A Dead Heat Pump and a Guy Named Dave
By Liz Monte Many years ago, our 10-year-old heat pump died. The contractor had installed it when the house was built, and it had come to the end of its useful life. So I got out the Yellow Pages and started calling around, looking for the best deal on a replacement. Most of the sales people I spoke with asked me how big the house was and then gave me a price on the same BRAND A the contractor had used. BRAND A was a popular brand -- highly advertised -- you're probably familiar with it. Then
I called an outfit called Dave's Heating and AC in Sterling, Virginia. Dave himself happened
to answer the phone, and when I explained my problem and asked him for
a comparison quote on a new Brand A heat pump, he proceeded to explain
to me why he didn't recommend that brand.
He spent the next fifteen minutes educating me on the intricacies of heat pump mechanics, comparing the features and reliability of BRAND A with the BRAND B he preferred, answering all my questions, and generally impressing me with his expertise and honesty. At that point, I didn't care anymore about the price. I had found an EXPERT -- someone I trusted and wanted to do business with, and that was all that mattered. I bought the heat pump and immediately signed an annual service contract with Dave's Heating and AC, and I've been a loyal customer ever since. WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE? WHAT DID DAVE ACCOMPLISH IN THAT FIRST PHONE CALL THAT THE OTHER COMPANIES HAD NOT? First, he gave me a
pile of very useful information that filled a need I had.
Second, he established himself as an expert in his field. Third, he won my trust. WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH NETWORK MARKETING? This story about Dave and how he runs his business pretty much sums up the best way to build any business, including yours. Basically, these principles are: 1. INVEST IN YOUR PROSPECTS BEFORE YOU ASK THEM TO INVEST IN YOU. Generously and freely give them something of value that fills a real need they have. And what do most people need that you can give them? INFORMATION -- especially information they can use to solve their problems. How to do something they want to accomplish. Where to find something they're looking for. How to use a tool they've already got. The possibilities are endless. That part about "generously and freely" is critically important. What if the first time I talked to Dave he had said, "Sign a service contract with me first, and I'll tell you everything you need to know." Do you think I would have become a loyal customer? Absolutely not! Dave took a gamble with fifteen minutes of his valuable time -- he had no guarantee that I would buy from him. But he did it anyway. I can't pretend to know what his motive was -- if he had thought the whole thing through from a business standpoint, or if he was just a nice, helpful guy. Bottom line -- his approach worked! But here's an important point to keep in mind. Giving away information is easy. You could stand on the street corner and pass out reprints of Einstein's Theory of Relativity, for example. Now that's some heavy information! However, most of the reprints would end up in nearby trash cans for the simple reason that the people you gave them to had no problems that Einstein's theory could help solve. REMEMBER! The information you give out must help people find solutions to their problems. 2. BECOME KNOWN AS AN EXPERT. By giving your prospects valuable information that fills a need they have, you're establishing yourself as an expert -- the go-to person -- someone who knows what they're doing. Why is this important? Let me answer that question with another question. If you were just starting in network marketing and had a choice, who would you rather enroll with -- someone who knows what they're doing or someone who doesn't? Can you imagine that if a lot of people are looking at you as an expert, some of them might even call you up and ask to be allowed to join your team? By the way, you might not think of yourself as an "expert," and I'm not suggesting that you fake it. What I'm getting at is that maybe you DO know more than you give yourself credit for. For example, are you familiar with any of these subjects?
The possibilities are endless. Find an appropriate way to share what you know, and all of a sudden, you'll discover that other people are looking up to you! 3.
BUILD TRUST. In
this day and age of identity theft, urban legends, computer viruses and
scams, trust is a priceless commodity. By giving your prospects free,
no-strings-attached information that helps them solve a problem -- and
not asking or expecting anything in return -- you're making it easier
for them to trust you. The reason you want to be trusted is kind of a
no-brainer, isn't it? Who would you rather work with -- someone you
trust, or someone you don't?
As we
said before, you need to provide useful information, but which people
will be the most hungry for what you have to offer? We'll
call these folks your "target
market."
Lesson #2 will be about figuring out who's in your target market. (You might be surprised!) IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S YOUR ACTION ASSIGNMENT: Sit down and make a list of all the things you know how to do that someone else might want to know about. If necessary, start researching a topic that YOU would enjoy knowing about, yourself.
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