How many times has it been said – Network Marketing is all about building relationships?
What’s important are the PEOPLE and what they want. When we stop treating people like some cash machine and instead start to think more about what other PEOPLE are looking for then something remarkable begins to happen.
People begin to seek you out.
In other words, work harder to become a giver vs a taker. Think about what you can do to help other people.
Believe it or not this is also a smart way to really find out if they are the RIGHT ones that you are looking for to partner up with in your business!
Sometimes it seems all we do is give, give, give and nothing is coming back. With patience, persistence, consistent efforts and genuine caring for people all of a sudden people start to contact you and you begin to build relationships which eventually form into a very solid foundation in which you can continue to build on for years!
Building strong relationships is also possible to do through the Internet. I know because I’ve done this very effectively for years.
What I’ve seen many people do is sign up a lot of people in their programs online and then never really have any other form of contact or connection with them.
What I mean is no one ever speaks with them on the phone or meets them in person. I have been able to form relationships online because of keeping in constant contact via email, the phone and have even met people in my network at business conferences. This really helps people get to know you when they can actually meet you in person.
Networking can be a lot of fun when your genuine purpose is to get to know people and ask them what can I do for you?
When meeting people through the Internet or offline, find out what they are interested in before you go babbling on about you, your company, your products, pay plan, etc.
After all, some people, believe it or not, may not be interested in what you may consider the greatest company and products in the world until you show them that you genuinely care about them and what’s interesting to them. In other words, what’s in it for them. They might be in the middle of a huge crisis in their life and the timing just may not be right for them and they could really need a shoulder to lean on and someone who really cares for them at this time to understand their particular situation.
Understand though, this is not about getting into a Mother Teresa syndrome or becoming a Social Worker. That gets you no where! Trust me, I’ve learned some valuable lessons in that area.
Listen very carefully and find out where a person is in their life and then see how you can be of help to them. Someone you meet could have so many personal problems that you just have to move away from them for awhile. So listen carefully and try not to get stuck in the above scenario.
No matter what a person’s situation though they still may not be interested in what you’re doing and that’s OK, it’s nothing personal! The important thing is to be respectful of their decision and where they are in their life at this moment. It’s most likely not going to be permanent.
Remember that timing is everything! Just stay focused on them, find out what they want and stay in touch periodically to see how they are doing and how things have changed for them.
Also remember that owning a business and becoming an entrepreneur will not be for everyone. Not everyone will have the tenacity to be or stay in business for themselves.
If someone gives the indication about getting rich very quickly or they are thinking that someone is going to do it for them then they just may not be cut out for the hard work, persistence, dedication and ability to handle delayed gratification which are some of the attributes of being a business owner and entrepreneur.
Focus on finding the RIGHT ONES, positive outgoing people with the above attributes. Spend your time and energy on them and not the others who say “no thanks this isn’t for me”. Stay clear of the negative complainers who have no desire to change the quality of their lives.
My grandma used to say “You would complain if you were hung with a new rope”! She was a very wise woman! Most grandmas are! She also passed it on to my mom who passed it on to me!
So how do you find out if what you’re doing is right for someone you meet on or offline?
You ASK questions! Ask what you can do for THEM and then really listen to see if they are the RIGHT one and find out what they’re gonna DO!
Asking questions also leads to the next question and the next. It’s sort of like being a detective.
Find out what they do for a living. What are their hobbies? Are they satisfied with their life as it is?
What would they like to do? How would they like to change their life?
What’s important to them? Where do they want to be in the next 5 years?
What have they done so far to move closer to their dreams and goals? Do they have a vision?
What is their vision?
If they do great, if not help them put their vision down on paper. If they keep doing what they are now will they reach their goals?
Are they coachable? Are they positive about life? Do they want to do good things to help others too?
Do they want to learn and grow or just stay where they are? Are they willing to do what it takes to achieve their dreams no matter what?
Find out if they have experience in Network Marketing and if so find out all about it. Ask them what their thoughts are about the profession. Were they successful before and why or why not? What do they need to succeed? How can you help? Are they willing to help you too?
Here are some other questions to ask:
What attracted them to this opportunity? What sort of business are they looking for? Are they interested in tax advantages, having a reliable system, working cold market leads, warm market, in person presentations, meetings, events, training, self development, online marketing?
Let them know you’re looking for ambitious, outgoing, friendly, positive people who are either entrepreneurial or want to develop into an entrepreneur and earn a serious stream of long term income. Does that describe them?
Do they have experience in direct sales, network marketing, sales and marketing, customer service, or have they ever owned their own business?
Ask them if training and support are important to them. Are they a team player or more of a loner? What sort of personality do they have? (there have been chapters in books written on this subject so find out more about how to determine your own personality type and the people you are connecting with. This will help you develop better relationships to work more efficiently with people).
What is their time table for taking action? Do they have a budget in mind to start their business?
How much time are they willing to commit to their business during the week? How do see themselves building their network marketing business? WHY do they want to do this? Help them set up a plan. Jim Rohn always says “Those who fail – fail to plan!”.
Sometimes people may not show an interest in your company or products but they may just be interested in YOU when you show a genuine interest in THEM by asking not what Network Marketing can do for YOU but what can YOU do for Network Marketing!
About The Author:
Ron Pruett from Houston Texas.
I have been involved in Network Marketing for 15 years. I have been involved in distributorship, coach, mentor and generally just a person that likes to see others succeed. To learn more about Ron just go here. I literally help many people no matter what business you are involved in.
