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Network Marketing In Its Purest Form
NOTE: Although this article is about network marketing, its
principles can be applied to its newest and increasingly common
cousin, internet marketing. A majority of internet marketing
programs and businesses are network marketing programs in the
final analysis. One common error shared by new internet business
owners, or non-internet business owners, is the assumption that
they should market their program in a more standard manner.
However, if you consider the cost of advertising your new
internet cellular phone services against, let's say, Verizon
Wireless or some other major wireless service provider, the task
of competing with such a giant in a normal advertising arena is
daunting at the least and frankly impossible at the worst.
That's where the network marketing thing comes in.
When most people sign up for any network marketing programs,
internet based or not, they usually have no idea what they have
actually gotten themselves into. Many will join a network
marketing program in the expectation of easy money, an idea
often provided by the network marketer who brought them into the
business. They commonly try to apply standard marketing
techniques, or at least as they understand them, without also
understanding the forces which they are operating against as
pointed out in the Verizon example shown above. Even those who
simply want to start their own home business just to get out of
the rat race, spend more time with the kids, or start a
retirment fund, find that the costs in money and time of running
a real business, internet business, brick-and-mortar business,
face-to-face network business, or lemonade stand goes against
all their expectations if they try to do it using standard
marketing techniques. Their dreams of financial freedom often
become a financial ball and chain attached firmly to their
wallets and their watches.
However, all is not lost if they apply the purest form of
network marketing and forget about going head-to-head with the
Verizons of the world.
In its purest form, network marketing is simply one person
telling another. The classic example is the time you chose to
try a certain restaurant because a friend recommended it to you.
I recently had my car repaired at a garage recommended by the
home inspector I used when I bought my house. The home inspector
seemed to be an honest fellow with ties to the community, so I
was happy to take his advice, and I was not disappointed. I
could have looked all day in the phone book to find a mechanic
who may or may not have been as reliable.
Unfortunately, a network marketer cannot rely on this passive
sort of word-of-mouth alone. He or she must become active, hence
the "networking" aspect of this sort of business.
No matter what goods or service you choose to represent, there
is almost certainly a business entity capable of providing it as
well as you...perhaps even better! Even so, many network
marketers make an excellent income because there ARE plenty of
people willing to buy from someone they know and trust, even in
those cases where the product may be more expensive or delivery
takes longer. Sometimes, these sorts of purchases will be for
convenience as well as for friendship's sake. Take Avon, Mary
Kay, and Arbonne, to name a few. Excellent products, but anyone
can go to the abundance of drug stores, groceries, and Wal-Marts
and purchase cosmetics...perhaps even at a lower price. They buy
from their distributors out of friendship with their
distributor, respect for the product, or the benefit of having
their order dropped off at their home or office...or a
combination of these.
The most important point is the personal friendship with, or
respect for, the distributor, but the most important aspect is
probably trust. I can purchase synthetic motor oil anywhere, but
my friend sells AMSOIL, and it is a reliable, dependable
product, so I buy it from him.
So, how do you network market in the purest way?
As pointed out, the big boys probably have advertising and
supply channels pretty well locked up. There's not a whole lot
that you can do against that, although this does remain a
possible way of gaining customers, particularly if you are at a
point where you can afford extensive advertising or a widespread
sales team...the reason for building a downline if the company
uses a multi-level marketing model. Under normal
circumstances..."normal" to me means not a lot of money, a
hearty dislike for sales, and being an amateur compared to the
professionals...you delay the "marketing" part of the equation
and concentrate on the "networking" side.
In a standard network marketing situation, you can do such
things as join organizations, offer free information or
services, or participate in community activities. These bring
attention to YOU, as opposed to your business, but, once you
become known to, and respected by, the people you come in
contact with, they will be more likely to purchase goods or
services than if you were to merely offer to sell them something.
In an internet marketing model, there is not that much
difference. Again, going head to head with the major players in
your arena might not produce much, particularly as you are not
known to your potential customers, and you probably do not have
the budget or expertise to overcome this disadvantage. However,
you CAN offer free information or services and gain the respect
and trust of potential customers in this way. You can join
discussion groups (most commonly, forums), or groups which might
have an interest in your product or service. Again, the purpose
is not to "sell", but to "network".
In either scenario, if you and I were to meet and I were to
immediately tell you that I sell website hosting, for example,
or an internet marketing course, your defenses would be
immediately raised, and you would be prepared to defend yourself
against my efforts and perhaps even sever the budding
relationship. If, however, I can prove to you that I am on your
side, am interested in many of the same things as you are, and
that we can have a fruitful relationship whether there is an
attempt at "selling" or not, a point may eventually be reached
where you will reach out to me and ask me about my website
hosting services or the internet marketing course.
You know the funny thing about this? In a world where everyone
seems to be looking out for themselves, I am forced to be a nice
guy! I have to be a contributing member of society and have
redeeming social value. I must make friends or fail! The old
saying is, "to have a friend, be a friend." How tough is that?
About the author:
Retired from the Army, the author has worked as an accountant,
purchasing agent, optical lab manager, restaurant manager,
instructor and long-haul truck driver. An active internet
marketer since 2000, he now makes his living online. Find more
of his articles at http://donovanbaldwin.blogspot.com and
http://business-info.xtramoney4me.net/