Showing posts with label prospecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prospecting. Show all posts

Thursday, February 5, 2009

How Does online Prospecting Work

Traditionally, prospecting involves calling every single person you can think of, from the contacts in your phone book, to family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, or even perfect strangers, and inviting them to business opportunity meetings that may be held in hotels or homes to take a look at your home business.

The traditional method is now generally considered the old school way of prospecting that was used in the seventies and eighties. It is not only obsolete, it is also not effective. Lots of precious time is taken to prospect, yet the conversion rate is paltry. Worse, you have to learn to be 'thick skinned' and be prepared to face rejection time and time again.

Fortunately for us, we can now leverage on what is generally considered the new school way of prospecting through the use of online prospecting. The question is, how does online prospecting work?

In order to effectively use online prospecting, there are a few components that need to be put in place. Internet marketing comes into play to help prospect for your home business.
One way is to drive traffic to your website. To be more effective, you will need to focus on targeted traffic. It is no point spending time driving untargeted traffic because these visitors are not interested in your business opportunity. It is just a waste of time! If you want to succeed and see results, aim for targeted traffic.

Once these visitors arrive at your page, that is your site on the web, you will want to capture their information. Again, you do not want to be spending so much time and money on generating website traffic, driving them to your page, just to see them leave without getting their information. Thus it is very important that you have an effective lead capturing page which will qualify those visitors who are genuinely seeking a better life or better opportunity from those who are merely browsing through your page or simply passing by. Generally it is better to offer them something of value that they cannot resist.

Once you have captured their information and they are on your mailing list, you will need to start building a relationship with them. In order to do this, you will need to use an autoresponder. Regularly communicate with them through short notes or newsletters. You can get ideas for your newsletter from your business opportunity information pack. List some key benefits and features of your business opportunity and you can break them into various sections to share your business and opportunity with your prospects.

Only when you have built the rapport and trust with your prospect do you pitch your business opportunity offer to them, failing which, you would just lose them and wasted all your time and effort.

Some of the ways to effectively prospect online include using search engine optimisation, pay per click campaigns, traffic exchanges, article marketing, email marketing, banner advertisings and many others.


Saturday, January 31, 2009

How Does online Prospecting Work

Traditionally, prospecting involves calling every single person you can think of, from the contacts in your phone book, to family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, or even perfect strangers, and inviting them to business opportunity meetings that may be held in hotels or homes to take a look at your home business.

The traditional method is now generally considered the old school way of prospecting that was used in the seventies and eighties. It is not only obsolete, it is also not effective. Lots of precious time is taken to prospect, yet the conversion rate is paltry. Worse, you have to learn to be 'thick skinned' and be prepared to face rejection time and time again.

Fortunately for us, we can now leverage on what is generally considered the new school way of prospecting through the use of online prospecting. The question is, how does online prospecting work?

In order to effectively use online prospecting, there are a few components that need to be put in place. Internet marketing comes into play to help prospect for your home business.

One way is to drive traffic to your website. To be more effective, you will need to focus on targeted traffic. It is no point spending time driving untargeted traffic because these visitors are not interested in your business opportunity. It is just a waste of time! If you want to succeed and see results, aim for targeted traffic.

Once these visitors arrive at your page, that is your site on the web, you will want to capture their information. Again, you do not want to be spending so much time and money on generating website traffic, driving them to your page, just to see them leave without getting their information. Thus it is very important that you have an effective lead capturing page which will qualify those visitors who are genuinely seeking a better life or better opportunity from those who are merely browsing through your page or simply passing by. Generally it is better to offer them something of value that they cannot resist.

Once you have captured their information and they are on your mailing list, you will need to start building a relationship with them. In order to do this, you will need to use an autoresponder. Regularly communicate with them through short notes or newsletters. You can get ideas for your newsletter from your business opportunity information pack. List some key benefits and features of your business opportunity and you can break them into various sections to share your business and opportunity with your prospects.

Only when you have built the rapport and trust with your prospect do you pitch your business opportunity offer to them, failing which, you would just lose them and wasted all your time and effort.

Some of the ways to effectively prospect online include using search engine optimisation, pay per click campaigns, traffic exchanges, article marketing, email marketing, banner advertisings and many others.



Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Which Types Of Prospecting Techniques Do You Use?

Prospecting is an integral aspect of growing your list of leads. These leads can be used for both offline and online marketing purposes.

Basically when we talk of prospecting, be it for an online business like network marketing or affiliate marketing or for traditional offline business, there are two main techniques, the online as well as offline methods.

