Where To Find The Best Leads? (written October, 2001)
I can answer this question with one phrase – “PROPERLY ADVERTISE”. If you understand what I mean, don’t even bother to read on. If you don’t understand or are a little confused, please read on.
WHAT DO I MEAN – “PROPERLY ADVERTISE?” When you advertise…..anywhere, anyhow, anyway….there are three basic elements you must understand if you are going to be successful with your MLM program. The three basic elements are: The Ad Copy (what the ad says), The Method Of Promotion (what avenue are you using – mail, telephone etc…), and The Target Market (who will be receiving your message?) Of course, there are other elements, but I am trying to keep it simple and basic to start you in the right direction. The first thing is that you should realize by now that MY FAVORITE METHOD OF PROMOTION is the 2-step inquiry-follow-up approach. So with this in mind, we already know that our ad is going to and should be made to generate inquiries.
The ad copy is something that is very important and I suggest you take some books out of the library and read up on ad copy. I don’t profess to be a copywriter, but I always try to capture the right person with my headline. Simple. For example, “Printing & Mailing Price List.” If someone needs printing and mailing, they are going to be reading my ad. If they have no interest, the reader passes by it. I’m targeting who I want to read the ad. The HEADLINE is essential! I also reiterate that you should read a few books on Ad Copy. Your ad could make or break you! That’s a lot of pressure!
The second basic element is the method of promotion. How are you going to promote? Is it going to be by Direct Mail? Cooperative Direct Mail? Tabloids? Major Magazines selling at newsstands? TV? Radio? 2-step inquiry follow-up approach? Here is another important area which I must recommend that you read up on. If you wish to use the Mail Order, Multi-Level Tabloids and Adsheets, I can help you. When you promote in these types of publications, you are dealing with very small targeted circulations, and many of the same people are mailed to by each publisher. This is not to say this is bad. I believe that the more someone sees your ad, the better chance they will “bite” at it. So, actually it is good. The key ingredient then is to get your ads to as many publishers as you can and get the highest circulation you can, so prospects know you exist!
The third basic element is the target market. That’s who will be seeing your ads? Obviously, if you are promoting in Mail Order/Multi-Level Publications, then there is a good chance the right type of person is going to be reading your ad – someone interested in MO/MLM.
So with these three basic elements in mind, let’s create an ad for our fictitious MLM company and place the ad in the right place where the best leads are. The ad we will be creating will be a one inch ad for “The Widget MLM.” Let’s capture our audience immediately. How’s about with a question?”, “Hey You,” anything that may stop the potential reader to read your ad. We already know that the publication we are placing this ad into is being mailed to MO/MLMer’s, so anyone who stops and reads our ad is potentially the right type of person we want. If you are advertising in publications that mail to different types of lists, your headline would need to be more specific, like “the incredible widget has gone MLM.” So anyone with an interest in Widgets or MLM may read on. OK, now that we established a possible headline, why would anyone want to request information from you? We need to give them a reason, “The Incredible Widget Has Gone MLM. You can be earning lots of money faster than with other programs……and with our upline support team, which helps build a downline with you, this is a GREAT opportunity! Free details: Name, Address and Phone Number (a must!) to.…..” Now, we have given a prospect three reasons to send for information. “Lots of Money”, “Upline Support”, and “Free Information”.
Now I know what you are thinking. Every cockroach that ever existed will be sending for free information and I will go broke. WRONG……don’t think like that! You have qualified leads. You told the lead, he must send his phone number. If he doesn’t send his phone number, there is a good chance he is not as “hot” as someone who does send theirs. Now after you send the information, follow it up with a phone call and find out whether or not the prospect plans on joining and if they don’t plan on joining – why? It’s good to find out why because this will help you formulate future ads which will only perfect what you are doing!
So start placing inquiry ads and following them up. As I said earlier, I do not profess to be a copywriter, but I guarantee your best leads will come from these type of ads. That’s “PROPERLY ADVERTISING”. It’s up to your follow-up and your follow-up material as to whether they will join. Until next time, God Bless and May every day be a great one for you!
The author of this article is Larry Costello, President of All-American Print & Mail, 2200 Wilson Blvd #102-57, Arlington, VA 22201.