The Keen Marketer

An old Chinese philosopher says that “Anything that is built must be erected on a foundation“.

This may seem like a given, but if you really think about it, many people who get involved in network marketing don’t take the time to do just that.

Very often they are what is called “ignorance on fire” and once the fire dies so does their organization.

So the importance of a solid foundation is vital for a solid organization.

How do you build a solid foundation?

It all starts with superior training.  You should be coached almost daily in the beginning.  You obviously will be asking a lot of questions and you will need answers for you to advance.

Many great leaders know this and will offer a daily call to action with tips, challenges and different scenarios that will educate you to overcome objections and to stay motivated.

Having someone teach you what the best tools are to use for specific applications is also important.  If you are lucky enough to have a large variety of tools that can be tailored to specific types of people or professions, then you are in the right place.

I am fortunate to have just that in my opportunity. Professionals talking to professionals carries much more weight than someone with no experience in the subject matter at hand.

Also having well renown figures such as Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul) and John Gray (Men ARe From Mars & Women Are From Venus) as spokespersons who endorse your product and company vision can really increase credibility.

So if you use great tools and have great training, the only ingredient left for you to succeed is to use the tools and learn to wash and repeat.

I know that network marketing is all about the product, but sometimes, you may have so many products in your tool box that you may get bogged down and discouraged in trying to present all you have to a prospective buyer.

The key is to focus on a specific product.

There are several advantages to doing this:

1. you will learn more about that specific product
2. you will relieve your stress of trying to know everything
3. you will be doing your client a big favor

Learning more about your product should be easy.  If your company is providing you with excellent tools, then you will have access to audio or video recordings that will teach you all you need to know.

Being stressed out while giving a presentation is not the ideal situation for you or your prospect.  Knowing your product relieves the stress associated with giving a good performance and a calmer you will translate to a clearer presentation.

As your client gets a really clear picture of what you are educating him on, he will be able to make a more informed decision concerning his need for your specific product.

Stay focused on answering the person’s needs and show him how your product can answer those needs.  It really isn’t hard when you’ve done your homework.

A  good tip is to always give options and ask for opinions.  Everyone loves to give their view of things and approaching with new product info is not different.

Events play a big part of our lives.  There is a day that celebrates our birth.   There is a day we dress up and scare others.  There is a day we give chocolates to the person we love and there is a day we give presents to everyone.

So events are a big thing.  This is especially true in network marketing.

Daily events are ongoing.  You may be attending a daily training call or meeting with your downline or a prospect.

Weekly events mark the week with maybe a call where a VIP is being interviewed.  You could learn more about the product or the business.  You could also be having home presentations where you are able to reach more than 1 person at a time.

In fact I am having one this next Monday evening and I expect a packed house.  Can’t wait.

Monthly events are very useful and should be attended on a regular basis.  There you will find others who are like you.  You will identify and feel the passion, the comraderie and the visions of others.  It’s also a good time to bring a prospect along so they can also feel the energy of the event.

There will be training tips and event product tasting and freebies.  It’s also great fun!

Monthly events inspire you and push you to go past your comfort zone.

But you live too far to go regularly to a monthly event?

Well, I live 10 hours away from mine.  In that case, why not make your own?  Get your people together and do what networking is all about.  Reach out to the community and put posters up so that many can view them.

You have a whole month to get it together.  Have your associates commit to helping this process happen.  And occasionally, you will be able to drive those 10 hours every few months to attend a company event.

The biggest event is the yearly convention.  I have already committed to going to mine next August.  Will I see you there?

Albert Einstein said:”If you’re going to live a happy life, tie it to a goal and not to people or things.”

This philosophy especially applies to network marketing.

Goal setting is something you have to do right from the start for yourself and teach your business partners as well as your product users to do the same.

If you want to achive what you want in life, no one else is going to do it for you and therefore, before you even share or work with people, you must set a goal.

You need to know where you are before you get where you want to go.  When travelling, let’s say you’re going to the Caribean, you will need to plan what plane, hotel and itinerary you will have.

Your business in network marketing needs the same attention.

It’s not enough to just build but if you follow the  S.M.A.R.T. formula you will be achieving.   So how does it work?

