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FreedomFire
Administrator
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Posted: Mon Nov 26th, 2007 04:33 pm |
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This may be a touchy subject with some. Seems like folks have strong feelings one way or the other. That's fine...whatever works for you.
But......
Let's take a look at the most common teaching of "make a list of your friends and family". How many times have you had an upline tell you that? How many times has it worked? What is the reality of the situation?
I think it's a very important subject .... especially since it goes against the grain of many long-held beliefs in 'quick start' guides in the network marketing industry.
I'd like to pose a non-threatening question to everyone ....
How much money have you made pitching your products or opportunity to your friends and family?
The reality of the situation is .... hardly anyone that has been successful in the MLM industry has done so by recruiting their friends and family alone. Let's take a quick look why.
First of all, it's time to start looking at your business as a serious business. This is serious BUSINESS, not a fly by night try and generate a few dollars. If you approach it as such, why would you think the key is recruiting your friends and family? If you were opening a gas station for example, would you rely on your friends and family to purchase enough gas from your station to make a living? (I don't know about you, but I know my friends and family don't buy enough gas for that!) More than likely I will find some professionals to help with advertising and get the name of my station in front of a lot of people that buy gas. Who is the big market? Someone that buys a lot of gas perhaps due to their work or better yet for their work or business. Why not take the same approach to our network marketing business? Why not find people that are good at creating large networks of consumers for products? Find and work with professionals.
Find people that are already sold on the network marketing way of doing business? Does this mean we are going to flood Forums and online social networks with a flood of recruiting ads for our business .... and have them all come join us? Of course not. This industry is in constant flux. There are always companies doing well while there are constantly companies that are not doing so well. There are always successful team builders looking for new companies to work with. Why not find a way to work with these.
While it can be very tempting to continually share your product or business with your family and friends, you must draw the line at some point. Yes ..... it is a wonderful idea to promote something you feel strongly about to the people you love. BUT, that should not be the life-blood of your business.
The Home Based Business Forums has become known on the Internet for promoting actual content and very useful techniques on how to effectively grow your business as a business. That's why we're all here right? To grow, develop, and nurture your home business. Stop pushing your products on your friends (I'm sure they're sick of it by now). Trust me, they will ask you all about it when they witness your success first hand. Instead, pick something .... pick ONE method of advertising talked about on this forum (e-zines, Google Adwords, writing articles, blogs, etc) and master it. Focus on making that advertising campaign as effective as it can be ..... and then move on to the next form and do the exact same thing. I promise you that your business will grow.
For me personally ....I have always treated my business like a business and not relied on friends and family to build my downline or support me with product sales.
I think if there is one part of this industry that has given us a bad reputation .... it is that names list and focusing on the warm market. If more attention was placed on how to build a business using marketing techniques, people would be less afraid of starting a business in this industry.
I think everyone on these forums love the company they are with and have seen the power of the business model. But the negativity caused by the friends and family approach can make this business a challenge.
Truthfully, I never market whatever I am selling - be it a business opportunity, MLM or a physical product - to family and friends. If they are curious about what I am doing, I'll certainly tell them and show them what I am doing.
But I would never PUSH any business activity or product on them. In fact, I would discourage them from it even if it would be good for them. Because if they do not do the work to make it a success (or if the product doesn't thrill them), it becomes my fault.
And since these are people I interact with constantly for pretty much a lifetime, the last thing I want is the baggage of a failure being brought up again and again.
Now notice I said PUSH.
If they come to me ..... with everything covered (mindset, work ethic, etc.) .... THEIR idea .... I might sell them a product or service. But .... I'd tend to refer them to someone else in my Team as far as business opportunity (appropriately matched of course).
I do honestly understand that for some people, maybe the friends and family plan works well.
For me though, I'll keep targeting my marketing looking for people who are already of the proper mindset to move forward with no part of the decision being an already established X year relationship.
It probably doesn't change the success ratios that much but at least I can peacefully keep up with friends and family.
Now .... try to grasp the essance of what I'm trying to convey. There's absolutely nothing wrong with telling your friends and family about something you feel strongly about or have had good experiences with. You would feel excited to tell them about a great new restauarant you ate at or new movie you saw right? Same concept applies to your products. Plus .... they can be a good source of "referals".
