Andy Acciaioli

If you are part of the younger generation, you are so fortunate. With all the technology changes, lifestyle changes, heck, most of you are so conscious of nutrition, God forbid you should give one of your kids a hunk of bread slathered in butter preferring instead some whole grain alternative.

You have very few pre-conceptions to life in general. And have even fewer when it comes to alternate business models…especially network marketing. The slogan you have invented and taught us: it is what it is. (From my personal experience, my kids – now 20 somethings – have certainly used that line with me a few times. All right, truth be told, they’ve used it with me a LOT.)

It’s precisely that attitude which makes the youth market an ideal market for we network marketers to try to get into our businesses. As a matter of fact, when they get excited over anything, try stopping them? A simple no will not cut it with them. We parents know that our “no” to our kids is, in their view, exactly where they want us: that’s when their serious negotiating skills begin. And we all know how adept they are at negotiating until we parents cave and give in.

While we veterans of the industry will run for the hills when we get rejected by a new prospect, it’s only the beginning for these young network marketers. Having plenty of practice, they craft their approach to address any “no” that gets tossed at them.

And when the biggie comes along like “ewwwww, network marketing, I’ve heard stories…”, the youthful network marketer will simply shrug and respond “Oh, yeah? Well I haven’t. It is what it is. So let’s talk about this tremendous opportunity…”

“But what about my cousin’s neighbor’s sister who has a garage full of soap”, “Oh, yeah? Well I haven’t heard that one. It is what it is. So let’s talk about this tremendous opportunity…”

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been contacted by two college students. One network marketing premium steak products and the other marketing discounted food products. In either case I couldn’t imagine either of them, being college students living in a dorm, using their products based on autoship requirements. Both of them, however, had the hutzspa to pick up the phone and call me directly. I asked the one networking the groceries why I would use his method of product distribution and he flippantly replied, “Didn’t you eat today? And I assume that you and your wife lead busy lives so wouldn’t it be a great service to just open your door and groceries appear?”

Not only do I commend this kid for picking up the phone but I could envision my own kids using these lines to move me from “no” to “yes”. Go after the youth market for your network marketing team. They haven’t been dulled with the years that we veterans have experienced the “no, not interesteds”.

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I am a believer in direct mail. In the past I have built two conventional businesses using direct mail as a vital component of my marketing mix.

My first major foray into this medium was with a tour and travel business that I founded and operated for 18 years. Our mailers exceeded a million pieces annually.

Over the past 16 years, I started and ran a business-to-business direct mail company having local, niche market direct mailers in major Northeast, Central and Western states.

Why I tell you this is to give you an understanding that when it comes to this form of advertising, I have extensive experience in the field. And the conclusion I have come to realize is that it is extremely expensive compared to the return. Usually beyond the reach of the average network marketer.

Let’s examine the costs involved.
First, you will need to rent a business opportunity seekers list. I have seen online rates around .10 for each name (usually there is a minimum order or be prepared to pay a surcharge). If you want the names and addresses on labels that could run you an additional 5 or 6 cents more.
Second, you have quite a variety of options when it comes to printing. Here is an area where most people will skimp forgetting the fact that this is the MOST important decision you will make. If you go with a schlock stock and print job, what kind of impression will you give your direct mail recipient? Assuming you send a 6” x 4” postcard with black ink plus a second color (forget the 4 color process) your cost could be anywhere from .15 – .25 per piece depending upon how many mailers you order.
Third, and this is the biggie, is postage. Currently postcard postage is .28 per stamp.

At roughly .60 per direct mail recipient (using the lower printing cost), it would not be bad if the returns were in the range of when I first started mailing over 30 years ago: 3% – 4%. But the reality is in today’s advertising climate, the typical consumer is being bombarded with over 3,000 promotional messages daily and a mailer is lucky to receive a ¼ to ½ of 1% response. (Response = acknowledgement of receiving your message and not necessarily making a “purchase” / joining your business.)

