Let me relate this network marketing tip by way of a childhood memory. When I was a young boy, maybe 8 or 9 years old, I was a huge fan of hockey cards. That was the big thing back then. Just as children of today collect Yugi-Oh cards, hockey cards were the rave in my day. I collected hundreds of them and routinely traded with classmates and friends.
I remember wanting a particular card, Phil Esposito. I don’t recall the year of the card, but it was very unique in that he was wearing slacks instead of hockey pants. The pants were so cool, you know, the 1970?s plaid style. Anyway, I wanted that card.
A friend of mine had it, but he refused to trade with me. I offered him everything under the sun, but for whatever reason, he wanted to keep it. I remember being very hurt and angry and crying like a baby. But, I did not give up. I kept on this boy week after week until finally I was able to make a deal with him. ow he didn’t give me that card simply to shut me up, rather there came a time that the value of that card to him diminished and he wanted something more important to him. So as I’m sure you can see how this story relates to the network marketing tip of never giving up and following up.
Now the never giving up aspect of network marketing is a whole topic in and of itself. I will leave that for another day. The network marketing success tip that I want to stress is the follow-up.
One definition of the “follow-up” is this: “One that follows so as to further an end or increase effectiveness.”
“Increase effectiveness”, isn’t that interesting. I strongly believe that following up with a prospect is more important than the original contact. Your success in the network marketing industry is contingent on how well you follow-up with people.
Why is that? How can the follow-up be more important than your first contact with a prospect? Let me explain. There are 3 very important reasons why following up with a prospect is a key for your network marketing business to succeed.
1. You Are Committed
When you contact your prospect again they can see that you have not given up on your business. Many network marketers do so and I’m sure the prospect is used to other people giving up on their dreams. They most likely had the pre conceived notion that you would do the same.
By you following up with them, you are telling them, that you are taking your business seriously and that you are not giving up on yourself.
2. You Believe in Them
By following up with your prospect, you are not only telling them that you are committed to yourself and your network marketing business, but you are also committed to them.
You are showing your prospect that you truly want to have that person be a part of your organization and that you want to work with them. That is a strong statement. How often does and employer target a prospective employee? You are making that person feel special.
3. You Keep Your Word
Too often in this world and specifically in the network marketing industry, people never say what they mean and do what they say. You make sure that you don’t fall into that crowd. A successful entrepreneur always keeps their word.
By you following up with that person, you are showing them that you are dedicated, organized and thorough. People do not want to work with someone who is the opposite of all these traits. Following up in this fashion, will make you look more attractive to a prospect.
Now, how often do we follow-up and how soon after your initial contact with the prospect?
The answer to the former is simple, as many times as it takes until the prospect either says an absolute “no”, or they join your business. You might think this approach is too pushy, but it’s not if it’s done the right way.
During your initial contact with the prospect, ask their permission to follow-up with them. In doing this, you have shifted the power to the prospect and they can say either yes or no. If they say, no, then honour that and never follow-up with them. If they say yes, then tell them that you will contact them in the future. Be specific as to when that will occur. When you do follow-up with them, remind them of what you had discussed in the past about reconnecting and emphasize that that is the reason for your call.
The answer to my second question is every six months. I believe that to follow-up any sooner, may be somewhat aggressive. Some of you may disagree with me, but that is a judgement call. I would definitely not follow-up with someone any earlier than 3 months.
The main point to remember with respect to following up with a prospect is that when they say no to your opportunity, it is not actually “no”, it’s “not at this time.” People’s circumstances in life change quite often, so although a person is not open to a network marketing opportunity today, that does not mean that they will not be open to something a few months down the road.
That is why I believe that following up every six months is a perfect timeline. The odds are greater that a prospect’s circumstances would have changed after 6 months rather than any sooner.
If you like what you have read, please feel free to share it with others. I am also available for a private consultation free of cost.
Wishing you great success.
Vince A. Giorno