Hi David,
That's a great question and I agree with Kenneth's replies.
People who get paid to recommend services and products can take several paths. I want to comment on two of them.
1. Fake it until you make it.
I don't believe this will ever work. People can "smell" someone who is bluffing and generalizing. Obviously, I don't recommend this path.
2. Learn all you can about what you are selling.
It is perfectly okay to say you don't know something and then go learn all about it. We are all educating ourselves every day, or, at least, I think we should be if we want to be professionals.
Let me use a personal example.
One of my businesses sells telephones, communications services, webhosting, Internet access, phone cards, and other assorted telecom services.
I know quite a bit about the Internet access, broadband, webhosting, and domain names side of this business and that's why I enjoy promoting their services.
However, I know practically nothing about long distance, cell phones, calling cards, and related topics.
I don't have a cell phone and don't want one. I rarely make long distance calls. I'd much rather send email than talk on the phone.
I've sold some phone services to people who were able to compare our products with our competitors and then decide to buy through my site.
But, when I'm faced with questions I can't answer, I refer the customer to another representative of our company who specializes in what the customer needs. That way, the rep who knows what he's (she's) talking about can serve the customer best and the customer will have a better experience with our company.
I lose that commission, but that's okay. I wasn't ready to really earn it, anyway.
Likewise, I've had a few people refer customers to me because I could help them with what they needed in terms of web services.
I think it all works out well in the long-term.
As you learn more about your company, you may choose to specialize in a small portion of what the company offers, or you may choose to accept the challenge and learn a wider range of products.
With MLM, I'm comfortable referring customers to my upline or downline when someone else can do a better job than I can on a particular subject. I'll even refer customers to people outside my genealogy if they would best serve the customer.
We can't know everything, and being honest with ourselves and our potential customers is the best approach, in my opinion.
Perhaps you can find one or two products, learn all you can about them, and then specialize in what suits you best in terms of knowledge, interest, and income.
If you try to sell to all people, you'll end up selling to nobody.
All the best.
Act on your dream!
JD
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