It seems to happen with just about every new team member we add to our group. They all seem to want to know what to say to people.
Success in network marketing isn’t really a matter of knowing the “right words”. I’ve seen some pretty weak presentations that resulted in people joining the team. I’ve seen incredibly strong presentations where nobody joined the team. And it reminds me of something we’ve all probably heard before. The saying goes like this:
“You can’t say the wrong thing to the right person and
you can’t say the right thing to the wrong person.”
And if you really think about it, this is what it comes down to. We are not in the business of convincing people to join. We are not in the business of saying that “just right” phrase that will make them throw their credit card at you to get started. At the end of the day, when someone is reviewing the information, they are either ready or they are not. Truth is, they already made up their mind before they even sat down to look at the presentation.
So how do those successful recruiters build solid long-term residual income? They learn how to LISTEN and they learn how to ASK.
What do I mean?
LISTEN:
Conversations are going on all around you at work, at school, in the gym, at the store, at church, etc… People are always talking about what they love or hate about their job, their current situation, their hopes, etc… the key is to actually LISTEN to what someone is saying.
ASK:
When you HEAR someone talking about something that is bugging them, ask them a question such as, “What if I knew of a way you could fix that?” or “What if there was a way to solve that problem?”. Depending on your personality, you might go a little bolder and ask something like, “I hear what you’re saying. Are you interested in fixing that or do you just want to keep talking about it?”
If they are open or interested (and I do mean “IF”), they will let you know. At that point, you simply offer to give them a link to your online presentation, invite them to your presentation, invite them to lunch with your killer upline to talk about the possibilities, give them a card and invite them to call you later, etc…
Notice I didn’t mention anything about any sort of killer come-back line or some amazing line you can use that makes them want to join you right now?
The key is to let them know you HEARD them and then ASK if you can help them fix it.
This doesn’t mean that the “right question” is going to get you a new team member. The right question is simply going to let you know if someone is open to learning more. If they are, take the next step and get them in from of the information. This can be online, in a living room, over a cup of coffee, in a group setting, 1 on 1, etc… it almost doesn’t matter. If they are looking and you are showing them a real solution, they can make up their own mind when they get the information.
We are not in the “convincing” business. We are in the sorting business. Our job is to sort through the people we come in contact with and identify those who are open to learning more.
So … take a deep breath. You’re not supposed to be convincing anyone of anything. Just listen and ask folks if they would like to know about a solution you’ve discovered that may be helpful for them.
Comment below with your favorite question that you’ve heard or used that helped you identify someone that was interested in learning more!
Being a leader can be a difficult, but rewarding experience. You make others’ lives better, and that is what leadership is about. People need leaders and everyone can lead someone. Always appreciate how important you are.
What I find tough – but you are absolutely right – is the “sorting process”. I have now learned that the vast majority of people that I come across don’t have an open mind to anything different. There are so many excellent programs out there that would work brilliantly if people would be open to a different way of working than the “9 to 5”. Never mind – that’s their loss! I am now learning to mix and talk with open-minded people.
That is the big challenge, isn’t it, Joy? We already know it works but so many folks are still operating under old and outdated “programming” that they can’t see it yet. But that doesn’t mean they won’t see it in the future. A friend and fellow musician recently approached me during a studio session and asked, “Hey … can you show me how to make money online like you’re doing? I need to find a better way”. A few months ago, he was not open to considering anything outside of what he was already doing.
So, in my experience, we need to keep the doors open. We need to keep demonstrating that what we are doing is working and stay available for when they start to come around.
I like and agree with this article. I have said all the right things and get nothing and I have said all the wrong things and gotten sign ups. It really all depends on the person you are speaking with. Being as real as you can be and making sure you follow up with them. In the end, you simply need to reach as many people as possible. Don’t worry about how “polished” you are.
The best line I have had success with is, “How can I help you?”