How To Present And Sell Your Product
When starting out in network marketing you may be told to fiercely pursue everyone you know, and that everyone wants the products you are selling. Your up-line might insist that you go after your family and friends and have them buy the product whether or not they think they need it. The problem with this strategy is that it’s entirely wrong and it’s one of the many reasons some people fail to make it in this business.
When people get into network marketing with false expectations they soon realize they can’t meet their goals and when things don’t materialize, they blame it on the sponsors, the products, company and/or their bad contacts. Consider how mainstream business works; no one would ever attempt to force people into buying products they don’t understand or have any use for. Yet that’s what many people are trained to do.
Think of it this way; anyone can get into network marketing and make money, but different companies and products are not suitable for everyone. These products are broken down into ‘niches’ and this helps determine which area you fit into. Let’s say for instance one company focuses on women’s bikinis; how much trouble do you think the mechanic next door would have selling the products?
It would be a terrible combination because the auto expert can’t familiarize with bikinis and therefore can’t get comfortable selling them.
Most of us know someone involved in MLM or network marketing. It is a fantastic way to introduce products to the market without being at the mercy of the retail distribution system which favors large, established brands over little-known startups. As opposed to giving the shop owners and distributors the trade margins, the sales agent earns this for their contacts and of course the sales they make.
But MLM isn’t at all a simple and straightforward business. Like any system that has the potential to generate huge sums of money, it tends to be slippery at times. Quite a number of people who’ve had experience in this industry can testify to losing a few friends for MLM companies when they insisted on making the products a part of the relationship.
That tends to complicate things and if every phone call happens to be a masked sales pitch, then you will definitely lose a few friends. The only way a friendship can work in such a situation is where your friend happens to be a distributor for the same company, and one of you is in the other’s down-line. But if one person doesn’t have anything to do with network marketing they won’t be accommodative of a conditional friendship. This is why many people selling products in MLM end up with an elaborate network of friends- most of whom are fellow MLMers.
Persuasion
The reason why network marketing works so well is that most people have an easier time trusting a sales pitch from a relative or friend than they would with a stranger in a shop somewhere. The home setting also helps put people at ease, so that a stranger in a home setting has a better chance of selling a product than if they approached a target somewhere else.
Because of traditional forms of selling, most people are always on guard and will automatically put off any approach when in certain environments. MLM offers a form of sincerity and openness that makes it possible to pitch a sale when that guard is down and walk away successful.
Sell the product
Now when it comes down to it, you will need a set of instructions to help get you on track. Here’s how you begin:
Before you start distributing the products you have to start by establishing who you’re selling the products to. The product you’re selling will determine the market you have to deal with, so pick out the right product for you. If you find a company that sells products you can identify with, then that would be a good place to start.
2. Passion helps
You will come across challenges when growing your network but with proper motivation you can work through it. Some people are passionate about health products and can manage to sell to their networks at high prices regardless of the thousands of health products available at lower costs. Find something you’re passionate about.
3. Make use of social hangouts
Find out where your target audience hangs out and join them. By making more friends, you will have a larger pool of prospects to tap into whenever you need to expand your reach. Popular social network platforms are a great place to recruit.
4. Always ask for referrals
If you find you’re not making any progress with prospects, it could be that you haven’t learnt how to use referrals. Talk to people you’ve sold the products and have them suggest people who would be interested to purchase from you. If you’re selling a good, useful product it shouldn’t be too difficult to locate someone happy to offer referrals.
5. Attend relevant events
Whatever approach you have to this business, you have to expand your social network and that means going out there and meeting new people. It shouldn’t be a bore; most people have fun making new friends and learning about different backgrounds. Try to broaden whatever social structure you have and accommodate more people. Remember, you’re not pushing people to buy your product; instead you are a fun and lively person with a new product most people would find useful.
6. Throw a party
If you’re having trouble connecting with the guys at those events, how about you bring the party to you? Have all your friends and relatives bring their own friends, people you don’t know, and let people know about your business. When you leave a party, make sure you have three more parties planned. That way you will grow your business faster.
7. Educate yourself
Learn about new and different ways to market your product. Some people are great at direct selling, but aren’t too great with computers. Commit some time to learning how different technologies would benefit your new business, and be open to adjustments. If you fall apart every time you try to talk to customers, then perhaps a class on communication would be useful.
8. Remember ethics
This industry is littered with unsavory characters and these people will do or say anything to land a new sale. You might encounter some pressure while gearing for MLM success but try to run the business above bar where it counts.
Telling isn’t really selling and if your conversations fly right past you, then you are not paying attention and you will miss out in the end. Show that you genuinely care what the customer thinks about your products and find a way to connect with them.
10. Share the business creatively
It’s true you don’t have to sound like a telemarketer every time you mention your business to friends or family. Be creative in how you introduce the business and products, and aim to be invaluable rather than intolerable.
Your job doesn’t stop when you get enough customers and your own distributors: there’s still more to do.
Send a monthly e-newsletter to your customers and inform them of special deals and any relevant information about the products. Make sure you keep a contact list and find a smart way to contact people when they go silent for a while. If your budget allows, pay for advertising so your new venture gets noticed.