Music & Arts:Raven Sound Utilizes Twitter
By Nick Corsi

FOLLOW @RAVENSOUND

I recently began utilizing Twitter to promote Erie, PA based sound reinforcement company Raven Sound. I knew that I wanted to include at least one social networking site into Raven’s marketing mix, and the fast and easy updating potential of Twitter while on the road and on stage doing gigs was the deciding factor in incorporating the ever growing Twitter.

THE TWITTER PLAN

There are a few specific content and follow strategies I would like to implement in order represent Raven and its services. I primarily decided to use Twitter because of the massive amounts of content to be updated during the summer months. Raven Sound gets slammed during the summer with Concert Series, Music Festivals, Large Scale City sponsored Block Parties, Dance Reviews, Local Non-profit special events, and County Fairs, all the while running a store front in which customers such as bands, DJs or anyone come in and rent small sound and lighting equipment. This hectic schedule provides an exciting and unexpected series of days in which A LOT happens. Full length news articles and blog posts are just not feasible to continually update ravensound.com. Twitter’s 140 character microblog will allow myself and other Raven engineers to:

• provide sound engineering insights and tricks of the trade
• update followers about ongoing gigs
• promote local Raven produced events
• promote music artists
• keep in contact with road musicians, managers, planners, and producers who travel through Erie
• tell the world about all the fun we have!

CONNECTIVITY TO CREATION

There are many community calenders, blogs, and newsletters about local music, arts, and entertainment. In the summer, Raven Sound tends to be a common factor behind all the largest local events.  Not many people realize that the same company behind the Port Authority’s 8 Great Tuesday’s, Downtown Improvement Block Parties, and Celebrate Erie main stage is the same company that resides right in the heart of Erie at 26th and Peach and ALSO provides small DJ, sound and lighting equipment, and small rehearsal rooms for local bands.  We also have recently incorporate mobile recording for virtually any application. We are one of the links between the entertainment, the audience and fostering local growth. Telling people about what we are doing is much more than promoting a business, it is promoting a region’s artists and creative talent.

Nick has been working with Raven Sound for over two years as a sound engineer, webmaster, and marketer. Twitter is just one of the many up and coming initiatives at Raven Sound.

Work Hard, Take It Easy

Nick Corsi
Follow Me on Twitter

network marketing: global trends

THE LURE OF A BEACH LIFESTYLE

A lifestyle of the rich and famous is a common image projected by many network marketing leaders. It is extolled in video presentations. It is acted out at “major events” held in exotic resorts. It is seductive…a heady experience. We attend in droves, in hopes of an epiphany on the road to riches. We listen to the dream, with hopes the dream now includes us.

These sessions do inspire and encourage…but, if what follows is financial and relationship stress arising out of unreasonable business expectations and overextended  expenditures, the inspiration backfires. A promise of vast, easily-acquired wealth, is seductive and destructive; both for the new person, and for the leaders who are under pressure to uphold the persona.

OH – NO – ANOTHER NETWORK MARKETING BANKRUPTCY

If there is an elephant in the network marketing boardroom, this certainly is it!

MATERIALISM AS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Network marketing grew up in the United States in a pervasive culture of materialism.

Top performers are held up on pedestals. They may arrive in white limos and be-jeweled gowns, march across stages with photos of their multimillion dollar homes, their multiple cars, beach vacations, beautiful children, flashing on screens behind them, as they sit  lounging at home, while the cheques roll in.

IS THIS TRUTH?

Not a bad picture, you may say…who wouldn’t aspire to it? It has been truth for a small number – less that .5% actually.

The problem comes when the story being told is that everyone can easily have this, in a short period of time. It is true, there is nothing standing in the way of that level of success – but, no different than success in traditional business, only a few become heads of huge corporations. Many more in traditional business make a good living and manage their money carefully…so it is, and should be, in network marketing.

