The Contact List Builder is a simple and direct approach to
making profits online. This ebook will show you, step-by-step instructions, how
to get a steady stream of real people wanting to learn more about your business
or opportunity.
August Wusterhausen and I invite you to work with us as we transfer your
online business into the dynamo you always dreamed it could be.
Remember how excited you were when you first decided to work
online? The opportunities seemed endless and the rewards unlimited. Well if you
have lost your enthusiasm, for whatever reason we are going to show you how to
get it back and rediscover that you have every right to be excited!
The
Fact is...
You can create time freedom and personal money freedom. You can
work in a style of your choice, in a market of your choice, with a product of
your choice. You can train and develop a network of dedicated and productive
sales associates. All it takes is a bit of desire, and the ability to follow a
few simple steps each day.
The Contact List Builder, will show you and your team how to
gain control over the essential daily activities that drive your profitability.
One step at a time!
Build your business on a solid and proven foundation. A system
that when put into action will drive you and your team closer than ever to
achieving your wants and desires.
Janet Legere
Publisher/Editor
Contact Janet
Residing
in Calgary, Alberta (north of the 49th parallel) Janet’s corporate
experience is extensive, with a solid base in financial management and the
systems that run them.
Interesting, but un-motivating work, not to mention
the drudgery.
After three long years and a sizable investment of
personal net worth, Janet finally questioned her sanity and returned to work as
an accountant full time. Yes it was
good to get back to earning that steady paycheck; it actually gave her a
feeling of security knowing that financially things were good. The bad? Well a whole bunch really. Her investment of time, money and resources
spent chasing the false dreams and hype added up to a tidy sum. An amount she knew she couldn’t replace
working for someone else.
Working on a limited and part-time basis online a
few months later Janet figured it out.
She discovered the importance of building relationships, and the role
she could play in her contacts’ success.
Although she was only working part time she designed a system that
helped her achieve more in less time.
Janet’s knowledge and resources have culminated in the Contact
List Builder, a system that has proven extremely successful in building a
solid business for those who thought it couldn’t be done. Like Janet says - Real
Results with Real People. There is no such thing as an automated sales
system, period. Yes, systems help in managing your business but real success
comes from the relationships we build.
Visit Sykaro
Insights
Visit Sykaro Inc
Help others succeed, so you will too.
Introduction
Relationship
Building and Soft Sell Marketing Approach
Today’s leading marketing consultants all agree that the
technological age has changed how we are perceived by our clients, customers
and in a whole new light. Have you
noticed lately that when you approach someone about your business quite often
the response goes something like this… Great!
Fantastic! Just give me your
website url and I will get back to you. Familiar?
The most important lesson you will learn in the Contact
List Builder is that people aren’t looking to be sold. They know their interests; they know how to
align themselves with quality products or services. They also have the Internet and all the information they could
possibly need.
The truth is, they really don’t want or need to be
SOLD! Success in Sales today can only
be achieved by putting your clients’ or contacts’ successes on as equal a
footing as your own. By demonstrating a genuine interest and effort in helping
others succeed, your success will only GROW!
The second lesson is the effect that viral advertising
has on the success of your business. As
you will discover, The Contact List Builder is a viral marketing and training
system that helps you build a list of qualified prospects. More importantly, your Personalized copy
provides a good deal of the information they are looking for … a real person
with real information that can provide real help.
The third and equally important lesson is Soft Selling. With the Personalized
Contact List Builder, you no longer have to push your product or service like
the old days. When you follow the flow of the marketing system and your
contacts are applying the same principals (thanks to your assistance), the
result is a growth in business. Your
prospects will be asking if you have room in your organization for them. Everyone wants to be part of a successful
organization. Your personalized copy of the Contact List Builder, will ensure
all roads lead home to your website.
Marketing has changed. The competitive advantage and the
greatest success will be awarded to those sales people, entrepreneurs or
organizations that can redirect their internal focus outwards to the
client. You must learn to play an
active part in your contacts success.
CHAPTER
ONE
What is a personal contact list?
Sykaro Inc is
the sponsor of this copy of the Contact List Builder and Complimentary Webinar
Overview.
Please feel
welcome to contact Sykaro Inc:
Janet Legere
For more information about Sykaro Inc, be sure to visit our website:
www.sykaro.com
Personalize the Contact List
Builder for your business or opportunity:
Contact List Builder
Chapter One
What is a personal
contact list?
Business your business to Your Personal Contact list is
your Business Life Line! Your business cannot succeed without it!
Your Business, no matter what it is, requires a steady
stream of fresh new contacts. This is the Internet World of Network Marketing -
a world that is ever evolving and ever changing.
New contacts become potential future relationships and
good relationships build strong businesses.
Your personal contact list will be the Life-Line of your business and is
KEY to your future and continued success!
TREASURE your personal contact list - nurture it - you
will be amazed at what it will give back
to you!
You will NOT inundate your new contacts with promotions
and ads to joining your business or buy your product. You will, however, share
valuable information with them, ask them questions, ask them to ask you
questions, get to know them and, even more importantly, let them get to know
you! Like-minded individuals do seek
like-minded individuals.
As your new contacts learn who you are and what your
goals and dreams are, they will begin to connect at the same level - this is
powerful! This creates trust and a sense of commitment - people will WANT to
work with you!
A lot of secrets have dropped into my mailbox over the
last couple of weeks - most of them claiming to be the ultimate secret - the
key, if you will, to success. I’ve received so many that I had to open a
separate folder just so that I could keep track of them all.
We’ve been over the secret to success thing before -
there is no secret to success. You won’t succeed simply by learning to
duplicate. You won’t succeed if you only ever become a good leader. Planning
and goal setting do not hold the key. Positive thoughts and hard work won’t do
it, nor will excellent sales or communication skills. None of these things
alone are the key factor of success. If you mastered only one or two, you would
still not likely succeed.
Success is kind of like a great cake. What would you say
is the key ingredient of a great cake? Is it the egg? Maybe you’d say that it’s
milk, chocolate, or flour. Or maybe you believe that the best cakes are made
with real butter and vanilla…? But let me ask you this. If you are in
possession of a beautiful, free-range, farm-fresh egg - do you have a great
cake?
How about a cup of milk? If you have a nice cup of milk -
do you have a great cake? What about flour? If you have flour, do you have a
cake? Chocolate? Does having chocolate result in a cake?
Tell you what - I can find all these ingredients in my
cupboards and fridge… but I can’t find a cake in my kitchen!
If I wanted to find a really great cake in my kitchen, I
would need to carefully select all of the necessary ingredients, mix them
together properly, bake for the prescribed amount of time at the correct
temperature, let it cool, and then finish it with my favorite icing or glaze.
If I did this, then I’d have a great cake!
Success is much the same. If I want to succeed I will
have to determine what it is I need to do, and do it. But I won’t succeed if
all I ever do is find a great product or service to market. I won’t succeed if
I only ever think positive thoughts about my business and myself. I won’t
succeed if I only ever find a great team to work with, or only learn to
duplicate, or only learn to plan and set goals. I will never find success if I
only focus on one aspect of what it takes to succeed, any more than I will ever
be able to make a cake simply because I have a cup of flour.
Success in Network Marketing is not due to simply one key
factor or secret. Success in Network Marketing is the result of a generous
helping of common sense, and many other factors (none of them secret ;o)
Let me ask you this - if you decided to open a bakeshop,
would you waste a lot of time searching for the secret to making a success of
your bakeshop? I doubt it. I expect you would seek out the best recipes and
learn to make the best-baked goods in town. You might do some reading on how
others have succeeded in the same business - but you wouldn’t waste your
valuable time hunting down the one great secret to succeeding as a bake shop
owner.
In this respect, succeeding at Network Marketing is no
different than succeeding in traditional business. You’ll have to learn skills
you don’t already have and then you‘ll need to take action.
You’re going to need to find the best and most appealing
product or service to market. You’ll need to find a supportive team to work
with, and you’ll need to learn how to build a team of your own. You’ll need to
learn to be a good leader. You’ll also need to learn to duplicate the work of
other successful Net workers, while you teach others to do the same. You’ll
need to plan your work, work your plan, set goals, become a skilled
communicator, learn to close sales, and educate yourself. Success isn’t due to
one key action - it’s due to the incorporation of many actions.
Sound like a lot? Well, it is, and it isn’t. You won’t do
it over night. I can’t think of a single business that grows and develops into
a raging success over night - can you?
Success takes time and effort. Success is what you end up
with - not what you start out with. It’s a path, a process, and success itself
- well, that’s the icing on the cake.
Over the next while we will be taking an in depth look at
what I believe are the most important factors of succeeding in Network
Marketing. In the process we will bust open a couple of Networking myths, lay
them to rest, and then learn how to bind everything together with a whole lot
of common sense, and get you heading down your path to success.
So let’s stop looking for those silly secrets to success…
I mean, let’s face it, it’s really nice of folks to send you all those silly
secrets - and for free too, but honestly, nothing is free, and success isn’t
secret. Someone’s just trying to get your attention ;o)
If you’re bent on finding the one secret that will
catapult you towards success… well, I am sad to say, but you don’t really want
to succeed… You want to find the golden shortcut - the yellow brick road. You
want the icing, but you’re not willing to take the time to learn to bake the
cake to put it on…
Tell ya what. Go into your kitchen and get a cup of
flour. Place it on your front porch, preferably on a rainy night, and wait for
cake.
The rest of us… well, we’re gonna hunker down for the
next few weeks and learn how to put it all together ;o)
Stay tuned. More goodies arriving to an inbox near you!
Chapter
Two
Where do I find
contacts?
Chapter
Two
What is a personal
contact list?
Chapter
Three
Creating and
setting up your Auto Responder.
Chapter
Four
Learn how to
generate traffic.
Chapter
Five
Learn how to use FFA
(Free for all) lists to gather leads.
