How would you like to double, triple, quadruple, or even 10x the number of people you prospect and recruit every year?
Sounds wonderful, right?
If you learn how to do network marketing prospecting and recruiting correctly, mlm can be a wonderful and exciting experience….
But if you never learn basic recruiting techniques, you’ll never be efficient or effective.
Plus, instead of being fun and exciting, it will drain your energy and suck… really suck.
Your business growth, organizational health, and business momentum is tied so heavily to recruiting that you can’t afford NOT to master it.
In this extreme and comprehensive guide, I’ll show you every nuance of solid recruiting, as well as teach you a few prospecting tips along the way.
When you get done with this post you’ll know the secrets to becoming a recruiting machine.
NOTE: If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional prospecting and recruiting that will still allow you to add team members each week, check out our reverse prospecting strategy.
What is MLM Prospecting Anyway?
To best understand network marketing recruiting, let’s take a quick look at what the definition of prospecting is and how it was originally used.
The term prospecting was first used as a verb meaning to search or explore for something (i.e. prospecting for gold).
Over time, it’s become a sales term to represent the act of searching for a particular type of person or client.
For example, if you were an insurance salesperson, you’d be searching for someone who needs or wants to purchase insurance.
Should you happen to find somebody who needs AND wants insurance, they would be a perfect prospect.
So prospecting in network marketing is simply the act of looking for a particular person.
During a gold rush, prospectors used picks, hammers, shovels, and pans to sort through the dirt and hopefully find gold.
In network marketing your tools are different.
Instead of shovels and pans, you’re using your phone, computer, and various interpersonal skills.
However, you’re essentially doing the same thing as the miners during the gold rush.
Instead of looking for a particular type of mineral, you’re looking for a particular type of person.
Network Marketing Prospecting 101:
Remember What it is NOT…
Imagine you were born years ago and decided to go to the great California gold rush.
You arrived, tired and exhausted and went into a local tavern.
Upon entering, a man excitedly starts talking to you.
“Good evening stranger, I see you’re here to look for some gold?”
You reply “Why yes, actually I am. Any pointers?”
At this, the man pulls you to the side and lowers his voice…
“Well, I’ll be honest with you. The people ’round here ‘R crazy. I have a better plan.”
His eyes dart back and forth. He leans in closer, lowering his voice even more.
“Instead of digging, searching, and hoping to find a small trace of gold, I’ve decided to figure out how to make gold myself using dirt!
If I can do that, I’ll have more gold than anybody else and be richer than God…. I’m actually looking for a partner in this venture.”
[END SCENE]
Now… you would think this guy was a wacko… and you would be absolutely right.
He probably even looks like a nut job.
So why do I tell this story?
Because unfortunately, amateur network marketers approach prospecting like the guy in the story.
When you talk to people who desire nothing more from life (i.e. they have no interest, no ambition, and/or a bad attitude), do you try to turn that person into a customer or team member?
You shouldn’t. But that’s what most amateurs do.
You toss them to the side and continue to search… at least, that’s what you should do.
Trying to turn that person into the right person is essentially trying to turn dirt into gold.
Prospecting and Recruiting Law #1:
You’re Sorting… Not Selling
When you’re prospecting and recruiting, you are NOT creating gold out of dirt.
It’s impossible and a mind-numbing waste of time.
I know, I’ve tried.
When you’re prospecting, you’re sorting through dirt to find gold.
You should see your prospecting efforts as a disqualification process.
A sorting process.
Sort. Sort. Sort.
Say it aloud, I’ll be circling back to this point later.
You’re going through lots of dirt looking for gold.
You’re quickly sorting through people to find those who are open to learning more about what you’re doing.
To do this, you have to get your hands dirty and get in the game.
Period.
Keep that in mind as we move forward.
Don’t attempt to reprogram somebody.
You can’t make gold out of dirt no matter how hard you try or what tools you have.
It’s not effective to try and more importantly it’s super draining.
If you work too hard to convince a person and they do happen to enroll, they will turn out to be “fool’s gold”.
They look like gold, they smell like gold, they have the qualities of gold, but at the end of the day you find out that they are not actually gold.
They never were. You wasted all your time with them that could have been better utilized.
There’s truth in the phrase “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
There’s a place for education and salesmanship.
But it isn’t in the prospecting stage.
Prospecting is simply looking for people with a good attitude who are already open to hearing you out.
Keep that in mind as you read through the rest of this article, it’s a key point and it separates amateurs from professionals.
Here’s a short video explaining the #1 secret of top network marketing recruiters.
Why MLM Prospecting and Marketing is Important
Prospecting and marketing are the life bloods of your organization.
Plus, it doesn’t take as much mastery as you may think.
Eric Worre, the network marketing industry leader has data that shows 90% of people in this industry only recruit less than 2 people…. ever!
Only 2% ever recruit more than 10 people.
It’s no wonder there is such a high failure and attrition rate.
Learn to recruit more than 10 and you’re in the top 2% of network marketers (plus you’ll have a serious confidence boost).
Prospecting and marketing is directly related to your recruiting.
It’s how your business grows.
In fact, all your business growth will come from these two things.
Recruiting is what builds depth and width and leverage in your organization.
You can’t do it all willy-nilly though, you have to have a strategy.
You should view marketing as a type of prospecting because the purpose of marketing is the same as prospecting- to find people who are open to exploring this industry or your products.
With marketing, you’re doing the exact same thing as prospecting but on a much larger scale.
The difference is you’re leveraging resources and sorting through people faster.
I’ll dive deeper into this idea later.
Just understand that without prospecting and marketing your business will NOT grow.
If you haven’t reached the tipping point, the organization you have built will fall apart if recruiting doesn’t continue.
Effective Prospecting Basics
(How To Prospect)
Everyone’s looking for the magic bullet and the secret to prospecting.
Are you ready?
Here’s the secret…
There is no secret.
It’s just consistency and disciplined activity.
Guru’s will teach you all sorts of different approaches, lines, and phrases to help you be better at prospecting.
In fact, I’ll cover a few quality ones in later sections.
In this section however, I’m talking specifically about person to person, shoulder to shoulder, belly to belly prospecting.
These are the basics of prospecting in the trenches and on the field.
I’m not referring to marketing right now, but all these can (and should) be modified and used in your marketing efforts as well.
The Most Effective Prospecting Follows these Basic Principles:
1) Don’t be Weird. Be Authentic– The blue guy in this picture is weird.
Quit trying to learn some magic line or phrase!
People are experts at spotting a fake and those canned phrases often come off as disingenuous.
I’m not a fan of the “Fake it ’til you make it” mentality.
Trying to be something you’re not is the best way to make things weird from the start.
Just say what you’re thinking and feeling.
If you’re nervous, say… “I’m really nervous about talking to you about this because I have a lot of respect for you and don’t want to mess up”.
If that doesn’t work for you, just say something else that is authentic to the situation, the person, and to you.
How would that go compared to trying to act like you’re a boss?
Trust me, it will go over better and be a more effective recruiting technique.
2) Build Rapport– People do business with those they like and trust.
I’m sure you’ve heard that before but it’s true.
