As a direct sales consultant, I was party to more than my share of horrible events.
You know the kind: five consultants standing around in a mostly empty booth, while the crowds of passersby pass you by.
You look on, longingly hoping that someone, anyone, will enter the booth to talk to you.
But people keep walking by, afraid you'll all descend like vultures.
Yeah. I've been there. Thousands of people, no leads to speak of.
Then I had the opportunity to set up my own booth at a 2-day event, instead of "buying in" to someone else's.
I had complete control over how things were "supposed" to go (more on that in a minute).
I learned there were three critical factors to a successful event booth:
1. Traffic
2. Leads
3. Buzz
If you do it right, it's like a circle. Traffic generates leads, which creates buzz, which stimulates traffic.
But you can't get those three things to work if you haven't done your homework BEFORE the event. Here are the three MUST HAVES for any successful expo-type vendor event.
1. Know the desired outcome. What is it you're looking for from this event? More bookings? More recruits? More sales? A combination of the three? Be very clear on what it is you want from the leads that enter your booth.
2. Know the special offer. The best events I've ever had included some kind of incentive for creating the desired outcome AT the event. A special incentive for booking your party at the expo, for example.
3. An eye-catching display and sticky collateral. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to be vertical. Something tall and easy to spot across a crowded expo center, or takeaways that have your visitors advertising for you, are both effective means of generating buzz once people have made it to your booth.
There's one more thing you need to plan for before the event - time to follow up with leads. If you're too busy to follow up with contacts you've made at the event, don't bother going. It's the equivalent of flushing your money down the toilet. Before the big day, block out time in your calendar AFTER the big event to be sure you can reach out to as many of your prospects as possible. If you've made a plan for the three must-haves, you'll need that time after the event to connect and close your leads.
Done properly, these three items are the biggest determining factors of your event success. If you handle yourself well and stick to the plan, you'll likely come out with more leads than you can handle.
If you opt to do things the old-school way (as did some of the consultants that joined me in my booth), you'll drive people away.
The proof is in the pudding, as they say. I set up my booth, told the other consultants how we we're going to handle the event, and left to speak on the main stage at the event. When I returned, two of the consultants were out in the aisles, passing out business cards and begging for bookings.
These two ladies were not on my team, but were part of my leader's team. They had paid to share the booth with us, so I wanted them to be successful. I politely explained to them that they needed to be in the booth, following the outline we had created to make the event successful for everyone.
"But that's too distracting. We aren't talking to as many people that way. Out in the aisle, we're talking to eveyone that comes by."
"My point exactly." I said, as I motioned for my team mate to join us in the aisle.
She was finishing up scheduling a booking on her calendar and I asked her to report out her results.
"I've booked a show and scheduled one recruiting appointment, but I've only talked to about 15 people since you left."
I then turned my attention to the ladies in the aisle.
"We've passed out about 50 business cards. I've got one lady that said she'd come back later to talk about booking a party. She's a friend of mine from work."
She did book that party. But at the end of the evening, when we were sorting out the leads, those two women had decidedly fewer leads than my team. They also had fewer booked appointments, and fewer business cards in their hands.
They didn't come back the next day. On their way out for the evening, they grumbled about how poorly the event fared for them, and how I must have somehow cheated to get nearly twice as many leads for my team.
Ladies! It's about quality, not quantity. Those women were forcing themselves on anyone that stood still long enough to take a card, instead of getting people to be excited about what they offered, and sharing that excitement with everyone they came in contact with.
Who's going to keep a business card? Not very many people. Who's going to wear a sticker that says "I got lucky!" and then tell other people at the event where they can go to get a sticker of their own?
Now you see my point. My team was engaging people in a game and putting the sticker on these people so that we would know who'd already played the game. People were coming to our table to play the game, walking away with a sticker and doing the advertising for us about our booth. We didn't have to go out into the aisle. They were coming to us.
But playing the game takes about 45 seconds per guest. That means you won't talk to as many people. BUT the ones you DO talk to are engaged, excited about what you're offering, and more likely to book, buy, or consider joining your team.
So I guess you could say we cheated. We used the power of the crowd on itself. We created a viral marketing campaign right there in the event. We created buzz, which drew traffic, which generated leads...
...And we had more leads than we could handle at the end of the night - and looked forward to even more on the next day.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Showing posts with label target marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label target marketing. Show all posts
Longer is Much More Gratifying: Business Relationships That Work
I subscribe to far too many mailing lists.
My assistant creates filters in my gmail account so that I can sort the wheat from the chaff on a regular basis, but even I recognize I'm still on far too many lists. Some lists I'm not even sure how I got there - or they only send me an email once every blue moon, so I forget to unsubscribe before I hit the delete button.
Today, I got an email from one such list. But I shan't be unsubscribing just yet.
One little sentence saved him from the dung heap.
Normally, I don't like ezines that force me to click through to read the article. But his title was compelling, revealing the business trend we witnessed in 2009 - how 7 figure companies were fast dwindling into 5 figure companies due to a failue to adapt to change.
The one little sentence that caught my eye (despite the problems with formatting on the page)?
"It takes us longer to convert a lead into a customer but it is much more gratifying in the end."
Hello! Welcome to the world of marketing your business!
Gone are the days of sticking a business card in your prospect's face and expecting them to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of your product. In fact, Bob suggests that going after bigger ticket clients is actually a better strategy because they understand the value of your product, and are less likely to shop based solely on price.
The reality of that, however, is that people who shop based on value take a little more time to assess, resolve and decide to make the purchase.
I'll have a guest that attends 3 or 4 parties before they ever purchase a thing. I'm on the verge of writing this person off as uninterested just as they are whipping out their checkbook to pay for a $300+ order.
I wish I was joking, but I'm not.
See, the flip side to our "instant gratification" world is that there are still people that believe in taking their time, doing things the right way, and NOT rushing into anything. In our rush to service the next in line, we sometimes forget what serving our clients is really all about: finding their needs, and helping them make decisions that will improve their lives.
