Many network marketing companies steer clear of the word ‘selling‘. The reason? Some 95 per cent of the population actually dislike selling. For this reason you will often read in the classified section of the newspaper an advertisement which reads:
Representatives of these companies invite prospects to ’share opportunities’. They couch their presentation in a way which suggests the business opportunity they are offering is simply that of sharing wealth. Let’s get one thing straight: network marketing involves selling.
The fact is, whichever way you look at it, a network marketing company only succeeds if its products or services are sold regularly month after month; in other words, through repeat purchases.
Most reputable network marketing companies do not hesitate to admit that network marketing involves selling. However, it does not require the hard sell associated with foot-in-the-door manipulative selling but rather consultative, relationship selling. Basically, the networker says to the distributor: ‘Pat, the reason for my call is that I’ve become involved with a company called [name company] and I’m really excited about the benefits that it offers me. The company has a great idea which has helped a lot of people make a lot of money. Please give me a chance to explain it to you. If you’re interested, that’s great. If not, I walk away and you’ve lost nothing, but at least you will have heard of the opportunity and been able to evaluate it for yourself. How about setting up a meeting either on Tuesday or Thursday at a time that suits you? The meeting will only take about 30 minutes.’
Person-to-person selling, or direct selling, is part of the networking process — but only a part. The secret of real success in network marketing is to find distributors who want to make money and who enjoy the challenge ofdoing so. Often they have had the potential all along, but just didn’t know the opportunity existed or how to go about it.
Networkers do not waste time on people who are not interested. A network thrives on committed people. If you have to ‘hard sell’ someone to join or to take your product, she may do so but there is no conviction, drive or follow- through. And that is the end of it. You want people who are full of energy and able to share their enthusiasm and energy with others they meet.
Why is it that 95 per cent of the population don’t like selling? Because eight out of 10 people will not buy your products. Who wants to be rejected that often? Also, an individual’s time, space and privacy are regarded sacred in Western society. What right do we have to make unsolicited calls?
But why try to disguise the selling bit? If you join a network marketing company which offers its members real value, you will want to share with others your company’s products and services. If prospects can purchase a quality product from you at less than the normal retail price, what a benefit! If they have the opportunity, at the same time, of earning good money, that’s an extra benefit.
The public needs to be told that the opportunity exists. It should be mentioned that there is a difference between selling and networking. The yardstick for success is not how good you are at selling but:
- how well you sell the network concept (sharing the idea)
- how good you are at teaching and passing on to others what you have learned (sponsoring their success).
