Tom Big Al Schreiter

Twice-a-week newsletter. Word phrases, tips, and techniques for your Network Marketing business.
And, get one of my books FREE at:

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

Want a free copy? Here is the download link.
And please share this link with your networking friends.
https://t.co/vmDF4Yx7rS

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

Holding our prospects’ attention.

The less we talk, the better. Prospects like short explanations, not long presentations.

One way to hold our prospects attention is with short lists.

We could say our list has three things. Of course our prospects will want to know what these three things are. Here is an example.

Mr. Prospect, our part-time business will put money in your pocket these three ways:

#1. Every time one of your customers order, the commission is added to your account.
#2. Some of your friends will want to earn money also. So when they have customers, more money will be added to your account.
And #3. Once a year the company gives us a one-time bonus because we have an automatic standing order for our products.

Our prospects will listen all the way to the end because they want to know #2 and #3.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

How to convince non-believers

Skeptical prospects? Don't believe in network marketing? Use this example.

In the United States, we have a very common television commercial for Geico Insurance. Everyone knows the commercial, and it's cute lizard. If you live in another country, I am sure there is a similar popular commercial in your country that everyone knows.

I saw this demonstration at an opportunity meeting. The speaker asked the audience, "How many of you have heard of Geico Insurance?" Everyone in the audience raised their hand.

Then, the speaker asked the audience, "And how many of you have Geico Insurance?" Only three hands went up.

And that is why we need network marketing. Our person-to-person recommendation is more powerful than all the advertising in the world.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

I've learned that most distributors will simply "try harder" ... instead of "learning something new."

They will use the same icebreaker that doesn't work ... over and over again. I guess they are hoping for a different result.

Or, they find that trying to get appointments and give presentations is very difficult for them. So what do they do?

They keep the same failed plan and repeat it.

Wouldn't it be better if they learned new skills that worked?

There are great training books and audios, but they have to read or listen from them.

That is the better plan.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

When Keith and I teach the MasterClasses, we talk about how most people lack Step #1 skills.

Step #2 and Step #3 skills feel automatic after we master Step #1: Commercial Talking skills.

But everyone is different. We all have our personal “bottlenecks” holding us back or slowing us down.

Professional networkers quickly identify the “bottleneck” and then learn the skills to fix it.

So before we go surfing around to the next page on the Internet, ask ourselves:

“What is the one thing holding back my progress?”

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

“Positive Thinking” case study:

1. My opportunity meeting was a complete success.

2. Unfortunately, the audience was a failure.

Delusional is a plan, but it's a bad plan. Maybe we could invest an hour in our careers to learn better presentation skills?

Makes sense.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

Some fun first sentences:

* “You know, most airline pilots have part-time businesses. Wonder why?”

* “I woke up this morning thinking that I have 27 more years here before I can retire.

* “How much money do we have to make so we can pay zero taxes like the rich? I bet we have to have our own business.”

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

How to turn off the salesman alarm.

Easy. As soon as we suspect our prospects are feeling that they are being sold to, instead of being helped, ask this question:

“I am sure you have a lot of questions, so what would you like to know first?”

This simply puts the presentation back under the control of our prospects. Now they don’t feel talked to.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

Icebreakers are easy.
A great way to start a conversation about our business.
Example?
"I love coffee and chatting over coffee so much, I decided to get paid to do it. Would you enjoy that also?"

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

Why our friend is a jerk.

Here is the conversation:

Friend: “The rain ruined my living room again.”
Us: “What happened?”
Friend: “My home’s roof leaks, so every time it rains, water ruins my living room.”
Us: “Every time?”
Friend: “Yes, every time it rains, my roof leaks and ruins my living room.”
Us: “Isn’t this the same story you told me the last time it rained?”
Friend: “Yes.”
Us: “And the same story you told me the previous five times it rained?”
Friend: “Yes.”
Us: “Then, why don’t you fix the roof instead of complaining about it?”
Friend: “Not now. Maybe sometime in the future. Did I tell you how much it is going to cost to replace the furniture again this time?”
Us: “Do you hear yourself talk? Why don’t you fix it now?”
Friend: “No, not now. I can live with this for a while. I will just keep replacing my living room furniture.”

What is our reaction to this conversation?

Our thoughts?

Here is the next day’s conversation.

Us: “I worked hard this month, but my downline didn’t.”
Friend: “What happened?”
Us: “I set the example, called my team members, and nobody worked. They have a negative mindset.”
Friend: “Didn’t you complain about this last month?”
Us: “Yes, I complained about this last month.”
Friend: “And didn’t you complain about this every month this year?”
Us: “Yes, I tell you this same story at the end of every month.”
Friend: “Then why don’t you learn how to change your team’s mindset?”
Us: “Stupid team has a bad mindset. Uh, I hope my team will change their mindset this month.”
Friend: “Didn’t you hope your team would change their mindset last month?”
Us: “Yes.”
Friend: “Hoping obviously isn’t working. Why don’t you learn how to change their mindset?”
Us: “Well, this month I am going to hope my team changes their mindset again.”
Friend: “Sigh.”

