Qualifying Prospects in Network Marketing
Qualifying prospects in network marketing is like locating the fishing hole where all the good fish are found. Think of a wide, shallow river that is ankle-deep and flowing fast downstream into a deep, clear pool.
Where would you cast your line? In the wide, shallow river flowing fast? Or would you cast your line in the deep pool that offers fish both food and safety? I would choose the second one.
Think of qualifying prospects in network marketing like qualifying a great fisherman. There are two rules for becoming a great fisherman.
- Fish where the fish are located.
- Tell great stories about the one that got away.
Let’s concentrate on where the fish are located and how it relates to qualifying prospects and qualifying leads.
The Struggles of Qualifying Prospects
Let’s look at the struggles of network marketers when qualifying prospects.
How to find prospects for network marketing is easy. Where to find them is much easier.
Let’s say you go out and buy qualified leads from a network marketing leads company. The network marketing lead company places ads that direct traffic to their generic lead generation websites. The prospect answers the ad looking not for an opportunity but a job.
What happens next after the network marketer buys these qualified leads? They call the prospect and find they are looking only for a job. Now the trust is broken even before the presentation begins.
The network marketer asks their friends and family come to take a look at their business opportunity. As soon as the friends and family members arrive, they aren’t too happy to see what they feel is an ambush.
They go to a network marketing event where they are allowed to show off their products and services at a booth. They are competing with hundreds of other booths where they may only get one of two who are interested, while spending hundreds of dollars for the exhibit space.
These techniques are about as effective as throwing an alarm clock into a cemetery. There’s a lot of noise but the dead do not respond.
Where to Go for Qualifying Prospects in Network Marketing
So where do you go for qualifying prospects in network marketing? You go where the fish are gathered, where they are so thick you can practically walk across the pond. Why waste time fishing in places where the fish are scarce?
The secret to pre-qualified leads is creative recruiting campaigns where all the prospects are great. Lead qualification is not in buying leads. It’s not inviting all your friends and family to an event. It’s not even in expensive event booths.
A lead qualifier is simple. Go where the fish are. Expensive and elaborate recruiting techniques and campaigns are not the answer.
Before we can go where the fish are located, we have to qualify what a pre-sold prospect is. It’s qualifying a qualifying prospect.
- The prospect should have a job. Unemployed prospects need money today. They can’t wait to build a business. When a prospect does not have a job, they don’t have the money to join a business, to buy products, and get all the tools to make their business work.
- The prospect should have a WHY in his or her life. What in their lives wants them to seek more than what they have, to move forward with their lives? They should want raises, promotions, a new house, a new car, a chance to be better in their working careers.
- The prospect should have a love to sell things. They don’t have to know HOW TO SELL, but they should get excited about selling.
- Most importantly, the prospect should be local. This is not to discount internet marketing. Qualifying prospects in your local market is easier. You can train your prospects at their or your home, over a cup of coffee or at a restaurant. You can answer their questions, build relationships and bond with your team mates.
Where do you find these kind of fish in your local fishing hole? You find them where people are employed, want to succeed, have the why and financial means to be successful.
Think of where in your town can you find these kind of people. One such avenue is the local chamber of commerce. Go to your local chamber of commerce and find a list of all the real estate professionals (see my article on MLM Recruiting through Real Estate Agents), doctors, lawyers, insurance agencies, the booster club, teacher gatherings, business owners, accountants, professional sales people. It is in this pool of water where you will find qualifying prospects and leads for your network marketing opportunity and products (See my article Recruit Professionals to Be MLM Biz Builders).
Does this pool of people meet the qualifications of a good prospect? Everyone has a job. They all want to move forward. Everyone is local. Everyone loves to sell. Everyone is a qualifying prospect for network marketing. Everyone has the potential to make you rich.
