We’ve been on a self-improvement binge of late – but how about those opportunity prospects? They could stand some improvement too, think?
I vote for a flake detector. So does Juliette Gray, who commented here:
“How do we get our prospects to reveal their secrets so we know whether to start down the long and winding road with them? How can we make the ‘Law of Attraction’ work both to the prospect’s and our advantage? Perhaps by adding a really non-techno-babble pre-qualifying question and answer session at the outset…”
Great suggestion. What might those questions be? Here are three I’ve used as flake detectors:
- Ideally, what are you looking for? What do you like doing?
- We’re looking for someone who loves sales. Is that you?
- If you don’t earn anything for the first six months while you’re learning how to do this, can you live with that?
What are your flake-detector questions?
Flakes hurt. What if we fight back and detect them first?
P.S. Yes, we can also have flake detectors for customers. This exercise is for distributors.
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Those first three questions are part of the Skeptical Market Recruiter CD program.
Kim – I’m glad you used my post – although you didn’t say it came from me – I know I wrote it yesterday but I didn’t think it went through. I would like to add that many people seem super interested until you send them to the web site and they discover it is network marketing. I don’t understand where the disconnect comes between people wanting to have their own business and not wanting to spend a dime and being turned off by an industry that is one of the only ones that you can start a business in with so little investment. Jim Rohn in his introduction to network marketing suggests that if you tell all potential prospects this is a part time income that will change the things you can do with your life, like a new car, a vacation, etc. and even if it is only a few hundred a month extra people will respond more than if they think it is the only income they are going to have,
on the basis that when their part time job starts to bring in full time income they will see it all in a different light. It is difficult to suggest to people who are looking for a main income to invest money and also not be bringing in something right away. I only relistened to Jim Rohn’s ideas again today. The question is how to have the right vibration to bring people into your business who get it. Jack Canfield from THE SECRET suggests writing down on a piece of paper all the qualities you want from a prospect on one side and the qualities you don’t want on the other side then tear the piece of paper in half and throw away the qualities you don’t want. The only way to make the Law of Attraction work is by living it in your daily life and not beating yourself up because you are not attracting the right people but it is hard to do sometimes. Trying some of these exercises might help. I am in Canfield’s coaching program and it is even difficult for me. I can tell you though that you cannot just watch THE SECRET you have to live its ideas for the Law of Attraction to work. Juliette Gray
After reading this, the name Mary Anne came to my mind and I would like to share her story.
Some many years ago (more than I would like to be old) a friend of mine invited me to a Tupperware Party. On the way to that party I was thinking … just what I need … another piece of Tupperware. Out of a sense of obligation, though, I went … not happy at all. I was greeted at the door by the hostess and introduced to the ‘dealer,’ Mary Anne. Mary Anne was well dressed (not expensively), well-groomed, had a smile that would sink battle ships and her first words to me were … thank you so much for taking the time to attend Susan’s party (with a big smile on her face)!
Well … Mary Anne knew how to ‘work’ a room. From that first night, she became our best friend and established a 20+ year relationship with almost every woman who was in that room!
If a woman showed interest in a product but thought it was ‘too expensive,’ Mary Anne would say, ‘why don’t you give me your number and I’ll call you when it goes on sale.’ Mary Anne would ‘tap’ into this woman’s conversation and pick up some tidbit of information (for example, this woman’s child might have been in a school play that next month). When the piece went on sale, Mary Anne would call and begin the conversation with … ‘how did the play go’ … and then go into her ‘sales’ pitch. The first night Mary Anne might have ‘lost’ the sale, but she certainly ‘won’ the party!
In her charmingly friendly way … she let us know about all the Tupperware Opportunities … fund-raisers … wedding showers … baby showers … etc., etc.
None of us ever ‘socialized’ with Mary Anne but we all considered her a good friend!
From those ten woman, Anytime our church/school wanted to have a fundraiser, we would call Mary Anne … when someone would get married … we’d host a Tupperware wedding shower … when someone was having a baby … we’d have a Tupperware baby shower. God only knows what ‘network’ Mary Anne built from that night. And that was just one party!
If Mary Anne would call and say, you know, Venetta, Tupperware is offering a (whatever) and I need $$$ to win … I would more than gladly have a party for her!
My point … keep it simple (not to be confused with easy) … I think we make things too hard and could all use some Mary Anne training!
1. She always built relationships!
2. She let you know from the get-go she was a dealer and was selling something.
3. She always spoke of the Tupperward ‘opportunities’ and was never ‘pushy’ … always looked for the people who showed ‘interest.’
4. Had us all ‘loving to hate’ Tupperware!
Ummm … wonder how Mary Anne would have done in Network Marketing … maybe I should give her a call!
Venetta
I agree, Juliette, I love Jim Rohn’s line, “I’m working full time on my wages and part time on my fortune!”
Question to suspected flake: Do you love these products madly?
Why sponsor them before they do? Why not suggest they stay a customer until they’re bubbling over like we are?
Dianne
Why not simply tell ’em it’s Network Marketing and that ‘we’ want those who can recognize and respond appropriately… grasp the opportunity to [insert phrase of your choice here]?
