MLM Expert Advice

While most of what I’ve talked about branding, creating an offer, generating targetted traffic from your chosen audience and having a back-end offer but I would suggest to you that if its not duplicatable you aren’t really going to build a successful MLM business.

If you only targeted one specific audience to generate prospects for you can take your duplicatable system and approach other segments of your audience or other audiences altogether.  Also as an MLM leader you know you need to use the power of duplication to maximize your results and the results of others in your organization.

I have been asked how you would ensure that what you have is duplicatable and I would make the following suggestions:

• document everything
• at each step ask yourself “Is this duplicatable?” and if not, change it!
• after you have defined your process, use it again and truly see if it is duplicatable

Duplication is necessary for the longevity of your business.  Markets change for any number of reasons (economy, laws, product availability, etc.) and as a result your audience will too.  This means you need to plan ahead and by having a duplicatable system you will be able to change your targeted audience and survive market changes that are outside of your control.

When time permits I will go into more details on defining your market clearly, crafting your offer, generating traffic, figuring out your back-end and duplication.  For now if you haven’t already done so create your MLM Vision and Mission statements and get started watching the free Attraction Marketing Bootcamp videos I’ve made available for you as they will assist you in all of the steps I have mentioned.

I’m sure you’ve been to plenty of meetings where you’re told there are 3 pieces to the puzzle of being successful in your chosen MLM:

• business opportunity
• product
• you

Typically they go on to say that the business opportunity is supplied by the company and optimized to provide those that work hard an incredible income.  Additionally the product is provided for you and is of the highest quality.  Lastly, what you need to bring to the table is you.

After this its usually followed by the fact that the one thing you have to work on is you.  While I certainly subscribe to the philosoply of personal development, I would suggest that there is one other aspect of you that you need to work on and that is You, Inc. Brand yourself.

Every company out there, including MLMs, touts their brand.  From the pen you write with to the car you drive to the computer you are reading this article on, everything is branded.  If you want to be successful in marketing you need to brand yourself.

Consider the internet.  The World Wide Web proves the case for branding more than any product. Why? Because anybody can (and does) have a website.  But the ones you go back to are the ones you trust whether its MLMExpertAdvice.com or Google.com the point is the brand name tells you the visit will be worth your time… repeatedly.  The brand is a promise of the value that you will receive from your visit.

Email is the same.  You decide which emails you are going to read versus tossing in the trash unread based on personal branding… the name of the sender.  You know that you can trust the sender not to waste your time.

Now what I am about to say may go against what your sponsor or upline is telling you… you aren’t a (insert MLM company name here) distributor.  By that what I mean is you aren’t defined by that company nor are you limited by the title “distributor”. You are a brand.

Just like Starbucks, Coke, Pepsi, or Geico, you are a brand.  And the first thing any brand does is define itself.  What is it that your brand does that makes it different? Write it out in 15 words or less. Why the limit? Because your brand has a limited time to capture the attention anyone its presented to.  Your brand statement needs to grab your prospect quickly.

First figure out what things make you different than not only your competitors but your colleagues, your fellow MLMers.  Have you done anything recently to make you stand out?  What would your colleagues or your customers say is memorable or noteworth about you?

What feature and benefits does your brand bring to the market?  Are you timely so that your customers can count on your reliability?  Are you honest and forthright so that others can count on you and trust you?  What do you do that add value? And finally what do you want to be famous for?  This is your brand… and Your company’s vision.

Its ALL about YOU!

The only people who believe that multi-level or network marketing is a selling business are the Lions.  Those who are successful in the business know that if you have to sell someone on joining your business you will have to sell them on doing the business every day (assuming they stay in for more than a day).

There is a “skill” that some in network marketing are told to employ and that is picking up business cards wherever they may be on display and then contacting the individual with a line like “Hi ______, I know you don’t know me but I came across your information recently and you’re the type of sharp individual that I know would be interested in a business I’m expanding in your area.”  I don’t know about you but I have no interest in selling someone anything that they have no interest in, whether its my products or my business.  I don’t like being badgered by anyone nor do I want to badger them.

