For many people Social Media Marketing
is just another "hot topic" out there, and for the ones
that are on the cutting edge, marketing savvy and go-getters, it's
just the way of marketing today.
We are all marketers. Every
single one of our daily routines involves some sort of marketing
activity. You talk to your prospects and your customers on the phone,
in seminars, during networking events, any kind of personal or
business introduction, email back and forth, website updates, blog
posts, text messaging, instant messaging, even invoicing, quoting,
proposals... Every interaction you have with prospects or customers
can be considered as a marketing action.
One way of
implementing marketing strategies into your overall GMA (Grand
Marketing Action) is actually using different tools to reach your
marketing goals.
Social Media is one of the most amazing
tools out there, free and available to anyone. It has to do with
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING and VISIBILITY CREATING as your#1 and #2 top
marketing strategies.
Social Media is the only way to spread
your message in a relaxed and conversational way with an amazing
potential of reaching incredible number of people. It's the way to
involve and engage your prospects, your customers, and your peers in
daily conversations about mutual interests, and build quality
relationships based on trust and reliability.
How to be
successful with Social Media Marketing? Here are few suggestions:
Michelle Corteggiano, a leader in Social Media Marketing and Online Branding, consistently delivers a clear, concise and compelling message. All too often we don't want to tell people about ourselves yet we want to see everything about them. Somehow that doesn't seem “fair.” Michelle truly lives her signature line “Be as you are.” - Janet
Because of Social Media ....Transparency is a BIG word these days. A word that everyone needs to get used to fast. Crazy thing is...in an era where transparency is becoming the norm, most people are scared to death by it.
Why?
Simply put: We have been conditioned for pretty much our whole lives to stay guarded and protect our "personal space".
But....How can we step outside of the transparency box that we have lived in forever?
Try this:
Go to a playground and watch children playing. Pay close attention to them when they come into contact with another child that they have never met. Just a tiny bit shy at first and within 5 minutes the communication flood gates open and they are best friends...right?
That's because they haven't been stripped of their transparent tendencies.
Now, I think we could all take a lesson from kids on how "being transparent" is a very effective tool in building solid networks! Bottom line...If kids ran the business world, everyone would be friends and trust each other, sobering thought hunh?
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr Suess
Dr Suess is a household name and children learn from him every day....maybe it's time us adults take a look at what he has to say.
John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is his real name.
John sells exclusively on a single street called South Pointe Drive,
located in an exclusive area called SoFi (South of Fifth). His sales
territory consists of six über-luxury high-rises along the cruise ship
waterway and Miami Beach front.
In the past 15 years, John has sold more than $3 billion in real
estate on this street (do the math on 3 percent commission—that’s
almost as much as the other
John Lennon made!).
John took Georgia and me to lunch a couple days ago to give us an
update on our property and the market. I took the opportunity to try
and pry out the secret to his extraordinary success.
I found it! And now I will pass it along to you too…
I asked, “John, there are hundreds of agents who (attempt to) sell
in this market, how do you sell 100-times more than most everyone else?”
John explained, “When I started out I was in an office of four other agents. We all took turns handling incoming foot
traffic .
We all had the same number of prospects to work with. Each of them
would close a deal once every three to four months; I was closing 31
per month. The difference was I wasn’t selling what they were selling.
Sure, the same building and same apartment units, but I was selling
something different for every different person.
“One time, the building developer called me to ask what I had sold
that day. I said, ‘I sold a $4 million parking space, a $2.8 million
gym and spa access pass and a $6 million closet. And each came with an
apartment included. The developer was perplexed, ‘What do you mean you
sold a $4 million parking space?’ I explained that I had discovered
that was what was most important to that person. He had
vintage
cars and had a bad experience in a previous building. I spent an hour
explaining the security, safety and cleanliness of our underground
parking and he couldn’t write the check fast enough.”
John went on to explain to me, “Most salespeople try to sell
everything to every person every time. Huge mistake. A realtor will
show all the units available in someone’s price range pointing out all
the features and everything they like about each place. Even if a
client points out something they like, they continue on showing more
units (selling), ‘Oh, you also need to see this unit, the view is
spectacular.’ All the options create a blur of complexity extinguishing
their desire to make a decision and buy. All the while it was simply
the parking space they would have been most interested in anyway.
“I don’t sell at all (of sorts); I ask questions, listen and
observe. I find out what’s really most important to them and focus my
education on those features. That way they discover what they were
really looking for… and they buy it.”
How you too can sell like John
Lennon :
1. See everyone as unique. What you assume people are most interested in is mostly incorrect. Start with that assumption.
2. Ask questions. You’ve heard this a hundred times, but you are still making more statements than you are asking questions. Stop it.
3. Watch and listen. If/when you finally do ask questions, listen closely and continue to probe until you discover their real hearts’ desires.