A couple of techniques which will better your response rates:
1. Plan on increasing the frequency of your mailings to the SAME people (mailing list) at least on an average of 3 or 4 times. This way, they get to know you as you incrementally build a relationship with each mailing. (The problem with this is that it is extremely costly.)
2. Only mail out 10 or 15 pieces a day and make follow-up telephone calls to those who have received the pieces. It is vital that you make these calls within 24 hours of their receiving the pieces. This is a perfect conversation starter: “Hi, this is ___________. I’m the one who sent you the home business mailer with the homemaker at the computer. Do you recall getting it?” Go for it, the conversation is now opened.

Recently I co-ordinated a co-op direct mail program within our network marketing team. Each of us mailed out 500 pieces. The response ranged from none to awful. Of my two “star prospects”, one wanted to sell me the product we offer so I could resell it for him and the other is a tire kicker at best. Sending these few mailers out (500 per co-op participant) was being extremely cost conscious as I kept the total cost for the mailing list on pressure sensitive labels, the 2-color printing on heavy, glossy stock and shipping to $98.50 per person.

The next time I develop a direct mail program for my primary network marketing business, I will personally test it out with 5,000 pieces. Based on the results, it will then be offered to my team.

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With over 4,800 network marketing companies and millions of network marketers affiliated with those companies, what exactly is it that makes you different from all the rest? Why should someone join you – and your network marketing business – rather than signing-up with someone else?

Do they perceive that you can provide assistance for them to succeed in the business more so than anyone else? Have you built your brand – YOU, INC. – to such a level that they desire to model themselves after what you have done in order that their brand be built?

We all have different talents. The object of succeeding in network marketing is to take a long hard look within ourselves and find that talent we have the most passion for. Once discovered, nourish and nurture it to build your business by others observing your special ability and wanting to associate with you as they recognize themselves in you.

Some of us are great calling strangers and building a relationship over the phone. Others are not. I have never been one to cold call a stranger and work through the awkward silent pauses as the person on the other end of the call is wondering why is this person bothering me.

“Dialing for dollars” was probably not Daegan Smith’s favorite pastime so he developed an email marketing system with a distribution of a “guestimated” 200,000. One thing Daegan does do is write creative emails…and, more importantly, creates captivating subject lines to get you to open each one of his emails. (And, look forward to the next one arriving either that afternoon or the next morning.)

One of my team members disseminates a daily quotation and thought provoking question. I – along with countless other people – go searching for this to start the day. She has indeed positioned herself as providing tremendous value with her ability to research and give her readers a compelling reason to keep returning so that her daily posts are not missed. In short, she has found her specialty and is viewed as an expert.

There is no better way to showcase (and uniquely brand) yourself than by becoming literally a video machine. You can easily cut one or two videos a day. And, your being new to the making of videos can only lead to those viewing your video to get to like you even more. They can relate to your uneasiness at first because that is exactly how they would feel were they in front of the webcam.

There is no one in the world exactly like you. No one has your exact talents. Let your uniqueness work for you in building your network marketing business.

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It’s a natural feeling to get discouraged when someone we have been talking to or presenting our business opportunity to decides not to enroll. Perhaps it could be as frivolous to their having a bad hair day. Maybe it’s due to your having a bad hair day. Whatever the reason, you realize that the time you spent recruiting them for your business adds up to a big goose egg.

Or does it?

Those of us who have been in the business for a while realize that not all “no’s” are “no’s”. Some of them (okay, only a small number of them) are “not yets”.
It could be that they are too embarrassed to let it be known to you that they are flat broke and can’t even come up with the sign-up fee whatever it may be. Or maybe they are really, really over their head with their day job and can’t possibly add something else to their plate right now.

Do you give them an “I’ll show you” attitude as you slam-bam pack up your presentation material or attempt to quickly get off the phone? Is this really the impression you want to leave them with: you’re a sore loser. Do you realize that with this type of exit, you have permanently ended any further contact with this person?

