Do you market your MLM products and opportunities strictly online, or do you market offline as well? If you’re trying to build a local group or loyal product customers, I suspect you do some offline marketing.

The Chamber of Commerce is a great place to market offline, if done correctly. The problem is that most people don’t get it right! They just start talking about your product or your business without establishing any kind of relationship. If you don’t know anything about a person, how do you know which product is right for them? (Yes, I know your upline says everyone needs your product!) Most MLM products help people in more ways than one, so if you find out more about your prospect and could present exactly the benefit you’re looking for, wouldn’t that be? better than listing all the benefits down to a stick?

Not everyone is interested in your opportunity either, despite what your upline may have told you. While everyone may “want” more money, not everyone has a burning desire to do whatever it takes to be successful. True MLM success is not achieved overnight on autopilot! Even some people who really need money don’t have the right mindset to get it (they don’t believe they deserve it and must go beyond that belief to succeed!)

The REAL reason people buy products from you or join your team is that they have learned to know, like and trust you. Good first impressions are important, but you won’t build a relationship the first time you meet someone. Accept it and get over it! That is one of the reasons why it is very helpful, if there is any interest, to set up an appointment to meet in a day or two. This allows time for the person, in their subconscious mind, to absorb what they liked about you. Most people need at least 3 “exposures” to make a decision.

Of course, anytime you get a chance to do a 30 or 60 second “commercial”, you should do it, because it lets people know what you’re doing. Hand out lots of business cards. Attending an event without the proper cards sends a message that you don’t want or need more business! Ideally, your card should have your photo on it because people find it harder to throw away a card with a photo on it. Just don’t expect commercials or cards alone to get you an order.

One thing that might get you an order is a raffle prize. You can give away one or more samples of your most popular products. If you get an opportunity to donate a prize, just be sure to get the winner’s contact information so you can follow up. They will hardly ever call you even if they like the product. At many events I’ve attended, giving out raffle prizes gives you the opportunity to do your commercial! And don’t forget it’s a tax deduction.

I also have a hint on which camera to join. If you live in a larger area where there are several to choose from, unless you can afford to join them all, you should shop around. In my area, the chambers with the largest memberships charge the highest dues for both membership and events. This might seem worth it, as you might meet more people. However, when you consider that you are trying to build relationships, I have actually found that smaller groups are much better. Not only are the rates lower (they even have some free lead groups!), but because fewer people are present, you have a better chance of reconnecting with the same person multiple times. If you’re promoting your product or opportunity, that doesn’t help. But if you’re building relationships, that’s great! Also, in my area, the smaller chambers often have combo events, sometimes even with the larger chambers, which are inexpensive to attend. So there are still some great events.

One final tip: wear your name tag on the right. It will appear on the left to other people, and people will read from left to right. Also, we shake hands with our right hands, so your eyes will zoom in on your name tag when you shake hands.

The most important thing to remember is that building relationships takes time. As people who don’t “get” that concept disappear over time, because their “push” approach didn’t work, you’ll find yourself connecting with a wonderful group of genuine people. You will get to know them on a personal level and learn what you can do to improve their lives. That is REALLY what this business is all about!