And sometimes it takes more than four point two seconds to determine if the value of your offering really is better than the other guy. Sometimes value is determined by how much time you actually SPEND WITH the client.
This isn't just a direct sales application. This is a life application. Our best friends are usually the ones we've known the longest - or it at least "feeeeels like we've known them foreeeeeeeever". Longer relationships are much more gratifying.
That's the dilemma of social media. So many direct sellers have jumped on the SM bandwagon thinking it's the road to fast riches. NO. Just like eveything else bout direct sales, it's not get rich quick. It's get rich by building relationships - on a national platform instead of a local one.
So if someone sold you that bill of goods, my apologies. The strength in any relationship - business or otherwise - lies in the number of genuine, valueable connections you have with that person. Sometimes you can take shortcuts, but you can't short circuit the entire process.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
My assistant creates filters in my gmail account so that I can sort the wheat from the chaff on a regular basis, but even I recognize I'm still on far too many lists. Some lists I'm not even sure how I got there - or they only send me an email once every blue moon, so I forget to unsubscribe before I hit the delete button.
Today, I got an email from one such list. But I shan't be unsubscribing just yet.
One little sentence saved him from the dung heap.
Normally, I don't like ezines that force me to click through to read the article. But his title was compelling, revealing the business trend we witnessed in 2009 - how 7 figure companies were fast dwindling into 5 figure companies due to a failue to adapt to change.
The one little sentence that caught my eye (despite the problems with formatting on the page)?
"It takes us longer to convert a lead into a customer but it is much more gratifying in the end."
Hello! Welcome to the world of marketing your business!
Gone are the days of sticking a business card in your prospect's face and expecting them to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of your product. In fact, Bob suggests that going after bigger ticket clients is actually a better strategy because they understand the value of your product, and are less likely to shop based solely on price.
The reality of that, however, is that people who shop based on value take a little more time to assess, resolve and decide to make the purchase.
I'll have a guest that attends 3 or 4 parties before they ever purchase a thing. I'm on the verge of writing this person off as uninterested just as they are whipping out their checkbook to pay for a $300+ order.
I wish I was joking, but I'm not.
See, the flip side to our "instant gratification" world is that there are still people that believe in taking their time, doing things the right way, and NOT rushing into anything. In our rush to service the next in line, we sometimes forget what serving our clients is really all about: finding their needs, and helping them make decisions that will improve their lives.
And sometimes it takes more than four point two seconds to determine if the value of your offering really is better than the other guy. Sometimes value is determined by how much time you actually SPEND WITH the client.
This isn't just a direct sales application. This is a life application. Our best friends are usually the ones we've known the longest - or it at least "feeeeels like we've known them foreeeeeeeever". Longer relationships are much more gratifying.
That's the dilemma of social media. So many direct sellers have jumped on the SM bandwagon thinking it's the road to fast riches. NO. Just like eveything else bout direct sales, it's not get rich quick. It's get rich by building relationships - on a national platform instead of a local one.
So if someone sold you that bill of goods, my apologies. The strength in any relationship - business or otherwise - lies in the number of genuine, valueable connections you have with that person. Sometimes you can take shortcuts, but you can't short circuit the entire process.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Direct Sales Success: Expectations Set the Tone
When I work with clients on their target marketing, one of the biggest areas of contention is the realization that ultimately, everyone is not their target market.
No, everyone that fogs up a mirror is not your prospect. Neither is everyone who showers (if you're in skincare), everyone who eats (if you sell kitchen gadgets or food), or everyone with kids (if you sell toys or educational goodies).
You've got to be a little more specific.
For example, if you choose to service a local, offline, market, then people more than 100 miles from your home would not be part of your target market. This limits the number of people you can serve.
And that word, "limits", seems to put a stranglehold on a consultant faster than a rope 'n ride at the rodeo.
They want to serve everyone. Because if they don't serve everyone, how will they get enough clients for their business.
Then I try to remind them of this episode of I Love Lucy:
You can't possibly serve everyone and do a good job.
Really. You can't.
So, why not change your expectations? establish a market that you CAN serve, and that you WANT to serve.
And expectations go both ways. Be sure to let your target market know what they can expect from you, how you expect to serve them, and how they can expect to hear from you. here are some suggestions to help set the tone with new clients in your target market:
1. Lay out the ground rules from the get-go.
Tell them your guest lists typically have 40-50 names on them, and that you usually get them back within 3 days. If they have problems with that, you'll be more than happy to help them in person, or to direct them to another consultant that would be glad to work with them.
2. Express your excitement about helping your host have a successful show. Your best shows are going to have a certain number of guests (get this info from your statistics from last year). Let your hosts and guests know what they can expect if the evening is a success for everyone.
3. Decide in advance what kind of show you want to have. Leave nothing to chance. I have had success inviting my "go only" guests to other people's parties. If a guest says "I only go to parties, I don't host them" I put them on a list so that when I have a host that's struggling to get RSVP's, I can call them up and invite them to the party. The host thinks I'm her hero, and the guest appreciates being remembered and treated respectfully.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you're going to make the most of your business, policies and procedures. your home office lays the foundation, but the framework is built by you. Your expectations set the tone for the outcome of your parties AND your business as a whole.
Expect more to get more.
No, everyone that fogs up a mirror is not your prospect. Neither is everyone who showers (if you're in skincare), everyone who eats (if you sell kitchen gadgets or food), or everyone with kids (if you sell toys or educational goodies).
You've got to be a little more specific.
For example, if you choose to service a local, offline, market, then people more than 100 miles from your home would not be part of your target market. This limits the number of people you can serve.
And that word, "limits", seems to put a stranglehold on a consultant faster than a rope 'n ride at the rodeo.
They want to serve everyone. Because if they don't serve everyone, how will they get enough clients for their business.
Then I try to remind them of this episode of I Love Lucy:
You can't possibly serve everyone and do a good job.