So be likable and connect with people.
Learning this will increase your recruiting numbers tenfold.
Lead with a compliment or talk about something that’s important to your prospect.
I’ve heard people say this business would be hard for them because they’re introverted.
I say- So what?
So am I.
Excuses are a dime a dozen.
The truth is, some pieces of the process are actually easier for introverts.
Building rapport is one of them.
People like to talk about themselves.
If you ask engaging questions, get them talking, and listen attentively, you will build rapport stronger and faster than almost any other method.
This is easier for introverts because we don’t want to talk anyway.
Building rapport is actually easier for introverts because people like to talk about themselves. Just ask questions and you're on your way! Click To TweetExtroverts have a harder time listening, which can make recruiting difficult.
Neither way is right or wrong, extroverts have other strengths.
For example, it’s much easier for them when it comes to starting the initial conversation.
Both personality types can build a successful multilevel marketing business, so don’t use your personality type as an excuse.
Have fun.
Here’s the problem…. You know that building this business successfully would change your life.
Because of that, you put enormous and unnecessary pressure on yourself.
When you do that, your results tank.
If you want to be better at recruiting, you’ve got to take the pressure off yourself and loosen up!
Sometimes if people are dragging their feet I say something like:
“Look, this isn’t for everybody. If it’s not for you, I understand but don’t get weird and start dodging my calls, just say no.”
That catches them off guard, calls out the elephant in the room, and immediately takes the pressure off.
It adds a light touch to the whole thing.
It’s also genuine and authentic.
It immediately puts people in a more relaxed state.
Of course, they may feel more comfortable and say “no” at that point.
But if you keep pushing when things are getting tense, they will either dig in their heels and decide to never join you regardless of circumstances, or they will feel pressured and go ahead and join… and promptly quit.
Neither outcome is what you want.
You want them to join in the right frame of mind or not at all.
3) Track your numbers– At the end of the day this is a numbers game.
You should be tracking all your numbers so you can work backwards from your goal.
How many people do you prospect?
How many times do you share your product, opportunity, and compensation plan?
How many people you enroll?
There are lots of ways to track your numbers.
You could do it on paper, keep it on a spreadsheet, or use an app on your phone (my favorite method).
I have an iPhone and use an app called “Done” (see below)
It’s simple and easy to use.
You can customize it however you want, and it’s free if you’re only tracking 3 things.
I track the following:
– Prospecting
– Sharing (information or product)
– Enrolling (distributor or customer)
You can also see basic data and trends based on your activity over time, which is priceless.
Most importantly, you have it with you all the time.
Data is only good if it’s accurate.
Since this is an app on your phone, you can immediately update your numbers after prospecting or enrolling somebody.
Tracking your numbers is like tracking calories on a diet.
The very act of doing the tracking helps keep you focused on your goals.
So if you want to see more success, you simply increase your activity and prospecting goals.
You can’t control results, but you can control activity.
If that app is something you want to check out, here are some basic features.
4) Be Confident– Sometimes confidence comes and goes when it comes to network marketing.
It can be an emotional roller coaster.
But if you’re going to lead people (your team) you must have a vision for the future you’re confident about.
If you have no confidence at all, then learn as much as you can about your products and the industry in general.
Work to develop your confidence and emotional toughness.
The more you learn, the more confident you’ll be.
This industry is absolutely the best chance for an average person to create abundance in their life with very little risk!
When I say abundance, I’m talking about time freedom as much as freedom with your finances.
Regardless of how your business is doing or even if you’re just getting started, you can be confident in the industry, the products, your company, and even your upline.
Find the things you can talk confidently about and steer the conversation in that direction.
In the meantime, build up your confidence.
If you’ve enrolled one person, you can do it again… and again… and again… it’s not rocket science.
Stay at it until you master it.
5) Follow Up– There are a lot of beginning (and experienced) networkers that fail on this point.
They say the fortune is in the follow up and it’s absolutely true.
In the video below, Dale Calvert covers some basic points on how you should be following up.
Never underestimate how many times or conversations it will take to get somebody to take a serious look at getting involved in what you’re doing.
Just like anything other type of sales, it takes multiple “touches” for people before they are ready to take action.
This is especially true when it comes to a new concept or idea, or a major shift in thinking.
But that shouldn’t deter you.
Think of it as planting a seed and tending to a garden.
This works especially well with your warm market.
Your first contact is planting the seed (the idea).
Then over time you water that idea until they warm up to it.
For many people, to even consider network marketing can be a major shift in thinking.
There’s a ton of reasons for this, but the point is, it takes time.
I’ve learned a few things about people over the years.
People resist change, even if it’s good.
Some people pivot rather quickly in their thinking but most people take time.
Sometimes lots of time.
When you’re dealing with a prospect one on one, you really don’t know what type of person they are.
Maybe they take a lot of time to make a decision but once they do, they’re firm and solid.
One of my best producers took what seemed like forever to decide he wanted to get involved, but when he did… did he ever.
He jumped in with both feet.
So just make sure you’re following up and being consistent with your follow up.
6) Be Professional– This is related to all your activity including follow up.
When you’re talking with somebody, you’re moving them closer to a yes on a sliding scale.
But when they get to yes, it needs to be a committed ‘yes’ and not just a ‘yes’ to get you off their back.
Otherwise, they won’t produce and won’t follow you where you’re going.
This business is as much (or more) about leadership as it is about sales.
So if you see or feel resistance, be careful.
You only want to nudge them to jump in if they’re standing at the edge of the pool.
Too many network marketers try to drag people close to the pool and then push them in.
As an industry, we’ve got to stop doing that.
So STOP IT!
If your prospect doesn’t want to get anywhere near the pool, exit the conversation with class and professionalism.
Leave it open so that you can tactfully address it at a later time.
Maybe a few weeks from now, maybe 6 months, heck… maybe a year or more.
Everybody is different.
The last thing you want to do is create a situation where they’re avoiding you because all they can think about is the last time they talked to you.
All they can remember is you were trying to drag them to the edge of a pool and throw them in (metaphorically speaking).
A classy and professional exit will serve you well later when dealing with that person again or for getting referrals.
Stick To the 6 Basic Components of Effective Prospecting
- They are:
– Don’t be Weird, Be Authentic
– Build Rapport
– Track Your Numbers
– Be Confident
– Follow Up
– Be Professional
Different Types of of Prospecting
Now you know the basics of prospecting, let’s take a look at the different ways to do it effectively.
There are so many different ways to prospect and market that it would be insane to try to list each one.
But I’ll dive into some of the most tried and true methods as well as a few of the newer ones so you have a foundation to start with.
You don’t need to do all these.
Say that to yourself… “I don’t need to do all of these”.
The worst thing you can do is get so overwhelmed you do nothing.
If you become proficient at just a few, you’ll be able to grow your network marketing business to any size you want.
If you divide your energy and try to conquer them all, you’ll be a master of none.
So pick one or two that resonate with you and then become an expert at that one method.
Warm Market Prospecting for Network Marketers
This is the holy grail.
The warm market.
Friends and family.