But, what I really want to highlight is that, while its fine to share your product with the occassional friend or family member, you should NOT depend on that group of people to build your business or become a hefty part of your product consumer base. What you SHOULD depend on are people who have created demand for your product in the past and who still desire it today. Those are the folks who will start generating some positive cash flow for you. Your friends and family may or may not fit into that group.
Here's some advice .... good for anyone in this business. This is a quote from Dr. Napoleon Hill by the way. Many of you may already be aware of his ideas.
Dr. Hill writes: "We share nothing we plan to achieve with anyone except those who believe in us and who are in complete sympathy with our plans."
So, do you share your products with friends and family? My opinion: Sure, especially if it's something they are already using and you know they will benefit in some way by getting it from you. But do it selectively .... don't drown everybody in the family tree.
Do you try to get them to "join"? No, not unless you know they are searching for something. Then, just share with them what your business is, but by all means, don't try to talk them into it. Let the decision be theirs alone.
Don't get me wrong here either. You shouldn't start with just any cold market. That will get you zero product sales and zero sign ups unless you're a very experienced salesperson. What you want to do is target (through advertising) the people who have already expressed interest in your product or starting a business opportunity. You may not already know them, but they're aleady 'warm' to your particular product or service. So they are actually "warm" .... but more in an "interest" level rather than a "relationship" level. Does that make sense?
There are many many ways to do this both on and offline, and many threads on this forum that discuss these techniques in detail. Basically, this thread isn't the place to repeat all that! But take the time to read through these type of posts and ID an approach that sounds feasible to you.
You'll find it a whole lot easier to sell your products to people who actually want to hear about them.
In my eyes, most of your friends and family do not fit into that group (thus the reason I started this thread...). There may be one or two who may have a need for your product or have a desire to start a business, and that's fine, but PLEASE don't depend on this group to get you started or create a foundation for your new business.
God Bless,
Michael
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lwillard
Member
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Posted: Tue Nov 27th, 2007 01:57 pm |
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Hi Michael,
I completely agree with your points. This can be a sticky subject, but different avenues work for different people. When I first began network marketing, I approached family and friends (that is what I was told to do). I was coachable, so I listened. Two years later, I had an okay business, but it wasn't thriving at the point I wanted it to. So, that is when I started doing research and began to receive my PHD in Online Marketing.
Bringing value to others that already understand the power of the Internet and those that want to learn it and understand it is what I prefer. I agree that it is okay to share with family and friends, but you should not rely on them to move your business forward.
Explore your options, find your passion and be consistent!
BELIEVE Success!
Lisa Willard
http://www.OnlineCandleTeam.com
____________________
BELIEVE Success!
Lisa Willard
http://www.network-marketing-success-tools.com
http://www.onlinecandleteam.com
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otto101
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 45 |
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Posted: Tue Nov 27th, 2007 02:13 pm |
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That's why the internet is my marketing tool I don't to talk to people who are not interested.My friends and family are just refferal agent for me.They network with many different ways they don't know it at all.That's network marketing at it's best.
____________________
Otto Zepeda
Discover How To Make Instant Profits, Even If You Suck At
Recruiting Or Sponsoring
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bigwealthteam
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 27th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 4 |
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Posted: Thu Nov 29th, 2007 03:43 pm |
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My program is not MLM, but you want people like who you were who are trying to make in income $$ online.
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otto101
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | California USA |
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Posted: Mon Dec 3rd, 2007 06:22 am |
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If people ask me what I do for a living?I say "I show people a way to make money from home while working full time at your job."
I always get a reaction from people and they want to know how I'm doing it.So I give anybody information.Then I ask if they know somebody else that would like to make money.
All my warm market don't like selling but I ask them if they can direct me to someone else.I wouldn't sale them I let them know though what I'm doing if they join or not but I don't push it on them.
____________________
Otto Zepeda
Discover How To Make Instant Profits, Even If You Suck At
Recruiting Or Sponsoring
http://yourtheboss.ws
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daryl
Banned
| Joined: | Mon Dec 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | Singapore |
| Posts: | 15 |
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Posted: Mon Dec 3rd, 2007 02:45 pm |
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Yeah this is really touchy, i remember a few years back when i first started in the mlm industry, it was bad.
Everyone avoided me like the plague.....