How about letting them off the hook gently with a statement like, “I understand when you say that now is not a good time for you. I’m with (the name of your network marketing company) for the long haul. When the time is right for you, just give me a call and I’ll be glad to review our business plan with you. In the meantime, how about if I check in with you in a month or two?” Your prospect will surely agree to this gentle approach and, more importantly, you have left the door open. (P.S. Don’t wait the 2 months, put a note in your planner to make the call in a month.)

This approach can best be described as a loser who soars.

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Robert Fulghum’s famous poster “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten” was given to me one Christmas by my children. I treasure this gift both because of who gave it to me and the words contained on this poster.

Every network marketer should have this poster hanging on the wall near your computer or in the area of where you make your business telephone calls. Take an occasional glimpse at it to review what you learned years ago and apply it to what you are doing right now.

“Play fair.” Conduct your network marketing business honestly and fairly. Treat everyone as you would want to be treated. Provide prospects with all the information you have available about your business so that they can make a good decision whether to join your team or not.

“Don’t hit people.” Is there anything worse than opening an email and getting smacked with unrequested information about some business opportunity? Or answering your telephone to hear from someone you barely know pitching you on joining their business?

“Clean up your own mess.” If you have made a mess, perhaps given out wrong information to your team members, be sure to clean it up yourself. Don’t go running to your upline and expect them to mop up after you. (P.S. If you were careful enough in the first place, you wouldn’t have the mess to clean up.)

“Don’t take things that aren’t yours.” If you had collected email addresses from your entire downline and then decided to go to another network marketing company, do you think it is fair for you to send email to this list soliciting them to join you in your new venture? Aren’t you taking “things” that aren’t yours?

“When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.” As network marketers, the marketplace has a lot of things flying at us: lots of competing offers, loads of business building ideas, tons of lead generation techniques. Grab hold of your upline and strictly rely on them for guiding you through the good, the bad and the ugly times of building your business.

Pick up Fulghum’s poster. I can’t guarantee that it will unlock some secret code that will get you to sponsor a gazillion people into your business. But, like chicken soup, it couldn’t hurt.

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Whenever I see these words (or some variation) in the subject line of the opening sentence of an email, I get immediate palpitations. It is the subtle way of saying: I- want-you-to-look-at-my-network-marketing-opportunity-but-I-do-not-want-to- come-off-as-a-blatant-business-opportunity-spammer-so-I-will-subtly-finesse-you-into-looking-at-my-replicated-website-so-you-will-positively-want-to- immediately-join-my-business.

Surely everyone will want to help me out by giving me their advice.

Wrong answer.

When I first started getting these requests, I would honestly review their opportunities and point out any potential flaws I would see either in the marketing, product or some element in the compensation plan. The responses to my frankness would range from “you don’t know what you’re talking about” to “I don’t care what you have to say” to no response. And, there were a couple of thanks (but no thanks) replies.

Since I have written so many online network marketing articles, I now receive anywhere from 2 to 4 “I Need Your Advice…” emails each week from my various social network accounts and in the comment section of my blog. My response: delete.

If I seek to leave my network marketing company and join another, an email would not sway me to run to a business opportunity. My decision is securely rooted in the company’s marketing, product and compensation plan. And,
most importantly, can I make money in it?

Over the past weekend, a friend of mine called me and asked me to critique a new business he had just joined. After briefly looking at his website, although it mentioned it being a business opportunity, it failed to present a compensation plan. When I told him about this, he explained that once you applied, they would email that to you. WHAT???

That being said, I have often toyed with the idea of replying to those “I Need Your Advice…” emails – and calls – with an email that I would be happy to review their business opportunity. But given my time limitation as well as my extensive network marketing experience, please prepay $$$ into my PayPal account.