It is only in recent years that more people have started to use the online method of lead generation through the use of internet marketing. So which technique works best and which is more effective?

Let us take into account the network marketing industry. Traditionally, ninety-nine percent of network marketing business owners have learnt how to prospect from their uplines and pass on the same information to their downlines.

Generally they teach you to build your master name list by literally requiring you to write down every name in your phone book. This list would include your family, friends, relatives and acquaintances. Some companies will go a step further to provide you with a list of memory joggers… “who do you know”. This is a very extensive list and covers almost everyone and anyone with whom you may have had contact. Emphasis is placed on creating a long list as the belief is ‘the longer the list, the greater the success’. The list is supposed to be your best asset.

For those who are not able to generate a long list, they are taught how to approach total strangers which can be scary for some individuals. When the master list is ready, you will be taught how to invite these people to attend opportunity meetings which are normally held in hotels or homes. These network marketing business opportunity meetings normally last between one to two hours and the prospect is then sold on the dream of succeeding in a home business like network marketing and thus finding the elusive financial freedom.

Some people who attend such meetings are not even aware that they are at a network marketing opportunity meeting. They are not informed until the very end because of the fear that they will close off their mind towards the opportunity if they know that they are actually attending a meeting related to the network marketing industry.

Not many people succeed in the network marketing industry if they follow exactly the above. The problem with the traditional way of prospecting is that:-
 The prospects are from a vast market and are not targeted
 Some prospects feel tricked upon realizing in the end that they are actually in a network marketing business opportunity meeting especially if they have not been informed earlier

With advanced technology, there is now an easier, rejection free method of prospecting. No cold callings required as well. A great & simple tool that everyone can benefit from.

Using the internet, prospecting for leads using the internet marketing method will gain you a prospect in your target market. You are able to gain targeted traffic through the use of various tools on the internet, namely:-
 Article marketing
 Search engine optimization
 Pay per click
 Email marketing
 Banner ad
 Podcasting
 You tube

A great advantage you will find when using internet marketing as a form of prospecting is that these leads or prospects are willing and eager to find out more about what you are offering. As you engage in online marketing you will come to realize that you need not be a ‘pest’ and approach people who are not interested in what you have to offer. This therefore allows you to avoid having to face loads of rejection.

Not only that, you do not need to resort to unscrupulous tactics to be the first to snare the prospect (which can happen in traditional prospecting when you and your sidelines may share the same group of friends) and you can be very upfront with your network marketing business opportunity with each and every single prospect.


Friday, January 9, 2009

Network Marketing Prospecting Secrets

One of the drawbacks in joining a network marketing business opportunity is the fact that prospecting, cold calling and selling is of utmost importance. Many prospects fear having to do this and thus shy away from such business opportunities. However imagine if you are able to generate leads without having to prospect, cold call and sell, how many more prospects could you convert into your business partners?

By using the old school method of talking to perfect strangers and cold calling once you have gone through your warm market list of family, friends and relatives, you are creating a fear in your prospects that they have to be as good as you in order to succeed. Such methods have been in use for ages so much so that most people have gotten ‘immune’ to these types of call, thus causing you to face more and more rejection.

The secret to prospecting without having to talk to each and everyone of your leads is to first master the art of online prospecting trough the internet. By utilizing the internet, you are not pinned down to a fixed geographical location. The whole world is now your market. Here, you have access to millions of people who use the internet. When you master the art of generating website traffic, your home based business will start to bloom especially when you start increasing traffic to your website.

Your website could consist of a blog where you share many tips of great value. In this way, more people will want to subscribe to your blog. Or you may have a great website with an effective lead capturing page which assists in capturing your visitor’s information. You will then constantly and regularly communicate and build a relationship with your leads.

It is not difficult to build a good rapport with your leads if you do it correctly. In fact, if you have the correct tools, you can build a great home based business. With the internet age, you can now use social media to build a rapport. Youtube, podcasting, forums, blogs, etc allow you to interact with your leads on a personal level.

Newsletters can also help you build relationships with your leads. If you constantly provide value and useful information and tips, your leads will start to trust you. By using a good auto responder, you can automate the whole process and set it to send out your newsletter or broadcast message at any interval that you so desire. This is truly a ‘god-send’ for any home business. For just a nominal fee every month, you get the services of a 24 hour secretary.

