It’s amazing how quickly marketing changes. Not only in marketing itself but how we approach it as well. Twenty years ago, if you were in an MLM, your strategy would most likely be meeting groups, cold calls, newspaper ads etc. You also pitched your product because it was the product and selling that product that brought in the business (or at least that is what you thought). You pitched to anyone and everyone because the more people you reached the better chance of a sale.

Does this approach and market strategy work today? Yes and no.

Approach

Let’s talk about the approach. Should you pitch or sell your product? No. Yes, I said No. In today’s market everyone has been pitched. We receive so many advertisements online and in the mail and telemarketers constantly interrupt our evenings. In today’s market we are flooded with interruptions from sales. The last thing anyone wants is another pitch.

So how do you sell your product? In today’s market the only way you will obtain sales is with trust, especially with network marketing and MLMs. This is called attraction marketing. Offer your potential buyers value, answer their questions and offer them useful information.

There is an attorney in Orlando with a radio show who gives useful advice to his listeners on what to do if they are in an accident or battling with Social Security. He does not pitch his business at all. His practice is now one of the largest in Central Florida. Why? He gained his listeners’ trust. He is offering advice for free. In return for offering this for free, his listeners trust him. What happens when they need attorney services? They call those they trust. Guess whom they are going to call? Yes, him.

This also works with network marketing. Offer free advice to gain trust. In return, consumers will come to you. You will not sell them on your product, they will ask for your product.

I see many sellers who do this. Do not sell anything you do not own or believe in yourself. In my network marketing, all the tools I have in my sidebar are education and tools I use myself so I recommend them. I see myself as a learner and a teacher. I learn and use tools and then I offer the tools and education I find useful to help my readers be successful as well. This comes first, the sale comes second.

I am never the sales person pitching my product; I’m the mentor or teacher of network marketing who also happens to offer products that will help them.

Strategy

Do the same marketing strategies work today that worked 20 years ago? Yes and no. Yes, there are plenty of marketers out there that still call and place newspaper ads but, in today’s market, the most powerful source is the Internet. You don’t have to knock on anyone’s door. It’s all available on your laptop. If used correctly, (and again with education) you can be very successful in your business.

Keep in mind, you don’t want just anyone as a customer. You want to reach your target market, not just any market. You want those already looking for the products you are selling. This is key. Whether you market through Facebook, SEO or pay per click ads, you want only those looking for your product to see you. No more reaching out to just anyone, hoping they will be interested. The days of selling vacuums or encyclopedias door-to-door are long gone – and none of them were ever millionaires.

No matter what strategy you choose, what education you purchase, it’s up to you to master it. It takes time and effort. You are responsible for your destiny. No product, resource or tool can do the work for you.

---

My name is Laura Hatcher and I have been an online owner for eight years. Please feel free to visit my blog at http://earnonlinewithlaura.com/ for more online marketing tips. Education is key to your success in online marketing and sales. The worst thing you can do is jump without learning how to jump!

Related Posts