But that's fine i kept on doing what i do and slowly ppl accepts it and some even tried to know more what i do.
Its usually the initial stages thats hard to get by.
With the advent of the internet, i think getting prospects seems to be slightly easier.
The advertising and lead generation is a different ball game now though lol.
I mean its definitely more comfortable to have ppl close your window instead of saying now in your face 
____________________
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http://profitresidual.com/profit.html
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WAHMof2
Member
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Posted: Tue Dec 4th, 2007 12:40 am |
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Michael,
Well Put there!! I agree I have never approched my friends and family, Not that I didn't think they could do the business, but I figure they will when they see the money that I am making and ask me what I am doing.
I have a lot of fun advertising anyway. Just wanted to say well said
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TobyL2
Member
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 06:39 pm |
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In my experience, when you tell your new recruits to "Work your warm market" that's just another way of qualifying them to see if they are teachable and can handle rejection. Bothering your friends and family has proven to me to be the ultimate "bubble buster". I personally would rather start them out with some real marketing advise and work with them to get their new business up and running. The ones who show a real desire to succeed, get my attention, and the ones that don't, will probably fizzle out no matter what you do.
____________________
Toby Strause,
Get It All Right Here.
http://www.TheProfitPlace.com
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CraigM
Member
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 04:22 pm |
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Why would you even "want" to put a new signee through the rejection of personal friends and family? How insane is that? Burst their bubble? See how serious they are about the business?
All of the above can be accomplished by working with them on the multitude of marketing methods out there that are much more positive in nature and will reap higher and quicker rewards for them.
____________________
Craig Mattice
Life is NOT an audition!
http://www.aboutcraigmattice.com
My very BEST Business!
http://www.craigmatticebiz.com
See how I deliver happiness!
http://www.craigmattice.com
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mlmlibrarian
Member
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 06:51 pm |
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I agree michael, I have heard and seen many folks who have lost friends and family because they kept pressuring them on their business opp. This is unfortunate. My personal philosophy was when I got started in MLM was to offer them an opportunity to change their lives. They were either interested or not. I only offered it to them one time only, and after that they would have to come to me. I never brought it up to them repeatedly or put any pressure on them personally.
I did not want to be known around my family as someone to watch out for, "Johnny's here to try to get us in that business of his."
Anyways, this has worked for me. And when I succeed it won't be that I never offered them the same opportunity.
Sincerely,
MLM LIbrarian
____________________
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TimStephens
Member
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 09:21 pm |
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Hello All!
If you want to build an MLM/Networking Business, your best prospects are other network marketers.
You don't have to sell them on the deal and they have seen the big picture, or else they wouldn't have joined.
The unfortunate thing is that Network Marketing is full of folks who don't know how to market or network. The good news...all of these skills can be learned.
This does take time...most people today unfortunately are ADHD, due to information overload. IF they don't make a million in the first month, they are gone!
Get in a business you believe in and are passionate about.
Learn to Network and to Market.
STAY PUT! Don't change businesses like you change your socks.
Live your Dream!
Tim
____________________
Give Tim Stephens 7 days and he will show you how to generate your own leads, build a business without cold calling and become the "Hunted" instead of the "Hunter" http://www.huntedvshunter.com
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ezwealth
Member
| Joined: | Mon May 22nd, 2006 |
| Location: | Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 11:24 am |
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Many MLM experts suggest you start targeting your warm market when
promoting your MLM opportunity.
OK, you’ve been there done that. You are all out of warm market. You’ve
spoken to all of your family friends and relatives. Now what?
The problem that exists with this type of marketing is:
- Those in your warm market have no need or interest in what your
business provides.
- They have grown numb to your constant “arm twisting” in your
sales pitch.
Yes, warm market prospecting is difficult at times. It is one of the hardest
markets to crack. Because of this, you need to find another prospecting
avenue beyond your circle of friends.
So, how do you proceed to continue to grow your MLM business
after you have run out of warm market?
Here are four principles of MLM marketing you need to master in
order to advance your business:
- Target your market for the products your MLM offers.
Setting your product in the market place allows for you
to identify your customer base. This allows you to evaluate
the value of your product to your eventual customers.
- To this target market, it is important to send the correct
message to them. This is a message about your product
or service that solves the problems and needs of your customers.
