Best Business Presentation - The Quick Approach

Most of us have run into those occasions where there's just no time to build a relationship, but there's a prospect at hand … what to do? The best business presentation is the one that answers the prospects most burning question …

"How will this solve my problem?"

Most people move right into "pitch & close mode. The thinking is, "Oh my gosh, I gotta spit out what I know fast … maybe I'll hit on something they like."

Let's see how that works for Bob the network marketer.

Bob is referred to Janice. Bob knows he doesn't have enough time to build a relationship with Janice so he immediately starts telling her all about his company CEO, the comp plan, & all the amazing products.

In very short order Janice gets that "deer in the head lights look" & seizes the first escape route that presents itself.

The result is …

• Janice is gone, probably for good.
• Bob is left wondering what went wrong.
• Janice has lots of friends, so now Bob's reputation begins a fiery toboggan ride to destruction.

Here's how Bob could have converted Janice from a prospect to a team member …

1. Talk about how his opportunity could give Janice extra income to pay her bills.
2. Tell her how it could help her get that new car she needs.
3. Show her how it can help her get her kids out of daycare so she can watch them grow up.

Everyone knows relationship building breeds trust, & people who trust us will buy. The whole point though is it helps us get to know what problems our prospects want to solve.

Without this information it's all a crap shoot.

When it comes to an opportunity, whether from a leads list or a referral, the last thing on a prospect's mind is the CEO, product features, & the comp plan. The one thing they want to know is, "Will it solve my problem?"

The best business presentation to make when time is short is the one that recognizes the value of our prospect. If we keep in mind that prospects buy things that solve their problems, then we won't experience the frustrations Bob did.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore
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Effective Branding Strategies - Fiddler In The Subway?

Everyone knows effective branding strategies are the way to make money in any business. Some of us understand there are basically two methods of branding: 1. non-targeted (a. k. a. "the spaghetti plan"), & 2. targeted marketing.

Recently I came across a classic example of the contrasting effectiveness of these two marketing methods in the form of a violinist in a big city subway.

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A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother hurried him along, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time.

This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.

When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

Here are some interesting facts about the man who fiddled around in the D. C. subway.

• The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world.
• Mr. Bell played one of the most intricate pieces ever written
• The music was played on a violin valued at $3.5 million.
• Two days before this, Mr. Joshua Bell performed before a packed out Boston theater
• The average ticket rate was $100.

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In the subway the only one's with any measure of intense interest in Bell's product, his music, were small children. In contrast, an entire theater of fine music lovers sat elbow to elbow to bask in the same orchestral works.

The lesson here is this …

People, MLM prospects especially, don't care about the quality of our product, what we know about it, or the cost of its delivery system. All that matters to prospects is if we have what they want.

Effective branding strategies are the Holy Grail of business building. If you focus on what your prospects really want, then you have the most critical advantage working in your favor.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Lessons In Trust - An Old Jewish Tale

Recently my wife & I watched a movie that teaches three lessons in trust. At the beginning of "Then She Found Me" the lead character narrates an old Jewish tale about a father & his son. It goes something like this.

One day a man & his son came to a stair well. The man pointed to a stair step & said to his son, "Step up here, then jump down. I'll catch you."

Nervously the boy looked at his father & said, "But I'll fall & get hurt."

The man assured his son, "It's OK, I'll catch you."

So the boy stepped up & jumped into his father's awaiting arms. The boy repeated this process a few times from progressively higher steps.

Each time the boy landed in his father's arms he felt warmth, love, & safety.

Then the boy reached a particularly high step & jumped. But this time the man abruptly stepped back letting his son fall to the floor.

Now bruised & bloody the child looked back at his father in confusion as the man said, "That'll teach you."

In confusion we proceeded to watch the movie. As we were preparing for bed my wife asked me if I understood the connection between the movie & the fable. I didn't. This morning the answer came to me.