This is almost always where network marketers are directed to start.
Same thing happens in other types of sales jobs.
They are told to build a list.
I once sold life insurance.
Really… true story.
If horrible could be multiplied exponentially… that’s how well I did.
In fact, I should probably say “I once tried to sell life insurance” because I wasn’t successful at all.
Anyway, in the life insurance business I was directed to start with my warm market just like many new network marketers are told to do.
Here’s specifically what I was told to do:
1) Make a list of people you know
2) Call them and set up an appointment
3) Present the Information
4) Close
Sound familiar?
It should.
When starting in network marketing you basically do the same thing except that you add a 5th step in network marketing.
That step is teach.
You teach your new recruits how to do the same thing you’re doing.
Unfortunately, people see their warm market as their only market and often that’s why they don’t want to get involved.
It’s not your only option.
But you should be prepared to talk to your warm marketing and be ready for how they might respond.
It can be up and down and all over the spectrum.
It can go really well or really not so well.
Benefits of Starting with Your Warm Market
There are some good reasons everybody typically begins (and recommends) starting with your warm market.
First, it’s where you’re comfortable.
You know these people, they are your friends and acquaintances, surely they will hear you out.
After all, it’s a small investment and it will be fun to work together.
Secondly, the chances of a friend getting involved with you (if you’re a person of character) does sometimes go up even if you present poorly.
They already know and trust you.
Third, it’s less frightening to most people to talk to their best friend than it is to talk to a random stranger.
Fourth, your upline suggests you start here because they know most people live a life of fear.
Most people won’t even do this.
Starting with total strangers would terrify most people.
The best chance you (and your new recruits) have to not quite and eventually be successful is to have a few early wins.
You may be able to get these from your warm market, so that’s why it’s usually recommended.
The Problems with Warm Market Prospecting
Approaching your friends and family also carries some risk and a few problems though.
If you go in with the wrong mindset and wrong expectations, it can actually destroy your business before you even get started.
My family is supportive on the surface but some have refused to even hear me out.
I know it’s frustrating because there’s nobody I’d rather help than my own family, but that’s just the nature of the beast.
If you’ve had a similar experience, don’t be discouraged.
It’s more common than you think.
Most of the benefits of your warm market can also be drawbacks, lets examine a few.
Problem 1: They Think They Know the Industry
Since they feel comfortable around you and have your best interest at heart, they can often be the most brutal and negative because much of what they say is unfiltered.
Most people have very little (if any) actual knowledge about the network marketing industry.
Interestingly though, people feel like they are experts about this sector.
If they’re super negative about this industry, they will sometimes not just say no.
They will also try to talk you out of your decision.
They may even try to make you feel like an idiot for thinking it was a good idea.
There are all kinds of reasons for this, but if you’re prepared for this going in, it can help you not be convinced that they are right and throw in the towel before you get started.
If you want something more out of life, you have to take advise from somebody who has what you want.
Not from somebody stuck in the same cycle as you.
The problem is, most leaders don’t prepare their recruits for the harsh reality of their friends and family.
So the recruit get blasted by their warm market and quit…. sometimes after talking to just one person.
Problem 2: They Know You
Another problem is that they know you on a personal level.
They’ve seen you at your worst.
If you haven’t been super successful in your life or haven’t developed yourself into a leader yet, the idea that you could create above average income is immediately a joke to them.
Part of the reason is they like you, but they don’t necessarily believe in you.
Even if they believe in you, they just can’t see you living the lifestyle or making the money this industry affords.
Heck, even Jesus had this problem when he tried to tell people what he was doing and explain that he was the master of the universe.
That’s why he coined the phrase “No one’s a prophet in his own land” (Luke 4:24).
Another problem with your friends and family is they just don’t understand the industry.
Think about it.
Everyone in this space who makes 6-8 figures started at the same exact place.
They started at the bottom and by shear hard work, determination, and leverage, they climbed their way to an incredible income with little to no overhead.
The way this industry has been pitched through the years is that it’s easy.
That little word is what makes people think it’s too good to be true.
If it didn’t require hard work, it would be too good to be true because it’s already a ridiculous industry (in a good way)!
Problem 3: You Know Them
This may just be the biggest problem yet.
If you go to someone in your warm market and mentally you’ve put them on a pedestal because you think they could crush it, you put added pressure on yourself.
We already talked about this pressure, it’s no bueno.
On top of that, you trust their judgement, that’s why you’re talking to them and perhaps one reason you’re friends with them.
At the beginning of your network marketing career your belief in the industry (and maybe in yourself) is just starting.
You’re like a baby learning to walk.
When somebody tells you “no” and “network marketing is a scam”, a part of you can be tempted to wonder if they are right.
This is especially true if you trust and respect them.
So What Can You Do? Should You Even Contact Your Warm Market?
First let me say “Yes”.
You should definitely still contact them.
But you should walk in with your eyes wide open.
Know that they may be negative and if they are, don’t be knocked down for good.
On top of that, the best advice I have ever heard on warm market prospecting comes from Ray Higdon.
He says you should only approach your warm market when you don’t care what they do or say.
I agree.
They should just be another person to you, even if you think they could crush it.
You learned to walk because when got knocked down as a baby, it didn’t even occur to you that you could stay down.
You just naturally got back up and tried again.
Maybe you crawled for a few more days if it was a bad fall.
But eventually, you got back up and tried again.
The secret is to get back up.
Always get back up.
When you get knocked down, get up as quickly as possible.
Don’t stay down for 3 months!
If you’re not careful, 3 months will turn into 3 years or… well… forever.
So when approaching your warm market, stop caring so much about the outcome and no matter what they say, get back up and move on.
How to Get Referrals
Getting referrals is another type of prospecting that can be quite powerful.
Sometimes referrals can work out better than the people you know personally, IF you are able to get good ones.
The key in network marketing is to try to get good referrals instead of crappy ones.
That’s great! So what’s the difference between a good and bad referral?
I’m so glad you had that question in your head!
If you want to find gold instead of fool’s gold, you’ve got to prospect where you might find the purest and most valuable gold.
You should focus on golden candidates.
People with a track record of success.
The best candidate isn’t the person who has failed their entire life and needs it.
The best candidate is the one who is driven and already successful.
A good referral is someone who is influential in their community and already possesses some of the skills needed to build this type of business.
They are ambitious.
They are driven.
They have already achieved financial success in some ways, but maybe they would be interested in time freedom or more financial success if you showed them how.
The best way to get referrals is to ask.
But in the beginning, if you don’t train yourself to ask you may forget or get so flustered you don’t even think about it.
Maybe you just want to get out of there as quickly as possible because you feel rejected.
Again, don’t get focused on trying to transform dirt into gold.
If the person is “dirt” (i.e. not interested), try to get a referral.
Take a breath.
Slow down.
Let the person you’re talking to know that you see this may not be a fit for them, but would they know anybody who might be open to making some extra money if you showed them step by step what to do.
This is another Ray Higdon phrase.
Sometimes, this verbiage will cause a reaction in your prospect because you’re attempting to bypass them to the next person in real time.
