Do you ever feel nervous when speaking to prospects about your network marketing opportunity? Do you dread the minutes leading up to making a phone call or starting a new conversation? Don’t worry – It is absolutely normal. All of us have felt that very same anxiety at one point and is a common fear for anyone in MLM.
MLM prospecting can be challenging but is very rewarding when you recruit the right people!
Here are some tips to get over your fear of MLM prospecting:
First, get in the mindset that you are the one and only person who can offer your prospect the life and career they truly desire. Of course you want — and probably have already— shared your network marketing opportunity with the ones you love such as your friends and family. Why is this? Because you want to share the greatest gift, the knowledge of and potential for success, with the people you truly care about. So if you want to share this with the people closest to you, don’t you think other people deserve this opportunity too?
Hence when you start recruiting you will be talking to strangers and people you barely know. Your prospects can be the waiter at your favorite restaurant, the clerk at the neighborhood grocery store, your Uber driver, the yoga instructor at the local yoga studio… The possibilities of whom you can prospect are endless! So, of course you may feel fear and anxiety when talking to these people.
To get over the intimidation of the initial contact, remind yourself that you are reaching out to these people to help them! You are presenting a once in a lifetime opportunity to become successful. Without you, they would not have this opportunity and would not be able to gain the success and fortune that you present them with. So with this mindset, encourage yourself and reassure yourself that this is a conversation that each prospect has been waiting their whole lives to have!
I remember one of the first individuals I recruited was a salesman at a car dealership. At the time, he worked 60 hours a week to earn $50,000 a year. Four years later, he was earning $50,000 a month! He went from working 60 hours a week down to 35 hours, but in the comfort of his home with his wife and three kids. So looking back, although he did me a favor of giving me a good deal on a car, I was actually the one that offered him the lifelong gift of success.
Once you start to relax and the nervousness fades, you can then begin focusing on the person.
Keep this in mind: Everybody is a potential prospect, either as a direct prospect, meaning they become a distributor, or someone that refers prospects to you. Either way, everybody that you approach has value — the key is building relationships and sifting through the serious ones versus those that are just curious.
Just over a decade ago, I recruited a lady by the name of Karen and a few months later she introduced me to a prospect of hers named Pilar. Pilar brought one of her friends, Chantel, who in turn introduced me to one of her best friends, Joann. And finally, Joann introduced me to a woman, Tammy, at a coffee shop, just one day before Joann quit the business. I will never forget that cup of coffee.
Within the next 90 days, everyone quit for one reason or another while Tammy went on to become one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in our industry. Although none of those distributors were directly building the business, or what we call the “right candidates”, I ended up earning $20,000 a month for the next three years from Tammy’s success. This would have never been possible without the help of Karen, Pilar, Chantel, or Joann.
Thus, when prospecting, remember that everyone is a potential prospect!
Now that you have the right mindset to prospect, think about the conversation you want to have. How do you want the conversation to play out? Do you want to immediately present your business idea? Or do you want to get to know the prospect first and wait to share your network marketing opportunity at a later date? You can certainly play this out by how the prospect reacts, and it will most likely change from person to person. Regardless, you should always keep in mind the following.
Start off the conversation with a compliment:
Don’t be phony as they will see right through you. It could be something tangible such as the prospect’s shirt or watch that you find attractive; or, it could be a characteristic that you admire such as their humor or their confidence. Think of how you feel when you receive a genuine compliment; now, offer that feeling to someone else and find something that you truly respect about the other person.
Find something in common:
If the prospect seems to like a certain sports team, let’s say the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball, or they enjoy a hobby, such as surfing or hiking – create a lasting conversation about them so they can talk about themselves. At the end of the day, everyone loves talking about themselves! Let them talk to you and let them open up to you. Find out what your prospect is passionate about and assert interest in their interests. When you approach your prospect with the goal of finding something in common, they start to feel comfortable around you and will learn to trust you.
Speak with passion:
When you express genuine excitement and belief in your network marketing opportunity, the prospect feels your energy and will feel the same excitement too. If you truly believe your network marketing opportunity is the best, assert that confidence to every level. Your prospect wants to see you glowing, happy, motivated, and passionate and if you capture these emotions, they will be sure to pay attention.
Don’t be too pushy:
With your first meeting, you are just getting to know your prospect. You want to build a relationship before you present a business idea. As mentioned before, this will vary person to person. If you feel like your prospect is still a little uncertain, leave it at that and ask for a follow up meeting or call. Or, if the prospect seems eager and interested, you can present more in the initial contact here. Use your judgment.
With these tips, MLM prospecting will become much more enjoyable. Also keep in mind that the worst possible scenario that could happen is that your prospect can tell you no. In the end, you tried your hardest and you offered them an opportunity to change their life but they chose not to go through with it. But if your prospect agrees and they are serious about network marketing, they will thank you for changing their life!
Even if your prospect doesn’t show any interest, do not show any negativity or any hard feelings. Keep a smile and try to keep that relationship. You never know, the prospect who said no two months ago could be your superstar distributor two years later! If you continue building the relationship and showing that you have a genuine interest in your prospects and their lives, your prospects will always feel comfortable around you and respect you.
