Perhaps even more strategic than product knowledge is knowing and understanding your target market. The more information you have about trends, statistics, and facts, the more credible you will come across as a helpful resource.
For instance, when promoting your travel service, you should known the average amount of time and money a consumer takes when booking travel, so you can show him or her how to save. If you are promoting a natural skin care line, you should have statistics on how much of a health risk all the chemicals commonly found in commercial beauty products causes.
Have five to 10 riveting true facts about the market related to your product or service industry (not your network marketing company) in your holster. Know them well enough that you can confidently mention them in a face to face meeting. Include them on your website and in your marketing materials.
Examples of market knowledge include:
- In the last 50 years, 80,000 new chemicals have been created and the majority of them have not been tested for long-term impact.
- In 2005, airline flights from new York to fort Lauderdale topped the list of destinations with 4,160,000 flights according to the U.S. Census.
- The average person consumed 56.9 pounds of fats and oils in 1980. By 2010, consumption was up to 87.5 pounds.
- In 1980, the average person drank 33.6 gallons of soft drinks; by 2010, we were downing 52.3 gallons.
- Are baby boomers feeling crunched for more income? Yes, according to the administrative office of U.S. Courts, boomers over 55 years old are filing for bankruptcy at a faster rate than the general population due in part to increasing reliance on debt.
The more you know about your market and network marketing, the more you position yourself as a true expert. Who do you think people choose to do business with — a person who is trying to sell, or a person who can confidently educate and help?