they are generally soon governed out of existence. Simple take a look at any industry and there will be a few top dogs and an ever increasing number of people right the way down to the person at the bottom. Going back to the upside down funnel however, in Direct Selling there is far more chance for the little guy climbing all the way to the top.

Direct Selling As An Option
If your entry into the work from home industry has been through the Direct Selling Industry then you're onto as secure a path as any. As sales and marketing of virtually any companies goods will show, online sales are on a steady increase month after month. What makes Direct Selling so different is that the company is relying on the work of the individual in order to advertise and retail their wares.
I'm not indicating that you're in for an easy ride though as part of what you are going to come up against is covered in the content above but you're going to have other issues to deal with and one of the most common to overcome is you. I'll be covering that in a future blog post.
As with many of the methods of generating an income online you are going to be up against an ever increasing number of people trying to do the same thing, this should by no means put you off though. There are more than enough people marketing their opportunity without a real clue in what they are doing. Sadly, many of these simply aren't prepared to listen to advice given to them. This is where you can side step a lot of the hurdles if you like and start off by getting it right first time around.

For those of you eager to get it right but wonder if you could be doing better with the right kind of guidance, feel free to get in touch and we can discuss your choices.

Keith

PS- Feel free to connect on G+ and I can hook you up to some great free training.