As you begin to build your UnFranchise Business, it’s important to realize that you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Take the responsibility to learn the necessary tasks, activities, principles and fundamentals in order to be successful. The level of success that you achieve will be directly proportional to your willingness to accept full responsibility for your actions. This section will introduce you to the basic skills and knowledge needed to ensure your business is a successful endeavor. Please refer to the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success.
The tasks and activities outlined in the Getting Started Guide are all associated with the Basic 5. In addition, these tasks and activities are based on an individual investing eight to 15 hours per week over a two- to three-year period towards their execution. The emphasis has been placed on DOING. Take action! Not spending an overly large amount of precious time in the beginning reading what to do, but actually getting out there and making things happen. You will learn the most from your experiences. Make mistakes and learn from them. Please consider that this business plan can be compressed, meaning one can do more in a shorter period of time or spread it out and take longer. This is ultimately determined by what you want, when you want it, what you are willing to give or overcome, and how strong your sense of purpose is to build the business.
There will never be an absolutely perfect time to start building this business. The circumstances will never be perfect. However, when you have honest intentions and take action and begin working toward achieving your financial goals with confidence and conviction utilizing this business vehicle, you will create the circumstances you desire as the possibilities, people, opportunities and success will be attracted to you. This is a law of success. You can make it happen. George Bernard Shaw stated, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. The people who get on in this world are they who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”
Prior to implementing and completing the tasks set forth in the Getting Started Guide, it is important that you understand the content of these guidelines as they relate to building a solid and resilient business. First: The key success factor in building your organization is providing individuals within this organization a system that can be duplicated quickly by individuals joining you and your associates in this business endeavor. Second: There are only three types of activities performed by members of an organization or business: result-producing activities, support activities and housekeeping activities. Although they are all necessary and must be performed efficiently and effectively, they are not equal when it comes to where quality time is spent. The approximate time allotted for each should be 80 percent to result-producing, 15 percent to support, and five percent to housekeeping. Third: The three types of activities as they equate to building your Market America business are as follows:
Following the Getting Started Guide will ensure that all three activities are effectively and efficiently implemented with a focus on the result-producing activities: consistently exposing your products and your business to as many individuals as possible.
What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn’t fail? The only way to fail in this business is to quit! Your success in this business will be directly proportional to your willingness to take personal responsibility for your actions. Let me give you a simple strategy for success. First, you must decide what you want. Then, find someone who is getting what you want. Find out what they are doing and do the same thing. The emphasis is on doing.
Although Market America has grown and evolved dramatically since its inception in 1992, the basic fundamentals necessary to implement have remained the same. Many people have the tendency to try to reinvent the wheel or feel as though they have a better way to build this business. Ultimately, these people waste valuable time and energy and make the business hard or difficult. The UnFranchise System results in a true standardized and systemized way of doing things, thus eliminating confusion and creating duplication — the key to the business. Admittedly, this business is not necessarily easy, but it is simple. The idea is to follow our proven business plan, and most importantly, have fun in the process. In life, and specifically in this business, many people KNOW what to do, but very few actually DO what they know. Remember, knowing is not enough. You’ve got to take action. Do what you know. The difference between success and failure in this business is quite simple. Those who succeed simply do what those who failed did not do or were not willing to do. The reason, excuse or rationalization for not doing those things does not really matter. You either succeeded or you didn’t. Therefore, it is very important to identify and learn what you must do to be successful. By knowing what to do, you can easily measure, monitor, adjust and control your progress and ultimately your success. We build this business with adults. Adults are visual and experiential (participatory learners). They learn best by doing. The objective is to get them DOING as quickly as possible. As managers and/or supervisors, many people mistakenly think that if they are not talking, then people are not learning. On the contrary, while you are talking, people are not learning. We’ve got to get them doing. That’s how they learn.
Let’s discuss what needs to be done in order to succeed in building an UnFranchise ® Business. First, we have to remove the things that may impede progress. We do this by building two organizations that generate in excess of 5,000 Group Business Volume weekly, resulting in earning USD$2,100 per week in ongoing income. Second, we generate the sale of Market America products by developing Preferred Customers. Third, we must sell the business or expose the UnFranchise System. And fourth, we must sell tickets to upcoming meetings and trainings.. Those are the only four things we do in this business.
(1) Remove the things that may impede progress through the process of building the business
(2) Generate the sale of Market America products
(3) Sell the business
That is it! Keep it simple. Don’t make it difficult. Market America’s UnFranchise Business Development System is a viable, credible, legal and legitimate business based upon what has already been proven an individual can actually and realistically accomplish working eight to 15 hours per week over a two-to three-year period. It is not a program, deal, hobby or scheme. The sooner your mindset and belief patterns treat it as a business, the sooner you will be on your way to earning an ongoing professional income. Following these guidelines will be one of the key success factors in establishing your business.
Your Market America sponsor plays a very important role in your business. It is imperative to establish a strong, comfortable rapport with your sponsor, because not only will he/she be your upline, but a friend and mentor, providing guidance and advice on how to most effectively retail products and build your organization.
Attend business opportunity presentations given by your sponsor or upline Certified Executive Coordinator and learn as much as you can from them. Ask them to attend presentations you coordinate and to make suggestions for improvement. Think of your sponsor as a motivator, teacher and advisor. Depend on him/her as a reliable source of information. Enlist the aid of your sponsor in coordinating business activities. Your sponsor is there for your benefit; rely on him/her for assistance.
The amount of tools, equipment and supplies you acquire will depend upon the size of your budget. Please refer to the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success. Initially the following materials are recommended:
Note: It is recommended to purchase a Business Support Material Kit to ensure that you have the necessary UnFranchise ® tools. You can save money by purchasing the kit, rather than purchasing all of the items individually.
Refer to the Market America Price List or your UnFranchise Business Account for code numbers and pricing.
As your Market America business develops and your organization grows, the following tools and equipment should be obtained to sustain your business development and organizational growth:
As a Market America Independent Distributor, you are an independent business owner. It is very important to maintain accurate records of all your financial transactions. These transactions include all expenses and income. This activity is essential for your business finance records as well as tax purposes. The following are examples of expenses and income you are most likely to incur; however, it is recommended that you consult your tax preparer for advice.
EXPENSES
INCOME
In summary, establish a separate business checking account. Perform all your transactions using this checking account. Finally, consult your accountant for advice on deductible expenses that pertain to your business.
Market America’s UnFranchise Business Development System offers greater potential and power than any other direct sales or network marketing business in the industry! That potential and power, however, is only realized through leadership. Leadership means taking on personal responsibility to get the job done and teaching others to do the same. At first glance the Market America program looks almost too good to be true because it is so realistic, so profitable, and so easy to duplicate. For some people, it is too good to be true because they won’t assume personal responsibility as leaders and won’t do what it takes to duplicate that leadership within their organization. The assumption that the program will succeed without working the program is false.
In this business we lead by example. People do what you do, not what you say to do. The difference between success and failure is quite simple. The successful Distributor earning weekly checks simply did what the unsuccessful Distributor did not do, or was not willing to do.
Reasons, rationalizations and excuses really don’t matter. Consider for a moment the potential for earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in this business. Think about the amount of investment in money and time that would be required to earn this type of income in a traditional business or profession. What type of stress, problems and risks would be involved? These concerns are very different from what, in actuality, is encountered in this business. However, if you intend to earn this amount of money in this business, you must treat it like a big business and make the necessary commitments.
In this business, we invest more time than we invest money. Therefore, we want to make sure that the time we invest will produce results and duplicate the leadership in the UnFranchise Business Development System necessary to generate ongoing income. It begins with you as the leader.
