Sorting Through the Good, the Bad, and the MLM Ugly

You know, if there's a surefire killer of a beginning networker, it's the old deal where the new networker wastes so much time finding the right folks to sponsor.

As you are well aware, the key to building yourself that lucrative residual income is not only to get yourself those required retail customers but also to get yourself that downline group of folks. And it all starts with your sponsoring efforts. It's your biz after all.

So lets quickly cover what most, and I mean the vast majority, of new networkers do when they're first sponsored...

It really can be summed up in a few words...

They spend too much time talking with the wrong folks and not enough time talking with the right ones. Or not talking to the right ones at all.

Simply put, most networkers find someone to approach about their new business. It doesn't matter how that person is approached.

Be it through the 3-foot rule, postcards, phone calls, the phone book, advertisements, approaching someone on the street. Whatever.

The key here is that beginning networkers find someone in their sights and they fall into the trap of not letting that person go regardless of whether they are probably a complete waste of their prospecting time and money.

Why does this happen? Good question.

Well, it happens because that is an integral part of human nature. We don't want to let up on a possibility until we absolutely know that that possibility just isn't going to give us what we want. In THIS case a good person to sponsor.

Regardless, even for some of us, even though we know this person isn't the right person to sponsor, we still won't let go. There's something about going through an experience as sometimes hard as networking, and doing it in numbers makes it easier.

Let's look at it from a real-life perspective...

We find ourselves talking with someone on the phone. We just met this person since they're from our cold-market. This person sounds like a good person to send a big package of info to, but we just aren't quite sure. We don't know if we should thank them for their time and hang up the phone, or if we should indeed send them that big package, at our expense, and see what comes of it.

If you've been networking for a while, even as a beginner, you've probably been here. And if you haven't, read closely.

So what do we do?

We decide to send out that big package that in the end cost us around eight green ones.

We're thinking... "I don't know, she just sounded so good and she seemed to say some of the right stuff and oh well, what the heck...it's only eight dollars."

And what happens a week later as we're still trying to get a hold of that person after our fourth phone call to them and our three previous voicemails haven't been answered?

The answer?...Nothing.

That person flaked on us.

And what do we do?

We scratch our head and tell ourselves that we don't know what happened.

"That person was not a good prospect, but they looked sooo good, I just don't get it."

We continue to wonder and then just chalk another one up to experience. We're eight bucks lighter, a little disturbed about all that happened, and then we just ever so slightly beat ourselves up for not knowing that that person would flake on us like that. We should 'know better' we tell ourselves..

Next time we 'won't let them do that to us'.

And what happens next time?...

The same thing all over again.

Now let's get into the meat of this insight.

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Why is this happening?

Well, there are several reasons. And yes, unfortunately, you're one of them.

Now don't zone out on me yet. NO reprimands or brow-beating here. This is a family-friendly insight. :-)

YOU'RE the reason only so far as you are a beginner in this whole game and you haven't yet discovered this weird fact of human nature.

What fact? How should I put it so as not to insult folks who fit under this category. Hmmmm...

Oh well, I'm brutally honest at times so here goes...

People are flakes.

Not you, just those other folks. :-)

People will lie to no end to put a stop to something that they don't feel comfortable being an active participant in.

Be it a relationship.

A J.O.B .

A date with someone.

A sales pitch.

You name it.

People don't do that to be mean. They just do it to end their pain with the situation. It's not about YOU. It's about them and their uncomfortable-ness inside themselves.

Remember that.

But the aspect that IS about you is that fortunately you can learn some new behaviors with and this will foster a new growth in your business. And at the same time keep those hard-earned bucks of yours where they belong. In YOUR pocket. Or purse.

I'll explain.

You see, basically there are three types of so-called prospects that you'll come across in your sponsoring efforts. And during your prospecting.

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There are those folks who are asleep. What are they asleep to? Simply put...life.

They're dead inside. They're walking zombies. The blood is coursing and the skin is warm but nobody's home. These are people who wouldn't know a good opportunity no matter how nice it sounded.

Why? They're not interested.

In fact, they don't even know that they're not interested. They don't have any thoughts in their lives about doing a home business. They don't have any thoughts whatsoever about doing MLM. There's just nothing there. They're asleep.

They're dreaming of riches yet oblivious to what can really get them there. These are the folks who scream at you to "get me off that damn list."

