The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.... Marketing Tips

by Debra Diamond Healthy Alternatives

The Good - The Bad - The Ugly - Beyond Marketing

If you are like everyone else marketing your business on the internet, then you will want to continue reading this….

Marketing your business is similar to the movie - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly! Movie themes can be applied to other areas in our lives, so if you have not seen this one, take the time to watch it to gain some good lessons. However, this is not about the movie, so I won't delve into any details here. Just working with the title, the connection boils down to three main basics as applied to marketing your business.

Beginning with the worst of marketing; the UGLY way to market your business. One main word which comes to my mind is SPAM. Now typically one associates this with email…. You know how much clutters up your inbox or shifts directly to your spam box. However, it has also found its way into direct messaging, either as a social media message or even showing up on your time line. Have you noticed that some people can’t resist promoting their business on your own article or post? Yes, it’s shocking, but this is also considered a form of spamming. Something none of us enjoy seeing, yet often it get overlooked. Please avoid doing this as it’s absolutely the worst way to market your business! It won’t earn you any good points with your connections, because it really makes you look “ugly” - your marketing that is.

The next problem is the plain BAD way to market your business… Let’s say you decide to avoid the spam side of marketing. You figure it’s definitely better to take that more business like approach. Okay, I get it. You’ve got a business and you’re connecting with people offline. You go to a network marketing meeting of other business leaders. During your visit, you find lots of other entrepreneurs - similar to what you will find here online; everyone has their own business. Now your approach may be one of two things. Either you decide sometime in your conversation that you want to just put someone on your newsletter list or you somehow think they actually need or want your information. You may end the conversation with, “If you don’t mind I’m going to put you on my newsletter”…. Or perhaps you suddenly start sending your newsletter without asking first. This is another form of spamming that people don’t like. If you don’t qualify someone to see if they even want your information, then you are running down a habit hole.

Many times this has happened to me. The worst part is I'm often too polite to say “No" when someone blurts out at the end of our conversation that they are putting my on their newsletter list. In my opinion, newsletters are best reserved for clients or fellow employees. Of course these would be two different types. Clients are those who may need tips or new information about your products or service. Employees will need tips and information slightly different. For example, an employee may need a tip to help guide them with their marketing - a client may need a tip on how they can gain additional benefit from a product or service they are using. If I don't truly qualify as a client or even as a potential client and I’m not employed by you in any way.... why would I want your newsletter?

The other "BAD" approach is when someone says they would like to meet with you to learn about your business, and of course talk about theirs to see how we could mutually help each other. While this appears harmless, there is a hidden issue with small business entrepreneurs in the MLM network marketing industry. For some reason, they tend to feel that everyone has an interest in their "opportunity". Of course, this is by no means the absolute truth! Most of the time other business entrepreneurs are not looking for change. It’s great to be excited about your opportunity, but crucial to be mindful of your marketing approach. When you truly think about helping another person - consider just letting someone know what your products and service are and they type of customers you are seeking. You never know when the person you have connected with knows someone who would be your target market. Don’t assume that everyone is your target market!

Finally, let’s move on to the GOOD marketing approach. This is where you take the time to "qualify" people. This is really the best marketing approach. Invest in a little time to find out more about your new connection to “qualify” them and gauge their level of interest. In the long run, you will avoid many problems and also potentially gain an ally. How? Think about this at your next business meeting…. During the conversation try to discover key elements that would indicate whether or not the person is a potential client or perhaps they would make a good connection for introductions to clients. So instead of just blurting out that you are sending them your newsletter, qualify by asking questions to see if this would be helpful for the person. If I'm not a true potential client, I won't spend the time reading your newsletter! Your newsletter may just end up being deleted or sent directly to my spam box. Additionally, do your homework! If you are in the MLM industry, try to discover if that person you are planning to meet with is also in the industry. Let's face it, would you want someone to try to persuade you to drop everything and join their opportunity? Perhaps, but if you haven't built a good relationship yet, then this is not the best way to start one.

Overall, the best way to market your business is taking the more “get to know you” approach. Ask questions to qualify people. Not everyone has an interest in what you offer. However, the key to asking questions is putting them into the conversation smoothly. Don’t just barrage your new connection with a bunch of questions. You don’t want to become an annoying person in the conversation. Try to make the conversation flow between both of you. Ask a question and listen for answers. If someone is really not interested, you will discover this quickly. With each new connection we can gain an understanding and discover some new insights.

Debra Diamond
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