All Too Easily Forgotten..., Ethics 101

Welcome Back Fellow MLM'ers (and Affiliates Too)!

Today's post shares ethics in business. Sure, I can share a lot of "How To's (and I do in other communications). Without ethics, nothing else will do. I'd like to believe that many of us are doing our best during these challenging economic times. There's also a lot of funny business going on. This lack of sensitivity warrants a continued need for persistent ethics training. Call me naive. It's true. You can't change a criminal mindset or help someone who's mentally unstable, but you can help good minds realize what's essential.

I'd like to talk about the importance of building sound relationships. Even if you're under big pressure to deliver and profit, what's the real price you paid when negating the connection people truly want to feel? Should you continue to fall short in this arena, you certainly can't blame your prospects.

All Too Easily Forgotten..., Ethics 101

I'd like to talk about growing your business any other way. I'm talking about the importance of forming concrete human relationships. Ethics seems to be a grey area for most folks because you CAN teach the importance of doing the right thing, but you CANNOT enforce what should be a given. I've seen some folks tout principles they EXPECT others to uphold, and in the same breath, they'll misapply identical ethics to themselves by excusing outcomes they'll never logically defend.

Enter Hotel MLM

Several years ago, one could literally put together a few hotel MLM business opportunity meetings, make a list of their warm market, and likely generate some great results with their business...and quickly too.

Enter Internet

Well…then the advent of the Internet came along. Talk about altering business. It didn’t take long for central “players” to appear. They immediately began testing direct mail campaigns. Now, using the Internet as their primary medium for communicated messages, Corey Rudl was one of the first who started using squeeze pages (data capture pages) to generate data. He wasn't the only one but he was early in this effort.

Enter “Planet Technology” And The “Quick Buck” Mentality

Enter "planet technology" and the quick buck mentality. It certainly didn’t take long for this medium to skyrocket in its popularity. Internet marketers, affiliate marketers, direct sales associates, and even network marketers sworn to uphold business meetings at all cost, quickly fell in love. Who wouldn’t, right?

The Internet was a quick way to engage an audience and solve their problems inexpensively. Thinking about the early days, it only cost a few hundred bucks a year to host and maintain a website -- a far cry from where we’re at, today. For under $5.00 a month, someone can establish an Internet presence.

A Critical “Link” Gets Lost In the Shuffle

A critical "link" gets lost in the shuffle. A lot of people lost their tails -- big time. They lost their vehicles, homes, prized-possessions, and more when the late 90’s hit. If you recall the "dot bomb" era, people were literally putting their family’s livelihood on the line, including life savings. So with this new advent, lives were changed -- many for the better.

Since then, the Internet has created a massive amount of millionares and “new money”. It also cost countless others practically everything they had (and much they didn’t have). Throughout this time, many, many people entirely forgot something that makes most businesses tick, grow and build. This was true, especially in network marketing. I call this, "The most critical link of all". Without this link, an organization cannot flourish.

Enter “Loss Of Fundamental Essentials”

Now enter (the) "loss of fundamental essentials". Many people forgot about the power and the significance of “relationships”. You see it now on a daily basis -- where tens of thousands of network marketers out on Facebook, MySpace…Twitter, are still in this run. As marketers, we must remember one component at all times..., regardless of how we choose to communicate our message, building a relationship is a MUST. You can't build a sustainable direct sales or network marketing business any other way. When we build a relationship, there’s a sense of trust…a trust level they’re the consumer is ultimately “buying” into you, your expertise, and your leadership. You can't blame this reality on other people because this is a fundamental element which is hugely required.

Skip a step, refuse to communicate with those who are reaching out to you, and you get what you get. Zip. People don't easily forget. They'll even spread the word. Not good. So marketers must balance their time and their needs to generate greater profits with those they must serve. It's not an easy thing to do when you have to hit your monthly marks.

Whether you’re communicating your message via teleseminar, video, email, website, direct mail, or beyond, the truth is - you're in control of the % of prospects who become customers or distributors. The better the relationship, the higher your closing percentages will be.

When we don’t properly establish our authority or use Facebook (among others) to scream -- “Buy my stuff from me” - it all backfires. We quickly have our hopes set ablaze…NOT because the medium doesn’t work, but because we didn’t use the tool properly.

If you were a carpenter, would you use a hammer to do the job of a stapler?

It’s not just about the tool…it’s absolutely ALL about the marketer, their skillset and their ability to use the tool properly. Whether you’re building an email list, calling targeted buyer files, or even using traditional networking methods, the more credibility you establish, the more business you’re you'll close.

It's Not About the Marketing Channel

It’s not even about the specific method of marketing or “channels” you’re using to communicate your message. It is about how you’re going to connect and engage your audience, repeatedly.
Never lose sight of what’s really important…building, molding and allowing the relationship to take place.

If you’re looking for the maximum number of closes, there are no short-cuts. It doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t use “hands off” approaches, but it does mean that there are better ways to structure our relationships. This will account for much of the business you'll generate. It's about how you’re using these approaches to create a world of difference for yourself and others.

So if you lose sight of what’s important, would you buy from someone who visibly only wanted your money? Your prospects are no different. They want to feel important…not just like another number. Make others feel “valued” - as if they actually mean something to you.

And remember…doing nothing, even if it’s wrong, is far superior than doing nothing at all. Here's to better understanding.

If you'd like to contact me directly, please feel free to opt-into my marketing newsletter located on the right-hand side of this blog. I personally answer all inquiries, but you can submit your information in confidence. I never sell client information, and I don't spam people. You won't be hounded by phone. You'll always have say over the information you get.

Supporting Your Success Using Proven and Usable Means,

B. Brinkmeyer, MBA
http://add7repsaday.com/

Fortune Cookie Wisdom - Smoking, MLM Style

Fellow MLM'ers, Welcome --

In all business matters, please know fellow MLM'ers that just because someone says smoking is fun, that doesn't mean it's good for you ! Same reasoning might apply to folks who recommend you use 20th-Century marketing in a 21st-Century global economy. Sooner-or-later, there's bound to be a rift between the 'old-fashioned thinkers' and the 'early adopters'. My point here is -- don't always believe what you're told. If you use the methods conventional wisdom holds as true, try these methods. See what they do. If you get limited results, rethink what you're doing in favor of what might happen more effectively. I'll give you a hint. Hundreds of thousands of MLM'ers are now using the Internet to put their names 'out there'. It's about putting the numbers in your favor.

Offering Food-For-Thought Using Proven Marketing Means,

B. Brinkmeyer, MBA
http://add7repsaday.com/