SOCIAL SELLING: THE CODE OF

NETWORK MARKETING

The social component that has always been crucial for direct sale business models has taken on enhanced significance today, as spreading the word and placing buying op-portunities on social media has taken busi-nesses to another level, especially for the network marketing industry.

Social media sites are essentially markets, and markets are equivalent to conversa-tions. In the old days, we simply called these conversations “sales.” Honest conversa-tions help to build trustworthy relationships that ultimately lead to conversions. While traditional businesses should aspire to com-

It’s Been Around Longer Than You Think!

Social selling, the essential component of network marketing, has made its way into today’s traditional business environment. For many, it may seem like a new concept, but social selling – leveraging social networks to build relationships and find pros-pects – is actually the most natural and effective sales method.

municate in a more human voice to coun-teract the formal tone of mission statements and marketing brochures, the Internet has empowered the network marketer to share information on a global scale at blinding speed, in his own informal language.

Direct selling has been a pioneer in social selling but also in using referrals to market unique products and services since 1949, turning many popular products into house-hold names long before they made their way to supermarket shelves. Traditional busi-nesses are only just discovering social sell-ing, but business has always been social.

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It may be the oldest form of marketing in the world, but direct selling continue to prove its worth as a successful marketing technique today. Direct sales accounted for more than $183.7 billion in retail sales in 2015, with the World Federation of Direct Sellers Associ-ation (WFDSA) suggesting there are more than 100 million direct sellers in the world today.

Door-to-DoorPersonified in the US by the door-to-door salesman that became prominent in the 1950s and 1960s, the personal touch of-fered by direct selling builds on the above concept of networking: creating meaningful, often instant relationships in order to build trust. People are far more likely to buy from a friend, relative or a stranger in a home set-ting than anywhere else.

Home PartiesAs the type of products represented by door-to-door salespersons diversified, so did their techniques. The 1970s saw the birth of home parties, where salespeople would work with a host to plan a social gathering attended by friends and family. The laidback, friendly at-mosphere provided the perfect environment for the salesperson to pitch products.

The InternetAs home parties increased the popularity of shopping from the comfort of your home, the growth of the Internet made online con-nections an invaluable tool to salespeople by the early 2000s. The rise of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter opened the door to network with a whole new commu-nity of prospects and customers on a wider scale.

The Evolution of Network Marketing

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Social selling has become synonymous with social networking, combining tradi-tional networking criteria with the power of the internet. Social media has become an essential business requirement, but it’s critical that you use online channels ap-propriately by taking advantage of the tips provided below. Social networking creates a community of virtual contacts that can also become valuable business building leads, allowing you to target audi-ences around the world. Before venturing out to build online relationships, howev-er, you should evaluate how you can help others succeed.

For those who might not have much expe-rience with networking, don’t worry. It’s less about what you say when networking and more about what you receive, whether it’s confidence, money, sales, new relationships or partners, or knowledge. But in business, as in life, you receive more by giving, so it’s imperative that you offer something of value as you’re establishing a new business rela-tionship.

When you cultivate a new relationship – whether it’s meeting someone at a party or in a business setting – always keep in mind that people love to talk about themselves. The more you engage with someone from the start, the better chance that person will openi up to you, eventually opening up their relationships to you as well. The more you learn about a person and their individual interests the easier it will be to transition the conversation to how the two of you can mutually benefit from building DubLi Network businesses.

In summary, relationships are a two-way street; it’s not only about what you might receive from them but also about what you offer them in return. Instead of worrying about what to say when you’re networking, focus on getting to know others and letting them get to know you.

How do great leaders create and then use networks? There are a plethora of sug-gestions, recommendations, and schools of thought about proper networking tech-niques, and one size does not necessarily fit all. There is, however, one overarching sentiment: It is not as important how you network as it is to find your niche and con-tinue to do it.

The Era of Social Networking

It’s All About Receiving

Listening is Paramount

Networking: The Art of Building Alliances

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Five Key Network Tips for Growing Your DubLi Network Business:

1 It is not always about meeting a lot of people, but the right kind of people. At the Partner Program, we talk a lot

about targeting your “warm market.” Con-nect directly with your target market, or with people who can introduce you to your target market. Go where your target market goes and do what they do. For example, are you targeting mothers who work from home? Go to after-school pickups, PTA meetings or your son’s football game. There will likely be lots of your target market candidates at these functions. Get to know these people and even if they are not interested, you can gently ask them if they know anyone else who might be interested, and if they’d be willing to make an introduction on your be-half. Or join an advisory board for an indus-try where you are likely to meet like-minded individuals.

Use the DubLi Home Party system to set up a cocktail party todemonstrate the DubLi.com platform and all its features and ben-efits in a casual setting where people love to talk about shopping. Do you have a book club or a riding group? These people who

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you know already may be more than happy to introduce you to people they know, but you have to be willing to ask.

2 Ask yourself this question: why would people want to network with me? Cre-ate your personal “elevator pitch” that

details the value you can bring into some-one’s life. We commonly use the term “ele-vator pitch” in reference to the value of the business opportunity, but what is your per-sonal elevator pitch? Examples can include solid contacts, a trusted confidant, a sound-ing board for someone experiencing financial insecurity in their life. Again, when you build a new relationship, it’s not always about what the other person can do for you, but rather about what you can do for them.

3 What is your networking goal? Be-fore you start out on any new en-deavor, it’s important to determine

what you are trying to achieve and what you need to do to get there. Know what you want to accomplish, why you want to ac-complish it and how you intend on reaching this goal.

4 Know the networking rule of thumb: you must give value in order to re-ceive it. It bears repeating yet again

that networking isn’t only about you and what you will receive; it’s also about what you are giving to others. It’s likely that the value you are providing, whether it’s a ser-vice or monetary, will likely be reciprocated evenly or even increased in return.

5 Develop solid win-win business-build-ing relationships. The key to building solid relationships is to develop fa-

miliarity and trust. Every current or future relationship is another opportunity to build your business. Make sure you treat every-one with the same level of respect; you never know where your next lead might come from.

In a NutshellDirect selling is still proving to be hugely successful today, thanks largely to the flexibility of running a full or part-time business and eventually achieving sales goals by leveraging your social network to build trusted relationships. In the storied history of network mar-keting, finding and connecting with prospects has never been easier than now.

Network marketing has always been a form of social selling, and it is easier than ever to find the right prospects and build new re-lationships due to the power of social networking sites and broad reach of Internet connectivity. Lead generation and follow-ups have increased in speed and efficiency, leading to accelerated conver-sion of prospects into customers. Echoing the basic rules outlined in the art of building alliances: make selling secondary to having genuine conversations and focus on the other person’s needs. It’s really that easy!

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