Network Marketing is not “used car salesman” trying to force his product on you though unfortunately there are those in MLMs that use this approach.   Network Marketing, done right, is actually quite straightforward, we are looking for people who are looking for what we have to offer.  So what we do is present the information to the prospects and if they get involved or buy our products, great, if not, that’s great too.

You don’t need to sell someone on anything.  You just need to sort through your prospects to find those who may want what you have to offer and provide them with sufficient information so that they can decide whether or not your opporunity or product has sufficient value for them to get involved or purchase.

My background is programming, not sales.  I never want to be a salesman and quite honestly the last time I tried sales I was a wreck.  I can’t convince anyone to buy what I’m selling; however I find no problem providing someone with information and let them decide.  This doesn’t mean I go up to people and ask them if they want the information rather I use attraction marketing to communicate only with those that have an interest in what I have to offer.

“Professionals Sort, Amateurs Sell” — Anonymous

So build a prospect list from those who respond to your advertising and don’t waste time trying to convince them of anything.  Build a relationship based on trust and respect with your list members by offering information freely and honestly.  And then market to you list by offering services or products that will help them achieve their goals based on what they have shared with you.  Its about being of service to others.

If you’re ready to become a professional sorter than you owe it to yourself to sign up for the free 7-day boot camp on attraction marketing.

Stop Selling and Start Sorting!

Do you know your target?

If so, what is it?

If you answered everyone, you are setting yourself up for failure and may be costing yourself a considerable amount of wasted time and money.  Now you may be saying “but I thought MLMs were for everyone”.  Thats true MLMs are for everyone but not everyone is right for an MLM.

Think back, how many MLMs have you explored before you found the one that was right for you?  Why would you expect your suspects to be any different?

Alternatively, maybe right now you are just trying to find consumers and you truly believe that your product can solve everyone’s problem.  First of all their is no product that is right for everyone and the truth is that most people don’t believe they even have a problem.

The key to maximizing your MLM success if finding your target market and marketing to it.  Whether you are trying to find consumers of your product or trying to grow your organization the same rules apply.

You need to narrow your focus to your target audience and then identify what drives them and listen to what problems they are trying to solve.  Once you have accomplished this you will no longer be trying to sell someone on something but rather guiding them to your product or opportunity with advice.  People are willing to buy something if they aren’t being sold on it. When you undertand your market’s needs you can provide a solution for them. This is known as attraction marketing.

But how do you identify your target market?

Well lets look at your product first.  It doesn’t matter what the product is but I will assume you know what the product is good for and what problem it solves.  If your products helps with a number of issues, choose one.  Those that could benefit from your product related to this one issue fall into 3 categories:

1. Those who have the issue your product solves and are actively searching for a solution.
2. Those buying competing or similar products.
3. Those buying your specific product because of its benefits.

You can provide advice and information to group 1 that gives answers to questions people with the specific issue would have.  Group 1 is just doing research they aren’t ready to buy yet.

Group 2 is using a competing product.  For them you need to address concerns they may have regarding the product – price, side effects, quality, etc.

Now group 3 is ready to buy they just want their potential concerns addressed about your product – can I get it at wholesale or preferred price? what testimonials do you have?

Each group is a separate target audience.

Now on to your opportunity.  You know that your business opportunity solves many problems.  For some they want to work from home to be with family.  Others want more time or money.  Again you need to choose one issue (I’ll use time) and again we have 3 groups:

1. Those who are looking for a solution to a time problem.
2. Those who are looking into a competing or similar opportunity or tools useful for a competing or similar opportunity.
3. Those who are looking for your specific business opportunity.

Group 1 knows nothing about MLMs and is just researching possible solutions to their time crunch.  Group 2 is familiar with MLMs so they know the industry in general and they are researching companies.  Group 3 is looking for your opportunity specifically and is looking for a mentor or a system of tools that they can get started with.

In both cases, whether product or opportunity, group 1 is the hardest to get interested in what you have because they are still researching the problem itself and know nothing of possible solutions.  Group 2 is easier because they are ready to buy into something similar.  And Group 3 is the easiest because they already know they want what you have.

Each group is a separate target and needs to be marketed to appropriately.  Depending on which you want to target you need to come up with the questions that group needs answers to. This will allow you to market to them either with a presentation or an ad where you provide the answers to those questions and letting them buy instead of you having to sell.