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[James Bennett Company: Team Beachbody Contribution Level: 3]

Chris, you make a good point, but I think each of us got half of it right.

Does it have to be either/or?

Numbers vs Relationships...,

I think both are required to operate a real business.

If you don't know your numbers to find out what works for your business,
You are operating blindly.

And,
Without relationships, you aren't serving anyone but yourself,
And that seems just as blind.

Best,
James

[Joyce Penner Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 8]

The same thing is true for traditional businesses. Build relationships with people and your business will build itself. Care more about the people than the numbers. How many experts are teaching this strategy? Better yet, how many of the people that join their business are actually "learning" this strate

Chris, when you look at the "traditional business" they spend time, effort and money on reaching the massive amounts of people they need. (Lots of numbers) Once they've caught their attention and they have approached them, called them, walked into their business is where the customer service starts. That's where the problem is identified and the solution offered. Building a relationship? In the context that online network marketers are using it is completely erroneous. If I've got a problem, and I'm met with courtesy, answers to my questions (alleviation of my fears) and the right product in my price range, I do not have to becomes friends with that business owner. We have a business transaction. You help me, I pay you.

Buying a fridge is a really good example that most people can relate to. A business owners can buy one ad in a newspaper for $10K knowing there are only 6 percent of the population interested in fridges. Only 2% will actually want to buy a fridge this week. So if you want to recoup the $10 thousand dollar price tag for your ad, they have to know how many people will be reading that piece of promotion to recoup the price of the advertising. XX of readers x 2% = number of fridges you sell. Then you have to know your profit margin x the number of fridges you will sell and crunch those numbers.

If you are expecting your business to grow then focusing on building relationships with that 2% is going to make a very, very slow growing company. Numbers are key, the #1 thing you need to focus on with customer service (different than relationships) second.
Joyce

[Luke Shavak Company: Avant Contribution Level: 2]

I am going to respectfully disagree with you. Businesses live and die by "the building of relationships" or the lack thereof. Most business-builders talk about "building relationships" with people. How many of them actually practice it or properly teach it to the people that join their business?

The same thing is true for traditional businesses. Build relationships with people and your business will build itself. Care more about the people than the numbers. How many experts are teaching this strategy? Better yet, how many of the people that join their business are actually "learning" this strategy?

Of course the more people that you teach to build their business properly, the more money EVERYONE will ultimately make.

In my opinion, that is why only 2% of the population actually succeeds and becomes wealthy in any business.

Totally with you on this one Chris.. and yes - how many of them are actually teaching this properly. Every single day I continually get people pitching to me! It makes me SO irritated.

Can't these people see what they are doing? It gets them NOWHERE.

[Contempo Marketing Contribution Level: 4]

OK I am going to jump in ... having built a million dollar + / year business myself...

Joyce is RIGHT! it's numbers first... then customer retention later

The function or focus of customer retention is what builds your business with repeat business but your business must continually grow correct ? Thus more, more, more numbers ... this in consequence spawns expansion correct ? Expansion requires more hires, more help to support that "customer retention".

As for number crunching ?
XX of readers x 2% = number of fridges you sell
(Joyce I love you, you are the sound of reason)

This points out another thing about this industry and a mentality that one has... Yes there is such thing as quality, the right prospect, the right lead, but this industry is hellbent on it, no one wants (numbers) or to play the numbers game because it is in fact expensive...TIME CONSUMING, for whatever reason no one wants to take the time to make money, everyone wants "QUALITY" so the business comes sooner .... HMMMMMM but no one is doing the targeting or the market research... Basically no one is applying business basics ... as Joyce just highlighted...

As for building quality relationships and the business will build itself ?
Hmmmm I do SEO work within this industry, and I tell you what ... Building relationships with many of you guys does not build my business, in fact NO ONE IS TALKING. 9 out of 10 will say, I want to keep you a secret or that "I don't want to compete with anyone else in my organization" ... I do my best to assure them that the internet is HUGE the market is massive, yet they believe otherwise, some asking for exclusivity... NOPE, SORRY... WON'T DO IT ... I AM HERE TO BUILD A BUSINESS, THUS I NEED NUMBERS ... NUMBERS DON'T LIE ... WALL STREET LIVES AND DIES BY IT ... THIS ECONOMY LIVES AND DIES BY IT ... SO SHOULD YOU...