Lulu is a network marketer who’s always been interested in health. She markets her product online through her growing email list- friends and others who have given her “permission” to write them, offer health tips and tell them about new products, etc.
Her upline, Joe, has just discovered Lulu has her list of over 170 subscribers and insists she start promoting the business to these folks.
Lulu balks. She doesn’t want to lose readers who don’t want to be pushed to sell. Joe says she’s wasting a big opportunity, that she doesn’t understand the business she’s in.
How would you advise Lulu?
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Learn to write a key person ad like I did for $37. Use New School principles. Not $97. It’s $37 here for the 3-CD set. Check it out first so you see what you get. MP3s here ($25)
Lulu should continue doing what she is doing. In the “old days” I lost many customers because I followed the advise of an upline like Lulu’s.
She MIGHT consider asking her email group for referrals of people they know who might be interested in earning extra income.
Some old-timers in the industry still don’t understand that a nice income CAN be earned with just customers! What a concept!
Lulu shoud tell her sponsor to jump in a lake!
If I’m not mistaken, legitimate MLM and networkmarketing comapanies do not own their distributors. And since statistically only 3 out of 100 customers want to be distributors, Lulu’s “list” isn’t big enough yet to hammer with a business offer, no matter how well disguised.
If Lulu is content with her income and the development of HER business, then her sponsor is guilty of pushing the “old MLM pyramid” model.
Stick to your guns Lulu, it’s your business and you run it, and grow it, however you see fit.
Dave
Lulu could add a line to her next newsletter asking if anyone knows someone who would like to help her get the word out about her exceptional products. Someone who, like her, enjoys using the products and also appreciates the opportunity to earn money while making a difference in people’s lives. Simple, non-confrontational, low-key and Kim Klaver Approved!
Lulu,
You need to do what is right for you. Is this what has helped your business in the past or is the customer buying products? One of the great things about uplines compared to bosses in a traditional job is that you don’t have to do what he says to keep your job. So it is up to you, Lulu, where does your business profit from most? What did those people sign up for? Can you live with yourself now and what if you starting turning to a business opportunity first person?
Nancy Carlson
perfectmombusiness.com
I would say Lulu to ask a question based on your New School Program.. ” just tell her customers that she’s looking for person to partner up with and ask that if she would describe what she is looking for, does that customer know anyone like that? just asking a referral, not trying to recruit that customer ever. And they’ll tell her if they’re a match or they know someone who’s match for that question or not.
I salute Kim for being here for us networkers and showing and teaching us tools how to do this business right way for ourselves.
Thank you Kim so much.
Jay Laine
I would tell Lulu to keep doing what she’s doing and to ignore her upline.
Because her friends and others have given her permisssion to tell them about new products and give them health tips, she needs to honor that by only giving them what they have agreed to. If she follows her upline’s advice, she runs the risk of losing her readers and turning them off to anything she has to say.
She is an independent distributor and as such she can run her business in the way she feels most comfortable.
I think her upline is right and Lulu is right.
You never know who may be looking for a way to make some extra moolah. Why not add it as an aside, an extra part of the wellness emails…get your products for free, earn some mad money. Offering the biz opp does not have to mean shoving it down your customers’ throat.
She should tell Joe to go and build his own list of people interested in hearing what he has to say, rather than try to pounce on hers. Most people want to know about good products, and also know there is a business opportunity associated with. Those people will identify themselves, and then she can talk the business from there. She should not risk losing her hard earned product base because of an overeager upline that does not understand that there is more than his way to build the business. If she is uncomfortable doing it then she shouldn’t. If she feels it is right it is up to her what she wants to do. But have it be her decision as to how she wants to run her business.
I would show her what kind of money she could be making by adding a few business builders to her existing customers.
She could easily start with a blurb about the business in her online/offline newsletter.
Or hold a business meeting, announcing it in her newsletter and then mentioning it to her customers she is doing business with.
