Do Business Well

Prospecting

All businesses need customers. Prospecting is the process of looking for suitable candidates to whom you could talk about your product and service. Without prospects your business is like a stream that dries up. Selling is about numbers. The more people you contact, the more sales you will make. Your network’s growth and the money you earn is determined by the amount of time you spend recruiting and training, and the quality of your distributors.

A question that is often asked is: how many prospects must I contact to grow my network? This is hard to answer. As a rule of thumb, it takes about three calls to get an interview. Of those who grant you an interview, about one in four will become a distributor. Out of every four distributors, one will be developing a network. And of those who become active distributors, about one in five will become high-level producers and earners.

Let’s put this another way. If you contact 240 prospects, 80 will see you, 15 will become regular product users, five will become active distributors and one will become a star who will really grow your business. These are very rough and ready figures which vary from network to network and depend on the products being sold.

Your first task is to draw up a list of prospects — people who could buy your product and/or who want to start their own business. Put down as many names as you can think of. Aim for at least 25 names to start with. Your prospect list might be selected from these people:

• Family circle: your immediate family, close friends and relatives, in-laws and social friends made through sports clubs, hobbies and your children.
• Neighbourhood: housewives with spare time, members of your local neighbourhood watch and retired people who want to keep active or supplement their incom_e
• Work contacts: existing customers who can recommend prospects, colleagues from previous jobs and networks (swopping leads with people selling different product lines)
• Professional people you know: doctors, dentists, attornies, accountants, pharmacists, vets, priests or church elders
• Business people: garage owners/mechanics, butchers, bakers, florists, insurance sales people, electricians,plumbers, dry cleaners, and so on
• School contacts: Teachers, parents of school children, members of the PTA, old school friends, etc.
• Newspaper leads: select those who are looking for jobs or who need extra money, for example, newly-weds, couples who have just become engaged.

When compiling your list of prospects, do not judge these people in terms of whether they are interested in network marketing or not. Never prejudge people. It is too easy to look at someone and say: ‘She won’t be interested; not the type.’ It’s not what you think that’s important; it’s what she thinks. Unless you ask, you’ll never know. So jot down their contact names and telephone numbers. If they are not interested, they’ll tell you when you contact them.

You can explain network marketing to anyone, anywhere _and at any time. Networking is not only done in the eveni_ng when people come home from work. During the day there is plenty of business about. Many housewives who would love to earn an extra income do not work. Many occupations, such as nursing, require staggered working hours. Schoolteachers have their holidays between school terms. Many factories only do shift work. And a great many businesses still work the five-day week, which makes Saturday a great networking day.

But no matter who you talk to — family, friends, secretaries, cashiers at the supermarket, receptionists, factory workers, domestics or students — the principle is the same. You have a great business opportunity, you’re proud to be a networker and you want to share theopportunity.

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