THE DREAM IS IMPORTANT – BUT SO IS KEEPING YOUR FINANCIAL FEET ON THE GROUND

Chasing the possibility of riches, or maintaining the illusion of a wealthy lifestyle, has taken all too many into bankruptcy, or to the brink of bankruptcy. Relationships have been strained, if  not totally destroyed, and not just at the entry levels.

I have seen people, who were making six figure incomes per month, head into divorce and bankruptcy because of that insatiable hunger in the belly of the beast of greed that keeps driving them to spend more and more. They keep buying ever bigger homes, more vacations, wanting to generate an even more opulent lifestyle to attract others to the dream.

Let’s be truthful about what we can realistically expect in this business, and reasonable in setting our financial goals. It will be to our advantage and earn us credibility in the business world.

LET’S GET TO THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MONEY

New recruits are all too often approached with the lure of riches, status, and an opulence, easily attained.  This wealthy lifestyle  is promoted as the norm, promising to be within the grasp of all who sign on the dotted line.

It is a culture of untruth (not really ‘out and out’ lies) about how much money the leaders and the majority of people are making. The mystique tempts one to fill up credit cards, borrow from family, or anyone who will lend money, so they, too, can prematurely flaunt wealth.

Most companies also have levels of achievement based on volume. The rush to hold the crown (often the levels are named after precious gems) and gain status by being part of the stage parade at these higher leadership levels, propels many to overspend, thus losing sight of the need to build a business that will generate sustainable income.

I once heard a top distributor speaking  to a large crowd in a training session suggesting that when you are asked, “How much money are YOU making?”…you should simply reply, “You wouldn’t believe it.” The crowd laughed… knowingly.

WE ARE IN CRISIS NOW

The timing to make a consciousness shift in network marketing  is critical and addressing this issue is part of the shift. This industry provides a legitimate option to survive and thrive in the current economic crisis. In case you are still buying into the “song and dance routine” that we are just experiencing a little market blip and will soon hit bottom and rebound, you need to look at the numbers.

THE NUMBERS SUGGEST A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

Here are some interesting global facts. Credit default swaps now total 683 trillion while real global production is 63 trillion of global GDP -  (The New Financiers by Hazel Henderson) . A complete financial system redesign is necessary to find our way out of this crisis. Network marketing could be a player in that redesign, if we are ready to revolutionalize this outdated six decade-old model and be honest about what you can expect from doing business in this way.

IS THERE MONEY TO BE MADE?

The network marketing model is one way to  financial security. Unfortunately, security is not achieved when one is living the lifestyle before the money is earned. And that is the culture the industry has perpetuated, believing that flaunting the outer trappings of success will attract more participants. Some people do make very serious money in network marketing. Many make very good incomes and manage that money well. And many more, find great satisfaction aside from the money…through relationships and association with like-minded people.

WHAT IS THE REALITY?

• What if you could replace your current income and gain the freedom of owning your own business…would that be worthy of your time?

• What if you could pay down your debt with a few additional hundred dollars per month...would that be worthy of your time?

• What if you had an additional $1,000.00 per month from your part-time network marketing business? And what if you invested it in other sources of residual income, diversifying and creating sustainable personal wealth …or perhaps even took a vacation?…would that be worthy of your time?

• What if you were part of a company that connected you with like-minded people from around the world…would that be worthy of your time?

It’s about impact and global contribution. It’s about transparency, honesty, sustainability and contribution…the money will follow truth and passion for service.

Let’s give the facts about money, be fiscally responsible, focus on building customer-based residual incomes and promote the intrinsic values being in this business holds for everyone.

Let’s be honest.

Let’s be transparent.

Let’s use an approach to marketing that is about real abundance.

Let’s use Social, Relationship and Environmental Marketing to attract people to the industry using personalized, reasonable expectations of success.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

contact: attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com
Organizational Behaviour Consultant
Network Marketing Consultant and Trainer
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.wellnaturallyinternational.com www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

NETWORK MARKETING AS WELFARE

We have reached the number 10 pet peeve I believe most people have with network marketing. I began this rant more than 10 weeks ago with my first post, People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers.

