William Winch asked:
Contrary to popular belief, growing a home-based business in Network Marketing has nothing to do with timing. How many times have you heard someone tell you that there’s “no better time than right now” to join their business? Although things may be going very well for their company, timing has no relevance on the success of a network marketer. When you get everyone aligned with the same vision and mission by becoming a leader, your business will flourish no matter what time it is.
The best way to become a leader is to follow your own plan and focus on the aspects you need to improve your skill on with devotion and excellence. This doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel, but it does mean you have to recognize that jumping from one trend to the next won’t grow your business. Here is an outline for leaders to follow on your own terms as they develop their basic marketing skill sets.
The first step is to find the right person in need of your solution. You do not want to talk to everyone you meet unless you want to waste lots of time and money weeding through prospects. Your target audience is in direct relation to the value and benefit of the product you endorse. You can find these people by purchasing cheap leads on the internet, through pay-per click advertising, or writing and submitting articles and press releases designed to solve problems.
If you are new to network marketing, beware of individuals promising you riches by way of their “turn-key” online business system. These people aren’t interested in helping you grow your business as much as they are interested in providing a way to supplement their own income by “supplying” you with over-priced leads and fancy website charges that you don’t need. These systems only work for people willing to burn through thousands of dollars on a monthly basis. (i.e. nobody!)
The second step is to plant a seed in your presentation about how people can join to be a part of your vision. This is a lot easier to do with people who are your target audience than it is to do with people who you talk to at the grocery store. It takes convincing out of the picture entirely because you are focusing on solving the problem that you already know they have.
Notice how I empahized “problem” without making it plural? Most network marketing companies train their distributors to arm themselves with an arsenal full of solutions that could benefit everyone. The problem with this is that most people, especially your target audience, are only looking to solve one problem. When they know what it is and contact you, all you have to do is help them with it.
The third step is to make a connection with the consumer as to why you joined. This is where a bit of research will come in handy because in order for you to do this, you must know your target audience. Who are they? What kinds of problems do they face on a daily basis? What are their fears? The more you know your consumer, the better the connection.
One of the best ways to reach out to the needs of your target audience is to share your own testimonial on the product or service you represent. This motivates and inspires them by showing how they can benefit as well. You simply cannnot market something successfully if you do not have a passion for it. You might get a few sales here and there, but you will never get grow a business to where you no longer need to worry about money.
The fourth and final step to properly grow a home-based business is to provide a quickstart guide for every new customer & distributor who joins you. Just a small packet of paperwork of why you are inspired, including your definition of purpose. Too much information turns a person off because they feel overwhelmed and unmotivated to find a starting place. Keep it simple and within their ability to follow a call schedule of activities and events that you design for them.
Their guide components should include an introduction with frequently asked questions and testimonials. Then you can go into defining their role by explaining what you do and what they should do, and where they can go for support. A call schedule is important as well because it lets them know where you will be. Remember, they are brand new. Do not assume they understand the same concepts that you understand.
One crucial element that should be included is one that most people fail to provide. Show them how they can follow no more than three strategic steps to get their first paycheck ASAP. Developing a skill set takes time, but providing them with prospecting and closing scripts gives them something concrete to work with. Once they make money, they will have confience so you want them to earn a profit right away.
All that is necessary after these four steps is that the prospect teaches their new prospects how to do the same things. It has nothing to do with timing, or spending lots of money. It all comes down to developing a basic plan and skill set that allows you to become a leader with a positive attitude.