Capture, Cultivate, Close, and Coach
There are four basic steps to success in online marketing and network marketing. Build your marketing plan around these 4 strategies and your business will thank you for it.
Remember them as the four C's.
They are Capture, Cultivate, Close, and Coach.
Use them to form a success marketing roadmap.
The 4 C's will work whether your business is direct sales,
e-commerce, mlm, network marketing, online and offline.
Let me begin by saying that I did not come up with this idea. I do not want to take credit for inventing these steps. What I can take credit for is the success I enjoy by using the 4 Cs in my business. I hope this article will save you frustration and make you a lot of money in the process.
First, you must CAPTURE your audience. Yes, I refer to your potential customers and down-line as your audience because an audience makes a choice to attend. If you are a member of the audience at a concert, movie, ballgame...etc., it is because you want to be there. You are interested in what is going on! Begin by attracting those who are interested, maybe even already involved in the MLM or online business. Look for people who are looking. People like you. Do not, I repeat, do not waste your time and energy trying to "sell" your business opportunity or product to people who are not interested. It is just not worth your time, it is a waste of time. Move on.
There are many ways to find people who are looking. They are searching just like you were. Try the Internet, personal connections, and leave or hand out brochures. There are many ways to market your business so that those who are truly interested will gravitate to you and your products. It may take a while to get the ball rolling, but once your momentum begins to build, you will have plenty of interested leads to work through and cultivate.
Next, we want to take the names or leads we have captured and CULTIVATE them. That's right, cultivate, like you would a garden or a good crop. Does a farmer plant seed and go out the next day and harvest what he has planted? Of course not! Our leads must be carefully brought along and cared for just as the farmer tends to his crops. Provide information and facts by personal e-mails; call them on the telephone, and mail. Find out about them. Listen to what they have to say and find out their particular Why. Make a friend; gain mutual trust. At this time you will make a decision to go the next step. Expose them to your product and/or opportunity. I am not saying you have to drag things out for weeks. You will usually have a pretty good idea of their interest level very quickly. The worst mistakes you can make is trying to push for a decision like the typical car salesman, you know, "What's it gonna take to get you on the road in this baby TODAY?”. Network marketing is a people business; others must trust you and like you to do business with you. I am not advocating being friendly just to gain business. Be genuine. Be yourself. Warning: Do not involve anyone in your business that you would not want to work with closely. Remember, during this cultivate phase you are choosing your future business partners.
Third, it is time to CLOSE. Although it is important not to rush people, do not be afraid to ask for their business. After several exposures to the product and/or opportunity create a sense of urgency. Urgency will filter out prospects that are not ready. Timing is a vital element in this process. Some people will ride along forever, screening phone calls, deleting e-mails, just to avoid telling you no. Many will be fence riders, unable to make a decision either way. Others just need to be asked to sign up. The only thing holding them up is that you have not asked for their business. Ask! The worst thing they can do is say "no". If that is the case, you are free to move on to the next prospect.
Finally, we want to COACH each and every one of our new business partners. Duplication is the fastest, most reliable way to build your business. You cannot duplicate people but you can duplicate systems. Your training system will teach your new partner how to move their new team members to action. Don’t let your team fend for themselves. Teach them what you have learned through trial and error and study. Lead by example. If you as the team leader are enjoying success and having fun, others will follow your lead. Some will sign up and never do anything. Others will work diligently for a short time but when they do not see immediate results, they'll quit. But then there is that few, that precious few, who want success as badly as you do. The team members with vision, with dreams are the ones who will make all your time and effort worthwhile. The team members who are coach-able and willing to follow your proven system are your stars, the ones who will build and expand their business and in doing so make your business a huge success. You see, if we help others reach their dreams, we can't help but reach ours.
You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar
Copyright (c) 2007 Ed Long
Internet 