You’re essentially communicating that a “no” from them doesn’t phase you in anyway and you could care less.
All you care about is finding the right person.
Keep in mind, getting a reaction or a change in their thinking isn’t the goal of asking for a referral because it won’t happen every time.
But it might happen sometimes so be prepared for it.
The key to getting referrals is to be professional from the beginning and make them want to give you a referral.
After all, if you rub them the wrong way and are pushy or aggressive, they won’t want to expose their friends to the same pitch.
However, if you’ve been professional from the beginning, whether this is the first conversation or the third, they should be willing to introduce you to somebody.
Make sure you explain who you’re looking for.
You’re not looking for somebody who “needs” to make extra money.
You want referrals of people who are ambitious and driven, or people who would benefit from your product or service.
Ask them if it would be okay for their referral to know who referred them.
This can get your foot in the door with the person they suggest.
Plus, if you handle that new person professionally, you can get referrals from them as well or get even more referrals from your original prospect.
A really strong conversation is when you get some referrals from somebody and one of those people sign up.
Then you can go back to your original prospect and let them hear the good news.
Often, they will respond with surprise, but it will shake them up a bit and they might start rethinking if they want to get involved.
You could also give the a small gift card or token of appreciation and ask them for more referrals.
If you master the art of referrals, you can literally never run out of people to talk to.
Be sure you have a pen and paper handy and ask specific questions to jog their memory.
Questions such as:
– Do you have any family who might benefit from this business or product?
– Who do you know in real estate?
– Who do you know in sales?
– Do you know any educators?
– Who are the most ambitious or entrepreneurial people you know?
– What about the most successful people you can think of?
You can come up with your own questions, but this is a good way to get a list of potential people to talk to that you wouldn’t have otherwise known.
People like to help, especially if you treated them well and they just told you no.
If you managed the conversation and energy correctly and didn’t leave a bad taste in their mouth, you can often get a few referrals.
After getting the names, have them get out their phone and write down their phone numbers or call and get an appointment for you.
If they aren’t comfortable with this, you can always look the person up on social media since you have their name, which brings me to my next section.
Social Media Prospecting, Specifically Facebook
It seems that a new social media company or platform is born every day.
The big dawgs are obviously Facebook and Instagram, (which is also owned by Facebook).
Next in line is probably LinkedIn.
There are good and bad pieces to all these platforms.
LinkedIn is more of a business platform, so it lends itself to doing business.
It is also full of success minded people (the right type of prospects).
But Facebook is the giant of the industry and it seems everyone has an account these days.
I’m going to focus on Facebook because that’s where much of my experience is.
There are a few different ways to utilize Facebook for prospecting.
The great thing about prospecting online is that there’s always somebody awake and looking for a connection.
I’ve hit my numbers on more than one occasion by sitting down late into the night and hammering away on Facebook.
Busy days sometimes lend themselves to these types of late night sessions.
You can do all of the following tactics or just pick one or two you like.
As I go through them, I’ll also share some information about the Facebook algorithm when appropriate that can help you not shoot yourself in the foot.
Keep in mind that like Google SEO… FAO (Facebook Algorithm Optimization) changes frequently.
I’m not sure if FAO is an actual acronym but it works, so I’m stickin’ with it.
I am just one person.
I do all my own research and write from my experience.
Things online change frequently so always do your own research.
I believe in your ability to learn!
If something seems incorrect by the time you read this, go do some more research.
This is just my experience at the time of writing.
So here we go….
1) Utilize Your Facebook Profile Effectively
This is where many new distributors mess up.
They either post too much about their company or products, or they share too much information.
The Facebook algorithm measures engagement, specifically social engagement.
When you post something on your wall, it is shown to your friends, specifically the ones that interact with you the most.
If people “like”, “share”, or “comment” on the post, Facebook will see it has having higher social engagement and a higher relevancy score.
This will prompt the algorithm to show it to more people in their news feed.
That’s how something goes “viral”.
People engage with the post, so Facebook pushes the content out to more and more people.
If they keep engaging, you soon have a viral post.
This means that anytime you post anything, your first goal is to get positive engagement.
This will allow more people to see it.
Quotes can do well, funny pictures or videos also do well.
Do have fun.
Do experiment.
Your 2nd goal is to figure out how to turn those posts into leads.
We’ll get into this later.
But the more engaging your posts are, the more eyeballs will see it.
If a person engages with the post, it can be an opportunity for you to start a conversation and possibly move the conversation to your products or business plan if warranted.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts when posting on your wall or navigating Facebook in general.
Most of these are applicable to the other Facebook methods I’ll be unpacking as well.
DO:
– Keep the business and product posts minimal.
Less is more. Maybe 1/5 of your posts (or less) should be about your business, product, or service.
– Post normal life and social stuff.
That’s the real purpose of the platform after all.
That’s why it’s called social media.
Plus, it lends itself to the engagement piece you are shooting for.
– Post pictures and videos.
They tend to get the most engagement, especially video.
– Go LIVE, but have a plan.
Live video is king in the Facebook world.
The algorithm gives it extra weight and shows it to more people.
But if you’re just being random or boring, you’ll lose people.
– Create an Engaging Group
This is probably the most powerful of all the methods.
Create an engaging group around something you’re passionate about.
This could be fishing, health and wellness, what it means to be a modern woman, etc.
Build the group up over time.
The Facebook algorithm currently gives presedence to groups.
If you can build a group of thousands of people, you now have your market.
These are your tribe (you built the group) and they know, like, and trust you.
Occasionally, you can invite them to work with you or promote your products because you have an active audience.
– Keep your specific company and products a secret on your personal page.
For example, “I just joined Mary Kay and I’m super excited” is not the way to go.
I would steer clear of that.
You want to create curiosity and mystery.
Instead, say”I just lost 10 lbs on this product and I’m super excited”.
Or post pictures of you and your new recruits doing something fun and post “A night out on the town with my team!”
See the difference?
If I’m your friend, I probably want to ask “what product did you lose ten pounds on”?
Or “team, what team?… what are you doing?”.
Especially if it looks like everyone is having fun.
If someone actually types these questions under your post, you have just “engaged” them and the facebook algorithm will push it out to more people.
DON’T’s:
– Don’t Spam Your Product or Opportunity Links
This includes in mlm Facebook groups, on your wall, or straight to a person’s inbox.
Spam is spam.
You hate it, I hate it, and your prospect hates it.
Even if they were interested, you will turn them off straight away by doing this.
If you don’t believe it’s ineffective, the best place to test it is to find an mlm group (after all this is a targeted group) and spam that page.
It will keep the damage minimal and after a while you’re realize you’re wasting your time without hurting your real prospects.
Don’t test it on your warm market though (i.e. facebook profile).
– Don’t Be Weird or Tacky (Again)
Don’t be weird, don’t be weird, don’t be weird.
We’ve got to work together to bring this industry up.
I believe if people in the multilevel marketing space would bring up their game, then in the next 10-15 years our industry could be viewed similar to franchising.
That would be good for all of us.
If we got to that point, soon we would be viewed as better than franchising, because it IS a better business model.
Stop being tacky or cheesy.
