How I Solved the Top 5 Biggest Problems with MLMs

I don’t know about you, but MLMs can be icky! MLM stands for “Multi Level Marketing” and is often what Direct Sales companies are referred to in a negative way. In the world of Direct Sales, the term MLM has a dark shadow cast upon it because of the aggressive sales and recruiting tactics most distributors use to get people to sign up.

I for one, do not like being sold to! No thank you! People all over the world love to buy things but they don’t like being sold. The thrill of the hunt, and then finding the great deals, or the perfect product, is what motivates people to buy. In the MLM world there is a tension that exists, causing normal, kind, and caring people to become someone you avoid at all costs when you see them coming.

There are five ugly words in the MLM world:

• Prospecting
• Selling
• Follow-up
• Retention
• Recruiting

Which of those makes you cringe the most? For me it is prospecting and recruiting. Yuck!

I have been using products from direct sales companies for over 14 years and know just how amazing many of them can be. Young Living® is my favorite by far! I was a customer for 8 years before I started to share my love with others.

For the past 5 years I have done some serious hard work figuring out this MLM thing. I wrote a book almost 20 years ago called the “Marketing Insomniac”. I love solving problems in a way that takes out the “Used Car Salesman” approach.

Over the next few days I will be answering some of your biggest issues when it comes to prospecting, recruiting, and those nerve wracking “care calls”.

Watch this short video that has some more details!

Plus, click the link at the bottom to started on my 12 day Essential Oils eCourse if you have not already taken it!

The first big problem with MLMs... PROSPECTING

When you think about generating leads or finding people who may want to try Young Living® it can feel like a daunting task. No one wants to feel like a prospect, and no one wants to be a prospect. Instead of thinking of people as prospects, think of them as humans that need care. When you care for people you think about their needs and not your own. Your goal is to relate to people. Ask them questions. Find out who they are, and what their problems are that you might be able to help solve! Use this simple checklist to give you ideas on how to better care and relate to the people you come in contact with on a daily basis!

In this first video I go over how to change your perspective on prospecting and I give it a new name so you can be confident when building relationships with others! Make sure you click the link at the bottom to get my free "Relate" checklist that has my top 50 high engagement social media posts and 30 person-to-person relate questions!

The second big problem with MLMs... SELLING

Can I just be real with you for a sec? I really don't like people trying to sell me something, do you? Maybe I have authority issues, but when it comes to buying something, I like to be the one in charge of my own decisions. 

I love a good sales pitch, but rarely buy because of one. The thrill is in the hunt, as they say. People love to shop and people love to buy. They just don't like being sold. This is also why so many of us have such a hard time with direct sales... we have to sell something. 

In this second video I go over how to change your perspective on selling. I will teach you how selling should be simply sharing your story. I will also teach you how to craft the perfect story as well as help you know the best ways to share on social media without being salesy. You will never "sell" anything ever again. People will come to you and ask to buy!

Make sure you click the link at the bottom to get my free "How to Share" worksheet that will help you develop your stories and give you tips on how and when to post on social media!

The third big problem with MLMs... FOLLOW-UP

Have you ever purchased a product from a friend or acquaintance who was an MLM distributor? There are so many these days, from leggings, and nail polish, and jewelry, to books, and cards, and even the good old standards like makeup and plastic storage containers. You know the drill: you go to an in-home or online party, you find something you just have to have, you buy, and that's that. 

Not so fast! The onslaught of phone calls, emails, and texts become overwhelming. What used to be a simple "care call" once a month has turned into an irritation far worse than your neighbor's incessantly barking dog. What's even more heartbreaking, is that you used to really like the person you purchased from... they may even be your sister or your mom! 

The struggle is real. How do we follow-up with our new members without completely driving them nuts and pushing them away. How do we not become that "crazy oil lady"? The secret is, once again, a simple shift in how we approach it.

The key is to educate them. Give them resources that will help them. Teach them how to fish. Become a partner with them on their wellness journey! Remember, you cannot do this well unless you care for them and relate to them like you would any friend. This is why it is sometimes called "relationship marketing" rather than "network marketing." 

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care! 

You will not be able to educate them and speak into their life unless they know, like, and trust you. They cannot know, like, or trust you if you do not care for them first. 

The 90 Day Wellness Challenge is specifically set up to educate your people along side you. The first step in educating them is to get them started on the 12 day eCourse. You can access this at www.vitalityedu.com/ecourse

This eCourse is for them to start right when they get their PSK. It will give them a daily challenge along with a specific topic to learn about each day.

