Topics in Business: Network Marketing, Referrals, Selling “Air” and Your Integrity
Evidently, it is one of my weaknesses — in terms of succeeding at business — that I am not interested in recommending something until I have personally determined whether or not it is recommend-worthy.
Somehow, that makes me an oddball, in the world of making money!
Many moons ago I was involved in a few network marketing opportunities, and it always seemed like no sooner than the ink had dried on the page, I'd be hounded by some upline who insisted that I should get out there and sell, sell, sell, SELL!
I was generally put off by that because that particular brand of hounding tended to show up long before I had even figured out how anything was working, and if it was even working.
And yet? This particular version of ”selling air” runs rampant across a wide range of business. We are expected to "pitch" things as being amazing, long before we've actually been able to ascertain whether or not that is true.
Get caught up on the excitement and forget all about common sense and due diligence!
One of the reasons I never did particularly well at any kind of business or program that involved referrals was that I was not willing to refer anybody until I had fully established how worthwhile what I was referring actually was.
But it wasn't just a matter of being uncomfortable about recommending something that might not make people the money they were hoping to make, I simply didn't want to recommend something I didn't feel reasonably omfortable would live up to its promises... whatever those might be.
And that's something that actually applies to pretty much all aspects of my life. Don't just tell me and expect me to get onboard... SHOW me!
For example, you're never gonna catch me recommending a "hot new restaurant" simply because I read an article about it in the paper and some critic thought is was amazing. Chances are I'm not going to recommend it until I've had three or four really good meals there, myself.
Thinking back a few years — even though there was no compensation involved — I was very hesitant to recommend what we might today call ”Hive 1.0” to any of my friends until I'd gotten a fair amount of mileage of my own under my belt.
”But nothing would ever happen in the world if everybody sat around and waited like that!”
I'm willing to admit that that may be true. And I'm willing to admit that I am probably about as far from being an ”early adopter” of anything as anybody.
The thing is, though, I'm not going to stake my reputation and risk my friendships based on only the flimsiest of knowledge of — and information about — whatever it is I might be recommending or referring someone to.
Whether that simply means that I have integrity, or just that I'm always too late and missing the boat... well, that question I am not able to answer!
Thanks for reading and have a great remainder of your evening!
How about YOU? How much knowledge of something (business opportunity, restaurant, whatever) do you need before you'll refer people? Is it important to you that something you recommend stands "on solid ground?" Or is it up to those you recommend to to do their own research? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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