What is our reaction to this conversation?

Our thoughts?

Learn how to affect our team’s mindset now.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

"The only thing we can control is us getting better."

Yet ... we waste a lot of time trying to get the world to conform to our wishes.

Probably a good reason for us to increase our personal development time.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

The secret list that works!
This invitation came too late.

Our distributor says, “I have this hot prospect, John. On Fridays, he flies back home from the job site. I don’t want to bother him on the two days he has with his family. On Monday, he commutes and works. I will call him on Tuesday.”

On Tuesday, our distributor reports back to us that John joined. Unfortunately, John joined with someone else who called him on Saturday.

Maybe we should have our distributors make a list of:

“Prospects, I don’t want other people to talk to first.”

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

We can fix most of our team's problems by helping them get a vision.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

"My network marketing program just isn't working out ..."

"My network marketing program just isn't working out. They don't have this, and this, and this and the company doesn't do this, this, and this. Can you recommend a good network marketing opportunity for me to join?"

I get a lot of phone calls like the above.

I normally recommend that the callers get a government job where everything is perfect. They shouldn't be wasting their time with an imperfect network marketing company.

There is no such thing as a perfect job or a perfect network marketing company. Too many distributors think that if they join the right, perfect, momentum stage, ground floor, stable, 30-year-old, visionary company, then that company will make them rich and successful.

Dream on.

* Companies don't make distributors rich.
* Sponsors don't make distributors rich.
* Only distributors can make themselves rich.

One reason distributors are unsuccessful is because they constantly look for flaws and reasons why their opportunities won't work.

One reason leaders are successful is because they constantly look for reasons why their opportunity will work.

So, if we complain that outside influences (like our company, sponsor, spouse, lawyer, dog, weather conditions, etc.) are holding us back from success, maybe our sponsor will listen. However, only we can change your circumstances.

But remember, after we blame everyone else, don't go out looking for yet another network marketing opportunity. It doesn't matter which network marketing opportunity we choose not to work. Success will only come where we decide to work.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

These phrases make our prospects smile:
1. “Here is the short story.”
2. “Let me give you a quick overview.”
3. “What would you like to know first?”
4. “Here are the three main points.”

Prospects have things to do and decisions to make. They appreciate that we get to the point quickly.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

“Willpower is for losers. Systems are for winners!”

I saw this quote by David Frey. A lot of truth to this quote.

The problem with willpower is that we have to make a conscious effort for every decision we make. Systems are like habits. We do habits consistently.

If we perform a prospecting activity consistently and with skill, our payoff will be more and better prospects. This gives us a chance for more presentations and enrollments.

What are some examples of prospecting habits?

* Passing out five samples a day.
* Making three new friends on Facebook every day.
* Attending a networking event every week.
* Taking 15 minutes out of our lunch break to talk to new people.

Habits are easier if they fit who we are. Some of us enjoy person-to-person contact, while others prefer online prospecting.

We want to make sure we create habits around our preferred method of prospecting.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

What is the worst fear of new distributors? Failure!

No one wants to fail. Then they have to go back to their friends and family and listen to them say, “I told you so. These things don’t work. You will never leave this job. What made you think you could change your life?”

New distributors have other fears too. Fear of approaching prospects. Fear of rejection and more.

Yet, with all these fears pending, prospects join our business in an attempt to change their lives. We respect their courage to risk embarrassment for a chance to improve their lives, and their families’ lives.

In the beginning, they have no skills for this new profession. They are not sure which direction to go. As their sponsors, we must help. We can give them the word-for-word phrases to start their business successfully.

So when our new distributor struggles, we should never question their courage. They stepped into our profession skill-less and with total faith that we would help them. Now it is our time to do our part of the agreement, act like a responsible sponsor.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

We connect better with others when we smile.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

A life reminder …

Remember, each day we spend at a job we hate ... shortens our life by one day.

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

What is an example of a great icebreaker opening for our business?

A. “My boss hated me. Still does. But now I don’t care. I get an extra backup paycheck every Thursday.”

[Tom Big Al Schreiter @BigAlMLM]

More prospecting hooks we can say:

“I am thinking about giving up and resigning myself to work here until I die. Your thoughts?”

“Hey, let’s work more overtime so our boss can get a big raise.”

“We all would rather be at home instead of working here. What do you think we would have to do to make that happen?”

“We asked for this job, and we got it. Don’t you think we should be asking for something else, or something more?”

“I spend one hour commuting to work, and another hour commuting home. That’s ten hours a week out of my life! What would happen if we had careers working out of our homes?”

“I am thinking about starting a part-time business, so that I will only have to work here three days a week. What do you think?”

“Imagine what life would be with a five-day weekend instead of our normal two-day weekend.”

“I want to retire early, and I have a plan. What is your plan for retiring early?”

“I had a dream last night where I worked out of my home. What do you think that dream means?”

“My family needs me and wants me at home. I have been thinking, who do I love more? My job or my family? What do you think I should do?”

“Do you think this job is the most important thing in our lives?”