In that post I outlined 10 behaviours I believe need to be changed for network marketing to undergo the revolution I know will occur when we discover the potential this economic model has to lead business into the future. For the ten weeks following that initial post, I have expanded on each of those 10 behaviors. (click for a complete listing to all posts on this subject).

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A BUSINESS THAT PAYS YOU FOR NOT DOING ANY WORK?

Does it sound tempting? “Wow, I just sign up and buy this guy’s kit of goods and tell him/her the names and phone numbers of my friends and relatives and sit back and wait for the postman to arrive.”

You may laugh and think “how foolish, surely that doesn’t happen” and if it did, “well, who would fall for such a line”?

Well, get rich quick schemes are the one industry currently undergoing a huge growth in this turbulent economy.

When you are desperate, afraid, low in self-esteem because you have lost your job, or are at risk of losing it, or you are just finding there is more month than money… it can be very tempting.

There are also some network marketing pay plans, like the binary plan, designed to pay out bonuses only when each of the legs produce the same volume. In a plan like this, it  rewards lazy people or non-workers and is tempting for the person who is highly motivated to make such statements as he/she juggles to place people down each leg and balance the volume so they can receive their bonuses.

There are also occasions in organizations where the pay plan does not require such juggling, but overly ambitious distributors make this offer to help them reach quotas or incentive levels. “If you just sign up and buy some products I will be able to move on to the next pay level and you don’t have to do a thing.”

I believe these methods are rampant in network marketing businesses as a culture of fear, of loss, and of competition takes hold. It loses touch with ethics and, most importantly with SUSTAINABLILTY.

There are many incredibly ethical companies in the industry and there are hundreds of thousands ethical distributors who have built a business based on excellence in customer service and relationships with their team and downline. If you are just looking into the industry, and I do believe you should be, as now is when you should be  thinking about a Plan B…now, more than ever. This industry affords an opportunity for you to earn whatever amount of money you are prepared to work to earn.

But you must do your research, choose your company wisely, and choose your sponsor wisely. That will make all the difference.

Good luck – and good success!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
network marketing consultant and trainer
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.theconsciouscorporation.com www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!

This should be the shortest post I have ever written…of course you have to sell…end of story!

Sadly, I have heard this “pitch” all too often. “Join our company. It is great. You don’t have to sell anything. Because we know how much people hate selling, we have set it up so you won’t have to sell a thing.”

First of all…anyone making this statement is rather foolish if they haven’t figured out that what they are doing is trying to SELL you on the idea that you can make money by just sitting around…and uh… watching the grass grow… I guess.

If you did sign up, it is unfortunate they did not realize what great sales people they are!

YOU ARE ALREADY SELLING EVERY DAY…

If you are employed, you sold yourself to an employer.

If you are married or dating, you have sold yourself to another person.

If you want your children to clean their rooms or to do their homework, you are selling your values.

If you  have an idea for a new system at work, you are selling your colleagues or bosses on your creativity.

If you are avoiding network marketing because you do not like to sell, you need to realize we are all selling something each and every day.

BUT IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE SELLING WHEN I MET MY SPOUSE…ETC

Therein lies the key point. There are different kinds of selling. A very outdated mode of sales is what most commonly comes to mind when people think about sales. It was a form of selling (badgering) someone to purchase something they really did not want and they only bought to get rid of you. It was about making your friends and family feel sorry for you… so they bought…but they wished they didn’t have to.

That is not what true selling is about.

It is about meeting a need….creating a relationship…respecting the customer…so that the customer chooses to buy. Truly great sales people are the ones who tell you, if they cannot provide what you need,and then they suggest where you can go to perhaps find what you are looking for.

Does helping people meet their needs appeal to you?

Does sharing a great idea appeal to you?

Does seeing someone improve an area of their life appeal to you?

Does making someone happy, appeal to you?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you ought to consider selling!

IT SHOULD BE CALLED RELATIONSHIP MARKETING.

If someone in a network marketing company is telling you all you have to do is sign up and get other people to sign up and use their products… and that no one ever has to sell anything, you can be guaranteed that company will soon be receiving letters from the government regulatory agents asking them to provide proof that their distributors have met the legislative requirements to have at least 5 customers per month.
Sadly, the list of companies who have bit the dust because they tried to create a company without customers is very long…and they are very closely aligned with Ponzi schemes.

The sooner we understand there is not a quick and easy route to riches, the happier and more successful we will be!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultantauthor: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.theconsciouscorporation.com www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

IF IT DOES…YOU HAD BETTER RUN

Ah, greed. How quickly it can seep into our brains and cloud our, otherwise, clear thinking. I have spoken to people about legitimate network marketing companies, only to have them reply,“I just don’t do that type of thing”.

Then, astoundingly, later, I have had some of them call me to propose a blatantly illegal pyramid structure they would like me to participate in. In response to my confusion as to why they would turn down a legal business opportunity, to be taken in by this obvious scam, they reply, “But all kinds of doctors, lawyers, accountants are doing it!’

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE …IT IS…

Network marketing is a legitimate direct selling business structure that has been regulated by government legislation since the 1970’s.

The size of this industry may surprise you. According to the Direct Sellers Association, the  worldwide workforce looks like this:

• 68 million distributors
• 110 billion in annual sales
• only 12% work 20 or more hours per week
• 71% have more than a high school education; 29% technical school, 32% college graduates, and 10% postgraduates

YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR BUSINESS

Legitimate companies are those who take quality products into the marketplace at a fair pricing structure. The advantage of direct selling to the consumer, is they can purchase from someone they know and trust, they can access the product in the comfort of their homes, and with many new technology or wellness products, they gain the benefit of education and support to learn how to use the product…a feature no longer offered in the world of discount “Wal-Mart” marketing.

In a world in financial crisis, the advantage to the distributor is the power to be totally in control of when, where, and how much effort you put into earning an income. The only one who can lay you off…is you.

KNOW WHAT A PONZI SCHEME LOOKS LIKE

If  it seems the sole emphasis of a company is making fast money, it is time for you to sit back, take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself, “If it is really so easy to get a swack of money, why isn’t everyone doing it?”

I listened to a radio program a couple of days ago alerting local people to the rerun of a very old Ponzi scheme, Women Helping Women. I was astonished at the naivety of the callers who said when they attended these meetings and saw lots of credible people from their community, they thought it must be ok!

Listen to your intuition! Do you really think a legitimate business would be one in which you give someone $5,000.00 and you sit back and wait for your $40,000.00 to materialize!

The sad thing for me was the confusion the callers and the hosts had with thinking what they had just signed on for was no different than the juice company their brother was asking them to take a look at. They still did not get it!

IT IS A BUSINESS

Let go of the belief that maybe, somewhere, there is a bunch of money just waiting for you, if only you were in the right place at the right time. How many ‘Madoffs’ or ‘Nigerian Scams’ or other versions of Ponzi schemes, have to be exposed before people… get it!

1. There must be a sale of product, ideally a consumable product for you to have repeat customers

2. There must be customers - you cannot just get paid for signing people up

3. Is the product something you or your friends would like to purchase?…if so, there will likely be a market demand

5. You must have a passion for the product, beyond just thinking about the money you will make

6. The pay plan needs to reflect a reasonable bonus for you, but the company also has to make a profit if they are to stay in business. Typically, successful network marketing companies pay out between 21 – 52%.

7. You should not have to carry a large inventory.

8. The signup kit should not exceed $500.00 by law. You may choose to buy more products, but that is your choice.

9. You should expect to work... it is netWORK marketing. If you are being told all you have to do is sign up and the money will appear, you KNOW it is not legitimate, so quit hoping maybe you will get the money and get out before anyone is charged.