- Make the decision to purchase your product or service by the
customer less difficult. This can be done by highlighting the
positive points of fast shipping/delivery, follow up and support calls
if needed.
- Delivery of your prospecting messages has to be on your target
market’s timetable. It must be delivered at just the right time. Success in network marketing is dependent on marketing. You have to
know how to market your product or service. It is essential to your business
and its growth. A good upline sponsor/mentor in your MLM company can
help in this capacity. Therefore any newbie to the business should discuss
marketing strategies with them prior to running out of warm market.
Network marketing is all about marketing. Learning how to place your
product/service in front of an eager audience of potential customers takes
marketing “know how”. It’s time to put the marketing back into network
marketing. Honing this skill will pay huge dividends.
- Kevin Tyler Smith
"The King of MLM Recruiting w/o Buying or Calling a Single Lead"
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CraigM
Member
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Posted: Sat Dec 29th, 2007 04:47 pm |
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Hi Kevin,
Nice post but I was looking for the "how to" aspect of answering this question about alternatives to a burned out warm market.
Would you mind expanding on this concept?
Thank you for your time and insight.
____________________
Craig Mattice
Life is NOT an audition!
http://www.aboutcraigmattice.com
My very BEST Business!
http://www.craigmatticebiz.com
See how I deliver happiness!
http://www.craigmattice.com
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Darrell Taylor
Member
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Posted: Tue May 6th, 2008 08:57 pm |
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I cannot imagine telling someone that wanted to build a business to target their family and friends. What a formula for failure!
I have heard that some of the bigger investment brokers in New York will recruit salespeople based on who they know so they can use this tactic.
Either you are out to build a business or you are not. If you are, you had better learn how business works and get busy.
Darrell Taylor
____________________
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bigjonny
Member
| Joined: | Sat Jan 12th, 2008 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 44 |
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Posted: Thu May 15th, 2008 05:11 pm |
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The old method of doing network marketing use to be talking to all your friends
and business associates as well as your family members about your business. In
the past, it worked very well because network marketing was not widely known and there were few network marketing companies then.
The prospects seem very interesting and exciting to many people because it was a
new phenomenon. However, as time went by, many people who used that method
became very successful and wealthy with their business as they talk friends and
family into joining their company.
Attending seminars and giving away expensive marketing materials for free to
random prospects use to be the norm and was successful. However, a new trend
appears in the horizon and soon people stopped making good income from network
marketing.
The reason was because, too many companies with the same marketing plan and
products appeared on the scene and everyone was pitching each other to join their businesses.
Another problem that came with the many different companies was people have
started loosing their warm markets and have run out of contacts to meet after
joining 2 - 3 companies. The failure rate in MLM increase to up to 95% - 97%.
It was a dilemma. Many people invested in leads and couldn’t make their money
back and quit after trying an MLM program for 3-4 months. Some went back to
their day job and swore never to participate in MLM again, while others continue
to jump from one opportunity to the next thinking that the missing code is the
compensation plan and products. Unfortunately, these type of people are spinning
their wheels and are becoming broke with each passing day.
The above method is what I called the "the old school or
method" of doing network marketing. It doesn’t work any longer. It work for some people who have all the talent and a flair to speak with so many people. Not everyone likes that if you agree with me.
With the advent of the Internet, the power to reach the world is at your
fingertips as you will never run out of prospects who will be ready to join your
business opportunity.
You need to promote your network marketing business using the Internet to make
a lot of things happen in your life as fast as you can. Once you use the Internet, you will be among the 5% who are actually using the power of the internet to
become huge success in their business.
I was able to use the power of the Internet to jumpstart my network marketing
business in less than 90 days and recruited close to 300 members. I did this by
building relationship and positioning myself as an expert. I sold myself and image.
I gave away real information that will add to the bottom line of all my prospects.
My prospects felt indebted to me because I gave away good information that will
help them multiply their efforts and start earning. As the go to guy, I was
approached with questions and problems which I heartily attended to.
Learn how to do this, and beautiful things will start to come your way in the way
of prospects wanting to do business with you each passing day.
____________________
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FreedomFire
Administrator
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Posted: Sun Jun 1st, 2008 05:33 pm |
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Here's some advice .... good for anyone in this business. This is a quote from Dr. Napoleon Hill by the way. Many of you may already be aware of his ideas.