Really. You can't.
So, why not change your expectations? establish a market that you CAN serve, and that you WANT to serve.
And expectations go both ways. Be sure to let your target market know what they can expect from you, how you expect to serve them, and how they can expect to hear from you. here are some suggestions to help set the tone with new clients in your target market:
1. Lay out the ground rules from the get-go.
Tell them your guest lists typically have 40-50 names on them, and that you usually get them back within 3 days. If they have problems with that, you'll be more than happy to help them in person, or to direct them to another consultant that would be glad to work with them.
2. Express your excitement about helping your host have a successful show. Your best shows are going to have a certain number of guests (get this info from your statistics from last year). Let your hosts and guests know what they can expect if the evening is a success for everyone.
3. Decide in advance what kind of show you want to have. Leave nothing to chance. I have had success inviting my "go only" guests to other people's parties. If a guest says "I only go to parties, I don't host them" I put them on a list so that when I have a host that's struggling to get RSVP's, I can call them up and invite them to the party. The host thinks I'm her hero, and the guest appreciates being remembered and treated respectfully.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you're going to make the most of your business, policies and procedures. your home office lays the foundation, but the framework is built by you. Your expectations set the tone for the outcome of your parties AND your business as a whole.
Expect more to get more.
Direct Sales Success: What's Your 2010 Strategy?
So now we've got a vision, what about a strategy?
You've probably been hearing a lot about Social Media strategies lately, and yes, that's important, but it's only part of the picture for a business strategy.
If you're serious abut growing a business, and not just having direct sales "hobby" income, you need to plan specific strategies for generating leads, and converting those leads into more bookings, sales and recruits.
Social media are tools you can use as part of that strategy. But if you put all your eggs in the social media basket, you're missing the boat.
Jennifer Fong, one of the foremost authorities on Direct Sales and Social Media often says that you need a strategy to attract the right people to your business. You have to know WHO and WHERE they are before you can determine WHAT tools are effective in reaching them.
Part of developing your strategy means identifying your target market. I hope by now, you've gotten the message that everyone is not your target market. In fact, if you're brand new in direct sales, I hope you'll take a serious look at what kinds of customers are your "perfect fit". This is a term I use for the people that make it easy for you to do business - the kind you actually WANT to work with.
If you're not new to direct sales, and you've already got a laundry list of clients that are not your "perfect fit", this is a great place to start looking at your target marketing strategy. One of the great things about deciding WHO you want to work with is that the crums you no longer want to work with will either drop off the face of the earth, or get their act together. Before that can happen, though, YOU need to make some decisions.
* What was the best party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the best?
* What was the worst party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the worst?
* What was your top selling show? Was it worth all the work?
* What was your top booking show? Why was it so successful?
These are just a few of the questions I ask clients when we do a target marketing strategy session. The answers to these questions will give you a good idea of:
* What you enjoy most about the work you do
* The kinds of people that you enjoy working with
* Where to draw the line (some times the money doesn't matter, it's still not fun!)
* The elements of a succssful show
From here, you can craft a strategy to attract the kinds of people to your business that will help meet your "perfect fit customer" profile.
If you're already a member of our online community, you have free access to my 30-day target marketing program. In January 2010, we'll be launching an entire course focused on helping you develop a clear vision for your target market (oops! I think I just let the cat out of the bag!).
Until then, keep in mind, as you peruse your customer lists, the kinds of people you'd LOVE to work with, and start figuring out where you can meet them. This isn't about excluding others, or NOT doing business with people just because they don't meet your requirements. It IS about taking control of your business, and running it like a real business owner - because that's what you are.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
You've probably been hearing a lot about Social Media strategies lately, and yes, that's important, but it's only part of the picture for a business strategy.
If you're serious abut growing a business, and not just having direct sales "hobby" income, you need to plan specific strategies for generating leads, and converting those leads into more bookings, sales and recruits.
Social media are tools you can use as part of that strategy. But if you put all your eggs in the social media basket, you're missing the boat.
Jennifer Fong, one of the foremost authorities on Direct Sales and Social Media often says that you need a strategy to attract the right people to your business. You have to know WHO and WHERE they are before you can determine WHAT tools are effective in reaching them.
Part of developing your strategy means identifying your target market. I hope by now, you've gotten the message that everyone is not your target market. In fact, if you're brand new in direct sales, I hope you'll take a serious look at what kinds of customers are your "perfect fit". This is a term I use for the people that make it easy for you to do business - the kind you actually WANT to work with.
If you're not new to direct sales, and you've already got a laundry list of clients that are not your "perfect fit", this is a great place to start looking at your target marketing strategy. One of the great things about deciding WHO you want to work with is that the crums you no longer want to work with will either drop off the face of the earth, or get their act together. Before that can happen, though, YOU need to make some decisions.
* What was the best party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the best?
* What was the worst party/sales event you ever attended? What made it the worst?
* What was your top selling show? Was it worth all the work?
* What was your top booking show? Why was it so successful?
These are just a few of the questions I ask clients when we do a target marketing strategy session. The answers to these questions will give you a good idea of:
* What you enjoy most about the work you do
* The kinds of people that you enjoy working with
* Where to draw the line (some times the money doesn't matter, it's still not fun!)
* The elements of a succssful show
From here, you can craft a strategy to attract the kinds of people to your business that will help meet your "perfect fit customer" profile.
If you're already a member of our online community, you have free access to my 30-day target marketing program. In January 2010, we'll be launching an entire course focused on helping you develop a clear vision for your target market (oops! I think I just let the cat out of the bag!).
Until then, keep in mind, as you peruse your customer lists, the kinds of people you'd LOVE to work with, and start figuring out where you can meet them. This isn't about excluding others, or NOT doing business with people just because they don't meet your requirements. It IS about taking control of your business, and running it like a real business owner - because that's what you are.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Why Blogging May NOT Be For You
When developing your online marketing stratey, ivariably, the questions of blogging come up.