Leaders are people who assume personal responsibility for their own actions whether they result in success or failure. Leaders obtain the necessary information. Leaders are creative problem solvers. Leaders believe they are going to succeed because they are committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed. Leaders don’t expect the company or their upline to do their work for them. They know they cannot teach what they do not know. They must attend meetings, trainings, seminars and conventions, and require the Distributors they are working with to do the same. They lead and teach Distributors by example: retailing products, developing Preferred Customers, having two guests at each opportunity meeting, following up with their prospects, and holding meetings and trainings. They need to have products, the necessary sales aids, and audio/video to sell to customers or start new Distributors properly. That is what makes Distributors leaders and helps them to succeed!
Now that you have established your UnFranchise ® Business, the question most people have is, “Exactly what does it take to succeed?” If that is the question on your mind, you have the right thinking and the right attitude. Admittedly, when you begin to build your UnFranchise Business, all of the terms, definitions and principles associated with it can seem a bit overwhelming. However, the business is very simple; don’t make it difficult. It all comes down to mastering the Basic 5 fundamentals, striving to become an official UnFranchise Owner (UFO), and teaching others to do the same thing. We simply strive to master the Basic 5 until they are habitual and nearly second nature. All five need to be going at once to be successful. Think about it: in any field of endeavor, there are fundamentals that determine how successful one becomes. In football, a team must master the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. In basketball, there are the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting, rebounding and passing. In music, one must master playing the scales. There are countless examples in sports, the arts, science, and business in which the fundamentals must be mastered to be successful. In our business, there are five fundamentals, which are prerequisites for success. The commonality of all the successful UnFranchise Owners is that they “did” the Basic 5. Ultimately, you are either doing these things or you are not. By knowing what to do, you can measure, monitor, adjust, and control your progress.
Success and leadership in this business can be reduced to five basic fundamentals: 1) Developing Attitude and Knowledge; 2) Goals and a Goal Statement; 3) Retailing; 4) Prospecting/Recruiting/Sponsoring; 5) Follow-Up and the ABCs of Building Depth. Duplication of these fundamentals is the key to lasting prosperity in this business. If you master these fundamentals and demand that anyone in the business with whom you invest your time does the same, you will duplicate success and leadership. We call these fundamentals of success “The Basic 5.”
DEVELOPING ATTITUDE AND KNOWLEDGE: You must establish the right attitude and obtain the necessary knowledge. This translates into belief in what you’re doing and develops confidence. When you believe, you create enthusiasm and exude confidence because you possess the knowledge that achieves results. You become influential and attract the right people. When you duplicate this within your organization, you develop a winning team that can accomplish extraordinary results. The right attitude and knowledge must be acquired and developed. Certainly we wouldn’t go for weeks without feeding our bodies. We would become sick. The same principle applies to feeding our minds. Without mental nourishment, we become mental dwarfs, rather than mental giants. The right attitude and knowledge we need is acquired and developed through:
Attitude — From Brian Tracey’s Psychology of Selling: The information that follows is provided to better prepare you for the psychological process of “selling” and building relationships. Techniques and mechanics that are fundamental to a successful sales and marketing program will be described. It begins with mental preparation.
Make no mistake about it, we are in the sales and marketing business. If you have been told you can “join” Market America and earn large sums of money without having to sell products, you have been grossly misinformed. Whether we are dealing with product sales or with the promotion of our home-based business, the professional sales techniques are essentially the same.
Selling is a frightening proposition to many people simply because of their lack of professional education in this area. Those who have never taken the time to learn professional techniques should begin to learn now and experience how much fun and how personally rewarding sales and marketing can be.
The most important thing we have to understand in the world of selling is that nothing happens until the sale takes place. The most successful companies in the world have superb selling organizations. They rise or fall on the quality of their sales effort. We can be proud to be salespeople because it is based upon our efforts that the whole economy floats. There are no limits as to where we can go in this profession, if we are properly trained and skilled in selling.
Successful salespeople have learned that rejection is part of the success process, and that it should never be taken personally. Furthermore, sales professionals have learned that rejection is usually a thinly veiled objection and/or an unanswered question. Professional salespeople turn these objections into sales opportunities. By becoming more proficient in your selling skills, you can greatly reduce the level of rejection you have to deal with. Consider the following as you plan and develop your full-time or part-time career in sales:
If these considerations represent what you want more of in your life, then set as a top priority your commitment to become as effective as you can at this profession. Focus on your self-image, set your goals, learn the fundamental techniques, and prepare for success.
Before we dive headfirst into mastering the development of our self-image, developing our goals, and the general, fundamental techniques that professional sales and marketing people use to gain the winning edge, you must find out a little more about where you are. These general self-assessment questions should be helpful:
If you can honestly answer “YES!” to these questions, then you are more than halfway down the road to success. The healthy self-image and self-esteem you possess, coupled with the right vehicle, will allow you to overcome any challenge that may present itself before you.
If your honest answers to these questions were “NO” or “I’m not sure,” you are not alone. Today, even in America, which is still regarded as a land of unlimited opportunity, most people live their daily lives with a low self-esteem and a mediocre self-image, especially when evaluating their chances of achieving financial success.
Where does this lack of confidence come from? How did we develop these negative “belief systems” or mindsets relative to our prospects for achievement and success in business? Is it possible that over time, with the wrong kind of emotional programming, we came to accept as “fact” the falsehood that we are not cut out to succeed in business or life?
With very few exceptions, we are brought into this world with healthy, equal self-images, mental attitudes, and a high level of self-confidence. From that point on, however, things begin to change quite rapidly. The level of our self-image, mental attitude, and self-confidence will rise or fall, depending on what we are exposed to on a daily basis for the rest of our lives.
Our fertile subconscious mind at birth could be likened to a huge computer. Soon after birth, the programming process begins on this magnificent piece of equipment called the HUMAN MIND. This is the beginning of the formation of our “belief system.” The programming, however, is done for the most part by other human minds, which have already developed belief systems of their own. If the majority of these people have not achieved much (which most do not), guess what most of us get? Other people’s belief systems and mindsets. Think about what you have been taught to believe about your chances of succeeding!
Our primary programmers, the people in our lives most responsible for what we believe to be true or false, are:
How many of these “programmers” are successful by your definition of success? Although you may love and respect these people, they may have settled for a “comfortable” life, choosing a lifestyle that requires the least amount of challenge and risk. This choice did not permit them to explore, seek out, and act on the abundance of existing opportunities available. The end result was often financial dependence, all built upon the expectations given to them by their “primary programmers.”
How many of us as children, while riding in a car with one of our primary programmers, have seen a beautiful residential estate with a huge yard (or had a similar experience), and heard the likes of:
Our subconscious mind is completely neutral. It collects and stores information given to it by our conscious mind. Our subconscious mind is not selective. It will store and faithfully deliver back to you in physical form any information put into it, be it positive or negative.
It’s like a computer in the sense that what you put in is EXACTLY what you get out, in “HARD COPY” (or physical results). Thus, you can “program” yourself to succeed . . . or fail . . . if you don’t pay attention to the thoughts/beliefs you’re “feeding” your subconscious.
Continuous positive affirmations given to the subconscious mind by the conscious mind, with regard to your abilities and talents, are the beginning of your positive “belief system.” You can begin developing a positive “belief system” which will propel you towards success right now by the “programming” you allow yourself to be exposed to, or “buy into.”
It should now be apparent to you how critical it is to control who your programmers are. Ultimately, it is you who has complete control over what goes in, what comes out, and what goes on. However, if you don’t protect your mind from being littered with unproductive, negative, and excuse-laden thoughts, then other people — and even you, yourself — may unwittingly make those deposits.
Behavior Patterns and Characteristics of a Poor Self-Image
Behavior Patterns and Characteristics of a Winning Self-Image
Knowledge: There are three basic topics you must know and be able to communicate to your prospective Distributors. You will gain this knowledge through preparation, study, and experience (that is, “repetition”). The three basic topics are: 1) the answer to “What is Market America?”; 2) development of a personal two-minute commercial; and 3) the ability to present the Market America business opportunity.
