| Are you as sick as I am of the marketing hype | | | | singular approach has been, especially these last 5 |
| and hustle that comes from promoters of books, | | | | years. (The President of the DSA once told an |
| CDs, seminars and courses, to network marketing | | | | audience the attrition rate was 102%!? How? |
| programs? | | | | Because, he explained, many people sign up for |
| The Hype: | | | | more than one company, and drop out of all of |
| E.g. "I just finished reading a great book that you | | | | them.) |
| absolutely must have. It's called blah blah." | | | | No amount of hype has changed the drop out |
| Or | | | | stats. |
| "'I've read every book on marketing printed in the | | | | What's the point, ladies? And yes, good gents. |
| last 150 years. This is the first breakthrough in | | | | Don't succumb to the hype and hustle, even if |
| over 50 years.' | | | | you're just starting and feel you don't know what |
| "Kim, this business is going to EXPLODE! Get in | | | | you're doing in your new little business. |
| early and with YOUR contacts, you can easily | | | | Try different ways of doing things. You CAN |
| earn $300k your first year!" | | | | decide what works for you and what goes with |
| "This new and amazing product is something | | | | your own gut, heart, style and personality. DO |
| EVERYONE will love!" | | | | marketing strategies that appeal to you. Go ahead |
| Then more hype titles from those selling YOU | | | | and try recruiting. See if there's a match. If not, |
| stuff so YOU can do the same thing to others: | | | | don't hesitate to go after customers who are not |
| "The Secret to Being a Great Closer" | | | | also sales people. Forget about recruiting for a |
| "Mind Control Marketing" | | | | while. Try both warm and cold market - without |
| "Hypnotic Marketing" | | | | hype of course. |
| And now the hustle: | | | | Never go against your grain to please someone |
| "Buy it in the next 90 minutes or the special | | | | else for very long, if ever. |
| disappears forever!" or "Get $3,000 worth of free | | | | And yes, even if it's the teacher we're talking |
| bonuses when you buy this product for $29.95 | | | | about. |
| now!" "Sign up now and we'll put 84 people under | | | | The Buddha, one of the greatest teachers known |
| you today!" | | | | in the history of the world, never hyped his |
| My reaction to pitches like that? | | | | teachings and beliefs to "get" others in or to see |
| 1. Yeah right. | | | | things his way. Religious scholar Huston Smith |
| 2. And so what if THEY think it's great? Especially | | | | describes the time 2400 years ago... |
| if I don't know them. They're selling it, aren't | | | | "In a time when the multitudes were passively |
| they? What else would they say? | | | | relying on [leaders] to tell them what to do |
| 3. How can every new book, every new product, | | | | Buddha challenged each individual to do his or her |
| every new business opportunity every new | | | | own religious seeking and rational investigation. 'Do |
| ANYTHING be the "greatest" and "absolutely | | | | not go upon what has been acquired by repeated |
| must have" and "life-changing?" | | | | hearing; nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor; nor |
| 4. Why the frantic rush to close me on the first | | | | upon what is in a book [scripture]; nor upon the |
| date? | | | | consideration, 'the monk is our teacher'. Rather, he |
| First I thought maybe it's because I'm a woman. | | | | said, test ideas and actions in your own laboratory |
| And as such, that I just don't like someone | | | | of common sense. When you yourself know they |
| screaming at me how amazing their great thing is. | | | | lead to harm or ill, abandon them; when you |
| You know, the one they're selling. And pressuring | | | | yourself know they lead to benefit and happiness |
| me to buy it right now or I might forever lose | | | | adopt them. Be lamps unto yourselves..." - |
| my chance at success. | | | | Buddhism, a Concise Introduction. Huston Smith |
| But Mr. La feels hyped, too. | | | | and Philip Novak, p. 24 |
| The NY Times reported the other day that at | | | | So don't just fall for anyone's promises, especially |
| 2:30AM one day last week, Mr. La biked to a | | | | if you know they have an agenda. Try different |
| Target store to wait in line to get his new Xbox | | | | approaches. Then let your own experience with it |
| 360. And although as a game nut he felt good | | | | be your guide. (Assuming you are doing the thing |
| about owning it, after playing a shooting game on | | | | with honest effort and the best knowledge you |
