Sunday, May 3, 2009

Attraction Marketing

Well I am going to blow the lid off on a few people out there who are really fired up on attraction marketing. Let me just say before I do that, that I am currently consulting with a few businesses and many students on how to do Social Media. Yes people, Twitter and Facebook are different. If you don't yet know the difference, let me just say I have never made a dime on Facebook. Let me also say that, Social Media should just be one tool that you use for your business - BUT A VERY VERY BIG ONE. I have spent the last year focusing more and more on online methods for marketing, I have read, "The Renegade Markerter", taken online classes, read books, most recently picked up a copy of "Magnetic Sponsoring". They are all great and should be read, but what you will discover is no system, no amount of advertising is going to be more important than YOU simply becoming a leader. Or at least someone that people look up to and go, "Hey I want what he has".

Now, with all that I have learned on this subject, I could write a book. But why re-invent the wheel on blogging, and pay per click. When the next phase of attraction marketing is all going to happen in the world of Social Media, its already happening through Web 3.0. What worked 3 years ago online, or even 12 months ago, probably isn't working so well today. Also in network marketing if you purchase leads or participate in pay per click, where someone doesn't actually make out who you are when you contact them, your closing percentage will go down by 90%. In their minds you are just another salesperson or telemarketer. Unless someone contacts you directly about your opportunity you are always in a weaker position. And if you aren't a born salesman, it will be a grind, I can promise you that. I can also promise you that by just throwing videos or blogs on the net, people are not just automatically going to jump into your business. They need to get to know you first, and that can take months and in some cases years. I just brought a girl in on Friday who I have been talking to off and on for at least a few months. On the flip-side I've also had people call me directly and say they want to join my business before they even know about my business. You see you brand yourself and sell yourself and you don't need to worry about chasing people, they will chase you, but it will take many months before this will start to happen. This is also very challenging to duplicate for most. Out of all of the people I have sponsored in the past year. I have just a handful of students who are really getting the attraction marketing down. It's a bit complex and isn't for everyone.

Reflecting back on my MLM Career so far, it hasn't been a bed of roses. I spent 12 years in sales before getting with my first company back in 2006, and to this day have never closed 1 pay per click lead. I've also never closed 1 purchased lead. I have personally sponsored over 50 people in the last year, not customers, business builders and the majority have all come from Social Networking sites, MySpace, Facebook, and most recently Twitter. I still am not sure if I have even brought in anyone from any of my blogs? I have brought in a few from Craigslist, but that took me awhile to master.

I personally think that online marketing is a better fit for certain individual types, but I know many network marketers who are still doing it old school who are making a ton of money. Old School Networking still works and to be honest if you have the gift of gab and are a born salesman, I wouldn't even go into online, I would just talk to everyone like you always have, people are still buying. Just keep in mind if your going to do network marketing old school and teach people those methods, you will have to find others who have the gift of gab to work under you. As old school is really tough for the non-sales types, unless someone comes into your group with a huge sphere of influence.

Remember Network Marketing is a contact sport. It's all about you. Are you a leader? If your not a leader, you will struggle in attraction marketing and offline marketing. The great thing about network marketing is if your not a leader or not making a huge fat paycheck, just partner up with someone who is, and just be the messenger for the first few years and work on yourself. That way you won't go broke and will have a lot less pain. TAKE THEM TO YOUR LEADER. You can't enroll people effortlessly until you become one anyhow, whether your offline, online, uptown, or downtown. The average networker only enrolls a couple of people into any given program. In my first company, I just had customers and didn't get one business builder under me in 8 months. Most of the people I sponsor today bring in 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, it is rare to get anyone who sponsors 20 or more. Believe me, I am looking for them everyday, but they don't grow on trees. Most of them are already playing on other teams, I have to wait till their contract expires - ha ha.

In closing, at the end of the day, this business has always been about relationships and it always will be. The internet has just evened the playing field a bit.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree with you. Social media has become part of my daily routine...and yet the real business I get in my agency is always from face to face meeting people.
If I'm speaking at a large conference, those handshakes at the end of my talk usually generates a call and then a visit. I'm not seeing the same kind of thing happen in the social media yet. Reading an interesting book (not one of my own)..It is The Marketing Accountability Imperative.
It is nice to meet you on Twitter.

Unknown said...

This is why I cannot stand the phrases "Social Media" and "Social Media Experts" See, social media is just a platform, and the platforms continuously change, but what is becoming more and more apparent is that the squeeze-page-push-me-to-buy-force-me-to-give-you-my-email process is no longer working. I teach my clients that social networking is the same in-person and online!

Kyanisunrise said...

Hey great post! I have been in sales for years and it does take a lot of effort. Online is no different, you can't just push things out in front of people and expect them to buy or sign up. You have to draw them in. I have good success with blogs and article. But you have to write a compelling story. Thanks for this great info and keep drawing them!