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Please Don't Join My Downline! | by Dave Cottrell |
Think about this question as you build your downline(s).
There are so many opportunities out there today. However, there are only so many you can successfully work.
For example; I build boats. I build very high quality boats. (Visit http://coastalcraft.com to see some of them). I, and the people that I work with, put a great deal of care and time into the boats we build. We have to in order to build the kind of superior quality that we are known for.
Now just imagine we decided to build cars, houses, wagons, kids toys, jewelry, and snowmobiles, while running a grocery store, pharmacy and a couple of hospitals...
Sounds insane, doesn't it? Of course, none of our businesses would run very well, nor would the products we made be very good. However, this is exactly what most people are doing online.
While there are a lot of over-hyped, downright terrible programs out there, there are a lot of good ones. It is easy to get trapped into joining every potentially good business opportunity or traffic generating program that you see, but you just can't promote them all!
Do you want to be successful? Do you want to get traffic and sell products and/or your opportunities?
You've got to pick a few winners and run with them, or you're just going to get very frustrated. Believe me; I have been there!
The traffic part is easy. Since most of the traffic from all the start page and click programs is really not well targetted, it isn't worth your time to try to market a whole bunch of different programs. Join a few rotator programs and just promote them. You'll save a whole bunch of time and you'll get a lot more sign-ups.
I recommend one program we use: http://traffichoopla.com/cgi-bin/ref.cgi/10473/ Join it, join the programs listed in it, and then use them to promote Traffic Hoopla until you have a good downline in several programs. Don't waste your time clicking on one program after another to rack up hits; it's not very effective and it'll soon drive you crazy!
Join online communities! This is by far the best way to get started. You'll meet a lot of new people, some of whom have a lot of successful marketing experience already and who are glad to help new entrepeneurs get started. I recommend Adlandpro, Direct Matches, Ryze, and Busy Bee Community Forums. Don't use communities as a place to promote your wares; you can add a signature file at the end of your posts, but communities are a place to get to know people, to learn, and to find like-minded people who want to network with you. Be patient, and you'll be far ahead of the rest much sooner than you think!
Don't join every new bizzop that you come across - no matter how good it looks! The vast majority of online entrepeneurs do this, and that is why the vast majority of online entrepeneurs are not making a dime.
This is also why your downlines (if you have any) probably suck.
(If you have one good downline in one good program, congratulations! You are already on your way to success!)
Downlines are not that hard to develop. Good downlines are a LOT more difficult to develop.
That is why I say, "Please don't join my business if you don't intend to do anything! I don't WANT you in my downline if you don't want to work!"
You are far better off to have a small dedicated downline than a large, dead downline. You want to have a downline that you can communicate with and build a relationship with.
When someone joins your business, contact them immediately and welcome them. Offer your support. Ask them to join your opt-in mailing list. I do this now and wish I had always done so.
Most people who sign up in my downline do not even reply to my email. Very few ever reply. You know what? That's GREAT!! With one simple email, I weed out the vast majority of the deadwood in my downline. I don't want them, I don't worry about losing them, and I'm happy I don't have to waste any time trying to work with them. That gives me much more time to work with the people who are really serious about their future.
There is a reason why so few people answer my email. They are the people who are joining far too many programs and businesses to ever be able to succeed with any of them. They promote one program for a day or so, don't make any money, find another program that promises a quick return and join it, and continue on the same way ad nauseum. They are like the gerbil - just spinning their wheels and going nowhere. Until they stop and choose one really solid, lasting business to work with, they won't make any money.
Is this you? Stop it!! Choose a real business and start working. There is no other way. And please don't join MY business unless you plan to drop the others and run with mine! (OK - I'll let you keep a few if you can handle it!)
If you are finding your downline frustrating and ineffective, don't worry about it. Keep meeting new people and developing new relationships.
If the people in your downline are sitting on their duffs and are not interested in working with you, forget them! Their interests are not the same as yours, and you will never develop much of a relationship with them.
Do work on developing your downline. But build a solid downline of people who want to work with you. These people will become your friends over time. They take time to find, but the time is well spent. Not all of them will succeed and some of them will quit, but some will stay and succeed and so will you.
Best of all, you will make lifetime friendships. You can't put a price tag on that.
Dave Cottrell is opinionated, compassionate, and passionate about people, marketing and online business. He does a lot of digging, experimenting and research, and writes like crazy about a wide variety
of topics and subjects. He is the owner of many websites and blogs; you can read his rants and find out more about him at http://davecottrell.com/blog.html
This article can be shared freely as long as this box remains intact.
Copyright © 2006 David H. Cottrell. All rights reserved.
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