What Story Does This Picture Tell? The Story is All-Important!
Seth Godin has a golden tongue, and I love what he recently told Networking Times magazine about network marketing:
“Network marketing works when it’s not about you. It works when it is about the customer … If someone buys from you because they are a friend or because it’s easier than avoiding you, that’s not about the customer. Here’s my dream for you: find a product and a price and a story that people choose to seek out. Discover a niche that people would miss if it disappeared.”
A product and a price and a story. Wow. That’s a show-stopper right there. That’s MLM in a nutshell. The product has to do something for you and for the people you prospect. The price has to be fair and reasonable. And the story? That’s the real kicker. You’ve got to tell a story that lights up the customer’s eyes (not to mention your own).
What’s Your MLM Story?
What story are you telling when you prospect someone? If you’re not sure, then chances are that your prospect isn’t sure what you’re offering either. Stuck for a storyline? Here are some ideas to get you started.
The MLM Hermit
A friend of mine, who achieved the top rank in his MLM business, hardly spoke to a single person (signup or prospect), and did his entire business by direct mail. His story? You CAN do MLM even if you are an introverted hermit because you don’t have to talk to people if you don’t want to. His story was pitched in the letter that went with the direct mail packets. Introverts were totally sold on the idea.
The Truly Happy Dude
My upline, several levels up, is the most positive person I have ever met. The glass is always half full with him, and no amount of negativity phases him. Throw him a negative comment or sarcastic gripe, and his response is, “I’m so glad you brought that up.” The amazing thing is that he really means it. He is truly glad that I brought it up. And then he proceeds to address my grievances. His story? Well, really it’s himself. People don’t leave the business because they don’t want to leave him. People love to buy from him, be with him, and talk with him. He is his own story.
Save Yourself, Save the World
This one is obvious, especially for MLM companies that offer nutritional products AND charity programs. The storyline is simple: every time you buy the products that are saving your health and your life, you are also contributing to saving a needy person’s life. It’s personal gain and charitable giving rolled up in one package. As long as the price is fair and reasonable, this storyline is a no-brainer!
Does this give you some ideas about how to shape a story that really excites you? Assuming that you have found a company selling products you like at a fair price, what you really need to grow your business is a story.
What kind of story do you want to tell your prospects?
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Photo credit: Mau Ngantor aahh!, Papua Indonesia
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