by Michael S. Clouse
I ran across a study by the Direct Selling Association which
stated 42% of Americans have yet to be contacted by someone in Direct Sales or
Network Marketing. Imagine that! Forty-two percent!
I guess it's just one more reminder that when it comes to
prospecting potential customers, or business-builders, most of our success is
still: Showing up, with something to say, and then repeating that same process
again, and again, and again. Now if that's true—and it is—allow me to pass
along three simple strategies to help ensure you achieve your fair share of
success...
1) Study
Mark Twain once said, "The problem with the world is not that
people know too little, but that they know so many things that aren't so."
Therefore, if you want your business to become a bit easier to build over
time—then learn how to prospect from someone who actually knows how to
prospect! In other words: read the books, listen to the CD programs, take the
classes, and you will get better over time. For example, here are three of the
most important things I've learned about prospecting over the years...
a) In the beginning the fear of prospecting is normal! Indeed, we
were all taught by our parents, "Don't talk to strangers!" However,
overcoming that fear is also a relatively simple process... Because the more
you learn, the more comfortable you become. In essence, a higher level of skill
translates into a lower level of fear.
b) All things being equal, we enjoy doing business with people we
know, like, and trust. Therefore, try taking a keen interest in others and
notice how quickly they warm up to you. According to the book, How To Win
Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, we can accomplish getting
people to know, like, and trust us by doing these six things:
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that the
person's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener;
encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the
other person's interest.
- Make the other person
feel important—and do it sincerely.
c) Prospecting is a game—work the numbers! For example, a team of
10, consistently making two new contacts per day, four days per week, will
generate 320 new contacts per month—or 3,840 new prospects per year! Would an
additional 3,840 new contacts help your business?
2) Do
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Do the thing and you will have the
power." The emphasis here is on the word, "Do!" Therefore...
a) Keep the main thing the main thing! How many times today will
your company's story be told by you, by one of your associates, by a 3rd party
tool, or through an event?
b) Focus on consistent activity. Newton's first law of motion
states, "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion
tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless
acted upon by an outside force." So get in the game and keep moving!
c) Multiple exposures work best. Don't try to tell the whole story
on the first exposure (think of your first exposure as you would a first date).
Make sure the MLM system you're using takes you from the initial contact...to
the follow-up call...to the next appointment...to, and through, the enrollment
process.
3) Teach
Thomas Carruthers once wrote, "A teacher is one who makes
himself (or herself) progressively unnecessary." Are you teaching those on
your team how to need you less? These points will help:
a) Focus on the basics. Keep what you teach as simple as what you
do—and what you do as simple as what you teach. Enough said.
b) Observe your students in action. Let your students first
observe you. And then, when they're ready, go along and watch them... Because
according to the great philosopher Yogi Berra, "You can observe a lot just
by watching." Observe body language, speech, and dress.
c) Track your results. Success is achieved by tracking, and
duplicating, the right activity... How many contacts yesterday? Last week? Last
month? By tracking your results, you'll know when you're winning, when you're
slacking, and when it's time to go back to the basics one more time.
All the best,
MSC
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