Developing Your Answer to: “What is it?”: Developing an answer to “What is it?” is necessary to be most effective when cultivating new possibilities and preparing you to talk naturally, sincerely, and confidently about Market America. It is recommended that you refer to the Prospecting/Recruiting/Sponsoring section of the Basic 5 CD (Code 1925CD) for further details.
Example: Market America is an innovative product brokerage and Internet marketing company specializing in One-to-One Marketing.
Example: Market America is a product brokerage and Internet marketing company. We set up UnFranchise ® Businesses which have all the systems and advantages of franchising, but we have eliminated the franchise fees and royalties. Each UnFranchise Owner manages a team of Independent Distributors who collect data on what their customers want. This information is entered into the company’s database. Market America locates the manufacturers that make the desired products and then delivers them to the customer. This type of marketing is the wave of the future. It is called One-to-One Marketing. We teach people how to make money doing this.
Developing Your “Two-Minute Commercial”: A Two-Minute Commercial is a testimonial of the real reason WHY you are doing this business, accompanied by an appealing description of the business. Prospective Distributors need to have a sense of purpose because it’s that sense of purpose that is going to sustain them and maintain them through the highs and lows of the business. And there will be highs and lows. This is a business. It is important to try to not get too high nor too low. Keep an even keel as you grow and develop.
Example: I am sick and tired of living month to month on a salary that never seems to grow. Unexpected expenses always seem to devastate my checkbook and deplete my savings account, and I never seem to pay down my credit card debt. When I began to think of where I will be just five years from now, it was scary. I realized that I am not saving enough money to retire comfortably. I needed a better way. I needed and wanted a plan to improve my financial position and allow me to create time freedom.
I decided to establish an UnFranchise ® Business through Market America, allowing me to work part-time from my home about eight to 15 hours per week without affecting what I was currently doing. This business allows me to work a plan for my own financial success, rather than a plan for someone else’s financial success. I am now on my way to achieving my personal and financial goals.
I am looking to expand my business in the area. I realize that you are very busy, but I was hoping you would be nice enough to help me out. Who do you know that is looking for a better way to achieve their financial goals? If you lead me to a couple of people who qualify, we can work out something that will be mutually profitable. I realize that it would be difficult for you to give me referrals without first evaluating this business plan. Why don’t we schedule a time to get together so I can provide you with complete details of how the UnFranchise System actually works. What is better for you, Tuesday or Thursday? Afternoon or evening?
The Market America UnFranchise Business Presentation: Presenting Market America’s business opportunity is a necessary activity to control your timing and progress, thus increasing the chances for your success. For a complete script of Market America’s UnFranchise Business Presentation, simply log onto your UnFranchise Business Account. The script includes the following sections: Introduction to Market America, People Need a Better Way, Market America Products, UnFranchise Business Development System, How You Are Compensated, and It’s Your Decision.
To make your follow-up efforts more efficient and effective, Market America also provides a questionnaire as a guideline for you to follow. Use this questionnaire to help you determine the interest level of your prospects and thus the best way to follow up. To print a copy of the prospect questionnaire, simply log onto your UnFranchise Business Account.
GOALS AND A GOAL STATEMENT: The following section on “Goal Setting” will provide you with a step-by-step approach for establishing your goals. To establish a realistic, well-defined, and well-planned goal structure takes time and considerable thought. By far, the most important prerequisite for goal setting is your belief in yourself. If you do not believe you are capable of achieving whatever it is you desire, then save your time and effort. Goal setting will not work for you. Defining one’s goals builds desire.
Developing Specific Business Goals & Objectives: In order for this business to take on true meaning for you, it is critically important to set aside quality time to create and design the life that you have imagined and deserve. “Anybody can wish for riches, and most do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.” — Napoleon Hill. What your future is like with Market America depends on your goals and your goal statement. Development of your goals and goal statement is the second element of the Basic 5.
Before Market America, you did not have a vehicle that could take you anywhere you wanted to go and enable you to achieve anything you desired. The vast majority of people trade time for money as they work a plan for someone else’s success — a J.O.B. (Just Over Broke). Unfortunately, when people work a job, most lose sight of the things or lifestyle they have dreamed, because everything they want ultimately cannot be achieved or obtained with their J.O.B. However, now that you have established your UnFranchise Business, you can dream big and think big as the confines and limitations from your proverbial box (J.O.B.) from which you were living are eliminated!
The challenge for most people is that they have difficulty dreaming big and thinking big, even though the sky is the limit and everything is attainable with Market America. Their thoughts, ideas and goals are simply not in line with reality; therefore they cannot accept it, they do not take the first step, and what they want does not manifest. “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” — Napoleon Hill.
In order for a thought, an idea or a goal to manifest, you must first think it. Everything starts out as a thought. You must then visualize it regularly (the check, the Pin Level, the organization, the lifestyle), concentrate on it, focus on it, feel it and become it, which results in belief. You must then commit to it and act as if it is a reality. “Think big. You will never be bigger than your thoughts. Dream big; you will never be bigger than your dreams.” — JR Ridinger. You must break it down into a detailed plan to bring it in line with reality in order to accept it. Once you accept it, you will take the first step and thus demonstrate your belief through your actions, leading to the manifestation of your idea, thought or dream.
Everyone has different needs, desires, goals and dreams. The idea is to take ownership of the fact that Market America is the vehicle that can enable you to realize the power of your dreams. This can only be accomplished by taking the time to develop a Goal Statement. If you do not have a Goal Statement written out with a detailed plan of how you are going to achieve your goal, you are not Go Now, because you have not satisfied all elements of the Basic 5. A Goal Statement is your road map or staircase to your goals.
Before you develop your goal statement, you must first define your dream and purpose. What is the driving reason WHY you are doing this business? If you cannot write it down, then you do not have it or you do not know it. You need to have a sense of purpose because it’s that sense of purpose that is going to sustain and maintain you through the highs and lows of the business.
There Are Five Steps to a Goal Statement:
(1) Decide what you want. The things or lifestyle. It is best to define your short-term and long-term goals and list them in ascending order of attainability. Next is to determine the income necessary to support your lifestyle or goals. Then, figure out how many Business Development Centers you need qualifying for commissions to attain the income level and finally the Pin Level to which it translates.
(2) Decide when you want it. Set target dates for the achievement of each goal. You must set a date even if it is wrong. You will measure your progress against the date and adjust the date or the goal to be in line with reality.
(3) Determine what you are willing to give the business in the way of time, effort and sacrifice in order to obtain the goal. Determine what you must overcome in order to be successful in the business.
(4) Develop a detailed plan of what you must do each year, each month, each week and each day to achieve the goal. The principle of having a detailed plan is to bring your thoughts, your ideas, and your goals in line with reality. Remember: this business is built most effectively one day at a time, working consistently. Your detailed plan provides you with a staircase or ladder to your goals and dreams. All you have to do is take the daily steps in the detailed plan and they add up to the weekly goal, which ensures the achievement of the monthly goal and the annual goals. By progressing on a daily basis, you will achieve your weekly, monthly and annual goals. The following is an example of a detailed plan:
Everyday Steps — Cultivate two possibilities, call one prospect, read your Goal Statement and listen to an audio.
Each Week’s Steps — Make six to eight calls to show the Plan to one person, show the Plan to one to two people, follow up with a prospect, conduct one to two ABC meetings/trial runs, attend one UnFranchise Business Presentation (UBP), develop one to five customers, call your sponsor, managing Certified Executive Coordinator, or person holding you accountable to your detailed plan.
Each Month’s Steps — Sponsor one person, show the Plan to four people, service a minimum of 10 Preferred Customers, advance three levels of ABC pattern/two legs, attend monthly meetings or trainings.
Consider this: your detailed plan may differ from this example, as the ratios are different for different people. However, you must learn the process. Check where you are daily, weekly and monthly, and adjust.
