Do You Think Like Your Prospects?

How long has it been since you were a Prospect? I can't remember back that far. Especially since I have been in several different companies and failed at every one until I found the company I am currently with and its duplicatable system.

Can you still think like a Prospect after being in the Network Marketing profession for a while? Or have you forgotten what is important? What motivates someone to join you in your business? For that fact, what motivates ANYONE to join you in ANY activity?

Is it because you are "Too Sexy for Your Shirt"? So wealthy you have a fan club? Have a fantastic car, or mansion? Probably none of the above. Here is a short quiz that might shed some light on what is important to a Prospect.

This quiz is taken from the Ebook "Success in 10 Steps" by Michael Dlouhy.

Get your pen. Here's the list:

1. Company literature shown
2. Marketing plan and potential earnings
3. Training provided
4. Who gave the presentation
5. Product line
6. Company management experience
7. Up-line support
8. Company image
9. Sales kit provided
10. Being first in your area

List the above items in the order you believe a Prospect would be most interested in, in order to join you in your business.

Remember, you are thinking like a Prospect. Try not to look at the answers before you finish your quiz.

One of my mentors, Tom “Big Al” Schreiter, has traveled the world promoting his MLM business. He's discovered what prospects consider most important in deciding on a company.

The answers to the quiz are the following:

#1 won hands down.

1. Who gave the presentation?

"People join people, they don't join companies." Michael Dlouhy, "Success in 10 Steps". The Prospect is interested in YOU, the presenter. Do you meet their criteria as a leader? Will you be there for them as they build their business? This business is about people, not about products or services. When you care about someone, it shows. The Prospect will develop trust in you.

2. Up-line Support.

We're back to people again. You will be their support. They want to know if you will help them. How about YOUR Upline? Will they be available to the Prospect also? One of the first questions your Prospect will have is whether or not they can do the business. So you and your up-line will have to portray integrity and trustworthiness. They won't join someone they don't like and trust. After all, they will be working closely with you and none of us want to work with someone they don't like and trust.

3. Training Provided

So far they haven't asked about the money yet. Surprised? Isn't that why we work? Actually, the motivation for setting up a Network Marketing business begins with the people we will be working with. Again, we're back to like and trust. You have to show them you will be helping them succeed. So many Network Marketing companies have the philosophy of recruit and run. The Prospect is left holding the bag all alone. No wonder there is such a high attrition rate in Network Marketing.

How are you going to provide training? Do you offer interactive conference calls? How about marketing and leads generation training? Then, there is product training. What do you have to offer them? Does the company offer training? What if this is their first time working in Network Marketing? Starting any new business is scary. But take McDonalds as an example. They have a strong duplicatable system that is used throughout their franchises. You can walk into any McDonalds and expect similar menus and identical work processes. They are, for the most part, run very efficiently. Can you offer a training system to your Prospect that will allow THEM to train their Prospects? It's all about know, like and trust. Training is critical to their success.

4. Marketing Plan and Potential Earnings.

Nearly halfway through the Prospect's list of what is important to them, and we're finally getting to compensation. They are wondering if they can do this. Can they really make some money? However, they are back to wondering if you can provide the necessary training to help them be successful. How much money isn't as big an issue as "Can I really do this AND make some money"? What are you going to provide in the way of training and support? You don't really need to go into great detail about the compensation plan because they are thinking about so many different things at this point; they won't retain all the specifics.

5. Product Line

Now come questions about the product or service they will be selling. This is not the time to go into secret ingredients of your wonder product, or to tell them about how many bauds per second their Internet service will provide. A basic overview will suffice at this point. People don't really want to know all about the product, they just want to know if it is something they can use. They are going to want to know if YOU use the products and what results you have had.

6. Being first in the area

Have they asked about the company yet? Nope. People want to know there is room for growth. They don't want to be in a saturated market, but neither do they want to be the only ones selling this product or service. They want the assurance that the product or service is saleable.

7. Company Literature Shown

Many Network Marketers focus on company literature, audios, videos, etc. But in the long run, that is NOT what is going to create a desire for someone to join you in your business. We're back to Network Marketing being a relationship building business. People want to join YOU, not your video.

8. Company Image

Will your Prospect be impressed by an elaborate office building and huge warehouse in an exclusive area of town? I know that didn't impress me. However, after I joined the business, I WAS impressed by the streamlined structure of my company and how much MORE money they were paying their distributors as a result.

Mainly your Prospect wants to be assured that this is a legitimate business and not some offshore corporation with a mailbox for an address. Will they get a check for their hard work, and will the company be there for the long haul? In other businesses, such as Insurance or Investments, the company image is very important. But in Network Marketing, we are back to relationship building.

9. Is The Sales Kit Provided?

Now the Prospect wants to know what their marketing tools will be. Is there good literature? Are there well-produced videos or tapes?

Most presentations start out with information on the company, then the sales kit is presented. However, this is 9th on the list of the most important presentation activities on the Prospect's mind. Who is doing the presentation is still the most important thing for your Prospect. They are still wondering if you will be there to help them. Will your Upline be there? Can they make some money? What will you do to help them be successful?