Or they say something along the lines of...

"I don't remember responding to that."

"I've heard of MLM. Isn't it one of those pyramid thingies? Doesn't everybody loose money but the one on the top?"

"Yeah sure, that sounds okay but I have to go because the news is on the television."

"Nah, I don't care if you're giving away money. I'm not interested."

"Sure, send me some info and I'll get back to you."

"Do I have to spend money? I don't want to spend too much."

"How much will it cost? I only have a few bucks to spare this week."

"Why do I need more money? I have enough. The rent is overdue, but I'll get it somehow. The kids can skip eating for a couple of days right?"

THESE are the folks who are asleep in life.

Stay away from them. The minute you smell them or sense their presence or hear their snoring...move on. Quickly.

They'll waste your money, your time and your life. Apologize to them for waking them up and continue with your prospecting efforts.

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Okay, the next type of prospect you'll come across....

This type of prospect is just waking up. They're kind of between the space in life where they're not quite asleep and yet they're not quite awake to the world.

They're still rubbing sleep out of their eyes. They're yawning, and trying to orient themselves to what's happening around them. They may be somewhat confused but they're letting their minds wake up to the world around them.

Are they alert and fully with it and raring to go? NO.

Are they willing? Perhaps, but it's hard to tell.

You can't really tell who they really are when they're awake because they aren't there yet. They're still trying to figure out what they should be doing and where they should be going with their life that day.

Think about it. Isn't that the way you are when you first wake up? I'm talking about those first few seconds on that day when you jolt yourself awake and have to ask yourself what day it is and should you be heading off to work or sleeping in again.

We've all been there. It's a very confusing state to be in. Not quite asleep and not quite awake.

So, who are these folks who are in limbo-land? Or should I say la-la-land.

Let's hear what they say and do.

"Send me the info and I'll think about it for a while. Call me in a week." You call back and they haven't watched the video yet. This goes on for several weeks to no avail.

"I haven't gotten the time to listen to that tape yet. I've just been so busy you know. This week was especially hellish. Call me again in a few days."

"You called me last week? I don't remember you, can you tell me what this is all about again?"

"I DID sign up with the company, but they're telling you I didn't? Hmmm, that's strange..."

"I've been thinking about a home biz, but I'm just not quite sure if this is what I want to be doing."

"I did MLM before and it didn't work. Why should I try it again?"

"I got my desk straightened out this week and I'm getting ready to get started."

"Can you call me back at a better time? Perhaps in six months because I'm right in the middle of this other deal that might pan out for me."

"I really like the way the products sound but I'm just not sure if I should be doing this just yet. I don't know..."

Are you beginning to see the types of things the prospect who is just waking up sounds like and does? They're on the fence and don't know which side they want to step down to. They can't figure out exactly what it is they should be doing for themselves right now. They're still getting ready to get ready.

Are they potentially bad prospects? No.

Will they do something someday? Maybe.

But unlikely.

But let me ask you, do you have the time with your limited eight to ten hours a week to work your biz to find out if they have what it takes to be a superstar? Or even maybe become a retail customer of yours? Most of us don't.

But this is where most networkers get stuck. They stay with these folks and hang onto them for dear life. Because, "hey, who knows they just might turn into that next diamond I need to qualify for the next level in the comp. plan."

Right? Hard to let go of them. There is that whole bit about hope after all.

And so then what do most networkers end up doing with these folks?

They chat.

They discuss stuff every week.

They become friends.

They learn about each others family, lives, jobs, and such.

But no one is working their biz and sponsoring folks and retailing products.

Lots of friend-shipping stuff going on here. But that isn't why you joined MLM is it? You joined to make money, didn't you?

Most people agree.

So, let's move on to the last type of prospect you'll come across.

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This type of person is one who is fully awake to life and the world surrounding them. They're out of the slumber zone and they're moving through life. Sleep is nothing but something that needs to be done in their lives. They're out there ready to greet the day and raring to go.

Get out of their way 'cause they have a mission in life.

They're truly full of life. They know where they're going and honestly nothing's going to stop them. They'll figure out how to get what they want in life. They work hard on themselves. And they work hard at what they set their minds to. They aren't afraid to try new things and take risks. They believe in themselves and take necessary risks. Fear is only a feeling to them. It's not real and it doesn't stop them on their journey through their wakeful state in life.