Each character in the movie told lies of various sorts & did different things that hurt their loved ones. Eventually, the lead character revealed a clue.

She told the man she now knew she loved both of them would hurt each other along the way. Sometimes it would be accidental, other times it would not. None the less, she was willing to accept that as part of the relationship.

So the moral of the old tale is:

1. No One Is Perfect - whether intended or not, from time to time everyone hurts their friends or loved ones.
2. Learn How To Forgive -no one need be a door mat. However, the ability to forgive brings us inner peace.
3. Infractions vs. Crimes - we must learn to separate what bugs us from truly self-centered sins. Most mistakes aren't worth throwing away a relationship, while some demand it.

When we learn the three most important lessons in trust: no one is perfect, forgiveness is essential, & we must pick our battles, then we elevate trust to the level of a gift. Then we can move on to building other relationship development skills.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Tough Prospects - Using Mental Judo

If I were a student of Judo, then I would use my opponent's energy against itself, & so, give myself the advantage. Successful networkers use something I call mental Judo when working with a tough prospect.

Most people resist efforts to convince them of anything. This is because our subconscious mind is hardwired to protect us from any threat, even if we hate the thing we're defending, such as a job.

Here's an example.

Let's say I ask Sue, "Why do you stick with at that awful job?"

Even though Sue hates her job, she goes on the defense because I've attacked it. Plus she sees this as an attack on her. What went wrong?

I didn't think Judo. I introduced force against Sue's job. Human instinct compels us to meet force with force.

Sues subconscious saw my statement about Sues job (the force) as an attack on her, so it defended her (force against force).

A resistance-free way of presenting my MLM opportunity

Get Sue focused on how she feels about her job.

Here's how that would work.

I say, "Wow, what an awesome job you have Sue!"

Now Sue's subconscious mind, frustrated with that job, goes to work on this contradiction. Sue tells me all the things that bug her about her job.

The result ...

• I eliminated myself as a threat to Sues subconscious.
• Sue now sees her job as the enemy.
• Sue is much more open to looking at my opportunity.

Most people think tough prospects are hard to work with. Some of us understand the right approach can make talking to people about our business much less stressful. Anyone can become a master with a little practice.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Generating Online Traffic - Automation Mania

Everyone on the internet has an opinion about the best method of generating online traffic. Most of those people are gaga over automation. Some know that simply won't work.

Sure, automated systems are cool & they can create exciting traffic figures, but how many of those visitors are just passing through like so many bodies at a carnival?

Let's just put it this way, the conventional thinking is a 1% conversion rate, that is 1 out of 100 visitors becomes a buyer, is awesome.

How long would any of us last if we were to apply this same logic to our job productivity?

Probably not long at all.

So how do we boost the odds in our favor?

Build relationships with prospects. Here's why this is so important:

• Weed Out Suspects - most visitors are "just looking", getting to know people helps us learn what they want.
• Develop Stability - business built on sales alone is a house of cards. People who know & like us will stick around no matter what the product is.
• Duplication - Very few folks can sell & recruit at will & no one can teach that consistently. Everyone can make friends & help them.

The fact is everyone is looking out for their own best interest. Those who can make strong bonds with their prospects are able to look out for their own best interest as well as those of their prospects.

Those people win. They have 9 out of 10 people leaning forward & wanting to know what they have to say.

If generating online traffic is important to you, then all those impersonal software systems are the wrong approach. "Success In 10 Steps" pg.43 illustrates the best way to attract visitors starving for what you have & keep them coming back for more.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Network Marketing And Direct Selling - An Endorsement From President Clinton

Most of us know network marketing and direct selling has been around many, many years. In fact, the oldest MLM company started over 100 years ago. What most people don't know about the industry is the contribution it has, & is still making to the economic strength of the US & many other countries world wide.

Most people think owning a home based business is nuts. This is especially true when it comes to the MLM industry. Some people know the best chance to achieve the American dream lies in being an entrepreneur.