Posting stuff like, “who wants to earn $50,000 a month” on your wall only cheapens the industry and positions you as an idiot.
Okay, I said it.
Now you’re thinking, “but wait Jason… there are people making that much and more in my company”!
Yeah, I know… So What?
STOP!
It’s ineffective.
What works is what works, and what doesn’t work doesn’t work.
– Don’t Add People to Groups Without Their Permission
Remember, we are still in the DON’T’s.
So don’t add people to a group without their permission.
This includes a group you’ve created.
It’s unprofessional, rude, and people don’t like it.
I don’t even like being added to a group text which is even more annoying because it goes off every minute and if I leave the conversation… well… I’ve been told to not do that because it’s rude on more than one occasion.
Haha.
I can usually control myself at this point but it’s a struggle.
– Don’t Reply Back Too Quickly
This one might be a little controversial so take it or leave it.
The way you deal with prospects can be compared to the dating world.
Some people say you shouldn’t play mind games when dating, but I think that comment in itself is an attempt at mind manipulation.
Successful and professional people are busy, not needy.
If you are responding too eagerly to a conversation it lowers your posture.
There isn’t a set time that is too fast and some of it depends on the conversation, but just keep this at the back of your mind when interacting with people.
This isn’t just true in social media either.
Sometimes when you call or follow up too eagerly in any environment it positions you as desperate.
Remember high school and college?
There was always that one guy that seemed to get a lot more action than he deserved.
He certainly didn’t look like a ladies man, but he sure got a lot of dates.
This had more to do with his posture, confidence, and his psychological skill set than we gave him credit for at the time.
Actually, come to think of it, if you can remember his name… go recruit him, he’d be a powerhouse if he wanted… just don’t tell him that or you position him as the person with the power and you missed the whole point of this section.
2) Join groups of like minded individuals
One of the best places to naturally meet people is to join groups of like minded individuals.
Find an active group full of people like you.
You’ll enjoy being a part of it and you’ll meet some good people along the way.
You don’t need to be part of many groups to make lots of connections.
My favorite one is Order of man but you can find a group that resonates with you.
Once you find a group- post, comment, like, share, and interact.
It’s a fantastic way to make connections and it’s fun.
Just don’t forget the purpose and don’t spend too much time just hangin’ out.
3) Create a Facebook Business Page & Deliver Quality Content
In the old days you could post to a business page and it would get seen by many people.
This can still happen if it’s particularly engaging, but the chance of that happening is shrinking because Facebook wants you to pay to play (i.e. paid advertising).
However, I find that Facebook advertising is easy to learn.
How much you pay will depend on how engaging your content is, so follow some of the same rules as I stated previously about social engagement.
Here is one of my best performing posts.
As you can see, it reached over 14,000 people on a $50 ad budget.
That’s roughly .003 cents per view.
It was done with a small add budget and it linked back to my article about the benefits of network marketing.
At the time I was just learning how it all worked so I didn’t realize it was a good performer.
Otherwise, I would have kept the ad running.
I now know the reason it performed so well is that people engaged with it.
Social media ads are a great way to generate immediate targeted traffic and brand awareness to your blog or Facebook page.
Just make sure you’re posting quality content AND not giving away the end of the movie (what company you are with).
Curiosity is King.
I’m 99.9% positive you can’t find out what company I’m in through any of my social media stuff.
It all points back to this site.
You can find out I’m in a binary because I think it’s hands down the best network marketing compensation model in the industry right now.
But that’s about all you can find out.
My best performing squeeze page doesn’t tell you either unless you enter your email address.
4) Boost Your Posts to Targeted Individuals
As I said earlier, Facebook is a pay to play network.
Once you start your business page, you can start adding relevant content.
To increase your reach, you can “boost” the post.
There is also a very intricate ad managers account that you can get granular in, if that’s your thing.
I have found that boosting the right post in the right way is about all you need.
The exception being that you also need to place a pixel on your own website so you can target people who have been to your site before.
Once your pixel is set up, you can access the targeting portion in the “Boost Post” section.
At least that’s the way it works at the time of this writing.
Facebook is a monster and you have to tame it.
Otherwise it will suck all your time, energy, and money without giving you many results.
You’re welcome to follow my page to see what I’m experimenting with in real time.
5) Do Retargeting or Remarketing With the Facebook Pixel
I know I haven’t covered online prospecting yet.
That’s a few sections further down in this ultimate guide to prospecting and recruiting.
But, while I’m covering Facebook, let me say again that you need to get the pixel on your website immediately (and you need to have a website, specifically a blog).
Even if you don’t plan to use the pixel for another year or two, you need to get it installed so it can start collecting data.
Pixel sounds fancy and complicated but if your’e using WordPress (like I recommend), it’s not difficult at all.
You can do a YouTube search with the year to see the easiest way to do it.
For example, “how to add facebook retargeting pixel 2020”
Once installed, it will track every visitor that comes to your website.
Now you can do what is called re-targeting or sometimes called re-marketing.
This means you have the ability to run ads straight to people who have been to your site since they are familiar with you already.
Most companies do this including giants like Amazon.
So when you browse that new Apple iPhone and then it starts showing up every time you’re online, it isn’t the universe speaking to you!
It’s a good marketer somewhere constantly reminding you of your deepest desire.
But now, any schmo can do it, including you.
So take advantage of the wonderful times we live in.
These are just some of the ways you can use social media to market your business.
This list and these explanations are definitely not the only ways.
You can get really granular with your data and targeting if you want.
There are companies that specialize in only doing Facebook marketing because it can get so complicated and specific.
Take your time and learn how to use it properly.
If you stumble and fall… get back up and get up quickly.
Remember the analogy of the baby learning to walk?
With Facebook, you gotta crawl before you walk, but once you figure out how to walk, you can run (a.k.a reach massive amounts of people).
Just don’t try to run before you’re ready or you’ll run your bank account off of a cliff.
Prospect Using The Reverse Trade Show Method
I’m not sure where I heard this one, but it’s a genius idea and I use it anytime I’m at any type of trade show.
Typically, a business would get a booth and be standing around looking for people to pounce on.
The problem is the booths are expensive and the people walking around end up with a bag full of cards and trinkets.
For the reverse trade show method, you don’t have a booth.
Instead, you walk around and collect business cards from others.
These are great prospects.
If the booth is for their business (meaning the aren’t just an employee), then you already know they’re entrepreneurial and driven.
After all, they did take the time and spend the money to rent a booth.
Once you have all their cards (and actually got to enjoy yourself at the tradeshow), you can follow up with them.
The fact is, they probably won’t get many calls from all the business cards they handed out because people rarely call from a card.
I know I rarely do.
If I want to look up a business to fill a particular need I almost always go to google, even if I know I have a card somewhere…. where’s that dang card?!….
Oh well, I’ll just look up what I want.
How to Do Cold Calling in MLM (network marketing)
Cold calling is a tough nut to crack.
It takes alot of patience and thick skin, but it’s certainly faster than trying to go out and prospect at a local shopping center.
The good thing about cold calling is you never run out of people to talk to you and you can focus your energy on calling the right people.
