6 Tips to Get Started in Network Marketing
Mon Mar 29 2021
Preston Ridley
So you’ve decided to give networking marketing a try. In this competitive industry, there’s a lot you’re going to need to know if you want to be successful. After all, you are directly competing against thousands of other hungry network marketers looking to sell the same products and services.
In this growing industry, being a talented salesperson isn’t enough. In most cases, your success is dictated by your ability to sell, the tools you rely on to simplify selling, and your disciplined persistence.
Getting started in networking marketing is often the hardest part.
So, here are a few great tips to help you get started.
We already know that getting started is the hardest part. But there’s a trick to make it a little easier.
Set realistic goals.
No list of tips for new network marketers would be complete without mentioning goals. No doubt you have heard this before, but many people don't take it seriously. It is what will keep you going when the times get tough. Once you get beyond the sales you get initially from friends and family, what will keep you going to establish a sustainable business? The answer is remembering why you got started in the first place.
Here’s a suggestion for how to set goals.
The first 90 days can make or break you as a new network marketer. Establish a plan that breaks your goals in 30, 60, and 90 days.
In this plan, you will want to focus on things like:
Thinking about the bigger picture is essential. It isn't going to happen unless you make it happen. You may have marketing materials from the company itself, but it’s up to you to build your network, find new customers, and close sales.
Everything you do in network marketing should benefit your business. You have to focus on business-building techniques if you want to sell, scale, and grow.
That means identifying your target customer, the people that want your products, and developing a plan on how to approach, nurture, and sell to them.
This is where those new to direct sales sometimes miss the mark.
They hop on social media, make a few untargeted posts, get no or very little response, and call it quits. Getting results requires building trust with those who follow you on social media. Don't spam your social network but instead use it to build trust in your products and services.
You have to lay the groundwork if you want your network marketing business to succeed. This means putting in the time, creating relevant content that is interesting, and building a sales funnel that converts.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to develop your elevator pitch. If you can’t describe your products and services in 30 seconds, you will want to spend time working on this.
CNBC recommends the following approach to elevator pitches.
It looks something like this:
Keep it short
Solve a problem
Use an analogy
Make it personal
Read the crowd
Practice, Practice, Practice
You can modify this however you want, but the core outcome should always be the same. You have to learn how to properly describe the problem, your solution to it, and build trust with your customers.
Next, you need to create content that sells. Start a blog, build up your social media profiles, and start investing in relevant content. This type of content is more than just words, it’s sales material that you can use to educate, nurture, and persuade your customers. Your content is a great way to keep people engaged, build trust, and convert them to a customer.
It’s easy to get lost in all the hype when starting out. Even though you may believe in the products and services you are selling, your potential customers may not. You have to work to convince them and that requires having the right system in place.
Don’t get discouraged when you get rejected. That’s part of the game and something you need to accept if you want to be successful. Instead, learn from it.
Think about the bigger picture:
Why did you get rejected?
Was it your approach, or the products themselves?
Would a different approach achieve better results?
When you start thinking about the overall picture, it becomes easier for you to improve.
Don't forget to follow up.
A Brevet Group study found that 80% of sales require multiple follow-ups to close, and many people give up after the first follow-up.
And when sales start rolling in, don’t forget to stay engaged with past customers. Repeat customers are typically loyal customers and the best way for you to boost your sales with minimal effort.
Most network marketing companies will provide you with information about their products and access to marketing materials. Take the time to understand the products you are selling. By doing this, you will better understand your unique selling proposition and how to persuade potential customers.
Remember, something attracted you to these products in the first place. Maybe it was a revolutionary diet, nutritional products that fit your lifestyle, or something else. Don’t forget that reason. Instead, use it, build a story around it, and put it to work in your sales campaigns.
Take advantage of product samples if your company offers them. This tends to work better in certain industries, but the easiest way to validate a product is to show it in action, to let people taste it, and to let them put their hands on it. This creates the essential personal connection that you need in order to try and persuade a potential customer.
Network marketing is all about the network, yet so many reps try and do it on their own.
There is a lot to learn from a powerful mentor.
Learn from those who have built a solid business selling your products and services. Ask them how they specifically sell each product in the catalog, what strategies work for them, what customers they are targeting, and other information that will help you grow. If your up-line and team are not providing the support you require, seek out others who are successful representatives and learn from them.
If you sell products locally, there’s nothing wrong with networking with similar individuals in other industries. You'll find they share many of the same challenges and may have good tips for success.
It doesn’t matter how persuasive you are if you don’t use the right tools. There isn’t enough time in the day to do everything. Rely on the tools provided by your company, and complement them with other social sales and marketing automation tools that are available.
These tools make it easier to share product and business opportunity info with your customers. Some will also help track engagement that helps narrow your customer list so you can focus on those that are truly interested. A lot of time can be wasted selling to people who will never buy anything from you.
In this growing industry, being a talented salesperson isn’t enough. In most cases, your success is dictated by your ability to sell, the tools you rely on to simplify selling, and your disciplined persistence.
Getting started in networking marketing is often the hardest part.
So, here are a few great tips to help you get started.
1. Identify Your Goals
We already know that getting started is the hardest part. But there’s a trick to make it a little easier.
Set realistic goals.
No list of tips for new network marketers would be complete without mentioning goals. No doubt you have heard this before, but many people don't take it seriously. It is what will keep you going when the times get tough. Once you get beyond the sales you get initially from friends and family, what will keep you going to establish a sustainable business? The answer is remembering why you got started in the first place.
