Direct Sales, Network Marketing & Home Party Plan Blog

An MLM prospect for many network marketers is akin to finding a gold nugget in the sand.

They are hard to come by and when one comes “knocking at your door” you’d better be prepared to show them what they want to see.

Problem is, many distributors will roll their eyes over and suddenly launch themselves into a script about their company, the products and the huge amount of money their MLM prospect will make and consequently, the result will usually be a negative one for them.

After they’ve performed this ritual several times and no one is joining their business they’ll either leave the business themselves or blame it on the company and it’s products.

It’s been proven over and over again the hard sell has no place in the MLM business. So why do most keep doing it. One reason is they are so happy to have someone look at their opportunity that exuberance takes over and they just don’t want to lose the prospect.

But lose them they do; over and over again!

The Secret To MLM Prospecting

Here’s the secret to at least give yourself half a chance of your network marketing prospect joining your business. Forget the hard sell. Yes, that’s it!

Get rid of the script you’ve been using and put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. How would you like to sold an opportunity?

You need to become an MLM mentor from the beginning. We hear the word over delivering a lot in the internet marketing arena and the same applies to MLM.

Be the person your prospect wants you to be. Be a coach and offer advice from the start.

Follow these four principles and watch your results improve. They will at least give you an opportunity to develop that all-important relationship with your would-be business partner.

That’s what it’s all about; developing a relationship and earning the respect of the prospect rather than “bull-dozing them into an opportunity they don’t really want to join.

1. Be what the prospect is looking for. You will be a direct reflection of the company you represent.

2. Avoid the temptation to read from a script. Yes, throw it away. Why? Because people are not stupid and they know the difference between a genuine, from the heart spiel as opposed to a written presentation read word for word.

3. Be a mentor from the beginning. Yes, from the moment the introductions are over. The term over-deliver should be ingrained in your mind. Start training your prospect with helpful tips and information. Point them in the right direction. Simply be as helpful as you can.

4. Become an irresistible magnet to your MLM prospect. You earn respect, not demand it and once your prospect likes dealing with you your chances of signing them into your business will increase significantly.

*BE POSITIVE – Having a positive attitude is a must when recruiting for a new team members. People are drawn to positive people.

*BE EXCITED – Showing your excitement for what you do will rub-off and entice the curiosity of potential team members.

*BE GENEROUS – Never recruit with the idea of “What’s in it for me.” Always be willing to help people and share the great opportunity of having your own *home* business. After all, someone shared it and offered it to you. If working with people is your focus… the $$$ will come!

*BE KNOWLEDGEABLE – When you are well informed about your business and company, others will want to join your organization. If you give others some helpful information that is useful to them… they will want to join your team.

*BE ENERGETIC – When you are energetic and happy you will create a presence around you. People will want to spend time with you.

*BE LIKEABLE – People choose to do business with someone they like and trust!

*BE A GOOD TEACHER – Share your *Company* Business Opportunity. Tell them your own personal experience and how *Company* has touched your life.

*BE FUN – *Company* is a “Party Plan” company…Focus on the “PARTY EXPERIENCE!” Be business oriented…see results…make it fun! Use and share fun ideas! “If you are at the end of your rope & burned out at your job…you need to learn about the *Company* Business Opportunity!”

*BE CONNECTED – Stay connected with your customers and possible recruits. Use the monthly newsletter and other forms of communication to stay connected. Build a long lasting business relationship with your customers.

*BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE AT CUSTOMER SERVICE – By giving outstanding customer service to your customers you will be building a loyal customer base for the future. Loyal customers can turn into new recruits.

A business card is an entrepreneur’s best friend, her most valuable marketing tool and an essential element to becoming UNFORGETTABLE. Unfortunately, too many people have business cards that simply blend into the multitude of cookie cutter. And that’s a shame, because a business card is more powerful than you think.

Of course, it’s impossible to know this unless you actually have a card that’s really, really good.

Business cards are the #1 best marketing tool there is! And with websites like http://www.vistaprint.com they are also the most affordable!

