What This Copywriter Wishes She Could Tell Her MLM Friends
You can’t scroll past three posts on your newsfeed these days without coming across a friend talking up their “product”. From skincare to activewear to cleaning products to cookware… everyone’s working on that side hustle.
More power to them, I say! There’s nothing wrong with trying to earn extra income for your family. Maybe you need to pay off a student loan. Maybe you just need to pay the bills. Maybe you want to afford a massage once a month!
Whatever the reason, several of my friends are jumping on the Direct Sales train and making the most of their side gig. And the sales tactics are a far cry from the days of Mary Kay or Tupperware parties! But I still see so much untapped potential in their marketing strategy.
Personally, I’ve never been involved in this world. I technically have the ability to sell essential oils, but I only signed up to get that awesome wholesale price. I’ve never sold a thing, nor do I plan to.
However, I do work in sales for a living. I’m a copywriter, meaning I help other people write the words that sell their stuff. I write marketing emails, websites, sales pages, and Facebook ads. I’ve been through multiple trainings on effective direct response copywriting and learned the sales psychology behind what gets someone to buy.
I’m dying to tell all my MLM friends…
What your upline is teaching you is not the best way to up your sales! I’m sure it’s working for some of you. It’s not working for most of you. And even if it is, a different approach could work much better.
Posting a new product with a pretty graphic is not enough.
Posting the details about a product is not enough.
Sending a text or direct message that says something like, “Hey! How’ve you been? Hope you’re doing well! Did you see the new ____ that just came out? It’s so amazing! And I can get you 20% off right now! Let me know if you want to try it!” is not enough.
Those tactics might work on return customers. (Heavy emphasis on the might.) But they’re rarely going to bring in new ones. At least not enough new ones to get you the numbers you’re hoping for. The numbers that made you start doing this in the first place.
I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I told you what to stop doing and didn’t help you out with what to start doing instead. So here are my best professional copywriting tips to help you get the sales you’ve been hoping and praying for:
1. Start your post/text/direct message by pointing out their current struggle that’s related to your product. Or asking them if they have a struggle related to your current product. This shows them that you understand them. It also reminds them that they have a problem that needs solving. A problem you just happen to know how to solve!
Examples:
If you sell skincare — “Raise your hand if you’ve tried every acne wash on the CVS shelf! Aveeno, Neutrogena, Clearasil… are any of them working for you? Maybe they got rid of your pimples but left you with flaky, dry skin. Or maybe they even made your acne worse! Listen friend, it does NOT have to be that way!”
If you sell cookware — “If I asked you to go pull out your favorite skillet right now and show me what it looks like, how many of you would be too embarrassed to send me a pic? Is the bottom flaking off? Is it starting to rust? Is the handle loose? Nothing to be ashamed of! This is what happens over time with cheap cookware. Maybe that’s all you could afford in college and you held onto it out of habit. But it’s time for big girl cookware!”
2. Highlight those benefits! I know a lot of you do this when introducing a new product, but I encourage you to do it every time. You don’t have to share the entire list of benefits with each post but always include a few.
Examples:
If you sell activewear — “Check out these new joggers that were just released! They are so soft and can work for a quick morning run on a chilly day and paired with a t-shirt for a grocery store trip. Talk about getting your money’s worth!”
If you sell cleaning products — “My favorite thing about this cleaning cloth is how I never have to spend money on paper towels again! (Or worry about a Corona-related PT shortage!) I can just throw this cloth in the wash and use it all over again. Plus it’s totally toxin-free, which does not hold true for all those cleaning products under your sink!”
3. Tap into the power of email marketing. I promise this is worth the time and money. The top online entrepreneurs always say they make the majority of their sales from email. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this.
Sending out your company’s monthly newsletter is not the right way. Sending out something with a subject line that includes the words “update” or “newsletter” is not it either. Sending out emails that only talk about your products is also a big nope.
The key is to make your emails sound personal. Include details from your life. Write like you’re writing to your BFF. Talk about your products through stories from daily life, so your readers can see themselves using them! (I also highly encourage you to send emails more frequently than once a month. Weekly emails help you stay top-of-mind, so people start subconsciously looking for your emails.)
I love how many women are taking matters into their own hands and putting in the work to make that side hustle a success! But it also makes me sad to see so many outdated marketing strategies used on a daily basis.
If you can start implementing these three tips into your sales tactics, you’ll see those sales numbers climb. And you’ll help even more people find the skincare of their dreams or the workout leggings that boost their confidence or the cleaning products that also keep their family safe. Win-win!
If you want to chat with me about how to boost your marketing strategy, email me at chrissie@copywithchrissie.com and we can chat!