Seems low key and easy to start with.
Christy
http://www.totalhealthyliving.com
She should only permission market to them. Post a question to her readers. “Do you know anyone that would like to ….? Let them respond on there terms. The ones that respond send them a thank you. The ones that don’t great. No one gets put off.
Tell Joe to take a hike!
Lulu doesn’t have to employ an in your face, hard sales pitch to these subscribers, however how does she know if any of them would be interested, if she doesn’t allow them the opportunity to explore without being pre-judged.A subtle, non-confrontational marketing program would be the best solution for her, such as a tagline added to her articles,or a link to her website added to the article. Lulu and her sponsor are confusing marketing with selling, these folks don’t need to be sold to however a great subtle and friendly marketing campaign is fair.
Barbara
http://www.barbara.agelessway.com
Wouldn’t that be Spamming??
Lulu could just add a line in her email sig that says, “Learn How to Get Your Products Wholesale and Earn Extra Money. 24 Hour Message 888-xxx-xxxx.”
Then on the recording she could tell them a little about the business (45-60 seconds) and offer them free information by mail or email if they leave their contact information. Then that way if her contact list forwards her emails then she may get some business building leads and all she did was provide a way for them to get more info and they can call if they are interested, or not.
Dave and Annie – if you have a profile on Network Marketing Central, your vanity URL will be YOURNAME.networkmarketingcentral.com
Your links are not right now, and come up as “Not Found.”
Anon: It is not spamming when you are writing to your own email list.
I think the problem it’s not WHAT her upline told her that she should do. The problem is THAT her upline told her what she should do.
My upline once in a while TELLS me what i should do for MY business, whithout asking me what I want.
This is HER business not her uplines business, so what ever decision she will make is up to what SHE thinks is right for the business. Too many sponsors tell their downline what they should be doing and i believe we got into the business to have freedom and be owr own boss and not have our upline as our boss.
170 people is a very big list. If SHE wants to find a good person for a business partner, she might send occatioanlly a message through her tips that she is looking for someone for her business, but she should do that only if she feels like doing it and NOT because her upline wants it(and she is not wasting her time by not pitching them about her business program).
That’s my opinion, and that is what i encourage my people to do. Do things that make you feel comfortable.
PS: Her upline might need to take some lessons, on how to be a “coach” not an upline “boss”.
Theodore From Greece
If Lulu’s subscribers are into the health buzz, what she should do in one of her newsletters is to work her way into asking her readers if they know anyone who’s interested in working with her to market the products she’s marketing. After all, she’s not asking her readers to market the products, only if the readers know anyone who are willing to help out.
Lulu should also state in her newsletters what kind of person would be qualified to do the business. That way, those who don’t have the desire, the conviction, and the seriousness to earn extra income would easily be weeded out.
If Lulu is continuously making income through her readers already converted to customers, she shouldn’t need to worry about pitching the business to them directly. Remember that by asking her readers if they know someone who’s interested in making extra income, she’s also using them as a gateway in getting others who may be interested in the business.
Joe is right about promoting the business, but Lulu should use these folks as a link to whom they know instead to promote the business. You never know, that person they might know could be themselves.
Those are my suggestions.
In my book, Kim is a awesome teacher.
Sidney Juachon
http://www.youarecovered.net
While I agree that Lulu should run her business as she wants to run it, I also believe that part of the built in Power of being in a Network Marketing Income System is to leverage off the recommendations, knowledge and experience of upline, downline, crossline and every other conceivable place we can leverage information. Obviously, this Community of Network Marketing Central is also a venue that allows us to leverage off the ideas of others.
I also see Network Marketing as a place to leverage our time and our knowledge by inspiring, impacting and empowering others with the lessons we have learned. It’s a place to give back to others as well as to honor ourselves. In my opinion, to “only” share the product line is to rob another of the opportunity to grow personally, to take advantage of the wonderful tax deductions, and to create an outrageous income –while enriching other people’s lives, and having fun doing it.
