Friday, November 21, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Avoiding micro contact management
OK. Of course contact management is a benefit for your MLM. but we all know that virtues can become vices. Here are a few things to consider to avoid micro-contact management.
1. Work with what you have:
It's very easy to not have everything PERFECT and allow yourself to wait on that perfection before taking steady action. Learn to work with what you have and set apart a time to make improvements on the system outside of productivity time.
2. Learn to move on:
You will not close every person you talk to. In fact you will probably close a very low percentage. Conversion for website is considered good at 3%. Unless you are spending alot of money advertising and filtering many leads you will not close a high ration. Very successful businesses do not close high ratios, but they do GET THROUGH THE NUMBER QUICKLY. Learn to let people not like your business and just move on.
3. Limit amounts of repetitive tasks:
Incredible how much time something like checking your email can take when done over and over. Limit your email checking. I only check it a few times each day. It is easy to let this reach compulsive levels and it sucks more time than you would believe.
4. Make people earn your time.
I have seen people fail so many times because they spend way too much time sending long personal emails to people who have not earned it. I consider that stealing. You may want to put all this effort into every prospect but the time lost is much more damaging than thew few extra points you may score from time to time.
5. Automate where possible:
Learning to automate where you can without jeopardizing is wonderful. Mail merges, premade emails, faqs etc... are a great way to save time and provide value at the same time.
Hopefully these few tips have got your wheels turning in that direction. Take action, and wriite down your game plan to make sure your micor managing doesn't get out of control.
1. Work with what you have:
It's very easy to not have everything PERFECT and allow yourself to wait on that perfection before taking steady action. Learn to work with what you have and set apart a time to make improvements on the system outside of productivity time.
2. Learn to move on:
You will not close every person you talk to. In fact you will probably close a very low percentage. Conversion for website is considered good at 3%. Unless you are spending alot of money advertising and filtering many leads you will not close a high ration. Very successful businesses do not close high ratios, but they do GET THROUGH THE NUMBER QUICKLY. Learn to let people not like your business and just move on.
3. Limit amounts of repetitive tasks:
Incredible how much time something like checking your email can take when done over and over. Limit your email checking. I only check it a few times each day. It is easy to let this reach compulsive levels and it sucks more time than you would believe.
4. Make people earn your time.
I have seen people fail so many times because they spend way too much time sending long personal emails to people who have not earned it. I consider that stealing. You may want to put all this effort into every prospect but the time lost is much more damaging than thew few extra points you may score from time to time.
5. Automate where possible:
Learning to automate where you can without jeopardizing is wonderful. Mail merges, premade emails, faqs etc... are a great way to save time and provide value at the same time.
Hopefully these few tips have got your wheels turning in that direction. Take action, and wriite down your game plan to make sure your micor managing doesn't get out of control.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
What is the primary goal of MLM contact management.
Contact management for MLM is still at it's infant stages. People are more attracted to a CRM that has nifty features that will rarely be used than a usable suite of fundamental tools. I have reviewed many if not all of the available MLM contact management systems that are being promoted. Here are a few observations that may help you make a choice.
First you need to think about what type of prospecting system you have. There are many who prefer a bulk approach such as mass email and other marketing. However, even if you are taking a more massive approach at marketing you will want to be able to have a high touch relationship with some portion of those prospects in you contat management system. I recommend differentiating between your mass system and your high touch contact system. Using a website is a goood way to make that filtering differtiation.
For example. You may have created, bought etc.. a list of thousands of potential prospects. You will want to use an email service for mass advertising to this list, but you will not want to micro manage your list with an mlm contact management system. What you can do is use a website that filters more interested people into a list worthy of telephone contacts or whatever form of contaat you prefer. At later dates you can add these people back into a bulk list. These types of methods are really for a full time network marketer.
Those who may be part time of spare time may not have the resources or time to mass advertising. We can use a website system to distrubte business cards while we are out and about as well as purchasing leads to add to the system and follow up with. The more prospects you have the more you will want to filter them and spend less time with uniterested prospects.
The main feature or aspect of an MLM contact management system that you need to streamline this process is a usable CRM interface. The importance here is how fast you can go from capturing data to contacting a person, schedule follow up, and go to the next person. Hundreds of CRMS have come and gone because they are feature rich but process poor.
