The 4 Objectives You Need to Set for Effective Prospecting
I remember watching The Mission Impossible sequel with Tom Cruise. Every time he was asked how he intends to achieve a feat, his response usually is ‘I will figure it out’ As much as I love his Ethan Hunt character, and the fact that he takes actions and doesn’t let fear hold him back, this doesn’t work in prospecting.
Before you talk to a new prospect, you should have an idea where you are going. Focus on what your goals are and not what the challenges might be. Prospecting without an objective is like building a house without a blueprint. I am not saying the Plan has to be perfect, but the goal should be: which is to get an answer.
Having a defined objective makes you more efficient and your calls more effective.
This is because you will know what to ask your prospect and also how to nudge her in the right direction.
So here are the four objectives you should have while prospecting:
GATHER INFORMATION AND QUALIFY
Many Network Marketers think that prospecting starts from when you start speaking with the prospect. Prospecting starts even before you speak with the prospect. It starts with you qualifying the person you want to speak with, to see if she is the right fit for you and your company. Every day, we waste time, energy, and emotion chasing wrong prospects. Some of them end up signing with us so that we can leave them alone. Such sign-ups are not profitable. Or we end up speaking with the wrong spouse who is not the business decision-maker. Sadly, we end up not getting what we need which is a sign up that will duplicate. We need to learn how to qualify our prospects:
Can my product solve a need for her?
Can she get the result she seeks using my product/service?
Do I need to speak with both couples at once or not?
Is she the right fit for this opportunity?
Not everyone is your prospect, and you don’t need everyone to join you for you to succeed.
SET A DEFINED APPOINTMENT
I remember a seminar organized by a leader in my company where she brought a sales coach. Before that event, I didn’t know what it means to set a defined appointment. Prospects will tell me, ‘call me next week’ and I will be like ‘okay ma’ and end the call. The sales coach said that ‘next week’ isn’t time. That is not an appointment.
An appointment is only effective when it is in both your calendar and your prospect’s calendar also.
You need to get a date, day, and if the possible exact time from the prospect. That way they will be committed to it. This is not a guarantee that the prospect will be available then (As we have what is called political talk here in this country) but it is more defined than month-end or next week. If your prospect isn’t going to commit to giving you a defined appointment, don’t spend so much time on him. This is because to successfully build your business, you need people who are committed. I am not saying give up, no. Call him during the undefined time as he said but don’t spend too much time pressurizing him to give you a defined appointment. Remember, prospecting is a business of numbers so move.
BUILD FAMILIARITY
You have profiled your prospect and have an idea of who she is, but does your prospect know you?. This is where visibility comes in. Your prospects will only be willing to talk to you if they know you, like you, and trust you. The more familiar they are with you, your brand, the more likely they are to speak with you. Don’t forget that as you profile your prospect, they too are profiling you though your social media handles. How visible are you? Before a prospect signs up with you, she will need to know if you know your stuff, if you can help her get the result that she seeks.
So don’t be an unseen force in the industry, be a voice that shows people the better way to create a better lifestyle.
FILL THE FORM
What’s the point of talking to someone if not to get the person to fill the form? This is where many of us miss it. We spend too much time chitchatting and building relationships until it gets too weird to ask the prospect to fill the form. Don’t get me wrong. Prospecting is not for building a relationship, it is for qualifying, getting appointments, and making sales.
Don’t build a relationship for so long that you lose sight of what you are doing.
From qualifying your prospect, you determine if the person is the right fit or not. Closing the deal takes less than a minute but it requires confidence (which grows over time with knowledge and practice), posture (attitude is very important), and then skills (which you can acquire)
Setting your objectives before you start the prospecting process makes you more efficient and allows you to move faster and achieve success more. Remember that Network marketing is a business of numbers, and the more people you speak with, the luckier you get. So set your objectives and move!
I help Network Marketers get upskilled so that they can scale up in their business.
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