OK. You rated yesterday's items from 1 to 10, most important to least important. We'll see how you're thinking and are you thinking like a prospect?
OK. #1, and it won by a landslide is:
1. Who gave the presentation?
Is that a surprise? Its about YOU. People join people, they dont join companies. So the most important item toprospects by a landslide is "who gave the presentation?"
Again, that's from a prospect standpoint. Maybe to us its more important to know the company name, how long its been in business, whos the founder, and so forth. But the prospect wants to know exactly who gave the presentation. This is a people business, When you care about people, they relate to that.
2. Up-line support.
Back to YOU again, the 2nd most important factor, again by a landslide. Prospects need to know if YOU will be of any help to them. And will the up-line be any help?
So number one is, people join people ... but #2 is pretty much the same. They want to know if they can do it. And were definitely not going to join somebody we dont like, because then wed have to work with them.
3. Training Provided.
Look at this! They aren't even wondering about money yet, we havent talked about a company, were still talking about YOU. #3 is about you again. Do you have a conference call we can plug into? Do you have some systems in place to help us be successful? Do you have training? Does the company do training? Are you a good sponsor? Will you help me?
A LOT of people aren't sure they can do this. Maybe it's their first exposure to network marketing. But if they know they'll be trained by someone who's good, that raises their belief level.
One thing I do with my people, when I work with someone or when I sponsor someone I tell them please, please, listen to this specific tape. Or read this book. And I tell them please do not talk to anybody.
I dont want you to go try to sell your friends family. Let me work with you, help you get educated on this business. We'll work together to get you successful. So its critical that you help that person and give themthe training they need.
I know some new people get just the opposite. You join and the first thing you hear is, "OK. Lets go hammer the phones. Make your list today. We'll start calling tomorrow at 5:00PM when you get off work."
I'm saying, "Back up! Don't burn that bridge." If I just joined your business and had no idea what I was talking about, I'd probably say the wrong thing. I'd excited and leave things out. Youre excited that you joined, but lets say the right thing, not burn that warm market.
4. Marketing Plan and Potential Earnings.
So were almost halfway through the list. And NOW the prospect is finally wondering, "Can I make some money?" Its not really about can they make some money. Its more, can YOU train me? Can YOU help me make money?
And how much money isn't the issue. Its just, "Can I do this and make some money?" So 1, 2, 3 were about you. Then we finally get to money. They want to know a little about the compensation plan. Dont go into great detail, because they probably won't understand much of it, anyway.
5. Product Line.
We finally get to products. Are you paying close attention? Because if you've got a prospect, and you try to tell them the secret ingredients, how the product works or how your long distance service switches work, how deep the cables are buried or whatever your product or service is ...... then you're going at this bass ackwards! People don't care about that stuff. They just want to know, What's the product? Can I use it? Don't waste your time teaching them how many grams of sodium it has. Keep it simple.
Lets recap.
First, they need to like the person who did the presentation. So you need to learn a bit about them and identify with them.
Next, they want to make sure they can do it. They want to believe.
Third, they want to make sure you and the people you work with can train them.
Then comes money.
Then comes product line.
Is that how you had the first 5 on YOUR list? Do you follow this order of importance when you talk to people?
What should you remember:
People join people. They don't join companies.
6. Being first in the area.
Have you noticed we havent even talked about the company yet, but were being first in the area? People don't want to blaze a trail, but the they do want to see there's a large potential to have some growth there.
7. Company Literature shown.
There are a LOT of networkers who focus on the literature. But this isn't a reading business. It's a relationship business. If you don't believe that, take a look at the top 3 on this list again.
If you're relying on a sales brochure to sell someone or an audiotape or a videotape, youd better think again.
Its back to you.
If I have a real nice 3D presentation, holograms, smoke and lights, that's great. But if I don't connect with people on a personal level, nothing else matters.
8. Company Image.
Maybe you show a video featuring a 20,000 square foot office warehouse, on three acres in an exclusive suburb, all the bells whistles. Big whoop. That's #8 on their list, barely on the radar.
Why bother?
