How do I set myself apart from the MLM crowd? I tell the TRUTH! Truth #1: Network marketing is all about YOU! It is NOT about products, comp plans, selling, recruiting, etcetera ... it is is about YOU!
Sometimes when we present our MLM business to a prospect they say, "I'm not interested". Usually they mean the timing is wrong. So then we get back to that person a month or so later & find they've lost all interest. If you've experienced this, then chances are your prospect needed you to make yourself memorable to them.
Most of these folks are just so busy looking for something they're ready for that once we get back to them their brain is swamped with other information. Our presentation got pushed into a dark corner of their mind & forgotten.
They need a regular reminder of what they were so interested in
Suppose John says, "Well, mony's kind of tight right now, I can't afford $200 for something I don't know I can do." Here's what you can do for John.
1. Find a cheap picture frame. $2 or less will do.
2.Now ask John, "Could you please write out a $200 check, void it, & then hang it in it in a prominent place in your home? Make sure it's where you'll see it often."
3. Now say, "You'll save that $200 by not joining my business. Now you have $200 to invest however you like. You might make a bundle in the S & P, or maybe you'll get a winning lottery ticket. Let's give that $200 3 to 6 months to work for you. I'll check back with you then & see how well it worked out."
Opportunity seekers shop around so much that they forget what they've seen quickly. To help them remember us & make the most of the effort we put out they need a nudge.
This simple technique can help you make yourself memorable to the people who "want to think about it." That way they don't feel pressured & you improve your business building success level.
Tom "Big Al" Schreiter is a specialist in MLM made easy. Having a name synonymous with tips & tricks of the industry, if there's a resource that will help improve your skills & recruiting results, then chances are Tom knows it.
Recently I had a one-on-one session with Al & he told me there are many things he just doesn't know much about, like setting up a web site. When I asked how he got his many sites up he said, "I just have Cheryl (his assistant) do it".
So one thing the big guy does to keep it simple is he draws on the knowledge of others.
Where does Al go for new ideas to help keep his edge on things like prospecting, leadership, & more? Find out here.
MLM made easy is all about harnessing the knowledge of those who know things we don't. It's the slight edge that helps keep big dogs like Mr. Schreiter at the front of the pack. If professional insights on cutting edge techniques for building your business are important to you, then you'll want to check out NMM today.
Last Sunday night I attended a Tom "Big Al" Schreiter workshop. I expected a room full of people eager to learn what Tom had to teach them. Instead, I was the croud..
Predictably, after 30 minutes of chit chat we were disappointed when noe one else showed. Then when the head chef came in to explain that Al's seminar had been mistakenly scheduled for earlier that morning I thought, "Uh oh, here come fire works."
Not from Big Al though. He really took it like a professional. He calmly accepted what had happened & then invited me to join him for dinner. What a sport!
I've been following & gaining insight from the "Big Al" Report & telephone trainings for some time now. So naturally I anticipated picking his brain for valuable tips. Here's what happened instead.
While we waited for our order Mr. Schreiter asked me many questions about how my business was going, how I came to meet my wife, & several other topics of interest to me.
After shaking hands, saying goodbye, & walking away with a hand-full of training CDs I reflected on what took place. Here's what I found.
Tom subtly & smoothly focused on what is important to me. I was his center of attention. I was made to feel valued & interesting.
The lesson Tom "Big Al" Schreiter taught me is, no matter what happens, never lose sight of who & what is important to your business success. Your team or prospects, no matter how few, are number one.
CEO & founder Mark Zuckerberg's rebuttal to a flood of protests over a recent Terms Of Service update soothingly asked his 75 + million active members to, "Just trust us".
Despite claims this move beefs up corporate legal safety, most feel Zuckerberg's previous TOS gave Facebook ample litigation protection … without violating user rights.
Why the change?
In MLM this tactic is used to glean a list to sell to lead marketing outfits for fast cash. Other businesses also do this to stay afloat ... or get fat.
But is it right?
Everyone knows it's unethical to trick or talk others into signing their lives away. What does that say about this new contract?
Maybe there's no evil intent. But what about the Beacon issue?
Do I hear a familiar refrain? "Fool me once, shame om you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Quick growth often leads to money challenges, or worse yet … greed. Maybe that's the case here, maybe not.
If you want a private place to build on-line relationships, then maybe networking with Facebook is something you should hold off on. At least until respect replaces avarice.
Everyone wants to know what the best business presentation is. The key is in being specific. This is especially true in network marketing.
Most people start out learning everything about the company, the product, the compensation plan, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. They try to learn it all so they can run right out & regurgitate it all over their prospects. And that's supposed to work.
Well … let me share with you how that worked for me.
Back in the early '90s I had a door-to-door sales job. I sold the "Tri-Star Home Cleaning System"
Yep … I was a vacuum cleaner salesman.
I studied all the trainings & learned all the closes my boss could teach me. I even learned all his silly jokes to insert in my presentation.
I had a kit with a flip chart that had so many pages the chart book alone weighed 2 pounds. What with that kit & the Tri-Star box some thought I was moving in.
I must have shown that machine to over 50 people in the 3 months I worked there. For 2 ½ of those 3 months I was without a car, but I got into homes anyway.
I talked everyone's ears off & worked myself to a frazzle.
Guess how many Tri-Stars" I sold.
Not 30. Not 20. Not even 10. I sold 3 … & 2 of those sales fell through.
What could I have done differently?
One simple question asked early on in my presentations might have soled a lot more machines, helped me make more friends. & have much more fun.
And That Question Iis …
"So what would you like to know next?"
Just as in door-to-door vacuum cleaner sales every MLM presentation is different. I can tell you from experience that you can't just take a flip chart and read it to a prospect.
Some of those people wanted to know how powerful the motor is, others asked about the warrantee, & still others wanted to know if it worked like I said.
But every time I did a presentation it was the same. I gave everyone so much information that I tensed up all the "sales man defensive" muscles in my customer's bodies.
MLM prospects have similarly narrow fields of interest. It's amazing how little they want to hear. Such as …
• the compensation plan • the product ingredients • the integrity of the founders. • the system I'm using to duplicate.
All the time I spent explaining all about the company, the filtration system, the machine's materials (things they didn't care about) bored most of those people to tears. In no time at all they were irritatedly thinking, "When's this gonna end?"
So before learning how much of the products special ingredient is in each dose a better thing to focus on is learning to ask that one simple question to find out what the prospect really wants to know.
Asking, "So what would you like to know next?" does several valuable things for me.
1. It relaxes my prospect. 2. It puts my prospect in control of the information I give. 3. My prospect feels respected. 4. The guessing game is over for me & I can focus on what really matters about my opportunity to that prospect.
The best business presentation is the one that helps me get right to what my prospect wants to know & only what he wants to know. Plus, I have spent zero time making another person mad.
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.
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 live in a small rural community with the love of my life Charlotte.
I am passionate about our life together, being the best role model for our children & grandchildren, & treating everyone I meet with honor, dignity, & respect.
I have little patience for bullies, liars, quibblers, & cheets.
I live by the law of reciprocity. In other words, "OK, so I did the right thing ... but can I do more?
That's why I love MLM. I get to bring good things to good people & save them the hassle of dealing with the stinkin' thinkin' of the 9 to 5 world.
One of the most successful network marketers in the industry, my good friend & mentor Richard Dennis, says it best, "MLM is a personal development program with a compensation plan attached."
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