Who are the best prospects for what you offer?  Even more importantly, WHAT is it that makes someone a “Prospect” rather than merely a contact or a suspect?

Back in the old days, MLM trainers used to preach that “anyone who could fog a mirror” was a prospect for your products or business.  But that sort of thinking leads most reps down the road to frustration and failure, as they soon discover that old advice is just not true.

Viewing everyone as if they are a prospect, before you’ve actually determined whether or not they actually are, causes you to approach everybody with a sales agenda. It turns many new reps into pests.

Treating everyone as if they are a prospect for what you offer is one of the main reasons some people in the general public have a bad perception of network marketing. Nobody likes to be “pitched”.

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A PROSPECT?

For the sake of having a clear definition, a “Prospect” is someone who NEEDS what you offer.  Notice I did not include the word “wants” what you offer.  That’s because many people don’t know that they might want what you’ve got until they know about it. They first need to gain an awareness or learn some information on it.

However, people may want the general benefits that can be gained by using your products, or by being in your business. So, while they may not know the specifics of what you offer, they may already have a built-in desire for what your products or business might be able to do for them.

THE BIG MISTAKE

The single biggest mistake any rep can make is to begin your presentation without first knowing enough about the person you’re speaking with.
In order to move someone from merely being a contact – to a suspect – to becoming a prospect, you must determine whether or not they NEED what you’ve got.

Just because you have a good deal on something doesn’t mean it will appeal to the person you’re speaking with. As I’ve often said, even if you’re selling steak at 10 cents a pound, you’re wasting your time trying to sell it to a vegan.

IS ASKING QUESTIONS THE ANSWER?

In order to determine who may have a need for what you offer you must ask the right questions.

Even more importantly, you must listen to what they say.

When engaging in conversation with someone, whether in person, on the phone, or online, you must carefully listen for clues as to what they need, or where they have some level of discontent.

I provide you with many qualifying questions you might not have thought of in my book “PRIVATE MESSAGE SCRIPTS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA”. It’s included in my Free Course “Endless Free Leads” offered through The Network Marketing Magazine, when you subscribe.

HOW TO ELIMINATE REJECTION

By asking good questions before ever making a presentation, you’ll save yourself from rejection.

If you discover during your conversation that the person you’re speaking with has little or no need for what you’ve got, then you simply won’t make a presentation.

There’s no reason for anyone to reject or refuse you, because you never gave them the opportunity.

However, once you’ve determined a genuine NEED, then you can open the door to offering your solution to that individual. When you’re able to solve someone’s problems, they will nearly always be receptive.

SUSPECT vs. PROSPECT

Once you’ve asked the appropriate qualifying questions, and have collected their responses, then you have enough information to determine if someone is actually a prospect for what you offer.

Sometimes, one conversation is not enough. When that happens and you think there may still be a chance they need what you’ve got, then that individual has moved from being just a contact to being a suspect. That’s because you suspect they may have a need, but you haven’t confirmed it yet.

That’s why it’s important to take good notes when speaking with people.

Think about it. After you’ve spoken with 5, 10, or 20 people, those conversations can all begin to blur together, unless you’ve taken good notes.

The next time you connect with that individual, review your notes and then ask more detailed questions. You want to see if you can uncover their needs.

THE VERY BEST PLACE TO FIND PROSPECTS

After multiple decades in the network marketing business, I can say with some authority that there has never been a better place to prospect for new customers and reps than LINKEDIN.

Here are a few reasons that’s true:

• Unlike Facebook and other social networks, the people on LinkedIn are there to do business.
• The sheer size of LinkedIn is astounding. They recently achieved over ONE BILLION users. Everyone and anyone you could ever want to do business with is on their platform.
• The search features on LinkedIn give you the ability to set very specific criteria for who you think is most likely to have a need and an interest in what you offer.

For example, if you offer health-related products, you can find all sorts of professionals who are in alternative health care fields. Whether you’re looking for acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, wholistic healers and so on, you can find as many as you’d like.

Even better, you can add a geographical search if your company is holding an event in a particular city, or expanding into a new country, you can find vast amounts of people who are there.

When you read their profiles, you can go into those new conversations by already knowing valuable information about who you’re speaking with.

You just need to know the correct way to search for them and have good opening lines to connect with them and then have good questions to ask.

IN CONCLUSION…

The current onslaught of AI gimmicks on LinkedIn is a cautionary tale for professionals seeking genuine connections in the digital age. As tempting as it may be to embrace the allure of effortless prospecting, it’s crucial to recognize that meaningful relationships require time, effort, and a human touch that no algorithm can replicate. The true power of networking lies in authenticity, not in the deceptive promises of AI-driven shortcuts.