The Market

In previous posts you have seen illustrations of generic business processes. You have learned that every system has three common elements:

1. an input,
2. a process, and
3. an output.

In this post I want to focus on the input, or the marketing, that is required for any business.

The previous model showed "The Market" as solid red arrows pointing to your business. In reality, this is far from true. The actual market involves many differing people, in different shapes and sizes, pointing in a variety of directions.




In simplest terms, the job of marketing is to gather certain people from the marketplace and point them in your direction. Those certain people are your "target market." In order to achieve the greatest success you must answer the question, “Who is my Target Market?”

In other words, who is most likely to be interested in what I am selling?

You do not need to have something to offer to everyone. You don’t need to try and be Sears, Roebuck & Co. and “have everything.”

You are much better off and will enjoy your work more if you offer something that you find interesting and fun, and then find people like yourself who enjoy the same things. Do your research. Find out solutions to a need or problem that you have, and then find other people who have the same needs. Offer your products or services to these people and they will not only appreciate your service, but also relate to you as someone who understands their problem.

So once you have found your niche, how do you find other people in the same niche? It doesn’t matter what business you are in, whether you direct sell you own products, or as an affiliate, or as a network marketing associate of a multi-level organization, you need targeted leads to succeed in your business.

Let’s face it…Cold Calling is not fun!

Knocking on doors, passing out flyers, magazines or DVD’s, and asking friends to attend a business meeting can be very frustrating and expensive ways to find qualified prospects. There are better and more cost-effective ways to fuel your business.

The biggest marketing trend in history has been evolving over the past ten years on the Internet. Even television, radio and print advertising direct prospective buyers to an internet site for more information. It’s massive, growing and constantly changing. New tools are being developed daily to capture the attention of online buyers and entice them to part with their cash.

Network Marketers by the thousands have turned to the Internet as a more efficient method to prospect for potential customers and associates. This in turn has created a niche for Internet Marketers to market their “secrets” to other potential marketers and networkers. The overwhelming push for attention has subsequently created a sea of confusion for most newcomers.

Many Network Marketers are giving up their visions of building large teams of distributors and “downlines” to join the ranks of direct selling or affiliate programs. However, by keeping it simple and putting your focus on your niche, your business and your objectives, you can build a successful Network Marketing business on the Internet.