Network Marketing Prospecting 101

By Mark Petticord

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Network Marketing Prospecting is often looked at as sales but in the real world of Network Marketing or even traditional sales, successful people position themselves as consultants or problem solvers. They learn how to sort through a lot of leads in order to find the right people. They serve their clients and business prospects. Here are a few prospecting principles that have worked for me over the years.

Ask yourself “Are you a renter or an owner? This is a serious business but some treat it like a hobby. For instance, a renter can simply turn in the rental car keys after they’re done but an owner has to take care of it, change the oil, put air in the tires, and service it. We are responsible for our business. The problem is we only paid $500 to $1000 for it. (Way undervalued) Use your business plan, and be consistent and persistent. You’re the owner.

If you’re casual you become a casualty. This is a profitable business – take ownership. If you are serious and want to create a living in this industry, don’t treat your business like a hobby or social club. You’re building a business asset that can be passed on to your children and create potentially thousands, tens of thousand,s or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of long-term residual income. Think BIG!

Build Relationships: A business owner is always on the lookout for associates and partners to help them expand and grow. Get to know people. Find out who they are, what they’ve done, and what they would like to do. Identify those that are like-minded. The key element of success is finding people that know, like, and trust you.

The old Amway system was FORM Friends, Family (A little personal background) – Occupation (job career) – Recreation (what they are interested in) – Message (Your business Pitch) Too many go for the “message” way too soon. It’s not about us, it’s about them.

Listen to them: Want to win friends and influence people? Be patient, take your recruiting motivation and business language completely out of your conversation. Let things happen organically when you’re building a new relationship. The key is to listen and find out what they want. After learning about them, wait for them to ask about you. If they don’t ask about you, I’d be concerned about this prospect! Be genuine. As a business owner, is this someone you’d like to work with?

Look for Success-Minded people: You probably know a few success-minded people already. When you know people and their backgrounds, it’s easy to get to the point. Previous experience in Network Marketing or as a student of self-development is a bonus.

Less is better: When someone asks; “What do you do?”Tell them briefly and shut up, wait for their response. Gauge their curiosity… let them respond before blasting them with a fire hose of information. Use the trickle effect … be nonchalant (calm and relaxed) If you’re fishing react by setting the hook too fast, you might lose the fish!

Network marketing prospecting is an art. Listen to your prospect and converse with them. You might learn something. Sponsoring is a courtship process that takes several contacts over a period of time. This could take days, weeks, and in some cases months… be patient. Another reason why it’s important to have a lot of prospects in the process of evaluation at the same time. Make your business your lifestyle. Customers and prospects are everywhere.

Be spontaneous… Let’s say you’re on the phone with a prospect or at Starbucks. You don’t really have to ask permission of your prospect to put your upline on the phone… just say, “you know I don’t know that answer to that question, hold on, let me get someone on the phone.” Of course, it’s good to schedule 3-ways but make sure your upline leaders are willing to take a spontaneous call.

You’re a problem solver: A consultant solves problems a salesperson convinces someone. We don’t do sales, we solve problems. Assure them that you nor your sponsor are going to try to talk them into anything. Allow them the time to convince themselves and go through their process. What you don’t want is to talk someone into it and they resent you for it. Make it about them, not you.

Give them homework: Always gauge their interest by their response and actions… Did they watch the videos? Did they try your bottle of the product as directed? Do they keep their appointments? You’re a business owner… Do you want to work with them? What can they bring to the team? Hmm…

Use the tools – 3rd party rules: You’re the messenger not the message: Use 3-ways, Skype, videos from your back office, product samples, a business opportunity meeting, or a conference call. Let 3rd party be the message, not you. Just point them in the right direction and let the tools do the work.

Get Referrals: It’s not about who you know It’s about who they know. Get referrals, referrals, and more referrals. Contact your warm market’s contacts. Make your cold market warm. By having a friend of a friend, you have a mutual friend, another powerful 3rd party tool.

You don’t need them: If you’re desperate and come across as you need them you’ll probably scare them away. Develop your confidence by knowing your product, and opportunity but most of all employ your up-line (leadership team) and third-party tools. The fact is, your prospect needs you and your team to become successful in this business.

Know when to hold them and know when to fold um: Don’t beat a dead dog. However, the drip method has worked marvelously for me over the years. Your prospect might not be ready now but times and seasons change. If you see potential, keep people on a drip system but detach emotionally from the end result. Sometimes you’ll just have to put them in the dead file. Next!

Don’t get emotionally attached to prospects: Stay focused and unattached emotionally during their education and information-gathering process. In order to survive in this business, we have to be able to manage disappointments. Prospecting is a lifestyle that involves talking to a lot of people all the time.

It’s a mistake to follow around a couple of people for a couple of months just to get a NO. Wow, what a letdown that is! I can’t tell you how many people I’ve known through the years walk right into that ambush and sabotage their entire business, a sure recipe for failure! Don’t prejudge, let everyone know about what you’re doing. People will lead you on that they’re interested then a month later drop you like a hot potato and disappear. Don’t be surprised when this happens. They don’t want to have to say no to you personally so they just fade into the sunset. Bottom line, we have to have a lot of irons in the fire to overcome these temporary setbacks and survive.

Don’t get emotionally attached to new business partners: People we thought would be so great don’t do anything while the Mom with 5 kids on food stamps becomes a rock star. A lot factors into why people take action and why some just join the $500 club and quit. Find out what’s driving them? Help them discover their purpose? Remind them about their reason for doing this. Also, timing is everything. Sometimes life changes, things come up, stuff happens. I know it can be puzzling, even frustrating but don’t waste too much time trying to figure it out.

As Jim Rohn said, “turn your frustration into fascination.”Let your prospect’s process and timing unfold. Keep them in the loop but beyond that, it’s not your responsibility. Keep a lot of irons in the fire. Network marketing is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. (hmm, think I heard that in a movie)

Business Partner Criteria: I am looking for people that meet at least these 4 qualifications. Once they indicate they are interested, make sure they qualify.