So why do so many people have such a backward view of this qwesome industry?

1. Proliferation of Misinformation - A few "leaders" (less than 1% of the world population) have promoted a marketing model that the rest of the world hates. Bad publicity creates bad blood.
2. The Work Force - 90% of the people in MLM are too mentally scattered to stay the course. They need a proven system for success.
3. Poor Systems - Very few successful industry leaders offer a system for duplication that the masses can afford & implement.

The biggest advantages of owning a network marketing business:

• Tax Breaks - there are special tax breaks not available to corporations & average wage earners. These can make a start-up virtually free.
• Flexability - No other income source offers the option of a personalized schedule, work environment, & team.
• Family Friendly - everyone can get in on the act & all can reap the rewards. The absent parent syndrome need not exist.
• Residual Income - no other income source allows the earner to stop working & still earn a check, let alone come back & find a bigger check.
• True Autonomy - where else can we choose who we will or will not work with?
• Self-Development - building a successful business necessarily builds strength, character, & integrity … the self-fulfillment everyone craves.

Perhaps the best argument for pursuing the American dream, being your own boss, comes from those who see its far reaching effects. In a recent video former President Bill Clinton shares the benefits he sees from the small business sector.

If the American dream sounds too good to be true, then it's time for a change. There are some companies & industry leaders that have worked hard to put systems in place to make this happen for anyone who wants it. Network marketing and direct selling is not "just a pipe dream", & I can show you how it can work for you.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Goal Setting Guidelines - Another Easy Way To Keep Your New Year's Resolution

In "Goal Setting Guidelines - 3 Easy Ways To Keep Your New Year's Resolution"> we looked at 3 simple goal setting guidelines to keep the resolutions we make when the ball drops on December 31st. If that's not working, then here's a second option.

Most people tell their team members to write down their goals. What they don't realize is they're setting their team up for failure. Let's look at this scenario with Joe for example.

Let's say I'm Joe's MLM sponsor & I ask him to write down his goals. Consciously Joe says, "OK", but then Joe's subconscious takes over.

Joe comes up with some sort of lame objection like, "I can't think of anything", or something so outrageous & unattainable that the exercise is a flop.

What went wrong?

Joe's subconscious went on the defensive by telling him, "Wait a second Joe! Remember when … "

• "… you fell off your tricycle & scraped your knee?"
• "… or the time you asked Susan to the high school dance & she looked at you like you were gross?"
• "How about that 'C' you got in your college chemistry class?"
• " And what about …?"

After presenting 5,936 people & events that vote Joe into the office of 'loser' his subconscious asks Joe, "What makes you think this one vote from your sponsor will make any difference Joe?"

What just happened to Joe is his subconscious mind diverted him into putting the goal setting exercise off until it disappears.

This happened because, like everyone, Joe's subconscious mind runs his life. The way I presented the exercise is not believable to Joe's subconscious, so it found reasons it would fail.

Everyone wants to succeed, so why not make the exercise believable to Joe's subconcious?

Instead of just telling Joe to write down his goals I'll add one thing. Let's say with my network marketing company a leadership achievement title is "Diamond". Now I'll tell Joe to:

1. Write a Goal List Title - "25 things I will do after I become a Diamond."
2. Fill in the List - Fill in the blanks after each number on the list of things to do after becoming a Diamond.
3. Make Copies - make several copies to post around the house, hand out to friends & team members, etc.
4. Make It A Culture have fun helping other team members keep up on their progress & they'll return the favor.

Now Joe's subconscious has just become an ally in this quest. Joe knows the monthly income in his company for a Diamond is $5,000.

Suddenly the goal setting exercise is easier for Joe because his subconscious knows these things can be achieved with $5,000 a month coming in.

Everyone knows prospects, like Joe, are looking for a leader. If I tell Joe to write down 25 things he will do after he becomes a Diamond, then what do you think Joe's subconscious is going to say?

