Today I read that Heineken (the beer company) was doing a big Facebook campaign to “drink responsibly.”
Here’s a company that sells alcohol, running a campaign to educate
people not to drink too much. Nice. They’re showing
some restraint. It’s obviously good for business.
How about recruiters who sell the big income dream?
Money is as addictive as alcohol isn’t it? Are we selling it responsibly?
Like alcohol, there is a risk to start MLM. A person has to lay out money,
major effort, and test their friendships to do this business. Success is
not guaranteed, as 95% of those who bought in discovered
Yet folks are trained to recruit everyone and sell the dream as if it’s
as simple as signing up and handing over that first check.
Yes, selling the dream like that brings the companies and recruiters
fast income. But are we doing the other people right?
Should we be more transparent with that initial sales pitch?
What would it look like to ‘recruit responsibly’?
What would it look like to ‘recruit responsibly’?
Fantastic question, Kim. Your training is exemplary and helping me to do it right.
wow, I love this. it just confirms what I have been thinking. starting your own business is hard work and “get rich quick” schemes just don’t work and should not because they are not sustainable and they don’t allow for personal growth which can take a long time
Getting pitched with “We’ll do all the work” annoys me because, as you know, that is not true. I ‘err’ on the conservative side. I tell them (customers) that I would not be doing my full job if I didn’t explain how, as customers, they can earn a ‘commission’ – and how, if they wish, they could earn a healthy 3 figure income part time or even a VERY healthy 6 digit income annually full time. I remind them that ‘doing the business’ is not a condition of sale.
Those who want to do the business I let them see the whole picture – reminding them that the middle of the word network marketing is ‘work’ and that I/we can support them and help them but they must work, too. And then I go from there with training. I guarantee them the bonuses that are available if they meet certain criteria (4 buyers for the first $ monthly bonus) but to not guarantee any specific income – just let them know what is available.
~ Peggy Bendell
aka
Peggy from Porcupine
I am a firm believer in recruiting for growth. I would dare to say the recruiting is the lifeblood of most businesses. Everyone wants to sell a good product, everyone wants everyone else to buy their good product, but to recruit irresponsibly is suicide! Duplication of yourself (if you are a go getter) is key and it takes time. Great post!
I have really enjoyed learn from you Kim. So many questions I have had for sometime have been answered since coming into indirect contact with you. WOW! What a pivot you are. Thanks!
After banging my head against the wall trying to sell the dream like my upline kept insisting was the only way. I tried my best! sure I got a few sign-ups but they vanish before the 90 day was over! Luckily I had a dusty copy of Kim’s “Orange” book, and I blew the dust off the cover and proceeded to read. Boy, was I surprised to my amazement! KIM was correct all along, it has been much EASIER approaching, friends, and strangers with the NON-SALEPERSON, Get Rich Quick approach, and using her suggestions of just offering them the products in a simple non-mumbo jumbo psycho-babble talk. GUESS WHAT? Yup… it works! NO HYPE, NO Flashy videos, NO fancy slick brochures… Kim I can’t thank you enough!
Sincerely, Coach Joe
Ms Stud:
How about selling the dream and telling them what they need to do to make the dream reality? It is like someone wanting to go to Harvard. Why not encouraged them and at the same time tell them what are the criteria to get into it.
Good idea. So now, how could you tell them to get their dream without making all those silly promises? There’s a way, you know it?
Mark,
You write, “Which is approximately the same percentage of failure in most businesses.”
While that might be true, does that mean we should not make a supreme effort to change it?
When something’s as broken as the MLM image around the world, why not focus on changing
it by qualifying folks better like top companies (Apple or Google) do?
I apologize. My post didn’t come through correctly. I wasn’t being critical, just merely pointing out that the failure rate is virtually identical.
I agree with you that we need to lower the failure rate. Thoroughly qualifying a recruit is a great start. I would add that an ethical presentation of the business which addresses the time, labor as well as the learning curve which are involved.
My point was this: When recruiting and someone argues that MLM’s typically have a high rate of failure, you’re counter can be “Sure they do, but the failure rate of MLM businesses is no higher than the failure rate of any other business. And just like MLM businesses which fail, traditional businesses often fail due to lack of owner dedication, inadequate training and unreasonably high expectations (quick/easy money).”
By the way, I purchased your iPhone/iPod training sessions. Good stuff. I’m already incorporating your suggestions into my repertoire.
Hey Mark, thanks for the clarification.
Thanks also for the good comments on the iPhone training stuff.