Have you ever sat back and reviewed a few (probably out of hundreds or thousands) of events that stand out in your mind since you've been involved the network marketing business?
Did you ever have a customer who wouldn't purchase a product because she didn't like the shape or color of the container?
Very early in my network marketing career, I was instructed to assemble a tote tray of consumable products for potential customers to sample before buying. Whoa, was that taken advantage of. Two *former* customers come to mind immediately. For the first, I drove about 35 miles to her house and presented her with a concentrated liquid dishwashing compound. I made sure she knew of the concentration and where the suggested dilution ratios were printed. I thought we were on the same wavelength by the nodding of her head. I didn't realize at the time it could have been a precursor to falling asleep. Well, four days later she called to inform me she was out of my sample product. All of it! The entire quart! A quart would last my wife 3 - 4 months. What was she doing with it anyway? I found out that all my verbal and written instructions were worthless. She was so accustomed to the product purchased in supermarkets, where you tip it upside down and give a healthy squeeze that she did the same to this product. She removed the cap and simply poured. By the way, she did complain that she didn't like the product because it made just too many suds.
The second one was in the same vein. After months trying to get this woman to use the product, she finally agreed, probably to shut me up. Again, she was informed the product was highly concentrated and that suggested usages were clearly marked on the box. I left her with the plastic scoop provided by the company. You guessed it. A couple of days later she called and blamed me that the product ruined her husband's shirts. I went over to assess the damage. Sure enough. Those shirts were incredibly hard. She said she used a "little" more than a cup. Which cup? The one I gave her? Nope. Somehow, that became lost and was replaced by this scoop that looked quite similar to the ones on backhoes. Well, it was this scoop plus a healthy pinch. My cement driveway was softer than her shirts. Again, another distributor buy back.
I will not go into attemps to garner commercial accounts by providing products to sample. Some were pretty funny while I learned invaluable information from others.
The name of the game is to get prospective distributors before the presentation. Great idea. The appointment is set and you trot over to their house, materials in hand, only to find they are a NO SHOW at their own house, and they didn't have the courtesy to let you know. How about in home meetings at your house? Those are absolutely a gas. We were told to invite twice as many that we thought would show. That was low balling it. They should have told us to invite 100x the amount we thought would come. As a matter of fact, to get two or three, we thought about inviting the entire city! And those who did show, sheesh, were they a fine bunch. Talk about interest. I believe rearranging their sock drawer had a higher priority.
Some of the plan presentations were incredibly powerful, too. I vividly remember one in a coffee shop (we were instructed to conduct plan meetings at night in coffee shops because you didn't do that sort of thing exposed to direct sunlight). At least the person showed up. I thought I was doing pretty good until he asked what it was (again, we were advised never, never tell what it was unless put on the spot) all about. Apparently the concept rubbed him the wrong way because he made a fist and started pounding on the table until the cups and glasses crashed to the floor. Talk about a sore looser! Yes, he did make quite a scene. And, yes, I was just a tad scared. You bet I cocooned for a few weeks after that one. Another one was not so violent but disturbing just the same. This young couple lived in an apartment. In a white shirt, jacket, and tie, I was given center stage - to sit in a beanbag chair in the middle of their living room while their diapered, screaming kid had the run of the place. I thought I did a smashing job at presenting the marketing plan and how they would fit in the program. The fellow told me to wait a minute. He came back, a grin from ear to ear, with an unopened distributor kit, covered with dust, and yellowed with age (the kind stories are made from). I felt sorry for him, his wife, and kid. I began realizing this business concept was not for everyone.
I will never show someone the opportunity when kids are present. Everyone seems to get distracted when the hostess has a diaper to change in front of everyone. It is a little difficult to regain lost momentum or switch topics. Cats and dogs fall into the same category. Having a pup not understand your leg is not a hydrant or having a cat prancing on the couch back is a bit distracting.
Well, where does one conduct the business? How about places like Denny's or Shoney's? I tried Shoney's. What a fiasco (Murphy's Law strikes again)! Someone confused my reservations and booked my meeting and another in the same room at the same time. Unfortunately, the other party arrived first. So, not to cancel at the last minute when I figured a crowd would show, I held the meeting anyway. Get this. We were positioned right next to the endless salad bar with piped music. I kept getting moved by people reaching for the lettuce and other stuff. Keeping attention over the music and normal bustle of the restaurant was a chore. I thought it was a disaster. Nevertheless, two were sponsored that evening but they never purchased one little product for personal use and they never attempted to contact their upline.
The Matol product line is nutritionally oriented. Everything about the company is directed down that avenue. Well, how do you politely get a group of people in a public place, with ashtrays on every table, not to light up and puff their brains out while you are promoting health? It looked like LA smog! There was something drastically wrong with that picture.
Just a few experiences. How about sharing some of yours?
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