people fail in a network & affiliate marketing
business... These are of course, after you kick
out the tire-kickers, looky-loos, lazy bums,
dreamers, excuse makers, whiners, and
complainers. In other words, the quitters.
Network marketing is a business of business
ownership, pursued by people who have never
been business owners!
It's a business of marketing and training
pursued by people who have never marketed
or trained!
So, back to our two reasons for the
hard-working, dedicated brothers and sisters
of the wonderful industry...
1: They start on a limited budget from the
'cookie jar', and they run out of money before
they have a chance to build an organization.
2: They make their list of 100 warm market
contacts, run through those, and then they
are out of people to talk to. (And out of
money to advertise).
Those are the 'biggies'.
But it doesn't have to be that way, IF, they
simply used a complete business model.
Let me explain...
Take a look at McDonald's. They are a
Billion Dollar franchise. The most successful
and duplicated business model in the world.
And one that happens to be run by teenagers
and college drop-outs!
How? Why?
The answer can be found in the system that
makes up the foundation of the franchise.
Do you ever feel like you bought a business
in a box, but that a few parts might be missing?
You know... The pieces that actually turn your
actions into "production".
Well, if you feel like that, it's because you're
right.
Ray Kroc, the franchise master of McDonald's
was a genius in more ways than one.
MLM & affiliate marketing has been compared
to a McDonald's franchise in many ways, on
many occasions. If you haven't come across
these comparisons before, I'm sure you can
quickly think of a few on your own.
Here is what you may not have realized about
Ray, McDonald's, and your business...
Ray's primary mission was to sell
McDonald's franchises to franchise buyers
...which then sell the burgers to the customers.
More franchises = more burgers sold.
Pretty simple.
Our job as networkers is no different. We sell
our franchise opportunity to others, and
collectively market the product to the end
consumer.
Here's the interesting part to this...
McDonald's food sucks. It's about as far from
good, fresh, quality food that you can get.
Yet it's the largest and most successful
franchise and fast food restaurant in the history
of human kind.
How in the world is that possible!?
How can you become #1, by selling an
inferior product?!
It goes against everything we think we know
about business.
Well, this is exactly where the genius of Ray
Kroc becomes apparent.
Ray knew the product wasn't going to be the
initial key to success for his franchise buyers,
just as your product is not the initial key to your
success in your mlm or affiliate business.
Having a good product is important after the fact...
Once you actually have customers. Then it's critical
to give them the best product possible.
The key to McDonald's success with both franchise
owners and customers, was their duplicatable system.
Ray knew his food couldn't compare to the quality of
other franchises. He also knew that potential franchise
buyers didn't give a hoot about McDonald's or their
burgers. What they did want, was to make money.
So Ray sold them EXACTLY what they wanted,
which wasn't a restaurant, but a machine that
acquired customers, and turned them into cash.
He didn't sell them the food, he sold them a system.
In fact the system was so fine-tuned, that you could
take a team of unskilled, inexperienced high school
kids, and have them run the show.
All they did was train each other on how to flip the
switches, that ran the machine, which did the majority
of the work behind the scenes.
The competition didn't stand a chance. Ray's system
was like a greased chute. You turn it on, and it churns
out a predictable end result every time.
Franchise owners started buying and setting these
machines up by the thousands, turned them on, and
got the end result. That is why they bought McDonald's
and it's inferior food over the competition.
As these machines popped up around the country, the
end product to the consumer became more than just
food. It became the predictable expectation and
atmosphere provided by Ray's magical machines. And
THAT is what McDonald's provides better than anyone
else in the world. That is their TRUE product to the end
consumer, and it's the best in the world at what it
provides.
You go to McDonald's because you know exactly what
to expect. It's a comfort for people.
So, as a network marketer, selling a business
franchise, what are you selling to your potential
buyers?
Unfortunately, you are probably trying to sell them on
your company and your product. (A "mine-is-better-than
-yours-burger-with all the trimmings").
Am I right?
You have a ton of websites and material about your
company's history, their record breaking growth, their
debt-free finances, the ORAC value of your product,
the Physician's Desk Reference number, the user
testimonials... Blah blah blah.
Be smart.
Do what Ray did.
People get rich in this world by solving other people's
problems, and when you sell someone your
opportunity, you are not solving a problem, you are
giving them a BIGGER ONE!!!
"Congrats, you own the hottest MLM business in
the industry! (Slap on the butt), Now go get'em tiger!"
Product and comp plans don't make you successful.
Systems do. And when I say systems, I mean a
COMPLETE system which includes the pieces that
bring in your customers (ads), sell them your product
(marketing), and then deliver the goods, trains the new
business owners, and develops the relationships within
the team.
These machines (ads and marketing) should be doing
the work for you. All you need to do is push the
'Go Button' and become buddies (customer service,
cashiers) with the folks who come through the system.
Not because you are unskilled or lazy, but because a
system is duplicatable and you are not.
Your job is not to sell, but to BUILD RELATIONSHIPS,
because THAT is they glue that binds this industry.
Take this advice to heart:
A system that is not backed up and glued together by
a heart, by people, by relationships, is a ticking
time-bomb.
Show them and sell them a system for attaining the
results they want, be a mentor, friend, and a coach,
and they could care less about ORAC values, price
points, and competition.
I bring people every week into my business, and
they have NEVER even seen a company/opportunity
overview!
That happens because I don't sell them on the
business. I sell them on me, our team, our system
first (because these are the ONLY things that will
bring results), and THEN, I sell them on the company...
(Or should I say that I allow them to sell themselves
on the company).
Solve their problem with your system and with your
leadership.
Do these two things, and you will reap success
beyond your wildest dreams.
Mark Petrelis
mark_ct2000@yahoo.com