"Should I or shouldn't I?"
"How often?"
"Is it profitable?"
"How do I monetize it?"
"Should I have more than one?"
And these are just a handful of questions I've been asked in the past.
I enjoy blogs and blogging. But blogging may not be for you.
Uh-oh, another rejection of online marketing strategies?
Naaahh... Just a reality check for people that suffer from shiny object syndrome.
In all seriousness, I think blogs are an important component in your online marketing arsenal - but only if you are ready for it.
Blogging takes time - believe it or not, blogging is one of the most mind-taxing social media strategies. There are ways to minimize the time investment, and we'll talk about that in my 12-week challenge program, but even so, there's a time committment involved to write/edit/review posts and respond to comments.
While I'm a big fan of blogs and encourage people to start with a blog instead of a website, there are times when this just doesn't make sense.
Blogging takes consistency - people that are following your blog will be looking for your posts on a regular basis. If you're unable to post consistently, people stop following your blog.
That doesn't mean you have to post every day - and you can win back some of your readership if you get back on the posting wagon. It means that whatever you choose to do, you need to be consistent about it. More frequent posters will have more frequent readers - and the faster you can build rapport with our readership, the sooner you can build the bridge from online acquaintance to business partnership - which is the whole point of doing this in the first place, right?
Well, not exactly, but I'll share about that in another post.
Blogging takes quality content - this is a non-negotiable. Regardless of the frequency or even the topic, there's got to be quality information in every post you make. You can post once a month with killer content and people will look forward to that post all month long. But if all you're posting is "my company's the best thing since sliced bread", you'll turn off readers faster than "The Clapper".
And no, it doesn't need to be perfect content - grammatically excellent, without a single spelling error - but you should strive for perfection.
When you see an error (or someone points it out to you), correct it. We all know nobody's perfect. It takes a level of integrity to acknowledge our mistakes, correct them and beome a better person in the process.
Blogging needs an "end game" - blogging for bloggin's sake isn't a bad thing - and it's done frequently. Blogging for business, however, needs to have a desired end result. It could be a call to action at teh end of the post, a newsletter opt-in on the blog itself, or links within the post copy. There's got to be a reason for all this blogging - and the more transparent you are, the less it looks like you have something to hide.
So when you're contemplating adding blogging to your online marketing strategy, consider the issues above. Not sure your'e ready for a full-blown blog? Try a micro-blogging platform like Twitter. It's a great place to get your feet wet in the meantime.
"Should I or shouldn't I?"
"How often?"
"Is it profitable?"
"How do I monetize it?"
"Should I have more than one?"
And these are just a handful of questions I've been asked in the past.
I enjoy blogs and blogging. But blogging may not be for you.
Uh-oh, another rejection of online marketing strategies?
Naaahh... Just a reality check for people that suffer from shiny object syndrome.
In all seriousness, I think blogs are an important component in your online marketing arsenal - but only if you are ready for it.
Blogging takes time - believe it or not, blogging is one of the most mind-taxing social media strategies. There are ways to minimize the time investment, and we'll talk about that in my 12-week challenge program, but even so, there's a time committment involved to write/edit/review posts and respond to comments.
While I'm a big fan of blogs and encourage people to start with a blog instead of a website, there are times when this just doesn't make sense.
Blogging takes consistency - people that are following your blog will be looking for your posts on a regular basis. If you're unable to post consistently, people stop following your blog.
That doesn't mean you have to post every day - and you can win back some of your readership if you get back on the posting wagon. It means that whatever you choose to do, you need to be consistent about it. More frequent posters will have more frequent readers - and the faster you can build rapport with our readership, the sooner you can build the bridge from online acquaintance to business partnership - which is the whole point of doing this in the first place, right?
Well, not exactly, but I'll share about that in another post.
Blogging takes quality content - this is a non-negotiable. Regardless of the frequency or even the topic, there's got to be quality information in every post you make. You can post once a month with killer content and people will look forward to that post all month long. But if all you're posting is "my company's the best thing since sliced bread", you'll turn off readers faster than "The Clapper".
And no, it doesn't need to be perfect content - grammatically excellent, without a single spelling error - but you should strive for perfection.
When you see an error (or someone points it out to you), correct it. We all know nobody's perfect. It takes a level of integrity to acknowledge our mistakes, correct them and beome a better person in the process.
Blogging needs an "end game" - blogging for bloggin's sake isn't a bad thing - and it's done frequently. Blogging for business, however, needs to have a desired end result. It could be a call to action at teh end of the post, a newsletter opt-in on the blog itself, or links within the post copy. There's got to be a reason for all this blogging - and the more transparent you are, the less it looks like you have something to hide.
So when you're contemplating adding blogging to your online marketing strategy, consider the issues above. Not sure your'e ready for a full-blown blog? Try a micro-blogging platform like Twitter. It's a great place to get your feet wet in the meantime.
Twitter Tips for Direct Sellers
As a target marketing specialist for direct sales reps, I spend a lot of time testing new strategies to help direct sales reps reach and serve their customers. My current favorite is twitter.
Twitter is an obvious choice for connecting real time with friends or followers. It's quick and relatively easy to navigate. Simply create an i.d., and start looking for people to spread your message.
The trouble comes when a person is brand new and has no idea how/where to begin.
Twitter is not a platform for heavy selling. Rather, it's a great place to introduce yourself, share more about who you are, and then open the door to potential business ventures. Heck, you only have 140 characters per tweet, and if you want people to share those tweets, you need to keep it under 120!
In the interests of ettiquette, here are a few simple tips to help direct sellers make the most of twitter:
1. Be genuine. This is at the heart of everything twitter represents. Select a user name that reflects who you are, rather than your product or company name. In fact, most companies prohibit use of their name in that manner anyway, so why risk it?People will gravitate to who you are first, THEN to what you offer.
