Category: Visitors
The Elevator Pitch: First Contact
Entrepreneurs with businesses in early start-up differ on what they believe to be the most important element, although many professionals will argue that creating a solid business plan should definitely be the first step. A well-crafted business plan lays out all the details and strategies, includes projections for revenue and spending, and will be reviewed in detail by bankers and venture capitalists. But in fact, the most important document that should be created even before the business plan is the ìelevator pitch.î
The fact is, most people will not read a business plan unless they have been motivated to do so beforehand. The elevator pitch is that motivating factor. It’s the hook that gets them into the room. It’s the catchy jingle that gets people to pay attention to the ad. It’s the best parts of the business plan, without the boring details. The elevator pitch is the place for the excitement, not the place to include all the technology, buzzwords and explanations.
An elevator pitch should be able to be condensed into a single-page presentation, short enough to be memorized, or read easily within a few minutesóthat’s how it got its name, it’s a pitch that’s short enough to be presented during the course of an elevator ride. The elevator pitch condenses your business concept into something that can be presented in about a minute or twoóessentially, the parts that matter, the very ìessenceî of the business.
The elevator pitch skips the hard-core financials, and gets straight to the heart of what it is about the business that really gets you excited. That’s what this pitch is aboutóyou don’t need the proof of concept here yet, that comes in the full-length business plan. The elevator pitch is the commercial that gets people interested.
The elevator pitch should be inspirational and creative, hitting the high points of your business concept, and should accomplish the following:
ï Hit the high points of what it is you hope to do
ï Summarize the problem/solution aspect of your concept
ï Describe the business modelóhow is it going to make money?
ï Create excitement on the part of the reader/listener
ï Describe the profit potential without having to bring out charts and graphs
ï Tell why you/your company are well positioned to accomplish your goal
ï End with a call to action
The first couple sentences are the most critical, and should present your core concept. If you can’t tell what it is you want to do in two sentences or less, then you need to simplify your concept. There will be plenty of time to get into all the details later, once you’ve captured your audience’s interest.
The rarely told truth about network marketing
Today I am going to talk about something that seems to be one of those things that people either love or hate. What I am talking about is network marketing, also called mlm or multi-level marketing. Right from the beginning I will say that there is no need to have extreme views about this, it is simply a business model that you can use if you wish.
However, it is crucial that you understand HOW the business model of network marketing works.
I think there are basically two reasons that some people seem to be almost electrocuted, simply by hearing someone mention the word network marketing. Either they have tried it themselves, and because they didn’t have a clue on how to do it they failed miserably. Or they belong to the group of people who can’t get the idea that mlm = pyramid scheme out of their heads.
This second misconception is easy to debunk. Pyramid schemes are illegal almost everywhere, do you really think large multinational companies could operate year after year on an entirely illegal basis?
Secondly, this view on network marketing shows that the speaker is ignorant. He or she hasn’t done an ounce of homework on the various businesses that are available to each of us today, and they are ignorant of the industry itself.
This means they aren’t serious. It means they “would like” to make more money, but have no intention of making it happen. They continually “look” for home businesses, which is enough to satisfy their minds that they “did everything they could”, but everything they find out there is flawed and are “scams”. They are looking to buy “hope”, not a business.
There is a Chinese saying that goes something like this:”If you spend too much time thinking about your next step, you will be standing on one leg for the rest of your life”. Yes, there ARE scams out there, but mlm is not a dirty word and it is not a synonym for scam. Get over it!
***********************************************
BREAKING NEWS! Corporate America a Pyramid Scam?
***********************************************
As for the comparison to a pyramid in general – think of any company that comes to mind. The company will probably have a CEO, president, vice presidents, middle management, a sales force, and hourly employees.
It goes without saying that the guy at the top, the CEO, is going to make the most money, and the compensations continue to decrease down the ladder which starts at his cushy leather chair. The only way to get paid more and move up the ladder is to boot someone else out of their spot – and this is what people call okay and normal!
Not to mention the fact that the corporate slave masters seem to have no problem with working people to the limits…and then kicking them out the door before any of the benefits kick in. (As always there are some exceptions, of course). How is this any less pyramid than network marketing? All people in the company work hard, but ONLY those at the very top has “permission” to make a lot of money.
