Do You Know What You’re Talking About?
There are two ways to build your business – pretend to know or KNOW it!
If you know your business (and everything related to your business) then you are valuable to your audience, whether that’s one person or 150,000 people. You will draw crowds of people because they want to learn from you. You in turn feel valuable and are valuable which is what gives you confidence.
Completely let go of the idea that your splendid personality is what causes people to listen to you and join your business. It is not – it helps, but it is not the reason. For people to follow you – you’ve got to know your stuff.
You will be valuable as a presenter because you know what you’re talking about, and that is the only legitimate reason that causes people to listen and follow you.
So, as rapidly as you can, learn your business. Don’t make excuses that you don’t know the business by claiming that you’re new! I’ve met people who tell me that they’re new; I ask them how long they’ve been in the business and they tell me three years. This is not new! A new person is someone who has been involved under a week or two.
There’s so much you will benefit by knowing your business in network marketing. So, don’t delay learning.
On this month’s upcoming training call I’ll share with you the things I feel you MUST know in order to effectively “unconfuse” your prospects – so please join me.
You see, for you to be valuable to prospects, you want to be able to unconfuse people. The first step in un-confusing people as a presenter is for you to be unconfused! This industry has way too much of “the confused leading the confused.”
If there is such a thing as “the best way to sell,” I’d say it would be named “The unconfuse the customer method.” Obviously, I just made this up right now – it’s not something that has been written about – not that I’m aware of, anyway.
You see, based on the current times we live in, there is actually too much information and not enough time to evaluate it. Evaluation means to determine something’s value or worth. If a person wants to know about a subject today, there’s no problem in finding information about it – but it’s knowing how to determine the most important thing or things about that subject that is missing today.
Read closely the following words because most people miss this:
Someone unfamiliar with something can not easily locate and discern what is important about a subject from what is unimportant. Your value to a prospect is your ability to do this. Never forget this.
So you could say that a person “unfamiliar” with a subject is a confused person and most of the time doesn’t even know what they are confused about. Here’s the problem – a confused person puts off buying your product or service; a confused person puts off joining your company.
You should not ask a person to make a decision on something until you’ve unconfused them.
A person’s ability to make a confident decision is based on there not being any confusion.
Someone who knows what they’re talking about can swiftly see how to unconfuse their prospect because they know all aspects and how they fit into the prospect’s life. They know what to present and when to present it.
In contrast, someone who is pretending to know what they’re talking about will increase the prospect’s confusion because they’re trying to hide the fact that they don’t know all – so they use big words to try to SOUND like they know what they’re talking about – but they really don’t. This increases the prospect’s confusion.
In summary, when you know what you’re talking about, you are a professional. Therefore you must know the subjects that make up your business. These will be discussed in depth on the training call.
In general those subjects would be network marketing, your company, and your company’s products – but obviously it goes much deeper than that.
Please leave your comments about this subject at the end of this article. Tell me what you feel is critical to know about your business as well as when you’ve seen this important quality violated. Also, please ask any questions you have around this subject.
I have seen network marketing change the lives of many people (mine included), and now you’re sitting in the responsibility seat of exposing to people a way out of the biggest hassles of life – no time and no money. Don’t take that responsibility lightly. Be prepared. Know what you’re talking about.
Writing you from the gorgeous country of New Zealand,
Tim Sales
P.S. The best tool to unconfuse you and your prospects about the business of network marketing is the DVD “Brilliant Compensation”. I created it to explain in simple, compelling, believable terms, the brilliance of network marketing. It provides the credibility of Harvard-educated Professor Charles King and handles any confusion and objection a prospect may have.
Now’s the time to get it because for just three more days, if you buy four DVD’s you will receive four more free. Just go to http://www.firstclassmlmtools.com.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Hello Tim,
This is a great topic to explore. My basic question is: how can I arrive at a balance between saying too much about the company, products, industry and not saying enough. On the one hand, I could spend all my time lerning about company, products, industry and never tak to anyone and, on the other hand, start talking (confusing) to people and know very little or nothing. How can I strike the correct balance?