10. Expect to put in several years to build a full-time income. This is no different from any other business. You will have good days and bad days, but those who continue to work the business will reap the rewards.

Honesty – Integrity – Ethics ...are the best compensation plan…if what you are doing does not feed that basic criteria, you are in the wrong place.

HAVE FUN!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
Network Marketing Consultant and Trainer

author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about:  www.theconsciouscorporation.com www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

“YOU LOOK LIKE A SHARP GUY (GAL)”…

This most be the oldest “Pick Up” line in the network marketing book. It is the subject today of our 7th post in a 10 part series on network marketing No-No’s. This list of behaviours that I wish network marketers would immediately stop using, grew out of a post I wrote titled, People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers.”

WHAT IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY?

It was probably six decades ago, with the intention of showing interest and sincere flattery, that this phrase entered the training manual for network marketers. Most likely the underlying reason for it, though, had more to do with, “doing whatever it takes to grow my organization.”

So now, let erase it.

“Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.” – Dr. Joyce Brothers, psychologist

LISTEN – LISTEN – LISTEN

If you can HEAR what I am saying here, you will be exceptionally successful in your network marketing business.

Active listening is a much talked about skill and, like mother-hood and apple-pie, everyone preaches the importance of listening but in reality, I see few who do it.

To become an accomplished listener, you need some basic complementary skills:

1.  Patience - know that a truly successful, sustainable network marketing business will be built over time.

2. Service - your role is to be of service to those who may be looking for what your product or company has to offer. You will only know that if you ask a lot of questions.

3. Empathy – understand and be sensitive to where the other person is coming from – it is ALL about them.

4. Honesty - only speak truth; about your products, your business, your experience, and your opinions of them.

5. Professionalism – act at all times as you would if you were the ethical CEO of a huge corporation, because that is what you are wanting to be.

6. Relationships – this is relationship marketing and your job is to build lasting relationships. Anything less than that is not worthy of the industry or of you.

If you are using this check list to govern your behaviour, you would never be tempted, or trained, to give false flattery or any other artificial means to draw someone into signing up in your business.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
Netowrk Marketing Consultant and Trainer

author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

THE COMP PLAN IS SO GOOD – I CAN’T LEAVE IT WITH YOU!

Today I want to talk about network marketing pay plans, what works, what does not, what is legal, what is not; and how you can save yourself a lot of grief by telling the difference.

This is the 6th post in a series of articles on behaviours in network marketing I think need to stop immediately for the industry to attain the level of professionalism it deserves. This series of articles began with a post titled “People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers.”

SHARING THE PLAN – OPENLY AND HONESTLY

This 6th behaviour is about being open and honest with information about your compensation plan. My recent encounter with a “flash of a plan” was related to a company selling something about travel. It was “so hot and so amazing” that the individual could not let me see a copy, nor could I go to a website. The only way I was going to get information was if I attended a public meeting.

Not only is this an insult to my intelligence, it is also a warning to run. Making a decision about which network marketing company you should become involved with is a decision based on due diligence. Unfortunately, because the cost of getting started is low, many people do not take the time to check it out.

FOUR BASIC TYPES

Following are the basic compensation plans but there are many adaptations of each type. One of the best sources of information on compensation plans in the industry is Rod Cook, whose book I have profiled and whose research is behind much of this post.

UNILEVEL

There is a lot of success out there with this plan which usually has 50% of profits going back to consultants. It is one of the most popular at the moment. There is no limit to front line width and usually a limit of 5-10 levels in depth. It favors those who are willing to treat this like a business. For more information on this plan.

MATRIX

This plan has guidelines that limit the width and depth of your organization. A typical structure will by 2×10 or a 3×9. You have 2 recruits on your frontline and each leg can be built to 10 levels. You want to know what happens with attrition occurs. Can you fill in the empty spots with new people or does the bonus cheque break away to the company? This plan has often been linked to illegal pyramid schemes and is consequently losing popularity in the industry giving way to unilevel or binary plans.

