Network marketing is like any other business but the obsession people have with thinking and believing it is ‘so different’ blocks most people from learning some simple business concepts and gaining a huge competitive edge.
Gain A Competitive Edge In MLM?
Think about it for a minute.  Yes, we have a different method of paying people than a traditional job. Yes, the home-based business model is different than traditional brick-and-mortar businesses but it is still business.
And as ‘different’ as we want to believe we are, traditional, successful businesses principles apply.
After all, we are dealing with people and market share.
And what do successful businesses do?
Identify ‘who’ they are marketing to and ‘how’ they can best ‘market’ what they have to offer.
Don’t ask a naked man for the shirt off his back
In the previous blog, we showed how the person in MLM dissatisfied with the results (as well as people looking) is no longer impressed with marketing plans or products.
They surveyed over 2500 people, showed that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Today’s candidate clearly understands while the product and plan and company may be great, they fully…and I mean fully…realize they know that they need to learn ‘how to’ market themselves.
They know this. They know the product and plan won’t market themselves. They KNOW they need to market themselves and what they have to offer.
So how is this an ‘edge’?
If you know what people really need and want, what the ‘avatar’ is looking for, then it’s easy to address and satisfy their needs and wants.
Pitching people on how great the product and plan are is, really, like asking a naked man for the shirt off his back. He’s saying, “I don’t know how to market myself,” and most people are telling them the ingredients in the product and why that makes them great.  She’s saying, “I don’t have the skills. Will you teach me and support me?” and most people are saying, “we have the best pay plan in the galaxy!”
Adults don’t want to be embarrassed or criticized
And there it is in a nutshell.
How do I know?
Well, do you want to be embarrassed?
Fail in a business you’re going to talk to your friends and acquaintances about?
No one does.
And while your competitors talk about their plan and product, you can use the information from these 2 charts to gain a massive advantage.
Again – they know they need to ‘market’ themselves and that is a network marketing skill.
Proof?
So what does this really mean?
It means that you now know what your prospects want.
They want you to teach them the network marketing skills they will need to market themselves. They know, read this carefully, that if they are going to make some money, they need to talk to people. If you’ll commit to them, teach them the skills and then demonstrate the skills with them until they master them, they will join you.
Why?
Successful businesses find out what their customers need, and reps are your best customers, and then get it to them. This is marketing 101. And MLMers who deny standard business principles apply? Let them be right. Why wake up your competitors?
The really cool thing is that it is the right thing to do anyway.
I Love Leverage
So how do you do it?
This is a really extraordinary part.
When talking with prospects I send them The 3-Deep Pattern and always work on the phone with other reps they would be working with. This offers both the concept of the kind of support they will be getting and proof that we work together, plus it’s more fun anyway.
Wait, it gets better.
More proof today’s prospect knows they need to learn the skills to succeed.
All you have to do is realize the people you are talking to want to hear you make calls so they can learn how.
Remember what the real problem is, that you can easily solve, for your prospects?
They don’t want to be embarrassed or criticized. They know they need to learn the networking skills that will help them market themselves SUCCESSFULLY. Once they know how and master it, they’ll duplicate.
Put these 2 charts together and what do they say to you?
What they say to me is 99.6% of prospects know they need to learn some skills to succeed and they want to hear the people that enroll them show them ‘how’ not ‘tell’ them how to do it correctly.
How do I do it?
Simple. I work my list, their list, anyone’s list on a conference call…and I forward the skill ‘What Goes Through The Prospect’s Head‘ to them. We make the calls with them and let others listen in, giving me a competitive edge and leverage. I am building others’ businesses and my own while demonstrating what they are heard in the training, over and over.
Everybody knows that repetition is the mother of skill but the cool thing, the leverage is that I am not taking time out of my business to do it. I am teaching by building.
MLM is not really different than any other business.  It’s just common sense to find out what your potential customer needs, fill that need and do it over and over again.
The edge you have is that most MLMers think that their plan or product is their edge.
You know better. That’s how you gain a competitive edge In MLM.
