Step Away From Your Electronic Device…. and Pick Up the Phone
I have a 16 year old daughter — 16 going on 30.
She lives with her mom, some 4 hours from me. Although I see her as much as possible, we rely on phones and emails to communicate daily. We used to speak on the phone almost every day, just checking in to see how her world was going.
Then a funny thing happened.
Caitlin discovered text messaging.
Now, I’m not against texting, and I think it has its value in certain circumstances. But what is happening with us, and with the world at large, is that we are replacing human connection with electronics.
Rather than having a nice, warm phone converstion, I am now faced with a barage of text messages every morning, always starting out with:
“hi”
“how r u?”
“whats new”
“btw, i got my hair cut”
“gtg my bus is here.”
Not only are we failing to connect on a basic human level, but my 16 year old is also forgetting how to spell 
So why do I bring this up?
Because I see the same thing happening in the world of Network Marketing. The Network in Network Marketing means connecting with people. It means human connection. Not electronic.
I have no problem with using texting or autoresponder emails to help drive your business. They definitely have their place.
But if you really want to make you business explode, if you really want to begin seeing the kind of results that will help you justify the capital you put into your business, then by all means….
Step away from your computer…. and pick up a phone.
There is nothing like talking to a person… one on one.. that can create an instant connection with your prospect. Only in actually hearing each others voices can you get a real feel for what a person is like, how they would fit into your business, and whether or not they have what it takes to be your next leader.
It may in their voice inflection. It may be the WAY they say something, not actually what they say. It may be their tone, upbeat or downcast, that gives you the clue you need.
All of this is lost in a text message or email.
You need to pick up the phone and establish actual human contact.
And for your prospect… let them hear your voice, your confidence, your excitement in what you are doing. None of that can be transmitted electronically. Let them hear the empathy in your voice as you listen to their problems.
Only then will they really know that you are on their side, and you can help them.
I watch in amazement as so many new network marketers depend almost solely on their computers or PDAs to run their business.
They would rather send 100 emails or text messages rather than pick up the phone and have one conversation.
It has become easier (preferable?) to rely on electronics and less on human interaction.
While it may be easier, in most cases the results will NOT follow.
You see, networking is about connecting with people. And the best way I know of to connect with someone is to look them in the eye and talk to them. And if you can’t look them in the eye because of distance, then they absolutely NEED to hear your voice to convince them that you are the person that can help them achieve their wildest dreams.
If you’re wondering why your business is floundering, listless, and not moving forward, then shut off the computer, pick up your phone, and start making connections with your prospects.
Chances are very high that your results will pick up, and you’ll actually make some friends and feel better about the world in the process.
This One Very Common Prospecting Mistake Will Torpedo Your Home Based Business Before You Even Get Started
One of the keys to being successful in network marketing is having the ability to quickly and accurately qualify your prospects. People have different criteria in making these important decisions, but it really comes down to one important question:
“Is your opportunity one that will help solve the problems of your prospect?”
Too many people in network marketing make the critical mistake of qualifying people based on how the prospect will add to their OWN business. For example, if Mary comes to me willing to spend thousands of dollars in capital to gain entry in to my home business opportunity, this would mean a huge commission in my pocket. But before I can in good conscience add Mary to my team, I need to assess her needs and wants to be sure that they are consistent with the ability of my opportunity to satisfy them.
Under what possible circumstances would I disqualify a prospect?
Here’s another example.
Let’s say that John comes to me inquiring about my home business opportunity. John tells me he has looked over the business briefly, has the few hundred dollars to enter the opportunity at the lowest level, and is eager to get started.
Before I accept John’s money, I have a conversation with him regarding his needs and wants. It turns out that these few hundred dollars is all John has left in the world, he is unemployed, no immediate prospects of finding work, has no prior experience in network marketing, and needs $3000 in the next 20 days to make his mortgage payment or he will lose his home.
There is no way that I can recommend this opportunity to John, nor any network marketing opportunity that I know of, because I understand how unlikely it would be for John to meet these critical needs.
This is an example of putting your prospects needs in front of your own.
It is critical to get this right.
Putting your own needs and wants ahead of your prospects will almost certainly result in the ultimate failure of your home business.
I make this statement with no hesitation because I firmly believe that the intention of your business will ultimately decide its fate.
If your intention is solely to make a lot of money for yourself as quickly as possible to satisfy your OWN desires, your prospects will quickly realize this and move away from you as a leader who can help them. However, if your true intention is to help others solve THEIR problems and meet THEIR goals, and your opportunity can help them realize these goals, then you have the perfect opportunity for adding them to your team and helping them succeed in their business.
Making this important shift from your own needs to those of your prospects will set you up as a leader to be followed and a person of great integrity. You will undoubtedly make more money in the long run and thus, meet your own personal income and life goals in the process. And there is one more advantage:
You’ll be able to sleep at night.
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