Now, in network marketing the basic idea is that it will be of great benefit to everyone involved to help people who are new reach the top. In fact the whole business idea hinges on this idea – the only way to become really successful in the long term is to help others. Of course there will always be a mathematical limit to how large a network can become, but with todays global marketplace, and a suitable compensation plan, there is usually plenty of room for everybody.
A network marketing company can diversify and find new markets, just like all companies have to.
But what about the miserable statistics of network marketing, the over 90% drop-out rate etc.?
This is mainly caused by the simple fact that not that many people know how to do network marketing correctly. And I must admit that some network marketing companies are responsible for this themselves, by providing useless ideas like making a “100 list” etc.
You see, this is a somewhat unique industry. Most people don’t realize that network marketing is a business of marketing and promotion pursued by people who have NO IDEA how to market and promote.
Read the above paragraph once more and let it sink in…
If you are going to be involved in network marketing you need to develop both the right mind set and acquire the right knowledge (no, they usually don’t teach this in college).
You must learn that when you do this business right:
* You don’t have to “sell”
* You don’t have to ask people to join your business.. They ask you!
* You don’t have to post “work at home” flyers!
* People will PAY YOU to prospect them
You should learn that this is not at all about the Vitamins or whatever product your company is selling. In fact, this is one of the single biggest mistakes people make in network marketing.
ProBuilderPlus Review ñ A Venture Into World Of MLM
I want to start with simple statement ñ I have always told myself that I will never fall for Multi Level Marketing or as itís called most often MLM. I have always believed that most MLM business opportunities are nothing more than glorified pyramid scheme brought online. So what changed my mind? How did I, a self taught Internet Infopreneur got sucked into it? Read on Ö to learn how, why, get the skinny on the latest hottest MLM opportunity and see my real day-by-day experience.
So, lets start with why. I run a website dedicated to affiliate marketing and home based business. I investigate and share my experiences with anyone willing to read my articles and make recommendations on what I consider a solid opportunity. I make my money on Yahoo ads and on multiple affiliate sales I get, when people do follow my recommendations. In last two month I have gotten at least 10 emails from my visitors asking me about different MLM programs and my personal opinion. Since I have only had experienced myself only with SFI, a known affiliate MLM I could only answer based on that, which wasnít enough Ö So here I was. I have picked the hottest MLM I could find currently running and one of the youngest with low membership fees ñ ProBuilderPlus. This review is dedicated to my readers and hopefully my experience will help you make your decision.
Now to the how part we move Ö How do you make money using ProBuilderPlus business opportunity? Itís really a quite simple forced matrix with 3 levels of payoff but quite a bit more intricate system of payments. Once you build a matrix of 9 people in your downline, doesnít matter how far, you guaranteed a weekly check of $30. But it doesnít stop there. You also get $10 for each paying member you personally refer and then $3 for second level from that member and $2 for 3rd level. All this in addition to payments based on maintaining your minimum matrix. As your matrix grows, so does your weekly income.
The system is quite simple but letís have a look at how effective it is and what does it takes to recruit new membersÖActually this is the part that surprised me most and quite pleasant surprise it was. It was designed to be used by anyone, with no marketing experience and no prior knowledge and recruiting is a lot easier than I thought was possible. I have joined this system for free, while doing evaluation of multiple MLM programs about 7 or 10 days ago. As soon as I did I started receiving emails with interesting subjects:
“Here you go Alex, we put Kathy under you…”
“Here you go Alex, we put James under you…”
“Another One Alex – Joseph just joined YOUR Powerline…”
“Alex – AWESOME Mark just Upgraded to Member in YOUR DOWNLINE…”
And they just kept on pouring in. Before I knew it I had 587 pre-enrolled members, free members but all interested to learn how to make money, all with an open mindset and just waiting for a push to be converted. And believe you me, emails with subjects like I shown above was powerful push even for a skeptic like me, so I decided to join, reasoning that I can always cancel.
And now I move to the tools that system provides, and their quality. It comes pretty much with everything one might require:
1. An autoresponder follow-up system that makes you want to upgrade.
2. A matrix structure and pay plan that almost guarantees you make money.
3. Lead capture pages that get the job done.
4. A traffic rotator that allows you to funnel traffic to your downline.
5. Online training that highlights simple steps to success.
6. A Contact Manager that allows to to stay in touch with people you personally sponsor.
7. A tool that allows you to send a voice message to thousands of people per MINUTE.
Quality design shows in every tool and all of them quite compelling as far as MLM goes.
