How Not To Build A Marketing List
I first became acquainted with network marketing in 1997, via “the men in black suits”. I’m not talking about some weird religious cult, although many of my friends and family were convinced they were just that.
I’m referring to one of the biggest Multi Level Marketing companies that has existed – Amway. They are known by a different name today which should give you enough of clue about their reputation if you have never heard of them. Few people in the industry from that time were not impacted in some way by this company. This is one of my earliest memories of not only making zero money but learning some of my hardest and most valuable lessons.
I had not long immigrated to New Zealand when I joined “the business”. As a vulnerable immigrant I was looking to feel as if I belonged somewhere and this seemed like a great place to fit in, where everybody shared the same vision of financial independence and which on the surface seemed to be very possible. So many others were doing it, why couldn’t I?
One of the first tasks for a new recruit long before one was permitted to wear a black suit, was to write a list of all persons we knew. As I recall, it had to be 100 deep, starting with all friends and family and stretching way beyond. My list was extensive and featured everyone from my great great Aunty Maude hanging on for dear life at 98 in a home for the infirm to the waitress who had brought me a cup of coffee earlier that day. This was my “warm list”. Little did I know at this point, how quickly warm could turn to very cold!
My sponsor in true ‘duplicatable spirit’ called the first person on my list in order to model how I should speak to another about why this business opportunity was something that could not be passed up under any circumstances.
The first person on my list was my best friend of 20 years. Naturally I was besides myself with excitement having found the answer to all my problems and delirious with pleasure that we were seconds away from saving my mate from his uncertain and horrible life too. How could anybody not be jumping at this opportunity?
You will not be surprised to hear that we didn’t speak to each other for about 3 years after that call. In fact the only duplication that took place was the reduction of friends and family from my Christmas card list. Also I went from having a promising warm market to no market within a matter of days.
So came the first lesson – friends and family generally do not want to be approached about your latest new potions distribution and money generating business. They definitely do not want to hear about this via your sponsor, someone they do not know at all, especially when two nights earlier you seemed quite capable of articulating your thoughts about going for a beer after squash without needing a dedicated spokesperson.
What amazes me more is that 1o years later there are still companies out there who promote this archaic way of creating a marketing list. Our friends and family may think we are mad, may not understand why we want to go down this road but because they like and love us, will support us, as long as they don’t have to be forced down the same road as us and why should they be?
Look at it this way, if you bought a dry cleaning business that specialized in only cleaning green velvet, would you call all your friends and family and insist that they only buy green velvet clothes going forward, use your services for dry cleaning and suggest they buy shares in your new business because you think it’s a wonderful idea??? I think not. Those with green velvet clothes may regard your services as a solution to their problems and if so they may well decide to support you and your business in some way.As for the rest show them why you believe in your business idea and leave it at that.
Live the life you love and love the life you live!