BINARY
This plan allows only two legs with infinite depth that pay out whenever the volume in each leg matches. It is simple to work, but the problem occurs when you cannot get the volume in each leg to match. You have to wait to get your bonus cheque until this happens or you may be paid based on the volume in the weaker leg. It also means you are often doing all the work by placing recruits to earn your cheque. It rewards those who do not work. You need to keep a sharp eye on what is happening in both legs in order to earn your bonus cheque. The company can also often end up paying out too much, which can happen in the first 6 months to 2 years of operation, resulting in corporate bankruptcy if the commission payout is not properly controlled or managed.

STAIRSTEP – GENERATIONAL – BREAKAWAY

This plan is the oldest and most common plan with companies that have survived any length of time in the industry. It has been the most popular plan in the marketplace but the generational nature of the plan can create conflict between upline and downline. The plan allows for infinite width but restricts depth from usually 6-10 levels. It is important to make certain this plan has a no breakage aspect which means if a distributor does not qualify for his/her bonuses it does not breakaway to the company but instead gets paid to the next qualifying active consultant. Stairstep plans require additional investment to qualify for monthly bonuses which can be seen as a deterent over time. These plans have been the most successful but in the recent marketplace are tending to sag and many companies are making adjustments to these plans.

OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK

1.  How old is the company? Just like traditional businesses, most fail in the first 3 years. Here are the average survival rates in this industry. If the company has been in operation for…

less than 1 year – less than 10 % survival
1-2 years – 30% survival
2-3 year – 50% survival
over 3 years – 70%

2.  Are the cheques paid on time and can you see evidence of that?

3. Can see you a copy of a cheque – either from the person who is recruiting you, or someone else in the organization in your area?

4. It, by law, should not cost more than $500.00 to join. Buy the minimum and test the water.

5. To be healthy financially, and to survive, the company should not be promising a payout of more than  38 – 55% in bonuses.

6. Are you able to understand the plan or at least ask questions until you can?

7. If it promises to pay only for signing up people – run – it is illegal. You must sell to customers.

8.Most of all, the products should be something you can get enthused about.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
Network Marketing Consultant and trainer

author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

PROFESSIONALISM IN NETWORK MARKETING

This is the fifth post in a series of articles that began with a post titled,“People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing,They Dislike Network Marketers” in which I sent out a plea for more professionalism in the industry, followed by 10 behaviours that we would be well-advised to stop as quickly as possible.

These 10 No-No behaviours have been the the subject of each weekly post since that first article.

Today’s rant, and 5th behaviour is the “claim of a cure”.

Some lady in Kansas had cancer and now she walks on water or (variation on the theme) my doctor does not know anything about this but it is an amazing cure.

MAKING MEDICAL CLAIMS…

I believe the single most responsible factor for the ‘cease and desist’ action orders from governments upon network marketing companies is related to the medical claims made by either the company or its distributors. If you are with an ethical company, they will have rigid policies governing the making of claims which should show its teeth through zero tolerance and the cancellation of distributorships for those who step across the line.

CHOOSE AN ETHICAL COMPANY

If you are in the process of choosing a company, ask questions and read the literature very carefully. You are going to be putting time, effort, and money into building your business. You do not want to have all that blow up on you because other consultants are making medical claims, or your company is thinking they will get away with making such claims. The company will be shut down and your business will be shut down along with it.

WHAT IF I PERSONALLY SAW “A CURE” WITH MY COMPANY’S PRODUCTS?

Be aware of placebo effects.

If your company products are in the wellness industry, you should be aware of what is called a placebo effect [Wikipedia]. Depending on the issues faced by the user of your products, they could experience significant results  through placebo effects. Studies have shown some of the following long-term effects of placebos include:

8 weeks for panic disorder
75% effect of anti-depression medication from placebo-effect
6 months for angina pectoris
2 1/2 years for rheumatoid arthritis

Children are also more likely to respond to placebo.