For example, if you’re in the health and wellness space, maybe you want to call gyms or health food stores.
With cold calling, you can call who you want and focus on the right types of people.
Try to remember with cold calling that you’re trying to disqualify quickly (very similar to regular prospecting).
You don’t want to be on the phone for 30 minutes with a talker who’s not really open to your product or business.
First decide if you want to come at it from a product standpoint or a business angle.
If you’re going for product, pick people to call in that same space.
If you’re going for the business side, focus on the small business owner to start out.
Here are the best places for cold calling leads.
– Business cards: Anytime you meet someone try to get their card.
If you see somewhere that posts business cards on a board, take one of each of them to call at a later date (Hint: This is just like the Reverse Trade Show Method).
– Craigslist: You can go to the small business or services section of craigslist and find people to call from any city you want.
If you see their business or service posted, they are at least ambitious enough to try to drum up more business for what they’re currently doing.
– Local magazines: Many cities have local magazines or directories.
These are great places to find ads of local business owners in specific niches.
– Phone Books: Yes, they still exist.
Often they are all “yellow page” ads for businesses.
But hey, that’s what you’re looking for, right?
-Purchased Leads: I DO NOT recommend purchasing leads.
I won’t write about it here but if you want a primer on why I don’t, Rachel Jackson gives a good overview in this video.
When you’re cold calling, say something quick to gauge interest and disqualify them quickly.
Example Script: “Hey John, I picked up your card somewhere, can’t remember where.
Anyway, I don’t know if this is even something you’d be open to, but I”m looking for some business professionals to help with a project I’m putting together. Are you open to creating another revenue stream?”
You already know their next question will be “what is it?”, so be prepared for that and go for big numbers.
Remember to have fun and remember that you’re just sorting.
Your goal isn’t to close them. Your goal is to get them to sit down with you or check out a video online that gives an overview.
Keep in mind that there is another option and philosophy about how to do this.
The other side of the coin is to build rapport with them and try to have a good conversation before pitching them.
Do what you’re comfortable with.
I would rather know quickly if they are open or not and then build rapport AFTER they show interest.
In the beginning, details & skill are less important than actually taking action!
Online Lead Generation
If you plan to hit the top levels of your company (as I do) and want to create a system for building your business, you’ve got to create leads online.
Facebook is a great platform, as well as some of the other social media channels, but they pose a problem.
You don’t own them!
All the work you put into Facebook could be gone in 1 second if Facebook decides to shut your account down.
And it’s a real possibility.
If that happens, good luck getting it turned back on.
Even if you violated some silly policy by accident, they don’t even have to hear you out… and they usually won’t.
That means you’d have to start all over.
I don’t say this to scare you, just to make you aware.
Facebook will always be a hobby recruiting method to me.
If it get’s turned off tomorrow, I’ll save money and time because I won’t have my hobby anymore.
That’s how you should look at platforms you don’t own… as something that will eventually go away.
Serious Network Marketers Have a Blog
If you’re serious about network marketing and want to generate significant income from it, you need a website.
Specifically, you need a blog that focuses on performing high quality content marketing and attraction marketing.
WHY?
Because you are the owner and master of your website.
You can post anything you want.
Literally.
Nobody approves my content before it goes LIVE except me.
I can still be held accountable if I break the law or something, but nobody can stop me from posting whatever I want.
Don’t believe me? Watch this.
Or… How about the Remix
(Seriously, if you didn’t watch the first one, you MUST watch this one)
LOL! Those videos get me every time.
The truth is, those videos had nothing to do with anything, but since nobody can stop me, I posted them.
There was no media approval.
This is my platform.
I can put up whatever I want.
I can take down whatever I want.
I can edit whatever I want.
Of course if you don’t like what I say, you can comment below and say whatever you want about me… oh wait, but I have to approve your comment so I guess that won’t work either.
You see?
With a website, you are in control.
Not Facebook, Not Instagram, Not Snapchat, not YouTube, etc… You get the idea.
Those are just channels and tools to use to drive traffic to online real estate that you own… your website.
Attraction Marketing
The second word in network marketing is marketing.
So you should be marketing and marketing on a large scale.
That’s where your blog comes into play.
If you’ve never heard of attraction marketing, it is a term coined by somebody somewhere (I know, real in depth explanation.).
It simply means that you’re trying to attract people to you and what you’re doing, instead of chasing people around and trying to drag them into the pool.
The reason a blog is the best method is because it allows you to reach people all over the world.
My next door neighbors can find me if they are looking AND so can a Japanese businessman in Tokyo if he’s looking.
You can literally reach people all over the world at that moment in their life at that precise moment they get so frustrated and sick and tired of the grind, that they go to google and type in something related to their pain point.
Maybe they type “how to quit my job” or “how to create additional income”.
Whatever they type, if you build a page that ranks for it and google serves your page to them, it’s powerful.
It’s literally like entering the conversation they are having in their head at the exact moment they are having it.
How did you get on this page?
Maybe you aren’t getting the results you wish you were, so you typed in something about learning how to prospect better and BAM!…..
HERE YOU ARE!
The best attraction marketing system relies on a good content marketing strategy.
So what is content marketing?
Content marketing is when you put valuable content out into the marketplace in order to add value to people.
It can be entertainment, education, or information (to name a few).
This site is focused on delivering quality information for education, motivation, inspiration, and personal development (both spiritual and emotional).
A good content marketing strategy does a few things.
First, it’s authentic.
That’s why I have a spiritual development piece to my site.
It’s who I am. I want to attract others I can work with and enjoy being around.
You don’t have to be the same as me or even believe the same as me.
But if I want you to trust me and work with me in the next chapter of your life, I better be upfront and real about who I am.
You like me… or you don’t.
Doesn’t matter to me either way, it’s who I am.
Secondly, good content adds value (education, entertainment, etc.).
If you’re not adding value, people won’t stick around to watch your video, read your post, or even consider your ad.
In fact, the longer people stick around on a blog, the more valuable Google will consider your content.
The study of how to make your page show up in a Google search is called search engine optimization or SEO.
The more relevancy Google feels your content has, the higher it ranks you… and more visitors you get.
It’s the cycle that keeps on giving.
That’s one reason I like to write exhaustive and in depth articles.
It’s a technique called the skyscraper technique.
SEO is also the reason why you’ll typically find videos embedded in my articles when appropriate..
It’s because one of Google’s ranking factors is time on page.
If you’ve got to this point and you’re still reading this, how long do you think you’ve been on this page?
I’ll tell you… You’ve been here a while my friend.
Quite a while.
What about the ridiculously funny videos above?
Did you watch them?
If you watched them both, you added 4 min. & 3 sec. to my average time on page for this particular page.
90% of my organic traffic visitors (who stick around more than 5 seconds) stay longer than an hour!
In the SEO world, this is called the long click (they stay a long time after clicking to your site).
This pushes me up in the Google rankings even more and allows me to get massive free traffic.
I just started blogging consistently about 12 months ago.
Here’s my traffic growth chart in SemRush.
SemRush Data
SemRush only counts certain key words that have high search volumes, so it only tracks certain traffic.