Chapter
Six
Learn how to use
safe lists to gather leads.
Chapter
Seven
Learning how to
manage your personal contacts
Chapter
Eight
“I have contacts,
now what?”
The
End?
Or, the beginning
of your journey to success.
Business
to Business
Viral Advertising
with the Contact List Builder?
Additional
Reading and Helpful Resources
Never stop
learning, adapt early to new technologies.
The
Contact List Builder
Why personalize?
Now that you understand the importance
of relationship marketing, and the soft sell approach
Chapter
One
What is a personal
contact list?
Duplication: to duplicate - to copy. In my opinion, it’s
one of the most important elements of success in Network Marketing.
In Network Marketing, you want to be able to duplicate a
proven system for business building, and everyone in your line must be able to
duplicate the same system. Therefore, the system must be straightforward,
fairly simple (as opposed to complex… not Networking for Dummies ;o) and
attainable (affordable for everyone).
How many times has the "Hottest Biz ever!"
landed in your inbox? Within seconds, thousands of people worldwide are signing
up for the silly thing. Emails are flying fast and furious across the globe.
The company is experiencing 6000 sign-ups per hour - everyone’s super excited,
and… most of the people who sign up can’t even tell you what the heck it is
that they’ve signed up for, or what the product is. They just shut their eyes
and jump into the abyss of excitement!
Many times they’re signing on with complete strangers
whom they know nothing about. They don’t know if the person who sponsored them
has any experience or if they are new to the biz. They don’t know that their
sponsor may have just purchased a computer yesterday and discovered the marvels
of email at 4:00 this morning. Don’t know if this person knows what they are
doing, or if they are the type that throws twenty bucks at every program that
flies by while waiting to see which one will take off. They don’t even know if
this person knows anything about marketing!
Why am I babbling and ranting so?
Because this is important stuff! If you don‘t know much about
your sponsor - you should! You sign up with someone, and you are making an
investment in his or her ability to guide and train you. If you sign up with
someone who doesn’t know what they are doing or how they will do it, doesn’t
know much about the product or the comp plan, and hasn’t followed a proven
system for success (because they just started their Networking career last
week), then how are they going to get you heading in the right direction and
where will you be when the excitement evaporates from the abyss?
Hint: When you sign up for a business opportunity, do so
with someone who has a proven track record, someone who knows exactly what
process will need to be followed in order to succeed. At the very least, make
sure there is some such person in your direct up line, and that this person is
accessible to you.
And why would you want to do this? Because, you want to
duplicate the system of others who have succeeded before you. You do not want
to duplicate the newbie who jumps from one program to the next searching for
the elusive secrets of success and a tired pot of gold.
Common sense stuff - want to succeed? Copy what other
successful people have done. Follow their system. Follow it right to the bank.
When you are out there evaluating an opportunity, make
sure you ask plenty of questions about the system they are using. Is the system
doable? Specifically, what is being done? How are they marketing, how are they
recruiting, and can you do those things?
I need a moment of honesty here - can you duplicate the
success of others? Can you do what it takes to succeed?
Ask prospective sponsors lots of questions, like, “Hey
Joe, how is it that you managed to recruit five new people into your business
today?”
Now before you get all worked up because Joe sponsored
five new people into his business - ask how did he did it. Can you do whatever
it was that Joe did? Can you duplicate his process?
What if Joe says, “Well, it was easy, really. I got on
the phone and I cold called a bunch of people out of the phone book“.
Holy cow, you might say to yourself. I can’t do that. I
can’t call people I don’t know - I’m definitely not comfortable with that…
If Joe is sponsoring five new people a day/week/month and
building a huge organization because he’s comfortable with cold calling, don’t
expect that you will be able to duplicate his success if you are not able to
make cold calls too.
What if Joe tells you that he brings five new people a
week into his business because he spends $250 per month on leads that he purchases
from a lead generation company, and he spends a further $450 per month on long
distance calling. And what if you are not in the position to spend that much
money generating and calling leads? Will you be able to duplicate Joe’s
success?
What if Joe tells you that he recruited his entire family
and every person he has ever met since he was 12... And, what if you come from
a very small family and you have a small social circle? Will you be able to do
what Joe did?
These are important questions. What are the successful
doing, how are they doing it, and can you duplicate what is being done?
Be honest with yourself. Can you duplicate the process,
and can you teach others to duplicate it also? If you can’t (or won’t) and are
not willing to learn - you will not find the success that others have found,
and neither will those you bring into your business. Remember, the people that
you bring into your business will do exactly what you do. If you can’t
duplicate, chances are they won’t either.
Financial success in Network Marketing is based on
leveraging the efforts of others, and you can’t leverage without duplication.
If you don’t have a healthy down line of folks duplicating a proven successful
system, there won’t be anything to leverage… And if you're not leveraging your
effort, you're not Networking. You’re a salesperson. Salespeople don’t need to
recruit - they just need to make sales.
Duplication - don’t dismiss it. It’s a biggie. Find a
straightforward, simple system that most people would be able to learn, follow,
and access. Follow that system. Now you’re duplicating! Teach others to do the
same - they‘re duplicating!
Do the Duplication - you can’t leverage without it.
In part three of What You Need To Succeed I’d like to talk
about sponsorship.
We touched on sponsorship in part two - but in this
article I really want to nail it down.
Sponsorship is extremely important - especially if you
are just starting out in this biz. One of the most important questions that you
need to ask yourself, regardless of your level of experience, is… Who is that
duck that I’m thinking of following around?
What do you know about your prospective sponsor? As a
person - how do they measure up? Are they honest and trustworthy? Sincere and
competent? Who is this person, and what makes them a qualified leader?
These are important questions - and for your own sake and
the sake of your business - you’d better know the answers.
Face it - your sponsor is going to show you the ropes. Do
they know how to operate them? If they don’t and you follow them, the boom of
bitter disappointment will soon come crashing down on your hopes, dreams, and
hard work.
If you have been on the Internet for any length of time,
you will have noticed a plethora of business opportunities. A new one drops
into my inbox every 2.4 seconds. Some are legit and viable, others are an utter
waste of web space - but regardless of the quality of the opportunity, some
poor soul is out there trying to flog it to us baby! That person may have absolute
commitment and belief in the business, or they may be out to make a quick buck.
Either way, they can be very convincing, and you’ll want to know not only how
to evaluate the opportunity, but how to evaluate the person who is trying to
encourage you to join them.
So… who is the person that is trying to sponsor you? How
much experience do they have with Networking in general? How much experience do
they have with the opportunity they are presenting to you? Is it their primary
business, or are they involved in dozens other opportunities? Do they really
know what they are doing, or are they one of the thousands of blind hopefuls
desperately scrambling to eke out a living on the internet but actually
spending more on dime store programs than they are making? Will this person be
there to guide and support you, or will they leave you high and dry once you
sign on the dotted line?
So may questions… but believe me, there are plenty of
folks out there who would love nothing more than to add you to their down line,
grab your money, and run on to the next unsuspecting hopeful soul.
So - how do you find out who your prospective sponsor is?
Ask questions - and plenty of them. Get to know a person a
little before you decide to join them in a Networking venture. In traditional
business you would never jump in with someone you didn’t know and didn’t know
anything about - why would you with Network Marketing?
Here’s what I like to know about a person before I decide
to join them in business:
How long have they been Network Marketing and what is
their track record so far?
How long have they been involved with the opportunity
they are presenting to me?
What kind of success have they had with the business so
far?
What kind of training materials and resources can they
provide for me?
What do we have in common as individuals that would make
us good business partners?
Are they dedicated and sincere, and can I count on them
to be there for me until I’m on my way?
Is this person honest and trustworthy, or are they just
trying to build a huge organization (will I be a person, or member number
0047692 to this sponsor)?
Does this person focus on one business, or dozens?
How committed to success, theirs and mine, is this
person?
Intuitively - how do I feel about this person - what is
my gut telling me?
Do I honestly feel that I can count on this person?
These are some of the things I want to know about the
person I hook up with in business, and I find answers by asking a lot of
questions. If the answers are satisfactory and the business looks good, then I
have done my homework well and I will feel confident joining the prospective
sponsor. If the person’s answers don’t give me much confidence and I still want
to pursue the opportunity, I seek out another sponsor that I feel confident
with. Hey, it’s my business. I have the right to decide who I will work with
;o)
Now, to back up a little - what if the person who is
trying to sponsor you has very little experience Networking and even less
experience with the opportunity that they are presenting to you and you are
really interested in the opportunity… This scenario is common, and not
necessarily a bad one.
If you discover that a prospective sponsor is two shades
greener than you as a marketer, and that they just signed up for the
opportunity they are showing you three days ago you can’t expect them to be the
best possible sponsor for you and your business at this time. That’s not to say
that they never will be, but honestly, at this time, they are exactly where you
are. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
If you find that your sponsor lacks experience make sure
that there is someone in their direct up line who is accessible, willing, and
competent enough to help you get going. If you don’t find such a person but you
are really interested in that particular business, bow out and start searching
for a stronger sponsor.
If you go ahead and sign on with a weak team, just
because you are really interested in the opportunity that they are involved
with, you will find that you have a long row to hoe. You will either be all
alone in your business and training yourself, or you will be working double
time, training yourself and your sponsor.
As discussed last article, if you’re going to succeed in
this biz, you need to find a strong sponsor who can provide a proven, simple,
duplicatable system. There are thousands of ducks out there on their way to
dozens of ponds. Make sure the duck you follow knows the way, and if they don’t,
make sure there is a stronger duck above them. If there isn’t you’ll be all
alone on the mucky road to disappointment and you’ll find nothing but a lot of
quack.
Welcome back to the What You Need To Succeed series!
Today we’ll have a little fun and start with a wee story.