It is my mission to Inspire, Impact and Empower the world. My product line is only “one” of the ways I do that. Helping people start a new (or different) business is another way I do it. –And it’s the one I like the most, because it’s the most empowering to that other person.
If you help someone start their own business (using your product line of course) you know they’ll be ‘hooked’ on the product line (hopefully forever). — If you only find “customers,” you aren’t as reassured that they will continue to be customers.
If you believe in your product line, you’ll brainstorm every way possible to “keep” that product line in that person’s life. –Having them “see” and “take advantage” of the income model is one of the best ways to do that.
Lulu, what IS your commitment?
It all comes down to your core belief structure. If you are wanting to be a product salesperson, then be it.
However, if all you want to do is to sell your products, then why not open a traditional store? — The Powerful Income System of Network Marketing is NOT set up for each of us to only be a “store.” — It is set up for us to empower others by offering them the same income and personal growth opportunity that we are taking advantage of. What if no-one offered “you” the opportunity to own your business?
If we want to impact people’s lives on an even ‘deeper’ level —then we will all need to stretch outside of our comfort zones, and continue stretching those boundaries. — I’m convinced that staying in our comfort zone keeps many opportunities from us. — When we are only operating from where we are now, we are unable to see the opportunities for growth that lie just outside that comfort zone.
Why not try asking in your newsletter every month if your customers know of anyone who would like to create another income stream; one that is NOT tied to a job. —If they are interested, they’ll often speak right up and say, “Yes….. ME!!”
Or you might offer “Starting and Running a Profitable Home Based Business” as one of your services.
Or you might say: I’m having so much fun running my own Home Business, that I have a new service: I help other people start one too!
Know anyone who might be interested in:
Another Income Stream–one that is NOT tied to a job.
Paying less income taxes
Becoming Part of a Network of Entrepreneurs
Retiring early with more than enough money coming in every month
(there are many other phrases to use too, but I’ll keep it short!)
One of the challenges in Network Marketing is that we get so busy selling our product line and learning all the ins’ and outs’ of the product itself, that we make it look “hard” to other people.
When I started, I learned so much about the product line that I became an “expert.” –Then when I asked people if they were interested in doing what I do, they said, “No way, I could NEVER be as good as it as you are, you know too much!” I made it look “hard.”
Really, what we should be doing is becoming an expert at helping other people set up their own businesses. –And we teach them to help “others” do the same.
It’s so simple.
Help others help themselves. — Not “just” with our product lines, but with the core concept of empowering someone who can then empower someone else, and they empower someone else until the ‘chain’ of people helping people touches hundreds/thousands/millions of people. We do this all through the Dynamic System of “Leverage.”
When you only sell the “product” –are you really taking full advantage of the Network Marketing Income System? I don’t think so. But you think about it– then decide for yourself.
If her sponsor is half as good as he thinks he is, he should find his own prospects. Just my opinion. I feel each person has the prerogative to do their business the way they feel is right for them.
I agree with most of the other posters here. Lulu’s list comprises “friends and others who have given her permission to write to them, offer health tips, and tell them about new products.” These are not people who have expressed an interest in business, home business, extra income. We have to market to people from THEIR frame of reference, not from ours… So just because I’m interested (or my upline is!!) in building a business, does not mean that everyone I meet is interested in that too, and I could upset my friends and contacts if I try to push something at them that is not a primary interest for them. It works the other way too – let’s say I meet an entrepreneur and I bombard her with product information… I will just turn her off as surely as if I push business at a health-nut.
If I were Lulu I might write a Kim Klaver style “Wanted” ad with the attributes of my ideal business builder and include it at the bottom of my next newsletter, asking “who do you know who matches these criteria?”
Lulu needs to tell her u/l to take a chill pill – sales are not for most people for secondary incomes. To keep peace, she could however post a discrete query line at the end of her “healthletter”.