Remember that building a relationship is very important in any online business. As such, you should not pitch your network marketing business opportunity until you have created a solid relationship. You do, after all, want a long term business and knowledge of this fact will help you to achieve that.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Network Marketing Prospecting Secrets

One of the drawbacks in joining a network marketing business opportunity is the fact that prospecting, cold calling and selling is of utmost importance. Many prospects fear having to do this and thus shy away from such business opportunities. However imagine if you are able to generate leads without having to prospect, cold call and sell, how many more prospects could you convert into your business partners?

By using the old school method of talking to perfect strangers and cold calling once you have gone through your warm market list of family, friends and relatives, you are creating a fear in your prospects that they have to be as good as you in order to succeed. Such methods have been in use for ages so much so that most people have gotten ‘immune’ to these types of call, thus causing you to face more and more rejection.

The secret to prospecting without having to talk to each and everyone of your leads is to first master the art of online prospecting trough the internet. By utilizing the internet, you are not pinned down to a fixed geographical location. The whole world is now your market. Here, you have access to millions of people who use the internet. When you master the art of generating website traffic, your home based business will start to bloom especially when you start increasing traffic to your website.

Your website could consist of a blog where you share many tips of great value. In this way, more people will want to subscribe to your blog. Or you may have a great website with an effective lead capturing page which assists in capturing your visitor’s information. You will then constantly and regularly communicate and build a relationship with your leads.

It is not difficult to build a good rapport with your leads if you do it correctly. In fact, if you have the correct tools, you can build a great home based business. With the internet age, you can now use social media to build a rapport. Youtube, podcasting, forums, blogs, etc allow you to interact with your leads on a personal level.

Newsletters can also help you build relationships with your leads. If you constantly provide value and useful information and tips, your leads will start to trust you. By using a good auto responder, you can automate the whole process and set it to send out your newsletter or broadcast message at any interval that you so desire. This is truly a ‘god-send’ for any home business. For just a nominal fee every month, you get the services of a 24 hour secretary.

Remember that building a relationship is very important in any online business. As such, you should not pitch your network marketing business opportunity until you have created a solid relationship. You do, after all, want a long term business and knowledge of this fact will help you to achieve that.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Prospecting Strategies - Divide and Conquer

Ask anyone who has been in the network marketing industry long enough and earning a good income ad they will agree that prospecting is the lifeblood of any network marketing organization. However many network marketers are still struggling with this basic fundamental. They are not able to move up the ladder or earn money as they have not mastered the art of prospecting.

Many feel uncomfortable as they have a fear of approaching their warm market, i.e. their family and friends. This is due to their fear for rejection and having to persuade their friends to join them. At times, this can cause even the warm market to avoid your phone calls and eventually lead to a break up in the friendships which have been blooming for decades. This has happened before and will happen again.

In this home business opportunity, it is not easy to do it all alone. To have a greater chance of success, find a business partner with whom you can work as a team. If your spouse or significant other or even another family member of the opposite gender is with you in this home business of network marketing, combining together as a team will be more effective at times.

Usually one will take on the role of discussing the network marketing business, frequently falling into the men’s arena. This is because it is the mindset of most people that men are the ones holding the authority. Women on the other hand generally relate well to the prospect with regards to the products and/or services of the company.

There is however no hard and fast rule to the roles. Just be natural and work out the best role for each of you. This need not be so rigid and can be inter-changeable depending on the situation.

Even if you do not have a partner, you can always team up with an upline, sideline or even a downline. In fact, whilst pairing with your downline, this can be a sort of ‘on the job’ training for them as well as a confidence booster with you, their upline, being on hand to lend a hand should they get stuck. When you pair with your upline, this can give you credibility especially if your upline is well respected and has started to earn money from this home business opportunity of network marketing. You will likely have a greater chance of success.

It is important to remember that although in network marketing, you are in the business for yourself, but never by yourself. In network marketing, the key is to be simple and duplicatable. It will be suicidal if your downlines duplicate what you do and work individually with no clue as to why they are not seeing success.

Remember to train your downlines to look out for each other. In this way, there can be leverage which is important in this home based business. Give credit to your downlines when they do what ought to be done. This way, it will help you to free up some of your precious time.

The saying “united we stand, divided we fall” holds true in this business. So divide the work and conquer the world!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

How To Find People Who Like MLM

As most of us are aware, the MLM industry is a very competitive industry. As a number of people have been in the network marketing industry before and were not able to make money for whatever reason, the MLM industry is associated with quite a bit of negativity. As such, MLM newbies usually find it tough to get their business off the ground especially if they follow the traditional way of prospecting.