Mary, who owns and operates a ladies clothing store in my
town, had an interesting idea that she ran by me. Two of Mary’s favorite
employees had given their notice. Mary was more than just a little sad to see
them go, because they had all worked together for more than five years and she
was very fond of them. As well, Mary had always felt secure leaving the store
in their care when she was out of town on buying trips or on vacation. She
trusted them absolutely, and knew that they would run the store as if she was
there.
When the women had given their notice, Mary began to
worry because she knew that it would be difficult to find such dedicated and
reliable employees. They would not be easy to replace.
But then a great idea popped into Mary’s head. Mary
decided that since it would be difficult to replace two such reliable
employees, she would put an ad in the local paper stating that she would hire
the first 20 people that walked through her door on Monday morning.
I asked her why she would hire 20 new employees, and she
responded that if she hired twenty she would be sure that at least two of them
would turn out to be suitable replacements for the women that were leaving.
I was a little concerned - 20 new employees, many of them
unqualified, seemed a excessive to me, especially for a small shop. I asked
Mary why she would do such a thing. “Well,” she said, “it’s simple. Not
everyone is cut out for this type of work, so I’ll hire 20 people and see who
sticks. What do you think! Great idea, or what!!??”
“Hmmm… let me get this straight. You’re going to hire the
first 20 people that walk through your door - without even knowing if they are
suited to the position. You’re going to take the time and expense to train them
all, and go to the trouble of having them all added to your payroll, and at the
same time, you are going to expose these 20 potentially unqualified people to
your valued clientele… Why would you do that to yourself or your business?”, I asked.
How about it then - does Mary’s plan sound like a good
one? If you were a small business owner, would you risk hiring 20 strangers to
see who sticks?
Silly question. In traditional business, you would never
hire the first 20 people through your door! You would put an ad in the paper
and collect resumes - then interview suitable candidates and make your choice .
Hiring the first 20 people through your door would be a foolish practice in any
business. And in the same light, sponsoring the first 20 people that respond to
an email for your Network marketing business, is equally as foolish.
Sponsoring is a big part of your business - it’s the only
way it grows. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, and again (and
again ;o) It’s your business. You can afford to be picky about who you sponsor
and you should be picky. It takes a lot of time, effort, and expense to train
and support the people you bring into your business. Why would you invest time
and effort in anyone unless you were certain that they were up to the task, or
at the very least trainable?
Do you enjoy frustration? Do you have oodles of time to
spare? Endless resources and expenses at hand to keep training and supporting
new people so that you can replace those who can’t or won’t make it work?
Let me repeat: Why would you invest time and effort in
anyone unless you were certain that they were up to the task, or at the very
least trainable?????
You wouldn’t make that kind of investment if you were a
shop owner. You wouldn’t make the investment if you were head of personnel in a
bank, or if you were hiring staff for a medical office - so why on earth would
you invest your time dragging unqualified people into your Network Marketing
business? Why on earth would you do that?
I know that growth in your Network Marketing business is
dependent on numbers. If you don’t have a whole whack of folks in the depths of
your down line - you are not making a lot of cash. You’ve got to have the
numbers to make it work - BUT - it’s not just numbers, it’s strength. Strength
and numbers. If the people that make up your down line are not strong, capable,
determined individuals who are sponsoring strong, capable, determined
individuals, then who is supporting your down line? Just you?
Sorry my friends, but if you are the only strong,
capable, determined individual in your business, your business isn’t going to
work. You are, but your business will not. Networking works when most of the
people in your organization are strong, reliable, determined, and capable
individuals - all working together. If they are not, then you will spend a lot
of time training, training, and training, in order to keep new blood flowing
into your business. And sadly, most of those you train won’t be with you three
months down the road.
Do yourself a huge favor. Before you agree to take anyone
into your business, get to know them. Find out if they have what it takes to
make it in this business. Find out if they are committed, determined,
trainable, and willing to make the business work for them - if they are, give
it a go. If you can plainly see that they can’t or won’t do what needs to be
done - let them move on. Don’t sponsor them into your business just to increase
the size of your down line and hope for the best. A down line filled with 2500
inactive members is no different than having a down line filled with 2500
potatoes. Potatoes do not help your business grow - neither do inactive
members.
And on that happy note, I will leave you with the top ten
clues that that guy in your down line might not have been a qualified prospect:
Number 10: Geeze Bob, I really do understand the power of
duplication, but I’m gonna try it my way…
Number 9: Yeah, I’m working 63 programs right now, not
including yours.
Number 8: I should have an advertising budget?
Number 7: Bob, I’ve worked my business two hours a week
for six months, and I‘m still not making enough to quit my regular job. What am
I doing wrong?
Number 6: What do you mean the company forbids Spam?
Number 5: I’m not really comfortable talking to people.
Number 4: What’s Spam?
Number 3: I didn’t know I had to sponsor people!
Number 2: I can’t believe that I haven’t sponsored anyone
in three months! I sent an add to a safe list in April - and not one single
person responded!!!
And the number one clue that that guy in your down line
might not have been a qualified prospect:
NUMBER ONE: Hey
Bob, there’s gonna be lots of spill-over, right..?
Can you be picky about who you sponsor into your
business? I’d say you can’t afford not to. Have a Great Week everyone! See you
next time :o)
Network Marketing & Common Sense
Welcome back to the What You Need to Succeed series. It’s
good to see you again!
Ok - let’s get started. Today’s article will require a
little work from you - nothing too demanding, but, you’ll have to participate
;o)
The first thing I’d like you to do is stand up - we‘re
going to have a practice run. Come on - up you get!
Now that you are standing, take a nice deep breath and
give your head a good shake!
Done? Good, now do it again - give your head a good
shake. Now we’re ready to get started!
Throughout this article I’m going to be asking you to
give your head a shake as we dispel some of the falsehoods and myths associated
with Network Marketing.
Network Marketing is a business and should be treated as
such. It’s not a means by which you will become rich quickly. It will take
work, and amongst other things, it’s not for everyone.
Myth number one: Anyone Can Be a Successful Network
Marketer…
We’ve all heard it a million times: Anyone can do this.
If you believe this statement - stand up, and give your head a shake!
Anyone could be anything - if they so desired. Anyone
could be a doctor, or a lawyer - but not every one is a doctor or a lawyer, and
not everyone would be good at such professions.
While it’s true that it’s possible for anyone to become
successful at Network Marketing - not everyone will become successful, first
because they probably don’t know how to become successful, and second because
although they want to become successful they can’t or won’t commit to learning
the skills needed to become successful.
To succeed in this business a person must have a strong
desire to be successful, a truck load of patience and persistence, and undying
willingness to learn. If you encounter a person who lacks these qualities, then
I would refrain from sponsoring them. They will not stick with the biz. When
the going gets tough, they’ll be gone. If you sponsor them anyway - give your
head a shake!
Myth number two: If you’re looking to get rich quick -
Network Marketing is your ticket!
Oi - I think this myth hurts the industry more than any
other. It is absolutely untrue and completely misleading. I can’t think of a
better way to get a new recruit off on the wrong foot than by leading him to
believe that his financial situation will improve drastically within a week -
and yet, many Network Marketing leaders continue to propagate this preposterous
fallacy. Financial success in Network Marketing takes time, effort, and
commitment - as it would in any other type of business.
Sure, there are the odd few who will be an overnight
success - bully for them! But for the rest of us it takes time to develop the
biz to the point that it even replaces the income from our traditional jobs. I
would encourage every leader to keep in mind that bringing overnight success
stories to the foreground of a presentation is dangerous and misleading. You
can’t sell a business opportunity on the basis of over night success stories -
by trying to impress your prospect with what the business has done for others.
You need to help your prospect discover what the business can do for them as
individuals, in realistic, reasonable, attainable terms.
If you are promoting anything other than realistic,
reasonable, and attainable conditions to your prospects then you are attempting
to sell them the yellow brick road. If you are trying to market the “Get Rich
Quick!” aspect of Network Marketing, give your self a gentle thwack on the
forehead and mutter “Doh!” . The yellow brick road does not exist - you cannot
sell it to others ;o) Where many people do in fact attain financial success in
this biz - they did NOT get rich quick!
Myth number three: Network Marketing is Easy Money
Another stinker! Easy money!? Like any other business or
worth while endeavor - it takes work to be financially successful. As above,
for some people the going is easy - maybe they had a huge downline elsewhere
and they imported the whole dang thing into a new project, or maybe they are
incredibly well connected to others who are interested in Networking and who
also are very well connected to huge social circles, but for the rest of us, it
takes work - sometimes lots of it.
Do not mislead your prospects with claims that Network
Marketing brings easy money. Firstly, what kind of prospect are you attracting
with that kind of statement? How much commitment do you think you’ll get from
someone who is looking to make an easy buck? Secondly, for most Networkers the
money does not come easy and therefore the statement is a blatant lie.
Wooing folks into your business with claims of easy
money…? Oi - give your head a shake. It won’t be long before your new recruit
figures out what is really involved, and if they are not the motivated, driven
type - they’ll be gone, along with any respect and trust that they may have had
for you.
Myth number four: Network Marketing is for You because it
Enables You to Spend More Time with Family and Friends. As a Network Marketer
You’ll have Plenty of Leisure Time Because You are Your Own Boss!
Want to kill a perfectly good marketing relationship?
Tell people they’ll finally be working at home and able to spend more time with
the family…
My gosh - give your head a shake and bite your tongue! If
you’re going to make a statement like this to a prospect, your credibility with
that person will vanish rapidly.
The statement may be true in time - once a person’s
business is well developed and on it’s way. However, if you make a statement
like that to a new recruit, they are going to assume that it will be so next
week, and as we all know, it won’t be. It will be at the very least six months
before a new Networker will have more quality time with family or an excess of
leisure time - but more than likely, it will be a good year or two before the
business is developed to the point of having an excess of free time.
I would refrain from luring prospects with visions of
quick cash and plenty of free time because it is stretching the truth too far.
