Should I Sell The Dream?

This is the question a group of us discussed in a live conference call today, with reps from some 35 companies participating. Some had been in the business 30 years, others less than a year…

"Should I sell the dream, when my company and upline keep telling me to do that, even though I am not making it yet? Aren't we just telling them stuff that isn't really true?"

To get to the answer, here are 3 questions we asked and answered:

1. What is the "dream" anyway? And why do they tell you to sell that?

The "dream" ranged from being $1k to $20k/mo, to "unlimited time, money and freedom" to "whatever you want, when your want" to "having a housekeeper" to "being happy."

We all decided that whatever each person on the call wanted, or whatever their prospect wanted, that the business could provide, that THAT would be their "dream."

2. So why do they tell you to sell "the dream"? Why not just sell "the business"?

Responses ranged from "How else can they get you to recruit?" to "That's how they get you to buy in" to "It takes a while to make it and keeping 'the dream' in mind will help you keep going."

3. So how do you make your dream come true?

Compare the "dream" to your favorite cookies. What is the recipe to make them, so you KNOW they'll come out right? Say 'the dream' is $3k or $10k/mo, what is the recipe to make that dream come true?

Responses ranged from "build an organization" to "sign people up" to "develop yourself and get trained" to "sell product" and "sign up reps" to "teach people".

Test questions:

1. When you get people to sign the app and pay their $19.95 or $45 sign up fee, whose dream is being made?

Uhh, well since only the company gets that, umm, maybe the company's dream is being made?

2. When you buy product every month from the company, whose dream is being made?

Well, err, the company's, and my sponsor's.

So these two things don't make YOU money, correct? :(

Neither do you make money when you are being trained – no matter who does the training. I asked people on the call:

3. Do you make money when you take my classes?

Pause…

"WHO makes money when you take my classes, you or me?"

Uhhh, You. KIM.

"Right. I make money when you take my classes. NOT you."

But I believe I show you things that CAN make you money. I can show you the recipe to make cookies.

Err…money. What's one thing the recipe requires for you to make money?

"Get regular customers who buy product or services."

Yep. And you earn a percent of what thay buy, like in all commission sales. THAT is one way to make cookies.

And what else?

"Get dealers/sales reps who buy product also, and who find other customers and reps to do the same."

Amen.

Everything else you do must be things that bring that about, and those things will depend on your personality, style and whether you have more time or money. There are MANY ways to reach out and amass customers.

Learning things, getting motivated, or getting your belief up will not help you make cookies if you don't have the recipe.

This is the same.


THE RECIPE for THE DREAM

If you know your average customer order is say, $100, and that's what you buy, and if they pay you say $15 per regular customer, then you can answer the question: what's the recipe for me to make $1.5k/mo?

100 customers doing an average of $100/mo. x $15/ea = $1,500/mo.

THAT is one recipe. Notice it's just like AOL, cable TV, Sirius and XM radio, who get their income each month from regular customers. Like them, everything you do should be focused squarely on amassing those customers. That's a dream recipe.

And what about getting dealers or reps?

Same kind of recipe.

First know that the ingredients to "make" a dealer cookie are a lot harder to come by. The % of people who want to sell stuff is very small, compared to people who are customers of stuff. Once you get past your friendly warm market (if you have them, hehe), and into cold market, it's like 1/100 who want to do commission sales long term, at least in the U.S.

So, if you want to make that recipe for part of the dream, ask yourself, based on your pay plan: how many sales reps do you need to get, buying in at what level, for you to make say $150? And if that is a one time bonus, how many do you have to bring in each month to earn your "dream"?

And then of course, how much do you earn on their sales?

Once you pick your mix of customers and reps to make your "dream income," THAT'S your dream recipe. Same for any prospect or baby you have. And you can change the mix of customers to sales reps in your dream recipe whenever youor experience tells you to adjust it.

Plus you get to choose how big your cookie will be. After all, aren't you the one making it? For yourself. You can share later, after you have something to share. :)

Everything else you do, training and motivation-wise, must be focused on HOW to do those two things in whatever mix you choose.

But first, the recipe: The number of customers and reps you want to make your cookies.

4. "Should I sell the Dream?"

We all concluded: YES. But from this day forward, only with the recipe.

:)