Part Four of a Five Part Series
The Three Criteria of Fulfilment and why you have to guarantee, in writing, that they'll enjoy three out of three
In this fourth of five articles, John Counsel of The Profit Clinic MLM Success Centre explains the fifth, sixth and seventh stages of the Fulfilment Spiral's powerful role in retailing, sponsoring and personal development for you and your downline team.
By John Counsel
Although the Three Criteria of Fulfilment come near the end of the Fulfilment Spiral (stages 5, 6 and 7), they're actually the foundation on which the entire process must be built or it will fail, because it's these three critical components that ensure that the final component (8) the ultimate human motive is triggered so that the process continues to spiral upward. They guarantee the continuity and growth of your business.
What are the Three Criteria?
Here are the Three Criteria of Fulfilment, in sequence. This sequence is vital to the success of the process, even though all three are indispensible and are all present together, like separate facets of a single jewel.
1. Safety
There's little or no risk involved.
2. Efficacy
It does what it says it will do. It keeps its promises. It works.
3. Value
The benefits received outweigh the conditions that must be met to obtain those benefits (including the purchase price).
The Three Criteria of Fulfilment are not limited just to your products or services. They apply to everything about your business and the way it operates, including you and your group, upline and downline.
As you consider them, notice how interconnected they are. Each is actually one facet of a single, priceless jewel that will enhance your business success dramatically if you apply this concept consistently. This includes teaching it to your people.
Too often, customers are lucky to receive two out of three:
- if the product (or the business or the person) works and is safe, it costs too much;
- if it gives value and it works, it's unsafe; or,
- if it's cheap and safe, it doesn't work.
These are usually all Barker's Eggs, in fact, because the deficiency is almoat always concealed. (Surprise, surprise!)
Let's consider each of the Three Criteria of Fulfilment in more detail.Safety
Safety is really another word for "no risk". Whether it's risk of losing your money, paying too much, the product or business system not working properly, losing face with others, damaging the environment, jeopardising relationships, harming yourself or your family... these are all elements of risk that this criterion seeks to avoid, prevent, eliminate or reduce.
It's the first priority, always, because it's directly associated with peoples' fears. If people are afraid of what you might do TO them, you'll find it almost impossible to focus their attention on what you can do FOR them. Since the other two criteria are the positive benefits, while this one is actually about something negative that doesn't happen to them, it becomes imperative to address this one first.
In selling, the first level of perceived risk is the seller, and the sellers motives not the product or service. Not WHAT you do, but WHY and HOW you do it.Efficacy
Efficacy ensures that your products, your business, your people and you all keep your promises. You're predictable and desirable. You deliver quantity and quality. Efficacy and value create the positive emotional fulfilment that results in customer referrals and repeat, profitable sales.
Value
Value is about more than just money. It's about all the conditions that must be met in order to gain the benefits promised. This includes the purchase price, any instructions for use as well as other variable or fixed conditions.
If people have to change their behaviour (ingrained habits are the toughest), especially over a period of time, such as in dieting or study, they usually lack the self-discipline to do so. When they fail to gain the promised benefits, they'll rarely blame themselves. Instead, they'll blame you, your company, your product or service, because it's less threatening to their defensive emotional state.
Perceived value is the difference between the benefits offered and the conditions on which they depend. The bigger the difference, the greater the emotional payoff.By guaranteeing your prospects three out of three preferably in writing, in the form of a total satisfaction guarantee you enshrine a commitment to excellence in all aspects of your business, protecting and enhancing all your key relationships.
This applies to your retail and wholesale customers, the people you sponsor personally, as well as everyone in your downline team who looks to you for leadership and support in return for the income they help to create for you.Why are they so important?
As we've seen at every stage of the Fulfilment Spiral, we move from one static, emotional condition to the next by way of the three human motives and the Principle of Keys, which says:
- "At every stage of any process there is an invisible barrier, and until we can identify each barrier, identify and obtain each key, and identify and master the actions that will turn each key, that's where we'll stay... stuck at the unknown, unseen barrier, treading water, running on the spot, going 1,000 miles and hour and getting nowhere, banging our heads against brick walls and glass ceilings."
It's so familiar because so few people are even aware of its existence, let alone able to apply it successfully, so they keep running into it, time and time again, without ever recognising it.
So let's look more closely at stages 5, 6 and 7 in more detail to understand why the Three Criteria of Fulfilment are so important to our ongoing success.Stage 5:
Emotional condition Relief
The Key Safety
The Action Satisfy the unmet need.Stage 6
- This links directly to Stage 1, where the emotional condition is fear of loss and the key is the underlying unmet need.
We've led the fearful prospect through the process of hope and desire to the point where they've taken the all-important leap of faith across the yawning, bottomless chasm. We've kept them flying, where gratification is delayed, with regular communication and emotional support, renewing their correct perspective to allay their fears.
Now they've finally landed safely on the other side. Their first reaction is relief. They made it! They didn't fall into the abyss. You and your motives are no longer the immediate perceived risk for them. They can now focus forward instead of watching their backs. They're no longer worried about what you might do TO them, and they're ready eager! to learn what you can do FOR them. The unmet need has been satisfied, so their fear is finally conquered.
They're on a roll from the momentum of their leap of faith, and they promptly move forward to...
Emotional condition — Trust
The Key — Efficacy
The Action — Fulfilment of the promise(s).
- This relates directly to Stages 2 and 3. Their hopes and desires have been justified by the fulfilment of the promises made to them (the key to desire is vision, activated by the promise of fulfilment, remember?), so their confidence in us and in themselves soars. This immediately triggers...
Stage 7
Emotional condition Elation, excitement, joy
The Key Value
The Action Exceed their expectations.
- The benefits they're experiencing for themselves as a result of exercising their faith are so much greater than all the conditions they had to meet that their excitement is unstoppable. The vision we created for them at Stage 3 is now reality. They're now a product of our products, services or business system (especially the compensation plan, if they're new distributors who just received a bonus).
Can you see how and why this three-stage, simultaneous emotional pay-off is so dependent on the Three Criteria of Fulfilment?
Always ensure that the Three Criteria are the foundation of the Fulfilment Spiral BEFORE you get involved. Make sure the products, the company, the compensation plan and your upline support team embody safety, efficacy and value. Then make doubly sure that YOU do, too. As part of that, you'll teach it to everyone in your downline team, and you'll use it as a touchstone to test every business decision you make in future.
There's no more vital thing you can do in building your business successfully.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five
© 2003 John Counsel. All rights reserved. No reproduction by any means permitted without prior written consent of the copyright owner. This article appeared originally in Australian Business & Money-Making Opportunities magazine.© 2003 John Counsel. All rights reserved. No reproduction by any means permitted without prior written consent of the copyright owner. This article appeared originally in Australian Business & Money-Making Opportunities magazine.