The fact is that it takes time to achieve these goals. Make sure your prospects
have the time it takes to reach their goals, and that they are willing to
dedicate that time to making their business work.
Now I couldn’t very well finish this article without giving
a quick mention to myth number five: The Spillover Provided with this Comp Plan
will Make You Millions - and You’ll Never Have to Work at it Either!
Alrighty - give your head a shake, bite your tongue, and
lay a moderate slap across your forehead as you shout “DOH!”
I’m only going to say one thing here: Building your
downline, building YOUR business, is YOUR responsibility. Repeating for effect:
YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Just want to give it a brief mention, but, spillover does
not a successful business make. You want success - work for it. You end up with
a little spill over - great. That’s the icing on the cake. Think of it as a
little reward for your effort - but don’t count on it. Successful people become
successful because they have the shoulders of giants to stand on - not because
they let the giants carry them around.
And there you have it - a few Networking myths laid to
rest. Until next time, remember, Network Marketing is business. Don’t be lead
astray by unreasonable statements that some will make about the ease of this
business or the ease at which money will be made. As well, don’t lead others
astray with such statements. Place a high value on the fact that someone trusts
you enough to let you tell them about your business - and don’t abuse that
privilege, because you won’t get a second chance.
This is business. Be real, and be honest.
Here we are again pushing forward with the What You Need to
Succeed series. This week’s article deals with a common sense issue, planning -
an important element that many Net workers fail to incorporate into their work.
It is rather unfortunate that many new Network Marketers
come into this business riding a fireball of excitement. They are led to
believe that the business is easy, and a guarantee of riches will be the result
of a minimum amount of work. For most of us, nothing could be farther from the
truth.
Success in Network Marketing is not dependant on luck…
Luck - well, here are few words I heard last week, and they really resonated
with me: “Luck is that point where preparation met with opportunity…”.
You think that those who have succeeded before you were
lucky…? Well, maybe so, but not pot-of-gold leprechaun lucky… How about
prepared, planned, worked towards a goal lucky. Anyone who has found success in
this business has done so with a great deal of planning. They didn’t fly at it
willy-nilly flitting from one task to the next without direction. They sat down
and made a plan, and then they worked that plan.
Planning has a little buddy that he works well with -
that little buddy is “Goal Setting” (which we’ll be taking a close look at next
article ;o) They go together very well. Goal setting gives you a destination,
and planning is the road you take to arrive at your destination. Planning is an
essential element for success in Network Marketing, as it is in any worthy
endeavor. You can’t very well expect to get where you’re going if you don’t
know how you’re going to get there.
So - what exactly do you need to plan? Well, that depends
on where you want to go - what your goal is. Planning is the perfect
opportunity to sit down with your sponsor and get to work. Your sponsor will be
a definite asset in helping you plan your work because he knows where you want
to go, and knows what it will take to get there. So - the first step in
planning is to sit down with your sponsor, set a few goals while finding out
what your sponsor did to successfully reach his goals.
Knowing what your sponsor did and duplicating his actions
(assuming that your sponsor’s actions were successful) will definitely get you
on the right path. In general, you will need to know things like how many
people you need to sponsor per week/month/year in order to attain the kind of
income that you are looking to make. You will need to know what you will have
to do in order to acquire that number of new recruits.
Does your opportunity require that you retail as well as
recruit? Then you need to figure out the amount of retailing required, who you
will retail to, and how you will retail.
What about advertising? You’ve got to do some. What kind,
where, and how often? And speaking of advertising, do you have a strong series
of ads to use - if not, better get writing!
Marketing online, offline, or both? They both work, so
you’ll need to know how to work both ways. If you’re advertising online you’ll
want to setup an auto-responder. A little automation is a great way to weed out
the serious from the lookie-lookers.
And what about time to learn about your products and
company??? Make time for that? You’ll need to. You will want to keep abreast of
what’s new with your company and products, as well as what’s going on in your
industry (with your competition) in general.
What about time for meetings and training for yourself
and your recruits… you’ll need to slot that in. It’s a tough market, and you’ll
want to be sure that you and your recruits have all the ammo you need to stay
competitive in the market place.
Holy Cow! I could go on and on here. Marketing, training,
advertising, recruiting, retailing, ad tracking, budgeting, time with family
and friends (nope, you can’t ignore them just because you started a new
business ;o) And hey, maybe you will need to work a regular job while you get
things going with your biz…You’ve got to plan for that too.
There’s a lot to plan for, and if you jump blindly into
the saddle, you’ll certainly end up short changing yourself. Please don’t think
that you’re going to sign on with Company A, join a few safelists, send a few
ads, and be on your way in a day or two. Nice scenario - but there’s a wee bit
more to being a successful Networker than sending a few ads out now and then.
When you start out with a new opportunity, you need to take
a little time to evaluate where you are as a marketer and figure out what you
need to do. Make a plan, stick to it and evaluate your progress from time to
time, to see if your plan needs a little tweaking here and there.
You want to be successful - you need a plan. If you don’t
have a plan you’ll be all over the map, and you may not make it to your
destination.
Network Marketing is not a lottery, it’s a business, and
a competitive industry to boot. Give yourself the best possible chance to
succeed. Prepare, plan your work, and work your plan.
It’ll give opportunity a lot to work with.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could travel the world at a
leisurely pace, coming and going as you pleased, where and when you pleased,
not worrying in the least about time or expense?
Imagine heading down to Australia for scuba diving, then
up to Canada for some hiking, then zipping south again to New Zealand for a
bit. Then off to Paris for dinner, to Mexico for a weekend on the beach, and a
week in Milan for a little shopping… How good would that be?? A trip like that
would take a great deal of time and money and such a frivolous trip would be
super if your only goal was to travel.
Most of us don’t have a lot of leisure time or an extensive
amount of cash to blow on such a trip. For most of us, if we were to take a
globe trot, it would have to be well planned with specific destinations in
mind. If it were not well planned with specific destinations, we would surely
run out of time and money rather quickly, and we likely would not reach many of
our goal destinations. Our world tour would be cut short, and though we may
have traveled here and there, we would not have actually toured the world and
our trip would not be the success it was intended to be.
Looking through the same lens, one can’t expect to
succeed in business if their only goal is simply to succeed. Success in
business of any kind requires plenty of planning and goal setting.
Last article we had a peek at planning, and this week
we’re going to get to it with planning’s best buddy Goal Setting.
Network Marketing is a business. Sadly, most people come
into it with the belief that it is some kind of magical industry that provides
quick riches with little to no effort. However, I can assure you, Network
Marketing is like any other business in that success is reached through
planning, goal setting, and effort. If you think for one second that you will
get rich simply by occupying a spot in someone’s downline while they do all the
work - give your head a shake! Show me an armchair millionaire and I’ll show
you someone who is broke and desperate (and lazy). (Hey, if you really think
that you can get rich doing nothing - if it were really that easy, don’t you
think there would be a lot more millionaires in the networking world…?)
Network Marketing is business and as such requires work,
determination, planning and goal setting to achieve success - nothing magical
about that.
In this business, you need to know where you want to go,
and you need to be very specific about your goal. You can’t just spout out that
you want to be successful. If you aim simply for success without setting goals,
your trip to the promised land will be all over the map and you’ll be exhausted
(and broke!) long before you reach your destination.
Success? You’ve got to be much more specific than I want
to succeed in this business. You need to first define what success means to
you. Is success to you a monthly income of $10,000 per month? Is it a new
house? Is it a luxury car? Is it more time with your family?
Setting a goal to be successful is far to vague. You need
to have your idea of success very firmly planted in your mind. Your goal must
be specific and you need to make a very clear statement to yourself about what it
is that you want to achieve.
When I have people sit down and determine what their
goals are, I like to have them work backwards. First, I have them determine
what their long term goal is - what it is that they ultimately aim to achieve.
For example, many people want more leisure time to spend with friends and
family. That’s a great start. If that is your goal, then in order to further
define your goal and the work you will have to do to achieve it, you have to
ask yourself a few questions.
First, exactly how much time is “more time” ? Is it two
hours a week? Four hours a day? Two weeks a month? Once “more time” has been
specifically defined, then you can determine exactly what you have to do to
achieve your end.
When I first started out in this business my goal was to
be a work at home mom. I was very clear on that issue, so what I had to do was
determine exactly what I would have to do to generate an adequate income so
that I could work from home and be home for my family. Basically, the
requirement was to replace the existing income that I had working outside the
home.
So, whatever your goal is - a new home, more time, extra
cash, retirement - what ever you wish to achieve, you need to ask yourself what
exactly must be done to achieve that end. This is an excellent time to sit down
with your sponsor because your sponsor will be able (or certainly should be
able) to tell you in exact terms what you will have to achieve on a daily,
weekly, and monthly basis in order to achieve your goal.
Once your long term goal has been specifically defined,
you can begin to break it down into smaller manageable chunks, and begin
setting short term (daily, weekly, and monthly) goals.
For example, Sue wants to replace her existing income of
$2000/mo. In order to do that, Sue needs to bring 10 new people into her
business every month for six months, and she also needs to make at least 5 new
retail sales per month. Once she has achieved this quota, she will have secured
an income of $2000 per month.
Simple stuff - we know what Sue must do to reach her long
term goal, and now we break it down.
Sue needs to have 60 people in her downline in six
months.
Sue needs to make 5 new retail sales per month.
These stats break down like so:
60 new recruits in 6 months =
10 new recruits per month =
2.5 new recruits per week =
a new recruit every thee days or so
5 new retail sales per month =
1.25 retail sales per week
By breaking things down, we find out exactly what Sue
must achieve on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. She now has daily, weekly
and monthly goals and we can begin planning what must be done in order to
achieve results she seeks.
Goals need to be broken down in this way so that you can
attain them. They can’t be vague, I want to succeed, they must be specific, I
want to earn $5000 per month. When you know your goals specifically, then you
can break them down into smaller workable chunks and work towards them.