February 13th, 2009 at 6:37 am
For years I diligently learned everything I could about this business and all its benefits. I tried to present those benefits to my prospects in a professional way, thinking they would maybe forget the negative aspects of the business. Or to say it best, the wrong perceptions people have about it. It worked, but something happened one day that changed everything…
That day I observed one of my new distributors in action. I was mesmerized. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Prospects who, before he walks in, were negative, against recruitment, didn’t want the products, failed in the past at the business or simply refused to listen, those prospects became his best ally. That day I resolved that my strategy was completely obsolete.
You see… Jean-Guy (my new distributor, and father), brought all the negative perceptions people have about the business right up front in the presentation. Instead of hiding those, he told why he hates those things about the business. At that point, people were wide-eyed open.
By showing up-front you know exactly what the prospect likes and doesn’t like about your business, you get their attention. After all isn’t it what you first want to do when you present?
Instead of being on the defense, trying to think of an answer to justify why they don’t want your offer, prospects get curious and want to know what you know. Because at this point, you’re just like them but they see that you know something that they don’t know yet.
This is what I experienced in regards to knowing what you’re tallking about.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Thank you for all your support, i been lisenning to your CD brillant communicator and professional inviter almost every day and last week i order 2 DVD brillant Compensation.
I wish you had them in french so my downline could buy it to (I live in Québec). but i understand an off inglish to understand you.
I been in my company since nov. 08 and thank to my sponser and up line who help me a lot DUPLICATION.
Thank you again to give us you experiences. Good bless you Ginette
February 13th, 2009 at 7:55 am
By knowing your business, you’re absolutely correct that prospects will sense that you really don’t know what you’re talking about and eventually run away. Knowing your business and being able to explain it with REALITY and not HYPE, your prospects will better understand if this is something they can do. KISS (keep it simple stupid)has always been the best approach to a new prospect. Find out what the prospect wants and deliver your presentation to meet those wants(needs).
February 13th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Dear Tim,
Once again, Thank You for addressing yet another pressing
issue in the MLM industry. At this point, I do not have a
comment nor a question for your inquiry.
However, regarding your entire web-site I have come to
realize….the deeper I dig, The Richer I become in
knowledge and wisdom to assist me and all who choose to
listen to me who will become successful in the MLM industry.
Please know, each time any of my team benefit from your
training….I Will share the the origin of the one who is
guiding us.
As always, Thank You for all that you share.
Wishing You and Yours…The Very Best,
SC
February 13th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Thank you, Tim, for such thought provoking material. I, too, struggle to find the balance between “vomiting too much information on the prospect” to “keeping the curtain slightly parted to keep them interested.” I like Mr. Stephane Page’s comments about bringing the negative up front. This would totally disarm those who want to stick the steak right into the beauty of MLM and I am curious to find your thoughts about this technique as well.
February 15th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I have been studying this industry for several years now and am still left with some lingering and unresolved questions for myself. Having these cleared up would “unconfuse me”.
1. I have never met anyone who has been successful in MLM part-time. The successful people all seem to be full timers from the get go. It seems like the industry WANTS people to think they can do MLM part time so that more sales are made, but in reality it’s just not realistic to do it successfully part time. Can you address how realistic it REALLY is to be successful in the business part time AND what the minimum time investment is in order to have a “fighting chance” in MLM?
2. I am still bugged by the notion of market saturation. The industry espouses the power of exponential growth but doesn’t talk about market saturation. So either the growth isn’t really happening exponentially or the market is on track to get saturated. How do you resolve this?
3. The vast majority of products and services I have seen marketed through MLM seem to be over-priced or not something someone would buy “anyway”. It seems that most of the product is purchased ONLY because people HAVE TO buy it for their auto-ship. I have yet to see an MLM company marketing a product that has a “huge and expanding market”. Can you address this?
Please note, I’m NOT asking these questions to be difficult. I am just confused by these questions and know I must get them clear for myself in order to get them clear for others.
