Quick follow up on the post, How Tom instantly changed Lulu’s point of view.
Tom (‘Big Al’) Schreiter says that after Lulu recognizes she “does network marketing everyday and just doesn’t get paid for it,” that
“We have effectively changed the prospects’ point of view.
Now the prospects believe that they are already networking,
so we can skip that entire part of our presentation.”
-Tom (Big Al) Schreiter’s newsletter of 5.29.06
So that means no presentation (and presumably no training) on her TTP skills.
TTP is the one thing every leader in every company, good, bad or indifferent, agrees network marketers must know how to do:
T a l k T o P e o p l e … T a l k T o P e o p l e … T a l k T o P e o p l e…
But companies don’t train on how, exactly, to do that. “I don’t know what to say…” is the most common lament I’ve heard over the years.
How often are you sure you lost someone because you said too much, or said the wrong thing?
Anyway, I’ve spent the last 17 years developing ways to talk to people – about the business and the product. So when Tom tells networker marketers that “we can skip that entire part of our presentation,” I guess he’s telling me I’ve spent those years for nothing. You can skip the entire thing, says he. 🙁
But then I remember that 95% of network marketers drop out. And that 100% of all the other hundreds of millions of people out there are still referring and promoting things to each other – enthusiastically – for free.
For many people it appears that offering tips, news, gossip, recommendations or help gives more joy when it’s NOT done for the money.
Sometimes, the money actually hinders the giving or making the recommendation. See Why some people say ‘no’ – to money.
If talking to people (especially those you know) has been your downfall because 1) you don’t know what to say, 2) because you ARE selling it, and 3) you want to be up front about that fact and still not sound like a soupy sales type, don’t skip your TTP class.
When it’s your own success and happiness we’re talking about, don’t believe what anyone tells you, including what I tell you, if it doesn’t agree with your own sensibilities or experience.
Maybe we’re too good at ‘talking to’… this business abounds with clever (and not so) messages to which few are listening and fewer responding.
‘Talk to’ is one-way traffic. We need Conversation – the two-way dialogue exchange of info… this business is tennis, not archery. So please, let’s ‘speak with’.
😉
Tis true, what you say.
However, the intent here is to convey what most networkers feel – they don’t know what to say to start a conversation when they would like to introduce their product or business, or what to say when someone asks, “What do you do?” or what to say when they have a leads list to call.
So these good folks don’t bring up the business, call leads, or begin any conversation about the busines or product with any confidence, because they have never been taught anything to say they’re comfortable with.
Can’t have a conversation if you don’t know how to start one.
That’s what I’m talking about with TTP. More difficult than people think it is, judging by the 95% drop out rate.
I’d penned the comment below before K got here with her comment… with which I agree – adding that also important is the ability to CONTINUE whatever conversation we start, hence the point of that ‘speak with’ remark rather than just ‘talk to’.
I was asked (by She Who Should Be Obeyed – Obi Wan KimKlaver) [just jesting – I’m hugely appreciative of the lattitude she allows me in posting such copious amounts of my ramblings here]… to clarify the position of to whom was I referring in that comment. Here goes…
You. Me. Everybody. All of us.
It’s that ClueTrain thing…
—–
markets are conversations… [in which] members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious… unmistakably genuine.
——-
It continues with something like:
—-
‘most corporations… only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the… marketing brochure… same old tone, same old lies. No wonder networked markets have no respect for companies unable or unwilling to speak as they do.
—-
Thing is though, in NM we too often don’t even get the personal tone together and, even if we don’t actually speak like a corporation, still offer-up stuff that’s unsuitable.
Personally, whilst I’m all for considering client/customer as rear view mirror – spend too much time and attention watching ’em and you’ll go backward – ought we not at least pay some mind to how they a) receive our stuff and b) can we better structure our delivery to gain their attention, interest and desire to play with us?
In a comment to K’s recent Tip if you’re on overwhelm… entry, I mentioned the lesson from JWT: ‘stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in’. It’s vital that we get this stuff. But instead, we bang-on (just like I’m doing now) blithely assuming that our stuff and the way we’re saying is important – rather than consider whether it’s appropriate to the audience. [How many already quit – or didn’t even bother to start – reading this?]
When we talk, we should make sure we’re saying something apporpiate – let’s listen to what we’re saying and how we’re saying it.
If we ain’t sometimes a) confused why we say what we do in the manner we say it and b) scared by the stuff we emit… we’re likely lacking either brain, conscience or pulse. Judging my my dross, I’m sometimes short on all three.
Much of the available market for NM isn’t being effectively reached. It is being talked to – but is neither listening nor responding. Why? Because the message and manner of delivery ain’t grabbing attention and building interest… they’re inappropriately structured. We are pissing-away huge opportunities.
Sermon over, we shall now sing Hymn 43.
[Due to the length of this, there’s now no way I could guilt-free add my take on the ‘don’t believe what anyone tells you’ line. Damn.]
😉
I agree that TS is off base here. It’s not a valid comparison. The thing that is hard (for me) to understand is this: He’s been around a long,long time in the industry, owns a nwm company, travels in the field extensively to this day, is fabulously successful, has no reason to mislead anyone…so why would he be wrong in his viewpoint? Ideas, anyone?
Glenn–
It’s very strange. It’s bad for the image of our industry though, because most people, even if they fall for that analogy, discover it’s not the same at all and drop out.
And because he keeps repeating it over and over, others parrot it too, and people just keep dropping out and feeling like losers or like they were deceived.
Not a good thing.
Believe me Kim, I agree with you! Author Robert Ringer states that most mistakes in peoples philosophies begin with short term thinking instead of long term thinking. Our industry is filled with short term thinkers, and it is nauseating. To echo one of your battlecries (had to throw in some macho male talk to banter with you!), if I didn’t love the service I market I wouldn’t be able to stomach the industry, and that is also not a good thing.
Continued..
To complete the thought, short term thinking produces quick income, but almost by definition produces long term loss. An example of short term thinking is using TS’ “everybody does nwm” story to sell people on going into business. It only works until the new associate gets out into the marketplace. Short term income for the sponsor, and broken dreams for the new associate. Not a good thing.