BY MELANIE PHILIBERT
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
WITH the closure of the cosmetic mammoth Avon's Jamaican contract after 12 years of doing business on the island, a large hole was created in the revenue of network marketers that relied on this source of income as a means of supporting their families. Many of the former Avon sales reps are now on the market for some new means of obtaining the coveted US dollars to which they had become accustomed.
A growing number of Jamaican entrepreneurs are turning to the Internet in search of the "perfect opportunity" online, and the options are numerous and varied.
My advice to those looking for this type of venture is to beware of being scammed. Many of these so-called opportunities are enticing prospects to pay a monthly fee for the use of a "back-office", where the member will receive training and tips on how to market their product or business online.
The promise is for thousands of dollars of income, and promises of a lavish lifestyle with yachts and trips to exotic locales, while no mention is made at the onset of the cost of advertising online and the difficulty of marketing a home business on the Internet due to the ever-tightening rules of Google's advertising policies for this sector.
There are some who claim that "you will never have to call a lead". For prospects who absolutely dread cold calling leads to close a sale, this can prove very enticing. However, be aware that in these instances, what actually happens is that you wind up spending advertising dollars to create a list for the company you are promoting and not for yourself.
There is yet another option, which is to market to your "warm list". The list of family and friends that you will now set out to spew on about the compensation plan of your new-found breakthrough product in the hope that a few of them will form the powerful "legs" that you need to build your successful business.
The ideal situation online is one where you are building and creating You.Inc. Whether you are marketing a product for a large direct sales company or simply creating and promoting your own brand and business online, you need to be focusing on YOU.COM. Your brand, once established, belongs to you and not some network marketing company that may be here today and gone in the next year or two. The leads that you generate are yours to market whatever you have for sale, the marketing funnel you create is filled with your story, and the leads will relate to you and what you have to say.
This is the most effective way of building a responsive list that will get to know you, like you, and the part you've been waiting for... buy from you!
With that said, if you have done your due diligence, researched the company that you want to sign up with as a distributor, and are raring to go, still consider approaching it from the perspective outlined above. You are the real pull, you have a story that is unique to you and that will attract a certain market. Use your story. Until you have met with the success you think will appeal to others who might also be interested in promoting your product, you can use the stories of your "upline". However, keep it real: don't make false income claims, and beware that Google is watching this like a hawk!
Focus on the benefits of the company and the products they have to offer. And, yes, if there is training associated with the company, that can guide you and your downline, utilise this to grow your knowledge and learn more about the right way to promote your product online. After all, if done correctly, the online market is way larger than the potential of door-to-door, on-on-one meetings and hosting "warm market" social gatherings.
Be discerning; do your research. There are some good companies out there, but there are also a lot of scammers that promise you the moon with no hope of delivering. Beware of these!
Once you are happy with your choice, go for it with all you've got. Soak up the information, and most of all, have fun with it. Success!
Melanie Phillibert is a web developer and Internet marketing consultant. She can be contacted via e-mail at melanie@internetmarketingsynergies.com.
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Source: Jamaican entrepreneurs turn to Internet for foreign exchange income
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