Business v Product

It would be product for me.

I'd definitely be interested in MLM if someone had a great product that i knew i could sell, i'd worry about the business side of it later.

Having recently looked into MLM the product is never pitched to you first, which is annoying. As a salesman i will weigh up how easy the product would be to sell, how much effort i'd have to put into the sale, then how much money i can make off the back of it. It's the only way i see things.

If I "pitch" at all, I pitch the products and the reasons for using them first. Then maybe perhaps it's because I've got real products to sell? If people want me to ask about the business afterwards that's fine..but look at the products first.

Apologies, I think we've been talking at cross purposes all along I misunderstood what was being said. oops

All good

That relates to the point I tried to make earlier. In MLM we have two "products" on offer, a) the services or products the company supplies and b) the business opportunity. Personally I proactively look for people who want the business opportunity more often than I proactively look for people who want to be a customer.

When introducing the business opportunity, I'll firstly talk about the products briefly and explain how they benefit customers, all the independent third party credibility they have, etc., etc. and then explain how the prospective distributor can benefit from the business.

Whichever approach you take, listening for signals from the prospect that they might have a need for what you offer are important. Getting to know them first before charging in like a bull in a china shop!

Look at it this way, if they buy your product first, and they like it, you then wont really need to sell the business opportunity

Its a simple 'what did you think of the product?'... 'loved it'.... 'how would you like to make money doing what I am doing with it?'

By selling the opportunity first, you are making it even harder for yourself

It's really interesting for me reading this.

For the first year in my network marketing biz, I was driving up the customer numbers until I hit the golden 50+ Club and now I present the opportunity more often first - when people say no they often agree to using the services anyway.

Must admit though, it's easy to tarnish all MLM companies with the same brush, but I've found they are all very different. As long as you are respectful in your invitation and listen to people/guage their reaction, you can go forward at quite a pace and help a lot of people and respect that not everyone wants or sees what you've got.

I feel that in any Networking circle nowadays, there are so many UW/ other MLM companies in the environment which leaves some distributors/agents feeling the need to behave in certain ways 'within' the meetings.

I'm hearing good things about UW distributors just on this website alone now though which is encouraging. I've never been to 4N under my Utility Warehouse guise, but I kind of feel like I don't want, or need, to.

I don't often post in here but I check it every day as by doing so I learn something new from whatever you guys are posting, or ranting, on about!

Nasser, you are a perfect example of my stance....

You mentioned that you done UW, I took an interest and switched to you. Now over the last year, I have saved a fortune on G & E, so if you were to now present me a business opportunity, I would listen seriously, because I have experienced it

Had you initially offered me the opportunity, the chances are, I wouldnt have signed up to the product

(Im not looking for the opportunity now, just saying :) )

Morning all,

If a business man said to me"any ideas how I can make some more money", I wouldnt initially go into all the ins and outs of the services, I would be talking more about the business,because that was the enquiry.

As we all know there are 2 sides to a MLM Business sales and team building, successful MLMrs promote both at the appropriate times.

Thats totally different to leading with the business over the product. If someone said the above, you would be daft not to present the opportunity

Has to be product every time. Regardless of whether someone approaches you and says "I want to make some money" you have to show them the product which they have to "get". If they don't they will struggle and become a pain when presenting their opportunity as they are focussing on the "earn £5k a month in 3 months nonsense". This as the forum has shown many times pisses people off and gives the MLM industry a bad name.

It is not enough to say "I use the products" as that is the stock answer a lot of people give. Most are using the products because they have to (auto ship) not because they want to. If you really rate and believe in your product that will shine through - then if the person is interested in making money and you have a decent comp plan they will be enthused and may well sign up - BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCT.

There are a few decent MLM product and opportunities out there and sadly a lot of crap ones. If you have a have great product that you believe in then you have a good chance of success imo.

I was generalising Mick surely you could see that? If you talk about your product in the way you have above then it is pretty obvious that you believe in it. If someone just says "I use the products" and not much else then the auto ship suspicion kicks in.

Offering the business first speeds up the growth of your business. If all your distributors have to become customers first, have a good experience, then decide to try the business that takes time. Do that over and over again and it will seriously slow the growth of your business. The opposite is true. Get them started on the business and simultaneously let them try the products / services and encourage them to do the same and your business will grow quickly.

Sometimes offering the products or services is right for the person because they tell you, directly or indirectly, the business isn't for them. That's fine - they can become a customer, show them how you get paid in case there's anybody they know who might be interested and put them on a "no for now" ("yes for later") list for the business.

Generally, most people don't take offence at being offered the business. It's just a yes, no or later answer. And, in showing them the business you would usually give a brief introduction to the products / services.