Here’s a suggestion for how to set goals.
The first 90 days can make or break you as a new network marketer. Establish a plan that breaks your goals in 30, 60, and 90 days.
In this plan, you will want to focus on things like:
- Attracting clients – How do you plan to attract clients? Family and friends are great, but they may not build a sustainable business.
- Unique selling proposition – Selling is an art. Create a unique selling proposition to convince customers to buy from you. We'll talk more about this later.
- Sale #1, #100, and more – It’s easy to get excited about your first few sales (and you should!), but stay focused and keep pushing towards future sales.
Thinking about the bigger picture is essential. It isn't going to happen unless you make it happen. You may have marketing materials from the company itself, but it’s up to you to build your network, find new customers, and close sales.
2. Focus on Business-Building Techniques
Everything you do in network marketing should benefit your business. You have to focus on business-building techniques if you want to sell, scale, and grow.
That means identifying your target customer, the people that want your products, and developing a plan on how to approach, nurture, and sell to them.
This is where those new to direct sales sometimes miss the mark.
They hop on social media, make a few untargeted posts, get no or very little response, and call it quits. Getting results requires building trust with those who follow you on social media. Don't spam your social network but instead use it to build trust in your products and services.
You have to lay the groundwork if you want your network marketing business to succeed. This means putting in the time, creating relevant content that is interesting, and building a sales funnel that converts.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to develop your elevator pitch. If you can’t describe your products and services in 30 seconds, you will want to spend time working on this.
CNBC recommends the following approach to elevator pitches.
It looks something like this:
Keep it short
Solve a problem
Use an analogy
Make it personal
Read the crowd
Practice, Practice, Practice
You can modify this however you want, but the core outcome should always be the same. You have to learn how to properly describe the problem, your solution to it, and build trust with your customers.
Next, you need to create content that sells. Start a blog, build up your social media profiles, and start investing in relevant content. This type of content is more than just words, it’s sales material that you can use to educate, nurture, and persuade your customers. Your content is a great way to keep people engaged, build trust, and convert them to a customer.
3. Be Enthusiastic, and Realistic
It’s easy to get lost in all the hype when starting out. Even though you may believe in the products and services you are selling, your potential customers may not. You have to work to convince them and that requires having the right system in place.
Don’t get discouraged when you get rejected. That’s part of the game and something you need to accept if you want to be successful. Instead, learn from it.
Think about the bigger picture:
Why did you get rejected?
Was it your approach, or the products themselves?
Would a different approach achieve better results?
When you start thinking about the overall picture, it becomes easier for you to improve.
Don't forget to follow up.
A Brevet Group study found that 80% of sales require multiple follow-ups to close, and many people give up after the first follow-up.
And when sales start rolling in, don’t forget to stay engaged with past customers. Repeat customers are typically loyal customers and the best way for you to boost your sales with minimal effort.
4. Know Your Products Inside and Out
Most network marketing companies will provide you with information about their products and access to marketing materials. Take the time to understand the products you are selling. By doing this, you will better understand your unique selling proposition and how to persuade potential customers.
Remember, something attracted you to these products in the first place. Maybe it was a revolutionary diet, nutritional products that fit your lifestyle, or something else. Don’t forget that reason. Instead, use it, build a story around it, and put it to work in your sales campaigns.
Take advantage of product samples if your company offers them. This tends to work better in certain industries, but the easiest way to validate a product is to show it in action, to let people taste it, and to let them put their hands on it. This creates the essential personal connection that you need in order to try and persuade a potential customer.
5. Leverage Your Sponsor’s Experience
Network marketing is all about the network, yet so many reps try and do it on their own.
There is a lot to learn from a powerful mentor.
Learn from those who have built a solid business selling your products and services. Ask them how they specifically sell each product in the catalog, what strategies work for them, what customers they are targeting, and other information that will help you grow. If your up-line and team are not providing the support you require, seek out others who are successful representatives and learn from them.
If you sell products locally, there’s nothing wrong with networking with similar individuals in other industries. You'll find they share many of the same challenges and may have good tips for success.
6. Use the Right Tools
It doesn’t matter how persuasive you are if you don’t use the right tools. There isn’t enough time in the day to do everything. Rely on the tools provided by your company, and complement them with other social sales and marketing automation tools that are available.
These tools make it easier to share product and business opportunity info with your customers. Some will also help track engagement that helps narrow your customer list so you can focus on those that are truly interested. A lot of time can be wasted selling to people who will never buy anything from you.
DirectSellerz.com offers many free resources and guides for new reps along with a mobile app to help with generating and managing all of your leads and prospects.
No one said this was going to be an easy journey. Success doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot of effort to see results.
Remember, establish your goals, understand your business, its products, and what makes them special, soak up knowledge, and use tools to improve your efficiency.
It takes a disciplined approach to succeed in network marketing. But, if you develop a plan and execute, you will see results.
What tips do you have for someone new to direct sales?
Don’t Give Up – Keep Building Your Business
No one said this was going to be an easy journey. Success doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot of effort to see results.
Remember, establish your goals, understand your business, its products, and what makes them special, soak up knowledge, and use tools to improve your efficiency.
It takes a disciplined approach to succeed in network marketing. But, if you develop a plan and execute, you will see results.
What tips do you have for someone new to direct sales?
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