"Sure it sounds good, but it takes too much time!"

One evening next month, your new distributor comes home from work and picks up his mail. As he looks through the stack, he says:

"Bills, bills, junk mail, bills, junk mail, bills, overdue notices, bills, junk mail . . . and what's this? A newsletter from my upline leader?"

Guess which piece of mail your new distributor opens first? You're right. He is going to delay the pain of opening the bills and overdue notices and look to your newsletter for hope, tips, and inspiration.

You see, your new distributor has totally forgotten about your business opportunity. Work, bills, family obligations and other day-to-day activities have crowded your opportunity from memory. Your newsletter might be the only reminder he receives that, yes, he has an opportunity in his hands.

Does your new distributor only read your newsletter for hope, tips and inspiration?

No.

Your new distributor also opens your newsletter to see:

• If his name is included anywhere. Personal recognition is high on most people's priorities.
• If you have included any juicy gossip about other distributors he knows.
Soap operas and news exposés sell well.
• If his group out-performed his friend's group.
• If there are any new products announced or other special inside information.
• If you have news of any special deals or contests.
• If there are any exciting meetings coming next month, etc.

Your newsletter puts you in your downline's home. And, you don't have to make that time-consuming personal visit.

Newsletters are more than a downline communication tool.

Your newsletter is not only an obvious asset to building your downline, but it can also be a great prospecting tool!

Think of what happens when a prospect reads those juicy testimonials for your products. Or, think of how a prospect will react when he reads how you are helping others succeed with their part-time businesses. By carefully including selected testimonials and success stories, your newsletter can be your best recruiting tool.

Why? Because a newsletter has credibility. Your newsletter is designed to be a communication tool for your present distributors and not a sales brochure with inflated claims. Your prospect feels that he is peeking into your business and getting a fair, unbiased look at what really happens.

Many of your newsletter readers will ask for extra copies for their friends and fellow business associates. Your readers will actually find hot prospects for you. Make sure to mention in each issue of your newsletter that extra copies are always free for the asking.

What else can you include in your newsletter to make it a more effective sponsoring tool?

Pictures.

Pictures help your prospect identify with live, breathing human beings. Pictures help pre-build the relationship necessary to sponsor a cold prospect.

You can have a picture of you and your family. Or, how about some pictures of your downline enjoying themselves spending that bonus check? You could even have pictures of happy distributors and customers who are using and benefiting from your products or services.

Product usage tips.

Your newsletter can instruct your downline on new and effective ways to use your products or services. Your prospect will sell himself while reading this section of your newsletter.

It's important that you print an informational and educational article, not a commercial sales pitch. You want your prospect to be reading information, not sales puffery. Any hype or over-selling will cause your prospect to put up his defenses against your sales presentation.

Why not mail a prospect three or four issues?

Think about it. If you were a prospect, wouldn't you like to feel comfortable with a new opportunity? Each issue of a newsletter creates security and support in a prospect's mind. I like talking to informed prospects who already know a lot about my opportunity.

But how do I create a newsletter without eating up valuable prospecting and selling time?

You know what happens. You stare at a blank sheet of paper. You try to think of something interesting to write . . . and nothing comes!

Then there is the problem of what to put in, how to make the newsletter look good, how to come up with enough new stuff every issue . . . it's painful!

Well, that's one way of attempting to do your newsletter. How about a simpler way?

Don't be a pro.

That's right. Forget about formatting and design. You don't have to make your newsletter look good. Your readers are interested in the information, not the design.

You can type it on an old typewriter. That's okay. Just make sure you don't write it by hand as handwriting is hard to read. And if your newsletter looks a bit amateurish, don't worry. This makes you look sincere -- just interested in getting this valuable information out to your distributors.

So how do you avoid writer's block and come up with enough information for each issue of your newsletter?

It's simple.

Just use a checklist.

Here is the checklist that I use when writing a downline newsletter. The headings in this checklist will create plenty of ideas for each issue. Just pick and choose which headings you need, write a little bit about that topic, and presto! You're done.

Ready? Here are the headings in my checklist. Feel free to add some of your own.

 

• The names of the new distributors in your group and who sponsored them. This gives each new distributor a chance to see his name in writing, plus you're giving recognition to the sponsors, the people who are building your business.


• Sponsoring tips. Distributors like to get short, easy-to-use tips that will help them sponsor more people. Maybe it can be something as simple as a good opening sentence.


• Product testimonials. This reinforces the company products to the distributors and also pre-sells the prospects who read your newsletter.


• Opportunity testimonials. Tell a success story about how someone is spending his bonus check. Tell your readers how this check helped the family to take that dream vacation they always wanted.


• Product information. Quote some research or interesting articles about one of your products or services. Education will help build credibility and belief in your products and services.


• Say something nice about your upline leadership or home office staff. Talk about their professionalism and helping attitude. Prospects want to be a part of a system of support.


• Pictures. People love pictures. That's why they buy People Magazine. Pictures make your newsletter interesting. Why not include a picture of a recent group meeting or of a special accomplishment by one of your distributors?


• Recognition. It is said that people will work for money, but kill for recognition. Don't underestimate the motivational power of simple recognition. You can recognize distributors who advance to a new rank or someone who made ten sales his first month. The possibilities are endless.


• Industry gossip. You can quote a news report about how networking is the wave of the future or how certain legislation affects your product line.


• Opportunity meetings and training schedules. Let your downline know the latest schedule. Here is a good opportunity to tell your downline about the advantages of attending the next super training session.


• Special sales and contests. They are a good marketing method to boost sales during slow periods. People love contests.


• Promote a good vendor or resource to your downline. For instance, you might have a special contact who can do business cards quickly and inexpensively. Or maybe you can recommend a tax preparer who is a specialist on network marketing returns. This is an excellent place to mention Fortune Now to your leaders or soon-to-be leaders.


• Book reviews or excerpts from a training book or resource. Most times you can simply quote a paragraph or two from your company's training manual. Most distributors have never read it.


• List the top retailers for last month. This gives your distributors extra incentive to promote a little more so that they can see their name ahead of their co-distributors. A little competition is fun.


• Motivational quotes. We all need more positive input in our lives. Here is your chance to provide it.


• Humor. People love humor. A funny story or cartoon livens up your newsletter and makes it fun to read.


• Recipes or innovative ideas on new ways to use your products and services.


• A feature story about one of your downline.


• Tax tips.


• Quizzes. Create a test to see how much your distributors know about your product or opportunity.


• Endorsements. Reprint an endorsement from a well-respected source.


• Advertising and promotional tips.


• An editorial or special message from you or the president of your company.


• Price changes or other special announcements.

Well, let's stop here. You get the idea. Feel free to add more headings to your personal idea list.

So, whenever you have to write a newsletter, just take an hour to choose a couple of these headings and presto! You're on your way to a fast, interesting newsletter.

And what if you don't like to write?

How about putting your newsletter on voice mail or audiocassette? You're not limited to just a written newsletter. Don't let the fear of writing prevent you from using this great marketing tool.

Rudi Vanhaecke
Owner
RV Consulting
Waterstraat 59
8730 Beernem
Belgium
+32 (0)496 292333

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