This Hub is actually a follow-up to my first submission where I gave an overview of my attraction and relationship marketing evolution. Here I am taking a drastically different approach by combining the text description with my first online video (GULP!) to tell the bulk of the story.

I will warn you that when I get talking watch out. The video does wind its way through ~ 30 years of history, which includes a few rounds in various network marketing opportunities. It runs more than just a few minutes.

Before we get to that point however I will provide a few bullet points to summarize my video ramblings!

Though I have been involved in the retail sales arena off and on at various times since the mid-teen years, I can first remember practicing attraction and relationship marketing principles (though I had no idea that is what they might have been called) by the time I was 19 or 20. Here are the summary points about those early years:

1. Worked in outdoor sports shop (mainly fishing and hunting) and quickly found I was not the fast talking, hype-driven sales type;
2. Found myself exchanging stories and information with customers and listening to understand the nature of their needs (problem);
3. Worked to help the customer identify solutions by showing products and demonstrate how to best use those products in various situations;
4. Most customers became repeat buyers and consistently referred friends to the shop to "solve" their problems;
5. Carried that same marketing/sales approach forward in many of my future endeavours in retail, consulting, etc.

Round two of my attraction marketing evolution didn't exactly follow the principles that I had set into motion when working in retail. After being invited to a party with some friends, one of the couples mentioned they had just been introduced to a network marketing opportunity to build a business sharing great products that everybody used (starting to sound familiar?) and make some extra money. They quickly added that the extra money was just the start and with a little effort the business would quickly grow. Continued growth would then allow them to make more than their combined 9-5 salaries and they would work for themselves ultimately achieving financial freedom. (OK ... I admit .... I was star ($$$) struck).

Next, they wrapped up the opportunity lead with an invitation to attend a get together with other friends (yeah, me and their up-lines) at their home and share a meal and discuss a little more about their new business. Being 22 at the time and soooo naive ..... I took the bait ... hook, line and sinker.

Arriving at their house a few evenings later, I was greeted by the couple and two other people I did not know. After a quick dinner, out came the easel, flip chart, product display, distributor's kit and the history of a company founded by two guys: Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos. Shortly thereafter I had been convinced that "I could do it too" and a new Amway distributor had been signed!

After three years, I gave up on achieving my dream of financial independence via Amway. Why? Mainly because I had been taught the "old school" network marketing and sales model:

1. Build your friends, family and anyone you remotely know list (a.k.a. - the warm market list);
2. Using the three foot rule to pitch product or opportunity;
3. Cold calling from leads lists (purchased or pulled from the phone book - darn telemarketers!);
4. Direct mail campaigns;
5. Business cards and flier canvasing campaigns;
6. Booths at area fairs, home shows; &
7. Hold promotional events, home meetings, etc.

Bottom-line: basically trying to find anyone with a pulse that would stop and listen long enough to pitch the opportunity (first) or product (second). To me, this approach was the same as the "fast-talking", "hype-driven" sales technique I avoided when developing my attraction and relationship marketing techniques in retail sales. It may, and apparently did, work for some; it just wasn't for me. I wasn't turned off by the MLM - Direct Sales business, I am just not overly comfortable with the traditional network marketing methods, at least at the outset of a marketing endeavour.

Proof of my personal belief that MLM - DS companies are a viable business option came several years later when I signed as a distributor with another company (Shaklee). I liked and believed in both the products and opportunity. I even had more success and remained active in that business (off and on) for several years. In the long run, however, the old school network marketing methods took their toll and I was out for the second time (mid 1990's).

Again when I left Shaklee, I still felt their was a potential for similar opportunities if there was a mechanism to find the like-minded people without having to use normal network marketing methods. This all preceded the rapid expanse of the Internet.

In the recent past, I have used attraction and relationship marketing techniques to help sustain my career in geoscience consulting field and even in education (recruiting new majors). Those methods continue to work over and over again almost without fail. We also now have the benefit of a very "social" Internet (Web 2.0) that helps facilitate a wide variety of marketing and outreach campaigns for anyone willing to spend the time to learn the details of establishing a web presence.

OK, I said I was going to keep the text part of this relatively short since the length of the video more than compensates ;-).

I welcome anyone interested in learning more or discussing their experiences to comment here; email me at jim@jchickey.com or give me a call at 660-853-1440.

Wishing you success in all your ventures ......

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Jim was formerly an "old school" network marketer now helping home and small business owners to utilize attraction marketing and relationship building methods to grow their Internet presence. You can access additional information resources and tips to propel the growth of your business by visiting Jim's blog.