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Monday, March 29, 2021

Yes...I Promote That!

I am not much of a sales person. In fact, I absolutely hate trying to make a sale. It just feels sleazy somehow. 

Unfortunately, when you're a marketer, you have to make sales. Otherwise, you don't make money. And I'm in business to make money. 

Sounds like quite a dilemma, doesn't it? Well it's not. Because I don't "SELL". I promote. And yes, there is a big difference.

When people think of sales, they often think of the stereotypical "used car salesman" approach. They equate sales with high-pressure tactics, exaggerated claims, lots of hype, and false promises. And I confess...I got my start in sales on a car lot. (Unless you count all my years selling Girl Scout Cookies!). So I learned all those tactics. And I hated them. Enough that I refused to do it that way. Instead, I focused on learning what my prospects were actually looking for in a vehicle. I tried to find them what they wanted and needed, not what would make me the biggest commission. Instead of trying to convince them to buy something they really didn't want, I showed them what I had that would meet their needs. If they bought it, great! If they didn't, I said thanks and let it go. No calling them the next day to say we had managed to get more for their trade or a better price or lower payments. I simply listened to what they were looking for, showed them what I had and explained the benefits (not the features!), made the best offer I could, and then let them make their decision. 

If they didn't buy, I often had their name and address. Which meant they went on my mailing list. Yup! I dutifully paid to print and mail a newsletter to all my customers and prospects each and every month. I had a list before email marketing took off. And every month, I sent out a newsletter full of information...about the auto industry, about vehicle maintenance, travel tips...you name it. If I could somehow link it to automobiles and travel, it went in the newsletter. Along with pictures of me, my contact info, our best deal that month, and a profile of a satisfied customer.

And it worked. Over time, I built up a loyal repeat customer base of folks who knew I would always be square with them. I even managed to land some of those who hadn't purchased initially. They came back because I kept myself in front of them and gave them value. Not just sales pitches. 

And that's the difference between selling and promoting. Selling often boils down to convincing. And if I have to convince you to join my team or buy my product, chances are one or both of us are going to wind up being unhappy. 

But promoting is different. I lay out my offer, tell you all the benefits and how it will help you, and then the choice is yours. If you agree, great! I have a new team member or customer. If not, I have a new friend and contact. And that's important. I'd rather have a happy prospect who may come back for a second look another time, than an unsatisfied customer or team member who got pressured into saying yes to something they really didn't want.

I would love to say that this all came naturally for me. That I just instinctively brought what I had learned on the car lot to the internet. But I'd be lying. Maybe it's because that's what all the "gurus" I was following taught back then. That's what my upline taught me. If a prospect says no, just keep at them until they say yes.

Or maybe it's because it took me a while to find the right mentors and coaches. But I confess...I started out as one of "those" marketers with the overblown hype and spammy posts everywhere. And I pissed off a lot of people. Lost a lot of friends. 

Until I discovered that the same methods that worked on the car lot also worked online. It even had a name. Attraction Marketing.

Attraction Marketing is simply all the things I was doing on the car lot. Providing value to my market. Meeting their needs. Giving them solutions to their problems. And when they wanted a new vehicle, they already knew I had what they wanted and so it was natural for them to come to me. That may seem a little simplistic. Of course I had what they wanted. A new car. But they wanted more than that. They wanted to be treated fairly. To not feel like they had been pressured into buying. To know someone would stand behind the sale. They didn't want a car salesman. They wanted a knowledgeable friend in the car business. 

So how did I eventually see the light? Where did I learn about Attraction Marketing and learn how to do all of that online?

MLSP

And yes...I promote that...

I am an extremely experienced user and love the tools, training, and community.

I have helped many people use this product and have helped several become EXTREMELY successful with it.

In fact, Wednesday is our free Weekly Marketing Webinar. We do these every week for anyone who wants to improve their business. You don’t have to be a member of MLSP to tune in. But I encourage you to be on the webinar Wednesday night for the help it will give your business.

Think about it…

If this is what we give away for free, imagine what we do for members!