Here's the Scenario:
Several consultants of varied companies find themselves staring at each other at a dead networking event on an off night.
Consultant A sells Shaklee
Consultant B sells Isagenix
Consultant C sells MonaVie
Each consultant has been mentored by their respective directors to view anybody in the room as a potential client as well as a potential recruit. The games begin:
Consultant A says, "Come over to my house and try this new skin care product, you'll LOVE it!"
Consultant B, "No thank you. Would you like to have more energy?! Lets get together over coffee and I'll explain the benefits of great dietary supplements!"
Consultant C, "I have learned that if I drink Mona Vie morning, noon and night with its incredible anti-oxidants then I won't need any skin care OR supplements. Why don't you guys come to my meeting and we'll explain the business opportunity to you!"
Consultants A and B in unison, "No thanks."
Done deal. Another dead networking event to add to the list of direct selling disappointments.
So lets turn this around:
We know up front that there are some potentially golden elements at play here.
First, we have three people who are smart enough and brave enough to step out of their corporate comfort zones and go it alone starting their own business with that sacred American dream of making it big.
Secondly, we know that each of these consultants have some kind of viable market that has put them into business in the first place. At the very least they are selling to dedicated friends and family and that in itself can be an extensive market.
Thirdly, each of these people have some kind of formal support system in place. Otherwise they wouldn't have even known to get together for coffee, or for a meeting, or to make an informal invitation to drop by the house and try something out.
The missing link is that each consultant doesn't want what the other consultants have. Or do they?
I would venture that each consultant is looking for team members that are brave enough to go-it-alone.
Each could also benefit from expanding their market to the friends and family of each of the others.
And since no one person or business has the ultimate and only genius marketing plan I would strongly suggest that exposure to each companies' particular perspective on marketing would broaden the horizons of each consultant (as well as anybody else in business today.)
So why not play ball?
GO to the meetings/coffees/get-togethers of other direct selling companies.
In fact, GET WITH EVERY PERSON OR COMPANY THAT YOU EVER HAVE CONTACT WITH FROM NOW ON AND WALK THROUGH THEIR WORLD!
(Only then will you have every right to ask them to walk through yours.)
See what other people have going on, see what they do, let them practice their pitch on you. Worst case scenario you walk away nonplused (but with a new friend in a complimentary business who will be willing to refer you to THEIR clients because you're a nice and connected person.)
Best case scenario? You might actually like and enjoy the product. Better yet, you might realize that you're totally in the wrong business and you switch tracks. Business is not just about rooting for the home team, its about being on the right team.
In Mary Kay we have endless creative ideas centered around exposing people to our products and our marketing plan. I've never once seen a guest at our meetings run down by a Pink Cadillac because they didn't join up or buy products and I ALWAYS reward my guests with free products and prizes. This is a FUN business to be in and I give it away every day non-stop!
On the other hand, I'm very unlikely to refer somebody to a business associate if I know in advance that either party is so reserved that they will neither give nor receive no matter how loving or free the offer is. Thats because a closed-minded person can never perceive the value of any situation and all of us would be wasting our time with such referrals (much like the non-ball-playing consultants in the example above.)
So, PLAY BALL! You won't win if you don't play.
Linx:
Making Connections: Playing Ball -YOU ARE HERE!
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