Network Marketing Communication

It has come to my attention that, until this point, those who have wished to comment on my blog have been unable to do so.  I am in the process of rectifying that.  If you wish to comment on one of my posts, you’ll have to click on the name of the post in the right column, then scroll down to the bottom of the post.

Thank you to my loyal readers, and I’m sorry for any confusion.

Kathi Peters

I’ve got a friend who hangs up on me all the time.

As you know, I’ve been working through The Greatest Secret in the World by Og Mandino.  I’m in the process of reading The Scroll Marked IV.  It seems that for all of the scrolls, some phrase seems to suddenly leap out at me even though I’ve read it numerous times.

The phrase that leaped out at me yesterday was this:

Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.

Every Monday morning a successful leader in my network marketing company hosts a conference call.  Yesterday she did a mini-rant on call waiting.

Now, back to the friend who hangs up on me.  She doesn’t really hang up, but when she obeys her call waiting, it feels that way.  There’s no good time to call her, no time in which she doesn’t at least once put me on hold while she talks to whomever.

“Just a minute, I’ve got to take this call.”

And I sit and wait while she talks to someone else who for that moment seems more important than me.  She always comes back on the line with an apology.  “I’m sorry, I had to…”

And, being the nice person that I am, I reply, “That’s okay.” 

Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.

I’ve determined that, in an effort to improve my manners and graces, I’ll not switch over to the new caller.  By doing so I’ll indicate to the person that I’m talking to that he or she is a priority.

By saying, “I’ll just let the call waiting get that,” I’m actually saying, “This conversation is important to me.  You’re important to me.’

And by communicating that, I’m communicating well. 

Candidly yours,

Kathi Peters

P.S.  If it’s important enough, they’ll leave a message.

I was in church last week when the pastor said something that really caught my attention.

As people listen during a conversation, they dismiss 80% of what’s being said as not applicable to them.

80%!

Now, imagine that you’re sitting in front of a prospect and you’re sharing your network marketing opportunity and/or your products.  You’re talking away, assuming that he is absorbing, pondering, processing all you’re telling him.

And the vast majority of what you’ve said hasn’t even gotten past the ear gate, let alone registered a “Wow! Now, that’s news I can use!”

Conversation should be give and take.  It’s got to go beyond that “verbal vomit” thing.  Conversation implies that the participants are both involved, yet so often we do an entire presentation, then ask, “Well, what do you think?”  (Not a really effective question, by the way.)

If that statistic is true, we might have left our prospect in the dust an hour earlier in the “conversation.”

So, what the remedy?  How do we get some of that 80% back?

Well, first understand that maybe 80% of what you’re conveying to your prospect may, indeed, not apply to him.

But what if it does apply to him, though, and he’s…

…not willing to admit it

…not tracking closely enough

…confused

…distracted, etc.

so much that he’s dismissing the 80%?

Here’s the answer.

Ask questions.  As they say, questions are the answer.

Ask him.  As a network marketer, you need to be tuned in to what’s going on in any conversation you have with a prospect. 

For example, the second you perceive he is confused, ask him if he understands what you just said.  “Mr. Prospect, what about what I just said to you made sense?”

Ask questions that elicit more than a yes or no response.

Then, depending on his answers, continue the conversation with the new information in mind.  He still may not join your opportunity, but at least it will help you not to be presenting to someone who may only be listening just to be polite.

Conversationally yours,

Kathi Peters

 

 

Memorial Day.  A day to remember. 

Remember what? 

Those who have sacrificed for us, who have given their lives in service to our country, to each of us.  We owe them our gratitude.

My network marketing partner, Mari, has a son who is serving in the Armed Forces as I write this.  She’s given up a lot as she’s watched her son go off to war.  He’s a newlywed, just starting his life with his new bride.  And now he’s gone for 15 months.  He and his wife knew the sacrifice they’d have to make before they said “I do.” 

God Bless Nathan, wherever he is, and keep him safe.

In the network marketing arena we make sacrifices too, albeit none so great as those who sacrifice their lives protecting our country.

We sacrifice

…sleep

…time with our family members

…sometimes relationships. 

Some we knew of before we ever made the first call to a prospect (thank you, sponsors, for helping us not to be clueless).  Other sacrifices we stumble across on the network marketing journey.

Sacrifice is good. 

But I know I need balance.  God bless me and help me not to sacrifice my life in my quest for success in my network marketing opportunity.

Remembering and being grateful today…

Kathi Peters

Communication

A broad subject.

Network marketing communication. Now, that narrows it a bit.

We often think of communication as primarily what we say.

But those of us who consider ourselves to be networkers know it’s way more than that.

It’s what we’re thinking (that comes across, too).

It’s how we’re moving.

It’s how we’re standing.

It’s our facial expression.

Networking is communication.

So is marketing. But when you put the two together ~ network marketing ~ you get a strange breed of animal.

One where communication seems to bend, if not break, some rules.

Speaking of rules, I’m not one to follow them.

When I left home for college, the most anyone gave me to last at the conservative school I was going to be attending in South Carolina was six weeks. Six weeks! I was a good girl, but loved to say, “The rules are made to be broken.”

So after one-too-many “office” jobs, network marketing seemed to me to be a good path to follow.

I don’t fit the typical job mold either.

Back to communication, namely network marketing communication (sounds like a good name for a blog…)

My passion is to communicate.

I’ve got wonderful experiences and tidbits to share. But I’ll admit that I’m far from knowing it all. So I’ve created this blog to connect with others about network marketing communication in some of the following areas:

• Verbal
• Non-verbal
• Listening
• Written (cards, emails, letters, etc.)
• First contact
• Follow up

And many more.

I value your input. Let’s learn from each other.

Kathi Peters