My Secrets of Networking Revealed Part two

Copyright (c) 2007 Robin Rushlo

Up to this point, you've begun to know and understand something about what's important to your prospects. By asking questions, you have determined what's working for them and what is not. Now it's time to embellish this area of discontent in their lives. Assist your prospects to get in touch with the pain of what's not working and make the costs of their problems real for them. You are now ready to present the possibility of a solution to their needs. Again, you must be engaged in a two-way conversation with your prospect. If you are doing all of the talking, they're probably not listening. So go back and ask more questions.As you direct the course of the conversation with questions, you're also fulfilling your prospects' need to dominate the conversation by answering those questions. So ask the question, then let your prospect answer without interruption. Your listening will dictate where the conversation should go as your questions anticipate and preempt many potential objections.

With rapport established and an understanding for your prospects' needs in place, you are now ready to share a little bit about your opportunity as it relates to those benefits you perceive to be of importance to them. Here, don't just show and tell about your products; speak of the benefits that can be realized as a result of the products, the company and the opportunity. Speak to your prospect's emotions and share those benefits which address the pain in their lives. Continue to keep the emphasis on the prospect--not the products.

Keep your conversation clear, focused, succinct and powerful. The longer you ramble, the greater the risk of turning off your prospect. And never pressure your prospects into a decision; instead, support them in arriving at their own decision-and NEVER argue! "A man convinced against his will remains of the same opinion still."As you recount the benefits of becoming involved in your opportunity, remember that until your prospect is convinced of what you are saying, your benefits live only as claims. So, to ground these claims in facts, tell stories.Get to know the stories of all your company's most successful leaders. "Facts smell-stories sell." So "prove" your benefit claims with appropriate evidence, testimonials and stories.During this process, it's vitally important to maintain your "posture". Remember you are the expert. Enthusiasm is essential to attract dynamic leaders, but it is also equally important not to convey a sense of desperation. Remember, you would love to have your prospect join you in partnership-AND you don't need them to do so. Maintaining such a posture creates tremendous freedom for your prospect to choose to join you-or not. It also infers a sense of abundance rather than scarcity. Remember, there are plenty of other people who would love to be your partner if the timing is not right for this particular prospect.

Throughout the entire rapport-building process, questioning and sharing of benefits, most of your prospect's objections will have been dissolved. At each juncture in the conversation, check out how your prospect "feels" (never "thinks") about a particular point or benefit. These checks allow you to gauge the course of the conversation while providing an opportunity for objections to surface and be given clear voice. Keep firmly in mind the fact that a sincere objection is the sign of sincere interest. As such, objections should be welcomed as great opportunities to educate and enlighten. While objections may, on the surface, appear logical, most often they are really emotional in nature. They merely indicate a concern of your prospect which, once satisfied, will only strengthen their desire to join you.

Again, objections need to be embellished, as in, "I know what you mean, I had a similar concern until..." and so forth. In the end, prospects will be more concerned with benefits than answered objections. So don't get bogged down with them, but do look for opportunities to get your prospect "complete" with them so that you both can continue to focus on the benefits of your opportunity as they relate to your prospect's life. If conducted properly, at the end of your prospecting conversation, the value of your opportunity and the possibilities of a fit for the prospect will have been established. The "close" then is nothing more than the natural conclusion to the conversation. All of the objections will have been handled and the prospect will be left with a few simple choices of how he or she might proceed to get started and what the next action will be.

In summary, each prospecting conversation should be entered into with an intended result, viewed as the beginning of a potential life-long relationship. Possibilities for the prospect's needs, wants, and dreams will have begun to be explored. Equally important, the prospect will have begun to explore the distinctions of partnershipping, commitment and vision-all keys to true, fulfilling Network Marketing success.And in the end, the prospect will be left with the sense that Network Marketing goes way beyond any particular product or company or opportunity--that at its essence, it is simply about honoring people and creating new possibilities for their lives.