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The Truth About Network Marketing with Ray Higdon, Episode 25

Dec 21, 2017

Today’s episode of Just the Tips offers something a little different—what some might call a ground-floor opportunity. All you have to do is bring along five of your friends and you’ll get the deal of a lifetime. Just kidding! Actually, Dean and I talk with Ray Higdon, a pioneer in network marketing who is actually fighting against that stereotype, and the questionable practices that led to it. Ray is one of the most genuine network marketers you’ll ever meet, and he’s teaching people how to do it the right way. It’s completely changed my view of the business, and you’re going to want to hear what he has to say.

Network marketing: A gateway business

Ray told us about how he was first approached to get in on network marketing, and he was skeptical for all of the reasons you may initially be skeptical about it. But as Ray says, it’s possible to do it without charisma and persuasion, it’s about giving people the right tools to get the job done. Dean confessed during the episode that he tried his hand at network marketing, and it brought up an important point from Ray: Often network marketing is a gateway business for people. In fact, I told Ray about an Uber ride I took in New York, where the driver had just gotten started in network marketing, and when I mentioned Ray’s name, he nearly crashed the car. So even if you’re not in the network marketing world, you’re going to want to hear Ray’s thoughts on sales, closing and more.

Invest, Learn, Teach

Ray is a king of closing. So we had to ask him, even if someone isn’t getting into network marketing, what can they learn from the business and apply it to their own. Ray talks about the importance of “posture”—believing in what you’re doing and doing it, no matter what anyone else says. Don’t waste time on the skeptics. He also talks about the ins and outs of blogging and free content (he’s published more than 3,000 blog posts since 2009). Ray has a great concept called Invest, Learn, Teach (ILT). And that means that you dive into the world of whatever you’re selling, learn what you can, and then turn around and teach it to others through blog posts, live videos, etc. He has this down to a science, and you’ll want to hear how he does it.

Be so good they can’t ignore you

Ray talks about his first successful info-product, The 3-Minute Expert, and how that really came from two different quotes. The first is from Steve Martin, who said “Be so good they can’t ignore you,” and Jason Fried, who said “Outteach your competition.” Those two quotes drive everything they do in marketing, says Ray. There’s nothing more essential than setting yourself up as an authority. And as Ray said, if you focus on teaching, your network will grow. He told an incredible story of selling a product to a woman at a discounted price because she was short on cash, and then she eventually turned that around for him into something like $200,000 in sales. Don’t listen to anyone who says generosity doesn’t pay off.

Learn from the best (about the worst)

I asked Ray to give me the worst network marketing pitch he’s ever heard, and he had a hard time coming up with one. Not because he hasn’t heard them, but because there have been so many. Some red flags: If you hear someone say “all you have to do,” run for the hills. Ray says he tells his people to never use the word “easy,” because there’s nothing easy about it. But, if you’re interested in passive income and willing to put in the work to get there, Ray is the man to put you on that path.

Outline of This Episode

  • [3:54] How Ray got started in network marketing
  • [8:18] Why network marketing is a gateway business
  • [13:11] Establish your posture
  • [19:48] The two quotes that drive everything for Ray
  • [32:02] The worst network marketing pitch Ray has ever heard
  • [21:13] What makes a message authentic?
  • [24:13] Examples of companies being authentic

Resources & People Mentioned

Music for “Just The Tips” is titled, “Happy Happy Game Show” by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Connect With James and Dean

James P. Friel:

Dean Holland: