Bookmark this Site Cognigen Opportunity | Telecom Services | Work At Home Network Discussion Forum | Work At Home Network Newsletter | About Us  "Selling, What it is and What it is Not" by Jack Spirko Copyright © 2003 All Rights Reserved "Selling, What it is and What it is Not" Part 1 - Why Many Hate Sales (They don’t really know what it is) When I talk to new and prospective network marketers and people in general statements like "I can’t sell" and "I don’t like sales people" are common.  As the title of this article indicates that is because many people don’t know what sales as a profession really is.  Most likely they think of the typical Used Car Salesmen when they hear the word sales.  The purpose of this article is to explain to you what selling is and what it is not but before we define selling let’s first look at the root of the typical distaste for it.   In reality the typical "sales people" many think of are not sale professionals they are convincers who will do anything they can to get you to buy their particular product with no concern for the customer.   They don’t care if they are selling the customer what is best they just want to get their commission.  While their efforts may technically result in a sale they are not selling what they are really doing is manipulating and coercing people to get them to do what they want them to.  In short they are not sales people but con artists. In reality there are far more true sales professionals then those types but they are the ones that people remember (if they themselves are not sales professionals which many new Network Marketers are not) so in their minds those people become what they think of when they hear the word sales.  The New Network Marketer observes how these people do things and they know that they would be uncomfortable doing them so they reason that they could never sell. The truth is that we all were this type of sales person at one time in our lives. Think about when you were a child from the ages of say 2-12. From the time we grasp the basics of language we learn how to get what we want from our parents by any means necessary.   Think about the 4 year old in line at the store “selling” his parents on getting that candy bar.  He might cry, beg or barter but he won’t quit until he gets a yes or he is taken from the store by force.   Along the way we grow up and we slowly stop this type of behavior and come to find it cute in a child (may be not so cute when it is our child throwing a fit in line at the store) but we find any similar behavior by an adult distasteful and selfish. We carry this view point in our subconscious so when we are approached by someone using such tactics to get us to buy a dented used car, a whole life policy or worse an over priced TV we certainly are turned off.  Please understand most of these people are not bad folks and for the most part they are doing what they were trained to do and when they experience some success doing it they become convinced that it works.  Over time it becomes ingrained in their belief system and worse yet they teach it to others.  Network Marketing is not the only industry where duplication can make you or break you.  Yet these actions and many other pushy and persistent actions that we commonly think of as sales techniques are not the hallmarks of a true sales professional. Part 2 - Sales Defined Now that we have said what selling is not we should move on to what sales is really all about. One definition of selling I really like states that "selling is a series of agreements reached between two people".  This is one of the foundations of true professional sales people.   Professionals do not convince people into doing business with them they ask questions and make recommendations based on their expert knowledge in a given area.  As the sales process moves forward if they reach an agreement with the customer they move to the next step and if not they end the process and move on to the next customer. A definition I wrote for selling and one that is a great description of sales as it relates to the Network Marketing is that "selling is making and building relationships and offering free advice to both existing and new friends".   Should those friends choose to act on your recommendation you earn commission on their business. If you use and follow this definition the sales process becomes easy to understand, simple to do and painless as well because rejection is minimized.  There is no need to fear rejection using this process because you are only giving advice.  If your friend asked you what color you like because he was buying a new car and you said red you would not be heart broken if he or she then bought a black one.  Selling is not much different it is just that when your advice is followed you earn money. The key is to not let that affect your advice. An experienced Network Marketer is aware of the products or services that are available through his company and knows how to recommend what is best for the average person. This is the type of expert you will become in no time at all with out even trying if you just follow the system provided to you by your company.  You will then use your knowledge to make recommendations and when people follow them you will gain customers and when people choose not to you have just given some free advice. You will do this best by listening to your customers and honoring them as individuals by giving them what they ask for. When I say you will need to learn how to sell to be successful with Network Marketing this is the type of selling I am talking about.  So the next time you here someone say that Network Marketing is “not really selling” or “you’re just sharing not selling” remember that you build success in Network Marketing by acquiring customers and teaching others to do the same.  Since that means you have happy customers spending money each and every month that means someone is selling.  Do you want to try and guess who that is?  It is you and your team of course and while it may not feel like selling of course it is.  It is true selling the way that true professionals sell.  The education provided by many companies that teach people how to be sales professionals is one of the priceless things given to the general population by the Network Marketing industry. Why is this little sticking point so important?  Well, because when you take the fact that we do sell as professionals out of Network Marketing you loose creditability with true sales professionals when you prospect them.  They know by experience that salespeople are the infantry of the business world and it is that type of person who can explode your business.  They also are keenly aware of the fact that no sales equals no money and that no company can survive for long like that.   So how do you continue to sell the aspect of “not really selling” and not loose opportunities with such folks?  It is really very simple to do. Just practice the golden rule of prospecting.  “Get the prospect to do most of the talking”.  Just tell them a bit about your company and get them talking to you.  Interview them, find their motivations and follow the system or script your company provides you with.  Then if they ask well is this selling you simply ask them what do you think of when you hear selling.  If they say going door-to-door, telemarketing, etc you can then confidently say no that is not what we do.  If they say well selling to me is offering advice, being a consultant or providing expert knowledge you can say that is exactly what we do. This is a very powerful way to share a business opportunity.  It is not limited to the sales aspect of your company either.  Your goal in talking to any prospect be it a prospective distributor or prospective customer should be to get them talking and asking questions this is just one example of that.  So, is Network Marketing selling?  The answer is not a simple yes or no it really is based on the definition of sales you are using when you ask the question.  Just make sure when you answer that question or any question you are sure exactly what the person is asking.  So, how do you make sure you are clear on the question?  Just ask for clarification because that is what professional salespeople do. Jack Spirko This article is reprinted with the premission of Jack Spirko and is currently available online with many of Mr. Spirko's other articles, tips and training materials at www.marketingpitbull.net .  Mr. Spirko's goal is to educate the Network Marketing industry to the many points of wisdom available from traditional corporate business models specifically sales and marketing techniques and to improve the overall image of MLM with professional people not currently involved with the Network Marketing Industry.  You can visit his website at www.marketingpitbull.net, reach him toll free by phone at 866-994-1212 or email him at jack@marketingpitbull.net   Cognigen Opportunity | Telecom Services | Work At Home Network Discussion Forum | Work At Home Network Newsletter | About Us  © 2005 WorkAtHomeNetwork.com. All rights reserved. Page design by