Are We Now In The Unsliced Bread Stage Of Network Marketing?

I met with a prospect for lunch at one of our local Panera Bread restaurants.  While there, I noticed the message on the side of the Panera trailer as it pulled alongside the building to make a delivery.  It was promoting their round breads and carried the message “Unsliced.  The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread”.

 Seeing that message it dawned on me.  As network marketers we are in a person-to-person business.  We have tools available to us now that were in their infancy (computers) or not even born yet (smartphones) when I first became involved in my first multi-level marketing program.

 Now we have all this technology working for us with a Facebook friend base spanning the globe  and  receiving more Tweets in one day than we could possibly read in a year.  Make a call to a prospect?  Not a chance, they are making their way through the latest lead generation system’s sales funnel…leave well enough alone.

 Has our network marketing business gone through a transition to person-internet-person?  It would be the logical route to take given the fact that we can reach billions worldwide over the internet or if we had to we could even “settle” for the 600 million Facebook subscribers.  Forget about talking to and getting your business rejected by your neighbor.  It is soooooo personal.  If I am going to get rejected (and let’s face facts those working their businesses get a gaggle of no’s before getting a yes), I would prefer to get rejected in an impersonal Facebook message.  That way I can quickly delete it and move on.

 Previously the big thing was getting prospects in front of our business plan.  Now, we let our slick company supplied websites do the presentations for us.  It’s much easier that way. 

 I look at the way we use to conduct our network marketing businesses (person-to-person) as “unsliced”.  And the way most of us operate technologically today as the “sliced” way to do our business (person-internet-person).

 To revert back to past ways is absurd.   Most of us have adapted our businesses to the new without losing our reliance on caring, training and assisting our team members whether they are located across the street, across the country or across the globe. 

 Who knows what the next phase of all of our network marketing businesses will be technologically wise?

Perhaps we will be in the best thing since “unsliced” bread stage.

 What do you think?

Andy Acciaioli

Online/Offline Marketing Guide