Mapping the Direct Seller Journey - What you Can Learn
The Network Marketing, Direct Selling or MLM, business model relies on the continuous recruitment, acquisition and retention of direct sellers (consultants) in order to grow. A network marketing organization must recruit not just anyone, but individuals who can both sell the opportunity or product directly and, at the same time, build a business beneath the product (successfully recruit other direct sellers). The organization must continually learn the kind of direct sellers it needs to attract, and it must know how best to support these direct sellers (all coming from different backgrounds) in order to make them successful.
Mapping the Direct Seller Journey
To do this effectively, an MLM organization must have a deep understanding of what is most important to its' direct sellers at each stage of their journey. By mapping this journey through the eyes of the direct seller, an organization can begin to gain a better understanding of the expectations, wants and needs of their direct sellers at each stage.
Discovery Stage
During the discovery stage, new direct sellers are just beginning to discover what the network marketing or direct selling business model is all about. They are learning about the prevalence of the business model, and they're learning about the success of companies that use the model.
They are just starting to think about the possibilities of starting their own business, working from home, having a better work/life balance, or simply providing themselves with some supplemental income.
However, they have an attitude of cautious optimism as they recognize that, although there are good companies out there, there are also scams of which they need to beware.
The touchpoints they come across at this stage of the journey are often a Facebook post, a YouTube video, an email from a friend, a pitch from a colleague at work in the lunch room, a Google search about a product or company they recently heard about, or an article on the best home businesses for entrepreneurs.
Learning/Consideration Stage
During the learning stage, new direct sellers are beginning to learn more about particular direct selling companies and their products. They are starting to see this new business opportunity as a potential opportunity to better their lives, but with what brand, which company, what set of products or services, and what type of direct selling organization? It can be overwhelming when the see how many companies are doing and selling similar things.
A new direct seller will also encounter a lot of good and bad word of mouth regarding direct selling organizations. Many of the articles or posts about companies are obviously self-serving, and many of the articles present conflicting information.
New direct sellers may ask friends or family members for advice, but that kind of contact is not always well-received. They might communicate an interest in something they haven't yet thought through completely, and their friends or family might want to engage in a level of dialogue that the new direct seller isn't ready for. They are curious, for example, after having done some initial research, but they're still skeptical about whether direct selling is the right thing for them. They enjoyed a recent MLM party thrown by one of their friends at work, but they're just not sure if they're ready to go into business for themselves.
The touchpoints potential direct sellers lean on most during this stage of the journey are usually word of mouth, Google searches around specific companies and/or products, and/or feedback from a question on Quora they've posted in order to get input from people who may know more about this type of business opportunity.
Purchase/Join Stage
During the purchase/join stage, potential direct sellers are determining which products to try and/or whether they should join or sign up to become a member or distributor within a given organization.
They recognize that before they sell a product, they first want to have used it so that they can be confident they would actually recommend it to others.
They are also self-assessing whether they are ready to start a new venture such as this one. They're asking themselves whether they could sell the product effectively, how much time and energy would it take to earn enough money to make it worthwhile, and how quickly they could build their business.
Getting a particular product at a discount, gaining some level of additional flexibility, or simply finding the opportunity to earn some supplemental income are all reasons that a potential distributor will decide to actually sign up or join at this stage of their customer experience.
The touchpoints they are relying on most often during this stage of the journey are a company website, product reviews, and/or conversations with existing direct sellers.
Use/Share Stage
During the use/share stage, new direct sellers are trying the product, assessing how good it is, and deciding whether it lives up to the claims made by the company. Is it a product they would continue to purchase and/or recommend to others? They may or may not be sharing their experience with others at this point.
The touchpoints they lean on most during this stage of the journey are typically direct use of product, feedback from other users of the product, and social media, whether reading, commenting or posting themselves about the product.
If potential direct sellers don't realize the same benefits that others have claimed, they might not continue to use the product. If they're not confident that the product is something others should want, or if they don't have the sales tools for effectively presenting the product, they might not share their experience at this stage.
Build/Engage Stage
During the build/engage stage, new direct sellers have had some level of success in launching their new business and starting to grow it. They have developed at least a preliminary understanding of what it takes to sell the product, how to present it, who is most receptive, and the best way to leverage the resources provided by the company.
If new direct sellers don't have the right recruiting tools or the confidence to present the product, if they don't know how to find new recruits, or if they simply don't have more time to devote to the business, they might not try to recruit or grow their business during this stage.
The touchpoints they depend upon most during this stage of the journey are company brochures, sales sheets, company blog posts and social media assets, and coaching sessions from more senior direct sellers within their organization.
What You Can Learn from Each Stage of the Direct Seller Journey
As you can see by evaluating the direct seller journey stage by stage, touchpoint by touchpoint, an MLM or Network Marketing organization can begin to develop a much better understanding of what the direct seller really needs at each stage of the journey to transition from stage to stage, beginning with the decision to start their own business.
With the Direct Seller Journey Map as the lens through which you examine the relationship between the direct seller and direct selling company, you may begin to ask a set of key questions:
What is motivating an individual to initially evaluate direct selling as a business opportunity?
What proof or evidence is required to make him or her comfortable with pursuing an opportunity with your company?
Which sources of information does he or she trust or not trust as he begins to consider the business opportunity or product?
After a direct seller tries the product, what does she need to feel confident enough to further commit to joining?
After a direct seller joins the company, what does he need to help him get his business off the ground?
What are the reasons that a business sometimes starts strong but fails to grow in the long run?
By mapping the process and visualizing it, the entire organization can develop a common understanding of what is most important to the direct seller at each stage of their journey.