My Relationship with Relationship Marketing

One phrase comes to mind when I think of the words, relationship marketing: "It's not you, it's me."

That's because I know it works- if you work it. And I've yet to work it in anything that would be considered my own small business. The reason I know these businesses work and aren't a scheme is because my mother has succeeded in at least two of those multi-level marketing companies, and is currently in the top 50 of her current company. She's traveling non-stop, in her free Lexus, getting paid FIVE times a month, and this is all in addition to her other business teaching nursing students skills to pass their NCLEX and become registered nurses. Needless to say, she's making bank, and I'm sitting back for the fourth or fifth year in a row, just watching. 

More recently, I watched Tony Robbins in an interview with Eric Worre, who wrote Go Pro, and he specifically discussed relationship marketing and how it can be largely successful in spite of its mixed reputation. You can watch that here, if so inclined. 

The big takeaways from that interview are as follows: 

1. Getting into a business that is built on relationship marketing has advantages because logistics and training are often built in at a very low startup cost. Someone who is considering this may find it  to be quite a perk that they don't have to fund a back office program to follow sales, make transactions, receive payout, and have extensive training meetings to build their confidence in things like marketing/management/sales. 

2. There's practically NO overhead. Most people will run their back offices from their own computers, in the comfort of a home they already pay for (or the occasional coffee shop with free wi-fi), from a phone they already own. The start up costs and small inventory may very well be the only investments and/or fees, which can make profits rather quickly- given the person's efforts.

3. It's fun! Most people really enjoy the team structures in these companies, the rewards and incentives for making sales, and the ability to be in direct leadership. 

So what does Tony say to beware of? Simply put, don't do it if you're looking to dabble. People who start off by saying, "I'll give it a shot," are inevitably going to fail. If you've considered it before, maybe this speaks to you! (I say this with confidence because it absolutely relates to me). Success is often attributed to consistency, not talent. And to be consistent with something is actually a much bigger challenge! Day in and day out, having practices that help you reach your goals with small actions, are what help you move forward (at least that's what I read and choose to believe!). If you have had experience with this, let me know! I'd love the input. 

My journey began at 21, with my jumpstart on a Mary Kay bandwagon. I choose to say that because I really just liked the girls in the group I had come across, and not really much else. I paid my $99, got my samples and my super cool tote bag, and I never did anything with it. I used up a lot of my samples myself, then I couldn't justify stocking up on product. The more I did the math, the more hustle I realized I would need in order to make my money back. I just didn't have it in me. 

My next choice was with Jamberry. During my divorce, I truly enjoyed those nail wraps as the cheapest and coolest option for a girls' night with my toddler! I had very little money, and the start up fee was, again, $99. But it got me all the supplies that I absolutely would have wanted for the applications, and it was well worth it. I will use the excuse of my divorce to explain why I didn't take off with it, but I know plenty of people who may have used a situation like that to light a fire underneath them. I, however, didn't possess the kindling to do so in the first place. 

I'd love your stories of experience with relationship marketing! Was it fun? Rewarding? A dud? I think most people love the idea of being in business for themselves. It's simply too tempting to dive into a company that requires little to no money to start that dream of self-employment. I think more and more people have a little experience in this arena than we can imagine, and I'd love to hear more from everyone.