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Should I Sell My Product Or My Business - Or Both At The Same Time?

One of the first decisions you need to make before you actually call a prospect is whether you're calling to promote the product or the business.

In my opinion - which is backed by statistics, you can do either - just not both at the same time.

Leading with the product

I'll first describe "leading with the product." When you invite someone to look at your product and then around the same time (that's a key part of it) tell them they can make money with it, well, I've not seen this work well.

In the few prospects I was able to get to talk to me about it, they felt "yucky" that I would be making money off them buying the product. I found a way around this, but this taught me that I don't discuss buying a product and mention at the same time that they can make money doing what I'm doing.

Here's how I was able to still promote the business by leading with the product though.

After the person has been a happy customer for a month or more, at the point where they place a second or third order, I ask them if they know anyone who would like to receive the same benefits as they have received. After they've given me a referral that wants to buy the product, before I place that referral's order I will then call my original customer and tell them that I can take them to dinner and thank them for the referral or give them a commission for referring the prospect. I ask them which they prefer. This works the best.

If you're inviting for your product, find out from your upline a proven way to introduce the product to prospects. If you don't find a proven way from your upline, you get to create it.

Leading with the business

If you invite your prospect to look at your business you obviously have to tell them what the product is, but do not get heavily into product discussions. I've seen many times that the discussion heads into deep ingredient questions. I've found that it's best to keep the product discussion general when you talk to someone about the business.

Let me explain what I mean by general. I will talk about the product trends for the product my company carries; such as supplementation. Something like, "Consumers spent x number of dollars last year buying supplements." And that's as deep of a discussion about products that I care to get into when leading with business.

Otherwise it just becomes a Pandora's Box - one question leads to another...that leads to another. This often starts because people want to try to impress their prospect by using big words to show they're smart - but all you do is confuse the heck out of them and have them think they have to become a biochemist to succeed.

The above comments also remain throughout all your business activities. I do not recommend you use a website that explains both business and products. If you want to sell a product - have a web page with only that product on it. If that product is within a system of products that belong together it is fine to have the additional products within that system on the page. As an example if you sell weight management and you tell your prospect about the meal replacement shakes and on the same web page you have links to appetite suppressants that is fine - but do not include unrelated products or discussion on the compensation plan.

I remember when I saw my first presentation in network marketing the presenter said, "We show people the business and if they don't want to be in the business we can get them on the product." Sounded good to me, I thought and continually attempted to do...but very few times I actually was able to do it the way it was presented to me. So I was not able to create many customers by leading with the business.

That concludes my first answer to leading with product or business. Now let me explain my other answer.

Answer Two

The best answer to whether you lead with product or business has to do with what the prospect needs/wants or doesn't-want.

This goes along with the qualify step of the Inviting Formula. If when talking with the prospect they have their focus on solving a weight management issue - then you would obviously lead with product - if of course you have a product that solves that problem for them.

With respect and admiration,


Tim Sales

About the Author:
Tim Sales helps network marketers gain the confidence and skills to be an MLM success. Learn how to become a true network marketing professional and sign up for his free MLM training newsletter at www.professionalinviter.com.

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