That’s what Tim told Lulu right after the meeting. “I need $1,500 in 3 weeks. Can I earn that with this?”
Challenge: Tim is a friend of a friend’s sister. What would you advise Lulu?
About the author
That’s what Tim told Lulu right after the meeting. “I need $1,500 in 3 weeks. Can I earn that with this?”
Challenge: Tim is a friend of a friend’s sister. What would you advise Lulu?
I would tell this person, “yes it’s possible but there are no guarantees.How much time,effort and possibly some money are you willing to devote to getting that $1500 in 3 weeks?” This is a long term business not a one shot deal and if your only in it to make a quick buck and get out then I’m afraid I can’t work with you. I will work with you but I can’t guarantee you will get that $1500 in 3 weeks but I need to know if you are committed. Does that sound fair enough?
My advice to Lulu (my namesake?) would be to tell Tim that it pretty much depends on him. In my business, it is not impossible for a new person to earn that much in three weeks (quite a few new distributors have done this – not me, unfortunately, nor any of my frontline/downline – YET), depending on several variables:
1. The package he decides to purchase himself on coming into the business: personal products plus products to demo, plus perhaps just a few of the most popular, less expensive, products to have on had to retail (a large inventory is discouraged). There is an upper limit so that new distributors don’t load up on stuff just to get a check (counter-productive).
2. How much time is he free to devote to starting his business in the first three weeks? There are a couple of ways he can “quick start” his business that can generate some healthy income in the first few weeks, but they take WORK! And TIME! (on his part and on his sponsor’s part, too – so Lulu needs to be sure she is available to assist him at this stage with hands-on training and participation).
3. Is he motivated by anything other than the need for $1500? What kind of network does he already belong to? Who will he be approaching with his new products/business? Lulu needs to do some qualifying.
AND, I would be sure Tim understands that there are NO guarantees that he will actually net $1500 in the first three weeks. I would tell him honestly that most people do NOT earn this much in three weeks. Also, when does the company pay commissions? Once a month? Twice a month? Immediately? If it’s once a month, he would have to make the $1500 just in the mark up from wholesale to retail. (How many widgets will he have to sell?) And he may have to come in at a rank above the bottom level to make any commissions/rebate the first month. My company tries to make it as easy as possible for new distributors get off to a rewarding start, and also receive recognition from the company, so they feel encouraged to continue in the business. And there are no promises!
Lucy in St. Thomas
First, a HUGE neon sign should be flashing in Lulu’s head that reads NO PROMISES … NO PROBLEMS!!
Second, she should say to him (something to the effect of), why don’t we set a time when we can meet and we’ll see ‘what it will take’ for you to make that kind of money. At their ‘meeting’ Lulu should explain the compensation plan of the respective company, and the retail vs wholesale commission to Tim.
Then, they should do the math. Come up with how much product he would have to sell in that three week period to ‘clear’ 1500. Then Lulu should ask the magic question, “Do YOU (Tim) think you can do that?”
She has helped him understand what HE has to do in order to make that kind of money in that short period of time and has thrown the ball back in his court!
She has maintained her no promises … no problems posture, has maintained her credibility and should be in the clear with her prospective recruit, her friend and her friend’s sister!
Venetta
venetta5@yahoo.com
There are no guarantees in love, life, and networking.
I would say, “Tim, if you love this product the way you said you do and want to do the business, that’s great. You’ve got to love the product to really be successful.”
“Although it is possible to make $1,500 in three weeks, it’s really tough and very very few people are able to accomplish that. I think you should join the business if you’re you’re truly interested in improving your income in the long term. But if you need that kind of money that fast, go get yourself a part time job, and build up this business on the side. It’s truly a long term deal.”
Cheers,
Rani
I would ask Tim why he needed the money so fast. Is it a want or a need or a bill/debt that is due? Is this something that is a pressing need or can it be postponed or stretched out? I also want to find out if Tim is a perpetual get-rich-quick-schemer. If he is, I tell him that my business is not for him. This isn’t the lottery.