Does this mean that new network marketers are not able to find new prospects and are thus doomed to fail from the very beginning?

No, this definitely does not hold true. Many network marketing companies are international and have no boundaries. The world is your oyster. With such companies, you can be in one continent and have a downline in another continent and you would still be paid.

This is the beauty of network marketing. It is an international business and its reach is global. With that being said, are there still people who like MLM and where can you find them?

Essentially these would be people who are open to MLM opportunities. They would be your target market and comprise individuals who:
Ø Have been in other network marketing organizations before and the companies they were with could have closed the doors due to a variety of reasons
Ø Are currently in another network marketing organization and are just on the lookout for a better company or better compensation plan or better uplines who can show the way and lead them to success
Ø Have heard that network marketing pays well and are keen to join a great company so that they too can make the money
Ø Did not succeed in network marketing before for whatever reason and do not mind if another opportunity lands on their doorstep

With the traditional method of prospecting, the odds of you meeting someone who falls in your target market is like finding a needle in a haystack. However with the current internet age, it is possible to target these people using online marketing techniques.

In fact, once you brand yourself on the internet as an expert and authority in your field, you will find that people will be eager to listen to what you have to say. It is as if the bees (your target market) are being attracted to the honey (you, the expert). When you provide value and share your knowledge and whatever you have unreservedly, your target market will be your loyal followers and may soon end up as your customers.

By offering and providing value, you may, for instance, do a review of various network marketing companies and/or benefits. However, it is of great importance to remember that you should NEVER try to bring people into your company by putting down another company. This strategy does not work. It will backfire one day and when it does, you will lose everything that you have so tirelessly worked for.

Continuously build the relationship with your target market. The better the rapport between you and your target market, the more likely that they will begin to consider whatever opportunity you present them with, be it now or in the future.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Network Marketing Success Principle

When you first sign up for your network marketing program, you are led to believe that the path to success is very simple and you will soon be rich and financially free if you follow the teachings and guidance of your uplines. However, as you start to get more involved and work the business, you realize that a great percentage of your so-called ‘new business partners’ will not bother to do anything and slip into oblivion. Only about 20% will get around to doing something. However out of this number, many will give up after they fail to see results or because they move on to other commitments.

Why is the success rate in network marketing so low? If it is as simple as it is made out to be, why do so many fail? Does that mean that these people are not cut out for the network marketing industry?

In this world and with the current economic situation, many people have big dreams and yearn to get out of the rat race and achieve financial freedom. However their ‘WHY’ is not strong enough or they may not have a distinctly clear ‘WHY’. They also do not know the ‘HOW’ to go about achieving their dream. As such, their dream remains forever a fantasy and never comes to fruition.

In order to succeed in this industry, your ‘WHY’ must be something that truly inspires you, something that will push you to do whatever it takes to accomplish your dreams, your goals and your desires.

In order to have a blueprint for success, you must be very clear as to WHY you are in network marketing. What is your reason for joining network marketing? What do you wish to get out of it? If you do not achieve success, how will it affect you? Why is it important for you to achieve your dream?

As Donald Trump himself put it, “If you are going to think, you might as well think big.” Since you are already thinking, you might as well think big and achieve big.

If you do not have a passion for what you are doing and are unclear about your WHY, you will not be able to handle and overcome any challenges that you will encounter along the way. Having no great desire and commitment to succeed, you will be the next in line to drop out and add to the already high statistics.

Knowing your WHY alone is insufficient for you to see immediate success. You will need to put forward your action plan Here you will break it down into a more manageable time frame as in per day, per week and per year. Have a short term as well as a long term goal. With a proper road map, you can more easily achieve your goals, your dreams and your vision for your life.

Your personal action plan should include self development as well as training and, last but not least, prospecting which is the lifeblood of any network marketing business. Reading motivational books will help you get charged up and is a great asset when it comes to growing your organisation. If you are new to network marketing industry, you will need to be trained. Once you have your downlines, you will need to start training and coaching them. Most network marketers spend so much time on training that they simply forget to prospect. Failure to prospect leads to sure failure.

By abiding and following your action plan closely, your network marketing business will start to bloom. Remember not to rely too much on your uplines or downlines as this can hurt your business. Build your own business although you are not in this business by yourself.

Adhere to your action plan. If you drop behind, make an effort to catch up. Just because you started your network marketing business with a small capital is not reason for you to take things slow. Be focused and committed to success!