I always suggest that people write up a very detailed
goal sheet which includes a bit of a story describing a perfect day in the
lifestyle they are working towards. Mine goes something like this:
My family and I live in a beautiful home that we designed
ourselves. The home has many spacious rooms decorated in comfy warm tones and
soft furniture for relaxing. The kitchen is huge with a wonderful work station
in the center. The cabinets are oak and glass, the counter tops are tile, and
the floor is hardwood. Every aspect of our home has a warm and natural glow and
we always feel relaxed.
We live on a beautiful treed acreage on the ocean. In the
summer we have all our meals on the deck.
I wake each morning a 7:00 am, work my business until
noon, then take off with the family for an outing…
I read my perfect lifestyle at least twice a day. Once in
the morning and again before I go to sleep. I have my goals set up daily,
weekly, monthly, and long-term. I stick to the daily/weekly/monthly tasks as
required, and review my progress regularly. Sometimes my long-term goal
changes, so I stay flexible, but I always stay focused on what I am doing and
why I am doing it.
So, lets quickly recap: Set a long-term goal. Write out a
“perfect lifestyle scenario” and then sit down with your sponsor and determine
exactly what you will need to do on a daily/weekly/monthly basis in order to
achieve your goals.
Remember, if you want to get somewhere, you have to know
where you want to go, and you have to know what you need to do to get there,
otherwise, your just making tracks, but there’s no guarantee that they will
take you anywhere.
Till next time,
I wasn’t born with it. Never had much talent as a kid.
Was really shy in fact. But I’m lucky, I’ve got it now …The Gift of the Gab,
and let me tell you, if I had nothing else, this one gift would get me far.
Yes, I can communicate. I get email everyday from people
that I have never met thanking me for my email and thanking me for being a real
person. You see, I don’t use form letters much. When I write to someone, I make
my note as personal as I can. I want the recipient to feel that I wrote the
message just for them - and they do. That’s why they write me and thank me.
And when I speak to people on the phone or in my voice
room I never use a script. I speak from the heart, and I try to get a feel for
my prospect, where they’re at, and what their needs are. I’m always myself -
never a sales person, and people always thank me for my honest communication.
They may not join me in my business. They may not buy my product, but they
thank me just the same - and we usually keep in touch.
Communication is the key to developing strong
relationships. Relationships are the foundation of Network Marketing - You will
never find success in Network Marketing if you can’t build strong
relationships, and you’ll never build strong relationships if you can’t
communicate effectively.
For instance - a couple of years ago I met Sherry. We
chatted it up a couple of times, and eventually we became good friends. Sherry
sells vitamins, and I buy my vitamins from her.
Now, I could go to the store and buy much less expensive
vitamins. Or I could purchase vitamins from any of the gazillion offers sitting
in my inbox. I’m sure that they are at least as good as Sherry’s vitamins,
maybe better, and maybe less expensive. But I wouldn‘t do that. I buy my
vitamins from Sherry. I like Sherry. I trust Sherry. She’s my friend, and in a
small way, I am contributing to Sherry’s success in business.
So let’s kick it back a couple of years - to the day that
I met Sherry. What if I had not found her very personable? What if she spoke in
clichés and had as much personality as a wet rug. What if she was rude and
sounded like a circus ring leader when she spoke? Do you think it’s likely that
I would be purchasing anything from her today if I had found her insincere?
I’m not even going to answer that silly question ;o)
The Internet is an excellent means of communication. We
have email, chat rooms, voice rooms, forums, instant messaging, newsgroups -
it’s truly amazing. When else have we had the means of unearthing so many new
people to communicate with, in such a varied manner, right from the comfort of
our own cozy homes? But sadly, Network Marketers have abused this incredible
tool of communication. In fact, if it wasn’t so sad, it would be laughable …
Here is a poor soul who is probably mailing his heart out
- but he just doesn’t get it:
Hello Internet Friend!
This is not spam - this is a one time mailing!
You must see this. It’s amazing. Millions are benefiting
from this amazing product and business.
Visit this website - you’ll be amazed!!!!
http://www.I’m.a.twit.com
Warm Regards
Sj03467811100
There is nothing personable about this message. It’s not
addressed to me, it’s not even signed by the sender, and the sender hasn’t even
included a way for me to contact them. This message communicates a few things
to me - none of them good. First, it tells me that the sender has no idea what
they are doing. It also tells me that they are inexperienced, and it indicates
strongly that what ever the product or business is, it probably isn’t above
board or profitable. Looks like a scam to me.
So you see, there’s communication, and then there’s
communication. What are you communicating?
If you are going to use the Internet as a means of
communication, as a tool to help grow your business, why not learn to
communicate effectively and use the tool in a manner that will actually bring
you the results you are looking for?
And here’s a little hint. If someone told you that you
will never have to directly communicate with anyone to find success in your
business - they were lying to you.
At some point you’re going to have to get out from behind
that auto-responder and be a real person. There’s a huge market out there, and
the market is wise. Very few people are willing to do business with someone
whom they have never communicated with on some kind of personal level. At some
point you’ll have to leave the safety of your form letters behind, be brave,
and be yourself. You’re going to have to communicate directly with your
prospects and you’re going to have to communicate effectively, not like some
kind of hyped-up side-show carnie …
At the beginning of this article, I said I was lucky
because I have the gift of the gab - but really, I’m not lucky at all. I’m
clever, observant, and I’m brave. Remember, I also said that I was very shy as
a child - well, that shyness lasted until I was almost 30 - but look at me now!
(Yak, Yak, Yak ;o) My gift was not something that I was born with. It’s
something that I developed. I had to learn - and I did.
Here’s what I learned:
Always communicate as though you were speaking with
someone you know, respect, and care about.
Be yourself. Always speak (or write) from your heart -
NEVER use hype.
When sending email always include your contact
information and use the recipients first name, whenever possible, in the
subject header and at least twice in the body of your message.
If you’re going to use form letters and auto-responders,
personalize your message for each recipient.
Automation has it’s limits. Use it to get the ball
rolling, but step in and get personal as soon as the opportunity presents
itself.
Always be more concerned about your prospect’s needs than
you are about making a “sale”. If you're only real concern is the sale, people
will smell it, and that’s a real stinker.
You can learn what your prospect needs by asking
questions and listening to the response.
Anyone can learn to be an effective communicator. Look,
Listen, Learn. Be aware. Listen to (or read) other successful communicators.
Read your list mail. Separate the ineffective, insincere junk from the
personal, perceptive gems. Copy the gems, learn what not to do from the junk.
Be yourself, and be brave. You likely won’t make it if
you can’t develop relationships, and you won’t be developing any relationships
if your communication is filled with hype, buzz, and jargon. You can learn to
be a good communicator and get the gift of the gab working for you. All you
have to do, is be sincere, and begin.
In this business, I see a lot of ‘stuff’ being marketed
through thousands of programs. I also hear from a lot of people who have spent
far too much money, investing in dozens of programs that seem to go nowhere.
These poor souls are tired of being scammed, and tired of wasting their money
on programs that seem so promising, and yet fail to deliver. And who can blame
them!
They buy into the hype and in rather short order discover
that once again they have landed themselves in a program that will never bring
their dream of financial freedom to fruition. So, they abandon it, and jump on
board the first comet that streaks past.
This trend seems to go on and on. I have been
corresponding with some of my contacts for more than three years now, and it
never ceases to amaze me how many programs they have jumped into and abandoned
a few months down the road. Every three weeks or so I get another email from
them, outlining their newest program and inviting me to check it out. It’s sad
really, because I know that that was never what they had intended to do as
online marketers. I know for a fact that ultimately, they are looking for
something valid and sustainable in a home-based business … and they haven’t found
it.
How can all this jumping and flitting from one program to
the next ever result in a successful business? It’s as though everyone is
searching blindly for the golden egg at the end of the rainbow … Is that how
people find success in any endeavor?
I think it’s time that people started to seriously
evaluate what they are doing, and how they are doing it. I think we all need to
apply a little common sense to what we are doing, and we need to really
investigate a couple of things.
1. Why have you chosen to take on Network or Affiliate
Marketing, and, are your expectations realistic.
2. What are you marketing, and is it something that will
market well?
Many people - most, I think, are drawn to Network
Marketing because they see it as a means of attaining financial freedom. If
this describes you then you need to have a very strong understanding of the
compensation plan that your company offers in order to determine what you will
need to do to achieve your financial goals.
If all you can see is a six figure income at the end of a
carrot - wake up!
A six figure income is a wonderful goal - but how are you
going to get there? You need to break that figure down into workable chunks.
What does that six figure income mean in so far daily achievement goes. With
the comp plan you are working with right now - how will you attain a six figure
income? Does it mean that you need to make two sales a week or three sales a
day? Is your income commission based? Does your company offer signing bonuses?
How many people do you need in your organization before you can actually live
on your residual income?
So many questions! So much detail - and I know you just
want the six figures and I just vaporized the six figure dream by complicating
everything … But, I’m not going to apologize. It’s a little work, but it’s well
worth the effort.
Your success in Network Marketing is highly dependant on
knowing exactly how you will be paid and what you will have to accomplish to
make income that you desire. You’ve got to evaluate whether or not your
financial expectations are realistically attainable given the comp plan that
you are working with and the effort you are willing to put into your business.
If you want to get somewhere, you really need to know
what you will have to do in order to get there. You REALLY need to know - or
you’ll never get where you want to go. You’ll just keep jumping from one
program to the next, wondering why you aren’t making that six figure income…
The second thing you need to evaluate is the product or
service that you are marketing. Is it in high demand - is there a need for it?
Are most people using and purchasing your product on a regular basis?