Thank you,
Aaron
February 17th, 2009 at 8:21 am
“Brilliant Compensation” definitely has helped me to clear up network marketing to prospects. I really thank you for creating such a well done presentation.
I understand the idea of learning as much as you can about the company and industry and I’ve done that over the past nearly 2 years. I’ve been told repeatedly by my sponsors I don’t need to know everything and that it will even make it more difficult. I’ve actually seen a little of this myself because of the necessary balance between providing the information and keeping the curiousity up. I think this has to do with timing where I’m explaining too much, too fast.
My main question I would like your opinion on is that my company provides a very simple system for people to get started inviting people right away. It doesn’t appear as professional as your system but it does seem to work for people that follow it. They also make heavy use of 3-way calling. I’ve tried to blend the techniques but I think it has delayed growth.
I would like some tips on how to transition from the Professional Inviter/Brilliant Compensation starting point to my companies system. Also, what is your opinion about 3-way calling?
Thanks,
Daren
February 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
This is a great topic. I feel that if everyone knew what they were talking about that would reduce much of the negative in this industry. I’ve been approached by numerous people about different companies and products. I was turned off by all of them, except one. The bad ones didn’t know the product, were off the scale with hype, and were clueless about the company and comp plan. I guess they were following the old training of “Just go out and be on fire with enthusiasm and people will follow you…” I appreciated the enthusiasm, but they had no idea what they were enthusiastic about other than someone told them than they’ll make rich in six weeks.
I think there could be a parallel topic of how to evaluate a company. People don’t know the questions to ask to separate the legitimate companies & products from the scams and thinly veiled pyramids. I was approached by a person last year who was a very successful distributor with a long established MLM company and went to another company. She didn’t understand the comp plan so I asked her to call back with her upline or someone who did. We had a chat and after about 10 minutes I concluded it was an illegal pyramid. Neither of them understood what a pyramid was. All the commission was paid based on recruiting new distributors at $2500 each. There were products (furniture) but it was out of a catalog from another company and minimal commissions were paid on this. Sure enough in 6 months she’d made a good amount of money, quit her 9-5 job, and the company was shut down.
Unfortunately companies like the above example left hundreds of thousands of people who got into something they didn’t understand, probably lost money, and are forever soured to the entire MLM industry. So yes, people need to know the company, products, and comp plan they are recruiting people into but the general public need an awareness to what is legal and legitimate vs what is illegal and a scam.
Keep up the great work,
Mike
February 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Hey Tim,
Once again you deliver an excellent topic to help anyone who position themselves to learn about this industry. Key word: “position”
I found that the more you know the more you grow. It has been time when I tried to fake the knowledge and my prospects read right through me. So now I make my self be a student of this industry. By doing so I can position myself to be more knowlegeable about the industry, my company and the products. Thanks for being a true teacher and willing to share your knowledge with the “confused”
February 17th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Tim,
While I agree with your article that one should know their business, I would like you to consider the following:
If one is new to a business, never prospect alone! Take someone more experienced and credible with you, to show you how they do it and to help where you are inexperienced or less knowledgeable. Or if your prospects are not local, do a three-way call with someone who can explain the business and make your prospect feel comfortable. Being new to a business should never stop you from prospecting!
Knowledge is power, right? And not only that, knowledge gives you confidence, and confidence can make a huge difference in whether people join your business (or not). Don’t fear rejection – you are offering others an OPPORTUNITY to buy your product or services, or join you business; it’s their choice, and it won’t be for everyone. You want people who are looking for you and who are like minded.
TMI – start easy! Don’t run over your prospect with so much information that they can’t digest it or you scare them away – just give them enough so they can ask questions and let you know how it would benefit them.
Remember to fish and not hunt! When you fish, you put the bait in the water and the fish come to you – when you hunt, you go find the prey and if you don’t kill them they run away!
