Archive for Prospecting
The Anatomy of a Network Marketers Personal Commercial
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Personal Commercial
In this fast paced world of the Internet and everyone trying to build their network marketing businesses online, some have forgotten that technology will never replace relationship building.
All good relationships begin with an introduction and as we have all been taught, you only have one chance to make a first impression.
If you do not care what your first impressions are with people then you can stop reading now.
However, if you are interested in making a strong first impression and want to master the art of the personal introduction (commercial) then I encourage you to read on.
By now you have at least heard about the concept of personal branding, even though you may or may not have implemented this strategy.
For all those that are unsure of what personal branding is, I offer this definition by Dan Schawbel Personal Branding Gen-Y Expert.
“Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility advance their careers, and build self-confidence.”
Source: http://personalbrandingwiki.pbworks.com/FrontPage
Now let us tackle how to properly answer the tough question, “So, what do you do?”
If you are like most, you hear this question and interpret it to mean one of two things:
- Spew your verbal resume to the individual that asked the question, or
- You start to promote your business opportunity.
I am not sure which one is worse, but I do know that both are just plain wrong.
Anatomy of the Personal Commercial
Your objective is to answer the question of what you do by offering 15 to 30 seconds of information that…
- States who you are
- Creatively tells what you do
- Asks one or a series of Power Questions
- Makes a Power Statement that shows how you can help others
- Ends with a call to action
So the concept is to tell the prospect what you do in a creative way, and then ask a Power Question or series of questions that makes the prospect think and respond in such a way that gives you the information you need to interview your prospect.
The information that you will gather as a result of your Power Question(s) allows you to effectively formulate a response that has a strong impact and shows exactly how you can help, and lets you know how qualified the prospect may be.
Remember, when you are interviewing a prospect, there is absolutely no reason to tell the prospect how you can help until you have uncovered what kind of help he or she needs.
When you are formulating your Power Questions for your commercial, as yourself the following questions:
- By asking this question, exactly what information am I attempting to get from the prospect?
- If I ask this question, will it help me qualify my prospect?
- Based on the information I desire, will it take more than one question to uncover it?
- Do my questions make my prospect stop and think before answering?
- Will the question I am asking positively differentiate me from the competition?
I personally recommend that you have at your disposal a list of 20 to 25 Power Questions that make your prospect think and give you the information you need to effectively qualify them.
The last thing that you need to do is have a call to action. Finish your commercial with a closing line that recommends to your prospect their next action step.
At the very least end with a question that ensures another contact.
Once you create this commercial and practice it and master it, you will never again be stumped with that tough question, “So, what do you do?”
For more information on prospecting and your personal commercial, fill out your name and email address below.
If You Are Going to Make a Statement, Make It with Power
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Power Statements
So what is power statement network marketing? This is when you summon your creativity and craft a non-traditional statement that best describes what you do and how you do it in terms of the prospect and takes into consideration the prospects perceived need for your opportunity.
Anything you do or say in the network marketing arena needs to be done with an objective in mind.
Your objective for making a power statement is to influence and encourage the prospect to take action.
Remember – In network marketing 95% of the people that you present your primary business opportunity to will not be interested. This is good, because we do not want to work with everyone. So be sure when you use a power statement, your objective is clear.
When you are creating a power statement for your business opportunity, come at it from the perspective of the prospect in terms of what benefits they would receive. Your statement should paint a picture for the prospect that is filled with benefits and consist of words that have the prospect wanting more. Done correctly and you will differentiate yourself from anyone else out there.
Power statements take time and the proper mind-set to generate effectively. I.e. don’t sell drill bits. Sell the perfectly smooth holes they create.
In network marketing, power statements serve several purposes. Here are but a few:
- A statement that makes a prospect think about what you do in terms of how he or she benefits from your opportunity.
- A statement that builds your credibility with the prospect.
- A statement that draws a clear distinction between you and the competition.
- A statement that makes the prospect want to hear more.
- A statement that links what you do and how it relates to the prospect.
- A statement that is memorable.
How do you respond when someone asks you what you do? I would be willing to bet it’s a boring one-sentence description that has the other person looking for someone else to talk to.
If you truly wish to differentiate yourself against the competition, create that power statement and then look for someone to ask you, “So what do you do?”
For more information on how to create a power statement, fill out your name and email address below.
Power Prospecting Questions for the Network Marketer
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Power Prospecting Questions
“The powerful question is one of the most important skills a network marketer should master… The importance of asking a question appropriately lies between a new distributor and a lost opportunity.”
As a network marketer two of the most important aspects of interviewing a prospect are the ability to ask a question and listen.
If you effectively ask the “right” question(s), your prospect will tell you everything you need to know during the prospecting interview.
It is our roles as leaders to combine powerful questions with effective listening skills so that we have the ability to uncover the facts/needs of the prospect that allow us to formulate an effective response that moves that prospect closer to making a decision about your opportunity.
When you are interviewing your prospect, how much time do you spend talking vs. listening?
A real good rule of thumb is to spend about 15% of the interview asking questions and clarifying and the remaining 85% spent listening to your prospect. You will be amazed at what you learn, and how quickly.
As a network marketer the development and delivery of powerful questions is the difference between understanding and misinterpreting your prospects needs.
Here is a guideline you can use to ensure that the questions that you develop are powerful.
- Make sure that your question is straightforward and to the point. It does not help if the prospect doesn’t understand the question, or what you meant.
- Is your question worded in such a way that makes the prospect think before they respond? It is important that the prospect is lead toward your opportunity as a result of your question.
- Are you differentiating yourself from your competition by asking questions other network marketers would never think to ask?
- Does your question evoke a response that the prospect has never thought of before?
- Does the question provide you with the opportunity for the prospect to say yes to a particular part of your presentation and move on to the next area?
- Does your question relate directly to the situation your prospect finds themselves in?
- Are your questions probing in areas that the prospect can relate to? Areas that make the prospect commit to real answers?
- Does your question draw out information from your prospect that helps you determine whether or not they are qualified for your opportunity?
- Does your question make the prospect think, or does your question just upset your prospect?
- During your interview are you asking closing questions? This is a question that confirms their interest in your opportunity.
If you want to position yourself as a master of power interview questions, I suggest that you write three to four questions that respond to each of the guidelines above and include them in your interview process.
If you want more information on prospecting, please fill out your name and email address below:
Questions are to network marketing as oxygen is to life.
If you fail to ask questions, you will die.
If you ask them incorrectly, your death won’t be immediate, but it’s inevitable.
If you ask them correctly, the answer is… a new distributor.