Day 1-3.
All we are left with is my personal experience. I have had accounts already with several traffic exchange programs that require members to click on your add and actually look at page. I have found them quite effective for building my mailing lists, so I figured I would just add my link from ProBuilderPlus to rotation and see what it brings. Completion of that part only took me a few minutes and once done I had a chance to have a closer look at all tools I described above and specifically training. Nice day of work, if I can say so myself Ö
Day two went pretty much on autopilot, due to my preoccupation with regularly scheduled job and I only had an opportunity to check my stats on third day. To my surprise I had over 530 views of my signup page and one paying member! That is $10 back to my pocket, 2 more and I will return my investment. Not bad, not bad at all.
To do a quick summary ñ I donít know if you can become filthy rich using this system or not but looking at weekly leaderboard I can see people with over 414 paying members enrolled, and that is for one week. So what I will do is continue to investigate this opportunity and post updates on my regular site, so feel free to visit and read them if you liked this article or just want to learn more from a person who is doing it and honestly sharing. No hype, no fuss, just an honest opinion.
On Networking Groups (Part One)
I have been trying to think about how I can talk about this subject and address it in a way that would be fair and balanced without injecting too much personal opinion and have decided to first talk about the types of groups and then later on be more specific. It is important to remember that you will have preferences that may not align with mine, but that each of us share a common goal in our networking. More business and possibly more friends.
So lets begin by analyzing the various types of groups. There are many different types of groups, but it is easier to categorize them by the meeting format rather than using individual categories like chambers of commerce or women’s groups.
Most groups fall under one of 4 main categories. These are Social Networking, Business Networking, Leads Groups and Networking with a Program.
Social Networking
Social networking is a part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. Each time we attend any function that involves a group of people we are networking on a social level. Whether we are attending a charity event, going to a party at a friends house, going to a religious service, or attending an organized social networking event, we are in a networking environment.
In most cases a large part of participation in these groups is not related to business. However, there are always opportunities to meet people who could be or know prospective clients. When you attend these types of functions, it is advised to have some business cards in your pocket in case you meet someone else who is networking for their business, but remember that business networking is not the primary purpose of the function, so be very casual in the way you approach others about your business.
Social Networking Tip:
Never assume that any individual at these functions is not a good prospect for your business. You will find many opportunities there. It is just good to remember that people are there for many reasons and may not want to talk about business.
Business Networking
Believe it or not there are very few groups or organizations that are simply “business networking groups”. This category, for the purpose of our discussion is reserved for groups that do not have speakers or programs. An example of business networking would be similar to a chamber of commerce after hours. In business networking, you simply gather together with other business associates to talk about your businesses.
I find it much better to have a lot of time to talk to people about my business rather than have a brief period to talk and then have to sit down and listen to a program. This format enables you to really get to know people in the allotted amount of time. In some cases you can even do business with someone who you have met for the first time.
This format allows you to get to know people very well and sometimes helps to jump-start the relationship without having to meet for lunch or coffee at a later time. The only thing that makes this format difficult is if you are shy. For the shy individual it is sometimes not easy to just walk into a room and start talking to people they do not know.
Business Networking Tip:
Build a core contact group of people that you see at several different meetings. This will give you a broad base of contacts through these people as they are building their networks. Always get to know the “most popular people” in the room. They will often know most of the others and can help to expand your network quickly
Leads Groups
Leads groups are very structured. This is the largest segment of business networking. There are several formats to leads groups that vary in slightly different ways. In most cases the leads group involves sitting around a large table. Usually a leads group is limited to one person per industry. So if you wanted to be a part of a leads group that already has one of your type of industry, you could not join that group until there is an opening for you created by that person leaving.
Usually leads groups are about 5 to 20 persons in size. In most leads groups you are given a set amount of time to stand up and talk about your business ranging from 2 to five minutes depending on the size of the group. This is a dedicated time, no one else speaks and you take turns.
Leads groups are good for people who are shy or for those who have difficulty in a meeting with no structure. If you are a member of a good leads group, members are actively seeking referrals for other members. This can lead to a great deal of business if you consider the fact that everyone has a personal network of about 200 hundred people. This does not mean that it is the best format of meeting or not a good format, but rather it is good for you if you prefer structure.
Leads groups generally meet early in the morning or for lunch.