2. Provide value. You've heard me say this time and again. People are always asking themselves, "why should I believe/listen you?" We are deluged with thousands of "advertising" messaged every single day. Your tweets need to stand out, provide value to your market and serve the very people you're trying to reach.
3. Be personal. By that, I mean resist the temptation to automate your folowing/unfollowing or direct messaging. There are appropriate ways to use automation with twitter. I've tested dozens of applications that were developed to maximize the efficiency of twitter. My results conclude that Autofollows and autoDM's just cause trouble.
Take the time to make the connection manually - which will avoid the need to unfollow at a later date. Yes, it means your number of followers may grow more slowly, but you can be sure that the followers you do have are actually INTERESTED in what you have to say.
4. Be patient. If you're being true to who you are, you're not likely to get a million followers overnight, but you WILL generate a following of people that know like and trust you. Word will spread as your followers share your message with their followers.
This is why I stress that social media and online marketing does not replace your home party business, but is an additional marketing component to running your business like a real business. Yes, there are people who have all but retired from doing home parties, but it didn't happen overnight. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a twitter account (or any single marketing strategy) is the fastest way to riches. It can help increase your reach dramatically, but it's certainly not an overnight solution.
==========
Want more help understanding twitter and how to apply it to your business? Explore Lisa's course: Twitter Secrets for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to use target marketing to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free member community & target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Twitter is an obvious choice for connecting real time with friends or followers. It's quick and relatively easy to navigate. Simply create an i.d., and start looking for people to spread your message.
The trouble comes when a person is brand new and has no idea how/where to begin.
Twitter is not a platform for heavy selling. Rather, it's a great place to introduce yourself, share more about who you are, and then open the door to potential business ventures. Heck, you only have 140 characters per tweet, and if you want people to share those tweets, you need to keep it under 120!
In the interests of ettiquette, here are a few simple tips to help direct sellers make the most of twitter:
1. Be genuine. This is at the heart of everything twitter represents. Select a user name that reflects who you are, rather than your product or company name. In fact, most companies prohibit use of their name in that manner anyway, so why risk it?People will gravitate to who you are first, THEN to what you offer.
2. Provide value. You've heard me say this time and again. People are always asking themselves, "why should I believe/listen you?" We are deluged with thousands of "advertising" messaged every single day. Your tweets need to stand out, provide value to your market and serve the very people you're trying to reach.
3. Be personal. By that, I mean resist the temptation to automate your folowing/unfollowing or direct messaging. There are appropriate ways to use automation with twitter. I've tested dozens of applications that were developed to maximize the efficiency of twitter. My results conclude that Autofollows and autoDM's just cause trouble.
Take the time to make the connection manually - which will avoid the need to unfollow at a later date. Yes, it means your number of followers may grow more slowly, but you can be sure that the followers you do have are actually INTERESTED in what you have to say.
4. Be patient. If you're being true to who you are, you're not likely to get a million followers overnight, but you WILL generate a following of people that know like and trust you. Word will spread as your followers share your message with their followers.
This is why I stress that social media and online marketing does not replace your home party business, but is an additional marketing component to running your business like a real business. Yes, there are people who have all but retired from doing home parties, but it didn't happen overnight. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a twitter account (or any single marketing strategy) is the fastest way to riches. It can help increase your reach dramatically, but it's certainly not an overnight solution.
==========
Want more help understanding twitter and how to apply it to your business? Explore Lisa's course: Twitter Secrets for Direct Sellers. The only certified Direct Sales Marketing Coach in the WORLD, Lisa Robbin Young can help demystify the business side of running your direct sales business. Visit her free online community for direct sellers today.
© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to use target marketing to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free member community & target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com
Target Marketing in Direct Sales (Part Three)
(part three in a series)
Target marketing takes the guesswork out of growing your business - whether you're a coach, trainer, consultant, leader or company owner.
You need to know who your target market is before you can reach out to them and serve them.
The old "talk to everyone you see" adage is great for practicing your ice breaking skills. It's even good to help you build your courage. It's lousy for recruiting or selling in the modern direct sales era.
Who honestly has time to talk to everyone anymore, anyway? Those shotgun methods are tantamount to holding up a megaphone and shouting at everyone in Times Square in the hopes that someone - anyone - will stop and listen to your message.
Let us be a bit more skillful, save some time, and - for Pete's sake - if we're going to work, do it smarter, not harder!
Begin with your customer profile. Once you've gotten incredibly detailed about the kind of person you want to work with, ask yourself the following questions:
Target marketing takes the guesswork out of growing your business - whether you're a coach, trainer, consultant, leader or company owner.
You need to know who your target market is before you can reach out to them and serve them.
The old "talk to everyone you see" adage is great for practicing your ice breaking skills. It's even good to help you build your courage. It's lousy for recruiting or selling in the modern direct sales era.
Who honestly has time to talk to everyone anymore, anyway? Those shotgun methods are tantamount to holding up a megaphone and shouting at everyone in Times Square in the hopes that someone - anyone - will stop and listen to your message.
Let us be a bit more skillful, save some time, and - for Pete's sake - if we're going to work, do it smarter, not harder!
Begin with your customer profile. Once you've gotten incredibly detailed about the kind of person you want to work with, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do I like working with them? (specifically, what is the reward for working with them) Money can not be the only answer, or you'll struggle with serving these clients.
- What do I have to offer them that is uniquely mine? Discovering your uniqueness goes a long way to providing the customer experience your clients crave.
- Where can I find them? Online or offline, there are groups that cater to your target market, you just have to find them and get involved.
Once you've clarified these answers, you can really dig into your target market with passion and zeal. You know you'll be working with clients you love and you'll be able to find them easily and abundantly.
Leave the megaphone at home when you attend networking events or social functions. Stop trying to press your business card into the hands of everyone there. Instead, focus on the select few that best fit your target market profile. Spend a few minutes with each of them, rather than twelve seconds with everyone, and begin building stronger relationships. Stronger relationships with people in you network yield better results in your business.
