What is it that we do?

Many of us have been asked what we do or what our jobs are. We need to think carefully about our answer so that we can create some curiosity and interest in order to open the door for an opportunity to recruit. I have some suggestions, but first I want to look at what it is that we really do.

You may have noticed that I like to keep things simple and in that tradition let's drill down to the real basics. Our one and only purpose is to solve problems, other people's problems in particular. If your prospects or customers do not see a solution to a problem or a need in what you have to offer, there will be no deal. It makes sense then, that we do not offer solutions (business/product presentations) until we know what their needs are. In order to discover their needs, we need to ask questions and then we need to listen. Their responses should raise more questions until you are sure that you really do understand their needs and whether you have a solution or not. This conversation also gives you the opportunity to decide whether you think you could work with them or not. Yes, sometimes it is not a good idea to recruit someone, so don't desperately sign up everyone you can persuade to sign a distributor application form.

The questions you ask are important, but the answers are much more important, which means that you should be listening far more than talking. Listening obviously helps you get information, but it also helps to form a bond of trust with your prospect. As strange as it may seem, listening is a far more powerful tool for connecting with others than a lot of talking. If you do all the talking during this phase of the process, your prospect will....(yawn)....become bored and you will give the impression that this is all about you rather than the prospect.

So, if our role is to solve problems, it makes sense that our presentation or pitch or whatever you want to call it, should address their specific needs. This means that we can't do the same presentation over and over without adapting it to make it relevant to your prospect. That would be like trying to sell ice to an Eskimo, when they have just told you that they desperately need a new hunting knife. Being able to tailor make your presentation is not as scary as many seem to think, it just means that you need to know your business and products. If you know what you are talking about, you will have a lot more knowledge in your head than you could possibly put into words in the time you have to do an effective presentation, but it does mean that you have all the information you need to provide a customised solution to your prospect's need. Some of you know that I am not a great believer in spending much time explaining the compensation plan during a business presentation. The reason for this is that I have never come across a prospect who was likely to see the comp plan as a solution to their problems. All they need to know is that they will be compensated for work done by those they help, the intricacies around how that is calculated is irrelevant at this stage.

What a way to make money! Your job is to help people. Rex Maughan often talks about how important it is to love your clients and your distributors so that you always have their interests at heart, which will guarantee you success.

So back to the implied question we started with. What do you say when asked what it is that you do? Now that WE know what we do, we can formulate our reply. First, some basic principles. Your answer must be truthful. If you start with a deception, what chance do you think you have of gaining their trust, that essential ingredient for success? There are definitely some words we should avoid because they immediately bring the shutters down because of the perceptions they create. Some of these words are “opportunity”, “network marketing”, “MLM”, and of course, “selling”. So we need to be honest and to avoid these words. It also needs to be comfortable for you. Hopefully some of the following suggestions will help you formulate your own answer. Some of these ideas will not stand on their own as they will come across as being evasive, as if you have something to hide, they need to be combined with other statements so that they make up an acceptable answer.

In one of our FLP training videos, the question is answered with something along the lines of “I establish sales networks for health and beauty products.” Notice how variations of two of the “don't use” words are actually effectively used. The reason why they work is because they are used in a way which actually distances the speaker from the actual selling and networking.

Here are a few more ideas for you to use, adapt, mix and match to formulate your own reply.

“I own a business that teaches people how to earn additional income outside of what they are currently doing.”

“ I help people create more time, freedom, and money in their life.”

"I teach people how to make more money on a part-time basis than they do full-time at their job. Do you know anyone who may be interested?" or “Has anyone ever taken the time to show you how to do that?"

“I put people on the fast track to retirement, I save them money and help them retire up to 15 years early.”

“I am a Success Coach and I help people to have better health and to develop a growing income from home.”

“I help home business based entrepreneurs make money.”

“I own a business and teach people how to earn additional income.”

“I work with a team of millionaires that help people to create financial and time freedom.”

Here are a few ideas that I personally find a bit flippant and can't see them working for me, but if you like them, by all means use them. They could work for a specific kind of prospect.

“I am in the business of getting paid while I sleep”

“I have fun, drink coffee, and make money. Would it be worth a few minutes of your time to have a coffee and see if it's something you can do?”

Hopefully some of these ideas will work for you and perhaps trigger some ideas of your own.

I absolutely love this business!