Direct Sellers, fondly called Independent Representatives, Sales Representatives or Distributors, often have a tough time approaching or recruiting their prospects. It holds irrespective of age, gender, or country. And, especially if you are new to the Direct Selling business, also referred to as a Network Marketing business or Multilevel Marketing (MLM) business, you must avoid some common mistakes. This article discusses the common pitfalls that one needs to avoid getting into and the mistakes you should avoid.
Mistake 01: Approaching Prospects with the Sole Aim of Sponsoring them
When new, any Direct Seller is likely to commit a mistake when approaching their prospects – They converse with them with the sole aim of recruiting them or selling them products.
Remedy: Ideally, you should invite your prospects by telling them you are in a business involving contacting people and then fixing a comfortable time slot to meet them and give a presentation by another source. Further, take care to keep your invite short, avoid worrying about the outcome, if possible, use Facebook Messenger to invite, and most importantly, have a rapport with your trainer who will be giving the presentation to your prospects.
Mistake 02: Prospecting Only Friends, Relatives, and Known People
It is another mistake that most Distributors commit – They create a list of prospects that only includes names of their close friends, family, and known people.
Remedy: In any business, you should not prejudge anyone. You need to showcase and offer your opportunity to all; it will only help you increase your reach and visibility. Leave the decision to your prospects to decide what they want. After all, can you know what is in someone’s mind or on their list simply by glancing at them?
Mistake 03: Trying to Sell Business and not the Meeting when Inviting Prospects
Most Network Marketers commit a common mistake because, instead of selling the meeting, they straightaway sell the business when they approach and invite their prospects.
Remedy: Your goal should never be seen to sell your business. The main purpose of your invite is to generate excitement and interest in your prospect to know more about your business. During this meeting, you should ensure that your upline or team leader also steps in to add more weightage and credibility to facilitate your prospect in taking a quick decision.
Mistake 04: Approaching all Prospects the Same Way & Neglecting Relationships
Also, often seen, most Direct Sellers approach each of their prospects in the same way, which is not appropriate. You cannot present your business or do follow-ups with them in the way – all your prospects are not the same.
Remedy: When you segregate your list of prospects, you will find three types, and your need to learn to approach and speak to them differently when sharing your opportunity. There may be thousands of different types of people, but you need to only focus on approaching three types – those who are more successful than you, those who are on the same level as you, and those below you and wish to become like you. It would help if you sowed to succeed in the Network Marketing business, and all three types combined make up your SOW prospects – The ones successful than you are the S-types, those on the same level as you are the O-types, and those wanting to be like you are the W-types. Approach the three types accordingly, and you are bound to experience success sooner than later. At the same time, bear in mind that building long-term relationships requires time and commitment, and you should always find time to connect with your customers, company, team members, and mentors.
Mistake 05: Being Slow in Starting with Line-up of Events
Many Direct Sellers neglect to invite their prospects for parties or event launches which is not correct. Further, many fail to honour or cancel their scheduled prospecting appointments at the last moment that can be disappointing to the invitees.
Remedy: Most Direct Selling Companies with whom you collaborate encourage you to conducts certain activities to set your business rolling. When you make it start, it is recommended to invite your prospects over parties or events. Doing so can boost your business. It will create the much-needed momentum that your business needs.
Achieve Success in Your MLM Business by Avoiding Above Mistakes
Committing mistakes when operating your MLM business can even kill it, and the lack of success can get frustrating and keep you stressed. However, the products you sell may be excellent; you may be well-motivated, but you are likely to fail again and again if you keep repeating the mistakes. So, avoid making the mistakes discussed above and keep your business booming. It is always better for you to keep your business pipeline full by doing your core activities diligently to get you a constant supply of prospects you can talk to, follow up, and so on. By keeping these mistakes you should avoid in mind, you will have a better chance of success.
