MLM Training: Should You Advertise? Some Say No!

Training your downline includes instruction on how to promote the products and the business. Provide them with a system that can be easily duplicated, but provide one that does NOT limit them to just one way to promote.

Following is a question from a FirstClassMLMTools.com visitor:

"Tim, I have a background in sales and marketing. When I came into network marketing I did what was asked of me in regards to working my warm market. Having gone through my warm market I asked my upline what I should do now. He said, 'Talk to people at the mall.'

My husband went with a group who would walk up to strangers (at the mall) and ask a question about earning extra money. My husband returned home and said he did NOT feel comfortable with that approach at all.

I asked my upline if I could advertise and he recommended against it because it's not duplicatable. Could you give me your thoughts on the subject?

Thank you,
Kristin"

Hi Kristin,

First off, I won't go against your upline. You should talk to them and find out why they feel talking to people at the mall is a better idea (to them) than advertising. See if their answer works for you.

I will also answer this question in another way and perhaps you can explain it to your upline.

Let's go all the way back to the definition of MARKETING. It means "to make known in such a way that your product or service appears desirable." You have a business and a product that needs to be made known. That is what you do for your company. So in my view, any method that accomplishes this (and is legal and ethical) is fair game. I'll also add below some comments on being "duplicatable."

The truth is, I've seen very successful people in network marketing who have ONLY worked their warm market and the warm market of those they sponsor. I've seen very successful people who have built their business from advertising in newspapers. I've also seen people who have been successful by building with direct response (post cards, door hangers, street signs, etc.). And, I've had people in my downline who walked up and talked to strangers on the streets of New York City and were very successful.

What's my point? My point is that ANY method that makes your business and/or products KNOWN and desirable...works! This is absolutely proven - case closed.

Let me do a slight direction change and discuss a little bit about duplication. Duplication is the concept of creating a series of successful methods, and then everyone in the downline can do those same methods. The franchise industry has been used as an effective comparison. A burger in Florida is the same burger in California.

Being "duplicatable" means, WHAT YOU DO MUST BE DOABLE BY EVERY PERSON IN YOUR DOWNLINE. This is fine on paper but quickly becomes problematic when real life comes into play.

If I sponsor a personal fitness trainer who has the power of influence over her clients, so that when she recommends for them to take a product, they take it, is that duplicatable? No, unless everyone she sponsors is a personal fitness trainer. So should I tell her not to use her influence to sell products because it's not "duplicatable?" Absolutely not!

Someone in my downline was the owner of a large clothing manufacturer, and was running ads in the newspaper using his (very successful) name; he was sponsoring a lot of people with that ad! Am I (the upline) supposed to tell him that he can't do it because it's not duplicatable? That would be rather stupid.

I could list several hundred examples off the top of my head, but I think you get the picture.

My conclusion on this as an upline, was to pull back from the specific methods people use to make their business and product known, but teach them a "duplicatable system" that encompasses any method they want to use to promote their business.

Those of you familiar with Professional Inviter have witnessed on the recorded live calls with prospects, that I used every method that a person can use to get prospects: friends, family, purchased leads, post cards, walking and talking, newspaper ads, etc. Yet, I use the same "duplicatable system" throughout every call.

As an upline, it's very important to have a duplicatable system, but at the same time, to not limit a person from doing the business the way that best fits what they feel comfortable doing. If YOUR duplicatable system is talking to people at the mall, you've limited your business to only those people who are willing to talk to strangers at the mall.

As an upline, don't get in your downline's way of the definition of the word MARKETING. Let your downline make their (and your) business and products known!

Thanks for your question. I hope I've helped you and many others.

Tim Sales

Professional Inviter will teach you the most effective ways to find prospects, and teach you what to say to them so you can get immediate results. Get the series here at http://www.FirstClassMLMTools.com

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