Dr. Hill writes: "We share nothing we plan to achieve with anyone except those who believe in us and who are in complete sympathy with our plans."
God Bless,
Michael
____________________
*..Best MLM Resources..*
Commission River = MORE $$
"How To Have A Custom MLM Website"
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Rave4CraveDotCom
Member
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Posted: Sun Jun 1st, 2008 08:56 pm |
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Hi there,
That's a fantastic quote from Dr.Hill! Thank You so much for sharing it.
Hey, what do you think of Tom 'Big Al' Schreiter's stuff?
Rob & Rayvin
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keyaw
Member
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Posted: Thu Jun 5th, 2008 02:28 am |
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While I may not wear thick glasses (at least not when I’m out) and I don’t have a pocket protector, I consider myself one of the nerdiest people I know.
Why?
Because I love to learn new things. And I’m always reading something that I can apply so that I can be a better person.
In MLM it’s easy to see how we nerds actually make the best business builders.
Nerds come to the table knowing that they don’t know everything and are willing to put in the effort to learn what’s necessary to succeed.
The question is….. How do you encourage/inspire your downline to embrace this learning mentality?
Or
How do you prospect people into your downline that already have this mentality?
Your thoughts?
Keya
____________________
Keya
Learn How To Get Your Business Into Profit Mode FAST By Learning A Few Simple Basics
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craigxb
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jun 5th, 2008 |
| Location: | Texas USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
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Posted: Thu Jun 5th, 2008 09:21 pm |
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| I don't yet have a lot of experience with MLM, but my initial thought would be to do a little research and find people who are ALREADY building successful MLM businesses. And even if you can't recruit them, you can perhaps get to know them and build relationships with them. Ultimately, these relationships can be the best education we could possibly receive.
____________________
Craig Campbell
--------------
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http://craigsoup.makemoneywithfreebies.com/
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PMHayes
Member
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Posted: Fri Jun 6th, 2008 04:31 am |
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craigxb wrote: I don't yet have a lot of experience with MLM, but my initial thought would be to do a little research and find people who are ALREADY building successful MLM businesses. And even if you can't recruit them, you can perhaps get to know them and build relationships with them. Ultimately, these relationships can be the best education we could possibly receive.
Craig, a lot of wisdom there, for an MLM newbie! I just posted on my blog today, about this very subject. In this business, it's all about relationships. I learn so much in here, usually every time i pop in. There are some sharp people in this forum, if you will read and take to heart much of the advice you get, you will do well. You can't recruit the world, nor do you need to. All you need is 2-3 20 percenters, teach them to do the very same thing you do, and your business will explode! Invest your time in the ones who are hungry, eager to learn, will do any and everything you teach them to do. Those are your true business partners. Develop those relationships, and they will build your business.
Prospecting is really the same way, especially if you're presenting a business opportunity, not just a product sale. People will not join a stranger. They have to feel comfortable with you, they have to feel you identify with them, connect with them. If you haven't yet, i suggest you purchase a copy of Tim Sales' Professional Inviter series. I recomend it to all my downline. It will revolutionalize the way you present your business opportunity. I don't get any kick back from this, it's not an affiliate site. I will benefit from you using it, though. If you put Tim's principles to work, you will present your business with excellence and integrity, which will help to turn around the terrible image people have in their mind about MLM. That will benefit all of us, down the road.
"Making the world safe for MLM business opportunity presenters, one prospect at a time." LOL!
Another great resource and must see for anyone presenting an MLM opportunity, is Brilliant Compensation by Tim Sales and Dr. Charles King, professor of business, University of Illinois, Chicago and a PhD. in Business from Harvard, University. It will help you handle the MLM objections that can crop up while you are presenting your opportunity. Feel free to share the link with prospects you feel would benefit from it.
Allow me also to invite you to check out my home business blog, see sig file below. No self promotion, intended, i promise. It's new, launched a little over a week ago. I will be developing it into a resource for people in our industry with educational and inspirational articles by myself and some of my mentors, as well as recognized leaders in our industry. If I can help you in any way, feel free to pm or email me with questions, concerns, problems you are encountering. As well, there are a number of good folks in here who would be willing to do the same. We're in this thing together, so we might as well help each other.
Regards,
Philip Mitchell Hayes
____________________
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