For a more accurate picture of how well content marketing works, take a look at my statcounter data for the same time period.
Statcounter Data:
1000% increase in organic traffic in 1 year!
Take a look at the chart over a 12 month period.
If you’re not good at math, that’s a 919.61% increase.
Think how much traffic that will be 3-5 years from now if I keep pluggin’ away at my content marketing strategy.
Now put on your prospecting lens and consider that all my visitors are encouraged to reach out and work with me.
Can you see how content marketing can be the most powerful piece of your prospecting strategy?
Remember when I said you need to sort… not try to turn dirt into gold?
This site is doing my sorting for me.
24 hours a day.
7 days a week.
Each piece of content becomes it’s own automated sifting pan.
If you’re in network marketing and don’t have your own blog, you’re leaving money on the table and growing slower than you could be.
My most visited post (keep in mind this is a single post I’m talking about), has generated 23,476 organic unique visitors in the last 5 months alone.
How long would it take you to prospect 23,476 people?
Would it take longer than 5 months?
That feeling you just had in your head… that’s called a “light bulb” moment or an “aha” moment.
It’s the moment something starts making sense and all the pieces fall together.
These are the types of systems that make success inevitable and predictable instead of just wishful thinking.
HOPE is not a strategy!
If you’re in business…
BE in business.
Quite thinking like a person with an expensive hobby.
If this is a strategy that makes sense to you, I encourage you to reach out to us.
I”m getting fairly good at SEO and we’re always looking for people to coach who can see the big picture.
I want to equip people to change their lives through the network marketing industry in a way that doesn’t rely on luck, but on strategy.
Creating organic traffic isn’t easy or fast, but it’s absolutely the best way to generate qualified leads and set yourself up for network marketing success long term.
I’ve already started generating quality leads and I didn’t expect that to happen for at least another year or two.
Cold Market Recruiting
At some point, you’ll probably want to speed up your efforts.
The best way to do this is to start learning how to do cold market prospecting.
This is something that newbies tend to have trouble with.
I know I did when I was just starting out.
Keep in mind our sorting example.
The purpose of prospecting (whether it’s cold market or warm market) is to generate interest and curiosity, while at the same time sort through disinterested or unqualified people.
You’re looking for specific people.
You’re initial goal is to find people who will carve out some time to take a serious look at what you’re doing.
Often times your prospects will expect you to tell them what it is and explain it right on the spot.
You must resist this urge and even set up the conversation so you have an easy out.
A good way of doing this is by staying postured and setting up a break in communication or BIC.
Again, I learned this from my podcast mentor Ray Higdon.
For example, after chatting with somebody for a bit, you may say “Listen, I gotta run (BIC) but I’m putting something together and I think we can help some people and make some money. Are you open?”
** Say something you’re comfortable with, just be sure to preface it with the fact that you need to go.
They will almost always ask “What is it?”
Which is why you already established a break in communication.
So you say, “Like I said, I’ve got to get going but if you give me your information I promise I’ll follow up.”
The exact words are less important than how you say it.
Good MLM Recruiting and Prospecting Requires that You Be Confident
If you’re too needy, the right words won’t work.
People will smell your desperation.
Network marketing is a highly profitable business model, if somebody isn’t serious enough to sacrifice some time to explore it, they aren’t really interested.
If you try to explain it on the fly, more often than not the environment and circumstances will dictate that they’ll have just enough information to blow you off.
I was talking to somebody the other day and he said “just send me the website”.
To this I responded, “Well, I don’t do that.”
“If you want to take a look let me know and we can schedule a time to sit down.”
“That way I can answer any questions you have thoroughly and see if it’s even a fit for you. It may not be.”
That same day I had another person call me who was ready to get started.
I went through the same process with him a month or so ago, at which point he did sit down with me and take a look.
He sat down because I wouldn’t let him control the conversation and make me hail Mary the information to him.
He was still dragging his feet a little after going over everything, so I said:
“Look, I don’t care what you do. Yes or no, it doesn’t matter to me. It matters to me because I want the best for you, but it doesn’t matter to me what you decide.”
Then I told him, “I don’t chase people or try to convince them, it’s not my style. If I talk you into it, it will just be a waste of my time and yours. You have my number. Do your research and call me when you’re ready to go.”
If he hadn’t tracked me down, I would have eventually followed up of course.
But he did track me down and on this particular day when he saw me in passing, he said, “I need to talk to you about something”.
Of course, it ended up being that he was ready to get started.
Be confident enough to walk away.
It keeps you positioned as a professional.
If you seem needy, people will run.
If you are weird, people will run.
If you’re not confident, people will run.
Plus, there’s power in communicating the fact that you will succeed with or without them.
If they’re convinced that you will do it even without them, then they’re not really deciding if they want to “sign up”.
If you’ve positioned yourself correctly, they’re deciding if they want to get left behind and watch as you succeed.
That’s a different decision than “signing up”.
Closing a Prospect
This is one of the hardest things for new networkers or people new to sales to get used to.
It’s not that difficult though if you focus on their pain point or their hopes and dreams.
This means you will need to listen and ask questions.
Why are they looking at this as an option to begin with?
The secret is to engage them and get them thinking, then lead them toward something they know but don’t often express or think about.
You can do this with a specific series of powerful questions.
After going through all your information, ask them…
“What did you like best about what you heard (or saw)?”
Then agree, nod, and focus on what they want to focus on.
Talk about why you really like that thing as well.
Then say something like:
“Sounds to me like you’re ready to get started.” (This is a statement– not a question. Deliver it as a statement and your closing ratio will go up.)
Then shut-up.
Seriously, stop talking and let the silence do the work.
If they have other objections move on to the second series of questions (below).
Closing Question #1: “Mr. Prsopect, if I could wave a magic wand over your life right now and tomorrow you would wake up to your perfect dream life, what would it look like? Describe it for me”
Let them describe it and ask questions as they do.
What does the day look like?
What do they do?
Where do they live?
What kind of house do they live in?
What kind of car do they drive, etc.
Closing Question #2: If you continue down the path you are currently on, when will you get there?
This is a powerful question because the answer is almost always “never”.
At this point they may know what you’re getting at, but they still are forced to face the reality of their current situation because once they figure out where you’re going… it’s too late… they still see your point.
Closing Question #3: And if you were to take a shot at this….
If you take a shot with me at building that life you described, doing what I’m doing right now and it doesn’t work out, is it reasonable to say that you could come back to your current situation at any time and not be any worse off?
Again, the answer is usually “yes” since network marketing is such low risk.
Closing Question #4: If anybody else came to you and said they can stay where they’re at in life, nothing will ever change and they can give up on ever having the life they want OR they can take a small risk on something and there’s a possibility it will change everything… how would you advise them?
This is the deal sealer.
If they’re honest and not completely closed off, they will have to admit that what you’re proposing isn’t really a bad idea, especially since the risk is basically non-existent.
Where to Prospect (Best Places)
Prospect when you’re out or prospect on social media.
At the end of the day, it’s just about people.
I don’t go out solely to prospect.
Some people do.