That's the power of target marketing in your direct sales business. That's working smarter to grow your business effectively and efficiently. No shot gun required.
===========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Target Marketing in Direct Sales (Part Two)
(This article, second in a series, is also an open letter to Direct Sales Industry Trainers)
I was on a call the other day that just blew my mind. I wish I would say it was a one-time deal, but as I spend more and more time "behind the scenes" in the direct sales training industry, I get more and more disenchanted with the prevailing attitude of fear, competition, and territorialism.
I take pride in the fact that I'm pretty clear on who I want to work with in my business. And I am also proud of the fact that, despite what many are calling the worst economic meltdown in the last century, in less than six months, I've already made more money than I did in all of last year.
Yet, I look at many of the other trainers, coaches and speakers in the industry right now and they're "rolling back prices to 1994!" in an effort to drum up business and keep "market share" as the direct sales training industry starts fracturing with the onslaught of new faces in the crowd - myself being one of them.
In fact, a quick look at Alexa.com revealed that my own website with online marketing training for direct sellers was rising in popularity - even more popular than several of the more well-known direct sales trainers on the web - while theirs were declining. And while Alexa isn't the most reliable source for web statistics, it gives you a quick glance at the trends online.
One of the reasons I created the Direct Sales Super Summit was so that we could bring together the thought leaders in direct sales training and share best practices to help consultants and leaders (at all levels) to grow their businesses even in a poopy economy - without bending them over for their last thin dime to do it.
But after talking with countless trainers in the industry, I'm a little fed up with what I'm hearing.
The way they talk about clients and customers in closed door sessions turns my stomach. This is just part of how one conversation went:
In essence, they think you are stupid and cheap.
The first time I heard this, I thought, "Well, gee, maybe I DON'T want to work with you if your customers are like that. That's not my target market."
But in the past four months, I've heard that same song and dance time after time from countless industry trainers in one way or another.
That tells me we have an epidemic on our hands - either the direct sales community at large is a bunch of bumbling tightwads, or the trainers in our industry haven't figured out that the gravy train reached the end of the line a decade ago. They can't rest on their laurels anymore and rely on their reputation to keep the income flowing.
Companies are tightening their belts, paying less for keynote speakers at conferences and conventions. Does that mean the companies are a bunch of dense penny pinchers, too?
Now, if they had said to me "Lisa, your content just doesn't fit my target market." then, I probably wouldn't be writing this today.
If they had said, "Sorry, Lisa! My promotional calendar is full, and I can't squeeze you in right now." I wouldn't be fuming like this.
But they didn't. So I am.
Are my customers and clients more intelligent than the average direct seller? Maybe. As much as I'd like to think so, I won't begin to speculate.
My Alexa.com profile shows that more of my website visitors have college degrees, so maybe I do draw a more educated clientele - which is part of my target marketing in the first place. But I've said before that it's not the paper that makes the person, it's the person that makes the paper.
Are my clients and customers more extravagant than the average direct seller? Doubtful. I charge (and get) upwards of $300 for an hour of my coaching time. My upper level coaching clients pay thousands to work with me in a one-on-one capacity every month.
They are not multi-jillionaires, they are hard-working people that have invested in themselves and see the value in what I have to offer to help them grow their business. I offer specific, results oriented information that is tailored to their specific situation. They see value in that, and are willing to pay for it.
But you know what? I give away a lot of FREE information as well. At this time, I am the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world - and I could probably charge big bucks because of it. But because my passion is in helping consultants become successful, I also have a free online community, with complimentary resources, including a training program that teaches target marketing for direct sellers - in addition to my weekly ezine that goes out to consultants around the world.
My clients are not cheap, nor are they stupid. I would be willing to bet that the average direct seller isn't cheap or stupid either.
In truth, I think the real problem lies with trainers that haven't taken the time to target market effectively. In the good old days, there were 3 or 4 trainers and they shared the national conferences and leader retreats amongst themselves. Those days are long gone. Now, there are more people with a story to share, and audiences want to hear fresh, new content, not regurgitated material they've heard twenty times before.
They're not cheap, they're looking for real value.
Heck yeah, if I can find it for free, why should I pay you for it? If I've already heard you give the same talk 15 times, why would I pay to go hear it again? Some messages bear repeating, but there's a law of diminishing returns that says after I've bought the CD, seen the seminar, and own the video, I don't need to buy it again.
What do you have to offer that they percieve as vauable? If you find your distinctive value, people will gladly open their wallets and shop with you - even in a poopy economy. I'm living proof of that.
Real value lies in how you share and what you do that's unique. There are countless trainers that teach booking, selling, and recruiting - that's why I train on marketing methods - including online marketing strategies. I'm the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world at the moment. There's value in being the first or the only. Problem is, so many of today's trainers haven't continued to innovate - instead, they've let the world pass them by. Now, they're competing on price, instead of asserting their unique value in the marketplace.
They're no longer unique - they're a commodity - bought and sold almost entirely on price.
People want to be valued - and they all believe their situation is unique.
In the medical profession, specialists command a premium for their time and services. They are so good at what they do that people are willing to pay more because they know the specialist will deliver the promised results.
The days of the generalist in direct sales training are fast coming to an end. Trainers and speakers need to face it, get over it, and figure out what they're going to do to re-establish their expertise in the marketplace.
There are trainers who tout that they're an expert on everything - booking, selling, recruiting, leadership, organizational management, time management, and now social media. PLEASE.
You can't be everything to everyone, so stop trying. It's smarter to partner with specialists that KNOW the content exceptionally well - plus it makes you look like a hero with your customers.
I firmly believe that any company that doesn't do target marketing will not be successful in the long run. You must know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who your perfect fit customer is, and how to attract them, or you will not reach them.
Maybe these trainers are content with the customers they serve. It didn't sound like it to me.
I'm VERY happy to be working with my clients and customers. They are NOT cheap or stupid.
