Ever
touched a ten thousand-dollar towel? I have. Dried my
hair with it. Here’s how it happened.
While
out shopping in Scottsdale, Arizona I got caught in a
downpour. Within seconds I was soaked. Slogging into an
upscale hair salon, I asked an attractive stylist if I
could borrow a towel to dry off. You’d have thought
I’d just demanded the keys to her Jag.
Obviously
unwelcome, I left.
Back
out in the rain I sloshed three blocks to the equally
chic Scottsdale Fashion Square. Noticing another hair
place, I stepped in and said something like “This
may sound a little strange …but could I borrow a
towel to dry my hair?”
“Sure.”
I
was handed not just a towel but also a brush and a blow
drier. While I was re-doing my do, the salon owner, Richard
Liebel asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Coffee?
Why thank you. I’m thinking “Hmm…I could
get used to this.” Before I left, I’d made
my first appointment.
Now
I’m not giving away my beauty secrets, but for about
10 years I not only had my hair styled at Icon Hair Architexture,
I invested in some pretty pricey hair-care products. Even
though I no longer live in Phoenix, the clients that I
referred to Richard back then are still satisfied clients.
I did the math and you know what? Before it’s over,
that one act of courtesy will have proved worth more than
10 thousand bucks!
What
happened that rainy afternoon was a universal phenomenon
called psychological reciprocity. This law dictates that
when we give — we get back — and not only
do we get back, the return is exponentially greater than
our initial investment. In the same way that one acorn
creates a 100-acre oak grove, one smile, one simple courtesy,
one moment of genuine interest, a little something extra
creates a lifetime of loyalty and residual income from
customers and people who actually become part of your
organization.
The
great challenge of network marketing is to recruit, educate,
empower and retain our distributors and consultants; to
improve customer contentment and of course increase productivity
and profit. Face it, your business depends on enough people
liking your products enough to buy them — and keep
buying them — over and over again. And interestingly
enough, this only happens when we shift our attention
away from product and profit toward the real life, flesh
and blood needs of our people.
It’s
a new reality. Today’s consumer and network marketer
is much more sophisticated. Not only is the average person
more sales savvy, they have way more choices. The market
has reached a point of parity. No one product or compensation
plan is that much different or better than the next.
There
are only so many ways we can prepare, package and present
a new potion or lotion.
There are just too many of the same products and services
making the same claims. Today the distinguishing factor
is not so much product but people. All else being equal,
given a choice, people are going to join companies and
buy from people who serve them with dignity, integrity
and respect.
So
how does a network marketing professional find that distinction?
The difference is in the sales professional him or her
self. It is the relationship they build with people.
In
other words, the network marketer that gives twice as
much, works twice as hard and twice as smart as the next
person does not make twice the profit – they make
100 times the profit! Does psychological reciprocity always
work? Of course not. But since you never know when this
phenomenon will happen, it’s best to offer every
one you meet a “towel”. Neglecting this universal
law is death to any business.
Remember
that first salon I slogged in to? Gone. Towels and all.
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Richard
Neihart is a speaker and trainer in Corporate
and the Direst Selling Industry. Several times each year
Richard offers a complimentary keynote to companies. To
see if your organization qualifies or to have Richard
speak on a conference simply phone 614.475.1692 or contact
Richard at richardneihart@aol.com
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