Are You a Seller or Inviter - What is the Difference?

My father once said to me “Joan, you could sell refrigerators to an Eskimo." Was it a compliment or not? That depends. If you had to be obnoxiously persistent and it was necessary for the purchaser to say yes just to get rid of you then it was no compliment. Just selling for the sake of making a sale is no feather in your cap. Repeat business will not likely be coming your way any time soon. People do not like the pushy sales-man type.

So the big question is, should Network Marketers be Sellers or Inviters? How responsive do you think people will be if you try to push something onto them that they do not want, whether it be a product or a business opportunity? Do you think it is possibly one of the reasons why Networking gets a bad rap and why reps get discouraged and quit because no one wants to get involved in what they are promoting? If so, what can a person do to create a need for what is being offered without sounding like a salesman? Everyone has different wants and needs. You cannot approach every person in the same way. It is imperative that you get inside the head of the person you are approaching to find out their concerns and interests. Here is an example of what I am driving at. I am a woman who is very conscious of putting my best foot forward when I am out doing my business. I have a favorite place where I like to shop for my clothes. When I first went into the store I was approached by a sales person with a warm smile and he introduced himself and asked me my name. He asked me if I was looking for anything specific and I told him I wanted a business outfit. Instead of taking me to a rack of clothing he stopped and asked me what type of business I was in. Before I knew it he had me engaged in a conversation telling him all about myself and what I did for a living. After some time had passed he went to a rack, took off a business suit and said to me “I think this would look very professional on you, why don’t you try it on and see if you do not agree with me.” BINGO! He had my attention. I tried it on, it was perfect in every way. He had accomplished three things, he had made a friend, he had gained my confidence and had made a longstanding customer who delights to drop by from time to time just to say hello. He is planning to retire soon from the clothing business and is taking a serious look at joining me in my business.

When most Networkers are asked what they do they blow it. They fumble with words and inevitably say they are a distributor, network marketer or salesperson for a company. That is an immediate turnoff for most folks. As an inviter it is your job to show interest in others and try to help them with their concerns whether it be health or an income opportunity. You are the ‘Inviter’ so lets see how we could invite someone to look at our opportunity by befriending them first.

A lady is standing in line at the bank with her little daughter. An opportunity presents itself as the little girl is asked her name by the teller and politely responds. How would you use this as an opportunity to make a contact? You could comment by saying this to the woman, “Hi my name is Joan and I could not help but notice how politely your little girl answered the teller when she was asked her name. That is very rare to see today in young children. You must be very proud of Jodi (mention the little girl‘s name..).” How do you think the mother is going to respond? You have just opened a door to get to know a little more about her by asking her some questions such as “ You must spend a lot of time with Jodi. Do you work out of the home or are you a stay at home mom? She will reply and either way you open the opportunity for more conversation. During the course of the conversation she asks what you do and instead of saying you are a network marketer or a distributor for a cosmetic company etc. you could simply say this, “You know how many people would love to stay home with their kids and contribute to the family income. I help them to do that.” You now have piqued their interest and it would be best at this point to give them your business card and ask if you can have their information so you can call and set up a time that is convenient to the both of you to talk further and answer any questions she may have. Do not go into you pitch right away. Remember you are inviting them to take a look at their convenience.

If you are talking to a baby boomer and are asked what you do you could respond this way. “You know over the last couple of years people have lost a lot of money through investments in retirement plans, 40l k’s and the stock market. I help people to recoup that money.”
Talking to an employee you could say, “You know how many people worry about losing their jobs, well I help people formulate a Plan B”.

When you get their name and phone number and promise to follow up make sure you do so. If you are tardy and procrastinate they will pick up on that and will not feel you are a person of integrity because you do not keep your word. If you are really interested in helping them and have a solution to their problem you have to make them aware of your concern for them.

So again I ask you this question, are you a Seller or an Inviter? It does make a difference and you will see your business take on a whole new dimension if you invite people to take a look rather than try to sell to them.

I am known on the Internet as "Java" Joan. Recently I embarked on a mission to share the failures and successes of my journey in the Network Marketing Industry. It has been a long, hard struggle and I want to help others to minimize their failures and maximize their successes much faster than it took me to achieve my goals. Personal development is the key to success and it begins with educating yourself to become the best at what you do.
http://www.joansincomeforlife.com
http://www.javajoan.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Maxymuik

The Do's and Dont's of Networking

I just heard a horror story. A lady joined a networking company and proceeded to sign up all her relatives and friends, paying for their enrollments and packs to become business builders in her company. Another person joined multiple online programs spending thousands of dollars trying to implement a online source for enrolling people in their business. Others have spent thousands of dollars on website design hoping to attract thousands of people into their MLM business.