"OK Bill you first!"

Hmm. What's wrong now?

Joe's subconscious needs to know he won't be doing this alone. It needs a leader to follow. So before I tell Joe to write out his list I need to write out my own.

Now Joe's subconscious has the reassurance it needs because I proved I'm a leader he can follow. Now he can complete the exercise.

Everyone knows success energy is generated when two or more people do the same thing. Everyone's subconscious mind loves the security of this group energy.

By starting this exercise, asking the team to keep each other accountable, & sharing it with everyone intheir circle of influence the power of the team's subconscious minds is harnessed toward achieving their goals.

If you really want to achieve a goal, then you must lead with a system for success. A proven goal setting guideline like the one noted above is an excellent place to start.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Analyzing Personalities - MLM Sponsoring At The Speed Of Life

Everyone in network marketing knows that no matter what sponsoring method is used the most effective tool for developing a solid, lasting MLM business is relationship marketing. Truly successful networkers who use this technique say that analyzing personalitiesis one of the most powerful ways they use to build their prospect & team relationships because:

1. It builds trust - each personality has different hot buttons, so hitting those points creates a strong personal relationship.
2. It saves time - f you know what makes people tick, then you can spot it & go to it right away.
3. It's duplicatable - it's simple enough that anyone can learn this technique & start using it immediately.

To illustrate the power & speed of personality analysis let's look at a series of communications I have had with a recent prospect.

• January 4, 2009 - I noticed a prospect (let's call him Jack) had downloaded my ebook "Success In 10 Steps" by way of my blog. Elapsed Time: about 5 minutes.
• January 5 - Jack & I discussed how I could help him in his quest to build his business. I advised Jack to read the ebook & set an appointment for the next day to get his feedback & questions on the ebook. Elapsed Time: about 10 minutes.
• January 7 - Jack had read the information & demonstrated a strong level of interest in learning what MLM business I am in. Elapsed Time: about 45 minutes.
• January 8 - After talking to my sponsor / mentor Jack decided he wants to join my team. Elapsed Time: about 45 minutes (mostly between Jack & my sponsor / mentor).

So all told I spent about 1 hour getting to know Jack.

How soon did I realize Jack is a green? About half way through the process.

You may be thinking, "That wasn't very quick Bill." Maybe not, but consider this:

I did this completely over the phone. Plus, I determined Jack's personality type with half the information available from a face-to-face meeting.

Now I'm not a super recruiter. So that means I'm an average guy. How many average people do you know who can sponsor someone in just 1 hour?

The point is if I'd never learned the skills of analyzing personalities I would have wasted a lot of time & lost Jack as a prospect. That is because I would have been guessing at how to meet Jack's needs. If you want to know how to build relationships with anyone quickly & efficiently, then you need to learn how to meet the needs of each personality type.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Psychology Of Trust Why Prospects Don't Trust You

There is a certain psychology of trust in network marketing you must understand if you want to build a MLM team & a walk-away income. Leaders in this industry know that this psychology has two sides, both of which hinge on their belief.

The two kinds of belief

1. Empowering Belief
2. Disempowering Belief

Examples of empowering belief statements are:

• “I try to ..."
• “I can’t …”
• "What is wrong with me?”

These disempowering words are screaming you doubt yourself.

When you chose to start your business did you say to yourself, "I want a sponsor that does not believe he can help me"?

No? Why not? Oh I see, because if he doesn't believe he can help you , then you believe he's probably right?

Hmmm. So why waste your time & that of your prospects putting that negative energy out there? After all, even though you're a nice person no one will trust you with their future unless they hear empowering belief in the things you say.

For the full impact of this message listen to the song “I Believe In You”>.

The psychology of trust dictates that belief in a product or opportunity is worthless along side self-doubt. Your prospects will view disempowerment as fear. They'll find someone else to lead them. You have a gift inside you, & that gift is your belief in yourself.