I feel blogging or prospecting online through social media is a better use of my time.
If you do decide you’re going to go to the mall or somewhere to prospect, it’s more important to talk to the right people then it is to worry about where you’re going.
That being said, a high end luxury mall or department store is definitely better than Wal-Mart simply because the type of people shopping there will typically be at a higher socioeconomic level.
Who to Prospect
First let me say, when you’re talking with somebody you never want to prejudge them as far as their interest in what you have to offer goes.
You don’t know who they know or where they are in life.
They may not seem like a good prospect, but you never know until you engage in conversation.
I would steer clear of anybody negative or who has a bad attitude.
When you build a large organization you’re going to be on free trips and events with these people and your team.
Why bring a cancer into the group.
That’s like the person in love who marries somebody with problems because they are convinced they can “change” them.
Forget that!
I’m in this business for what it offers.
It offers financial freedom, yes.
But it also offers an opportunity to build a team of people you really enjoy being around.
So if you don’t like someone or get a bad vibe, move on.
That being said, here are two things you do want to try to do when recruiting and prospecting.
Recruit up
I know you’ve heard this and it can be intimidating, but recruiting up should be your goal.
If you’re not sure what that means, it means you should focus on recruiting people at the same or higher socioeconomic position as yourself.
I know you can think of 100 people who need this business.
However, if they’re currently in an economic position where they’re worried about the cost, you need to ask yourself what the heck you’re doing?
“The world responds to deserve, not to need. It doesn’t say,’If you need, you will reap.’ It says, ‘If you sow you will reap’.” (Jim Rohn)
Most of your mlm prospecting and recruiting efforts should be spent going after people who have already shown success in other areas of their life.
Recruit Influencers
I’ve covered this a little, but it can greatly increase the growth of your business if you do it right.
As I mentioned earlier, you aren’t looking for people who need what you’ve got.
You’re looking for people who deserves or wants what you’ve got.
Who do you know that has influence?
Who do you know that is a leader in your community or in their industry?
This is similar to recruiting up, but you can be at a high economic level and still not be an influencer.
Or you can be at an average economic level and be a person of great influence in your community.
“Network marketing rewards or punishes you for who you are before you got into the business” (Eric Worre).
If you’re well connected, trustworthy, and have influence with people, you will go faster (usually much faster) than a person who is not those things.
That’s part of the reason why this industry is so awesome and part of the reason why it’s so misunderstood.
An influencer gets into business and six months later they are making a six figure income on the side.
The problem is, they start getting recognition and it’s easy to focus on the fact that they did it in 6 months.
But if you dig deeper, they didn’t do it in six months.
They usually spent the last 10, 20, or 30 years serving others and building a reputation of helping other people.
They learned skills, cultivated contacts, and practiced taking massive action in another industry.
So they really didn’t succeed in six months.
They did it over the course of their career and the last 20+ years of their life.
Why does it work this way and how can they go so fast?
Well, somebody with influence typically will be able to find people to join them much faster and with less effort.
What’s more, the people they surround themselves with probably have influence as well, so you can get a powerful group by recruiting one person with influence.
In addition, people with influence have already developed skills in their career that will help them.
As I mentioned, they’re probably ambitious, self-disciplined, courageous, and good leaders.
All these things increase the speed at which they can build their organization.
Don’t be surprised or disheartened whey they speed right past you in terms of rank and income.
So it makes great sense to talk to these people.
One person of great influence could mean 100, 200, 500, or even 1,000’s of new people in your organization.
On top of that, the best thing about talking to people of character is they know how to graciously and kindly say “no thanks”.
They don’t usually try to beat you up about it.
In fact, most times they will help in any way they can.
They might even try some products just to support you.
Prospecting and Recruiting Training
As an educator and administrator in a public school, I’ve seen a lot of learning (and lack of learning) take place in a classroom.
I’ve spent many hours in classrooms working with teachers and students.
I’ve been a student of learning and learning styles.
People learn differently.
Some learn best by reading, some by listening, and some by watching.
All learn best by doing.
If you really want to master something, these things will speed up your learning.
- Reading. You can learn a lot from being mentored by people who are further ahead than you, just by reading.
- Listening. You can learn a lot at company events or on podcasts just by listening to what others have done.
- Notes. You’ll increase your learning and retention if you take notes.
- Modeling. If somebody models for you exactly what to do and you get to watch, it is hands down the best way to learn (other than doing).
But it’s an important step BEFORE doing because if you start practicing and you’re doing it wrong… you will develop bad habits that are hard to shake. - Doing. If you commit to practicing and doing something, you’ll learn the most. The more you do, the more you learn.
#4 has been a missing piece in network marketing for a long, long time.
There was always a gap between what you hear from your upline and what it actually looks like in real life.
Some of the top networkers have learned how to perfect the craft by shadowing people who have already succeeded and watching them in action.
Unfortunately, not everybody can do this.
But fortunately, technology has made it possible.
When when I heard that Cesar Rodriguez was putting out a product that was actual footage of him doing cold market recruiting on the street (as well as follow up phone calls), I immediately bought it.
Cesar is one of the most consistent prospectors I know of and has prospected (and documented) over 20,000 people.
After going through the training with my pad and paper (increased learning and retention), I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Just so you know, I am an affiliate of the program, so if you do order from my link, I get an affiliate fee that helps monetize this blog.
That’s not why I’m recommending it though.
I’m recommending it because there’s nothing like it out there that can help you more when it comes to getting better at prospecting, recruiting, and following up.
Some of the videos are not the highest quality, but that’s because they’re real.
In fact, the biggest thing I picked up from watching him is that it’s not rocket science.
There are things he does and says that I would do differently, but the value is in getting to watch prospecting as it happens (in real time).
He’s actually got a camera man following him around getting footage of him in action.
I hope I’ve provided some great value in this article.
However, I’ve only scratched the surface and you can only learn so much from reading.
If you want to multiply the number of people you recruit each and every month, consider investing right now in Cesar’s The Reality Networker Prospecting Master Program.
The program will cost you less than the cost of food, hotel, and entrance to one of your company events.
Plus, it’s learning on a whole new level.
Well, that about does it for this ultimate guide on prospecting and recruiting.
Let’s review all that we’ve covered.
Ultimate Guide to Prospecting and Recruiting
in Network Marketing (Review)
- What Prospecting is and What it is Not
- Importance of Prospecting and Marketing
- Prospecting Basics
- Types of Prospecting
- Warm and Cold Market
- Referrals
- Social Media Prospecting
- Retargeting and Remarketing
- Reverse Trade Show Method
- Cold Calling
- Online Lead Generation
- Attraction and Content Marketing
- Cold Market Recruiting
- Where and Who to Prospect
- Prospecting and Recruiting Training Program
If you’re looking for a great company, an awesome team, and a hands on mentor to join, I invite you to connect with me and see if we’re a fit for you.
Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
If nothing changes… nothing changes.
In the words of Zig Ziglar, we’ll see you at the top”.
Lastly, I don’t know where you’re at spiritually in your life right now.
But we’d like to give you the opportunity to get right with God.
Jason & Daniele
