Network Marketing Top Do’s and Don’ts
This post may ring true for many of you. In fact, it sure did for us. So, while reading through the next bit — keep at the front of your mind the do’s and don’ts of our industry, network marketing (even laugh a little when it hits you!)
You’re out at a coffee shop with a small stack of business cards, giving yourself a pep talk before approaching a total stranger about your business. Or, you are at a party late one evening, and instead of talking and laughing with your friends, you are too busy crawling the place out for potential prospects for your business. And then there was the time you are packing for a family vacation and you’re scrambling to stuff your suitcase full of samples to hand out while you’re gone.
But, our sponsor said so …
… somebody you know needs this message.
Truth is, we have all been there haven’t we?
We get so excited about our new business and the promise that it brings that we want to share with anyone and everyone, right? And even more so we are pumped to actually make it work that we are constantly looking for ways to bring in prospects in every possible scenario we find ourselves in.
And your sponsor probably (sorry not sorry!) encouraged this behavior, telling you that network marketing is a game of numbers and that you are just one recruit away from a total game changer in your business.
Well, that was us. Gosh, we spent more time in other people’s living room than we did our own.
And hear this, it was exhausting.
Mentally and emotionally exhausting.
And it flat out wasn’t working the way we wanted.
Sure, we experienced success offline and this isn’t a knock on that at all. However, we wanted to be home with our family (and a growing one). So as many of you know we took this whole network marketing thing into our own hands. We made a decision that we were not going to keep calling family and friends and prospecting strangers like my business depended on it.
We were going to find a better way.
And do you know what?
When we stopped with this constant pressure of recruiting and striking up conversations out of desperation … our business began to grow.
We started to learn attraction marketing. We started to see posture as a MUST. Positioning ourselves as the ‘experts’, and as leaders. More so, we began to focus on solving problems, rather than just pushing our products and our business on anyone and everyone who might listen.
Ready for the catch though?
Building a business on social media can also be a challenge. And for many, maybe even you it has been. Our upline never took us seriously. Total black sheep in the company until of course this whole social media and attraction marketing thing was catching on.
We found our way on stages, tackling massive goals and that was when we wanted to make a new commitment and serve the profession as a whole.
Our Industry’s Top Do’s and Don’ts
#1 STOP spamming your friends and family – PLEASE
‘I really trust and value your opinion, can you let me practice on you?’. Or the infamous, ‘Can I ask you for a favor? I would really love if you could support me in this business *drops links*’. It is like the industry has swapped the – let me trick you into coming to my home party – to begging for favors and opinions.
DO reconnect with friends and family. Keep business and products out of the conversation until you’re asked or of the lead in is right. These people are ones you care about – care about them.
#2 STOP asking people to check out this link for you!
‘Oh her there Sandra, you look like someone I should connect with – check out this link for more information and get back to me when you’re ready to get started OK?’. Whether you’ve sent this or received this at some point, it’s equally as yucky. Right?
It is right in line with the social media posts we see about ‘I only have room for 5 more people!‘. You sure about that? Because I’m pretty confident that if a sixth came your way you wouldn’t turn them around now would you.
DO build connections through conversation. Whether this be in groups, Facebook pages, Influencer pages, forums, blogs, etc. Put yourself out there forget the link that should be secondary.
#3 STOP leading with transactions
You may have heard us say before, this is a relationship marketing business. So, focus on the interactions instead of the transactions. Seriously, your wallet and bank will thank you later. No one likes to be sold – ever. Not even us, right? Think of the bigger picture here. Relationships last whereas a quick sale is just that. You end up with things like ‘buyers remorse’ or, ‘how do I cancel?’.
DO focus on putting people, first. Relationships will equate to retention. Retention wins, every single time.
#4 STOP posting your cheques and fancy cars and trips on social media
Attract few, repel most. Somewhere along the way people thought it would be a great idea to post fancy sports cars and elaborate bonus cheques online. Well, guess what? You are attracting more often than not — fast cash people. Most people although might think ‘that’s cool’ .. They also feel ‘that’s not for me’.
Additionally, you are attracting the image to others that this industry is solely about the money, the income. Don’t get us wrong it’s a brilliant industry for this … but we’re in the people business right? And last we checked, people aren’t monetary items.
DO limit the moments you share your awesome vacations, new cars, etc. Use content around these shares to show people how possible it is instead of the ‘hey look at me’ feel.
#5 STOP debating or attempting to convince those who aren’t ready to receive
One of the most energy sucking, negative productivity activity you can do as a network marketing professional is to prove that your business is for real, is good or isn’t a scam to any person. We see this happen all the time – an article about scams or network marketing or ridiculous strategies about network marketing is posted, and then in the comments section a ton of network marketers defend and rationalize their own company or business.
Or, someone you were prospecting tells you it’s a pyramid. STOP being on the defence, something simple like ‘ I wouldn’t ever get involved in a pyramid, they’re illegal’. Or, be witty along the lines of ‘I am pretty familiar with my shapes and sizes’ (kidding, sort of).
This just turns into negative marketing again. Because it will make you come off as desperate once again! Also, it’s not really a productive activity because the people reading those articles aren’t even your prospects!
DO remember that your role as a network marketer is to keep sorting. Sort those who are interested and those who aren’t. Focus more of your time to those who are interested, and stop trying to convince those who aren’t.
Overall, we hope these do’s and don’ts were helpful and if you found yourself in some of them – don’t worry … pick yourself up and get on the right track. We would love to continue to expand on these do’s and don’ts (there are plenty unfortunately) so do let us know in the comments which ones just ‘irk’ you the most. What are the ones that drive you absolutely crazy?! Look forward to hearing from and look forward to watching your don’ts turn into do’s along the way!
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