Ding Ding Ding - We Have a WINNER!

Here is the problem...

Too many people in this industry try to lead with their product when they could be leading with something far more valuable...

Throughout the BN I have noticed that there has been a lot of arguing about how "important" a product is. So I am going to break it down how I see it.

We are going to play out a little boxing scenario - Product vs You

Round 1: If you google anything a long the lines of a home based business or how to make money online you will literally see THOUSANDS of different websites trying to convince you that they have the perfect solution for you. They state that you will not have to do any work at all and that there is no way that you can fail.

WRONG! This is the exact reason why so many people question Internet or Network Marketing before they get into it. They have heard countless stories of individuals that were promised something but it never happened.

The company usually states, oh this product is the best it literally sells itself. Wrong again.  Since all of these ignorant and selfish people have been hyping this all over the web people have had enough of it.

They finally realize what they promise is NOT going to come true. They learned this lesson with their wallets.

Believe me when someone learns a lesson with their wallets it is nearly impossible to convince them otherwise that now "your" product is going to help them out.

So what needs to be done when someone does not have your trust? EARN IT! Help them with their problems and you have earned their trust for life.

Do NOT lead with your product. Lead with valuable information that YOU can offer!

It is the best thing you can do for your prospect and it is also the best thing that you can do for your business.

Round 1 goes to you!!

Round 2: Everyone on the BetterNetworker should believe in attraction marketing. The single most important thing you can do to develop and keep your online business is brand YOURSELF!

Think about it. Opportunities come and go. If you are leading with your product every time you make a sale what happens when your opportunity goes out of business?

You just branded your product the whole time you were creating your business. Now it is all gone.

Yes I know that you do still have your "old" downline you can try to recruit again, but you just have to try to sell them on your "new" opportunity all over again and how amazing it is.

I mean most of them probably did not do anything for your business anyway. I can say this because if you did not lead with providing them valuable information that can make them successful then chances are they will not be successful!

Also, if you did not lead with trying to help them chances are you did not help them at all along the way. You just wanted the fast buck. Getting the fast buck is a horrible way to run a business.

How different would it have been if you used yourself as the selling point in why they should have joined your business in the first place? Well for one, you have time to train them to be one of your "business builders."

Business builders are key to have a successful business. I do not remember who wrote it but here is a quote that relates. "I would prefer one percent of the efforts of a hundred men than a hundred percent of my own." 

Do NOT lead with your product. Do NOT look for the fast buck.

Opportunity seekers are getting smarter and they will see right through your greed.

YOU are your most valuable resource to yourself and your prospects!

Round 2 is a no brainer - it goes to you...again!

Round 3: (The K.O!) Now you hear this a lot and for good reason! Duplication is key in order to be successful. People are attracted to other people that can duplicate something of value for them. For example, take a look at McDonalds.

McDonalds is the biggest fast food restaurant on the planet. Do you think they accomplished this because the product they offer tastes good and it is healthy for you?

No. People go to McDonalds because they can always rely on their fast service. It is the same all of the time no matter what McDonalds you go to. McDonalds actually uses their duplicatable system as a form of attraction marketing and wow.

Look what duplication can do.

We as Network Marketers should not try and reinvent the wheel. We should NOT lead with our product. We should still offer our product, but lead with a duplicatable system and knowledge just like McDonalds did.

(The Product's Come Back)

Now I am not saying to not mention or bring up your product at all. I DO think it is important to be excited about your company because your prospects will sense your posture, and it will make them become more interested in your opportunity. Some products ARE good and some companies have better leaders and better componsation plans than others. Its just that everyone says that their company and product is the best.

Why should your prospect believe you over everyone else?

When searching for an opportunity you DO want a company that will be around for a long time. You also want to know which company will pay you best for your hard efforts. I personally prefer a company that pays out multiple ways because I believe that multiple streams of income is better than a single line of income in any business.

Multiple streams of income opens more opportunities for you to optimize your system so that you can maximize your profits.

Also, a good selling point for your product or opportunity is how willing your up line is to help. Your up line is a HUGE resource to you and your entire downline. 

For example, if someone in your downline is having troubles sponsoring on the phone, yourself or your up line should be available so that you can get a three way call going on. First, yourself or your up line needs to listen in to see what they are doing wrong. 

Now you or your up line can give advice on what they were doing wrong or what they could have improved on. 

Then, the person having the problems sponsoring on the phone should listen in on their up lines call. In the past, I have found that this can be a huge advantage for your downline. Instead of just getting thrown in there, they now have someone to follow by example. 

This is just one example of several ways that you can provide help to your downline to DUPLICATE your exact efforts.

A good product/opportunity DOES have a lot to offer and I DO believe that there should be a mixture of a good product and well... an educated you.

Judging from my experiences and others', I have learned that in order to maximize success in this industry you DO have to offer your prospects more that just a product though.

Giving out you product's or company's information to your prospects should just be icing on the cake or an added bonus. But to base your business's success around a product is not the best way to build a business because you are branding the product/opportunity and not yourself in many different ways.

First of all, Network Marketing is all about building and maintaing relationships. A product or opportunity will not do that for you.

Your prospects should see you as a solution to their problem. Like I said before, the people that make the most money in this world are the people that have a solution to someone else's problems.

If you are presenting your business to your prospects like your company will solve all of their problems, the opportunity now has the power in your prospects eyes. 

What happens when you switch opportunities? Why should your previous sponsored people join up under you and your new opportunity when the old one you signed them up for already has all the power and the solutions to solve all of their problems?

I am sure you are familiar with Mike's book Magnetic Sponsoring. He used an excellent quote that relates where I am coming from.

-"No one ever bought a drill because they wanted a drill. They bought a drill because they wanted a hole."

This is the EXACT same concept in Network Marketing or ANY kind of marketing. Your prospects do NOT want "a drill" (your product). They simply want "a hole" (a solution to their problem).

A product will NOT offer them a solution, but YOU can.

I hope this can clear some things up.

For more information to lead you to your success, check out my 7 Day Marketing Challenge!

To Your Great Success,

- Curtis Royse