Before you read any further, if you have already read Ann Sieg's, The Renegade Network Marketer, then please feel free to read on and share your perspectives and insights. If you read her book but don't really get it or know how to apply it, then please read on. If you've heard of Ann Sieg but never read her book, then this is important stuff. And if you've never heard of Ann Sieg, congratulations on finding this article.

Okay, that about covers it. Now let's dig in.

Oh, one more thing. What I'm about to share doesn't just apply to network marketing. While Ann Sieg works in network marketing, many of her insights apply to any business or industry.

Sales and Marketing

If you have a business, I don't care how great your products or services are. You will not be successful if you don't have good sales and marketing.

Let's define them. Sales is the ability to influence others in the way they think or act. Marketing encompasses all the vehicles you use to promote your business or product. It includes things like direct mail, postcards, websites, online advertising and direct sales.

Sales and marketing should always be used together - they feed off one another and boost each other up.

But, while they work together, they have unique roles. Your marketing brings you qualified prospects, while your sales close the deal and build relationships with people.

Notice I used the word "relationship". That means actually getting to know someone. It means identifying their needs (so you can provide a targeted solution), establishing communication, and building trust. This can't be done by a computer or a marketing system. It requires a human element - you.

Skills You Need

You'll need to develop certain skills if you don't already have them. One of them is to be a great listener. Remember that good sales starts by getting information, not giving it. Your first conversation should be around 80% listening and 20% talking. Focus the conversation on the person you're talking to.

You also need to learn how to ask the right questions. When you do this, two things happen. 1. You gather the information you need and 2. You build trust because you're showing a genuine interest in them.

Don't just skim the surface. Dig deep and find out what really drives them. Remember that people buy with their emotions, and justify with logic. So find out what their core emotional desires are. Its not enough to find out that they want to earn income from home so they can stay home with their children, for example. What do they wish they could do with their family? What do they want their life to look like?

The best book I've read that teaches you how to do just that is How to Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends, by Michael Oliver. You can also go to Oliver's website, http://www.naturalselling.com/ for some great tips.

Connect the Dots

Once you've gathered the information you need, you job is to connect the dots between what they need and how you can help them get it. Provide them with a solution. As you're doing this, remember to focus on their emotional desires and seal the deal with logical reasons. Don't spout a bunch of claims or benefits. Think about what the feature you're talking about means to them personally. How is it of value to them?

The Greatest Sales Secret

Okay, this all makes good sense. But what is the "greatest sales secret of all time"? Here goes.

A Prospect that comes to you is infinitely more qualified than anyone you could approach yourself.

In other words, it is much better to attract customers to you than to chase after them.

DUH!

But if its so obvious, then why don't more people do it that way? Sometimes you need to get hit over the head with the obvious. And sometimes you get it, but don't know how to do it.

So How Do You Do It?

Now that we get the basics, the next step is to learn how to attract qualified people to you. Qualified means they actually want what you have to sell and are actively looking for a solution to their needs. People like this are pretty much pre-sold, right?

So how do you attract people to you? Above all, keep this in mind. You are attracting people to you. You have to sell yourself before you can even think about selling a product or business.

To sell yourself you have to let them get to know you as a person. People want a live person to talk to, to be able to ask questions. They want someone who is genuinely interested in them.

Most importantly, they want someone who can help them find a solution to their needs. That means you also have to sell your ability to help them get what they want. This means positioning yourself as an expert who has enough valuable insights to offer that you are worth seeking out. ( If you're in network marketing, then this means you have to sell your ability to help them succeed. You have to offer an effective marketing system that they can plug into and make work for them).

How do you do this? You do it by providing free information that is of value to your prospects. Educate them, don't sell them. And in doing so, you're building trust and attracting them to you.

Next Steps

This concept of attraction or educational marketing has spawned a multitude of books, articles and training programs. And while the principles Ann Sieg uncovers can apply to any business - coaching, real estate, consulting, etc. - they've really taken the network industry by storm. Why is that? Probably because the industry was in the dark ages when it comes to marketing and this information was so badly needed.

Ann Sieg practices what she preaches. She provides free information that is of value to attract qualified prospects who are searching for a solution. You can download her free ebook here.

Start by reading Ann Sieg's book to really understand the idea. Then go online and start researching attraction marketing. There are a ton of great articles out there to teach you more -- many of which are right here on hubpages. Or if you want to shorten your learning curvey, then look for a good coach (that's what I did and boy did it help me get going fast). You will save a ton of time and frustration.

I hope you found this to be of value and I look forward to hearing from you.

Free Coaching with Cindy

Cindy Schulson coaches network marketers and other small business owners. The focus is on working smart and making your business something you enjoy. Her commitment is to truly listen to you, and coach you on ways that will work best for you.