Bill Tessore

Your Google Audience - Who's Eyeballing You?

Online business builders know Google pays special attention to the self-brander. That's why so many covet top search engine positions there. But how much more valuable would that placement be if you knew exactly who your Google audience is while they're checking you out?

Successful network marketers become that way by eliminating anonymity. They use techniques & tools designed to help them build strong personal relationships with prospects quickly & efficiently. They know this builds trust, which is critical to creating a long-lasting, profitable business.

One tool many of these successful people use is the Mentoring For Free system to learn how to build these crucial know, like, & trust relationships. Another relationship building tool is Wiki World Book alerts.

So where does spotting your Google viewers come into play when fostering new business relationships?

Meeting people via chat rooms, social networking sights, & the like can only tell you what the other person wants you to know. A search engine on the other hand will often fill in the blanks left out in such communications.

If you're serious about building a strong MLM team & business, then knowing who is searching your information can help you decide if you want to work with them or not.

The Wiki World Book alert tool can give you much of the same information you'd get from a belly-to-belly meeting. Maybe even more.

Let's assume you've already read the section in "Success In 10 Steps" on personality types. Now you see someone has entered your name into the Google search engine. Then you receive a Wiki World Book alert telling you Joan just searched your name.

Now you can Google Joan & then weigh that information against what you know about the four basic personality types. After your search you learn:

• She was in a MLM with a 3 x 9 matrix compensation plan
• On a forum you see Joan's complaint about the money she spent on leads that lead nowhere.
• You discover Joan recently attended a very expensive self-development seminar.
• On Joan's MySpace page she says she's single, works full-time as a nurse, has 2 kids, & is operating a MLM business part-time.

Here are some of the conclusions that you may have come to:

• Joan's probably a yellow.
• She chose a company with a matrix because she wants to be able to help everyone through spill over.
• Her sponsor probably told her to buy leads (from him) & cold call those folks.
• The self-development seminar Joan attended was supposed to "fix her" so she could sell, close, & recruit like her sponsor.
• Joan is frustrated that she can't do the things her sponsor says work.
• Joan feels responsible for the failure her team has experienced because she told them to do what her sponsor said to do & it's not working for them either
• Joan shares her family pictures on MySpace because they're her life.
• Joan is determined to make her business work for the benefit of her family.

If you want to build a walk away income & help your team do the same, then you need to know your Google audience. The training in the Mentoring For Free system & Wiki World Book alerts can help you do that.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore

Professional SEO Techniques - My One Week Trip To Google's First Page

About a month ago I participated in a teleconference session with Guy Siverson. Up until then I thought SEO was some sort of new millennial Greek I simply couldn't handle. Boy was I wrong! It really is amazing what can happen when you can pick the brains of a master at professional SEO techniques.

Now I'm not saying this one training session with "The SEO Guy" made me a master. But you must admit it can't be a mere coincidence that within one week of implementing the simple tips Guy gave me that 2 of my blog posts made it to page #1 of Google.

So what did Guy teach me that propelled me to Google's front page in just 1 week? Long-tail key word phrases. These tools can be powerful - if you know how to use them. Here's what I learned.

1. Google the relevant phrase that has no more than 5,000 responses for that phrase.

2. Place the chosen phrase in the first & last paragraphs of your article or blog post, and then embolden them.

3. Be sparing with the number of long-tail key word phrases you use. One is usually best, two is OK (if relivent), & never exceed three.

There's one other thing I changed. I greatly reduced my total single key words. I asked myself, "What key words do I have here that speak most to what my post is about?" The whole focus is on relevance.

Search engines definitely reward content, but it must be relevant & to the point. When it comes to optimization Google is looking for evidence that the writer is focused & really knows what he or she is doing. According to Google, the critical thinking skills I've learned from Mentoring For Free, coupled with the professional SEO techniques Guy Siverson taught me helped me hit the mark.

I appreciate you,

Bill Tessore