Study. Do. Teach.
by Michael S. Clouse
I ran across a 2007 study by
the
Direct Selling Association which stated that 42% of Americans
have yet to be contacted by someone in Direct
Sales or
Network Marketing. Imagine that! Forty-two
percent!
I guess it's just one more
reminder that when it comes to
prospecting potential
customers, or business-builders, most of our success is still tied into
showing up, with something to say, and then
repeating that same process again, and again,
and again. Now if that's true—and it is—allow me
to pass along three simple strategies to help
ensure you achieve your fair share of success...
1) Study
Mark Twain once said, "The
problem with the world is not that people know
too little, but that they know so many things
that aren't so." Therefore, if you want your
business to become, over time, easy to
build—learn how to prospect from someone who
actually knows how to prospect! In other
words... Read the
books, listen to the
CD programs, take the
classes, and you will get better over time. For
example, here are three of the most important
things I've learned about prospecting over the
years:
1) In the beginning fear is
normal! Indeed, we were all taught by our
parents, "Don't talk to strangers!"
However, overcoming fear is also a relatively
simple process... Because the more you learn,
the more comfortable you become. In essence, a
higher level of skill translates into a lower
level of fear.
2) All things being equal, we
enjoy doing business with people we know, like,
and trust. Try taking a keen interest in
others and notice how quickly they warm up to
you. According to the book,
How To Win Friends &
Influence People by Dale Carnegie we can accomplish
getting people to know, like, and
trust us by doing these six things:
Become genuinely
interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that the person's name is the sweetest and most important
sound in any language.
Be a good listener; encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.
3) Prospecting is a game—work
the numbers! For example, a team of 10,
consistently making two new contacts per day,
four days per week, will generate 320 new
contacts per month—or 3,840 new prospects per
year! Would an additional 3,840 new contacts
help your business?
2) Do
Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
"Do the thing and you will have the power."
The emphasis here is on the word, "Do!"
Therefore...
1) Keep the main thing the
main thing! How many times today will your
company's story be told by you, by one of your
consultants, by a 3rd party tool, or through an
event?
2) Two words: Consistent
Activity. Newton's first law of motion states,
"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and
an object in motion tends to stay in motion with
the same speed and in the same direction unless
acted upon by an outside force." So get in
the game and keep moving!
3) Multiple exposures work
best. Don't try to tell the whole story on the
first exposure (think of your first exposure as
you would a first
date). Make sure the system you're using takes
you from initial contact, to the follow-up
call, to the next appointment, to the
appointment after that, etc.
2) Teach
Thomas Carruthers once wrote,
"A teacher is one who makes himself (or
herself) progressively unnecessary." Are you
teaching those on your team how to need you
less? These points will help:
1) The basics are the
business. Keep what you teach as simple as what
you do—and what you do as simple as what you
teach. Enough said.
2) Observe your students in
action. Let your students first observe you. And
then, when they're ready, go along and watch
them... Because according to the great
philosopher Yogi Berra, "You can observe a
lot just by watching." Observe body
language, speech, and dress.
3) Track your results.
Success is achieved by tracking, and
duplicating, the right activity... How many contacts yesterday? Last
week? Last month? By tracking your results,
you'll know when you're winning, when you're
slacking, and when it's time to go back to the
basics one more time.
All the best,
MSC
P.S. If you're looking for a simple
getting started system to follow so you succeed
a little faster, then
The Getting
Started Pack is for you!
Here's
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>>>

© 2008 by Michael S. Clouse. All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
In addition to over 50 published articles on the
subject of Network Marketing,
Michael S. Clouse
is the author of numerous books
and CD programs on the
subject of Network Marketing. An
internationally recognized Network Marketing expert, Michael
is a well respected business consultant,
personal success coach, and a dynamic
educational speaker. His
weekly
newsletter is read by
tens of thousands of Network Marketing Professionals around
the world.
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