Recently I took 66 business cards I’ve collected over the years and spread them out on a table. I closed my eyes for 30 seconds, opened them and took note of which cards stood out the most. And here’s what I noticed:

• Red: every card that had red on it stood out.
• Picture: only a few cards had pictures of the cardholder. This not only made them stand out, but helped me connect faces with names and companies.
• Vertical: several cards were formatted vertically, which caught my eye.
• Black Background: most cards have a white background, so the black ones REALLY stood out.
• Image: cards with some sort of colorful image that took up at least one fourth of the total surface area captured my interest.

This was a valuable exercise in understanding UNFORGETTABLE business cards, and I recommend it to everyone. Try it out! Gather dozens of accumulated cards from your desk and discover which ones stand out. Oh, and don’t forget to put your OWN card in the pile. You’ll be amazed at what you see.

Or don’t see.

Here are some ideas to maximize the results of these little gold mines;

You Have Been Kissed
Wrap 2 Hershey Kisses in tulle and tie to business card. Put on the card “You have been kissed by a *party plan* Diva – Call me in 2 days for your FREE GIFT” Works best for the Adult Industry. Can also be used with Hershey Hugs.

Fill Your Home With Snickers
Wrap 2 bite-size Snickers in tulle and tie to a business card. Put on the card “Fill your home with giggles and snickers – host a *Company* party today.”

Jollys
Wrap 2 Jolly Rancher Candies in tulle and attach to business card – “Get your Jollys, have a *Company* party!”

Stock Up On
Simple and effective – “Stock up on *scrapping, skin care, candles, goodies* Today! Call me to book YOUR *Company* party and earn FREE PRODUCT!

Recruiting
Would you like more… time, money, freedom, fun? Become a *Company* consultant and receive all that and more! Change lives one *face, relationship, kitchen, etc* at a time!

The Card Creedo: finally, when you’re ready, reach into your pocket and grab one of your business cards. Look at it closely. Then say this affirmation out loud:

“This is my business card. There are many others out there, but none of them are like mine – because there’s nobody else like me. My business card is not a formality. It’s not a piece of paper containing my name and contact information. And it’s not another annoying thing to keep in my pocket. My business card is the most important networking tool that I own. It’s a reflection of my personal brand and a bite-sized morsel of the mission of my business. I LOVE my business card. And I can’t wait until somebody asks me for one. Because when they do, I will find a way to give that person value.”

Now you have attracted prospects to your business, so what do you do with them? Do you really have to spend time coaching them? The answer may seem obvious, yet many networkers ignore this important part of building a business and get this wrong.

When I first got involved in network marketing, I had no experience at all and I was assured that I would receive ongoing training and coaching. Unfortunately, a few months down the road, I discovered that everything that I was taught was completely wrong – not a happy discovery! I quit! The fact of the matter is that if you don’t give your prospects support and proper training, they will get stuck and may quit in no time. However, this doesn’t mean holding them by their hands as they also need to play their part.

This brings me to next point. Don’t make the mistake that many MLM’ers make – recruiting every person they bump into, whether they are interested in starting a business or not. When you recruit people who are not right for your business, you are going to spend a lot of time chasing them, trying to motivate them as they will not be producing. What good is this gonna do to your business?

If you really want your business to really succeed, you need to attract LEADERS. Quality is the key here, rather than quantity. You need people who are SERIOUS, SELF-MOTIVATED, HARDWORKING, AMBITIOUS and COACHABLE. You don’t need people who will be complaining all the time, expecting you to hold them by their hand.

Network marketing coaching goes a long way and it is very important in building your business. It is very essential that you coach your prospects on an ongoing basis (without chasing them), in addition to the company’s training they receive. When your new prospects join you in your business opportunity, you need to start coaching them on how to get started and how they can best achieve their goals.

Don’t leave it until late. It’s important that you start this process as soon as they sign up, as they would still be excited and enthusiastic. Strike while the iron is still hot! If you don’t invest your time in coaching and helping your prospects, they will get discouraged and soon leave you. Coaching your prospects effectively will help them achieve their goals and succeed… and help you succeed too.