And if they're smarter than the average direct seller, so much the better!
===========WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
I was on a call the other day that just blew my mind. I wish I would say it was a one-time deal, but as I spend more and more time "behind the scenes" in the direct sales training industry, I get more and more disenchanted with the prevailing attitude of fear, competition, and territorialism.
I take pride in the fact that I'm pretty clear on who I want to work with in my business. And I am also proud of the fact that, despite what many are calling the worst economic meltdown in the last century, in less than six months, I've already made more money than I did in all of last year.
Yet, I look at many of the other trainers, coaches and speakers in the industry right now and they're "rolling back prices to 1994!" in an effort to drum up business and keep "market share" as the direct sales training industry starts fracturing with the onslaught of new faces in the crowd - myself being one of them.
In fact, a quick look at Alexa.com revealed that my own website with online marketing training for direct sellers was rising in popularity - even more popular than several of the more well-known direct sales trainers on the web - while theirs were declining. And while Alexa isn't the most reliable source for web statistics, it gives you a quick glance at the trends online.
One of the reasons I created the Direct Sales Super Summit was so that we could bring together the thought leaders in direct sales training and share best practices to help consultants and leaders (at all levels) to grow their businesses even in a poopy economy - without bending them over for their last thin dime to do it.
But after talking with countless trainers in the industry, I'm a little fed up with what I'm hearing.
The way they talk about clients and customers in closed door sessions turns my stomach. This is just part of how one conversation went:
They want it all for free!
The only people who are spending any money right now are leaders.
I don't think they'll get it. I mean, I get it, but I don't think they do.
They don't understand the business side of things, and there's no point trying to teach them. They aren't that smart to begin with.
In essence, they think you are stupid and cheap.
The first time I heard this, I thought, "Well, gee, maybe I DON'T want to work with you if your customers are like that. That's not my target market."
But in the past four months, I've heard that same song and dance time after time from countless industry trainers in one way or another.
That tells me we have an epidemic on our hands - either the direct sales community at large is a bunch of bumbling tightwads, or the trainers in our industry haven't figured out that the gravy train reached the end of the line a decade ago. They can't rest on their laurels anymore and rely on their reputation to keep the income flowing.
Companies are tightening their belts, paying less for keynote speakers at conferences and conventions. Does that mean the companies are a bunch of dense penny pinchers, too?
Now, if they had said to me "Lisa, your content just doesn't fit my target market." then, I probably wouldn't be writing this today.
If they had said, "Sorry, Lisa! My promotional calendar is full, and I can't squeeze you in right now." I wouldn't be fuming like this.
But they didn't. So I am.
Are my customers and clients more intelligent than the average direct seller? Maybe. As much as I'd like to think so, I won't begin to speculate.
My Alexa.com profile shows that more of my website visitors have college degrees, so maybe I do draw a more educated clientele - which is part of my target marketing in the first place. But I've said before that it's not the paper that makes the person, it's the person that makes the paper.
Are my clients and customers more extravagant than the average direct seller? Doubtful. I charge (and get) upwards of $300 for an hour of my coaching time. My upper level coaching clients pay thousands to work with me in a one-on-one capacity every month.
They are not multi-jillionaires, they are hard-working people that have invested in themselves and see the value in what I have to offer to help them grow their business. I offer specific, results oriented information that is tailored to their specific situation. They see value in that, and are willing to pay for it.
But you know what? I give away a lot of FREE information as well. At this time, I am the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world - and I could probably charge big bucks because of it. But because my passion is in helping consultants become successful, I also have a free online community, with complimentary resources, including a training program that teaches target marketing for direct sellers - in addition to my weekly ezine that goes out to consultants around the world.
My clients are not cheap, nor are they stupid. I would be willing to bet that the average direct seller isn't cheap or stupid either.
In truth, I think the real problem lies with trainers that haven't taken the time to target market effectively. In the good old days, there were 3 or 4 trainers and they shared the national conferences and leader retreats amongst themselves. Those days are long gone. Now, there are more people with a story to share, and audiences want to hear fresh, new content, not regurgitated material they've heard twenty times before.
They're not cheap, they're looking for real value.
Heck yeah, if I can find it for free, why should I pay you for it? If I've already heard you give the same talk 15 times, why would I pay to go hear it again? Some messages bear repeating, but there's a law of diminishing returns that says after I've bought the CD, seen the seminar, and own the video, I don't need to buy it again.
What do you have to offer that they percieve as vauable? If you find your distinctive value, people will gladly open their wallets and shop with you - even in a poopy economy. I'm living proof of that.
Real value lies in how you share and what you do that's unique. There are countless trainers that teach booking, selling, and recruiting - that's why I train on marketing methods - including online marketing strategies. I'm the only certified direct sales marketing coach in the world at the moment. There's value in being the first or the only. Problem is, so many of today's trainers haven't continued to innovate - instead, they've let the world pass them by. Now, they're competing on price, instead of asserting their unique value in the marketplace.
They're no longer unique - they're a commodity - bought and sold almost entirely on price.
People want to be valued - and they all believe their situation is unique.
In the medical profession, specialists command a premium for their time and services. They are so good at what they do that people are willing to pay more because they know the specialist will deliver the promised results.
The days of the generalist in direct sales training are fast coming to an end. Trainers and speakers need to face it, get over it, and figure out what they're going to do to re-establish their expertise in the marketplace.
There are trainers who tout that they're an expert on everything - booking, selling, recruiting, leadership, organizational management, time management, and now social media. PLEASE.
You can't be everything to everyone, so stop trying. It's smarter to partner with specialists that KNOW the content exceptionally well - plus it makes you look like a hero with your customers.
I firmly believe that any company that doesn't do target marketing will not be successful in the long run. You must know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who your perfect fit customer is, and how to attract them, or you will not reach them.
Maybe these trainers are content with the customers they serve. It didn't sound like it to me.
