Network Marketing Now posted an excellent article by Len Clements on how Network Marketing/Direct Sales conquers the four most quoted fears that keep people from starting their business. To paraphrase:

1. It takes too much money. Most direct sales companies cost anywhere from $50 – $3,000 to get started (usually less than $500, though). 
2. It takes too much time. The beauty of network marketing is you can make a full-time income while still working part-time (or even spare-time)
3. Too much risk. Direct Sellers enjoy no employees, no R&D costs, no facility costs, etc. 
4. They didn’t know how. Network Marketing companies succeed because they are systematic and duplicable. The wheel need not be reinvented. 

Be sure to read the entire article, because it’s full of stats and facts that really make the point. 

Note: Brett Duncan is not a direct selling distributor, but rather an experienced marketer for both individual direct sellers and companies. 

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Drew tells us a great story of his grandma and sampling here.

Sampling of products has always been an important part of any marketing strategy, but it will become more and more important as consumers are more and more informed via all Web 2.0 has brought to the table.

So here’s the question: what are you sampling?

Some things are easy to sample – food, drinks, songs, software. Other things don’t seem as sample-friendly as others. But everything can be sampled, if you just push your thinking a little bit. But in a society where innovation and the product itself are more central to marketing than ever before, people will look for the proof in the pudding before they buy, not after they buy.

So figure it out. You have something to sample, to give away for free, to spark a conversation. Have faith in the mantra that “people buy what people try,” and do it.

Here are three main questions you can ask yourself to get the juices flowing:

1. What is the primary obstacle that keep most prospects from buying my product?
2. What is the best feature that keeps customers coming back to my product?
3. How can I equip my customers from question #2 to talk to my prospects in question #1?

Once you figure out these answers, build a sampling or trial process around nullifying objections, amplifying satisfaction and facilitating customer evangelism.

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Great links and articles I came across this weekend:

1. Great post from Mark Cuban on a spam email he got from none other than Donald Trump, looking for “like-minded” folks who want to get rich. Nevermind that Trump and Cuban are like Skywalker and Vader to each other. And nevermind that Cuban already has the money thing taken care of. It also shows the vast differences between how the two go about living and sustaining their brands.
2. Ads on the outfield doors of Wrigley Field. Here’s a post from Phil in Portland with links to the two main articles on this whole fiasco. My comments are on Phil’s post, so I won’t repeat them here.
3. Bad Apples in the Office. Interesting read on stats to back up why you love it when the office natzi is out.
4. The New “M-E” generation: Pretty good article showing how advertising alone just won’t cut it anymore.
5. Kim Klaver – Would you buy from a parapelegic? This is one of the best articles I’ve ever read on the importance of walking the walk as a marketer – especially a network marketer. For all my AdvoCare buddies, this is a must read. The post before it is really good, too.

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