Here are 3 coaching tips to help you succeed:

1. When new prospects join your business, get in touch with them as soon as possible, preferably by telephone. This will help you to get to know them better and will give you the opportunity to establish their goals. You will then structure a very specific step-by-step action plan to achieve their goals. Let them know about the training that the company offers, e.g. live training, forums and so on.

2. Have a communication system in place which will help you reach your prospects together rather than spending a lot of time doing one on one training, e.g. weekly conference calls or webinars.

3. Be approachable, so your prospects can contact you when they need your help. You must also encourage them to be resourceful, so they don’t run to you every time they need help.

These will help your prospects build their business and yours in the long run.

Here is something that you do not hear to often, network marketing is a profession. It takes effort for you to achieve any success. It takes time to see any results. Doctors and lawyers need years of training before starting, but network marketers can achieve success within their first year with focus and consistent action.

Ask yourself, why you are looking to get involved in a network marketing program? Your answer to this simple question will determine how far you go and how successful your home business becomes more than any other reason. If your reason is powerful enough than every challenge you face is when your why, which is your reason to succeed, will give you the determination to keep going and persevere.

What motivates people to get involved in network marketing?

Fact #1. The majority of people are not happy with their current employment.

Fact #2. The majority of people are not happy with their income or the amount of free time that they have.

Fact #3. The majority of people spend more time at work then with their families.

Fact #4. The majority of families still struggle even with two incomes.

Fact #5. The majority of children under 3 years of age spend most of their time in child care.

Fact #6. The majority of people get laid off before they can retire.

What are some of the road blocks that you may face when you join a network marketing company?

1. How to recruit new members without spending a fortune. Research. Only join a company once you know that they will offer resources, such as a website, literature, and other marketing tools to help you find members without spending allot of money. Expect allot of help from your sponsor. Determine before joining whether your upline sponsor is actively working with their downline by providing marketing tools and by just being available to answer questions.

TIP: Keep in touch with everyone that you personally sponsor. Do this by email or phone. Try to keep them all active. If they are not active, then do not waste your time on someone who just is not interested.

2. The newness of network marketing concepts and terms may be overwhelming at first. Spend time learning about the network marketing business as well as the company that you are going to join. The best way to combat confusion is with knowledge.

TIP: Learn all you can about network marketing. Do your research and find a company that you feel passionate about, and before you know it you will have earned your financial freedom.

3. No upline support. When a person joins a new program they need a lot of help to get started.

TIP: What should you look for in a sponsor? You must understand that there are sponsors and then there are recruiters. A recruiter is only interested in getting as many people as possible in their downline. A real sponsor understands why people join their team and they help them to achieve a long term plan through focus and commitment.

4. Going from one network marketing program to the next. Find a good company, establish a plan, set goals and then work it until you make progress. To often people do not give a program enough time to work, they move from one thing to another looking for that quick success.

5. Generating leads. Everyone needs good leads to contact to help build their business. There are many ways to get leads online without having to pester your friends and family.

TIP: Do not spend allot of money and time on a marketing method that is not working. Test. Find out what works and what does not. When it works, stay with it!

6. Choosing a company that is not financially sound and well established. You must feel good about the company and the products you will be promoting.

TIP: Concentrate and understand the business itself and know the money making potential as well as how the company pays.

7. It takes time! Any business takes time to get started and turn a profit, the same can be said for any network marketing company.

TIP: It can take several months, if not longer for much of anything to start happening. You must find leads, get members and give your team a chance to grow!. Set in your mind that you are going to not give up for at least one year.

8. What happens if your company suddenly gets into trouble and is no more? Anything can happen, so be prepared. Never keep all your eggs in one basket.

TIP: Try and build your first level as soon as you can. Then your income will cover the costs of your membership. This may take a little effort, but with online marketing, it can be done. Once you show your first level how to do the same, you will be earning a decent income and can move on to another opportunity. Remember that joining a bunch of companies with out building a good, solid team first will only lead to failure.

One last TIP: Stick to the methods that work best for you! If it works, then just keep doing it.

With the help of your upline and some savvy internet marketing techniques you can recruit new prospects without spending a fortune. Do a lot of research, discover what works for you, and then teach your downline. Within no time not only will you be successful but so will your team!