MLM: How 25 years of Sales & Marketing Prepared Me

I’m sure many people think they must be “sales people” to work in the MLM industry. I mean, how many times do you hear a prospect say they “can’t sell?” We hear that all of the time, don’t we?

After all, we all know network marketing is really sales. You have sales of products to increase volume, sales of people joining the organization, and sales to friends and family. It’s a tough business to be involved with if you aren’t a born salesperson. Let me be the first to break this to you but there are no born sales people in this world, only people with better people skills than others. Sales is something anyone can learn and improve on.

In my 25-year career in all types of sales and marketing, I’ve read all of the most popular sales books available. I’ve learned how to get the customer mentally involved in ownership, expose the problems in a business where I would provide the solution, deal with objections, and deal with people I didn’t even like. I’ve even spent hours in sales training and conferences learning all of the new and latest manipulative sales tactics.

I have been able to live a nice lifestyle; put my kids through college; plus go on cruises as well as vacations to Walt Disney World on a regular basis. Sounds successful, doesn’t it?

Here is the meat of this article. The 25 years I spent in active sales and marketing did not prepare me for network marketing. You would think I would have it made with all of that experience behind me, but, oh no! It actually became an impairment to working the business.

You see, network marketing does revolve around sales but not in the traditional sense. In my opinion, I had to learn a whole new way to present information, work with prospects, and pay more attention to helping them than helping myself. Before, it was all about getting the sale and making the money—Slam, bam, thank you ma’am! Move on to the next sale to conquer.

I can see why nurses, teachers, and moms make the best network marketers because of their caring and nurturing abilities. My attitude used to be strictly business—no warm and fuzzy stuff—as I was a professional salesman and didn’t have time for it. OMG! I was so wrong!

I’ve had to learn all over again that this is a people business and that is the key to success—giving to people to better their financial and health situations the best I can. Yes! That requires me taking time to get to know the unique individual that I’m dealing with, and working totally in the moment with no other distractions. Everyone’s situation is different and requires unique attention to him or her. Believe it or not, it is all about the relationship you build.

So back to the original point of this article: How has 25 years of sales and marketing helped me in the MLM industry? It didn’t! Well, not very much anyway.

Trust your gut. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Keep the focus on the prospect’s needs and wants. Take yourself out of the equation in that your wants are secondary. Just provide the information for them to make an informed decision, and collect a decision—no twisting, manipulating, convincing, pressure, just good information. Be patient and go with the flow of the prospect. That will win you more than anything!