I appreciate your knowledge and the positive influence you have on network marketing! I’m a fan!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Could you clear something up for me. I know my service and the business opportunity but my upline sponsors tell me that the minute somebody asked something about the business opportunity that I must get them on a 3 way call and let them talk to an expert. They say to tell the prospect “that is a great question, let me get one of our experts on the phone to answer that for you. I have only been in the business a short time and they can give you 100% of the information.” Now that makes me sound like I don’t understand the business not to mention I have now not told the truth to my propect. Why can’t I just explain all the information to my prospect. I have been in the business for about 4 years and have come a long way and can explain it. You have been a part of that by teaching what you teach. I have not found any training as good as the training you provide.
Thanks,
Gerri
February 17th, 2009 at 10:56 am
In my case another big challenge is how to find those prospects in the first place.
Judging by the entries on this list, this is going to be a very interesting call. I have been in several networking businesses in my life because I understand the potential but with no success except this last one. Even though I have had 50,000 times more success I am still not where I want or need to be. I want and need to be able to help those that I know need it but am unsuccessful 99% of the time in helping them understand the huge benefits. This is also true for the products that I can offer. I can get people excited but then they seem to always have an excuse not to sign up at that time and then loose interest in a few days.
I know my business very well inside and out but sometimes have a hard time answering objections and I know most of the products but the company is bringing out so many new ones so fast that I can’t keep up.
I think that you may have zeroed in on not only my problem but the problem that a great number of people have in this business and that is unconfusing our prospects. There is a saying in this business. “You can’t say the wrong thing to the right person” and that may be true in some cases but I don’t think it is true all the time. It would be a great benefit to know what to say all the time.
We are looking forward to the information that you are so graciously sharing with the people that need it so badly.
Thank you and God bless you,
Dennis
February 17th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I would like discussion on how to close on a procrastinator, even after all the tools used. They agree it is something they want to do and use the products but hesitate in getting started. Also in this economic time how can you get someone to see that this is the best business to be in. There is a feeling that people do not have money to invest in a business so they may not be able to get anyone else to join on with them. Another point is that people feel they are too busy and don’t have time to do a business. I am 60yr old, work full time, have 3 children in College, I am the major wage earner in the family. I need to succeed to get out of debt and the “rat race” so I can do this business full time. I need all the help you can give.
February 17th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Tim, thank you for your materials, especially Professional Inviter. It has made a significant difference.
Also, if I may, I’d like to say that I identified with Aaron who spoke of product quality, part-time success and market saturation. I once had those same concerns and here are my observations.
First, if the network marketing company’s products are not of great value, don’t join that company. Period.
Second, as a part-timer it is helpful to appropriately define success. Every highly successful network marketer I know started out part-time making a few hundred dollars a month and continued being successful as a part-timer until they were successful enough to go full-time.
Third, market saturation is in the eye of the beholder. We live in a very competitive business world. Think about insurance, real estate, retail stores, etc. You could say any of those markets are saturated. But reps in those fields know that they don’t need everyone to buy from them. They need a relatively few customers or clients to make a good living. So it is with network marketing. Tools like the Professional Inviter give us a significant edge in this very competitive, but lucrative, industry.
Rex
February 17th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I signed on with a brand new Network Marketing company. I believe this company will explode within the next year or so. The problem is that it’s so new, the training material and product info is not complete, but is forthcoming! I understood enough to get excited and come aboard, yet I have questions I know I’ll be faced with when I try to recruit. Should I wait til I get all the info, or should I move forward on pure adrenaline? By the way, “Brilliant Compensation” was the perfect tool to convince my wife that Network Marketing wasn’t a scam. She is much more comfortable about me trying this new business opportunity!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Wow what a great subject!
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart I have all and I mean all of your material and it has helped me soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.I dont think I would have survived much longer in the indrustry if I wouldnt have found your stuff.
I guess my first question should be some people like to go off and do it all them selves thinking they already know it all how do you help them see they need help in the beginning?