Does it matter? Well, not likely. Even the medical community takes advantage of this effect in its treatments. But what does matter is that you do not assume you have just discovered a cure through your products that doctors can’t understand or match.

WHAT CAN I SAY OR DO AND STILL BE PROFESSIONAL?

1. Relate your own story only.

2. Describe specific observable behaviours…“my headache went away”… “I felt I had more energy”…“I feel more flexible”, etc

3.  Use generalized terms… “it seems like”...“at the moment I no longer show the same symptoms”…”let’s try this and see how it works for you”…

4. Understand the difference between alternative and complementary… most wellness products should be viewed a complementary. Clients should always be advised to seek medical opinions.

5.  Wellness products are designed to keep the overall optimal normal functioning of the body. They are  not intended to treatment of existing medical conditions.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
If you know a company that is making a Mindshift towards serving humanity while still turning a profit, we would like to know about them. Let us know by contacting::
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com... or leave the information in the comments section of this post.

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about:  www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

NETWORK MARKETING NO-NO’S – #4

Am I the only person who wants to run when a network marketer starts their presentation by telling me, “this product, service, or whatever has been developed, endorsed by, and is recommended by…(drum roll)… a DOCTOR in our business?”

IT MAY BE TRUE, BUT IT IS SO CLICHE!

It doesn’t matter whether it is true or not, the point is, this “endorsement” has been so overused it no longer has impact, at least not with “thinking people“…and surely, it is thinking, honest people, you want to have participate in promoting and building a business in your company.

TESTIMONIAL VS ENDORSEMENT…

Sadly, many people have misrepresented medical endorsement claims. As a result, even if there is a medical doctor in your business who sees the value of the products and is marketing them, or even if the product was developed by some high profile doctor somewhere… this just sounds like desperate “pitch” , hoping the prospective client will be impressed enough to buy what you are offering.

Attaching “doctor” to the network marketing product lines and business has been used badly…

One has to think about the difference between an endorsement and a testimonial. There are many products being marketed through traditional marketing methods that have a “doctor” making great claims about the product. But there is a difference between the person who does this and gets paid for it (an endorsement)…and the person who does it because they have seen great results and honestly believes in the value of the product…that is called a testimonial.

If it is a testimonial, it should only be delivered by the person who had the experience.

Telling someone else’s story is a real problem. I recall an individual who stood up at a network marketing meeting and described the impact she had had with a product on a client, only to have a gentleman in the crowd say, “That was my uncle and that is not at all what happened.”

REFRAIN FROM USING THIRD PARTY TESTIMONIALS – TELL YOUR OWN STORY

The point I am making should be part of a professional code of conduct for network marketers. Respect the arms length relationship doctors should have with their network marketing business and their medical profession. You should not be speaking on behalf of a doctor in your organization and using their profession to try and sway influence on your prospects.

Tell your story. It is much more powerful than riding on the coat tails of someone elses’ profession. Your story is your personal truth and that is what gives it impact. Then, let the customer discover their own story after testing your products…

…and let the doc tell his or her own story in their own way.

You can bring your person to meet with the doc and hear their story, listen to tapes made by the doctor, do a 3-way call, but stick to your own story…and don’t think that a medical endorsement is essential to get someone’s attention.

You and your story are the best tools you have in network or relationship marketing.

A CODE OF ETHICS

When I began this series of posts on the 10 Behaviours Network Marketers would be wise to discontinue, I said the industry needs codes of conduct for professionalism.

Medical doctors have a professional code of conduct that needs to be followed when they participate in a business outside of their clinical work. This code should apply to the way in which they conduct their network marketing businesses.
It also means others network marketers within the industry should not expect to use the words or stories of a medical doctor in their business to say, “Dr. *** says this is the greatest thing ever…”.. in fact, it probably does you more harm than good … unless of course, YOU are the doctor!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about:  www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

network marketing: global trends

BRINGING PROFESSIONALISM TO THE INDUSTRY

Two weeks ago, in a blog titled, “People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers”, I noted 10 behaviours I believe need to be addressed for this industry to gain credibility in the economic arena.

