If you're an average distributor, the thought of approaching your friends and family about a business proposition probably scares you half to death. In fact, it's estimated the average new distributor talks to around 4 people about the business before deciding either to concentrate on retail, or just giving up altogether. So it's not going to take much to make you an 'above average' distributor. Let's face it, talk to five people and you're above average. The thing is, just talking to five people is not going to get you off to a flying start, and that's what you really want, right? Well, first things first. You'll be glad to know my advice is DON'T TALK TO ANYONE. At least that is, not yet. However excited you may be, don't attempt to explain your new business to anyone in your first day or two. Why? You don't know enough and you'll get it all wrong. They'll think you've lost your marbles and not only will they NOT want to join you; they'll want to talk you out of it too. For your own good, of course. Because when you say, "there's a fortune to be made." They hear, "it's a get rich quick scam." And when you say, "you can get started for under 100," they hear, "I'll take 100 off you and you'll never get it back." Even if you approach them with the very sensible idea of: "check this thing out with me, there's a meeting on Thursday at this hotel." They hear: "come with me to a brainwashing session in your free time." It's just not the 'no-brainer' those of us who 'get it' tend to think it is. You see most people don't 'get it' at first. In fact they often don't catch on to it at all. Some people are just not meant to join network marketing, any more than every one of us was born to be a scientist, or an actor. Although network marketing IS a great vehicle than CAN provide unlimited income to anyone willing to work for it, it's NOT the answer to all the world's problems, and you CAN'T expect to sponsor the world by next Tuesday. So what should you do? Follow these simple steps to dealing with your warm market: 1. Read the company literature. (Yes that includes the business manual, even the small print.) 2. Make the list of people you know your upline has no doubt encouraged you to make.
Use a memory jogger to help you with this. Don't prejudge anyone. Remember this is a list of people you know, not a list of people you are going to approach to join your business. 3. Now go through the list and put a tick against everyone you have a phone number or email address for. 4. Call all those you have a phone number for but no email address and ask them if they have email. If they do, get their address, if not ask for their home address.
If they ask why, say nothing more than you've got something you want to send them. If they insist, tell them you're putting the feelers out for a new business venture, and you want them to be an ambassador for you. Tell them you can't tell them any more at the minute, but you will when you have more information for them. 5. Create a file of every contact you have an email address for and send them an email. Nothing fancy or sales oriented, just a simple message written in your own style to your friends, family and other contacts, something along the lines of:
"Hi, Gail here, just putting the feelers out for a new business venture. If you know anyone who might be interested in an income they control, pass this on to them and tell them to get back to me."
Personalise it with a mail merge if you know how, and at the very least be sure to use the BCC field rather than adding all your friend's names to the 'To' field, otherwise every recipient will see all those email addresses, and a lot of your mail will get filtered into the 'junk' folder, even the one to your mum! 6. Send a postcard to all those who you have home addresses for, with a brief 'teaser' ad on the front, and the same brief message as you used in your email on the back alongside their address. 7. Call those you sent email to and check they received it.
Ask them if they can think of anyone you could talk to about your new business. (Don't worry, if they are interested for themselves, they will tell you soon enough)
If they can't, just say, "No problem, I'll keep you posted as the business develops, and if you ever have any referrals for me, just let me know." Also ask if you can send them a catalogue in case there is anything of interest to them. And if they say yes, get one off to them the same day.
When you've called all those you sent an email, repeat the process with those who had postcards. 8. Keep 'drip feeding' information to both your online and offline lists the same way.
With your online list, you should be in contact around once a week, offline every month or two. You don't have to follow up every email or postcard with a phone call, but a quick call every now and then just to 'touch base' will generally be appreciated.
Remember when you call you're not trying to recruit them, just to check if they have any referrals for you, and to see how things are for them in their world right now. 9. Contact any and all referrals immediately, with an email or postcard along the lines of:
Hi, Gail here, our mutual friend, _____, gave me your name as someone who might be interested in an income they control. If so, I have some information for you."
If you have a phone number, follow up a day or two later and ask if they would like to receive the information. If they want to know what it's all about, just say I don't have time to get into it right now, how about I just get the basic info to you, and call back when we both have time to go through it? 10. If the referral turns out not to be interested, ask them to be an ambassador for you, or to send them a catalogue. Either way, let the person who gave you their name know how it turned out, and thank them for helping you expand your business. This low key, no stress approach to your warm list is much more in keeping with other self employed business methods than the 'gung-ho' 'round 'em up and sign 'em' in kind of approach you may be urged to take. It's none threatening, both for you and your 'prospects', who you will probably find more than willing to help you out once they understand you're not trying to recruit them personally. More importantly, it works. |
