After the Training: Marketing

That covers most of the interesting points from that particular training. As I mentioned, I found it motivating. So Kirk and I left the training and went straight to work. Kirk had the idea to make door hangers for our apartment complex and the neighboring complexes to get our message to more people. We went to the local Kinko's, where we were informed that they do not do door hangers. They suggested a place across the street, which we searched for to find it had moved (and is not open on Saturdays). As it turns out, none of the local sign printing shops are open on Saturdays.

While we were driving around, we found several physicians' offices. Which, of course, are also not open on Saturdays. So we went home. 

When we got to our complex, we asked if it would be okay to put up door hangers. While we were there, we also checked in with a staff member who had tried our products. She said she loved them and asked about how to buy, so we directed her to our website. 

Back in our apartment, we found a store online that does cheap door hangers, and designed our hanger. We used marketing materials that are available to us through our website to create the door hanger, making sure to stay as true to their original language as possible, since I know it is legally sound. (I've been consistently impressed by the marketing materials available to us through AmeriSciences.) Then we submitted our design and requested a proof.

MLM failure rate: network marketing takes work

I can see why they say about 95% of people who try network marketing or join an MLM will fail. I have no idea whether this number is accurate, but many people seem to be under the impression that they will get instant BIG results for little to no effort. I get the impression that many companies lead people to believe this. We were told from Day 1 with AmeriSciences that it would take work; that it was a legitimate business opportunity, not a "get rich quick" scheme. I guess that makes us lucky.

It's not that I think we've failed. In fact, Jerry and Lexie seem to be doing very well. They're doing what they need to be doing, and are getting out what they put in. So are Kirk and I. Team Kirk and Skeptic need to do more working (i.e., actually talking to people about the products, sharing samples, passing out marketing materials, etc.) and less talking about working. I have all kinds of ideas for marketing that don't involve just talking to people about the products and/or opportunity (my comfort zone; e.g., flyers--which I've made up but not distributed, promotional offers--free sample with purchase, discount on your first purchase, wellness talks in our complex), I just have difficulty figuring out the logistics for implementing my great ideas.  I also want to make sure that my "great" ideas don't violate the terms of our contract before I implement them. Kirk and I have a training tomorrow--the first major training session we've been able to make it to since joining--hopefully I'll get some answers then.

AmeriSciences marketing ideas

As I was leaving the house this morning, there was a flyer from our community with information about healthy living. Although there were no advertisements in the flyer, it inspired me to think of new ideas for marketing our AmeriSciences business. When I got to work, I e-mailed Kirk my ideas. One of them involved holding "Health Awareness" seminars in our clubhouse, where we would introduce people to our products. Even as I was writing it, I was thinking, "I'm proposing we do something that I hate having done to me." That is, offer them information, then give them a pitch. But I wasn't sure how else to do it.

I had some time between patients, and did an internet search for network marketing ideas. Most of the sites that come up have the same basic format...they tell you that your MLM company is lying to you and doesn't want you to succeed, and that the methods that they will teach you are the TRUE keys to success. Then they either promise you free information if you provide them with contact information (I've learned this is called a landing page), or they try to get you to buy their product. If you get to a landing page and provide your information, you will get a lot of follow up e-mails, some of which may include useful information, and many of which will continue to try to convince you to join their company or buy their product. Although I avoid giving any information to most of these sites, I found one that provided enough content to make me interested in finding out what else they would send.

As promised, I received a free e-book about network marketing (along with many more e-mails trying to get more information from me, get me to invest in their product, etc.). This document talks about the effectiveness of doing seminars for people about health issues. Great! I'm on track. The author warns, however, not to make your presentation a pitch for your product. The basic point is this: Give people content. Provide them with information they will find useful, and mention how your product would fit into the bigger picture (e.g., talk about other ways of living healthy that don't involve selling them anything, as well as mentioning your product). The author also discusses the importance of having a strong internet presence, to market your product effectively and with less work in the long run.

Take home points:
1. Provide people with content they find useful
2. Develop a strong internet presence to bring customers and people interested in joining your network to you.