(5) Finally, write it out in a 50- to 100-word statement and read it twice daily. This process literally will work miracles. You need to have a written Goal Statement. Fine-tune it each week or month until it is line with reality. The repeated reality checks will keep you focused and on your way to success with Market America. Remember, people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. Without goals and a plan, you lack direction. If you aim at nothing, you are going to hit nothing.
If you want things to be different, you have to plan now. Determine what you want to change. Assess what you have not been doing and how you can improve. Remember, if you continue to do the same thing, the same way, you will get the same result. If you keep thinking the same way, you will end up in the same place. Think big, because you will never become bigger than your thoughts. So, set out to determine how you want your life to change — make a list. Decide what you want to see happen in your life and in your business and make it happen! Most importantly, have fun!
To get started, please reference the Getting Started Guide, and take the time to enter target dates for each of the following Specific Business Goals and Objectives:
(1) I will commit ____ hours per week to my Market America business.
(2) I will commit ____ nights/days per week to this business.
(3) I will personally sponsor two qualified Distributors (to activate) by (target date) __________
(4) I will reach the Coordinator Level (receive first USD$300 check) by (target date)___________.
(5) I will reach the Executive Coordinator Pin Level (receive first USD$1,500) by (target date) ______________.
(6) I will earn an annual income of USD$______________ by (target date).
Whatever it is, it should be based on your Goal Statement. This business is not so much about money. Your Goal Statement doesn’t revolve so much around money because money is just an enabler. The money will enable you to get whatever you desire out of life. This needs to be understood and embraced.
(7) I will register a minimum of 10 Preferred Customers online by (target date)___________
Please refer to the Getting Started Audio in the Audio Download library for more detailed instruction when developing a Goal Statement and Detailed Plan. It is also recommended that you meet with your sponsor and/or your managing Certified Executive Coordinator to help you with your Goal Statement.
At a minimum, we want our new Independent Distributors to be earning greater than or equal to USD$300 monthly after six months in this business. This is accomplished by ensuring that every Distributor in your organization is selling greater than or equal to 400 BV worth of product on an ongoing monthly basis. This 400 BV does not include qualification volume for new Distributors joining your organization. We are only using ongoing, consistent volume that is being created on a monthly basis.
Let’s discuss how to create 400 BV per month. First, after one month in this business the new Distributor needs to personally purchase and use greater than or equal to 100 Personal Business Volume (PBV) of product monthly. You need to be buying product from yourself and using it. You cannot share an experience about a product or a service if you haven’t personally experienced yourself. The quickest way for a brand new Distributor to satisfy this 100 PBV is to enroll in Transfer Buying for a minimum of 100 PBV. This only makes sense because they are already buying over 100 BV worth of products, goods and services from other stores.
In meeting your retail sales goals, we want to establish a repeat customer base of greater than or equal to 10 customers, each purchasing greater than or equal to 30 BV worth of product a month. 30 BV is equivalent to one 100-gram bottle of OPC-3 ® and one Isotonix ® Multivitamin. Or it could be a bottle of TLS ® Thermochrome and a bottle of OPC-3. Who do you know that uses health and nutrition products? Our vitamin line is superior to anything on the marketplace. Therefore, anybody you know who uses health and nutrition products should be an automatic 30 BV. Our goal is to create 10 repeat retail customers of greater than or equal to 30 BV. Everybody can do this. The tasks and activities set forth in the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success is this. Anybody can do it if they choose to. If they don’t, it won’t be because they can’t, it will be because they won’t. Remember the difference between success and failure. You need to eliminate the words “I can’t” from your vocabulary. Your choices are the only thing that you can completely control.
Now based on this, remember we are working with adults and they are visual learners, so we’ve got to SHOW them what USD$300 a month looks like to enable them to conceptualize it and thus make it real. Let me explain what USD$300 a month looks like. If every Distributor in the organization equates to the 400 BV at bare minimum, then they only need three Distributors in their left organization and three Distributors in their right organization, each generating 400 BV monthly, which generates 1,200 GBV from their left and 1,200 GBV from their right organization. This results in earning USD$300 each and every four weeks. “Base 10, Seven Strong” (you plus three Distributors on your left and three Distributors on your right). This is powerful! Would earning USD$300 every month like clockwork, whether or not you decide to get out of bed in the morning, make a difference in the lives of a lot of people that you know? Absolutely.
The next step is to help your two “Go Nows,” (people that deserve our time, attention and mentorship). These two people will identify themselves by what they are DOING! These people may not be the one directly on the left and one directly on the right. It may be 15 people down. But we want to find one on the left and one on the right and help them duplicate ”Base 10, Seven Strong.” We want them to earn USD$300 a month in the same fashion. If we help two people earn USD$300 a month like clockwork, that means that they’re each generating 1,200 GBV every four weeks on the left and 1,200 GBV every four weeks on the right of their organization, which automatically results in 2,400 GBV and 2,400 GBV to you, the new Distributor. So now you, the new Distributor, are earning greater than or equal to USD$600 a month from the MPCP.
Let’s take this a step further. At a minimum, we want a new Distributor earning USD$1,500 each month after 12 months in the business. This should be a goal for every Distributor you sponsor. When someone is making USD$1,500 every four weeks, that has nothing to do with new people coming into the business and qualifying their Business Development Centers, or whether he/she gets out of bed or not that day, that person does not want to give this income up, and therefore is not going anywhere. Even better, you’ve got two people making USD$600 and four people making USD$300, every four weeks. You are now laying a solid foundation, creating profitability as well as security and stability. By the way, our goal is to build two sales and distribution organizations each generating an excess of 5,000 GBV a week.
This business-building strategy will create USD$2,100 a week. Remember, you can’t earn USD$2,100 a week until you make USD$300 a month first. Nobody that is making USD$2,100 a week achieved it without making USD$300 a month first.
Take note: by following the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success, we have goals for business, retailing, organizational growth and training. Anyone can satisfy the tasks and activities set forth in the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success if he/she chooses to. If they don’t, it won’t be because they can’t, it will be because they won’t. Remember the difference between success and failure. The individual who succeeds simply does what the individual who failed did not do or was not willing to do. You need to eliminate the two words I can’t from your vocabulary. Your choices are the only thing that you can completely control. Have fun!
Goal Setting: Just Exactly What Is It That You Want?: As stated previously, self-confidence and a strong sense of self worth are necessary in order to achieve your objectives. But what are your objectives? What is it that you really want? Have you put any serious thought and planning into what you want to accomplish? The clearer and more precise your objectives are, the better your chances for their attainment.
What are your motives for devoting time to Market America? You were not looking for Market America so that you could tell friends and family that you are now in a marketing business. You were looking for a “vehicle” that could transport you from where you are now to a new level of financial independence, which you desire.
When Market America Independent Distributors are asked, “Why are you putting your time and effort into this business?” responses generally take the form of:
These statements, and others like them, are for the most part empty, unemotional wishes, about a level the person has never been close to before. These unrealistic statements have probably been used to describe motives for other endeavors embarked upon which came up short. These idle statements about the desire for money are entirely too vague and unrealistic to generate the desire necessary for people starting in this business.
A very simple concept is very applicable when establishing one’s goal strategy. This concept is, “If you take care of the little things, the bigger things will happen automatically.” What is financial independence but a series of smaller accomplishments that, when combined, create a new and more exciting position in life for you? What importance does money have to you, except to be used to purchase the things that money can be exchanged for? Those are the things we really want.
Isolate any one of your goals, and its accomplishment will seem much more believable to you. A system for accomplishing a succession of these goals will lead to clarity and focus when it comes to the bigger goals that many people only talk about, but don’t really believe are possible for them.
Accurate and worthwhile goal setting requires that we understand the principle of “crawl before we walk, and walk before we run.” If your goals are not realistic for you, the desire necessary for pursuing their attainment will not be there. Concentrate on the process, one step or goal at a time, not the product.
