…a community, not hunters.”
“Anyone who can fog a mirror, reel them in.” That’s what they told us 15 years ago.
And that’s what everyone did. Including me. Like a hunter going after its prey.
Cut to TODAY.
With all the dead bodies around, this is much harder to pull off. People know from friends that the promises of financial freedom are not true. Those who don’t, sign up and drop out in 30 days.
People also know that offering product miracle cures smacks of scam.
The New School alternative? A new perception and a new attitude:
Here’s what this means.
1. For customer gatherers
The network marketers who offer alternative health products, for example, must themselves use and love alternative health products. Because only then are they part of the community they’re trying to find and to whom they want to market. Who else will pay the premium these products cost?
2. For recruiters selling the business opportunity
CONTEST QUESTION: What do you think New School Principle #1 means for recruiters?
Winner gets the latest 3-CD program: “Recruiting with Ads” here.
New School Recruiters are part of the community they live in not trying to hunt it down to extermination. For so long we have been killing off our cliental and our business partners by approaching them with falsehoods. If we love our product to sell it to others we must also love our business model to recruit others. We don’t need to hide behind big claims and twists of the truth. When talking to others about our business we need to tell them it is hard work, not everyone is meant to be self employed. They will need to love the product and the business like we do in order to make it for the long haul. People shouldn’t run we they see us because we are salesman nor should they run when they see us because we are NMers. The plain truth is I don’t want a recruit who will be here for only a month. That is wasting too much effort for nothing. I would rather have one or two great recruits than 40 who are no longer around. Be real and talk real- they will come.
Nancy Carlson
perfectmombusiness.com
One who focuses on recruiting must seek to add value to others lives, regardless of the outcome of the conversation. Nobody likes to feel like they are a number. Old school says “Some will, some won’t, so what? Next!”. We are fooling ourselves if we think people we talk to don’t pick up on this attitude.
We also must be aware that not everyone we meet is a good fit for our business, and respect that fact. What value have we added, what sense of team are we building, if people are dropping out as fast as they are coming in?
I like how Kim put it; “Prospects are members of a community to which marketers belong.” Prospects and marketers are members of the same community, and it remains that way regardless of whether the prospect joins our business or not. Wouldn’t we rather still be able to look our community in the eye because we treated them with respect?
For Recruiters, New School Principle #1 means: No arm twisting, no badgering, no bugging, no begging, and no false pretense.
It means finding people for whom this is the right thing at the right time.
It means a commitment to teach your recruits the necessary skills to be successful in network marketing, i.e., signing them up is the start of the process, not the end.
— Walter Reade (from Wisconsin)
My New Product Page!
I think it means building relationships by caring more about what’s best for others that for yourself.
Ultimately if you do this, your business will be rewarded. The customer you allow to buy only what they really want with no guilt will come back and maybe bring others.
The recruit you let take their time and maybe even go a different direction because that is right for them will respect your business ethics.
Brenda Bunney
http://MLMSuccessBunney.com
brendab@brightok.net
The network marketers that sell the business opportunity to others must themselves know and understand their comp plan so well that they can explain in clear & simple terms what it takes to make “XXX” amount of dollars with their company.
They must know and understand a variety of reaching out methods and be willing and able to teach such methods to the new recruit, helping them to succeed.
They must be upfront regarding what it takes to succeed in this industry: hard work, patience and an investment of time & money in order to promote their new business (sales tools, advertising, self-improvement programs, etc.)
They must be willing to explain that this industry is NOT for everyone and that they are looking only for those whom this is the right thing, right now. If this is not the right time for the recruit, or the right company, no pressure tactics will be applied. Above all, show respect and honor to the individual you want to recruit, because we are members of a community, not hunters.
And most importantly, network marketers that sell the business opportunity to others must not lie, exaggerate or deceive in order to gain a new recruit. That would be against our code of ethics.
Karen O’Handley
http://www.pioneeringhealth.com
The ‘old ways’ was not all bad. Some of it can modified and still used, especially for business builders.
But we have to be ‘real’. We have to just be honest, tell our story, in our own words, and only when appropriate. We cannot push it. We can not allow ourselves to get all stressed out over trying to ‘do the business’ or ‘getting more customers’. We get like that and the desperation will show in our actions.
And, as one looking for customers, we need to somehow let them know that they are not required to get customers. We must dispel that old teaching/ preconceived idea.
