What do you think that biggest mistake is? Is it not finding the best source for your leads? Or maybe it is not finding the best "closing" sales method to really convert those borderline prospects. How about not having that "killer" sales letter?
It is none of these. The biggest mistake that many, if not most, network marketers make is that they don't understand the REAL business they are in. They are not in the product business or "sales" business. They are really in the PEOPLE business, whether they realize it or not.
Now what do I mean by the people business? Well, it is the people you sign up and sponsor as your distributors or downline that are going to build your business. Our business is really creating long term positive relationships with others. And if you don't understand how to treat them, how to tap into their internal motivations, you are going to be swimming upstream. If you learn how to treat the people you bring into your business the right way, your business will blossom and boom.
This really begins with the way you find those people you want to join your business. You need to have a true "service to others" attitude. They are going to join your business because of what's in it for them, not for you. Finding your business partners needs to be a win-win for both of you. That means when you talk with people about joining your business you don't start off right away with "Hello, Mr. Smith, I represent ABC business, and we are the greatest thing since sliced bread! " And then go off into your sales spiel. You need to create that long term relationship. So you need to use a method that is "other" focused instead of "me" focused.
In the network marketing and MLM business, your REAL business is discovering people who are motivated enough to do their business on their own, rather than trying to sell someone on your concept of how to sell other people. People don't like to be sold. They don't like to be "closed". But there are ways to turn it around so that they sell themselves. That means focusing your attention on the person.
The real business is training and mentoring those people so they can duplicate the business to do it on their own. Have you ever joined a network marketing or MLM organization where soon after you joined your sponsor pretty much left you on your own, wouldn't support you and after a while wouldn't even return your calls? If that hasn't happened to you, can you imagine what that would be like? So don't do that. Train your people to the highest standard, mentor them, be available for them and they will work harder to help themselves. Which will help you immensely in the long run.
Most people can be highly successful in network marketing if they can change their focus to helping others and working as much toward the other person's success as their own.
Now, in this short article I cannot give you all the information you need to learn about how to do this process. But I can recommend a book that will help you on the road to learning how to turn your head around 180 degrees.
The method I use for my business is called Natural Selling, in a book written by Michael Oliver. His book is called "How to Sell Network Marketing without fear, anxiety or losing your friends". You can check out his web site at
http://www.naturalselling.com/
You can also buy the book at Amazon.com.
What his method teaches you is how to really understand another person, in terms of their wanting to start their own business, which is what network marketing really is. What are their motivations and why do they really want or need to join with you. It uses a no pressure, conversational method of you asking simple and direct questions to help you understand who the other person really is. It is truly "other" focused. It is putting the Golden Rule into practice. You learn how to "detach from the sale" so you can truly have the other person's interests at heart. If you learn the principles and techniques in this book, you can even use them to make your own personal relationships deeper and better.
Just for the record, I do not make any money recommending these two excellent books. And, yes, I could be lying to you, but would that really be a good way to serve other people?
If you read either of these, I would love to hear your opinion of them. I think you will find both or either of these very enlightening.
Steven Currie
steven@YouSendTheCards.com
www.YouSendTheCards.com
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** Republishing Details: This article is Copyright 2005. You have my permission to republish this article and pass it on to others, provided you print it completely, make no additions or deletions to the text and include my name, web site address and email address. You can contact me at 866-211-8012 Daytime Pacific Time or 866-574-6262 Evenings/Weekends - Steven Currie
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