One of the toughest things for me to come to grips with in my network marketing business is that not everyone is going to buy my products. Not having a sales background, I took it personally when someone told me 'no'. And I would start wondering if I wasn't doing it right. Have you ever felt that way?

It wasn't until recently that I discovered that many professional salespeople make an excellent living by selling 10-20% of the people they talk to. That means that 8 or 9 out of ten are saying 'no' to them, too. I believe that we can get a higher percentage if we focus on our target market.

What's a Target Market?

Have you ever thought that your products are so great that everyone should buy them? Do you find the information you share about your product is so general that nobody can relate to it? What if you focus on one benefit of one of your products, then some people can identify with what you are saying and want to find out more.

If your product is geared towards women, why are you broadcasting your message to men and children, too? If your product is specifically for pregnant women, does it make sense to include all women, ages 25 - 95? To have the greatest positive impact on your business, structure your sales message to the right market.

Define Your Buyer

Develop a profile of who is your ideal customer. Give your customer a name. Is your customer a male or female? How old is he or she? Are they married or single? Any children? How old? What does he or she look like? What kind of clothes do they wear? What kind of work do they do? How much do they make? What do they do for fun?

What's their biggest desire? Why? What does their biggest desire really mean to them? What's their biggest problem? What do they stay up late thinking about? Now - listen closely - how can you help them? Can you provide them with the solution to their biggest problem - or help them attain their biggest desire?

I can't remember who said it, but I heard it said that if you want to be successful, then find out what people want - and provide it for them! If you can define your ideal customer, the question to ask yourself is, 'Do you have what they want?' Or are you trying to SELL them what you have? Read it again, and think about it!

The Value of Your Customers

I will bet that most of you did not start your network marketing business so that you could sell some product. I believe the network marketing industry is unique in that we have to justify going after customers. Many join their network marketing company after studying the compensation plan, and don't give the product much thought.

I will tell you that your customers will provide a solid foundation to build on. If your products are exceptional, then your customers will give your business a base income that you can count on. If you spend all of your time recruiting and your business volume is based on the 'prosumer' model everyone talks about, then what happens if your recruits move on to the next 'deal'?

Our business model is still based on a lot of people doing a little. If everyone, including you, develops 10-20 customers, then you are building a real business with real value. Your customers will provide you with true residual income.