The biggest challenge in network marketing has been how do we get people to overcome their fear; to go out and talk to people about their opportunity. Inviting is the Gateway skill. If you don't go through that gate it's over. If you can't get somebody to take a look it's over. If you can't get somebody to understand your product or your opportunity it’s over. So many people struggle, there's so much fear involved in that aspect of our business.
People get involved and they're like, they're going to pick up the phone to talk to their brand new prospect and they go into one of three different states typically.
1) They just verbally throw up on that person. They just "blah blah blah blah blah come join my business; you'd be great at this; we can get involved early." All these wrong words to say. They act desperate. They act needy.
Or
2) They act scared. They act intimidated and that doesn't build confidence with the other person that's listening.
Or
3) They get ready to pick up that phone and they go . . . maybe later. They get ready to pick it up again and go . . . I don't want to look stupid. I'm not sure if I'm ready. I don't know if I know what to say. So they hang up.
Another thing that happens is they call that person they
think is going to join for sure and that person just BOOM hits them with 15 questions and they go oh I don't ever want to do that again. That made me feel super uncomfortable.
Right? So there's been all these barriers to getting people to take a look and understand once we get people to sit down with us, once we have an appointment, . . .the appointment is the hard part, once you're together with someone all you have to do is point to your third party materials, share your story, share your products, your opportunity. Point to whatever third-party tools that you have; playing a video. Do whatever you need to do demonstrate your product, whatever it is.
That parts pretty easy but the appointment is hard so in GoPro Eric Worre goes through this eight step process for teaching people how to always be in a hurry when you pick up the phone. How to compliment someone. How to go into the invitation, direct, indirect, and super indirect. How to follow up. Make sure that appointment is a real appointment and all and those things.
But there's something that's happened in the last few years that has changed the game. It's changed the game and what I'm about to share with you, you’re going to say that's ridiculously simple. Some of you are going to love it; some of you are going to say I'm not sure if it's even real. That's okay but here's what I'm going to tell you. If you'll try it. If you test it with me today . . . and I'm going to give you a way for you to test it today. Then the results for you are going to skyrocket. Not only for you but for every person in your organization.
Typically we tell you get on the phone and start making appointments but something's happened that I'm going to share with you in just a minute.
The times have changed in our world and how we communicate. Think about your world. Think about your cell phone. Think about how you use it now verses how you used it even two years ago or three years ago. Think about how rare it is to hear a phone ring now. You just hear them buzz. buzz buzz buzz. They're on silent everywhere. When was the last time you heard one ring. Remember when ringtones were the big thing? They were huge and now ringtones disappeared. Nobody cares about ringtones much anymore.
People call you . . . let's, let's say you call your kids. You know typically your kids aren't answering the phone; but right afterwards they'll send you a text that says, what do you need, right? So they won't answer the phone but they'll text you right away, "what do you need" and then you text them back. Our kids I think have trained us as adults that texting is a little bit simpler.
It's easier than a phone call when it comes to communication. When it comes to staying in touch. When it comes to staying connected with people. And doing it on our terms.
I don't know about you, but even for me my phone rings, most the time, I'll let it go to voicemail. And I'll text that person, "what did you need" even before I listen to the voicemail.
So here's what started to happen. People literally have a panic attack when you suggest calling prospects for appointments. I can't do this, I can't do this, I'm scared. I'm scared to death I don't know what to do. This is not what I signed up for. Which is typically what a brand new person goes through when it comes to say you can make some calls.
What if you just sent a text message to people instead of making the calls? Just relax, enjoy yourself, it's going to be fine. When you send a text message and book your first appointment you will be on top of the world. Your confidence will be boosted.
So pull out your phones and I want you to send a text message to a prospect. While we're here right now and ask them for an appointment. Just text "coffee" question mark, "Can we get together next week" question mark. "Whats your schedule look like next week" Whatever it is.
Send a text message out and once you booked an appointment I want you to say I did it!
Just start text message campaigns to set appointments and the results will be unbelievable.
A lot of people like to say in network marketing we don't have a boss. OK you don't have a boss in network marketing but let me describe to you what your boss really is.
Your boss in network marketing is your calendar. You either have appointments scheduled in this calendar or you don't. You either are scheduled to meet with people and share your opportunity or you don't. If this calender is empty your business is stagnant. It's not growing. So our goal to start for everyone, is to get this calendar filled up with appointments here and there and everywhere.
Sit down with somebody for coffee, show the opportunity. Sit down with lunch or breakfast, show the opportunity. Sit down after work, show the opportunity and from that you're going to get a certain result right. So this calendar is your boss and if this is your boss our job, our biggest job, the Gateway job is to fill this calendar up. Not just for you but for every person in your organization.
So here's the big breakthrough to schedule an appointment instead of the phone call send a text message. Send a simple text message. I'm going to give you a challenge, do this today. Then I want you to go onto my blog page and I want you to post your results under this article. You’re going to see amazing things start to happen.
