Renegade Ann SiegI attended a team training call this morning conducted by Ann Sieg, author of The Renegade Network Marketer. Ann is a terrific team leader and this morning's topic was how to work with prospects you have attracted.
Ann has a great deal of experience with multilevel marketing companies, and, like many of us, disliked the idea of hard selling her opportunity to the unsuspecting public. First, she learned how to bring her prospects to her using the Attraction Marketing model. She is in the midst of building an empire, she has been incredibly successful using this approach. For a review of The Renegade Network Marketer, and how powerful her system is, don't miss Mike Klingler's video on book and Ann Sieg.
Now, what do you do with the prospects you have attracted? Ann Sieg is very outspoken against the traditional sales methods of convincing someone they want to buy in to your product or opportunity. She strongly believes in customer-focused relationships. She spoke this morning about using a two-step process when contacting a new lead.
The first step revolves around making contact with your prospect and establishing what they are looking for and what challenges they face. Instead of immediately jumping in trying to recruit someone, she takes the time to talk with the person and find out what it is they really want. Some people may be thinking of starting a home business, but don't really have a concept of what it means and what will be required to be successful. Others are looking for a hobby, but are not motivated to put in the time and effort to run a full time business.
As she speaks with someone new, she is able to establish the best way to help them. For many, it may simply involve suggesting some resources they can look into to help them decide if a home business is for them. Perhaps they were just curious and filled out a contact form or signed up for a newsletter without any real intention of going further. Or maybe they don't have the time or the money to invest in building a new business at this time.
Setting up a time for a second call is warranted to give them additional information on training, or to explore the possibilities of joining her opportunity if they have indicated that they have a strong interest. It is important to note that it is not only important to find out if becoming a member of your team is a good fit for the client, but also if the client is a good fit for your team!
Never start off assuming there is a need for your opportunity or products. There may not be, and you will only be wasting time (yours and your client's) if you do not have a good value match to the prospect's current needs. The goal is to become a resource for this person so that they will come to you when and if they are ready for more information. Find out what it is they wish to accomplish and then show them your ability to help them accomplish it.
Ann Sieg really drives this point home to her team members. She makes no secret of the fact that she would be most unhappy to find that someone on her team was using manipulative tactics for the sake of a sale. Her no sell selling approach is not easy for many to grasp at first. Many of us have been taught to go for the sale right off the bat and when we come away from a call without it, we feel we have somehow been lacking.
Ann defines "closing" as coming to a decision, not necessarily making a sale. In relationship marketing, you and your client decide whether it is in both your best interests to further explore options together. For the prospect, it is a matter of whether they feel that you can help them find solutions to their needs. For you, it is whether or not you feel you can be of help now or in the future.
In order to spend your time with someone, you need to feel that they are willing to do the work required to help themselves. If they are not interested in acquiring the skills they need to operate on a professional level, they don't need a professional to consult with them! Don't forget that as a serious business owner, you are a professional!
My favorite part of this morning's call was when Ann revealed that as a beginner, she made 47 calls before her first "close." Remember, her definition of "close" does not refer to the sale, but simply a decision to continue the sales process. This just shows that diligence and determination do pay off. So, if you are new, and not making sales right and left, or adding ten people a day to your team -- take heart. Attraction marketing and customer-based relationships do pay off in time.
They tell me Rome wasn't built in a day, but oh, what a great city she became!
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