They just need to know the company is there, its legitimate, not hiding behind some post office box or working out of a storage unit, and will send them a check. Thats basically all they care about at this point.
So were almost to the end of what's important to prospects. But Ive been to a lot of presentations, and "Company Image" tends to be the FIRST thing shown mentioned.
"Hi. My company name is Blah-Blah. They're great. I'm now going to waste 20 minutes of your valuable time tell you all about them."
A lot of presentations that are done bass-ackwards, from a prospects angle ... which is the ONLY angle that matters.
9. Is The Sales Kit provided?
Now the prospect wants to know that you do have a good video, you do have good literature, youve got tools and services they can use to build their business. So YOU are still the most important thing and the sales kit is almost the least important thing!
But how many presentations have you seen where first they talk about the company, then they show the sales kit? Prospects dont care. They need to know if you can help them, if the upline can help them. Can they make some money? Can you help them be successful?
Which brings us to our final item ...
10. Company Management experience.
LEAST important to the prospect is that the president is a family man, and hes got four or five families to prove it. It does not matter to the prospect.
So this whole process is way simpler than most people
think:
1. Make sure they like you.
2. Make sure they believe they can do it.
If you don't do those two, nothing else matter's. Think about all this for a second. You're talking to a prospect. You start off with the company management experience, which is the least important thing to them.
Now your prospect is leaning back, eyes are glazed over, zoned-out, nodding off.
They've heard it all before, and they just don't care. But what if you start with the most important thing first
- YOU!
Tell them a story about your experience in the business (or your upline's experience, if you're new). Tell them how you work with people, and exactly what you'll do to help them be successful.
THAT is what prospects want.
OK. It's time to score your quiz.
Take the difference between what you had and the correct answer. (E.g., if you had #10 Company Management experience ranked #1, youd have a difference of 9. Do that with every item. Now youll see how YOU are thinking, compared to how the prospect is thinking. When I took this test myself, I scored a twelve. That taught me was I was thinking more like the prospect. But remember, I've been at this since 1994.
A friend of mine with an insurance background took this test. He scored a very high number. He was thinking like the company owner, not like a prospect.To him, when you sell life insurance, you tell them the company is a hundred years old they're A+ rated. You give them all your flyers and brochures. Its all company, company, company. The least important thing was him.
So when he turned around those two things he had number 1 number 10 and number 10 number 1. When he turned those around in his mind his score was almost the same as mine. I'll bet there are a ton of networkers who look at this backwards.
It doesn't matter if you're a well-trained networker or completely new. You have to think like a prospect. What you know doesnt matter. It's what your prospect thinks that matters.
A lot of people have quit in this industry. You do a presentation and the prospect says, "Well, you know what? I already tried this and it doesnt work."
Or maybe one of your people sponsors someone new. And the first person they go to says, "You know what? I tried one of those things, they really dont work."
Why do you think most people fail in network marketing? They quit because something happened. Why do you think most people fail?
Of course, some people are just quitters. They quit school, they quit marriages, they quit jobs, they just quit because that's what they do.
But what Ive learned in network marketing is the biggest reason people fail is, they fail to get educated. If you were a ditch digger, a doctor, a lawyer, a carpenter, or a plumber, you'd have to get educated.
Network marketing is no different. You need to read books. Listen to audiotapes. Most important, find a mentor. When a young person decides to become a doctor, they go to school for 8 years first. They create ZERO income over those 8 years. They just study and go to school.Then they get out with a chance to make an income.
In network marketing, you can get educated and build your business at the same time. After 8 years of getting educated and building your business you can be making 10 times the money that a doctor will make.
So you have to get yourself educated first. And realize you've been doing network marketing since age 5, recommending products since age 5. You have a TON of experience doing this!
You've just never picked up the check before. So youre doing it since age 5. Nobodys every arrested you for recommending and promoting your favorite cereal or restaurant or movie. So it must be legal.
You have experience. You don't need any special degree to get started and be successful. I'd bet you will NEVER quit recommending or promoting things to other people.
You may just as well pick up the check. When you get your people to understand that, they will
never quit.
Take care,
Paul Birdsall
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