Let's examine the conundrum facing network marketers and then offer the solution. Here's the downside. A new person starting a network marketing business today has to be:
- salesperson - marketer and promoter - motivator - recruiter - customer support - mentor - lead generator
Can you see the problem here? For a start, less than ten per cent of people like to sell. The remainder detest it.
In fact, it's the one area of network marketing that leads to the syndrome called paralysis analysis. The thought of getting on the phone and speaking with a total stranger about a business opportunity literally freaks most people out.
Community Based Network Marketing
So what's the answer? Well, in a nutshell, community based network marketing. The concept is starting to create plenty of interest within the industry as more and more people look for ways to avoid certain aspects of running an MLM business.
What is community based network marketing? The short answer is, it's a community of like-minded business people all striving for the same goal.
Whether it be an income target for the group, a member target or simply pulling together lead generation sources and avenues, the fact is, it has a very appealing aspect to it for many MLMers.
Now if you're thinking "hey, this sounds to good to be true and I'm going to get involved and get other people to build my business for me" think again. Community based networking groups have a strict qualification criteria.
They are only interested in serious players. People need to go through several stages of interviews before they join. In fact, there is a commitment requirement that has to be met such as dedicating a certain amount of hours per week to the business.
But once someone clears these commitments, the process is definitely worth being involved with. The structure has network marketers assigned to certain roles. For example, if you are comfortable and good with people on the phone then that will be your area of expertise.
If you have good marketing ability and know how to attract prospects in a targeted fashion, then that's the role you'll be offered. And if you have good mentoring or coaching abilities, then yes, you'll fill those roles.
Better still, leads work on a rotation basis and are shared evenly among active members. The knowledge that when a lead comes into the funnel and lands in your lap and someone with expert contact abilities is on the job interviewing and recruiting the prospect, is usually a huge relief for many network marketers within a community based network marketing system.
With attraction marketing becoming the buzz phrase within the industry today, the training level for members in this area is comprehensive, especially on how to implement internet network marketing into an MLMers repetoire.
I don't consider myself a classic marketer but when I think about making money and getting business, I think locally. Physical territories fill my head and visions of knocking on doors, blanketing a community with mailers and joining the local rotary. I'm not old, I just don't know anything else. If you are like me you probably have a website but have no clue how to make it anything more than a digital business card. Meanwhile, I see others who are getting paid for Google Ads and have a first page ranking on Google.
I do have my moments. This year I developed two online/offline campaigns that were wildly successful. However, I find myself still in awe when I talk to small business owners who are being successful using only virtual means to generate sales.
Let's get back to the 13 year old. While I've been sleeping in my own backyard, a whole world of community based marketing has taken place. Social networks and groups have sprung-up all over the internet. Sites like MySpace, Friendster, Squidoo and YouTube are connecting people according to their interests, creating virtual niche markets. 9 year-old entrepreneurs are making $50,000 a year on the internet. Young people aren't the only ones getting in the act, I've seen many seniors getting savvy and promoting their products and services through these free websites.
Getting started can be daunting, so along with my 13 year-old friend, I've created a list of 7 must-haves for anyone who is going to change the way they think about communities and start Nouveau Marketing.
1. Think Niche. The internet creates opportunities for infinite diversity. Find areas where your products or services can be tailored for a specific group or audience that has a burning desire to buy your solution. Online niches are going to be much larger than any local market niche. 2. Get involved. Join groups on various social networking sites and begin developing relationships globally. If you can't find a group for your business, start one. 3. Automate. Online relationships are much less intimate than face to face selling and take more time to develop. Have strategies that keep your message in front of prospects in an automatic way. A good example is a drip email campaign. 4. Acquire email addresses. Building a list online is like gold, just like in the offline world. Develop promotional drip campaigns and stick strategies that raise the propensity to buy or make repeat purchases. 5. Create virtual products. Even if your product or service is offline and tangible, information products about your business can be inexpensive giveaways that build trust and move a prospect closer to a sale. Examples are free reports, consumer guides, newsletters and other media. 6. Learn conversion. Forget about traffic until you first learn how to make sales. If you know how many sales you can expect from a certain number of visitors, you can build an ROI model and justify buying traffic. 7. Create an experience. People are willing to pay more for an experience, just like at Starbucks. Learn how to create an experience for your online prospects and you'll sell more at a higher price. These must-haves are just broad strokes and the devil is in the details. Start by educating yourself by researching internet marketing sites and learning about tools that make virtual business a reality.
Both Dean Caporella & Brett Nordin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dean Caporella has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Golf Guide and Surveys. Did you know more than 95% of businesses fail? Want to know how to make the top 5% who succeed?. Dean Caporella's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
Brett Nordin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Property Investment, Credit Loans and Network Marketing. To learn about a Nouveau Marketing tool that I discovered during my research, Brett Nordin is an entrepreneur and small business owner who writes about v. Brett Nordin's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.