Once I find out what the situation is, I will know better if I can help him. If he does need $1,500 in 21 days or they will take away his house and it’s the 24th of March, I will have to help him find something else. My company pays on the 20th of each month for the previous month’s sales. He could not earn $1,500 in 21 days no matter what he did.
If Tim could wait until the 20th of next month to be paid, then I would sit down with him and show him exactly what it would take to earn $1,500 with my company. He would need to generate about $8,400 in product sales. To do that by March 31st is a tall order and not realistic. In fact, maybe 1 in a 1,000 could do this. It would take a person who was an excellent salesperson (I don’t necessarily mean salesperson as an occupation) with a large circle of influence and probably extensive experience in Network Marketing. Even then, the odds are against that happening.
At this point, I would ask Tim if he was willing to start slower and methodically build his business. If he was, then I’d go into more detail about my company and see if we are a fit for him.
It sounds like Tim is desperate. It also sounds like someone might have already hyped him. Lulu needs to sit with him and show him how many sales he would need to make to get those results. While anything is possible, his motivation right now is BIG QUICK money which means he would say anything to make a sale. Not conducive to the New School teachings. Since most of us are Part Time, he also needs to look at the time required. I would recommend a yard sale or Ebay until he can get his feet on the ground, head on straight, and finances level.
Since the chance of this happening is so small and is going to more than likely cause this person to destroy friendships because of the aggressiveness that would probably take place, I would not recommend it.
I would recommend they let me teach them how to get this started in a smart way for the long term.
I would advise Lulu to tell Tim how much product he would have to move in that 3 week period to make $1500. For example, in my company, Tim could come in at the $29 level and sell about $6,700 in product in 3 weeks and make $1,500. He won’t get bonuses for business builders if he comes in at the $29 level, but he gets compensated generously on customers.
You need to tell people EXACTLY what the game plan is to make that much money. If Tim thinks he can sell that much product, then he will make that much money. Simple.
Be HONEST with people. Don’t sugar coat it. Tell them how to make money.
Roxanne Green
Be A Mentor With A Servant’s Heart!!!
I would say he needs to get a job.
If he is capable of creating this kind of money in a new network marketing opportunity in three weeks, he would NOT be in this position of NEEDING $1500 FAST.
Then after the need is met he can slow down and learn the business and start working toward building a life that most people only dream about. It is not even fair to suggest that “maybe it can happen”.
Now, If Kim, or another big banana wanted to join and make that much money super quick, it would be a no brainer. Of course they can. They know how. But they, too, had to spend time learning it.
Lisa
http://mammalisa.com
I would first find out why he needed it so quickly. If he is desperate or otherwise in a bad situation such that he may do or say things that aren’t new school, I would tell him that we probably couldn’t help him.
In two of my previous companies, we were advanced commissions for any legitimate application submitted, and it was not at all unusual for a new person to go out and make several sales rather quickly and get paid rather quickly. That was and remains part of the allure for a new person.
The problem was the money had not yet been earned, so a really desperate person could potentially come in and do a lot of questionable activity quickly (like telling friends and family they can buy now and cancel in a couple of weeks), collect the check(s), and then disappear when the business falls off the books shortly thereafter.
While the companies had safeguards for that kind of thing, the best way to avoid such a scenario was to *not* recruit people who were desperate in their attitude, and didn’t have the patience to build things right.
Nonetheless, I would then show what it would take to make that kind of money. In my current company he would need one sale from any of our product or service lines, however it usually takes anywhere from three weeks to 45 days for the sale to close, so even if he made that one sale he wouldn’t see his first check for at least a month. On that basis alone we couldn’t help him.
I would also point out to him that unless he had a strong warm market that he was willing to approach in a knowledgeable new school way, the likelihood of him earning that amount in a short period of time is slim and none.
What he really needs is a job. If he has a job what he really needs is a second job and perhaps liquidating some items to raise some immediate capital. Once that is accomplished and the immediate influx of cash is no longer a burden, he can then work to build his client and recruit base.
Michael
http://www.wlgweb.com
http://www.grmbeyond.com
I would tell Lulu the following:
This is a business opportunity, not a get rich quick scheme (if they are talking about my business).
Building a business is a process and how quickly you are able to market your product will depend on many factors.
