1. Network Marketing 101: Having
A Compelling ‘About’ Story
Do you have a mind-blowing story about yourself?
Check mine out here.
Before we begin your journey into the wild world of internet marketing, you need
to lay down some foundations.
Perhaps most importantly, you need a compelling story.
Every big-wig marketer has a story about themselves that they tell their
prospects.
2. David Wood overcame homelessness and living in a van to become the
millionaire, hyper-energetic hippie marketer as you know him.
David Sharpe battled addiction and managed to piece together his broken family
through sheer force of will.
Vick Strizheus was completely broke, so he borrowed $20,000 to get started. He
now makes close to half a million dollars per month.
Most people are skeptical when it comes to making money online, so the
marketer frames it as such: ‘If I’ve dealt with all of that sh*t and still made it, so
can you!’
3. Now, all of these stories revolve around
the ‘rags-to-riches theme’, intended to
inspire.
However, not everybody had to dig
themselves up from nothing. So your
background might not be as ‘Hollywood
drama’ as the above stories.
If you’re like me, you probably live a
pretty decent, average life.
I never had to overcome drug
addiction, I was never homeless and I
never borrowed any money.
4. So is your story good enough?
Absolutely.
It’s all about how you tell it that counts.
A good story teller doesn’t only rely on good content; he/she knows that
framing the content in a compelling way to sell an idea is far more important.
In fact, I would argue that the story of an average Joe/Jane trying to overcome
mundane-ness in their lives is much more powerful.
A huge chunk of your possible prospects have probably never gone through
immense hardship, so your story would resonate with them on an even greater
level.
Because you’re just like them. Average.
5. Take me for example.
Truth to be told, I wasn’t dirt poor when I started online.
I was (and still am!) a student at Melbourne University, one of the best
universities in the world.
I was on a full scholarship that completely covered my tuition, I had an amazing
GPA and I had a sexy corporate job lined up for me the minute I donned the
graduation regalia.
I honestly had no reason to start an internet business. Because all modesty
aside, I was living a pretty good life.
So I had to hit it from a different angle.
6. Here’s my compelling story in a nutshell:
True. I might have a decent corporate job waiting for me already.
However, going corporate involves crazy long work hours, hair pulling moments
and massive stress.
Sure, the money might be great but I wanted to hit the financial freedom
highway as early as possible.
My main motivator? I want to retire my parents right away.
They’ve worked so bloody hard all their lives trying to feed my family and I think
it’s about darn time I repay them.
That is why I’m doing what I’m doing.
Instead of telling the story of how amazing my current life is, I focus on the
aspects that resonate with prospects.
7. I didn’t want to be overworked, stressed, suffocated and dead by 75 living a
majority of my life stuck in the rat race.
I didn’t want my parents to work another day at jobs they didn’t enjoy.
These are all things prospects are emotionally wired to.
Everybody can relate to the dreariness of working a job they absolutely hate.
Everyone can relate to wanting to help out their family financially.
So that’s the story I’m telling my prospects.
Rather than letting everyone think ‘Oh, he had it easy. He didn’t come from
poverty so he probably has a head start on us‘, I flipped it around and explain how
it was probably even harder to get started because I wasn’t desperate.
8. Contentment is dangerous.
When you start from the bottom, the only direction you can go is up.
When you’re sitting comfortably on your plump bottom in the middle, you kinda
tend to just stay there. It’s tough taking action when you’ve got a decent future
and alright money.
Again, I had no reason to slog. But I did so anyway because I desired something
better for myself and my loved ones.
It can be lonely blogging solo because I don’t personally know anybody else who
is doing this, but I’m gonna sit my ass down and stop making excuses.
And slog away.
9. See? My relatively boring background story just got itself some inspired juice.
Also, it’s not like I stretched the truth or lied.
I truly feel that way.
The hyper competitive corporate world is cold and unforgiving, especially for
clueless graduates.
Seeing so many of my university mates overworking themselves for money set
me down the path of seeking financial freedom, of taking control of my own life.
Seeing my parents work so damn hard just to support us made me realize I’d
never want that for my own kids, ever.
That’s my mentality and I’m taking on all challenges, so get out of my way if
you’re a doubter because I’m gonna steamroll you.
10. If you’re exactly like me and want to turn your financial situation around, I
urge you to work with me.
And that, is my personal story. Not sexy by any means, but inspiring in it’s
own way.
What’s your story?
What’s your ‘why’?
Figure it out, and then keep trudging on.
- Erik Lim