Over the next weeks, I intend to address each of the 10 items, one at a time.This week I want to talk about the…

THE #3 NO-NO – SPAMMING TWITTER…

Of course, spam of any kind is anything but synonymous with professionalism. With the advent of easy and anonymous communication via the Internet, it is much easier to forget ones ethics under a cloak of anonymity, and behave or communicate  in a way one would not normally behave.

THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES ARE RELATIONSHIPS

When it comes to building a sustainable network marketing business, this is the golden rule…relationships.

It is the litmus test that you must put all prospecting or marketing methods up against. If it fulfills a means to develop and create lasting relationships, then use it… otherwise, forget it.  The reality is, if it is not about building relationships,  it absolutely will not give you the sustained results you are looking for… despite what some of the big mass marketers or promoters in the industry might have you believe.

If you want to build a successful business, but you are tempted to use ‘cast a net” marketing, the results will be short-lived. What may have given you a quick fix or instant high when you saw numbers go rolling up, will collapse, as quickly as they soared. Let the lessons of the current economic collapse be a model to reflect on if ever you are tempted, through greed or laziness, or if you are being encouraged by others in the industry to use a quick fix.

SO WHAT IS TWITTER?

Twitter is the fastest growing, free communication tool on the internet.  It is a micro-blogging site and like any blogging site, there are some worthwhile comments being made on Twitter – and there is a lot of useless junk. It is to blogging -  what IM’s are to email.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.[wikipedia].

At present there is no charge for the use of Twitter, so it is being attacked for all kinds of possibilities from the rapid dissemination of information in emergencies, or social injustices… to letting a thousand friends know what you plan to have for dinner… to the “sales pitch a minute” spamming of a business opportunity.

In January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 experienced multiple bird strikes and had to be ditched in the Hudson River after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Janis Krum, a passenger on one of the ferries that rushed to help, took a picture of the downed plane as passengers were still evacuating and tweeted it via TwitPic before traditional media arrived at the scene.^[wikipedia]

NETWORK MARKETING CODE OF CONDUCT

In my first blog on this subject, “People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers”, I made this plea…

“It makes me want to scream out for all of you ethical, relationship-oriented network marketers out there, to stand up and demand professional standards, no different than any other industry or professional organization. That is an important step in professionalizing any emerging industry. When a code of conduct is laid out, and association standards agreed upon, the industry finally gains the credibility it deserves.”

JUST  – “DON’T DO IT…”

Whether it be spamming Twitter, or any other kind of mass spamming – please, don’t go there! Your organization will only grow and be sustained, through the positive and enduring relationships you build… why do you think it is called “networking“… not spamming???

HOW TO USE IT

There are many incredible, effective uses of Twitter for building your network marketing organization. Twitter is about staying in touch through rapid messages, sent to large numbers of people, very conveniently via your computer or cell phone. Think of the possibilities! Although I certainly don’t encourage this extreme, a recent news headline reported that one teenager sent more than 14,000 Twitter messages in one day.

The key is, people must opt in to follow you, or not.

Consider using this as a communication tool for your down line – let them choose whether they will want to participate or not. You can quickly communicate about:

• upcoming conference calls
• webinars
• product sales or changes
• where you are going to be giving some presentations
• company updates
• inspirational thoughts
• product testimonials
• “I am thinking about you!”  – relationship messages

Twitter costs money to operate and, at the present time, the user does not have to pay. Use it wisely as you would any effective communication tool, and it will serve you well in  building a professional and successful organization… and encourage other networkers to do the same.

We need to become self-policing – our behaviours reflect back on all of us.

To link to the previous articles on this subject:

People Don’t Dislike Network Marketing, They Dislike Network Marketers

We Started The Revolution  – Now What?

Number 2 Network Marketing No-NO

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
Network Marketing Consultant & Trainer
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.