I would tell Lulu I cannot make any income promises and no solid business opportunity is without business expenses.
I would tell her to give All the information so that there are no unwanted suprises and to be prepared to coach and give as much assistance as possible while encouraging them along the way.
This goal would make me quite concerned and I would tell Lulu that many people in my business may realistically expect to sell X dollars of product and expose X number of people to their new business within three weeks time, but thier goal is one that really needs some ready and willing prospects waiting in the wings.
Lulu might find out if they have a ready warm market that they are sure want these products or services.
Brenda Bunney
http://MLMSuccessBunney.com
http://BrendaBunneyMLM.com
brendabunney@yahoo.com
After reading all the comments, I feel compelled to comment one more time.
It amazed me how almost every comment was a preconceived notion of what Tim’s alterior motives were … what he should do (by each individual’s standards) and from the responses, I felt an underlying “if Tim is not interested in doing the business … Lulu should not ‘waste’ her time with him and should not be interested in helping Tim make the money he “needs” for whatever reason he needs it (which is really none of our business)!
If you were Tim … would you be interested in doing business with someone like yourself who would be so quick to judge or even have the nerve to ask “why do you need the money”? Don’t think I would! But I would be interested in doing business with a person who ‘showed’ me how to make the money I needed and then let me decide if I could commit to ‘what it would take’ to ‘Get There’!
Isn’t this business about identifying people’s NEEDS and HELPING them?
Keep it simple … I have learned to merely ANSWER the questions I am ASKED rather than waste energy trying to ‘decide’ what the other person is up to and/or should be doing by ‘my standards’!
What is MLM … what do YOU want it to be … there’s something for everybody … whether it’s buying products … selling products … or being a business builder!
Venetta
venetta5@yahoo.com
NEXT!
I agree with Roxanne . . . tell them exactly what they would need to do, and let them figure out whether they think they could do it.
I’ve heard two different top-of-the-pay-plan leaders in my company state in two different meetings they did not make money quickly. (The first said his first month’s check was for $37; the other showed a way to make money fast in the first three months, but said he didn’t do it that way, and most don’t.)
Honestly is the best policy! And setting realitic expectations is a close second!! 🙂
— Walter Reade (from Appleton, WI)
Walter@NMC
http://www.NuOpportunity.com
“I need $1,500 in 3 weeks. Can I earn that with this?”
Challenge: Tim is a friend of a friend’s sister. What would you advise Lulu?
Not sure about the “challange” (what makes it so…), but my answer is: “Sure you can. Get Tim on the phone with the three of us and lets talk about it.”
I’ll find out what the money’s for… what Tim brings to the party in terms of experience, knowledge, skills, resources… and if that’s a fit… we’re off and running for Tim’s three weeks of netWORK marketing.
I’ve got the products, pay plan and team partnership that make Tim’s “need” able to be accomplished. Just gotta’ learn what Tim needs to pull it off.
Thanks.
I appreciate you.
In my first star-struck weeks ten years ago I might have told Tim that it was a big stretch, but in MLM the sky is the limit.
These days, I would most likely be blunt and tell him to run from anyone who is suggesting that earning money this fast is a likely scenario.
It would make no difference
whether Tim is a friend, my brother, or a total stranger.
I have become a complete products only fanatic. No promises, no problems.
Honesty is always the best policy and the reality is, no one can know whether Tim is capable of doing this, except perhaps Tim.
My response would be – Tim, it can be done with this business and this product, and it is important that you know going in what it will require of you to accomplish this. Also, I don’t know you, your business skills, whether you’ve done a business like this before, so we’ll need to talk about that, as well as how much time and investment money you have for this venture.”
From there, it would all depend on the conversation. My experience has been that so many networkers say “absolutely” without really having a feel for whether it is possible.
Each situation and each person is unique. When people ask me if they can make a six figure income after one year, I tell them it can be done but it is not the norm. I let them know we can discuss what it would take, but I want to be honest and realistic with them right up front.
People appreciate this. It’s NEW SCHOOL network marketing. And, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t discourage people from signing up!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
Who is Jackie Ulmer Anyway?