Build a relationship first
"Internet marketers and network marketers share a common, terminal disease," Fogg says. "If you think of the whole process like dating, we bring someone to our Web site, and then we ask them to have sex immediately. There has to be some courtship first." One of the delicate aspects of network marketing is that people leverage their personal relationships to sell a product. Although that leverage makes some people queasy, the success of the network marketing model shows that many people do comfortably build multiplex relationships: Their friends are their customers, and vice versa. With delicacy, you can do the same thing.
Not everyone is a prospect
One mistake some network marketers make, as do many other sales people and marketers, is thinking of everyone they meet as a prospect. In network marketing, this is known as the "Three-Foot Rule", i.e., anyone within three feet of you is a prospect. But top network marketers don't do this. Max Steingart, creator of the "Success Online" training course for network marketers, says that it's not just about figuring out when to make your pitch, but even if to make your pitch. "You just build relationships with a lot of people. Some will become prospects and some won't," he says. "There's no timetable. If the time is right, you'll know."
Use online networks
The network marketing industry is a particularly good industry for leveraging online networks. Steingart teaches people how to "make the world your warm market," specifically by using online networks. He reports that when he instant-messages someone to start a conversation about potentially joining his distribution network, 50% of the people he contacts will respond to the conversation. More and more sales and marketing professionals will use online networks to accelerate their sales.
What else can traditional businesses learn from the best practices of successful network marketers? We welcome your comments and feedback.
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David Teten and Scott Allen are authors of the forthcoming The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, the first book to discuss how online communities and other social software can be used to connect with the right people to help you grow your business and advance your career. For more information, visit TheVirtualHandshake.com.