In my humble opinion, for your primary business you want
to be marketing something that most people need and use on a regular basis. If
you are going to market, why not go for the widest market possible. Why even
bother trying to market something that you have to convince people that they
need. In my mind, that’s just too much work. I want to market something that
people need and use regularly. I market the Big Widget - something that people
don’t think twice about purchasing. That cuts my work in half, because I don’t
have to convince them that they need it - they know they need it. All I have to
do is prove to them that I have a better Widget, and that I give better Widget
service than any other Widget provider in the world.
Now, that ‘s not to say that there aren’t any secondary
widgets worthy of marketing - there are many!
I even market some of them - however, when you market the secondary
widget, it has been my experience that you have to work hard to convince people
that they need it, and, usually, the market for the secondary widget is quite
specific.
Now when I say specific, I mean that it is generally much
smaller than the market for the Big Widget. For instance - several times I have
tried to market specialized tools for Network Marketers. Sadly, I didn’t have a
great deal of success with them. True, there are a lot of Network Marketers in
the world, and the products were great marketing tools - but they were not
really necessary. True, they were useful. True, they made marketing much more
smooth and simple - but only the big boys could afford them - therefore, my
potential market was very small. (Eventually I clued in, and now I market a
single brand that has both mass and specialized appeal. Yes, Big Widget and
secondary widget all I one! Two birds, one stone, less work for me. It took a
while, but I finally caught on ;o)
So if you have found that you are not making the income
that you had hoped for, if you’re just not where you thought you would be at
this time, I encourage you to do a little evaluating.
Why did you become involved in Network Marketing? What
was so appealing to you? Are your financial goals really attainable given the
comp plan that you are working with at this time? What have you chosen to
market, and is it something that has mass appeal and need?
So many questions … but sometimes we need to pull our
head out of the sand and take an honest look at the situation. Evaluate it.
Employ a little common sense, and eliminate the disappointment.
Until next time - market wisely, market well.
Here we are at part ten and the final article in the What
You Need to Succeed series. We’ve covered a lot of topics that are important to
attaining success: sponsorship, duplication, goal setting, and communication to
name a few, and today I would like to talk about the Single Minded Marketer.
The Single Minded Marketer undoubtedly has a hectic life.
He or she may be a parent. May have another job. Has bills, a mortgage and
other financial responsibilities. Has the occasional family crisis, may feel
depressed from time to time. The Single Minded Marketer may be experiencing
financial stress or may be utterly broke at this moment, but regardless of the
situation, the Single Minded Marketer knows that that’s life, and life in it’s
varied complexities will carry on, sometimes throwing an unexpected curve into
the mix, sometimes delivering devastation, other times immeasurable joy.
That’s life, and the Single Minded Marketer does his best
to keep the balance regardless of what life may deposit on the doorstep. The
Single Minded Marketer accepts that life is life and keeps his goals of success
in the forefront of his mind, pushing ever forward through the ups and downs.
The Single Minded Marketer is just that, Single Minded,
and absolutely focused on success - never giving up when the going gets tricky.
Accepting what life delivers and dealing with it, while constantly pushing
steadfast toward their goal. This is Single Mindedness.
Life is as full of bumps and bruises, ups and downs,
setbacks and unexpected events as it is filled with joy and positive
development. Life is life, and it won’t quit being life just because you have
decided to make a change in you personal situation. Life may or may not even
acknowledge that you are putting in new effort. Life will continue to be an
unpredictable adventure, so you had better learn to go with the flow while you
forge your way towards success.
Life is and will continue to be just that - life. Things
don’t always turn out the way you want them to, or the way you expect them to -
which reminds me of a little story ;o)
When my daughter was born, she was the cutest, sweetest
little screaming thing I had ever seen in my life. Loved her dearly, I did, but
was not prepared for the constant crying that came with the little bundle.
After a couple of months, I was worn out and was sure that I would never be a
good parent. My visions of leisurely walks through the park pushing my daughter
in her buggy, playing on the slide, the swings, or just goofing around, came
crashing down on me because I couldn’t adjust to all the screaming. We didn’t go
out to the park for walks or play time. We didn’t have lazy sunny afternoons in
our back yard - she was always screaming, and I just didn’t know what to do, so
I took my daughter to the doctor. He examined her thoroughly, shrugged his
shoulders and told me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her…
“However,” he said, “you look like crap. I want you back in the office in an
hour, without the baby…”
I returned alone an hour later. My doctor took my pulse,
drew blood, listened to my heart, weighed me - all the usual shenanigans - and
when he was done he told me that I was physically fine, however, he said,
emotionally I was a mess.
We started talking about all the changes in life since I
had had my daughter, and finally I just blurted out, “I thought it would be
different. I thought she would be happy and content, and that she would love
me. I thought she would coo and gurgle, and spit up and giggle a lot - but
that’s not what she does. She screams and cries from dawn ’til dusk, and I just
don’t know what I’m doing wrong. She hates me… I am not a good mother
(whaaaaaaaa).
There was a huge gap between what I thought motherhood
would be like, and what it was actually like, but I was so emotionally invested
that I could see my way clear of the obstacles.
Fortunately, my doctor was a very wise man. “Morgana,” he
said to me, “you will be a fine mother - once you quit trying to force the
situation. You had preconceived ideas about motherhood, but in reality your
ideas are a little off. You have to deal with the situation that you have, not
the situation you don’t have. Work with what you’ve got and stop trying to
force it to be what you expected. Let it be what it is. Accept and embrace what
it is.”
What a great and valuable lesson I learned! I had a goal:
be a good mother, but I couldn’t attain my goal because I wasn’t accepting the
situation that I had been dealt. I wasn’t succeeding because I was letting the
situation control the outcome, instead of embracing what I had and working with
it towards my goal.
I took doctor’s advice home and put it to use. Within a
couple of weeks my relationship with my daughter changed completely, because I
quit resisting, and once I stopped resisting and accepted what was instead of
what I wished was - the whole situation changed and I was able to work towards
my goal of being a good mother with ease. I kept my goal clearly in my mind
(yes, I became single minded!), worked with what I had, and soon enough, I was
where I wanted to be.
In this same way Single Minded Marketers filter the
realities of life through the lens of their goals - keeping what they are
working towards in mind all the time, while working through the situations that
life has delivered to them.
Life is full of hills and valleys, and they won’t level
out just because you decided to take control of your life and venture out into
a business of your own. So, what are you going to do - give marketing your best
shot and hang it up when you encounter a setback or two? That would be a
tragedy. You’ll never succeed if you give up.
Ok, now while we’re at it here, let’s dispel a little
myth. When we see successful people, we assume that life is, and always has
been, a bowl of cherries for them… Now I ask you, how silly is that??? Sure,
they are successful, they have all the markers, the house the car, the clothes,
the vacations… but they probably had to fight, claw, chew, and push their path
to success just in much the same way that you are now. Success wasn’t handed to
them on a silver tray - they worked for it, and they never gave up.
Giving up is easy - success takes a little work.
Successful individuals are single minded. They stay focused on their goals
regardless of what life throws their way. They work with what they have, and
just kept pushing until they arrived at their destination.
And that about wraps up the Success series. Be a Single
Minded Marketer and work with what you’ve got. Don’t worry about what life
throws your way - accept it and press on.
Single Mindedly Yours,
I’m going to pick up right where I left off last week.
Last week I was discussing the advantage of sorting through the merely curious
in search of the truly committed, and this week I’ll talk about how you might
do just that.
Now, when you are sorting through prospects there is no
reason to be shy or feel self-conscious about the questions that you are
asking. This is business. Period!
You are looking for a particular kind of person, and many
will appear to fit the bill. You are going to have to ask questions to find
out. Some may appear to be the kind of person you are looking for, however,
they may, in fact, not be. When sorting, we need to be careful and not get
caught up in the way things appear to us, and be especially careful not to get
caught up in wishful thinking.
When you are going through the interview process, and it
needn’t be a formal process, you are doing so to flesh out key factors about a prospect. At the same time, you also
want to stir up some interest in your opportunity.
The interview serves as a two-fold tool that will help
you to: discover vital information about the prospect and spark a little
interest.
During the interview process you want to find out if a person
has a need for change, and next you would probably want to know if they desire
a change. Need and desire are going to be pretty close to the top of the wish
list for your new recruits. If prospects lack need or desire then they will not
have the necessary fuel for the fire that is required in this industry.
When I am looking for recruits, I am looking for people
who are hungry. People who are hungry rarely lack need or desire, and by hungry I am not necessarily talking about
a rumbly tummy. When I say I want hungry recruits, I mean they really, really
want, and need to make a change in their lives or situation. They are hungry!
So, how do I find out if they are hungry? A most
excellent question!
Part one of this article will discuss the ways that you
can work through a rather informal interview. This wee bit of wisdom works well
for chance meetings say at a bus stop or in a store, perhaps with a co-worker
that you don’t know well. This process is used to work a cold market (people
that you don’t know).
As I mentioned above, the first thing you want to
discover about a prospect is whether or not they have a need. Finding out if a
person has a need is very easy. Say you meet someone in a café as you are
paying your check. A simple “Hi” and a smile are enough to get things going.
Follow this up with a wee bit of small talk
about the weather, or the food in the café, or the service – something
that you are both experiencing. And, be very, very genuine about your questions
and statements … nothing will turn a person off faster than insincerity. It has
a certain inescapable odour. People will engage in polite conversation, but if
you want something from them – they’ll smell it. They’ll become suspicious
and defensive, and you will not be
successful in engaging them in conversation. In effect, you will put yourself
500 miles from any kind of interview. So be sincere and genuine.
After you have gained the persons confidence, and you
will see it in their face if you have, you can then start asking generalized question of a more personal nature, like,
“How is everything going?” or “How’s things?” or “How’s the boss treating you?”
One of my favourite former sponsors had great success with “Hey y’all do’in?” Use something that you are comfortable with
and that fits the situation.
If you have succeeded in gaining the persons trust you
will be surprised at just how much a person will tell you, so when you
ask, “Hey y’all do’in?”… Listen Up! You
might just get an ear full.