And is ‘flake’ any way to speak respectfully of people who simply have differing viewpoints?
The key to dealing with flakes is to have your prospecting / new rep pipeline SO FULL that having someone flake out is of absolutely no consequence to you.
Harder said than done? Not really.
Most of us don’t like prospecting and so we stop after we get a few reps and focus on them instead. If they flake, we are left at square one.
You can avoid that by setting prospecting goals for yourself and by sticking to them. Maybe that is only three calls a day (reasonable for an extreme part-timer). But whatever your goal is, do it consistently.
That will do more to attract good people to you than worrying about your “vibrational” state. (Ask me what I think about the Law of Attaction!) 🙂
— Walter (from Appleton, WI)
Walter@NMC
http://www.NuOpportunity.com
I think asking pre-qualifying questions will help, but it’s kind of like asking someone who’s never had a baby of their own what it’s like with a newborn in the house. They’ve heard others talk, they’ve spent one night with their niece, babysat, but it is different when it’s you’re own baby to care for every day.
Prospects don’t believe it will take nearly as long to start making money as it does in reality.
When prospects are spending money with no profit coming in, they begin to wonder if it’s “another one of those deals that don’t work.”
I think asking all the pre-qualifying questions is a great start. I also encourage them to read the policies and procedures, look over the comp plan, talk to as many people in my company as they want to and check out the management and company reputation.
After that all I know to do is to support and encourage new distributors and be honest with them when they ask a question.
Brenda Bunney
405-612-0473
networkmarketingsuccessbunney.blogspot.com
http://BrendaBunneyMLM.com
brendabunney@yahoo.com
When I started to believe, really believe, that most people are not like me I began to have some success in business in NWM.
I believe that we as Network Marketers ARE different. We are not afraid of venturing out of that old proverbial “comfort zone” and actually welcome new learning and new situations. And we have some self esteem and confidence that we can do some things well,maybe not everything but enough that we are assured confident people for the most part.
The idea that Jim Rohn has about tiptoeing into the part time aspect seems a good one to me. It might not seem so overwhelming to the “newbie”.
Yes,Juliette, The Secret is a way of life, not something you get up each morning and “put on” for the day like your clothes.
And, I believe, for the person who is just discovering this for herself it’s a journey, albeit a mystical, mysterious one and not a destination.
The Esther Hicks books, like “The Law of Attraction” and “Ask and It Is Given” are so simple and the Processes necessary to “get this” are offered there.
But the Law of Attraction WORKS all the time, even if we dont know it as such.
The trick is making it work the way we want it to?
If you buy the DVD of The Secret, be sure it’s the version which has Esther in it. Some of the newer versions do not.
Thanks
Mary
marymentor4life@yahoo.com
I have a few “flake detector” questions I use. I use them to also allow the other person to disqualify themselves if what I have is not a fit for them. Because as Brenda pointed out its hard to know if they’ve “never had a baby of their own what it’s like with a newborn in the house”. So I attempt to get as much information as possible.
Along with Kim’s FD questions others I might ask are:
1) This is a business are you interested in a business or a job?
2) Like any other business there are start up costs. With this business the start up costs range from $300 to $1200; is that something that is within your budget?
3) There is training with this program and we are looking for people who are interested in learning. Is that you?
Thank you,
Norma
“How do we get our prospects to reveal their secrets so we know whether to start down the long and winding road with them? How can we make the ‘Law of Attraction’ work both to the prospect’s and our advantage? Perhaps by adding a really non-techno-babble pre-qualifying question and answer session at the outset…”
Use the Law of Attraction by asking a different kind of question before you are ever with a prospect. Also write out statements and set intentions.
A different question would be, “Why do I always attract people who are interested in network marketing?” The Universe has to answer that question once you ask it so the actions to take or not take will become evident to you.
A powerful statement would be “I appreciate that the people I talk to make their desire known to me upfront.” An intention, “I intend to attract more people who are ready to have their own business.” That sort of thing.
Using questions is good if you find that the statements you make feel untrue to you. You must believe that what you intend is possible before it can manifest.
Tracy
~~~
Organic Foods Mom
Well, the whole point of qualifying is to make sure you don’t waste both your time and the other person’s. To avoid “flakes” as it were (I hate that word, I must say!).
Let me be clear about what I mean by “qualifying”. It’s simply confirming that the other person is ready to move on to the next step with you. That could be agreeing to talk with you in the first place all the way through to joining your team.
Qualifying before you spend a lot of time with someone is essential. You’re looking for an expression of interest and ability. Here’s an example of a question I suggest you can use when, for example, you’re following up on a lead…
“If you find the right opportunity that will get you what you want, can I ask if you’re ready to make that change and, if you are, do you have the financial resources to do it?”
You need to be careful not to “overqualify” though. Some people ask questions like “Are you serious about making $100K in your first year?” That can backfire. One friend of mine who is very successful told me that if someone had asked him that question, he would have said “No”. The reason being, at that time he wasn’t looking for, and couldn’t conceive of, that kind of income.
As for the “Law of Attraction” by all means apply those principles to attract the kind of people you want in your team.
Michael Oliver
http://www.NaturalSelling.com