| it for about 30 minutes, he concluded that the | | | | have gotten about it.) |
| machine was not as much fun as he had hoped. | | | | Fast forward about 2400 years... |
| "There was too much hype," he said. (NY Times, | | | | On December 23, 2005, Steven Spielberg, |
| 11.23.05) | | | | arguably the greatest film director of all time, is |
| How often have you been disappointed with stuff | | | | releasing a new movie. This time, instead of |
| you bought or things you did because their hype | | | | launching it with the usual fanfare and hype that |
| got to you? They're good, these guys. Anything | | | | accompanies all big film openings... |
| to make a sale. | | | | "There will be no press junket, no premiere and, |
| There's nothing "best" and "must have" or | | | | most importantly, no Oscar marketing campaign |
| "amazing" for everyone. And no amount of hype, | | | | beyond trailers and posters for Steven Spielberg's |
| no matter how loud and frequent, has ever | | | | movie Munich, I have learned. This dicey decision |
| changed that. | | | | to have no traditional publicity for the film before |
| Maybe I'm just a groupie type. I like being with | | | | and after it opens December 23, 2005 is the |
| people like me. I'd rather find someone who | | | | director's alone. He will not even be giving press or |
| actually uses and benefits from my stuff than | | | | broadcast interviews. "The official strategy is for |
| someone who buys it and never use it, you | | | | the movie to speak for itself," an insider told me |
| know? I might sell to fewer people, but my | | | | this week. "All they're going to do is just show |
| customers write everyday to tell me of their new | | | | the movie to people..." Full story here. |
| attitude or a little success here or there. Or a BIG | | | | Is there hope for less hype? Are you someone |
| success - like the the gal who got herself 3000 | | | | who wishes for that as fervently as I? |
| customers by learning to talk to people in a | | | | Here's how to help: Look at how you market |
| different way. That's just me. | | | | your products or business. If the words used |
| I never dreamt or would presume that my stuff | | | | make promises, or heaven forbid, hype and hustle |
| or approach is for everyone. | | | | others, including in the autoresponders sent to |
| I market books and tapes showing new or | | | | others in your name, remember the Buddha. And |
| dissatisfied people alternative ways to do direct | | | | ponder this from the bible of writing style for the |
| sales and network marketing. | | | | last 100 years: |
| If you're successful with what you're doing, and | | | | "When you overstate, readers will be instantly on |
| your babies are too, then keep doing what you're | | | | guard, and everything that has preceded your |
| doing. Don't buy my stuff. | | | | overstatement as well as everything that follows |
| But if you are not happy doing what you're doing | | | | will be suspect in their minds because they have |
| in your NM business, and you believe in the | | | | lost confidence in your judgment or your poise." |
| business model like I do, then try other options | | | | Whenever you are at the receiving end of any |
| before you quit, because there are ALWAYS | | | | pressure to do things that are not really aligned |
| other options. (Below's a new audio about a gal | | | | with you, remember to check with the most |
| who got 3,000 customers in the last 2.5 years.) | | | | important person in the world - |
| For example, recruiting is NOT all there is to doing | | | | "Trust yourself and you will know how to live." |
| network marketing. | | | | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. |
| Notwithstanding the loud voices from corporate | | | | What say you, ladies? And yes, my good gents? |
| and "leaders" in the business, who stand the most | | | | P.S. I am launching a podcast (online audio-radio |
| to gain from that approach because there's more | | | | program) found at |
| money in it for them than from you getting | | | | The show is designed to introduce entrepreneurs |
| regular customers. So they usually belittle | | | | to different ways of doing network marketing |
| customer gathering and promote recruiting. | | | | and direct sales. "Talking about Your Great thing. |
| But many women don't like recruiting (they prefer | | | | How learning what to say changes everything." |
| getting customers) and the 102% drop out rate | | | | Reactions and suggested topics from you are |
| tells me all I need to know about how flawed that | | | | MOST welcome. |