And we must also let the person know that they are a friend first, potential customer second. That our relationship does not depend on whether or not they will buy something.
Speaking of “Old School” . . .
I was recently pitched to join different MLM opportunity. Here’s how the pitch went:
+ My comp plan was too hard and too many people dropped out
+ Their comp plan was so lucrative that people almost never dropped out
+ All I would have to do is sponsor two people
+ And I might not even have to do that because people will build under me
+ The only “downside” of their comp plan is that it is so effective I might get lazy sitting back and watching my organization grow
I guess I should ask Kim’s question: “What kind of people will this pitch will attract?”
— Walter Reade (from Wisconsin)
My New Product Page!
P.S. The “Recruiting with Ads” audio is an excellent investment of $25!
After 18 year of being told (by my sisters who recruited me): “it’s easy…the product sells itself…Tell your friends… tell two who tell two who tell two and when you get to 30 you’ll make $1,000 a month.” I felt like such a failure, something was wrong with me. Then I found the New School approach”:}
As a New School Recruiter my market is…
Interested entrepreneur’s, who’ve dreamed of owning their own side business and love sales which would include realtors, massage therapists, spa owners, stylists, etc.(of course they have to love natural healthy alternatives.)
Hi I’m Vicky Taylor…
“My International company is expanding in this area and I have a simple question.
Do you know anyone who’d be interested in marketing a product especially for people who are looking for 100% plant based skin care, and make-up made from fruits & berries that fits our personality, and nd by doing this be able to creat side extra stream of income … in addition to what they’re already doing in their current job as a massage therapist… hair stylist…realtor etc?
If you know of anyone here’s my site would you refer them to it?
http://vicky.networkmarkeingcentral.com
Keeping the the NMC #1 principle I’d say this (I’m starting to say this today… to Massage Therapists, Spa Owners, Real Estate Professionals, Salon Owners.)
Keeping NMC #1 principle in mind for recruiters:
Discover if what the solution I am offering is something that fits for them, are they missing something in their life? Are they looking for something to solve a problem they have? ie more income, more free time, etc.
What’s in it for them? How do I help them discover if this is what they are interested in and find out if they are prepared to do something about it.
It is about helping people discover for themselves if they want to change their current situation. If they want to change their current situation, then I must find out what it is they want, why they want it and when they would like it to happen.
If what I am offering is not going to help them change their current situation, solve a problem, help them get what they want, then what I have is not for them.
It’s about them, it’s not about me. Part of helping someone is discovering what they want and finding out if they are willing to do something about it.
From my perspective I must be focusing on what’s in it for them and I must remove myself from the equation. I must be willing to walk away if my solution does not fit their desires or situation.
Then I can help them move forward.
It’s important to be truthful and honest about the business, the products, etc.
As we have all heard over and over from Kim here.
This is not an easy business, there is no easy quick way to make a real income from network marketing. It requires effort, perseverance and determination.
Regards,
Erin Ely
elyorganics.com
Kim,
Just used the #1 principle for recruiting the “new School” way and I got 3 Spa Owners to give me their email addresses wanting me to send the link to my website to checkout my company.
It took me 18 years to find you but everything you teach… if we apply it works!
A thousand thanks:)
Vicky Taylor
Hi Everyone!
Principle #1 means no promises no problems! We must remember that we are not “pitching” our business but out there to basically get referrals by trying to “call their name” (“I market a product for people who…..do you know anyone who would like to know more about a product like that?”). Some may say that they would like to know more and give you permission to share the product with them. Others may give you referrals. Still others will neither be interested nor give you referrals. And that’s okay. But it makes everyone feel better that you are not “selling”, “pitching” or anything even close to resembling a telemarketer! People you run into on the phone or in person will love your new approach!
Brad Pollina
http://YourFreeCard.com
(314) 485 4528
I’m in a hurry so don’t have much time to answer. But…the answer can be short so…
New School:
Integrity, honesty, no promises, no problems. Use both ears, well.
Drag no one across the finish line.
Let people know it’s a long term plan. (4-5 years at least for most)
Cathy
Most important…be honest and upfront. People have heard for years, “It’s easy. Anyone can do it.”
Heck no! It’s not! And people have to hear that before they join. It’s just like in a “real job” there’s a learning curve. It’s the same here. We need to let people know it takes a while to get the skills down. They need to “learn” network marketing just like they would have to learn to become a doctor, or a lawyer, or a baker, or a plumber…or whatever.
