Great idea from Brian

One of our subscribers, Brian, e-mailed me this tip: I just thought you might like a story with regard to pre-judging a prospect. Two of my colleagues were recently made redundant, so I sent them recruiting videos and said that I would call later to see what they thought. Both said, "No." They were looking for proper jobs, but a daughter of one was looking over her father's shoulder and asked, "Why can't I do it, Dad?" My reply was, "You can." And now she is off to a flying start, having retailed more in her first month than I did when I started. We all make too many assumptions on whom to approach. The simple answer is to approach everyone you can think of. I also sent the recruiting video to a colleague who, like me, wasn't let go. He joined and is starting a group in Scotland.

What is the key to getting referrals?

The most important part of getting referrals is letting your customer or prospect know what you're going to do to their friends. Assure the person giving the referrals that you will be giving a short, no-pressure presentation - and then allowing the referral to make a decision based upon what's best for him.

Take an expert to lunch and get cheap advice

Last week I had lunch with Chris Gullo. I like taking Chris to lunch as he shares his best business-building ideas. This time Chris told me how to get a distributor to BELIEVE that he or she can move $20,000 in product a month. To get a new distributor the vision of moving $20,000 product a month, this is what Chris says: "You could go out and sell $20,000 of products personally, but that would be a full-time job. So why not consider sponsoring just one person? Then each of you would only have to sell $10,000 of product each. "Or, maybe you and your new distributor could each sponsor one new person so there would be four of you. Then you would only need to sell $5,000 in product each. "But if you really wanted to make it easier, maybe each of you could sponsor just two people each, etc., etc., etc." What a great way to help a new distributor BELIEVE that it is possible. By the way, lunch was only $14 for both of us at my favorite Mongolian restaurant.

Speak their language - cash

Tell your prospect how the cash flow from his networking business can help. If your prospect is a real estate investor, say: "What if your MLM income was only $100 a month? You could use that $100 to eliminate the negative cash flow on one rental house. In 20 years, your rental house will be paid off. You'll own a free and clear title to a $300,000 house."

When you don't have time to build a relationship.

When you contact a referral, or when you call a prospect from a list of leads, you don't have days or months to build a relationship. So how do you present your opportunity? Don't start with all the neat benefits of your opportunity. Don't tell the prospects about the wonderful bonus checks, the trips, the cars, the incredible products, the company founder's background, etc. Instead, remember that people buy things to solve a problem. So position your presentation to solve a problem for your prospect. Talk about how your opportunity will make it easier for the prospect to take more time off work, how your opportunity will make it easier to pay bills with that extra check every month, or how your opportunity will provide the extra car for the spouse. Prospects don't care how great your opportunity is. They simply care about their problems. That's the shortcut when you don't have time to build relationships.

Telephone Techniquest That Work

I'm sure you listened to Tom Paredes' CD series, Telephone Techniques That Work. It's a great way to quickly focus prospects on what they want, and how you can get it for them. This is from one of the out-takes (stuff that didn't get included in the final version). Conversation with an unqualified prospect: Prospect: How much money can I make with your opportunity? Tom Paredes: How much money do you want to earn? Prospect: I want to earn $10,000 a month. Tom Paredes: Have you ever earned $10,000 a month before? Prospect: No. Tom Paredes: Do you know what it takes to earn $10,000 a month? Prospect: No. Tom Paredes: What are you willing to do to earn $10,000 a month? Prospect: Well, I don't want to have to make phone calls, and I can't go to opportunity meetings because I work nights, and I can't afford to mail postcards. Plus, I don't know anybody. I won't go out and meet strangers - that's just not me. My relatives won't talk to me . . . and if I can't earn at least $10,000 a month with your opportunity, well . . . then you just don't have a good plan. End of call.

Don't sell features. Don't sell benefits.

Instead, base your sales presentation on your prospect's most pressing problem. Then you'll have your prospect's attention. For example, if you talk about the weekly bonus checks, that's a feature. If you talk about the benefits of weekly checks (not waiting until the end of the month, getting your earnings quicker, instant gratification for work performed, etc.) - you're doing better, but it still won't rivet your prospect's attention. Try talking about your prospect's most pressing problem. For example, you might say: "Next Tuesday your mortgage payment is due. That could eat up most of your paycheck. Wouldn't it be nice to get a check from our company that would pay the mortgage payment for you? Then you'd have your entire paycheck to do what you want." See the difference? Your prospect is constantly thinking about his problems - not your benefits.