The step-by-step system that follows is designed to assist you in the formation of a solid, realistic and believable set of objectives. You will begin to see and understand that by reaching a number of smaller objectives, you will develop the confidence within you to start believing that your larger objectives are very achievable. Your level of thinking and your level of expectation will continue to rise, bringing with them goals that were previously only idle dreams. As the pilot of your own business, it is imperative that you know exactly where you are going with the powerful vehicle Market America has provided.
Step 1: Developing A Master List
Find a relaxing environment where you won’t be disturbed for a couple of hours. If you have a spouse, make sure he/she is with you. Have on hand a couple of pads of paper and pencils or pens.
Now sit down, relax and begin committing to paper everything you can think of which you want. Write down absolutely everything you have ever thought of having or experiencing. It does not matter how small or how big it may seem to you. Write it down!
How you are going to acquire these things is of no consequence at this time. Don’t even think about it. Just keep thinking about things you want or desire to experience, and write them down. You should be able to fill several pages with these desires. To get started, you might consider the five major areas of life:
Writing these goals down on paper is the first step towards their attainment.
Step 2: Categorizing Your Goals
After putting your desires in writing, begin the process of placing each in an appropriate category. Using your master list of goals developed in Step 1 above, place each goal in one of the five categories described earlier (i.e., family, personal, spiritual, business and financial/material). Organizing your goals in this manner will begin to show you where your strongest motives lie. By organizing your goals into specific areas of your life, you have taken one more important step towards defining what you want.
Step 3: Prioritizing Your Goals
Now is the time to decide what your most important projects are. These projects will be the things that need to happen first. Your immediate priorities may come from one, any, or all five categories. Prioritize your goals into three timeframes:
Begin to study and analyze your short-term goals. These should be goals that must be accomplished on a “right now” basis and also must be accomplished before you can realistically approach your larger mid-term goals.
Concentration on these short-term goals will be your mental diet or food for your subconscious mind. It is the visualization of these goals with which you will feed your mind – at least two meals a day (morning and night).
Step 4: Emotionalizing And Crystallizing
Take all of your short-term goals and thoroughly define each one. Following are examples of how to further crystallize your short-term goals:
If you will specifically define your goals, you will eliminate unproductive guesswork about where you are going and what needs to happen to get you there. Once your goals are crystallized, live and think about your goals. Imagine already being in possession of them. Read your goal list and study it each morning and night. Now you are giving your subconscious mind the right kind of programming for the purpose of achievement. If your thought process becomes focused on the attainment of these goals, your inner desire will take over and you will not be denied the things you have decided to have.
As you begin to attain your short-term goals, the next step becomes mid-term goals. Your mid-term goals become your new short-term goals. Put them through the same crystallization process. Soon your long-term goals start to look very attainable, your level of thinking and self-worth are dramatically improved, and you have a solid “road mapping” system for getting you where you want to go. As you develop new short-term goals to replace those attained, remember these mandatory elements:
Developing a Detailed Plan of Action and Goal Statement: A detailed plan of action is your blueprint for success. It is analogous to a business plan and strategic plan of a successful corporation. It is, virtually, a road map towards the attainment of your goals. Without it, you have very little or no direction. Distributors without a detailed plan of action wander aimlessly, often confusing activity with productivity. Without this plan, you have no control over your direction or outcome. A detailed plan of action will enable you to create circumstances and control your progress, rather than being a victim of circumstances.
Even though you now own your own business and work for yourself, you need to have a contract with yourself. This contract will take the form of a Goal Statement. This Goal Statement will be a written summary of your goals, timeline for achievement, and commitment to attain them. It will be carried on your person at all times.
Detailed Plan Of Action
In the previous section, “Goal Setting,” you went into considerable detail defining exactly what you want. You identified your short-term goals (recommend a minimum of five), established their priority, and set a deadline date for attaining each goal. The following four-step process will guide you through developing a detailed action plan for achieving your goals.
Step 1: Creating The Target
Using the table provided (make several copies) enter the following information:
$$ Required
for Down
Payment
Monthly
Income
Required
Cumulative
Monthly
Income
Required
# Of BDC’s
Completing Pay Cycle
Every 4 Weeks
Associated
Pin Level
Date of Achievement
Step 2: Fine-Tuning Your Date Of Achievement
You already estimated when you thought you could achieve your short-term goals. Now let’s fine-tune the dates for achievement, or better yet, let’s validate the date you set. How many Distributors will you have to sponsor? How much Group Business Volume does your organizations have to generate? How many potential Distributors do you have in mind?
Let’s assume it takes the average person two to four weeks to really get rolling with the business. Let’s also assume that you need to sponsor four people, as determined as you are, in each leg to ensure your Business Development Center(s) is completing the pay cycle (initially) every four weeks.
If your goal requires one BDC earning equal to or greater than USD$1,500 every four weeks, then you would need to sponsor eight people as determined as you are, four in your left organization and four in your right organization. It is true it only takes two, but if you are in a hurry, don’t want to be dependent on others, and don’t want to leave attaining your goals to chance, you will need to sponsor eight. If your goal requires greater than USD$1,500 every four weeks: 1) build your BDC’s organizations into earning USD$2,100 per week; and 2) take advantage of the re-entry authorizations and duplicate the efforts on your initial Centers.
With the time you are putting in and the number of prospects you have on your list, how long do you feel it will realistically take to accomplish what is necessary to attain your goals? There is no way to project exactly, but make a realistic estimate based on our previous assumptions. Then, readjust the achievement dates accordingly in your table from Step 1.
Now, for the first time, you have well-defined goals. Your business should be taking on a new meaning. Business Development Centers and Pin Levels take on new dimensions because they have been translated into your own personal goals.
If you are not satisfied with your realistic or readjusted date for achieving your short-term goals, pay close attention to Step 3, “Determine What You Will Do To Attain Your Goals,” which follows.
Step 3: Determine What You Will Do To Attain Your Goals
This step in developing your detailed plan of action is extremely important. Often it is the most difficult step because it requires self-examination. No goal is achieved without some commitment and sacrifice. Each of us has to develop, in different ways, in order to perform to the level necessary for goal attainment. If this business can give you anything you want, what are you willing to give back to the business? This question includes what we must sacrifice. Sometimes we have to remove obstacles that are preventing us from succeeding. For example, you may be a “couch potato” after work; you may have to temporarily give up “Monday Night Football,” or “Saturday’s Game of the Week;” you may have to temporarily give up your bowling league, or stopping after work with friends at your favorite gathering. You have to decide! Are the sacrifices you have to make worth attaining your goals? If the answer is no, then you probably didn’t open up to the goal setting process, nor did you identify a goal that really motivates or inspires you. Before, you never thought about it in detail because you didn’t have the vehicle that made your goals realistically attainable. Now that you have a vehicle, it is possible.
Maybe you feel that you don’t have the money to obtain the necessary products and sales aids, or to travel to trainings. Yet, you are spending USD$100 per week on entertainment or things that don’t contribute at all to attaining what you really want. After all, when you have attained your goals there will be plenty of time and money to do the things you had to temporarily give up.
Next, what must you overcome? What are your fears or areas needing self-improvement that might prevent you from succeeding? Is it negative thinking? Is it the association with negative, narrow-minded individuals? Is it fear and hesitation about talking to people? Is it procrastination? Is it laziness? Is it your inability to persist and not quit whenever presented with a challenge? Be honest! The first step in resolving a problem is identifying and acknowledging that one exists.
Lastly, what are you willing to give in order to attain your goal? How much time each month, each week, each day are you willing to commit? How much operating capital (money) can you commit to the development of your business? How many trainings are you willing to attend? How many meetings are you willing to hold each week? Are you willing to read and listen to audios in order to obtain the necessary knowledge for succeeding in your business? Be honest and realistic. Visualize it, then write it down.
Once you have answered these questions, summarize the information in the following chart.
What I Will Do, Commit, Sacrifice, Overcome
Areas for Self-Improvement:
You may have found additional resources after completing Step 3 that you weren’t aware you had when fine-tuning dates of achievement in Step 2. You should then go back to Step 2 and readjust your date of achievement for your short-term goals – for earlier completion!
