You know this guy. Or gal. Heck, I know at least 5 of them.
It could be a friend, relative, business contact or co-worker. This person posts on Facebook – constantly. They fill up your email inbox with distribution emails you never asked to receive. Or, worst of all, this person calls you out of the blue after an extended period of time, pretending they want to catch up, and suggests you “get together soon” for coffee or lunch.
Then you find out that this friend, relative, business contact or co-worker has an ulterior motive. They want to sell you something.
Perhaps it’s cooking utensils and bake ware. Or health supplements. It could be jewelry, environmentally safe cleaning supplies or stock market trading software. Possibly even a travel package. If you have a real estate background it could be MLS listings and wholesale real estate deals. Or maybe this person wants to sign you up for an incredible business opportunity that provides residual income selling the stuff I just listed above. All you need to do to succeed is spread the word to your friends, relatives, business contacts or co-workers.
If you’re like me you politely tell this person you’re not interested in fancy can openers, diet pills or organic orange-scented window cleaner. Nor do you want to day trade or take a 10-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. And you certainly don’t want to ask people you know to buy it.
If you’re like me the next thing you do is unfriend this person from Facebook, unsubscribe from their distribution list and let their calls go directly to voicemail. Then hope when you run into them at the grocery store or a birthday party they don’t bring up the subject again (awkward).
Facts Tell, Stories Sell
Here’s the thing – people are sold wherever they are and wherever they go. At home, work, on vacation and on business trips. The last thing they want is to get beat over the head via social media, email or personal phone about an unwanted product or service from someone they know.
If you don’t know a person like this then I have some bad news – you probably are this person.
And now that you know what you’re doing is a recipe for losing friends and annoying people – stop before it’s too late. Don’t treat your friends like business prospects or you won’t have them anymore.
I learned a long time ago that facts tell, stories sell. For example, a few years ago my business partner, Manny Romero, posted a picture on his Facebook wall of him and I changing the front door lock at a house we bought at the auction. In the caption he explained that this was just another day at the office for us. An old high school buddy saw this photo, called Manny up and asked what it was we were doing. Manny told him that we purchase houses in foreclosure at trustee’s sales in Arizona. This friend, who Manny hadn’t spoken with in over 5 years, invested $80,000 in our company one month later.
We’ve made numerous contacts and grown our business exponentially by networking with our friends, relatives, business contacts and co-workers online, over the phone and in person. However, neither of us ever sells them anything. They know what we do because we share real world examples and don’t ask for a dime.
So whether you’re selling real estate or skin care lotion, ditch the gimmicky sales scripts and obnoxious social media marketing campaigns. Be real or you’ll be real disappointed.
Lonely too.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t sell what you do, just talk about it. Perfect.
Don’t be that guy . . .
Good advice!
yup…just do it!
Great advice Marty!
Also, great story about the friend and the facebook picture. I’ll be sure to start posting more pics of my day to day operations. Should be fun!
“Don’t treat your friends like business prospects or you won’t have them anymore.”
Great advice!
That is my signal that someone is not a serious wholesaler. They send out Multi level marketing stuff and other junk in addition to real estate deals.
Perfect observation, and my favorite part of your article is the picture of the ‘talk to the hand’