Peddlers, strawberries and motives…

Most everyone earns a living doing something – working for an organization or peddling something.

We are the peddlers. That is, all of us who have something remarkable (we hope) for others. Something we believe in – products, services, ideas and programs – that we hope a few people like us will try, buy, and be happy they did.

Now there are all sorts of peddlers.

There is the peddler who shows the fat red strawberries at the top of the basket. You get wide-eyed when you see them, so you buy them, get them home, open up the basket and sigh – you know the story – the ones at the bottom are not nearly as red and plump as the ones on top. 🙁

Network marketers are not that kind of peddler. They don’t hide the yucky berries at the bottom of the basket.

We’re the kind of peddler comes as a friend. We’ve been taught that it’s bad to be a peddler of any kind. So many of us hide the fact that we peddle the many wonderful things we have, until after we’ve gotten the other person all wide-eyed about it.

Then, when someone says “Where can I get this?” the dance of fessing starts. Uh, well, you can order from this catalogue, uh, but be sure to put MY code in there. Er, well, I have some here in my purse…in my car…

“Ohhh really??” you can see and almost hear the potential buyer thinking. “Is that why you said all those wonderful things then? You are selling it? Ahh, that explains it.”

So now, even though everything you said about your thing may have been true, they don’t believe you – because you didn’t (dare) disclose that you were selling it up front.

🙁

What to do?

All the world is a customer. We ALL buy things from others. And we lilke to buy from people we trust.

So do yourself a favor. Stop pretending you don’t sell the product – lest your true story about what it’s done for you not be believed. If you’re discovered hiding one thing – your motive for connecting with the person – why should she believe the rest of your story?

So TELL up front. Victor Kiam (Remington) did in one of the most famous and effective TV ads of all time:

Walking onto the TV screen in his bathrobe, he held out a razor, and told every family watching in America:

“I liked this razor so much I bought the company.”

Aren’t you marketing your product because YOU liked it enough to think it might make a difference in the lives of others? Isn’t that a wonderful reason to be spreading the word about it? And shouldn’t your listeners know that from the moment you open your mouth about it so they know THAT is motivating you as well?

You are what the world is waiting for…the rare, authentic marketer. Isn’t that a good kind of peddler to be?