Secound when do you get them on the professional Inviter we all have steps in the business to go through when a new person signs up and when they have already put out the money to get started how do you help them to see this is a investment in their business and their growth.But with money being so tight and people being layed off and only having enough to get started what do you do because I know if they dont get professional Inviter they are going to struggle just like I did or would you get them trained in all what your business does you cant give them both for I belive that would be information overload.
You know what Tim even though I knew everything about my company and I mean everthing I still didnt know how to communicate well until I found your training material so even though I could answer anything about the company I was still failing because of the communication quailtys not being their.It really wasnt about the prospect it was about me growing the business.
So what do you think should be first get to know all about the company or get your communication skill really good first?
By the way I cant wait for your new prouduct coming to help help professional present :):)Your the best God Bless!
February 18th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Dear Tim,
My last minute two cents before this upcoming call:
As so many are financially drowning in these challanging
times in human history it is conforting to know someone
is willing to step up to the plate and lead the charge
in this MONEY DRIVEN WAR that we all face.
As always, the Very Best to You and Yours,
SC
February 19th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Dear Tim,
Bullseye!
Thank You for yet another great training call.
Will you be posting this one as well?
I am attending a meeting this evening where I want
to promote All of your training tools to my
“Senior Partners” who have their finger on the
pulse of thousands who need this information.
I would like to direct them to this month’s
training call and last month’s as well.
Thank You for so generously leaving last month’s
call posted for so long.
Speaking for myself, I find the depth of your
information very powerful, however, I feel the need
to hear it more than once as my saturation level
is on tilt.
I especially appreciated the comments that came in this month.
Rather than the Howdy Dody Thanks alot comments,
there was so much more depth to their input and
appreciation for what you are accomplishing for
the MLM industry.
In closing, I just want to share something I learned
from one of Sarasota’s foremost CEO Women.
A number of years ago she was quoted in a local magazine as
saying, “Women need to work with men who are gender blind”.
Bingo! Women were created to compliment the man.
Why shouldn’t men listen to women?
Actually, it has to do with the Rooster Syndrome.
For those who don’t, they don’t always succeed.
It has been my observation, when some of the most
successful men in MLM listen to the voice of
their wife and/or business partner they Soar
professionally.
Enough! At this point I think we are at load
limit for this correspondence.
A simple Thank You cannot begin to cover my
profound appreciation for your training calls.
SarahChristina
Sarasota, Fl.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:34 am
How beautiful is that!
I was just wondering yesterday if all mlms
had no air space when they spoke. ; )
YOU are one of the first ever!!
THANK YOU;
Laurel B.
ps.
and i like the focus you are placing on the
prospects need…finding it by really listening
with discernment to what THEY are saying and not
rolling over them with more info when they
haven’t even gotten what they want!!!
Takes real self control doesn’t it.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hi Tim, Just listened in to the recording about unconfusing the prospect which was very enlightening and made so much commonsense. I guess because I can see the potential (even though I am not making much money at the moment – just a confidence thing) I sometimes cant understand why I have had little success in prospecting. Now I think I know the answer. I have left people confused about what I have been telling them. Am going to try really hard in the future.
Regards,
Marilyn Joynson, North Wales, United Kingdom
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Great stuff!!!
March 4th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Once again thanks Tim for so freely sharing your incredible insight into the process of prospect and MLMer communication. It is refreshing to hear your straight answers. I went to the Melbourne Seminar you did on February 26th and it was very enlightening.
I am feeling more and more confident each day.
I will be purchasing your material.
I believe it will be invaluable.
Thanks once again
Sandra O Melbourne Australia
March 4th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Thanks again for truly valuable, relevant information Tim. Your approach to business, helping make peoples lives better, and providing tools and guidance to help us to do that, has restored my confidence that I can help others succeed in my business. We just need to be interested in our prospects’ wants and don’t wants, be truly familiar with everything that’s relevant to our prospects, and help them discover how what we have can help them get what they want, or avoid what they don’t want.
Keep up your valuable contribution to us all, Tim. I’m sorry I missed you when you were here in NZ. I’m amazed nobody invited me to come to hear you while you were here!
Mark Douglas