Step 4: Monthly, Weekly, Daily Activity Requirements — A Detailed Plan
Write out a detailed plan of required activities that must be accomplished each month, each week, and each day in order to achieve your goal. By doing this, you virtually ensure your success. Example: You want to have three BDCs (from the Master UnFranchise ® Owner Program), each earning at least USD$1,500 every four weeks by the end of six months. This means you need four strong organizations. You are not going to depend on someone else’s timing or production, and are not going to leave your goal to chance. You know you need to sponsor four people, as determined as you are, into each of the four organizations. This is the equivalent of 16 Distributors over a six-month period. Over a six-month period, you would need to sponsor 2.67 Distributors per month; let’s call it three per month. To sponsor three per month you may have to show the business to as many as 12 people. To show the business to 12 people per month, you may have to approach 24 people, depending on the quality of the prospect, your knowledge/skills, and relationship with the prospect. Let’s now complete the sample plan below.
Monthly Requirements:
Weekly Requirements:
Daily Requirements:
Now, summarize the chart you have completed for your own goal attainment in a few sentences.
Goal Statement
Using the information you have generated in Steps 1 through 4, summarize each into a 50- to 150-word written statement on a single sheet of paper. This statement will include:
Commit to it in writing, carry it with you at all times, read it twice a day, and revise it as necessary to include new goals as old goals are attained. You will be amazed at what begins to happen. Only those who have experienced it understand it. You must do it for 30 consecutive days without fail. Be persistent. Success is a habit. Most of all, remember that your Goal Statement is a contract with the only person to whom you can entrust the success of your business and the attainment of your goals — THAT PERSON IS YOU!
REFERRAL SALES: Developing your own personal customer base can be simple or difficult, depending on your attitude and your approach to it. If you follow the suggestions in this section, your personal sales will be both a rewarding and profitable experience. The end result is long-term Preferred Customers, providing both stability and profitability to your business.
The first and most important method is your personal use. You must become your best customer. It is imperative that you believe in the products you are going to recommend/refer. This can be best accomplished by your own personal use. Try them all. By doing so, you will learn about all of the products available to you for retail from GLOBAL.SHOP.COM. In addition, your organization will do the same. Remember people do what you do, not necessarily what you say to do. In addition, the volume from your own personal use will help to ensure that the month-to-month accrual of Group Business Volume is secured until you begin to receive commissions. Imagine every Distributor in your entire organization just using all of his/her own products.
Market America makes personal use of your products easy, through its Transfer Buying Program. It allows you to maintain a standing monthly order that will be shipped to you each month. It only makes sense to purchase products from your Mall, rather than someone else’s.
In this section, we will discuss numerous marketing techniques. Combining these techniques with the knowledge and insights to professional selling skills found later in this manual, you will be equipped to build a large business and teach your organization how to build a strong repeat customer base. This will translate into a steady stream of volume generated week after week, resulting in secure ongoing income to you from the Management Performance Compensation Plan. Remember, ongoing income is not based on the sales that one Distributor generates but on the total sales that many Distributors collectively generate. With Market America concept, you can make a lot of money selling market-driven products, as well as earn continuous ongoing income by duplicating those sales through the UnFranchise ® Business Development System. The more repeat customers your organization is serving, the greater and more secure your ongoing income will be.
As previously stated, the foundation of establishing a solid retail customer base begins with using and believing in the products you choose to retail. The second step is to specialize in one to three stores and obtain specific knowledge relative to each product in those stores. As time goes on, your personal needs and the needs of your expanding customer base will lead you into other stores within the Mall. Becoming knowledgeable about this information will better prepare you for approaching prospective customers and teaching them about the benefits these products have to offer.
Market America offers a multitude of in-depth information contained in audio downloads, CDs, DVDs and information packages available for purchase. Another tremendous source of specific product information can be obtained by attending trainings, seminars and conventions. The more you learn and know, the greater your ability to approach prospective customers in a confident manner.
The information that follows is designed to provide general retailing, merchandising, selling and marketing techniques which can be applied to any specific store or product. You simply need to fine-tune and adapt the techniques to the stores or products. These techniques, using product knowledge, virtually guarantee success in retailing your products.
One of the Key Success Factors in building a strong, profitable and stable organization is ensuring that each Distributor that is brought into the organization creates and regenerates product sales on a consistent and frequent basis. Market America refers to this Key Success Factor as accomplishing or achieving BASE 10. By implementing the Base 10, Seven Strong business-building principle, you will ensure that your UnFranchise Business is being built properly, which will result in a solid and resilient business. To see a visual depiction of Base 10, please refer to the section “Building a Solid Foundation ‘Base 10’ in the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success. For further illustration and explanation of the Base 10, Seven Strong principle, log onto your UnFranchise Business Account.
Take note: By following the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success, we have goals for business, retailing, organizational growth, and training. Anyone can satisfy the tasks and activities set forth in the Getting Started Guide & Action Plan for Success if he/she chooses to. If they don’t, it won’t be because they can’t, it will be because they won’t. Remember the difference between success and failure. The individual who succeeds simply does what the individual who failed did not do or was not willing to do. You need to eliminate the two words “I can’t” from your vocabulary. Your choices are the only thing that you can completely control. Achieve Base 10 and register each of your customers as Preferred Customers online. Have Fun!
*Don’t forget, registering all of your customers as Preferred Customers and crediting the purchases of these customers enables you to submit your Distributor Sales Report (Form 1000) online! This becomes a tremendous convenience and also greatly minimizes the chances for making a mistake. The only way to utilize the online Form 1000 submittal is to register your customers as Preferred Customers through your UnFranchise ® Business Account .
Psychology Of Selling: Before we begin discussing specific methods or techniques for developing your own retailing and merchandising system, let’s deal with the individual who is convinced that he/she cannot sell. It is always interesting to hear people try to sell their sponsor on the fact that they just can’t sell. When people are asked why they can’t share the product and tell people about a product they are using and believe in, the response is amazing. They go into a long explanation with enthusiasm and conviction as to why they can’t sell. They go on and on “selling” their reasons as to why they can’t sell. They do such a good job that they just about end up making their first sale! They almost end up selling their sponsor on the idea that they can’t sell. Ironically, they have just proven to their sponsor that they are a fantastic salesperson.
Let’s face it — we are all salespeople. If we have a full-time job, we sold our current employer on ourselves or they would not have hired us. If we are married or have a steady relationship with someone, we have sold him/her on the benefits of maintaining that relationship. If we have children, we sell them on our values and the behaviors we expect from them daily. If we enter into almost any kind of conversation, we end up, most of the time, attempting to sell our beliefs and opinions on just about any given subject.
There are two major obstacles in selling. The first obstacle is the customer’s fear of making a mistake. The second major obstacle in selling is the salesperson’s fear of being rejected. Until a salesperson develops confidence, a high self-concept, and resilience to bounce back from inevitable rejection, he/she cannot sell successfully. All outstanding salespeople have reached the point where they no longer fear rejection.
Sales are usually based on friendship, building a relationship, and developing a rapport. People will not buy from you until they are genuinely convinced that you are their friend and acting in their best interest. There is a direct relationship between your level of self-esteem and how well you get along with different people. The best salespeople have a natural ability to make friends easily with prospective customers.
A key element in selling is enthusiasm. A sale is a transfer of your enthusiasm about the product or service into the mind and heart of the other person. The reason so many people fail in sales is that they do not stay with it long enough to get those first winning experiences that raise their self-esteem and self-concept. That is why it is so important from the very beginning to say to yourself that nothing is going to stop you until you are a success!
Retailing, Merchandising and Marketing Techniques: In this section, we will discuss the following methods or techniques for retailing and developing your own merchandising system, including:
It is useful to study all of these techniques in order to get ideas and an overview. You can select the techniques that are best suited to you and the product lines you are specializing in, but there is no teacher like experience. You will learn more by trying than you will by studying. You will even begin to develop your own ideas and techniques. Don’t be afraid to be creative. Sometimes the best idea or method is the one you create.
