Build People and People Will Build Your Business
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 07:47PM When it comes to MLM sponsorship, building your downline team is a very delicate process. Instead of relying on genuine people skills to build a team, many of us get caught up in the “sales” aspect of the situation and spend far too much time talking about the company, the compensation, and the product. The fact is that not a single one or combination of the aforementioned elements will build your team if you don’t have the “people part” down pat.
The following is, unfortunately, a typical scenario in MLM that may sound familiar to you:
Ann gets a call from Mike who says that he’s found a terrific opportunity to make money. He asks Ann to meet him for coffee and explains that a few others will be joining them as well. Ann goes to Mike’s house where a small group of people are already present. After some coffee, a few brief introductions, and a little conversation, Mike starts begins his sales pitch. He talks about the Number One MLM company he’s just joined and how the products that they sell far outshine anything the competition has to offer. He then explains in detail the compensation plan – a plan, of course, that is the best of the best - and also how reasonable the set-up fee is. “It’s easy - all you have to do is signup just a few people and you’re set for life!” Mike says to the group. Ann is caught up in the excitement and eagerly signs-up. She goes home and immediately begins making calls to her family, hassling them with his opportunity. A few weeks later, a discouraged Ann quits the networking business. Feeling rejected, she can not believe that she was only able to sign two people, making not a single dime nor selling any product. Mike had quit a week earlier.
Sound familiar to you? Again, in the end, it matters not that a company is the best or that the product is the best out there. It’s about people.
So what should you do? To begin, the absolute first thing to do in MLM sponsoring is to find the target market and take the time to understand exactly who those prospects are that have the most potential. When you do this, you're finding the people who want what you want and network marketing becomes a whole lot easier. If you’re unsure about how to approach a situation, look at it this way: Would you like to promote hair products to a bald guy or sell racks of ribs to a vegetarian? I wouldn’t! This is why learning the dynamics of your target market is a crucial first step if you hope to having success in this business.
After you’ve determined your target market, then you can begin to find out what the people you're talking with want. Help them get their questions answered. Point them to places that will help them. Remember that the key to doing this effectively is to not initially promote your company or your product. You must promote you and help them get what they need to become confident in learning the skills in network marketing.
It’s also important to not overanalyze the “how’s” of doing this. It’s really quite simple – just be helpful. Share your knowledge. Share your experiences – and that means the good as well as the lessons you've learned along the way. Learn to earn trust by connecting on a personal – not a sales – level. Show that you care – and mean it – and, above all, build that all-important trust. And that’s it!
What networking really is, after all, is people doing business with people. You have to show your prospects that you care for and about their success and that you are willing to help them achieve that success. If you are sincere, they will reward you by putting their trust in you and following close in your footsteps for years to come. So, start building your team by becoming someone that others know, like, and trust. :)
"Build people, and people will build your business." ~Michael Dlouhy
Your partner in the journey,
Cindy Manoske
cindymanoske@gmail.com
Tweet
