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Posted: 2006-12-07 / Author: Kim Klaver< Making Your Business Woman FriendlyWoman Friendly Test #1.Do they pay you good money for finding customers for the products? Are you a woman who has some trouble relating to the "recruit recruit recruit" model, with the constant emphasis on "closing" someone or on finding "big hitters"? So do hundreds and hundreds of other women. They've told me over the years that they would really like to focus on getting steady customers for their business, at least right now. And THEN maybe, later, think about the recruiting. The constant focus on recruiting is so loud many people ask if anyone even sells the product. Believe it or not, every company has a product or service line they market, and they get independent distributors to help them do that. That's the supposed business model. So, let's assume that your company has a product or service that you like enough so that you would use it, even if you weren't selling it. OK? That means there are theoretically TWO things you can do do make money in this business: find customers and recruit business builders. And these two options are the reason for test #1. The only option promoted by nearly every company is finding business builders. Which is the option most men and a few women prefer. But if most women really like to find customers for products they love, where does that leave us? This is no small thing. Remember, according to the Direct Selling Association, of the 13 million people involved in direct sales and network marketing, 80% are women. That's 10.5 million of us versus 2.5 million of them. And the industry is growing. And FYI, of those looking at this as a way to work from home, it's also mostly women who flock to this. (Look around the room next time in one of the old fashioned "opportunity meetings.") So here's a ridiculous situation: even though women make up 80% of the field, the thing most of us prefer to do is not promoted or given any value in sales training and opportunity meetings. It's usually belittled. ("There's no money in customers - the money is the recruiting" is all we seem to hear.) That is not a bad thing in principle, because recruiting IS what the men and a few women like to do. It's just that most women I have talked to over the years prefer finding customers. And that's what is so weird: Recruiting may be the thing men prefer to do, but not most women. And we're 80% of the game. Why would they leave us out like that? Maybe we just haven't spoken up. You know how we sometimes are - we figure, "It just be me." Ladies, if you are someone who wants to earn something of your own in this field finding regular customers, you can. There are companies who will support you and pay you right for it. You don't have to do the recruiting game to make good money. Most companies offer you decent pay for customers (but not all, so check yours), they just don't promote that part of the business. Because those promoting the business are the recruiter types. And that's OK. Leave them be. You can make good money with steady customers in most companies. I'll show you in future posts. In my opinion, one of the best things about this industry is the cutting edge products you can get, in nutrition, in toxic free home cleaninig products, all sorts of things. I buy them as often as I can. Why not, as a woman, take advantage of that if you want to, and get paid to find steady customers for them? (Customers who are NOT also business builders - JUST CUSTOMERS. ) There ARE such companies. You may already be in one. Else find one. Test #2. How to tell if they're paying you enough to get the customers. I would not work a company unless they paid me a minimum of 8-10% on my regular (and repeat) product sales. And I mean from the day I started - even if I came in at the lowest level as a distributor, i.e. the first position AFTER paying the nominal sign-up fee, where you buy some of the products to try yourself. Say I get a customer who buys R75 worth of products. Assuming the R705 price is the best customer pricing available (preferred customers like those on auto-ship, for example), I'd want to earn a minimum of R70.50 on it each time they order. Many companies have this or better. Many don't. Check before you commit if you're a woman who wants to get customers. Otherwise you'll be working for cheap. You can do that anywhere. Don't accept it here. By the way, the percent they offer you should be a sliding scale. It should depend only on the total sales you bring in. Some companies pay you from 10-50% on customer orders, depending on your "level." Level depends on the total sales you bring in. Real estate works the same way. The more sales an agent does, the higher their cut on their next deal. About the Author: Kim Klaver is Harvard & Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, Top of page | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||