"People who know you well do not good business prospects make. Period."
-- the Pajama Mamas
"Say what?!" you ask. "I've always been taught that the first thing you do
when you sign up with a network marketing company is sit down and make a
list of everyone you know so that you can talk to them about your new
business venture!"
This "list" represents your "warm" market, and making it seems to have
become the be-all/end-all first step in just about every network marketing
organization. Why? Because for the average Joe without a lot of resources,
who else is he going to talk to about his new business other than people
he knows, right? WRONG! When all this started 60-or-so years ago we didn't
have the internet and cell phones, conference calls and phone-messaging,
so person-to-person was in fact the only way people could spread the
word--about most anything. All of that has changed now and there are
myriad ways to approach your market--be it warm, cold, or in between--so
this "list" idea is just way passé. And scary as hell for most people.
(Most people are not born salesmen, in case you haven't noticed.)
Is it obvious that we who are writing this article disagree with this
"list" approach and flat don't think it works? We hope so. Because the
reality is that this very thing--trying and failing to recruit family and
close friends--is why most people get discouraged and quit network
marketing during their first year. Let us spell it out even better. Here's
the typical scenario:
At the prodding and prompting of your sponsor, you finally call your
friend Leona, whom you haven't seen in two months, and ask her to meet you
for a cup o' joe at Starbucks. She's thrilled. She's been dying to catch
up, plus the two of you just need one of those much-loved, ever-bonding
girlfriend sessions!
You get to Starbucks: huge hugs and kisses, high energy, excitement all
around, talk about new hair, recent divorces, the kids, new career moves,
family problems, whatever. But the whole time, in the back of your mind,
this niggling worry-wort called network marketing is knocking on the
inside of your skull telling you to get with the program and tell Leona
why you really called her--to tell her about your new business and
persuade her to join it with you. So you're only able to listen half-mast,
and you're nervous about what will happen next.
Sure enough, disaster ensues. (Just like you expected--after all, you put
out vibes for it. You hate this! Leona feels all that before you even
start!) As you are struggling to act casual and finally mention that you
"are in this new business where you can make a lot of money that only
requires that two people sign up two people a month and the products are
really great . . ." you watch as Leona shrinks away from you with poorly
disguised horror in her eyes. She looks at her watch, mumbles something
about pyramids, and says she really has to be on her way--she's late
already. And that's the last time you see Leona!
The bottom line is, people who know you well do not good business
prospects make. Why? Because they already have preconceived notions about
you, your values, your strengths and weaknesses, your potential for
success, etc. They simply do not look at you as the person who is going to
bring great wealth into their life and are horrified when you try to pull
the wool over their eyes by getting them into a corner and trying to talk
you into doing something they don't want to do.
Some people can do this--it is their natural habitat. They can talk a
cornered skunk into not spraying. Good for them! Let them plumb the depths
of their warm market to their heart's content! But if this approach feels
awkward and not right for you, DO NOT GO THERE.
Nothing will quell your new-found enthusiasm for your business faster than
the negative opinions of your family or friends. And nothing will spark
their interest in it like your independent success, achieved all on your
own, without their support or participation. THEN--you can bet on it--they
will want to get in on the action!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stephanie Yeh and her business partner, Leta Worthington, are the Pajama
Mamas, XanGo independent distributors and founders of No Brainer
Networking, the network marketing site for people who hate to network (and
want to earn a profit in their pajamas!). The Pajama Mamas have over 2
decades of success in networking marketing. Learn more and access free
home-based business resources at
http://www.nobrainernetworking.com/visit/.