Needless to say I would expect that no one would take me up on that offer. My PayPal account has not shown any dramatic increases attributable to advice fees.

Were someone to pay a review fee for this sort of advice, I think it would be a service well worth the cost. It certainly would have saved me a lot of wasted money (and time) on some of the zany ventures I managed to get myself involved with.

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Do you jump on nearly every network marketing business opportunity that is presented to you? I am not talking about if after you study a new opportunity you decide that it presents a better opportunity to you than your present company. No. I am talking about jumping on multiple companies thinking that you can be a success in all of them.

Perhaps you are the exception and can simultaneously run four or five network marketing business successfully all at once. I have never met anyone who has done this but as I said, perhaps you are the exception.

First, do you project an image of success to someone you are talking to about a particular company when you have three or four others that you are participating in? If you are so successful in the company you are attempting to present to a prospect, why do you need to be involved with the other business opportunities?

Second, which business are you the most passionate about? Or does that change with the level of success you might be experiencing at any one moment?

Third, are prospects being given mixed signals about the business they find most interesting simply because you would rather promote your favorite?

Fourth, your participating in multiple business opportunities at the same time will encourage your downline to do the exact same thing. Unfortunately, the other companies that they join will vary from yours…as will their loyalty.

Fifth, and perhaps the MOST important factor, what happens when your upline finds out about your being disloyal to their network marketing company? Surely you cannot expect their level of assistance in working with you when at any moment you can turn around and attempt to get your (and their) downline to switch to another network marketing company du jour.

One time I spoke to someone, a friend and an excellent salesman, I had personally sponsored into my opportunity. I later found out he was involved with three other network marketing companies plus operating a few internet affiliate programs. When I asked his about this, he informed me that he viewed himself as owning a micro-conglomerate with multiple divisions. I will spare you the details but the last I heard, this tycoon’s micro-conglomerate had dropped off the radar screen as he had to quit all of his network marketing businesses and is waiting tables in Dallas.

Bottom line: be a successful network marketer in one business opportunity instead of dabbling in multiple opportunities at the same time.

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I received a phone call from a New Jersey college student today. He wanted to pitch his business to me as he had gone on my Facebook page, checked out my websites and realized I was a network marketer. When I asked him why he was calling me about his network marketing business, his response was classic. He said since you’re a network marketer I feel as though you already know the ropes.

This young man is going to go far. With his present network marketing company? Not so much. But just the fact of realizing the concept of attraction marketing without even knowing of the king of attraction marketing, Mike Dillard, is positively incredible.

After I hung up from the call, I wondered how many on my team (INCLUDING MYSELF) would have the gumption to pick up the phone and call a total Facebook stranger and pitch our business?

There was a recent webinar that I attended for my primary business where another college student (they must really be teaching hut spa in colleges nowadays) sponsored in 6 or 8 people during the month of March. How did he do it without any network marketing experience? He picked up the phone and called total Facebook strangers who were network marketers. Did he get no’s? Tons of them. Was it enough to never pick up the phone again as it probably would be for the best of us? Absolutely not. He reasoned, with each no I’m getting closer to a yes.

But, Andy, we’re in the internet age. I want to sit at my computer and market my business that way. It’s easier than talking to somebody.

Easier but nowhere near as effective. When you talk to someone on the phone they get a unique insight into you simply by your tone of voice, the pace (fast or slow) of your speech and, most importantly, the excitement you have for your business opportunity. Now how are you going to show excitement in an email? Adding a few exclamation points or capitalizing your VERY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY?

I’ll give you the King of All Never Having To Pick Up The Phone Network Marketers, Daegan Smith. If you are on one of Daegan’s email lists you know two things: 1.) be prepared because he sends out tons of email and 2.) his email is crammed full of content of superior value that you cannot get anywhere else. So what do you do? You get excited when you see an email from Daegan. I’m not the only one though. He has built an email list of – I’m guessing now – around 200,000 eager daily readers. Hitting submit to send an email is all Daegan probably has to do to fill any network marketing opportunity. Here’s my bet: I bet he too picks up the phone on occasion and makes a personal contact.