I'm VERY happy to be working with my clients and customers. They are NOT cheap or stupid.
And if they're smarter than the average direct seller, so much the better!
===========WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Target Marketing in Direct Sales (Part One)
(First in a series)
I previously posted a video on this very topic, and it seems the time has come for further discussion of target marketing as it relates to direct sellers.
Gone are the days when you could naievely suggest that a product "sells itself" or that your catalog has "somehing for everyone" inside.
Let's be realistic. Not everyone will buy your product, or attend your party. It's foolish to think so, and even more foolish to try to convince potential reprsentatives that direct sales is "easy money".
Direct sales is a lot easier than, say, digging ditches. It is NOT, however something for everyone.
One of the phrases I like to use is "Direct sales is something anyone CAN do, but not everyone will."
Likewise, there is also a target market for your particular product or service - including your compensation plan and hostess package.
The sooner we, as direct sellers, embrace that idea, the better.
It also goes withouth saying that the sooner direct sales companies relay this message to their field, the more profitable they will become.
Frankly, every direct sales company on the planet aleady has a target market in mind when they develop their products and services. They would be out of their minds if they didn't. For example, Mary Kay does NOT cater to hundreds of thousands of men in the world. Their market is very clearly a female market, with particular demographics to drill down even further.
Theirs is not a clientele that frequents Wal-Mart (on the whole). They have a target profile of customers, reps and leaders that they know will be best suited to their products and services.
How do I know? Look at the catalog.
Look at any catalog for that matter. Right there, within the pages, you'll see pictures denoting a certain kind of lifestyle, maybe even models depicting a certain age range for a particular product.
Every successful company in the world has a target market.
Why not you?
As direct sellers, we are told to talk to everyone - and you've heard me rail on this before. I'm even seeing more and more direct sales trainers and speakers hop on the "something for everyone" bandwagon in an effort to book more events on their calendar (I'll blog on this issue later in the week).
NOBODY - and I mean this - NOBODY has something for everyone. No one can be an expert at everything, and it's silly to even pretend you are in this age of specialities.
In fact, it's our specialities that make us unique and valuable in the world. Generalists find that they lose out to experts that have a very specific niche. I'm seeing it right now as I watch other direct sales trainers "losing market share" to less experienced trainers that have a strong, proven area of expertise.
Don't let yourself fall into this trap.
Get clear on who you love serving. As a coach, I make it clear that I only work with people that are serious about growing a profitable direct sales business - not an expensive hobby. I love the reaction, the interest and the level of commitment these men and women bring to the table. I never have to doubt if my client is going to do their homework, because I've weeded out the "tire kickers" in my business.
Who do you love serving? Sketch out a profile of your ideal customer. Get detailed. Perhaps you already work with an ideal client - perhaps your ideal is a blend of several people you work with. If you have no customers, begin idealizing and sketch out what you think/feel would be a perfect-fit customer for your business.
Then do the same thing for your perfect-fit recruits/team members.
A surprising thing will happen.
When you build it, they will come. It takes some effort (I'll talk more about this in a future article), but it does happen.
===========WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.HomePartySolution.com
I previously posted a video on this very topic, and it seems the time has come for further discussion of target marketing as it relates to direct sellers.
Gone are the days when you could naievely suggest that a product "sells itself" or that your catalog has "somehing for everyone" inside.
Let's be realistic. Not everyone will buy your product, or attend your party. It's foolish to think so, and even more foolish to try to convince potential reprsentatives that direct sales is "easy money".
Direct sales is a lot easier than, say, digging ditches. It is NOT, however something for everyone.
One of the phrases I like to use is "Direct sales is something anyone CAN do, but not everyone will."
Likewise, there is also a target market for your particular product or service - including your compensation plan and hostess package.
The sooner we, as direct sellers, embrace that idea, the better.
It also goes withouth saying that the sooner direct sales companies relay this message to their field, the more profitable they will become.
Frankly, every direct sales company on the planet aleady has a target market in mind when they develop their products and services. They would be out of their minds if they didn't. For example, Mary Kay does NOT cater to hundreds of thousands of men in the world. Their market is very clearly a female market, with particular demographics to drill down even further.
Theirs is not a clientele that frequents Wal-Mart (on the whole). They have a target profile of customers, reps and leaders that they know will be best suited to their products and services.
How do I know? Look at the catalog.
Look at any catalog for that matter. Right there, within the pages, you'll see pictures denoting a certain kind of lifestyle, maybe even models depicting a certain age range for a particular product.
Every successful company in the world has a target market.
Why not you?
As direct sellers, we are told to talk to everyone - and you've heard me rail on this before. I'm even seeing more and more direct sales trainers and speakers hop on the "something for everyone" bandwagon in an effort to book more events on their calendar (I'll blog on this issue later in the week).
NOBODY - and I mean this - NOBODY has something for everyone. No one can be an expert at everything, and it's silly to even pretend you are in this age of specialities.
In fact, it's our specialities that make us unique and valuable in the world. Generalists find that they lose out to experts that have a very specific niche. I'm seeing it right now as I watch other direct sales trainers "losing market share" to less experienced trainers that have a strong, proven area of expertise.
Don't let yourself fall into this trap.
Get clear on who you love serving. As a coach, I make it clear that I only work with people that are serious about growing a profitable direct sales business - not an expensive hobby. I love the reaction, the interest and the level of commitment these men and women bring to the table. I never have to doubt if my client is going to do their homework, because I've weeded out the "tire kickers" in my business.
Who do you love serving? Sketch out a profile of your ideal customer. Get detailed. Perhaps you already work with an ideal client - perhaps your ideal is a blend of several people you work with. If you have no customers, begin idealizing and sketch out what you think/feel would be a perfect-fit customer for your business.
Then do the same thing for your perfect-fit recruits/team members.
A surprising thing will happen.
When you build it, they will come. It takes some effort (I'll talk more about this in a future article), but it does happen.
===========WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.HomePartySolution.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