They need to know as their skills get better, they’ll have more and more success. The key is to go in with eyes wide open and know that at first it’s not easy. But it gets easier as time goes on and they are learning more and more about the business, the products and the industry.
They need to know….”in the beginning they work a lot and get paid a little, but later they get paid a lot for doing a little.”
Have a great weekend!
Ilka Flood
http://www.JustDoItWithBooks.com
If I am approaching them, I would say, “I market an opportunity for people interested in owning their own business,being their own boss,determining their own income. Would you know anyone who may be interested in a business like that?”
If they are coming to me,ie if I place an ad I would say ” Will teach,train and develop people serious about controlling their time,money and future. Must be teachable, willing to work hard. Sweat equity or money required to grow. Reward-can have a financially secure future with the time to enjoy it. Serious inquiries only.
It’s all about finding the right people who are right for YOUR organization. Not all people are the right ones and that’s OK. The only way to find the right ones is to get to know people. For instance, I mentor anyone in any company. Some of these people come to be my friends and never join my company. The ones who are the right ones for my organization stand up, raise their hand and ask me “Can you tell me more about your company and how I can join your organization”.
Instead of tryin to slam everyone you meet into your organization (old way), find a way to simply be yourself, meet and help others. The ones who are a fit will step up. Be willing to be friends and help the ones who don’t want to join you because you may be able to learn something from them too and end up with some wonderful new friends out of it.
I have.
Roxanne Green
Mentor With A Servant’s Heart
Be a product of your product.
And then there’s some people who teach old-way recruit recruit recruit. And actually call themselves PREDATOR MARKETERS. Ugh 🙁
Warn your friends.
And RUN.
The other way…. FAST.
Pat Crosby
http://NetworkMarketingQueenDiary.blogspot.com
Author John Gray says in his book, “HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT And Want What You Have” (Chapter 14, Giving Up Resistance, Page 185, The Resistance Game), to try to turn all negative expressions that come out of our mouths into positive expressions, i.e., one might say, “I hope we don’t have to wait long”; which could be reworded to say “I hope we are in and out quickly.”
Since I love to play this game I turned Kim’s 5 Worst Things to Say into the 5 Golden Rules for my ‘recruiters.’ It is working fabulously well for me. Here goes (simply stated):
1. It takes hard work. We are looking for those ‘special’ people who have an entrepreneur somewhere inside them and are willing to put in a little extra time to build something of their own.
2. Although there are people in this business who are making ‘gangster’ money, they did it through hard work, patience and perseverance. This is a business where you can choose how much money you want to make.
3. We are looking for people who care about their health, believe in preventative medicine and who prefer natural alternatives rather than drugs.
4. Although there are several really good MLM companies out there with superior quality products I chose FLP because (30-second First Date Script) and because I liked XYZ of the compensation plan.
5. There are many ways to do this business. You can go to them or you can get them to come to you. Creativity is the name of the game here.
Yea, it’s all taken from Kim’s stuff, and is working amazingly well for me, my business, and my babies.
Venetta
http://www.aloecare4u.blogspot.com
Principle #1 puts a stop to manipulation.
I don’t personnnally reject all sales training in bulk.
A good salesperson is a person who is capable of building a relationship with principles that comes from the heart.
I now attack sales with a problem solving mentality and my job is to find people with a problem that my products or business proposition could potentially solve if there is a match.
I’m not trying to create a need anymore with manipulative techniques and this is such a relief and a breath of fresh air!
I’m now looking for people who are looking for me.
No more trying to sell a freezer to an esquimau…
Business prospects are members of a community to which business marketers belong.
For recruiters it first means they should be very focused and identify who their “community” would be. Entrepreneurs, people who like talking to people, people who LIKE sales. I would definitely want someone who loved the product first before they became a seller of it. Old lies about it being easy and anyone can do this have caused the graveyard of Network Marketers.
It might be “customers” who approach them on how to earn some extra money or enough to pay for their own product use. These are your casual business builders.
We are in a generation of “hot and now”. People need to be educated to the fact it takes time to build any business. Our industry is not a “get rich quick”. Compared to investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a traditional business, I’ll take our Network Marketing industry any time.
Just as you call out those potential customers who have an interest in your product – “I market a product for someone who…….”, you would call out those who have an interest in business – “I am business owner who makes money by …..”. Do you know anyone who might be interested in a business like that?
