SHOULD YOU PROMOTE IN DECEMBER – I KNOW I WILL BE! (written December, 1998)
I don’t know why, but I seem to get a lot of silly questions on a daily basis. One of the sillier ones is whether or not we should promote throughout the Holiday Season? Well before I begin, let me wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving, A Happy Chanukah Season, A Very Merry Christmas and A Very Healthy, Prosperous, and Exciting New Years!! My family and I have been blessed and I hope yours has been also. 1998 has been a banner year at CME, Inc. No complaints here. I hope your 1998 was successful and I hope 1999 brings you everything you want, desire, and deserve.
Now back to my little story. I hope you plan on not promoting during the Holiday Season. Why? Because I will be sending out more pieces than ever before knowing that many people think that the holiday season is a bad time of year to promote – which means that our prospects will be getting less mail. Less mail to inundate them = better opportunity that my offers will be read and bought. So in actuality, when people stop promoting during this time of year, they are just giving a little more piece of the pie to the smart ones that are promoting.
Sure the latest objection to joining your promotion might be they are not joining because it’s the holiday season – it is an easy and convenient excuse. When you call these same people in January after the holiday season is over and done with, they will come up with another excuse why they are not joining. December is just as good a time of year to promote as any other time – period!!! In fact, it might be better. Some of my better sales grossing months were December and November – why? Because I believe many people stop promoting and therefore my offers are being read more and consequently, being purchased more. It’s easy logic.
If you are the type of person who is letting the time of year dictate your MLM business, it’s no wonder you are failing. There is not one successful MLM Promotion who takes December off for promotion. The whole concept behind MLM is that we are selling a dream of financial independence. What better time of year to sell that dream than during the holiday season? When everyone is making their New Year’s resolutions and re-evaluating their mistakes of the previous year? In my mind, December is the best month to promote because less people are promoting and we are selling specifically what people are looking for – a dream of a better life for themselves and their family.
Another great benefit of promoting heavily during the holiday season is that we put ourselves into a great position to reap the boon starting in January. If our prospects are getting and reading our offers in December before they get inundated with many other promotions in January, who do you think will be fresh on their minds to deal with first? We promoters during this month have the first crack at getting their business and give me a first crack inch and I’ll take a foot. There is no reason why more people should not be promoting during the holiday season. None whatsoever.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many different times of the year sensitive to different types of businesses. Our Industry is not one of them. For example, I don’t think we really care to hear from our Landscapers during the holiday season – at least the people in cold regions – and during the summer, I don’t think we care to hear from our snow blower and oil burner people. Do we? However MLM is a dream business. We are selling a dream. It’s a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 days a year business . I get calls on Christmas Day every year!! People are searching for their dream all the time. Embrace it. Accept it. Understand it and then utilize it in your advertising but also make sure you spend time with your family this year during the holidays! Peace.
The author of this article is Larry Costello, President of All-American Print & Mail, 2200 Wilson Blvd #102-57, Arlington, VA 22201.