Simple business plan — getting paid for something you already do

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a simple business plan that paid you for something you do anyway?

Good news. There is.

Most people do network marketing every day. They just don’t get paid for it. Network marketing is nothing more than recommending and promoting products that you like.

Nearly everyone already does that with their favorite restaurants, a good movie, a great place to shop and other things. When you hear a good joke and pass it on, you’re effectively recommending and promoting that joke.

So, with network marketing, you simply find a company that has a product or products that everyone wants and you recommend and promote them. But here’s the key — you have to do it with no agenda.

That’s difficult, and it’s also where most network marketers go wrong. Most MLM companies train their reps to immediately make a list of their friends and family.

It’s the worst thing to do.

The new distributor and their upline proceed to call the people on the list with the sponsor usually doing most of the talking.

The prospect feels pressured in two ways. First, he wants to help out his friend. Second, the upline will often use some kind of closing technique to get the person to buy. Even if he buys something, it likely leaves bad feelings.

Before long the new distributor is an official member of the NFL — No Friends Left.

At first glance, the strategy appears to make sense. People tend to join people they know, like and trust so why not approach those who already know, like and trust you.

The problem is more than 90 percent of people don’t like to be sold. When they feel like a friend is putting the sales squeeze on them, it turns them off even more.

The solution: don’t go to your friends and family first. As a matter of fact, don’t go to them at all. Don’t tell them about your business unless they ask.

And once you’re successful, they will ask.

So, who do you go to? You go to people you meet. Live your life. Be knowable, likeable and trustworthy.

Along the way, you’ll meet the right people. The moment will present itself for you to promote and recommend your business and its products. If you follow that simple business plan with no agenda — not like a salesman — you’ll start getting paid for something you do everyday.

Steve DeVane

Marketing with no agenda

Is it possible to be a marketer and have no agenda?

That question has been on my mind lately.

At first it seems the answer is no. After all, isn't a marketer's agenda always to market his product or service Doesn't marketing something mean you're trying to sell it? And if you're trying to sell something, that's an agenda, right?

Dictionary.com defines marketing as "the act of buying or selling in a market" or as "the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling."

How can someone involved in that have no agenda? Is it possible? If it is possible, wouldn't it be futile. How could someone with no agenda market anything.

In the midst of my contemplation, I read a definition of marketing by Joe Vitale. "Marketing is sharing your love for what you do with the people who will most celebrate hearing about it," he said on his blog.

That's a great perspective on marketing. Let's take a closer look at it in light of whether or not it's possible to market with no agenda.

First, Vitale says marketing is sharing your love for what you do. Is it possible to do that with no agenda? Absolutely.

Sharing is not selling. When you share something, you don't need an agenda. The focus is on helping another person.

Furthermore, you're sharing the love you have for what you do. You share because of your love, not because of greed or other negative motivations.

Vitale further says that you share with "the people who will most celebrate hearing about it." That's the key. You're not sharing with anyone and everyone. You're not hitting people over the head with your products or trying to cram your services down someone's throat.

If you're sharing what you love with people who want to hear about it, there's no need for an agenda.

So find what you love and share it with people who will love you for sharing it with them. No agenda needed.

Steve DeVane
This marketing system taught me the value of having no agenda.

Learn the art of success

I am often amazed at how techniques I learned in coach training apply to the network marketing profession.

Coaches are taught to have no agenda. A coaching session is all about the person being coached. That outlook fits perfectly with network marketing.

The best way to help people is to first understand what they need. If we don't know what they need how can we know how to help them.

The best way to understand people is to get to know them. The way to get to know them is to relate to them with no agenda.

Think about it. We shouldn't want someone in our business if they don't really want to be in the business.

If they don't really want to be in business, they're never going to succeed. They'll spin their wheels and get nowhere.

Furthermore, if they don't want to be in business, we'll spend a good amount of our time convincing them rather than training them. It's a waste their time and our effort.

My friend and mentor, Tom "Big Al "Schreiter, has taught me the importance of having skills in our network marketing business.

Here are some coaching skills that will help you learn about people. It's based on the acrostic — LEARN.

Listen. When you're in a conversation, try to spend at least 80 percent of the time listening. That means you should not be talking more than one fifth of the time.

Encourage. Look for ways to support the person. Too often we're looking for something wrong, so we can pounce on the person with our "opportunity." Instead, encourage the person to find their own path.

Ask powerful questions. The answers will help you get to know the person better. Ask open-ended questions that will give the person an opportunity to share about their hopes, their dreams, their goals.

Respond. Make sure you understand what the person is telling you. Don't get ahead of them in the conversation by thinking about what you're going to say next. Tune into what they're saying, what they want, and what they need.

Negotiate action. In network marketing, we need to emphasize negotiation. Coaching sessions usually end with the person being coached deciding what they want to do and when they're going to do it. In our business, make sure the person is making the decision with no pressure.

These skills will help you in your network marketing business and in your life.

Steve DeVane
This free e-book taught me how to be successful in network marketing