Remember the old saying, "Build a better mousetrap and the
world will beat a path to your door"?
Henry David Thoreau said this originally. Thoreau, a famous
19th Century American writer and philosopher, had zero
experience in business and spent most of his adult life
living alone in the woods next to a pond. Nonetheless, he
was considered a very smart man and was something of a
celebrity so everyone assumed he knew what he was talking
about.
But let's take a closer look at his most famous quote.
Basically, it means that if you invent a superior product,
everyone will want to buy it, and you'll be successful.
Many of us MLMers believe this is the key to network
marketing success, and we run our businesses accordingly.
We assume that because we have terrific products, a great
company, and an award-winning compensation plan we can't
fail. Everyone should naturally want to jump right in, yes?
If people aren't jumping in, we think we just have to give
them better information about our products, company and
compensation plan. This belief results in the constant
quest to find the Perfect Presentation. Or for some MLMers,
the quest for the Perfect Company.
Does it really work this way?
Let's look more closely at the mousetrap idea. Back in
Thoreau's day, mice were apparently a big problem, and
effective mousetraps must have been a hot item.
Things are pretty different now. I live in the suburbs, and
I haven't seen a mouse in over fifteen years. Neither have
any of my neighbors.
Not much of an opportunity for mousetrap inventors here, is
there?
Maybe Thoreau's quote should be amended to say "Build a
better mousetrap, AND find a bunch of people with major
mouse issues, and those particular mouse-infested
individuals will beat a path to your door." (Doesn't quite
roll off the tongue as easily, but it's more accurate.)
This illustrates a critically important point: The more
hungry some people are for your product or service, the
more of it you will sell. A total no-brainer, right?
As someone said recently, if you want to sell a lot of
hamburgers, find a starving crowd.
In the case of network marketing and your opportunity, who
is your starving crowd?
Clearly not your Uncle Harold, or your neighbor Gladys, or
the guy in the next cubicle at work. Or any of those other
people you've been pestering unsuccessfully for so long.
What about other folks who look like perfect candidates -
realtors, insurance salesmen, the PTA president? Go-getters
with experience and huge circles of influence. Well it
depends... are they looking for an opportunity? Chances
are they're perfectly content doing what they're already
doing - hardly what you'd call starving.
So who IS your starving crowd? Who IS desperately looking
for an opportunity?
To answer these critical questions, I'd like you to look in
the nearest mirror. The person looking back at you is a
perfect example of your ideal prospect.
You know that, of course. You've probably often thought to
yourself, Why can't I find someone just like me? Someone
who's ready to take action? Someone who already sees the
vision of what network marketing can do for them? Someone
who WANTS to do this?
Admit it - you're pretty hungry yourself.
Jewels like you definitely exist - in plenty of cases
currently unattached to any company. But if you keep
putting all your time and energy into the duds, you'll
never find the real gems.
Here's a suggestion: Stop chasing the wrong people. Leave
your family and friends alone. Forget about the latest and
greatest script that's supposed to light a fire under your
lukewarm prospects. It won't work. Even if you manage to
manipulate them into signing the application form, they'll
probably never do anything.
Instead, spend your time and energy finding new ways to
reach your real target market - your starving crowd. People
just like you who are desperate for network marketing
success.
----------------------------------------------------
Liz Monte writes on various topics of interest to network
marketers, particularly about 21st Century marketing
strategies that produce results. If you'd like to learn how
to connect to your "starving crowd" with new and more
effective strategies, please visit her website.
http://www.wisenetworkmarketer.com
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