These people are about as far from sleep as you can get and they've long ago wiped the sleep from their eyes.

They're awake and going for it.

You can't say the wrong thing to these folks. And these are the folks you NEED in your biz.

What do these people say and do?

"Sure I can do that. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"I've already placed an order for the products even before I first talked to you."

"I wanted to see how they worked with me so I just had to get on them."

"This sounds awesome to me. I'm in."

"What do I do next?"

"Can you tell me more about what this is about? Sounds very interesting."

They call YOU.

They reach out to YOU.

They're energetic. Alive. Full of spirit and foresight.

They sponsor folks in your business.

They've sponsored folks in past businesses and for whatever reason are looking to start fresh again.

They're coachable and willing to learn.

They just do it. All that it takes.

They're non-competitive but instead results-oriented.

They have an attitude of personal success in life - almost an aloofness about their actions.

They care about others, but won't let other people's limitations and hesitancies stop them from getting what it is they're after.

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Okay, now we know all about the three types of folks you could possibly run into during your prospecting efforts. Lets summarize the ones you should be focusing ALL of your time on.

Obviously, the people that are asleep are better left just that way. Asleep.

Don't waste your time on them. Sound callous? Maybe. But you're in biz, remember? You want that elusive residual income don't you?

Well then, don't waste your time on these business deadweights. Leave them alone to continue sleeping.

As for the one's that are waking up....

They too should be mostly left alone. Don't ignore them or write them off right away. Feel them out. See what they do. See if their actions match their words. See if they're everything that they say they are.

See if they get into action. If they don't, put them out to pasture. Don't be mean. Don't write them off forever. Just put them on your 'call in six months' list. If they're still in that same slumber state then, than DO tear up that contact card. Let these people sit on that fence. You go build your business to success and lead by example.

If they ever wake up then they can call you. In the meantime you'll be building your business. You won't be waiting for them but you'll be available WHEN they're ready to start and ready to follow through.

Finally, we're left with the only group of folks that you SHOULD be spending your time with....

The ones who are awake to you, your opportunity, and what you have to offer with your products and your biz.

Get to know them. Find out who they are. Introduce them to your upline and your upline's upline. If THEY haven't already done so!

Stick with them. Give them what they need and then get out of their way.

These are the folks you're in business for. They're why you have to get the sifting and sorting process down to a fine science. You can then sit back and look at what fell out of the sifting funnel you put all those prospects through. These winners.

You need to get yourself so tuned into these three types of folks that you can spot those who are sleeping and those who are waking up within a few seconds of talking to them or seeing them. After a short while they become so obvious and you then know exactly who you should be spending your precious time with.

You see, as you know this is a game about building yourself that big downline that everyone talks about. Since you're going to be a part-timer from the start like most folks you only have a limited amount of time to really work the biz. You don't have time to waste.

Sure, go ahead and get your feet wet learning the ropes. But after you're through that stage, you'll discover that if there's one thing that you don't want to be wasting - it's your time. And secondly your money.

Remember, the sleeping and the vast majority of the waking- up business parasites will suck you dry before you know it. That's why you have to be a smart sorter.

Keep looking for your 'diamonds in the rough.' Sort through all those insignificant grains of sand that aren't awake to the world. Do this until you find that pearl.

And when you find that pearl, believe me, you'll know it. You'll be thinking to yourself that this person's too good to be true.

You'll not only be listening to what they say but you'll also be seeing their actions match those words because they're wide awake. It'll be so exciting it'll almost be scary. But you'll know that you have a ringer that you need to focus all of your efforts on.

That is, until they tell you to get lost and just let them get to work. Stop cramping their style and move on to finding that next diamond.

And remember that old saying...

'You can't say the right thing to the wrong person. And you can't say the wrong thing to the right person.'

Get out there and find out who's right for this business and who's not. Find the folks who are awake like you are.

Remember, you didn't have to be sold on network marketing, did you? You knew a good thing when you saw it because YOU were wide awake. So, go out there and look for others like you. They're there. Your mission is to find them.

You deserve at least that much with your burgeoning MLM business.

I hope this insight was helpful with your business efforts.

About The Author

Andre Best is the owner of http://www.Is-MLM-For-You.com - a generic MLM resource site offering over 400 printed pages of unique information for struggling and beginning MLM/network marketers.

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