Educating your customers is key! The 90 Day Wellness Challenge has both online tools and books to help them learn. A fun tool to help educate your customer is through excellent recipes. Download my nine free NingXia Red® recipe cards below!

The fourth big problem with MLMs... RETENTION

Retention. Doesn't that word bring to mind board rooms and employees? The exact thing we all don't want to be a part of. So many of us do the business side of Young Living® so that we don't have to have a boss or deal with words like retention. In the direct sales world, though, retention is a big deal. Retention simply means getting someone to fall in love with the product so that they continue to order and continue to change their lifestyle to a healthier one.

When it comes to retention, most people think of the auto-ship programs of direct sales companies. MLMs (direct sales) often employ a sneaky little trick that demands a monthly order. Basically, if you do not order every month at a certain amount, you are out and can no longer order.

How awful is that?

I love Young Living® because while yes, they do have an auto-ship program called Essential Rewards, it is not the same as other companies. It is more of a "we want to reward you for being loyal" program. In the new "Wellness" book, I go over all the benefits of Essential Rewards and also give a full years worth of ER order ideas. You will love it!

For sake of this discussion, I want to stick to the "how" of keeping someone around, rather than the "what" (the "what" being ER).

In a nutshell...

You will retain a customer when you involve a customer. 

Stop thinking you need to get them locked into ER to somehow retain their membership, and start thinking how you can gain their loyalty as a customer, and ultimately a friend, by involving them.

Think about the last time a business went above and beyond what was expected. When I think about all of the brands I am loyal to, it all goes back to how I was treated. The fastest way to lose a customer is to treat them like a number or dollar sign. So many direct sales distributors do this. I was one of them many years ago, and it is why my retention was so low when I first started the business.

Now, I have almost a 90% retention rate, which is unheard of in this industry. People who sign up with me, stick around because I see them. I get involved in their life and I get them involved in my live. We do life together! I get them into my groups and then give them shout outs. It is not just about oils or products. That never works. I go back to step one. Remember... care and relate!

The 90 Day Wellness Challenge is designed to help you learn how to involve your customers and create lifelong friendships with them. It is so rewarding, even for you introverts!

Don't forget your free gift! I have put together some of the best ways to involve your new members with my "Involvement Methods Guide" below!

The fifth big problem with MLMs... RECRUITING

Ah recruiting! Such an odd word for sales. Am I signing people up to join the army? Am I looking to recruit a new employee? While I understand how and why it fits so well within the MLM and direct sales world, my heart is just not into that word. It is so cold and unloving.

I sort of cringe when I hear it at network marketing meetings and trainings. Once again, we are confronted with a word that simply needs a new perspective.

If I want one of my customers to do the business with me, all I need to do is follow the first four steps well, and then it will naturally lead into a thoughtful discussion. I care and relate to them, I share my stories with them, all the while help to educate them, and involve them in my life and in my groups. Once those are in place, asking if they want to share with their friends is an easy ask! They already know like and trust me.

Rather than recruiting a person, consider simply encouraging them.

Encouraging someone to share their own success stories is the easiest way to help them see the value in helping others.

People love to help. Sharing synthetic-free alternatives is a major way to help friends and families find every day solutions to pressing issues!

Make sure you download my gift to you below on "Mapping Techniques"!

Start the 90 Day Wellness Challenge!

The 90 Day Wellness Challenge is a complete strategy for the first 90 days of your new member’s Young Living® experience. It walks you through the five critical steps to successfully helping someone on their wellness journey, and gives them 90 days of successful wellness education.

Step 1: Relating and Caring
Step 2: Sharing
New Member Enrolls between Step two and three. CONGRATS!
••••••••••••••
The 90 Day Wellness Challenge Starts at Step 3: Educating!
••••••••••••••
Step 3: Educating (The 90 Wellness challenge starts here!)
Step 4: involving (involve them and continue educating!)
Step 5: encouraging (encourage them to do steps 1 and 2 and continue educating and involving!)

Get the complete system for month one, including the books and postcards along with the 20 page WELLNESS STRATEGY GUIDE eBook! 

The set contains 2 new member kits with the first two books in the series along with the cards that you will send them over the 90 days. It also includes entry into the online training course for you and your two new members as well as the complete Wellness Strategy Guide eBook! 

It is 75% off for a limited amount of time!

Click below to get started!