Leads Groups Tip:
Be sure to enable the members of your leads group to help you. Give them tools that they can carry to represent you when they encounter someone who needs your product or service. Be sure that everyone understands what you do and who your best prospects are.
Networking with a Program
A lot of trade associations and chambers of commerce follow this format. The meeting usually starts with open networking for a period of 15 minutes to an hour. It is then followed by a presentation by a guest speaker or a current member.
In this environment, you will not have much time to really get to know people unless you always attend the meetings. In most cases these meetings are best for initial contact followed up by meeting prospects for coffee or lunch. It is advised that you use a system of taking notes and qualifying prospects for later follow-up.
Generally these meetings end after the presentation and people linger for 15 to 30 minutes before clearing the room.
Networking with a Program Tip:
Get to know the leaders of the organization. In most cases they will know a great deal about the members as they work their way up the ranks into a leadership role. These individuals can be of the most help when seeking prospects or referrals.
Summary
As I said at the beginning of this article, your feelings on these definitions may vary from mine. It is important when seeking meetings to attend or groups to join that you have defined goals on what you are trying to accomplish. Be specific when setting these goals.
Remember business does not always come in the first contact or meeting. Be consistent for best results. Try to balance your networking with a combination of the types of groups and meetings that you attend. Each has it’s own unique benefits and can help you with a well rounded presence in the business community.
The Art of Giving Business Cards
Giving business cards is an art, not only because they are needed to be considered successful or because, in fact, they represent your corporate or professional identity, but also as an opportunity to impact your existing or prospective customers, and stay in touch with them, helping you to deal confidently.
The scope of business etiquette includes considerations that many professional ignore, or simply do not pay enough attention in the belief that a business card is just a small paper rectangle with a name and phone numbers to introduce yourself.
Color business cards demonstrate that there is something else beyond a simple paper cut; otherwise, they simply would not exist. Certainly, all over the world business cards are used to provide information about a company and/or the employee or professional who holds it, as well as contact information and other details such as business acquaintances or personal details.
Some of them include expressly empty spaces to write certain details such as an appointment date, some others are as simple as blank cards that come in handy when the holder has to leave a customer further details. However, those in color are undoubtedly part of a practical business strategy following refined business etiquette.
In business, time is gold and every minute is important because more often an individual only has a few minutes to impress a prospective client, before someone else does it first. Gentle manners can conquer, but accompanied with poor business cards, it is more likely the client will forget about you as soon as you live. Unprofessional business cards will not impress but will leave your prospective client with negative thoughts about your company.
On the other hand, color business cards are as attractive that catch the eye of even the most skeptical business contact. There is nothing more accurate that “a picture is worth a thousand words” when it comes to describing the first impression left on a person who receives a business card especially crafted to achieve a predefined business goal.
Color business cards and regular business cards should meet the criteria of being printed in very high quality paper, designed by professionals and never using public domain graphics or other elements that makes them look cheap. Make sure to include all personal information to your business acquaintances, and always carry enough of them with you, particularly when you are planning to attend a business meeting or social event.
The art of business cards is not only in giving them away, but also exchanging and receiving. Every time you attend an event where other professionals participate, try to exchange business cards with them, particularly color business cards to better impress, and when you receive a business card, study its design and content because you can learn from them.
Finally, always keep in mind that business cards are the branding tool of your company, not just a piece of paper to stay in touch with someone else.
Success Or Statistic?
Which one will you be in network marketing?
The truth is the odds are against you; chances are youíll be a statistic.
Hmmmmm bet the super star space commander upline guru that signed you up or wants to sign you up told you that did he/she?
Here are a few stats that may alarm you:
Did you know that 70,000 people sign up into a network marketing company EVERYDAY?
But did you know that 95% of the people that sign up into a network marketing company will quit within the first year?
WHY?
Well there are a lot or reasons, poor support, poor company, poor product, poor compensation plan, poor upline. But to me one of the biggest reasons isÖ
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIED TO!!
Most people have been lied to from the get go.
Many of the people who are recruiting people into companies (hate that term recruiting) are lying to people and telling people what they want to hear so they will join their company.
Now on one had you canít blame many of these people, thereíre just doing what they were taught by the person that signed them up, and thatís usually some person with the recruit, recruit, recruit mentalityÖthose are the people I blame.
Hey the great news is you DONíT have to be a statistic. You just need to be taught the correct way of building your business, but first you need to know some of the lies youíll probably be told or already have been told.
