I'm always increasingly shocked at how 'stupid' some business owners are... They'll "p and m" that times are tough, making money is hard, blah blah blah. (All a bunch of hot air, by the way). Of course, because YOU are taking the time to read this article, that's probably not you, but I wanted to raise your awareness about something of critical importance to your MLM business's success. However, I'm jumping ahead. Let me tell how this all came about... You see, I finally decided to hire a maid service. (I absolutely hate cleaning and frankly, considering I don't get paid to do it, spending hours cleaning is a waste of time. Especially when you could be using that time to learn a new skill, spend time with family, build your business or do something you truly love). In Northern Virginia, there are the "big 3" of cleaning services, and all locally-owned franchises (not much different than an independent business owner in network marketing). I decided to "shop around" a little before hiring a service, so I made calls to all three. This is where the stupidity begins... Service #1 never answered the phone. Never returned the phone call. So the choice there was easy. "You're the weakest link. Goodbye." Service #2 booked an appointment. He called the day of the appointment to confirm. And didn't even show up on time. After an hour of my time wasted, I called the owner to cancel the appointment and told him not to bother coming. (and of course, no one even answered the phone when I called.) Service #3 actually answered the phone...booked an appointment...and -- gasp -- showed up (albeit 15 minutes LATE). But get this. The owner didn't even have testimonials to share with me. He was shocked when I asked for references! (If he wasn't standing right in front of me, I probably would have been banging my head on the desk.) Eventually, after practically helping him with his sales presentation, I decided to try out #3. Not necessarily because he had the best service - but because he was the only dang one to show up (a big lesson there!). No wonder people can't stay in business. Especially when it takes so much effort to give them money. Sadly, my "maid" story above is echoed in thousands upon thousands of businesses today. (I bet you have your own version of it yourself.) With that said, here's what my story has to do with YOUR business: Hopefully you've realized the four important business lessons in the story above, but I want to draw your attention to the absolute biggest one... Follow-up! Now it might seem like a no-brainer, but half the battle is just following up with your prospects. Getting them to the next meeting. The next exposure. Staying on their radar screen. Or, in many cases, just contacting people who respond to your ads. You realize there probably wouldn't be nearly as many lead companies around if everyone actually called the leads they purchased? Most distributors leave their leads high and dry. All the businesses I called above could have cared less about a relationship with their customers. And between you, me and the web browser, I'll bet the one service I hired won't EVER even ask me for a single referral. (Hopefully you aren't making that same mistake in your business!). The bottom line is: Your business, MLM or otherwise, MUST be about building relationships. If it's a one-night stand with a "churn and burn" philosophy, you won't be in business very long. You'll be working your butt off just to keep your head above water. So roll up your sleeves! Got a new downline member? Follow up with him. Don't just leave him out to dry. Got a new customer? Send her a "welcome" packet. Follow up in two months. Ask for referrals. Send a birthday note. Build a relationship. Thanks to the Internet, automated follow-up is even easier than ever, so be smart, not stupid. Remember, if you are the one person willing to put in just a tad bit more work - you'll be rewarded ten times over! Copyright 2006 Chris Zavadowski |
