I don’t know if you guys ever watched the movie Garden State. There’s this particular scene that hits me right in the guts every time I watch it. Zach Braff’s character, Andrew Largeman, encounters an old acquaintance from high school, Karl, who works at the hardware shop.
Soon after they got caught up, Karl starts to pitch some kind of opportunity to Largeman and his girl friend in the middle of the shop. Karl was pitching in this REALLY cheesy way that’s not only annoying but repulsive. “Why is it always the losers that get caught up in the pyramid schemes?” one guy comments. That really hurts!
Even though you might never have watched this movie, I know that you’ve experienced this first hand, as the pitcher or the one being pitched.
I have. I was that pitcher. The person that people run away from.
I was taught by my upline at the time to “leave no men behind”. Everybody is a potential recruit, so I recruited everybody. Forget about self promotion, about dignity, about reason. Just go out and recruit.
My business never took off. I was lucky enough to recruit a few close friends and my business grew by a few, but had never really made any real money.
I had to supplement my living expenses with a part time job at Togo’s. By that time, I was pitching over the meat counter. NO JOKE.
From that experience, I’ve gained some insight. People didn’t join my business because it was harsh or cut throat. I’d say people in the mortgage industry or Wall street are equal if not more harsh and relentless than people in the network marketing industry. How is it that their profession seem much more “high class”?
The main reason people didn’t join my business is because of ME. I didn’t want to admit it, but they didn’t want to live like me, going around town recruiting in the mall.
They see that I was following a system that failed many others before me, but I had no courage to buck the system. They see that I was a sheep among wolves, waiting to be devoured.
Well, long story short, I learned to be a wolf. I learned to stop pitching the juice, the business, and started to brand myself. I know that I have accumulated enough knowledge and know-how to make somebody fresh in this industry to avoid all the trappings of traditional MLM.
The formula for success is simple: Attraction Marketing System and a good lead funnel. Leaders in your company know this. They are almost in a state of perpetual lead generation in their business. Whatever they do people listen because they’re being promoted by their downline, sideline, even those who are in other company, because they have a brand that stands apart from the company they represent.
Don’t be like Karl who pitches opportunity everywhere he goes. Build a lead funnel using attraction marketing system so that QUALIFIED recruits will seek you out for guidance and sponsorship. There are a few turn-key lead generation funnels already set up for you online, and you really don’t have to be tech savvy to take advantage of it.