Remember (and yes, I know I am nailing you to the wall
with this one…) network marketing is relationship building. When you start
talking to a total stranger you are developing a wee relationship with them.
When they respond by talking to you … LISTEN TO THEM. And listen very carefully.
They’re going to tell you everything that you need to know before you even
ask.
Most people love to talk about themselves, but often have
a tough time finding an audience. Be a good audience when they start talking. Listen for clues to what they need,
or what is missing in their lives. If you ask “How’s it going?” and they reply
with, “Well, not bad” find out what’s good, find out what is not so good, find
out what is bad. Ask the questions that will get them going.”
If someone says to me “Not too bad.” I immediately repeat
“Not too bad…? Could be better?” They will usually say, “Yup, could be better.”
I immediately agree with them: “Ain’t it the truth!” Then I will start to get a
little more focused: “Things are good at work though? Always good at work!”
Sounds like a kookie question, but more often than not,
if you ask how things are at work people will say that things are going fairly well. However, if you imply that
things at work are going really well, more often than not you will get the real
goods on how things are going at work. I usually get: “Good at work? No,
not really.”
That’s exactly what I am looking for. Some kind of
statement that tells me that things could stand improving with the work
situation. I then go on to ask a few more questions in an attempt to glean a
little about finances, lack of freedom, excess of bills, or job satisfaction
because I find that llack of money, lack of
freedom, and sheer boredom, are the three most likely reasons a person
will consider network marketing.
You are going to have to dig around in your head to find
small talk questions that feel comfortable for you, and if you are the kind of
person who doesn’t feel comfy making small talk with strangers – don’t worry,
it’ll come. Eventually you won’t have a problem with it, but it will take some
trial and error (don’t worry about the error part – give yourself permission to
fail. Everyone had to start somewhere, and every flop is an opportunity for
learning J … Now, you may not believe this, but I am actually quite shy. It
took me a long time to feel comfortable striking up conversations with complete
strangers… but look at me now! How many of you are there out there? I don’t
know most of you, yet I yak on and on to you every week. Trust me, talking to strangers does get
easier, even enjoyable. I have fun with it now!).
Back on track here… Now, while you are listening to your
prospect answer your questions, you will want to interject with little statements like, “I hear you” and “Yes, I
know exactly what you mean.” For example when someone says to me “Man, do I
ever hate my job!” I say, “I hear ya. I know exactly what you mean. Been
there myself.”
With these statements I am putting myself on level ground
with my prospect. And I am not just paying lip service to them: I am sincere
and they know it. The statements that I make in response to my prospects help
to develop a sense of camaraderie between my prospect and me. I develop a sense
of trust with them. They view me as
being similar to them, someone who knows and understands because they have had
the same experience.
At this point they will usually ask me what I do, and I
tell them that I help people start their own businesses, or I help people start
working from home, or I help people straighten out their finances. Sometimes I
just say that I help people change their lives. I don’t give out any details
here, as I am trying to create a bit of suspense…trying to spark their
interest.
Usually people will respond with “Wow, really, you help
people straighten out their finances?” or “You help people change their lives.
That sounds interesting. I’d like to hear about that “.
Now, if I have done my job right here, I have peaked
their interest to the point that they ask me for more information, but some times they don’t. If they don’t, I
rattle on telling them that I love what I do, and then I will ask them if they
would like to hear more about it, or I say that I would be happy to tell
them about it.
Back tracking a bit here. If the prospect doesn’t ask me
what I do for a living during our chitchat I try to turn the conversation in my
favour. When I discover that things are not going well at work and that a
change would be welcome, I tell the prospect that I am currently looking for a
few good people.
So throughout the initial chitchat with my prospect I
work at gaining their trust and confidence, and sparking their interest. I never tell them in so many words exactly
what I do, but I do make them very curious. That’s exactly what I want to do
when I am working a cold market – gain trust and awaken curiosity.
If during this process my prospect presses me to explain
what I do in detail on the spot, I immediately check my watch and tell
them I would love to, but I have to
dash to an appointment.
Once I have accomplished my goal of gaining confidence
and stirring up interest, I ask my prospect to have a cup’a with me. I
pull out my daytimer and find a free
hour the next day. I get a commitment from them – and a phone number if the
prospect feels comfortable with that.
This is the first part of the initial interview process.
It only takes up five to ten minutes, then, it’s done.
Your goal here is to get an appointment for a more
in-depth conversation, nothing more. You do not want to introduce them to the opportunity, or tell them exactly what you
do at this time. You have the appointment. You have them cook’in on the
curiosity burner. You are done.
Now, as this is a rather important topic, and as I am
getting a bit wordy already, I will have to break this article into a few parts. Next week I will address the actual
interview, and the psychological impact you will want to have on your prospect.
Until then, practice a little cold call dialogue.
Explore! Invent! Take some risks and get sorting!
I do hope that this week finds you happy, healthy, and
ready for the Holiday Season! In this little corner of the globe, we are
at least happy and healthy! (I’m sure
that none of you out there have left things to the last minute, as I have ;)
So, let’s just jump right in where we left off last week.
Last week I began a series of articles called Interviewing: The Art of Sorting,
and I talked about an informal mini interview that you can use during chance
meetings. This week I will discuss the more formal, or traditional
interview.
Again, I want to stress to you that the interview is a
tool that will help you to discover information about a prospect while sparking interest in your opportunity.
The interview is nothing more than a series of questions
that you will ask a prospect in order to find out what kind of headspace they are in.
The traditional, more extensive, interview is used during
your second meeting with a prospect. As well, I often use it as a follow-up
email, or post a form on my website, as a means of collecting data on prospects
that I have never personally met. I use the data to determine whether or not it
is worth my effort to train and support
prospects. I use the data to sort through the merely curious to find the truly
committed.
Now you may think it a bit cold of me to admit that I
sort through prospects to find out if they are worthmy effort – I don’t mean to
be cold. I have simply found that in my effort to work smarter not harder, it
does boil down to basics, ie: is a person worth my time and effort – if I put
in the time and effort to train and support them, will they run with the baton,
or will they trip me and slow me down as I try to drag them through the
process? Sheer experience has brought me to this point. It’s not cold, it’s
just a fact, and one you will probably want to consider: Is a prospect worth
your time and effort? If you feel that they are – train them. If you can see
that they are not – don’t.
The interview is one way to find out if a prospect is
worthy of a time investment.
Through your initial contact with the prospect you will
have discovered whether the person has a need and desire for change, and
the interview will pickup right where
you left off.
Before I get into the interview itself though, a few
words on you, the interviewer, during the interview process.
You will want to be fairly casual and relaxed while you
conduct the interview. The interview is very different than what you go through
for a job. During an interview for a job, the interviewer wants to find out if
the person has the skills and personality to perform the job being offered –
with a network marketing interview, skill is more or less irrelevant. You can
teach a person to do anything (we’re kind of like monkeys) – if they want to
learn, but what you will be looking for is personality and drive as
opposed to skill. You’re not looking
for an employee. You’re looking for a team member and a business associate. So,
be casual. Relax. This will help your prospect feel relaxed also.
During the interview you will want to find out if you
think you will work well with the prospect, whether they are trainable, and
whether they truly have the desire to succeed.
That in mind, you will want to ask questions to find out
where they have been, where they are, and where they want to go. What you really want to know is if they have what it
takes to get the job done.
All of us who are successful networkers know the amount
work and commitment required to reach success. I think it is the greatest
disservice to your prospects, and the industry itself, to lead a prospect to
believe that network marketing is a quick and easy buck. Don’t go there, or
anywhere near there. In fact, make it very, very clear to your prospects that
network marketing can be extremely rewarding – but it’s going to be a tough row
to hoe from time to time.
If the idea of hard work scares a prospect off then you have
just done yourself a huge favour. Personally, if it looks like someone would
ditch their business when the road gets a little muddy, I’d rather know before
I sink months of training into them. I take my business very seriously, and I
want to work with people who will do
the same.
So, I ask questions; lots of them.
I always start the interview by asking my prospect to
tell me a little bit about them self. I want to know what kind of work
they have done in the past, what skills
they have. What their financial
situation is at the moment. How much more money they require. I pay very close
attention to what they tell me, and I take notes.
After they have told me a little about themselves, I dig
in with my questions:
Do you like the work you are presently doing?
- I ask
this to find out if a career change is really what they are looking for.
Approximately how much are you making now and how much
more money do you require than what you are making presently?
- I ask
this to find out if they are looking for a new career path or if they are
merely looking for something part time. It doesn’t matter either way, but I
want to know what they want and need in so far as their commitment to working
the business goes.
Do you see yourself as a real people person, or a bit of
a loner?
- I
ask this because shy, quiet types are
going to have a bit of a bumpy ride in network marketing. They need plenty of
drive and positive mental attitude to break through their shyness. This is a
real people person kind of business. I
have found that the extroverted personality has a much easier time of it than
the introvert.
Would you enjoy working in a mailroom sorting and
delivering mail, or would you prefer to be the head of a department? (Or
any variation on this theme.)
- I ask
this to find out if my prospect is a follower or a leader. Most successful
networkers are true leaders.
Do you believe that it is possible for you to make
$250,000 or more per year?
- With
this I am trying to find out if the prospect believes he or she is actually
worthy of an extraordinary income. If they believe that they are worth it, they will work hard to achieve
their goals. If they don’t think they are worth it, they will work hard to make
sure they don’t reach their goals… Kooky concept, but true.
What do you perceive as being the best thing about having
your own business? And what is the worst thing about it?
- Here I
am digging for goals and looking for fears that may hold them back.
What would you do with and extra $500 (or $5000, or
$15,000) per month?
- Again, I
am looking for goals and solidifying whether my prospect is looking for a full
time or part time business.
What will you bring to the team, and why do you think something
like this will work for you, and why are you right for this?