And, finally…

10. Company Management Experience

Lastly, the Prospect wants to know about the company management. Is the "President a family man, and he's got four or five families to prove it"? From "Success in 10 Steps", Michael Dlouhy. The Prospect really doesn't care. They are still focused on you, the presenter, and how you will help THEM.

Have you convinced them they can do it? Do they like you? Do they believe and trust in you, if not, nothing else matters.


Now it's time to score your quiz.

Again, this is from "Success in 10 Steps", Michael Dlouhy.

Take the difference between what you had and the correct answer. (E.g., if you had #10 Company Management Experience ranked #1, you’d have a difference of 9.)

Do that with every item. Add them up. Now you’ll see how YOU are thinking, compared to how the prospect is thinking.

When I first took the Quiz, I did not do very well. I scored a very high number. My guess is that MANY Network Marketers get these 10 activities backwards, hence, the difficulty in talking with a Prospect and having them join you in your business.

All that matters is what your Prospect is thinking, not what you think they should know.

Learn to think like a Prospect and your entire business will turn around.

To get your free copy of the Ebook "Success in 10 Steps" just click on the name.

What Color is Your Personality Rainbow

Each of us have a dominant personality color. This classification of personality temperaments dates back to 400 B.C. when Hippocrates named them Melancholic, Sanguine, Choleric and Phlegmatic.

In my Network Marketing organization we have adopted the theory that the names of these personality temperaments coincide with colors. Melancholic is associated with the color GREEN. YELLOW is Phlegmatic, RED is Choleric, and BLUE is Sanguine.

Each color has its strengths and weaknesses. Each personality contributes to the interesting aspects of being human.

Here's a story about how the colors interact.


It was a bright beautiful day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and the temperature was 72 degrees. It was a near perfect day. I was invited to a party that day which was to be held outdoors. The weather couldn't get much better than that for the party.

When I arrived, I was happy to see that many of my friends were there, plus some people I didn't know. I'm not really a party animal, but was open to meeting some new people.

I was warmly greeted at the door by my friend, Malcomb Monkey. "Hello Oliver Owl, how are you?" he said. He's always ready for a party. He is self-employed. No one really knows for sure what he does, but I've heard him use the term "Network Marketing". I don't quite know what that is, but he loves doing it. I enjoy being around him because he is always upbeat, full of energy, enthusiastic and creative. His voice is so strong, you can hear him from a block away. Malcomb loves being around people and never meets a stranger. He looked great in his bright "BLUE" Hawaiian print shirt. Good thing he's married to Tina Teddy Bear. He's so disorganized he would never have been able to pull this party together. Malcomb flies by the seat of his pants and loves public speaking. He's so much fun to be around.

About the time Malcomb had finished greeting me at the door and introducing me to six people, whose names I couldn't recall, Tina Teddy Bear came out of the kitchen with a beautiful tray of well arranged, and decorated, carrot cake muffins. She immediately set down the muffins and walked across the room to give me a big hug. Tina looked wonderful in her "YELLOW" sundress. She always dresses so well for every function she is at. She has such great taste. She is a little soft spoken. Tina Teddy Bear is a crisis counselor. She has worked in that profession for many years. She has won many awards at work for her dependability and being a team player. Tina is so warm and friendly, that I know why she is so good at counseling. Malcomb says he has to be careful, though, when communicating with her because she can be a little overly sensitive. Tina is definitely the one in the family that holds things together. She is so dependable, warm and loving. Tina Teddy Bear excused herself to finish her job of making sure her guests were well taken care of.

Malcomb had moved on to greet other newcomers. I (Oliver Owl) stood there for a moment alone in the room wondering where I could go to be inconspicuous. I did want to meet some other people but I'm a bit reserved and it is not always easy for me to walk up to someone and begin talking to a complete stranger. I don't mind being alone. I just have to be careful that I don't spend so much time alone that I become depressed. I prefer formal introductions. I am an Engineer and not everyone wants to discuss the technology I work with, especially the research. I took off my "GREEN" linen jacket and laid it across the back of one of the chairs, then headed out to where the party was. I took a glass of diet coke from the bar and began to analyze each of the guests wondering what they did for a living. I like knowing a lot about the people I interact with. I persisted in doing that until someone tapped on my shoulder.

As I turned around I was met with a forceful and loud,"HELLO". She introduced herself as Sally Shark. I barely had time to try to remember her name before she began telling me all about herself. Sally is a CEO/Attorney for her corporation. She definitely looked the part. No casual dress for her, she was definitely "dressed for success" in her "RED" blazer, white blouse, black skirt and print scarf. As I stood there listening to her talk about herself, i.e., dominating the conversation, I noticed that she was very intense and goal oriented. It was difficult to believe all she was telling me. I had a strong feeling she was exaggerating a bit to impress me. Sally began talking about all the money she was making in her job and how she had worked her way up the corporate ladder. She really enjoyed the powerful position she was in. Abruptly, Sally spotted someone else she wanted to talk with and was gone just as suddenly as she had arrived.

As, I stood there observing the attendees of this party, I struck me how different everyone was. Each had their own individual personality traits. I decided that that was a good thing. Each person brought color to the party with their unique talents and traits.

As the evening came and everyone was leaving, I thanked Malcomb Monkey and Tina Teddy Bear for a wonderful evening, grabbed my "GREEN" linen coat and walked to my new high mileage car.