My first and favorite lie:
Make a list of your friends and family because thatís who were calling first.
Hey upline line guy, are you crazy? Thatís the last thing, no thatís what you NEVER do. Because of this one lie there are thousands of people that have been shunned by their families.
Your friends and family members turn off the lights and pretend thereíre not home when the see you coming. Ring any bells?
By all means share your product or service with your family and friends but not the business opportunity. Many of your friends and family members are NOT looking for a business opportunity, the truth is most of your friends and family are going to spend more time discouraging you then helping you. But donít get mad at them they think thereíre protecting you, ignore them and build your business.
Let them come to you, once you become successful in your business, your friends and family will notice and then theyíll ask you what youíre doing.
Hereís a tip. This is your business and you DONíT want everyone in your business that includes your family and friends. Only share your business opportunity to people who have raised their hand to you and say. ìIím interestedî or ìShow me what youíre doingî.
Lie number two;
Recruit, Recruit, Recruit. You need to make a 100 phone calls a day and remember for every NO you get youíre one step close to a YES.
I would love to track down the putz that said this. Let me ask you a question.
How many times do you like hearing the word NO?
How much do you like being on the phone every day hearing the word NO?
I think itís safe to say, ìYou donít like it very muchî
The word NO has taken so many good people out of this business. Here is an example my mentor shared with me and it really hit home for me.
Duffy youíve set up candles, soft music some good wine a great dinner a bit of hugging and kissing then your spouse says ìNOî. All right just 99 more times and youíll get lucky.
That put things into perspective for me real fast.
Did you know that 90% of the population is sales resistant, no wonder youíre hearing the word NO so much.
And some knucklehead sayís NO is a good thing. Moving on.
Lie number 3,
If you have no warm market you need to spend money and buy leads.
WRONG!! You DO NOT have to buy leads. Personally youíre just wasting your money. Thereíre people spending hundreds of dollars every month for leads. STOP IT!!!
Remember a bought lead is a bought lead. I donít care if you paid $5 or 5 cents a lead is a lead. When you call these leads chances are they donít remember what forum they filled out or the person gets upset because you called them.
Once you truly understand that people are not numbers, they have goals and dreams just like you. And theyíre real people. And just like you they donít want to be lied too and just like you they want a true opportunity to fulfill those dreams and goals. If you get just this youíll go very, very far in this business.
Network marketing is a Relationship Business NOT a Sales Business. As soon as you understand that youíll have people saying to you ìPLEASE sponsor me into your businessî
Until then youíre DEAD in the water.
I have NEVER bought a lead with my network marketing company and I donít spend 10 hours a day making phone calls, I have people contacting me everyday asking me about my business.
If you had people calling you how do you think your lead calls would turn out compared to you calling people? Please tell me I donít have to answer that for you.
For those of you buying leads stop wasting your money, prospects are everywhere.
I have tons of ways of getting leads for free, but hereís one tip that will reveal prospects to you everyday.
First LISTEN to people, thatís the most important thing you need to do. Youíve heard this ìOne mouth two earsî Listen twice as much as you speak.
Ok how do you determine if someone is a prospect?
Letís say you have a company that provides a nutritional product that helps with weight loss. And now lets say youíre talking to someone and they are complaining about how they canít lose weight.
All you have to say to this person is this: ìHave you ever thought about doing something about itî?
If they say ìYESî you have a prospect, depending on the time and place this person has just given you permission to provide them with a presentation of your product. You could give them your business card, send them to a web site or provide them some brochures about your product. Or ask them for there contact info so you could send them some info later.
If the person says ìNOîÖyou say, ìOKî.
THEY ARE NOT A PROSPECT, REPEAT NOT A PROSPECTÖ forget about them, move on and keep listening.
This is just one-way thereíre lots of other ways to find prospects. The point is you never have to buy leads to find prospects.
Itís a shame that so many lies are being told just to get people into a business, just because the rest of the world is doing it doesnít mean you have to. Tell people the truth, listen to them and truly hear what they are saying. Build relationships; help a person, thatís how you build a business.
If you can help them GREAT if not thatís ok too. Not everyone is suited to fit into your business; and you would be a fool to think so.
Personally I would rather have 10 people that wanted to be in my business and that I told the truth to from the get go, then a 100 people I told what ever they wanted to hear so they would join my business.
Until Next Time
To Your MLM Success
Wael
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
You have Successfully Subscribed!