This article from Charlie Page is a good followup to my recent post on the need for marketers to use ad trackers. It goes into more depth on other aspects of marketing - ways of thinking that encourage success.

Enjoy and implement.

——————————————————
What is Marketing Wisdom?
(c) Charlie Page
http://www.RealWorldTactics.com
——————————————————

There are some people for whom everything just works. Their websites sell. Their emails are easy to read. They earn as much in a month as most people earn in a year.

It’s easy to admire - even envy - people like this.

But is it easy to *become* a person like this?

Yes … it is.

I don’t mean to be flippant about this. I know there are sincere and hard working people who have a very hard time figuring out how to succeed online.

Almost every week, I speak with people who have been online for a long time (sometimes years) and are still not making it.

Let me be clear; I’m not saying that anyone can just snap their fingers and become Armand Morin.

But I *am* saying that success favors the prepared, and if you take the right steps you can succeed - even thrive - online.

It doesn’t take any special background or advanced college degree, nor does success online favor one age group.

The difference between people who are succeeding online and people who are struggling online comes down to this. The people succeeding online have marketing wisdom.

PLEASE NOTICE, I said wisdom … not knowledge. There’s a big, big difference between knowledge and wisdom. In fact, the difference is probably the most important

So, what is marketing wisdom and how can you get some?

I’m glad you asked. …Continue Reading Article

I’ve got a mug here on my desk with this printed on it:

“What if it does work?”

A couple of years ago I happened on Kim’s site WhoWho911.com and decided to take in one of the conference calls she had posted there. At the time I was ready to return to my original position of extreme skepticism with regards to all network marketing companies - this was after someone I respected highly had gotten me to to take a look into a “business opportunity” despite my “better judgement”.

I’ll just fast-track the uncomfortable memories and say that initial experience didn’t work out for me. However, I had been fascinated by some of what I had learned from a lot of the training material along the way. This got me thinking,

“Ya know, if there’s a company that’s out there that focuses on customer acquisition, servicing the customers well, fair prices and realistic commissions for the distributors, this business model just might work.”

Well I figured if I could find a company or two like that and mold my own business - mixing in a product or two of my own - it sure would be worth the effort. So I went on the hunt to see if there was anyone out there who was addressing what I saw to be flaws in the practice of network marketing. That led me to Kim.

The Truth
I was really impressed with Kim’s logical approach. I remember thinking to myself “This is it. This makes sense. Why don’t all the other network marketing people talk like this? This is viable.”

Well, frankly, I was so impressed I bought several books in quick succession. The Truth Book - again Kim’s doing things a little different - it’s a comic (as in cartoon) book. Great read as the other ones I picked up - “Plan B”, “Rules For The New New MLMer” and “If My Product’s So Great How Come I Can’t Sell It?”.

Back To The Mug
When my first purchase from Kim arrived, to my surprise, this mug was sitting there in the package.

Staring at me. “What if it does work?”

Over time, as much as Kim’s conference calls and reading materials have been invaluable in clarifying my thoughts and strengthening my convictions about how best you can leverage a network marketing company to create your own business (hint, brand you and your business not the network marketing company) I think that mug has been even more valuable to me.

Why? Every time I use that mug - which is pretty much everyday, maybe multiple times in the day, I think about that phrase “What if it does work?” Then it gets repeated to my mind subconsciously in various ways as I work:

• Maybe this just might work
• How can I make this work?
• Who do I need to talk to so this will work?
• What resources would I need to make this work?
• How can I adapt this idea/concept to make it work for me?

etc

This thought process has opened up windows of opportunity when I thought I was hitting a brick wall. I not only still am in business for myself, I keep generating ways to keep it alive and growing when so many others are bailing.

That’s why I point anyone who asks for a recommendation (and even those who don’t ha!) to Kim. She’s impacted my business significantly, could she impact yours?

Kudos to Kim Klaver for describing (in this post) the horrible feeling of being used and abused by often times well-meaning, enthusiastic business builders. We forgive because we know these same people under normal rational circumstances (fewer pressures and time to think) would be abhorred at these techniques… I’m guessing most of us ladies don’t buy in - hence the sky high dropout rates.

Maybe I’m too sensitive, but I don’t even like being referred to as a “lead” much less contemplating the idea of “closing a prospect”. For crying out loud, we’re thoughtful individuals not just an idea on a paper or a hurdle to obtaining a commission!

I am convinced that, even in network marketing, a healthy business must mean a healthy customer base, so this is my favourite paragraph from Kim’s post: “Talk to us instead about how to get long term customers and a good partner or two over the next 3-5 years. So we can be ready to do it. And then be there - in case we need you.”

Keep singing your song Kim. I’m with ya!