Dancing to the Music that Matters to You

Dancing to the Music that Matters to You

How important do you suppose it is to have a personal story about whatever it is you’re wanting to sell?

I say it’s the only thing that DOES count if you don’t have one.

To my copywriting mentor early on …

“Target marketing … okay I get that yes; talk to people who have raised their hands .... But who’s my target market??”

“Your market is whoever it is that’s attracted to you.”

Came the cryptic reply.

Great. What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

Like a newly found friend recently wrote to me “That and a dollar will buy a cup of coffee”

Back to soul searching.

See I was torn between marketing for customers and marketing for business builders. (And to the popular idea of covering both bases in any sort of marketing? I say … “poppy cock”).

On the one hand, gaining customers creates immediate income.

On the other, there’s that dream of attracting those somewhat elusive business builders who just go nuts and everyone around them suddenly has pockets lined with gold.

Nice work if you can get it …

Let’s say it does happen for you … what about the rest of your people?

If you’ve read My Story, you know that a big part of my ‘why’ includes being able to take others along for the ride. What earthly good is being at the top if you can’t share it with friends?

Well, I’ve been a marketing approach fence sitter. That is until just a few minutes ago when I listened to one of Kim Klaver’s podcasts.

Some combination of input along this journey of mine finally gelled as I was listening to that and I am crystal clear on how any NWM business has to be approached if you want it to last.

Mind you, not all companies are structured in a way that allows for this way of doing things; in fact, many are not (but that’s a whole different conversation).

If I’m going to build it, this is the process that must be supported:

Phase I – Build the Relationship (with people who raise their hands)

• Market for customers … may involve sampling and/or online benefit laden agenda-free niche market pre-selling (basically answering their “what’s in it for them”) before product purchase.

• Create customer evangelists… point out auto-ship incentives. Auto-ship is the ‘income stability factor’ you can depend on.

• Everyone’s happy.

• Everyone who wants cash flow has some and everyone who wants to be a consumer gets to be just that. Nothing more, nothing less.

Phase II – (and these are two distinct activities)
Build the Relationship

• Market for business interested people… folks actively searching for a way to build passive income … who see the value in an autoship product-user base.

• And I don’t mean go fishing in your pool of customers!

Your customers are not served by you telling them they can make money. They’re consumers because that’s what they want to be. Leave them alone. Don’t try to ‘fix’ them …. They’re not broken!

They are the sole reason you have a business in the first place and their needs HAVE TO BE your priority.

• Help the builders (who raise their hands) find a way that works for them to gain customer evangelists.

• Instill the value of service and problem solving for others … has to be for the right reason, not for the wrong reason (maybe the hardest paradigm shift of them all!).

• Repeat.

So let’s review …

If your goal is a substantial passive income from a NWM business, you need autoship sales … honest end user product consumption. Retail consumers. Customer evangelists … the lovers, as Kim says (you did listen to that audio, right?)

To be attractive to autoship sales, you really need a product story (preferably your own) and a desire to help other people with their wants. Not because of how it makes them feel, but because of how it makes you feel.

To be attractive to business builders, you have to realize who it is that you’re looking for. You will attract people who can relate to who you are. You have to BE the people you want to attract.

In other words, your target market is really other people like you. So maybe change isn’t really all that necessary.

Growth, yes.

But change for change sake?

I don’t think so.

Trust that the people who are like you will be attracted to you. Get clear on your ‘Why’, be brave and let people see who you really are.

Learn to dance to the music that matters most to you…. Everything else will fall neatly into place.

And by all means … embrace the journey! (‘cause once you’re done, you’re dead <grin>).

Best Always,
Andrea