The Keen Marketer

Your networking business relies on leads. That’s for sure. But once you get those leads, what do you do with them?

This is where knowing how to qualify your leads is crucial.

What’s a qualified prospect? It’s a person who needs or wants your product because it satisfies a need or solves a problem they have.

So how will your prospect know if what you have is for them? This is where good training kicks in.

You will have done your homework. If this is a referral from a friend, asking that friend to give you a little bit of background is not being nosy. You only want to ensure that what you have will satisfy their need.

If this is a cold call, which I don’t do by the way, you will have to do a little bit of research. Having an online application is a good start since it will eliminate the nosy from those who have an interest.

Your prospect most likely will not bite the first time around. This is where you need to start a relationship with this person. This is easy to do if you use the internet. If the person can only be contacted by telephone, make sure you get their permission to continue following up with them.

Taking the time to qualify your prospect is time well spent. Remember that this is your business and your products, your time and how you conduct this business is your business and you don’t want to just have anyone be part of it.

The less time you waste the more productive you will be.

Some prospects will let you know right away they aren’t interested. Many will not be interested. Some simply won’t understand how you could possibly help them, until you educate them.

And here’s something you need to know and work WITH, not against.

Some prospects will rule themselves out with their very own questions to you.

Take for instance: How hard do I have to work to make any money? How fast can I make money? Is this a pyramid scheme?

Get the idea? These prospects are simply not for you. Why? Because they won’t do what needs to happen to make your business work for them or for you.

And you’re not in business to lose business or customers. Working lead the proper way will become easier if you put some of these tips to work for you.

You may have been told that network marketing is easy.

Don’t be fooled.

Network marketing may be simple but it’s not easy. There is a lot of work involved while you look for leaders not needers and while you also promote your product to help those you know improve their lives.

Now it’s very possible that someone close to you is a leader. Good for you.

There are ways to qualify leaders from needers that you should be aware of.

You often hear of separating your prospects into As, Bs or Cs. In simple terms, you identify the prospect’s needs and how your company and its products can improve their lives.

In the beginning you will most likely have many Cs, which are mainly clients using the product.

There is a learning curve while you are being trained on how to do the business properly. If there isn’t and you are just thrown out there to fend for yourself, then you should think about finding a company with a solid training system.

The B prospect is one that is enjoying the product, continues to use it and talks about it to others, getting you the occasional client and maybe boosting their position to one where doing the business would require just an adjustment to their own needs.

This B prospect is one that you will want to stay in contact with so you can keep their interest high as you slowly build their knowledge base. This can be done through newsletters or monthly calls. There are many ways you can choose.

Now many networkers would tell you not to waste your time on Bs and especially on Cs.

I want to disagree with this a little. Just because someone is a newbie to network marketing does not mean you have to ignore them completely. Sometimes, they prove to be your top achiever.

Take the Cs for example. They are your client base and they can be an excellent source of referrals. They can also graduate over time to become a B and maybe an A. One never knows until the timing is right for that person. The time you invest will be small but the return can be quite large.

As to the Bs, they will be mostly people who have a little more ambition. They do see the potential in the compensation plan and visualize what extra money could add to their lives but are not totally ready to commit.

They may never commit but if they are consistent in occasionally introducing someone to the product, eventually they will earn something. That something may be just what they need to boost them to an active and go-getting A.

Of course we all want As in our business. This person does not have to be told the plus’s of having a home based business.

· They accept personal responsibility for their actions and results.

· They don’t have a victim mentality and are proactive and usually motivated.

· They are driven to learn and develop themselves.

· They see problems as opportunities to learn and grow.

· They understand that sometimes one can fail but that the important part is to continue and learn.

· They are results focused and let those speak for them more than their mouths. The future holds something real and good for them.

· They don’t need convincing and don’t need an extreme amount of training.

So yes, I want all As in my organization, but I’m not one who will give up on the Bs and Cs because what I have to share with each of them may be just what they need to help them improve their lives for the better.