Am relating to the number 10 mistake, whereby i already have and intend to use my contact database from being an business executive in an IT company. however am not sure on how to make the call since it’s hard to persuade for an appointment outside of working hours (for network marketing purposes). it’s be weird to ask them out for a chat, since my past correspondences never have been that cordial. Please help!!!!

Well, Farah, let’s see…

The Chinese say, dig your well before you’re thirsty. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. I understand these former colleagues of yours  know you but you’re not sure if they like you or how much they trust you.

When you approach this (relatively) cold list, be “congruent”. It’s important not to be deceiving. Don’t go, “hey, let’s get together for a coffee” and  then roll out that huge bristle board and start drawing circles on it. I’m exaggerating, of course but I’m sure you get the point. If you are meeting them for a coffee, make it about the coffee. Talk about life and families. Talk about hobbies and new movies.  Talk about their pain-in-the-neck boss and how little vacation time their company allows their best employees (them! wink, wink) to take. Then mention that you recently started a new business and say, “If there was a way for us to work together,  doing something interesting very part time and generate a check big enough to catch your attention, you’d want to know about it, wouldn’t you?” Then shut up and listen. Let them answer.

They can say “yes”, “no” or “it depends”.

If they say “yes” then schedule an appointment to do a business presentation. Resist the urge to ponce on them with your spiel. The only end you will be able to achieve by “pouncing” is your lifetime induction in the NFL (No Friends Left) club.

If they say “no”, ask for a referral. Use this line, “Okay, great, not a problem! Who do you know who may want to make some extra money working part time?” Then wrap up the meeting and get out of there.

And if they answer “it depends” or “maybe”, you absolutely have to agree: “Of course! You need to make sure it’s legit and it’s something you’d enjoy doing, right?” How can they not agree with that statement? So they nod and you proceed to schedule an appointment with them to do a proper business introduction. Wrap up. Leave.

There are six dont’s and six do’s that I need to mention here.

Don’t:

• let them pay for the coffee
• take up too much of their time
• talk about business (other than the probing question I gave you above)
• press your business card into their hand (you will only scare them away or create an objection by revealing the company or the product you represent)
• forget to follow up (a handwritten thank you note in the mail will do wonders)
• try to turn them around if they say “no” (remember: your job is to sort people, not convince them against their will)

Do:

• turn off the cell phone
• keep the conversation casual
• listen 4 times as much as you speak
• focus on them and maintain the eye contact
• find out their “whys”, things that are important to them that they would like to do but can’t do now
• be aware of their schedule (they probably need to be back at work)

Try this formula for 3 weeks and it will become your way of living. And when that happens, you will discover that network marketing can be a lot more fun (even though it still requires work, discipline, and dedication) than you ever dreamed possible.