- Here I
am looking to see if they see themselves in this kind of business, as well,
getting them to start seeing themselves in this business… getting the wheels
turning. Also, looking for motivational qualities: I am a go getter, a
self-starter, have a positive attitude… etc. Digging for their beliefs about
themselves.
Do you think working from home would fit well into your
lifestyle?
- This
will either wet their appetite, or turn them right off.
Do you have any experience or understanding of network
marketing?
- With
this, I just want to see what I am working with, how extensive the training
will need to be. The less they know about the industry itself, the more training
that is ahead for me. A lack of
understanding about the industry is not a problem – I just want to know
where we will begin.
Now, this next question is not my own, but it works very
well and it goes like this:
If this looked like it would be the perfect business for
you, would there be anything that would stop you from getting involved right
away?
- I ask
this last, and I ask it to see if we are facing any barriers (particularly
financial) to getting started. Do they lack
initial start-up? Is their daughter getting married in a month? Are they
care-taking an ill parent? What is going on in their lives, and how will it
affect their attempt to start a business? I want to confront any barriers immediately – not two weeks after they
have joined my team…
Now you don’t have to ask these exact questions. You can
ask any questions you wish, but I suggest variations on the theme. You are
digging for insight into the prospect: vital information that will suggest to
you whether they are likely to make it in this industry.
As well, you want to stimulate more interest in your
opportunity. But remember, by this point you have not actually told your prospect what exactly it is that you are
involved with – and you won’t yet either!
The questions that you ask will work two fold: first they
will help you learn who exactly you will be working with, and second, they will
wet the appetite of the prospect.
How’s that, you say? Well, first of all, you have not yet
made a formal invitation to join you in the business; in fact, you’ve been a bit of a tease. Through your questioning
you will be subtly suggesting that this business is not for everyone – if you
are talking with a motivated person, the wheels will be turning and their inner dialogue will go something like this:
I’ve got what it takes for this business, I’m perfect for this business!!!
Etc.
People generally want what they can’t have. It’s a
venture into the forbidden, if you will, and makes us want it all the more.
What silly creatures we are.
By the end of the interview, you should have a pretty
good idea of the kind of person that is sitting in front of you. You will
know if they are motivated, if they are
a self-starter, if they are a trainable team player, or to what degree they
posses any of these qualities.
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to the
interview questions. There are only facts and truths. Does this person have
what it takes? The answers they provide will shine a good deal of light on the
topic. Could they be developed into the right kind of person? Or, are they
absolutely and completely unsuited to this business.
Take your interview notes home and read between the
lines. What did the prospect tell you? Are they ready to succeed, or not?
You be the judge. You are the person making the time
commitment to training and supporting this prospect. Will it be worth your while?
Ultimately, you will have to decide, but the interview
will give you plenty of ammo to make the decision.
When the interview is over, make a little small talk,
then, send your prospect home to do some more thinking. Let them know how
the business has influenced you and
changed your life and the lives of others. But again, be vague, you’ll get to
the specifics on your next meeting. Let the prospect know that you will be
following up the interview in a day or
two.
Send your prospect home filled with hope for the future.
Hope for change, hope for growth, a way out of the muck.
Do not ask for a commitment at this time – if the process
is working (and with the truly motivated and committed, it will), they will approach you in short order, and bring
a commitment with them. You won’t need to ask.
Ok, now let's jump right back in...
Working a warm market is great. You know your prospect
and they know you. You don’t need to
work at developing a relationship or trust – it’s pre-existing. Half the work
is done before you get started.
Or is it…?
Well, yes, the relationship is there, the trust is there,
and from what you can see the need and desire are there. At least that is your
perception.
But perception can be a little misleading, especially when
it is led down the yellow brick road by a thimble full of wishful thinking.
An example: Uncle Bob and Auntie Neena.
Uncle Bob has worked for forty-five years as a labourer. Auntie Neena has never worked
outside the home. Uncle Bob and Auntie Neena are the happiest couple that I
have ever known. They are both in their early sixties and they relate to each
other, as they always have, like a couple of love smitten teenagers. Together
they’ve raised five kids, and they’ve never had two dimes in savings their
whole lives.
They are approaching retirement, and they have nothing.
No savings, no RRSP’s – squat.
As I see it, they have a need, and of course, they were
close to the top of my list as hot prospects.
Uncle Bob and Auntie Neena taught me a very valuable
lesson:
You can’t want change and success for other people. They
have to want these things for themselves.
It pains me immeasurably to think of Bob and Neena in
retirement. They are not prepared. They are going to struggle incredibly at a
time when they should be relaxing and enjoying. Oddly though, it does not
bother them.
It took me a while to accept that.
Early in my networking career I recruited Uncle Bob into
my business. Oh, that I could turn back time to change that day.
Uncle Bob was keen on the idea of running his own
business, and seemed pretty excited
about making an extraordinary income. He followed me to meetings for two
months. He suffered through my endless follow-up phone calls (and so did I for
that matter), hours spent sitting
around his kitchen table during training and my fruitless attempts to motivate
him into action.
After four exhausting months of trying to train Uncle Bob
I came to the inevitable conclusion:
Uncle Bob was happy living as he did. He didn’t have much and wasn’t concerned
about it. He and Neena were comfortable with their situation. It didn’t matter
that I could see a need for Bob and Neena. It didn’t matter that I would have
liked to see them better off than they were. Bob was happy enough to kick back
and catch a game on the tube. He would have liked to have a little extra cash – but he was in no way
willing to compromise his leisure time to go after it. Despite the fact that he
had a need – he didn’t have the drive or the desire.
Gee, I wonder how I might have avoided wasting four
months of my time trying to train someone who really had no intention of
working his business… hmmmm.
Ever considered putting your warm market prospects
through the interview process?
Now it may feel a little uncomfortable to interview a
family member or close friend but I urge you to try the idea on for a bit, and here’s why.
Your warm market can be an incredible source for
prospects and customers – but most members of your warm market are going to
make better customers than business
associates.
As I see it, and in my experience, your warm market
options can lead to a bit of a snare that can undermine efforts. As your warm
market subscribes to a pre-existing
relationship and trust, it also contains a sticky little flaw factor that
should not be overlooked.
Your familiarity with your warm market can lead you to
the conclusion that certain individuals
would benefit from working their own business. This conclusion may or may not
be true, even though you can see the absolute need for improvement. As serious
networkers, we are always on the lookout for individuals that will benefit from
an opportunity that will improve their situation. Helping others turn their
lives around is part of this business, and it is the part of the business that
I like best.
Unfortunately, where we will often find need, we will
also find a lack of desire. Sadly, some individuals, in some bizarre way, seem
to enjoy suffering hardship. The school of hard knocks can become a
self-perpetuated comfort zone that is difficult to break out of. Some people
become miserably and horribly stuck in difficult situations and circumstance – and even though they may make
an effort to change it, their mindset is stuck on self-defeat.
To sum up this scenario I give you this old truism: you
can lead a horse to water, but you
can’t make it drink. The horse may sniff at it, may jump in and flail around a
bit, but unless the desire to drink, the desire to save itself, is there, the
horse will ultimately drown.
Through experience and observation I have come to the
conclusion that desire does not always reside in the house of need.
So, to remedy the situation, I interview everyone, warm
market or cold, because I found it exhausting and frustrating to try to
motivate people into action when their lack of desire kept them from committing
to their own success. My time and effort are valuable. I can’t force 47 hours
into a day. I do have other things to do, aside from running my business – I am
sure that you do too.
When you go into business with someone you may find that
you don’t know him or her as well as you thought you did. Take Bob and Neena
for instance. Before bringing Bob into my business I had always considered him
a hard working, committed, guy who just hadn’t had many opportunities for
success blown his way. However, that wasn’t true at all. Opportunity had
probably presented itself many, many times in Bob’s life, but Bob was comfy and
content enough if he had a cold brew in the fridge and cable TV. He wasn’t interested
in having more.
Our perceptions of the needs of others can be wrong – so,
save yourself the effort and the heartache. Interview every prospect. Ask lots
of questions that will help you to get into their head, and help you to
determine if the person you are considering will actually be a benefit to your business, or a liability.
If you are wasting hours a week trying to motivate an
uncommitted recruit – then you may be taking time away from others who
need you’re your attention and who will
benefit from your effort. Make sure you are investing your time wisely and with
the right people.
If a prospect is not ready to get to work to improve
their own situation, neither will they succeed through your effort. They will
usually take everything that you can give – do nothing with it – then run
hollering from the business claiming that
network marketing is a scam that it just doesn’t work…
Ugh… that hurts. And you know from your own experience
that networking offers a level field for everyone. We all get the same
opportunity to succeed.
We all want to succeed, and we want our downline members
to succeed too. But accept this bit of truth now and save yourself buckets of
grief: Not everyone is cut out for this
business. Not everyone will succeed in this business. Industry stats to date
indicate that most simply give up.
Interview, and make sure that your prospects want to
succeed. Make sure they have lots of
drive and desire – they’re going to need it.
Interview, interview, interview, and review your
information. How do you feel about the person’s responses to your questions – go with your gut reactions
here (and pay attention!).
Do you think this person will commit to success? Is there
any indication that this person will toss in the towel when the going gets
tough? Is your prospect going to waste hours of your valuable time and effort?
Ultimately, the decision to invest the time to train a
person is yours – but make an informed decision that is not steeped in wishful
thinking. It’s your time. It’s your business. It’s your call. Call it wisely.
But I would suggest that you can afford to be picky… unless high attrition rates appeal to you.
I leave you this week with a dollop of anonymous wisdom
that I took a little creative liberty with…
"Desire sees the invisible, feels the intangible and
achieves the impossible."
Now get on out there and start sorting. Remember, you’re
looking for hungry prospects with a keen desire to succeed. And also remember that
a massive recruit-o-rama will not ensure success. Go for quality, the quantity
will come. Spruce up your skills and become a master of Interviewing - The Art
of Sorting.
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