Trolling And Soliciting: Your Brand Hangs In The Balance

ByMaria Duron

One of the most lucrative business ventures to go into is direct selling. The reason for this is because most people continue to be driven by word of mouth marketing - they buy only from people and companies they trust. And that is how direct selling typically works - representatives choose a product that they would like to represent, then they effectively sell them to their friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances.

Of course, people in the direct selling business have a lot of challenges. For the ones behind the company, you really need to offer your representatives the tools and tips that they can utilize to effectively sell the products. You have to give them training, so that they know how to address any concerns and problems that arise.

And most importantly, the products should work since this is what drives repeat sales. No one would continue using a product or service that doesn't really give what it promises.

Online challenges

There are other challenges that plague direct selling businesses, and two of the things that you need to be aware of is trolling and soliciting. These two can really have a negative impact on your brand if they are not stopped.

Social media nowadays has made it easy for people to interact with each other in real time online, but it has also resulted in people using these sites in an inappropriate manner. Instead of going through proper channels to get their problems or concerns addressed, they simply post on the company's page on Facebook, for example, not thinking of the possible consequences of their actions.

Trolling is basically done by people who want to get attention or elicit a response, typically in a very negative manner. They enjoy attacking a particular brand in order for them to be noticed. And the worst part is they do these in social networking sites, which can really have an impact in your business.

Now, you can basically ignore these trolls, especially if it's obvious that they're just doing it to get attention. But you can also counter them by putting up positive posts and updates.

Soliciting via social media is another thing that can leave a negative impact on your brand. Both your employees and representatives should remember that your social media pages are not the places where they should be soliciting customers or posting advertisements and "salesy" messages. Customers who see these messages can become turned off, and may even be scared away.

Sometimes, your direct sellers or the representatives of your brand may inadvertently do these things because of ignorance. So it's important that you really teach them the correct ways of doing things and that you give them the proper channels for their concerns to be addressed.

Don't let them air out their complaints on your social media sites since it can impact your brand in a negative way. Or if they do so, you should reach out to them immediately so that they know that what they're doing is wrong.

You have to remind them that your social networking pages are not the place for them to complain and solicit customers - there are proper channels for these things. If they continue doing so, they are not only placing the brand in a negative light but they are also making their own business suffer.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), Buzz 2 Bucks, a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks "work" and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops - taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy, http://buzz2bucks.com.

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Maria Duron

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MLA Style Citation:
Duron, Maria".".22 Sep. 2011EzineArticles.com.23 Sep. 2011 .APA Style Citation:
Duron, M. (2011, September 22). . Retrieved September 23, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Trolling-­And-­Soliciting:-­Your-­Brand-­Hangs-­In-­The-­Balance&id=6579011Chicago Style Citation:
Duron, Maria "." EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Trolling-­And-­Soliciting:-­Your-­Brand-­Hangs-­In-­The-­Balance&id=6579011EzineArticles.com© 2011 EzineArticles.com
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