Now, let’s examine the specific retailing and merchandising methods or marketing techniques which can be used to sell the product. The objective is to expose the product to the right people and let word-of-mouth advertising take over. The right people are those who have an interest, need or desire for the product.
Developing A Customer List: It is always good to begin by identifying a list of potential customers or “target markets.” Take a blank sheet of paper. List each store or product line in GLOBAL.SHOP.COM that you are interested in dealing with. Assign a number or letter to each store or product line. Next, take a second piece of paper and list everyone you come in contact with. Include friends, relatives, acquaintances and associates. List everyone you buy products or services from. List people at stores or businesses that you visit regularly, such as hair salons, gas stations, dry cleaners, etc. Who do you know at these establishments? Sometimes you don’t even know their name, but you know of them. Who provides services for you on a regular basis: lawn services, housekeeping, mechanics, plumbers, paperboy, exterminators, pool services, postman? Brainstorm! Often, these people are better prospects than the people closest to you.
The next step is to look at each store or product line to which you have assigned a number or letter. By each name on your prospective customer list write the numbers/letters of the store or product line that he/she might want, need or be interested in. Ask yourself questions like these:
The list goes on and on. You can think of your own questions depending on the products you are interested in. In this process, you can then match the product with the person. Now that you have listed the product line or store by each person’s name, it is beneficial to go down the list of names and list these under each product line, making up a separate list by product line or store. The result is a working list of target markets for each product line or store.
What Do You Do With the List?: The ultimate goal is to develop Preferred Customers or Independent Distributors to manage customers. Use it in conjunction with many of the techniques that follow. Think of which technique is best suited to each person or product line. Keep in mind that building a relationship is very important with each potential customer. Each potential customer has a lifetime value for your business.
Constantly be aware of your target market. Look for opportunities to bring your products up in conversation. Steer the conversation to their particular area of interest or need as it relates to the product. Sometimes, merely having the product with you will arouse curiosity and they will ask you about it. Using the product in front of them stimulates even greater interest. If they ask, “tell the story.” Tell them your experience. Give a personal testimonial. Use your product knowledge to explain the benefits, special features, and price justification. Don’t be overly anxious or “pushy.” You see these people repeatedly. Steadily build curiosity and interest. If you are more aggressive, you can take a more direct approach, using one of the other retailing techniques in this section on contacting the individual directly.
Sample or Trial-Size Test-Marketing: For some products, the most powerful technique is trial-size or sample test-marketing. This is especially effective for nutritional, weight control and skincare products, although the techniques can be employed for many other product lines. Nutrition bars can be sold to test-market, and providing your card and a brochure could very well lead to multiple sales. Tell the story of how good they are. When prospective customers taste the bars, they are pleased and want the bars.
The process is very simple. You “tell the story.” You ask people to try the product to see how it works. When it works or if they like it, they come back to buy it. The sample is a fabulous advertisement and well worth the investment. The more you expose your products to target markets, the more customers you will get. Test-marketing your products should be performed daily. It is simply a numbers game. Remember, customers will purchase over and over again once they are using the product, if you follow up with them. It isn’t just a single sale, but many sales over a year. Also, a satisfied customer usually will lead to other customers over a period of time. Be sure to give samples to people who need, want, or are interested in that product.
One-on-One Sales or Demonstrations: The one-on-one sale or demonstration is one of the most effective methods of retailing. It can be done spontaneously, informally, or by appointment. It can be done with any “store” or product line.
Spontaneous — There are many instances when you are over at a neighbor’s house having coffee, visiting with someone, or at work, where an opportunity will come up to talk about the product. If you carry literature and product in the trunk of your car or a trial size of the product in your purse, this sales method becomes a very natural process. Simply follow the following pattern:
This is a simple process of show and tell. It can be used with any product.
Informal — While people are coming to visit you or you are planning to visit them, you can tell them in advance that there is a product you want to show them. In this way they are expecting you to “show and tell” the product. It is not a formal sales pitch. It is very informal and free-flowing. Get them involved in the demonstration. Let them ask questions. Tell them stories about the product. When appropriate, show them the literature. Work the benefits, special features and price justification into the conversation or when you are answering questions.
Appointment — Call your prospects and set up an appointment to demonstrate the product. This is a more formal presentation, but they are mentally prepared for a presentation and give you their full attention. Be sure to show and demonstrate the product. Use your literature to cover benefits and special features. Use credible information, articles, testimonials, and anything else that is helpful in making a formal presentation. Don’t forget to ask for the order and referrals. They are expecting you to ask.
Home Previews, Clinics, Presentations and Parties: All of these terms refer to a presentation held in someone’s home (hostess/host), where friends have been invited over. A home preview is generally referred to as a “showing” of a product line such as the TLS ® , SNAP ™ , Royal Spa ® , etc. The product is displayed, the story is told, and orders are taken.
A clinic or presentation refers to a gathering of people for the purpose of being educated on a given subject. Of course, we are going to show the product. It is good to use the usual sales aids, handouts, a prepared talk, and a demonstration. A clinic or presentation can be put together on any product line. The information covered in the clinic or presentation establishes the need for the product you are going to describe or demonstrate. You actually give a mini-seminar, building the need for the product, showing or demonstrating the product, “telling the story,” and covering the benefits, special features, and price justification of the product. Use magazine and newspaper articles, quote authoritative sources, and use visual aids to support your presentation. Obviously, the possibilities are unlimited. Presentations can be made to special-interest groups, non-profit organizations, or associations. Many organizations have weekly or monthly meetings, where they invite a guest speaker. Sometimes, it is a luncheon or dinner meeting. You can go to the reference section of the library and obtain a published list of associations and organizations. You can also look in the telephone book. Also, local newspapers often have a community section, where local organizations and associations and their meeting times are listed. You may know people who are involved in these organizations or associations. It is always easier when you have a connection. A sample list of organizations or associations that might be open to presentations is as follows:
The list goes on and on. Select a topic that would be of interest to the group, a topic that creates a need for one of the product lines. Remember, these organizations are always in need of speakers and will welcome your call.
There is a whole “subculture” of people who buy through each other and socialize through home parties. There is an extensive network of people right in your hometown who attend each other’s home parties for various companies and product lines. It is a multibillion-dollar industry and market. It can easily be tapped just by booking a home party for someone who is already doing home parties.
A party is slightly different from a home preview or clinic in that it is a more frivolous, informal social atmosphere. Talk to someone who is already doing parties to utilize the format to which he/she is accustomed. Usually the party includes some ice breaker party games, drawings, hostess gifts for guest purchases, incentives for booking a party (discount, credit, or small gift), and refreshments. Talk to the potential hostess and see what he/she is accustomed to, and incorporate some of the things he/she is already accustomed to doing. The key is preparation. Helpful hints: (1) serve modest refreshments; (2) reward the host or hostess with a gift or discount based on the number of people showing up and sales volume.
Recommendation Sales: One of the most effective methods of retailing is using recommendations from satisfied customers. Every time you make a sale, you should ask the client or customer if he/she knows some other people who might also be interested in the product. Take out your appointment book or pad and write down their names, phone numbers, and addresses. It is especially effective to create a special offer, free gift, or discount for a recommendation sale. This makes customers giving you the names feel like they are doing their friends a favor or getting them a special deal. If you can get addresses, it is effective to send people postcards with a special offer, mentioning their friend who recommended them for the special offer. You can also offer the customer giving the recommendation an incentive program for each recommended individual given to you who ends up making a purchase. Create a file card for your customer. For every individual who purchases, give the customer who recommended him/her a five percent discount or a USD$5 to USD$10 credit towards his/her next purchase. Keep the customer informed of the results. You can customize a program like this in whatever way you like. An additional incentive can be given if the customer actually pre-contacts the referrals to let them know you will be calling.
Another successful method is to have referral postcards printed. The postcard should briefly state that the satisfied customer was introduced to a wonderful product by you and highly recommends it. In one sentence, list the benefits of the product and why the customer is pleased. State the special offer the person will receive as a result of being recommended. State that you will be contacting him/her. Have the customer giving the referral sign the postcards. The written copy of the card shouldn’t be more than four or five brief sentences. You then address and mail the cards. Keep a follow-up record and call the referrals a couple of days after they would have received the postcard.
Sales From Opportunity Meetings: One of the easiest and most natural methods of adding customers and making retail sales is right at opportunity meetings. Obviously, not everyone will be ready or interested in getting involved in the business as a Distributor that night. However, you have a captive audience. There is something that almost everyone needs, wants or will be interested in at GLOBAL.SHOP.COM. It is important to give an overview of all the different products at the meeting.
Spend additional time on the products or stores you are emphasizing. Give testimonials, demonstrate your favorite products, and show literature, articles, or credibility materials. It is paramount to have an attractive product display representing all of the stores at each meeting, so that those in attendance can “window shop.” A product display stimulates interest, curiosity, and questions. It allows people to see, touch and feel the products. It is ten times more effective than simply telling people about the products or showing the literature. Be sure to mention in the meeting that they might be interested in some of your products. Offer them a discount if they place an order that night. Encourage them to look at the product display and to ask questions.
In the Follow-Up meeting, ask them, “Which products are you most interested in?” When they answer, pick up the product and let them hold it. Get them involved. Use your product knowledge to explain the benefits, special features, and price justification. If you have testimonial letters, credibility literature or articles, show these to them. Ask them if they would like to try the product or place an order. At least 50 percent of those who do not become Distributors will order product if you follow this technique. And some of the best Distributors started out as good customers.
Preferred Customers: You as a Distributor are an Independent Shop Consultant. Sit down with your prospective customers and ask them if they would like to enjoy special benefits by becoming a Preferred Customer. Tell them about the Nutri-Physical ® Survey and online ordering 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Prospective customers can sign up to become Preferred Customers through your Web Portal or you can register them on your UnFranchise Business Account. Ask them about their interests and needs. Inform them that their feedback on purchases is invaluable! Surveys from the company are occasionally issued to obtain their feedback on Market America’s products and services.
Get to know your Preferred Customers. Suggest that as they run out of products they are currently using, that Market America also handles those products, and recommend that they try the Market America products. In this way, they are not spending extra dollars but just replacing their current brand with Market America products. If they are not fully satisfied within 30 days, they are entitled to a full refund of the Market America product — 100 percent Preferred Customer guarantee. Use a checklist of the “stores” in GLOBAL.SHOP.COM to see what products they are using that could be replaced.
By using the “Alerts” system on your UnFranchise Business Account, set a time to visit new Preferred Customers in two weeks. Follow this by appointments/contact every 30 days. Consider their repetitive purchases to be set up on the Preferred Customer Transfer Buy. On your visits, ask them for referrals — people who might be interested in or could benefit from one of the products they are using.
Counter Displays: Counter product displays can be a powerful merchandising technique when placed in the right location. Although products handled by Market America cannot be placed in retail stores on shelves, there are several locations that they can be displayed in high-traffic areas. Counter displays can be put in service businesses such as: hair salons, cleaners, restaurants, car washes, doctors’ offices, reception areas of businesses, health clubs, tanning salons, nail salons, cash register locations of businesses such as service stations, gymnasiums, etc.
To accomplish this you must obtain brochures from Market America. Cardboard or plexiglass holders can be purchased from a wholesale supplier of box-board containers, or office supply stores. Vendors for these supplies can be located in your area online or by using the telephone book. Better yet, ask vendors or business owners who have these types of displays in your area where they got them. In addition, continue checking updated price lists and announcements in Powerline magazine for the introduction of various product displays offered by the company.
Once you have determined what avenues you want to pursue, you have to contact the owners of the businesses. It is best to begin by dealing with people you know or businesses you frequent, where you are a recognized regular customer. Once you have the product in a few locations, you will find that it is much easier to add locations by mentioning those places where you already have the product on display. Sometimes owners will want to become Distributors. This is just fine because they will buy the inventory and eliminate concerns about collecting, consignment and inventory. You will get credit for their Business Volume.
As with fundraisers, you have to predetermine how you will divide up the profit with the owner of the location in which you are placing the counter display. Remember, you are benefiting from the Business Volume generated. In those cases where you are putting the product on consignment, owners should get 25 percent to 50 percent of the profit. When the product is being put in on consignment, you need to be very cautious. Make sure you know the people. You need to put into writing your arrangements with them detailing out the cost of the product, when you get paid, that they have to pay for missing product, that it will work on an “inventory basis,” and the profit they will make on each item. Have them sign it BEFORE you agree to put the product in their location. You need a signed copy for yourself and a copy for them.
Then you need to set a schedule to visit the location to check what has moved, restock the display, and settle up on product that has been sold. Each time you visit, you need to adjust the inventory and have them sign the inventory record. It is a good idea to move the location of your display from time to time within the place of business.
It is helpful to educate the people who are at the counter on the products, so that they can answer questions and help promote the sale of the product. Give them a sample and get them to use the product. If they like it and it works for them, they are much more likely to recommend it to their customers.
Booths — Flea Markets, Bazaars, Fairs, Yard Sales, Tradeshows, Special Events: Setting up a promotional booth at a high-traffic location such as a flea market, fair, bazaar, special event, tradeshow, or yard sale is an effective method of merchandising, if you have the time. It is important to analyze the cost-effectiveness. How much does it cost to have a booth? Does the product you are promoting match the interest of the type of people who will be there? Try to calculate how much referral sales you will have to generate prior to arranging to do this. Is it realistic? Is it a profitable undertaking?
It is useful to study the section on tradeshows in this manual. There are many helpful suggestions and hints that can be applied here.
In setting up a booth, there are several important considerations:
Direct Mail: A general mailing list usually yields a very low return of one percent to five percent of the total mailing. Therefore, mailing lists to the general public are not a very effective method of merchandising with Market America. However, if you have access to screened, personalized or warm mailing lists, a direct mail piece can be effectively used.
A screened mailing list is a list including current names and addresses of people who have recently purchased a similar product. Sometimes, you can obtain such a list from someone selling a similar product or who has a business with the type of clientele that would have a specific interest. For example, a Weight Watchers group or a weight control support group may be an excellent source for a list for the TLS ® family of supplements. You have to match the product to the mailing list.
A personalized mailing list contains names of people who are in some way connected to you through a common bond. Examples would be your wedding-guests list, personal friends, and members of a club to which you belong. Another example would be a list of people who know one of your customers who is recommending the product to his/her friends. The point is that the recipients of the mailing will recognize you or the person recommending the product. This increases the probability of the mailing being read carefully. It also gives credibility to the product you are promoting.
A warm mailing is similar to a personalized mailing. It is a list of people who already have an interest in the product area. A warm mailing must have a degree of exclusivity. An example would be the clients of Lilly Ruben clothing stores. It would be addressed to their exclusive clients. Another example would be customers of a health food store who have recently purchased energy products or food bars. Another example would be the clients of a salon who have purchased cosmetics from the salon.
The most effective direct mailer introduces new products to existing customers. As your customer list grows, this can be an effective avenue of increasing your sales. In designing your mailer, you need to consider the weight. If you are sending it first class, you want to keep it under 1 oz. For large mailings of more than 500 people, you may want to consider a bulk rate or third class. Contact your local post office for details.
Some things that you should consider in your direct mailer are as follows:
Whenever possible, it is wise to follow up each mailer with a telephone call. This will greatly increase your results.
PROSPECTING/RECRUITING/SPONSORING: For the new Distributor, there are five fundamental steps that must be accomplished to become a successful sponsor.