First you need to think about what type of prospecting system you have. There are many who prefer a bulk approach such as mass email and other marketing. However, even if you are taking a more massive approach at marketing you will want to be able to have a high touch relationship with some portion of those prospects in you contat management system. I recommend differentiating between your mass system and your high touch contact system. Using a website is a goood way to make that filtering differtiation.
For example. You may have created, bought etc.. a list of thousands of potential prospects. You will want to use an email service for mass advertising to this list, but you will not want to micro manage your list with an mlm contact management system. What you can do is use a website that filters more interested people into a list worthy of telephone contacts or whatever form of contaat you prefer. At later dates you can add these people back into a bulk list. These types of methods are really for a full time network marketer.
Those who may be part time of spare time may not have the resources or time to mass advertising. We can use a website system to distrubte business cards while we are out and about as well as purchasing leads to add to the system and follow up with. The more prospects you have the more you will want to filter them and spend less time with uniterested prospects.
The main feature or aspect of an MLM contact management system that you need to streamline this process is a usable CRM interface. The importance here is how fast you can go from capturing data to contacting a person, schedule follow up, and go to the next person. Hundreds of CRMS have come and gone because they are feature rich but process poor.
FEATURE RICH BUT PROCESS POOR
If you are looking for an MLM contact management system that is more process centered and allows you to streamline your prospecting pipeline you may want to check out the following.
Recommended MLM Contact Management System.
If you are looking for an MLM contact management system that is more process centered and allows you to streamline your prospecting pipeline you may want to check out the following.
Recommended MLM Contact Management System.
Friday, November 7, 2008
To use or not to use ACT as an MLM contact management system?
ACT, although a solid and feature rich CRM is a poor choice as an MLM contact management system.
Why if ACT is so feature rich is it unsuitable as a CRM for mlmers? I have used ACT for years, I have set up for myself what I believe was the perfect system. Using 3rd party plugins I was able to get all the functionality to make my contact management system very (although not completely) streamlined. There are two problems with using ACT.
1. ACT will inherently be less streamline than a CRM specifically tailored to the industry. With new CRMs being created specifically for the needs of MLM contact management there is no need to usa a hand me down solution that piece-meals together superfluous functionality. Features such as inventory management, employee management, and others are simply distractions to the simpler more streamlined MLM businesses.
2. The learning curve of ACT wil presents a problem in getting setup and setting hundred of others up. Let me explain by my own personal experience. I had ACT setup and ready to provide me with an efficient way of taking the most important actions for my business. I then began setting up my team with ACT. There was an upfront cost but that was ok. The real problem was the hours I spent trying to train others on the system. It simply was not a "DUPLICATABLE" method.
The average MLMer is not a business expert or even a person with sales experience. They have no idea how to run a prospecting system or let alone design their own. Their system needs to be so simple that new distributors can't possible fail in managing the system. CRMs like ACT are too comlicated for average individuals. MLMers are hairstylists, firemen, mechanics, retired folks. The system must be simple... It must be duplicatable...
Why if ACT is so feature rich is it unsuitable as a CRM for mlmers? I have used ACT for years, I have set up for myself what I believe was the perfect system. Using 3rd party plugins I was able to get all the functionality to make my contact management system very (although not completely) streamlined. There are two problems with using ACT.
1. ACT will inherently be less streamline than a CRM specifically tailored to the industry. With new CRMs being created specifically for the needs of MLM contact management there is no need to usa a hand me down solution that piece-meals together superfluous functionality. Features such as inventory management, employee management, and others are simply distractions to the simpler more streamlined MLM businesses.
2. The learning curve of ACT wil presents a problem in getting setup and setting hundred of others up. Let me explain by my own personal experience. I had ACT setup and ready to provide me with an efficient way of taking the most important actions for my business. I then began setting up my team with ACT. There was an upfront cost but that was ok. The real problem was the hours I spent trying to train others on the system. It simply was not a "DUPLICATABLE" method.
The average MLMer is not a business expert or even a person with sales experience. They have no idea how to run a prospecting system or let alone design their own. Their system needs to be so simple that new distributors can't possible fail in managing the system. CRMs like ACT are too comlicated for average individuals. MLMers are hairstylists, firemen, mechanics, retired folks. The system must be simple... It must be duplicatable...
Thursday, November 6, 2008
MLM Contact Management
Is MLM contact management important? I'd wager to say that contact management for network marketers and home based business is one of if not the key factor to creating an income from home. Of course this will depend upon your type of business. However, if your business involves selling a product to people, a contact management system is simply essential.