The new principle is simply this. Look for the right people who aught to be doind this at the right time. No hype and instant success guarantee. Most importantly, no more dragging them across the finish line OR the starting line for that matter.
Just as I look for people who want to try something natural for their migraines instead of the usual prescription meds, I look for people who want the business for the same reasons I did (and still do). I am a part of the community of mothers who want to stay home with their children yet make some money so I can buy dinner for my husband sometimes or shop without asking for money. THAT is my community; others who have the same desire are the people I want to talk with.
The business, like the products, must be the right thing for the person I am talking to. If it is not, I owe it to myself and to that person to politely suggest they look elsewhere – as I have on several occasions.
I will make no promises of potential income, nor will I tell them it’s easy or that the products will sell themselves. The persons I bring into the business must know and accept that it is hard work being a business owner and that it takes guts, sweat, tears, effort and yes, some money too, to make it and to last. If they are not comfortable with this, I must let them go nicely and politely.
First and foremost, as new school network marketers, we must not say the “5 worst things”
1.It’s easy. Anyone can do it.
2. You can/will make big money almost immediately in this business
3.Everyone will want this product/service
4.This is the best company out there
5.All you have to do is talk to people you know.
I tell people that this business isn’t for everyone. I want to work with people who want to do what I do, who love the products I love. So no hype or promises!
There was a segment on Good Morning America yesterday entitled: Work From Home: Become a Direct Seller. In that segment, Tory Johnson stressed the importance of being passionate about the product or service we are going to sell; to be sure that it meshes with our personality. Great advice.
If I drag someone in who isn’t like that, I have wasted my time because the person is undoubtedly going to fail; and I have painted a bad picture of the industry for that person.
We sure don’t want to do that!
Marti Gilchrist
We are in, and we are we willing to help others in our business first, because of the benefits we are after for ourselves. I think to keep at it and to be most efficient with our time and effort we need to always keep that in mind. I find that a lot of people, myself included, waste an awful lot of time doing unproductive things just to “keep busy” thinking we’re “building the business”. We need to continually ask ourselves if our actions are based on good business principals that will help us realize our priorities and goals. (Of course, to you whom responded under your breath that you can’t work all the time, that is not what I meant. I’m going fishing after I finish this, if not before. There is also a time for coffee without business.) We need to act like this is a “real” business if we expect to be taken seriously. With that said, back to Kim’s question:
I. I think it is very important to be serious about your business. (In a “real”, personal, fun type of way.)
A. I really don’t think one can recruit or expand their business unless they are using their own products. You need to be a member of your product’s target market or as we say, community.
B. I don’t think one can recruit or expand their business unless they have or are actively building a personal customer base.
II. When talking with a prospective “recruit” or explaining for a referral, we need to make clear what all parties are looking for.
A. What do you (or does one) like doing?
B. Are you (they) interested in something part-time or are you (they) interested in a career change?
C. How much are you (they) interested in making?
1. If the response is $500-1,000 a month, then your goal is to introduce them to the product line and work with them to develop a small business similar to what you did as noted above. (I.A&B)
2. If the response is $5,000+ a month, then your goal is to introduce them to the product line and work with them to develop a small business similar to what you did as noted above. (I.A&B) This will give them the same authority that they saw in you and allow them to expand their business through helping others build their own business, whether small or large.
II. must follow I. and although you must keep your priorities first, you can only realize those priorities, by putting other first.
FOR RECURITERS THE SAME APPLIES:
“The network marketers who offer alternative health products, for example, must themselves use and love alternative health products. Because only then are they part of the community they’re trying to find and to whom they want to market.”
TO WHICH I WOULD ADD:
The network marketers who also wish to recurit should be prepared to be a leader to those they recurit…or at least have a leader available to help the newbie while they are learning to be a leader. If that means holding their hand while you both learn, then you do so, as long as they are putting forth the effort that the two of you had agreed upon before. This implies your having learned and understood what it is THEY want out of it (verus what I want).
Also, we are part of a community. “Living” in a community requires me to be a good neighbor. As a recruiter-good neighbor I am friendly, helpful and go out of my way to assist anyone in the community – my neighbors. I am open and friendly about my business…using one liner openings…I help people, who are looking, find a good business fit, like I did…do you know anyone who would like to know more about something like that?