What is wrong with these scenarios? Too many people get involved in Network Marketing or MLM's not knowing what they are getting into or how to do the business. There is a right way and a wrong way to network. People need information and you are the tour guide. You do not have to twist someone's arm to get involved in your business or buy them in or spend a fortune driving people to your website. Network marketing is a people business and you have to build a relationship with individuals first and grow your business from a know, like and trust standpoint. I have had multiple people in MLM companies call me and try to get me involved telling me how simple it is and how I can make wheelbarrow loads of money by virtually doing very little. Just bring in two people, sit back and wait to see your organization 'EXPLODE'. Nothing could be further from the truth. Have you ever heard people refer to Network Marketing or MLM's as a pyramid or Get Rich schemes? I hear that all the time. Why do we get a bum rap from these type of people? There are a couple of very good reasons.

1. They have been misinformed by other people.
2. They have not done their due diligence.
3. GREED.

Lets examine each of these scenarios and see what we can learn.

1. They have been misinformed by other people.

Throughout the years I have been around MLM marketing. I have heard the pros and cons of Networking and have come to the conclusion that in every industry there are horror stories to tell, there are good and bad companies out there. Would you just let anyone paint your house or fix your car? Most of us rely on the good reputation of a company before we embark on their services. We would also ask for references or find out from others if they are reputable or check with the Better Business Bureau about their reputation. We do not categorize every painter and every car repair service as bad because some are. So why do we do that with MLM companies? There are very legitimate companies in the Network Marketing field that provide excellent products and services at very reasonable prices, products and services that cannot be just purchased anywhere. When someone has a bad experience they love to tell others and it spreads like wildfire and most often the facts are twisted and the story is so blown out of proportion that it becomes a juicy piece of gossip for all who will listen and not taking the time to examine the facts.

2. THEY HAVE NOT DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.

You are very ill. You need advice on how to best treat your illness. Your best friend has a son who has just started medical college. You feel because he is in medical college you can get some FREE advice. After all he must know what he is talking about because he is starting medical college. Wrong! He needs to do his due diligence before he is qualified to give advice on anything. That will take years of training and education before he becomes a reputable doctor with the qualifications to treat you.

Network Marketing or MLM is no different. It is very important to get properly trained to effectively network and share your opportunity with others. Education is an ongoing learning process and because the world is constantly changing, we need to continue to update our knowledge. When you are looking for a network company to join make sure you have proper sponsorship. Talk with the person who wants to enroll you, ask them questions, find out how active they are in the business, how capable they are of training you and what their level of commitment is to helping you. I would even suggest that you ask for a three-way into their upline so they can edify your potential sponsor and give you the confidence you need to become a part of his or her team. A qualified sponsor will plug you into the company's system and teach you to duplicate what they do. They will also recommend you reading books and listening to CD's and plugging into conference calls and attending Company events. I read or listen to CD's and videos every day and continually work to fine tune my networking skills. It is a very competitive world out there and everyone needs to keep up with the newest and most effective way of building their business.

About the Company: You need to investigate the integrity of the Company you want to join. Check with the Better Business Bureau of your community. Listen to some webinars before you join. What product are they selling? How consumable a product is it? What is the cost to get started and are you getting value for your investment? How lucrative is the pay plan? Check out the compensation plan very thoroughly. After all you want to know how much money you can make and how long it will take to make the money you want to make. All of these things are so very important if you want to be successful at what you do. Do not jump into anything on the advice of a well meaning friend. Do your Due Diligence and you will be ready to embark on a Networking career that will reward you for the work you do and provide you with residual income that will continue to grow and pay you for a life time.

3. GREED!

Buyer Beware! If it sounds too good to be true it usually is too good to be true. I constantly get emails in my email box touting the newest and greatest opportunity that will net you thousands in such a short period of time and make you a millionaire at the blink of an eye. Do not get sucked into such an opportunity. You are asking for trouble. Opportunists are a dime a dozen and these are the types of businesses that scam people out of their hard earned money and give Networking a very bad name. Especially in this soft economy people are desperate for find ways to keep the wolf away from the door and are very vulnerable to smooth talking people who promise the moon and give nothing in return but heartache and an empty wallet. Remember you must check out the integrity of the company, the viability of the product, the reliability of the person introducing the opportunity to you and the pay plan of the company. You also must be prepared to dedicate yourself to building your business for a period of two to three years, committing to working hard and continually educating yourself as you grow your business.

Are you prepared to meet the challenge of becoming a successful network marketer? Then the world of Network Marketing is your playing field. There are many viable companies out there looking for you. Do your due diligence and you will find the right company for you.