A contact management system should allow you to eliminate all superfluous activities involved in effective follow-up, save those details which require attention to maintain a high-touch quality.
Here's what to look for in an MLM contact management system.
An MLM contacat management system must have:
1. Integration into different lead sources such as websites, leads, opt-in marketing etc... A system should allow contact to flow from a website or other source directly into follow up eliminating reentry of contact details and other superfluous activities.
An MLM contact management system really should have:
2. Out bound AND Inbound emails. There is no reason this feature should be all but forgotten. Email communication is a highly prominent means of inquiring and providing product details etc. Inbound email should link directly to contact to eliminate having to look up each contact manually and switch between windows. Outbound email allows recording of contact history as well as replying to customer withing the contact system.
An MLM contact management system really benfits from:
3. Mail merge and email campaigns. In you MLM you will undoubtedly get many of the same questions. There is no reason to spend too much time writing the same details to the EXACT same question. Mail merge allows the email to have EVERY appearance of being personally written, while still saving you time. Mail merge fills in details of the contacts perosnal information. If this is done correctly you will save time and preserve and continue a relationship. If it is done incorrectly, you will be sniffed out quickly and passed off as impersonal. Email campaigns allow you to send a series of emails and put marketing on autopilot. NOTE. I am not condoing spam, you should be adding value to your clients and they shoudl WANT each email.
A fast CRM needs this:
4. Click to dial. With skype and other high quality options you should take advantage of the time saving click to dial features.
5. A streamlined interface. An MLM contact management systme shouldnot be a cess pool of contat data. The interface should be action oriented and not be data to put in a closet. All the client information you have is money, it is an asset to be invested NOT something to put away in the close to lose it's value.
6. NOT A HAND ME DOWN. So many systems are hand me downs from unrelated business models. The cumberson feel and ineffecient work flow is tell tale that some large company has simple altered their current code and rebranded in attempt to capture a greater market share. Shame.
There are other things to be considered but it's time to bring this rant to a close. I highly recommend the following system.
http://www.managemycontacts.net
Lighthouse CRM is an MLM Contact Management System created specifically from the network marketing, direct sales, home bases, and multi-level crowd. It is, if I may be completely biased, the best system available.
A contact management system should allow you to eliminate all superfluous activities involved in effective follow-up, save those details which require attention to maintain a high-touch quality.
Here's what to look for in an MLM contact management system.
An MLM contacat management system must have:
1. Integration into different lead sources such as websites, leads, opt-in marketing etc... A system should allow contact to flow from a website or other source directly into follow up eliminating reentry of contact details and other superfluous activities.
An MLM contact management system really should have:
2. Out bound AND Inbound emails. There is no reason this feature should be all but forgotten. Email communication is a highly prominent means of inquiring and providing product details etc. Inbound email should link directly to contact to eliminate having to look up each contact manually and switch between windows. Outbound email allows recording of contact history as well as replying to customer withing the contact system.
An MLM contact management system really benfits from:
3. Mail merge and email campaigns. In you MLM you will undoubtedly get many of the same questions. There is no reason to spend too much time writing the same details to the EXACT same question. Mail merge allows the email to have EVERY appearance of being personally written, while still saving you time. Mail merge fills in details of the contacts perosnal information. If this is done correctly you will save time and preserve and continue a relationship. If it is done incorrectly, you will be sniffed out quickly and passed off as impersonal. Email campaigns allow you to send a series of emails and put marketing on autopilot. NOTE. I am not condoing spam, you should be adding value to your clients and they shoudl WANT each email.
A fast CRM needs this:
4. Click to dial. With skype and other high quality options you should take advantage of the time saving click to dial features.
5. A streamlined interface. An MLM contact management systme shouldnot be a cess pool of contat data. The interface should be action oriented and not be data to put in a closet. All the client information you have is money, it is an asset to be invested NOT something to put away in the close to lose it's value.
6. NOT A HAND ME DOWN. So many systems are hand me downs from unrelated business models. The cumberson feel and ineffecient work flow is tell tale that some large company has simple altered their current code and rebranded in attempt to capture a greater market share. Shame.
There are other things to be considered but it's time to bring this rant to a close. I highly recommend the following system.
http://www.managemycontacts.net
Lighthouse CRM is an MLM Contact Management System created specifically from the network marketing, direct sales, home bases, and multi-level crowd. It is, if I may be completely biased, the best system available.
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