1) DO NOT SPAM
I really hope you understand this. The online community hates Spam. The government hates Spam. I hate spam. YOU hate spam. Most spammers have bad English and don’t bother running a spell check. So please, don’t spam. Spamming is the act of sending unsolicited e-mail promoting products, business opportunities or just about anything people did not ask you about.
2) Use Opt-in E-mail Lists
Opt-in lists, on the other hand, are legitimate, intelligent ways of creating your network. Opt-in occurs when someone subscribes to your newsletter or e-zine by sending you their contact details through your website or sending an e-mail to your auto responder address. All the top “Internet Gurus” have one thing, at least, in common; they have spent time building a large opt-in list for themselves. This large list enables them to promote their product and services to a targeted audience, making sales and repeat sales effortlessly. Use your mailing list with a good auto responder like the Smart Responder for maximum success.
Opt-in lists create a bond of trust between you and your affiliates, customers and prospects. If you have not done this to date, then PLEASE DO IT NOW! It is also important to give your subscribers an easy way to opt-out, or to stop receiving your newsletter. Most auto responder and mailing list software have an ‘unsubscribe’ link automatically inserted at the bottom of e-mails. If yours does not, then you need to do it manually. Not giving your subscribers a way to opt-out, in my opinion, is very unethical. Besides, then they’ll most probably report your e-mail as spam. You DO NOT want that to happen!
3) Use Your Name
It amazes me how few people actually put their name or signature on their website or product. If you are using your own website to promote your networking opportunity, then by all means let people know your name. Oh yes, and make that your REAL NAME. It may be fun or cool to refer to yourself as El-Diablo or Fat Jake or angel_eyes20 in chat rooms and discussion boards where anonymity is preferred and encouraged, but for heaven’s sake please use your real name when doing business online. The more people see your name, they more they will grow to trust you and listen to what you have to say.
If your name is difficult to pronounce in its original spelling, then simplify your first name, maybe from Yasmene to Yasmeen, but retain your last name.
Remember, people want to know that they are dealing with honest marketers, and putting your name and complete contact details in every business dealing is the way to go.
4) Let People See You
Besides having your name and signature everywhere on your website, include a picture of yourself if you can. They say a picture speaks a thousand words.
Putting a face to the name can help people remember you better. Make sure its not random picture from your 21st birthday bash or of you and your buddies in a high school band competition, I mean a serious, studio-quality photo of yourself, smiling, dressed elegantly, saying “Hi, how can I help you?” Try this and see the difference for yourself.
When a businessperson approaches his customers with a paper bag or ski mask over his head, he will be mistaken for common thief or a con man. When he approaches them with a smile and sparkle in his eyes, they stop and listen. People will trust a face they remember.
5) Provide Valuable Free Content
This is actually easier than most people think. You don’t have to be a big success to be able to write useful content for your website. It’s just a matter of sharing your thoughts and beliefs with others. Whether others like it or not, is a whole different story. Remember that there are always people who know less than you do in any subject.
It’s just the way the world works. Some people know more on certain thing and less than others. I used to think the Internet operates something like this:
6) DO NOT Give Wrong Advice
Don’t be too eager to recommend a new software or tool to your downline organization. That is, at least, until you have achieved a reasonable amount of success with it. Giving the wrong recommendations is a sure way of killing trust in your organization, especially if people start to lose money.
If you have no solid advice to give, then give no advice at all. Simply refer people to your company’s website to get more information. This is especially important when you already have a large number of affiliates under you.
7) DO NOT Sell Junk to Your Affiliates
If your objective of building a large organization is to repeatedly e-mail them your whole collection of affiliate links and products to make a quick profit, then welcome to the club of around 1 million other quick-buck artists. These people don’t last very long in our industry, and I would generally put them in the same category as spammers. I’m really sorry if I sound a bit too harsh on this, but I really HATE this type of people! The last thing I need is my upline team sending me coupons and discount offers on flowers and kids toys. Why would I need all this? If on the other hand, they are recommending a lead generation source that they have used and provides good results, I would thank them a million times for saving me all the effort, and would gladly join, even if I know that they would be earning money when I do. Hey, after all, it’s a fair exchange!
8) Sincerely Help Others
You are often the only source of reference for your affiliates. It can be really daunting and scary for people new to the world of online MLM, and sometimes the only person they trust is you. Therefore, it is your duty to make sure that they get all the help they need, even when it might not be directly profitable to you.
9) DO NOT Use Hype
You might disagree with me on this one, so let me clearly state why I say it. The Oxford dictionary defines hype as “To exaggerate how good or important something is”. Assume that I tell you my network-marketing business opportunity is a “100% automated, guaranteed money-making machine. No sales and effort required! Make $10,000 in your first week, only if you join NOW!”
Did that turn you on? Maybe it did. If indeed my business can do that (which is rarely the case), then wouldn’t it be great? Everyone in this world can fire their bosses and work at home, earning thousands of dollars a day. But what if it does not? What if it actually required effort on your part, sales, a big advertising capital and know-how to make it happen? What if you don’t actually earn anywhere close to $10,000? Obviously you’ll have one affiliate less to worry about.
Keep this up, and you’ll have a networking business that works like an unplugged sink. The more water you pour into it, the more get drained out. Dropouts will occur faster than new opt-ins, merely because you mislead people with information that is inaccurate. This can cost your business a lot, especially if you’re using PPC advertising as you main source of lead generation. Real networkers use reasonable excitement, not hype, to recruit. There’s a lot of difference in that!
10) Think Long Term
Always think of your online network marketing business as a long-term project. Set long-term goals and look for mentors who can teach you. Work your business slow and steady, and you will definitely get there. Seek to build trust with affiliate members and your upline team. This may concepts more popular in 'offline network marketing’, but I honestly believe it to be true in the online version as well. I wish you all the best in building a large network for yourself. Never give up!
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