S: your goal must be specific. if you want to achieve a certain amount of commission, name what that amount is and what you have to do to get it

M: your goal must be measurable. How much time will you commit each day in order to achieve it?  If 2 hours a day is what you can give it, that’s fine but you will need to see whether the goal you set is achievable with only 2 hours a day to devote to it.

A: you need to share your goal with someone so you can be accountable to a live breathing person.  Even if you don’t reach it within your desired time line, you will have at least committed to it in the first place.  Telling someone else keeps you motivated.  No one likes pie in the face for not trying.

R: your goal needs to be realistic.  This one goes hand in hand with measurable.  If you’re goal is too large to achieve in the short time your set, there is a possibility you might get discouraged and give up.  Just be realistic taking your experience and time under consideration.

T: give yourself a timeline.  Without a deadline, you cannot measure how far you are getting.  Want to enroll 5 persons next week?  Then make it your goal and give yourself a number to go by.

Your goal will change often and you will have more than one.  It’s a good idea to break them down into time intervals, let’s say every 3 months and review accordingly.

To help you set goals that qualify under our S.M.A.R.T. umbrella, your company will have provided you with tools to facilitate setting up product and business goals.  The next step is to put it all into action because a goal without a plan is just a wish.

I stopped wishing when I started with my networking company because all the tools I needed were there to guide me on to success.

You’ve gotta believe to make it big!

You mean to tell me that all I need is to really believe that my business will be successful and it will be?

I don’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong, believing in yourself is important but you don’t need a dream board to make that $40,000 per year at your day job, do you? Of course not!

It boils down to the tools you are using to be successful. You don’t use a shovel to dig a foundation, you get the backhoe. Well network marketing works on the same principle.

You need a system other than just word of mouth.

The right tools will bring you consistent, steady progress. Motivation will be the side-effect of a good marketing strategy.

Would not talking to highly qualified prospects every day be a good motivator?

But motivation hides behind shyness or lack of self-esteem when you have to personally go out there and find a prospect that would be interested in your offer.

Staring at your vision board or reading your goal statement to remind you of why you are doing this in the first place can get tedious.

It’s when you stop worrying about belief and apply yourself to learning about how to market your business that you will find the people you want for your business, because they will be searching you out and not the other way around.

Motivation Isn’t The Solution. It’s A Copout.

That’s what your upline will tell you when you get discouraged and are looking for answers. They just don’t know what else to say.

Instead they should be asking you what type of marketing strategy have you implemented. If they taught you how then this should never be an issue in the first place.

You cannot do without a good marketing system.

Internal drive will get you where you want and it’s the real results that will motivate you.

You’re just about to go and contact your first warm market lead and it’s a friend and colleague whom you’ve worked with for many years.

Your goal is find a client and get referrals right away.

How do you approach this person so as not to scare them off?

More importantly, you hate rejection and want to avoid it at all cost.

If you’ve had access to quality training, you will have been taken through a scenario similar to the one I am presenting below.

“Hi Jim, this is Marie. (get the niceties out of the way before you start your script.  If you just jump in at the beginning you will certainly put the person on edge).

You know I’ve worked with you for the last couple of years and I really respect you as a person and especially respect your opinion.

(you must edify the person first before plunging in. Caution here:  be sincere.  If the person is an ass, then why are you calling them in the first place.)

I was wondering if you could do me a small favor. (wait for response)

I want to share with you a story that has changed literally thousands of people’s lives, mine too by the way, and I am currently looking for people who can connect with the people in the story.

Are you in front of your computer at the moment? ( if yes, you can give them the link to one of your company’s tools, assuming that they have one.  a video is always best because facts tell but stories sell.)

I’ll hold on while you watch this video. It’s only 5 minutes and I want to get your opinion about it.

(if the person does not have a computer handy at the moment, tell them you will be calling back: this is where you have to set up an appointment to talk to them again)

When can we reconnect? (always give 2 options for both day and time.)

If the person can watch the video right away and they get back on the line you say:

“Now wasn’t that a beautiful story Jim?  Don’t you love it?

You see the people in that story, those are the types of people I’m looking for and I’m asking your help in finding these people.  Do you know of anyone who would be interested?”

(Of course, the pressure will be off your contact and they will be more receptive to helping you find someone rather being solicited directly.  They will also think,” Well what’s wrong with me as one of these persons?”)

This is a win win scenario for you as a recruiter and your contact who will not feel pressed to buy into your product or business.