When I was introduced to the network marketing business, someone told me that "everyone is your prospect". The marketing strategy for this philosophy was "talk to everyone in a 3-foot radius". How? I was told to strike up a conversation with anyone, listen to what they have to say, and wait for the right entryway to slip in your business opportunity. I tried this, once. Hated it.Then, when I joined my travel business, I was introduced to the concept of "Attraction Marketing". In a nutshell, it is the idea that by providing valuable information to others, you will have prospects contacting you to join your business. I spent a whole lot of time researching everything I could on this powerful concept, which made far more sense to me than the initial marketing strategy.
I remember one evening in particular, when I read an article suggesting that "not everyone is your prospect". Wow! What a concept! Then I started thinking about why it is that that statement is true. It is true because not everyone wants to be a business owner. Not everyone has the time it takes to build a business from the ground up. Some don't have the patience. Others don't have the money. It takes people of all sorts to make this world go 'round, so it's okay and not unusual that not everyone is your prospect.
Back to my studies on Attraction Marketing....I started implementing the techniques I had learned, and sure enough, I had prospects contacting me on a regular basis. I had people joining my travel business without ever speaking with me.
Because I had so many interested prospects contacting me for information on YTB, I was able to see the variety of prospects out there. In that group of prospects, there were always a couple of serious business builders with an understanding of what it takes to truly succeed in the business, and then there were some who said:
"Is Your Travel Business a pyramid scheme?"
"Gee, this sounds like it takes a lot of time"
"I am trying to decide if I should spend my last $500 on the business or pay my creditors so I don't have to file for bankruptcy" (the answer: pay your creditors).
For these types of people, I just knew in my heart, my travel business wasn't right for them. So what did I do? I told them just that. They were shocked, but I think appreciated my forthrightness. I truly felt relieved after letting them go. I knew that if these people had joined my team, they would have been the ones to gripe and moan the entire time, only to quit a few months later, and accuse my company (or me) of being a scam. I realized that I had just saved myself from a massive headache.
Instead of trying to get a prospect to join the business at any cost- by convincing them it's okay if they have no money, no time, and no desire to sell... I focused in finding the right type of prospect (a business- builder) to join my team. I am not trying to sponsor anyone and everyone- I want to sponsor those who are truly serious about building a business.
The right person knows what it takes to succeed, knows that success doesn't happen overnight, knows that it will take some money and a whole lot of time. The right person doesn't start the conversation off with what they "can't do" or "don't have" or "don't want to do". The right person has their eyes on the prize and they are ready to do whatever it takes to get there.
That is one thing I can't teach or give to my team...the burning desire and dedication to stick through it through the beginning phase, when you invest far more time and money than the money you earn.
So when people contact me for more information on YTB and they raise these so-called "red flags," I don't hesitate one bit to just let them go, and tell them that this business may not be right for them.
I don't have time to deal with people who have to ask me if this is a "pyramid scheme". When I was looking into my travel business, I did the research myself to answer that question. If the prospect doesn't think enough of the opportunity to look into the issue on their own, then I feel certain that they won't do what it takes to really succeed in this business. Those prospects are the type of people who want to look at the answers to the crossword puzzle instead of figuring it out themselves. They want success to be spoon-fed to them. There are plenty of opportunities out there that will spoon-feed these people...they are called J-O-B-S. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with having a J-O-B, but owning a business takes an entirely different mind frame.
So, if you have a prospect like that, just let them go. At some point in the future, everything may click with them- but at the current moment, let them go. They'll respect you far more, because you had the strength and the decency to level with them, as opposed to convincing them to do something that they more likely than not, aren't cut out for at that particular time. Network Marketing is not about convincing, it's about sorting.
How do I know that all of this works? I know because I have a group of solid business-builders on my team. I don't have whiners and complainers. I know because once I let the weak prospects go, I was flooded with strong ones.
Copyright 2007.
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