4. Restrain yourself. This is the hardest step—to
stop selling. Insecure sellers make a sale and then ‘buy it back’
because they keep talking, showing presenting or selling. Once you
discover their core motivation, connect it with your solution then stop
and ask them to buy.
5. Serve, don’t sell. There are countless times
when John was servicing my unit, performing functions well below his
pay grade. The result? Well, I am writing about him now. No wonder he
doesn’t have to sell! There is a clue in that.
And lastly, as the other John Lennon
would say, “Only people just know how to talk to people. Only people
know just how to change the world. Only people realize the power of
people. A million heads are better than one, so come on, get it on!”
People often ask what it takes to be successful in Network Marketing. I have a short, simple answer…
All you got.
Fortunately it doesn’t take more than all you got. But it does take all you got. In fact, I’ll suggest this business will be the hardest one you’ll ever do, period.
And I’m qualified to make that statement.
I’ve been president of the Chamber of Commerce, worked in the corporate world, run distribution companies, managed medical centers, launched HMO’s, started restaurants & clubs, Internet marketing, information entrepreneur, owned a hairstyling salon, and published a magazine. I’ve consulted with literally hundreds of other entrepreneurs in all kinds of businesses. And can assure you, Network Marketing is harder than all of them!
Why?
Quite a few reasons. First, the essence of the business is leadership development. Not an easy thing to learn. Or teach. This takes tremendous people skills.
Because of that, MLM requires large amounts of personal growth and self-development. And working on yourself is tough work!
Other businesses you can get by on just skill, just talent or just money. Here you need heart. Guts. And love.
With Network Marketing, you have to go all in. You can start it part-time, you can start it with a limited commitment, you can start it not even believing it will work.
But to succeed at it, at some point you’ll have to move from kindergarten to the big leagues. You’ll have to go from a night or two a week, to four or five nights a week. You’ll have to commit and you’ll have to develop belief.
Here’s why…
You can’t really get anyone into our business. It doesn’t work that way. You can only commit, develop that belief and become so passionate that people want to be a part of what you’re doing.
MLM is like golf. The only person you compete with is yourself. The enemy isn’t other companies. It’s not negative prospects. And it’s not government regulation, high prices, or backorders. The real enemy is your doubts and fears. It’s what’s between your ears.
Most people today doubt their beliefs and believe their doubts. You have to be different. And that means daily self-development. Keeping your dream in front of you. And making sure your dream is bigger than your fears.
Yeah, you can probably win a free cruise, get a bonus car and rake in some nice bonus checks. That would probably motivate you to go to a job every day. That would probably motivate you to do any one of those other businesses I named. But it’s probably not enough to get you to do Network Marketing.
Because our business is a lot tougher than those. Our business means contacting prospects, driving to work with long distance lines, and sacrificing lots of pleasures early on for the long term. It means really getting out of your comfort zone and growing.
So your dream has to be even bigger. It has to include other people’s dreams. Taking your eyes off of just yourself and looking how you can contribute in a meaningful way.
It’s going to mean facing rejection and maybe ridicule. Facing your fears. Dealing with dropouts and no shows. Negative publicity, misperceptions, and adversity.
We know every adversity has in it the seeds of a greater opportunity. But that opportunity is not automatic! It is there only if you make a conscious choice not to be a victim; a conscious choice to learn the lesson and find a new door to walk through. And remember, every room has a door.
Network Marketing is HARD. So why do it?
Because it will be the most rewarding business you ever do in your life. Yes it can give you those trips, car and bonus checks; it can get you free. But it also does so much more…
The confidence you develop, the skills you learn, the satisfaction you gain are priceless. Who you have to become to be successful in our business makes it all worth it.
And the joy that can only come from contribution…
When your new team member calls you screaming with excitement because they’ve sponsored their first person. The breakthroughs you witness when someone buys their first suit, makes their first presentation, or calls that prospect that scares them beyond measure. When one of your people conquers their fear in any way, it will bring you rewards you can’t get anywhere else.
In our business you reach success by helping other people reach success. That is what gets you up at 6 am to do self-development, that is what gets you to pick up the phone, that is what keeps you awake driving home at 2 am from a meeting for a new person on your tenth level.
So yeah, it doesn’t take more than you got. But it does take all you got. Just know it’s worth it.
So find someone you respect and make them a promise that you will do what it takes to win. Ask them to hold you accountable. Then make yourself the same promise. After that, make a public declaration below in the comments. Are you up for that?
Then tweet this post, “like” it on Facebook, blog it, or email a link to everyone on your team. Bookmark this and come back to it whenever the seed of doubt creeps in.
Start EVERY day with positive self-development. Don’t answer your phone, answer the door, or leave the house until your consciousness is vibrating at thermonuclear level. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are worthy.
Then go out and be amazing!