While it pains most of us to call strangers, you never know who will answer the next phone call of yours. Perhaps it will be a person to build the largest group in your entire company…and the volume will all flow up through you.

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Can you remember the enthusiasm you once had for your network marketing business? Let me help you recall the exact moment: you saw the business presentation for a new business opportunity and were probably so excited over the possibilities that you could barely sleep.

This was going to be the answer to all your financial woes. It certainly was going to allow you to retire yourself from a job you despised. You visualized the last day of work when a limo would pick you up at the office with “Freedom” blaring from the cd player.

That was then. This is now. You have encountered set-back after set-back in building (or should I say not building) your business. If seems as though everyone you talk to is either not interested in joining your business or has some nasty opinion to voice. (As I always train my team: Do you want what they have? No? Then flush what they have to say…including their opinion.)

When we were kids, a favorite game we would play is “let’s pretend”. Let’s pretend we are firemen, let’s pretend we are carpenters, let’s pretend we’re the greatest pitchers to ever touch the mound for the Boston Red Sox (what did you expect this New Englander to say?). After our little game it was still we kids but during our game it sure felt real to us.

You too have to get back in the game.

Whether it is with positive affirmations you read before you go to bed at night or when you first wake up in the morning, you’re back in the game once again. Pretend it’s “Day One” of your network marketing career. As in the movie “Ground Hog Day” when it is ground hog day again and again and again, let today be your “Network Marketing Day One” again and again and again.

Suddenly you will get all enthused over your business…get the warm and fuzzies at the possibilities of what it can do financially for you and your family. Your retirement from your j-o-b is on the horizon. Matter of fact, the freedom limo that’s going to pick you up from your last day at work is now tanking up. All of this can happen when your network marketing career re-invents itself day after day after day.

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I doubt that there is a more lightening rod issue than network marketing. There seems to be no gray area, no middle ground: you are either for it or against it.

The reality is network marketing in its most basic form is simply another business model to bring products from point “A” (the manufacturer) to point “C” (the consumer). There is nothing involving marketing or business voodoo with that.

As a matter of fact, if manufacturers could go directly to consumers (“A” > “C”) cutting out the middlemen (such as their wholesalers and retailers) wouldn’t they do so? Think of the additional profits they could pocket that must be paid out in getting their products into consumers’ hands.

With nearly 310 million consumers in the US alone, a business model designed to direct ship to each one of us would be impossible. So products flow through a chain involving a point “B” which mostly involves products going through wholesalers and retailers. However, some products (and services) are distributed through another point “B”: we network marketers.

I rarely hear of anyone nearly going into cardiac arrest should you discuss traditional forms of point “B” product distribution (wholesalers and retailers). Frequently I hear of we network marketers being frowned upon principally by family and friends simply because we offer products (or services) directly to consumers which is outside of the traditional channel of product distribution.

You might be the most knowledgeable Beauty Control cosmetic consultant on planet earth having attended many seminars yet your sister-in-law would prefer to get the advice of some bubble gum snapping, part-timer at her local pharmacy’s cosmetic counter. Go figure.

What amazes me more than anything is when we as network marketers are demonized yet traditional forms of marketing and product distribution are not.
When we see a Walmart trailer barreling down the highway loaded with products we all want, do we look at it with disdain? Do we say I had a cousin who’s next door neighbor’s aunt went into one of those Walmart stores and bought enough fishing poles to fill her entire garage and that’s where they sit to this very day? Yet how many times have we heard that I know someone who knew someone who had a cousin who bought enough soap from one of those network marketing companies to fill up his entire garage?

The fact is network marketing is simply a different model to distribute products or services from point “A” (manufacture) to point “C” (consumer). Anyone who has a problem with that: get over it.

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