Believe
mark januszewski
world’s laziest networker
Right on the money once again! As MBA’s will tell you (and I am one)you must find your sustainable competitive advantage and make it as profitable as you can. Right thinking business people know that the ONLY sustainable competitive advantage is how you treat your people, both customers and employees. (in MLM it is the same people) If you want proof look at Walmart. Why do you think they employ greeters? Your skills are providing me the sustainable competitive advantage I need in this industry. Thank You! I’m new at this but trying hard.
Ray
Once again, you’ve given us a simple skill that……(oh how can I put this?)……truly work! Skills do makes the difference between struggling as an amateur and getting paid as a professional. In addition, using plain old common sense mixed with those skills, won’t hurt either.
Mark this post defines the plan clearly, now everyone just needs to follow it and they will be successful.
This is great stuff! Now where do I go to learn how to talk to people on the phone so my skills improve so I can do it with my downline?
Whereas I agree with you Mark, these “Survey” questions are more leading than a Republican Poll!!
Hey Bones….
Still LOVE that name, it’s a ‘pip’
Unfortunately, posting the 40 different questions would be tedious for readers….while at the same time providing evidence about not leading…but out of context one could come to that conclusion – if I were campagining 🙂
So let me give you a little ‘juice’ – because you make a good point, are open minded and we appreciate you stopping by here and participating…..
We ran split tests off the surveys for our teams. The questions about skill and hands on support were backed by several ‘trap’ questions [a technique used in data gathering to make sure you are getting information that has not been ‘biased’ by the point of view of the person putting survey/data gathering together]…..
It is clear, based on 40 questions, [several with multiple parts], that we could conclude today’s MLMer is not impressed with plans and products – they know they are in marketing and learning ‘how to’ market themselves is the tipping point. Of greater significance is the hands on support.
In a survey [I did not run] of 10,000 MLMers who had tried and failed….the #1 thing for them to reconsider MLM was upline support. In fact, that number was greater than the other 19 choices altogether!
So we ran a split test for 90 days….with our teams. 50% forwarded information about the plan, product and/or company to people in the process. The other 50% set a follow up 2 days later and instead of product, plan etc….forwarded The 3-Deep Pattern on day 1 and What Goes Thru The Prospects Head on day 2.
The results were stunning to say the least. The SQ [sponsoring quotient] was 200% higher with the second group.
Why?
Simple. People know they need to learn skills and want hands on support, not to be plugged into a system.
Both skills, available at site for free, were picked based on the ‘leading’ [LOL] survey results.
BOTTOM LINE: Today’s candidate does not want to be embarrassed or critisized by friends, etc….knows they need to learn to market themselves and wants to know someone will be there to support them and re-inforce the lessons they are taught.
We’ve seen that by honestly addressing this from the prospects point of view – with 3 words to open the conversation – that the conversations during the decision making process are astonsishingly effective.
“Harry, we educate, demonstrate and duplicate. Would it be OK if I told you how?”
Always ‘yes’
“Well Harry, the biggest reason people don’t experience the success they’d like in our business is they simply don’t know how to effectively market themselves. How to ‘do it’ profitably. Does that make sense?”
Always ‘yes’
“Harry what we do is train you, educate you as it were about ‘how.’ Then 3 or more 6 figure earner types work with you, including myself to demonstrate, over and over again, ****HANDS ON**** the things we train you on. We keep working with you so you are earning while you are learning the skills needed. Everybody knows repetition is the mother of skill….so would it be OK if we worked with you daily until you were making 1500-2000 a month and mastered the skills?
Yes
Sign them up Bones….it’s a no-brainer.
Why?
They [today’s candidate] know they need to learn some skills and covet hands on support – ensuring their success…..and the really cool thing is that it not only works Bones, it is the right thing to do.
So slanted? Not at all….leverage this massive truth ….getting paid to do the right thing, follow thru on the implied promise of helping them improve their life….with hands on support and teaching them skills needed to succeed is very cool, very accurate and effective.
So appreciate your stopping by and keep questioning things….it makes all of us better…hell Bones, I’m still learning
believe
mark j
Soon after viewing your post ” How Do You Gain A Competive Edge In MLM? | Mark Januszewski “, I inevitably resolved to bookmark it on Askjeeve. This is seriously a very good advice to discuss with my people