Today, I want to share some simple tips for calling your MLM Leads.
While many people have leaned towards using the internet to contact their leads, with platforms such as email and Facebook, I still believe the phone is a viable way to grow your business, if done right.
Whether you are cold calling someone, or calling someone on your name’s list, you can leverage the phone to work smart. This adds the personal touch and also saves you a lot of time. While you might be scared to this, I hope you will at least consider it.
Calling Your MLM Leads: 12 Tips for Success
Here are 12 of my best tips for calling your MLM Leads. These tips are listed in no particular order.
# 1: Sell the Appointment
First and foremost, the purpose of your call is to sift and sort through your prospects. You are not trying to convince your prospect to buy your product or join your business the first time you talk with them. Basically, you are pre-qualifying them and selling the appointment. The appointment will sell them on your products or business opportunity. The appointment might be an actual meeting or an invitation to watch a webinar.
# 2: Know Your Numbers
Working the phone is a numbers game. Recruiting people is a numbers game. Keep track of your stats so you know your success ratio. For instance, you might need to call 30 people to talk to 5 people to find one interested person. Your numbers might be better than that. They might be worse. Either way, it’s okay. Track it, measure it and find simple ways to improve it.
If you’re a passionate salesperson, you’ll be raring to go on the phones. But you should take the time to create a strategy and carefully consider your targets. By developing this strategy, you can successfully earn those bonuses.
You should also think about how many calls it will take to convert a prospect. You can then deduce how many total calls you’ll need to hit your targets, as well as how much time you’ll need to dedicate to each call.
~ Source: Uplead.com
# 3: Use a Script
Unless you are a seasoned network marketer, and feel 100% confident on the phone, I would use some sort of script. You don’t need to read it verbatim, but you should have an outline you can use. This will make your conversation flow smoothly, rather than you stumbling what to say next. It will also help keep you on point so you don’t say too much or drag out the conversation.
Cold calling is a performance. You need to be able to get in a zone just like actors do.
Actors use scripts for most of their work. Yet somehow not all television shows and movies sound like a bunch of robots beeping at each other.
They’re full of real human emotion! So it must be possible to use a script and talk like an actual person, but you can’t just read your lines.
It’s easy to get great at utilizing a script in cold calls if you’re willing to put in the work.
~ Source: SalesHacker.com
# 4: Know the Basic Objections
In network marketing, there are only a few basic objections you will ever hear. From my own experience, they are:
- I don’t have the time
- I don’t have the money
- Is this one of those pyramid things?
- I have to think about it
- I have to talk with my spouse about it
- The products are too expensive
In my 18-years experience in this great industry, these are pretty much the only objections that come up. Knowing the answer to them ahead of time will definitely help. Expect objections. Embrace them. Probably 99% of the people you talk with will have at least one objection.
# 5: Consider Texting Instead
Instead of calling your MLM Leads, why not text them instead? What I have found is most people do not answer their phone from an incoming phone number they do not recognize. However, everyone checks their text messages. And, they do it frequently. Consider using a text message as the initial contact. You will reach more people using this approach than calling your MLM Leads.
# 6: Action Cures Fear
I know you’re scared to pick up that 300 pound phone. I get it. You can either sit back and let that fear paralyze you or you can pick up the phone and smile and dial. I have found the quickest way to overcome your phone fears is to make 100 phone calls. Once you do that, I’m pretty sure your phone fears will disappear for good. You might even grow to enjoy it.
# 7: Say Less to More People
Say less to more people and go for no! Your calls should be short and sweet, no more than a few minutes. Remember, you are not trying to explain your business in detail to anyone. You are instead trying to find out if they are open to taking a closer look at your offer. You are selling the appointment. I’d rather see you spend 2-minutes with 50 different prospects than 100-minutes with one prospect.
If you’re struggling to stay motivated, try Jeff Hoffman’s tip: Count the “nos” you get. Rather than feeling dejected when you’re shut down, you’ll feel like you’ve made progress.
To make things a little more exciting, challenge another two or three salespeople to race you. The first rep who gets a certain number of nos wins — maybe they get to pick the next lunch, free drinks, or just bragging rights.
~ Source: Blog.Hubspot.com
# 8: Focus on What’s In it for Them
Believe it or not, your prospect does not care about you. Chances are, they might not even know you, or know you that well. Make sure the conversation is about them, not about you. Focus on the benefits of what you are offering them, what’s in it for them! That’s what they care about.
# 9: Make a Good First Impression
You have at most ten seconds to make a good first impression when calling your MLM Leads. Tell them right upfront your name and the purpose of your call. Be positive. Smile. Check your energy levels. And, make sure you are polite.
# 10: Call at the Right Time
Do not call people late at night or early in the morning. Even better, do not call people during dinner time! From personal experience, I have found the best time to call prospects is SUNDAY NIGHT, especially if you are calling people about your business opportunity. Why? On Sunday night, most people dread having to go back to their job the following day. Another good time to call prospects is between 7 pm and 8 pm, in their time zone.
Timing is everything, so visualize your prospect’s daily schedule when deciding what time to make your cold calls. What time do they get to work in the morning or arrive back from lunch? What time of day are they most likely to be available to chat and receptive to your call?
Additionally, what time of day are you able to dedicate an hour or two to cold calling without too many interruptions?
~ Source: PropellorCRM.com
# 11: Get Your Prospect Saying YES
If you’re going to ask questions, ask questions where you must get a YES from your prospect. Get your prospect saying yes as quickly as possible. If you can get them to say YES at least three times, there is a good chance they will take a look at what you are offering them.
# 12: Leave a Voicemail
When calling your MLM Leads, if you get the person’s voicemail, make sure you leave them a message. I think this is actually better than talking to the person? You can share your simple script with them, let them know the purpose of the call, and provide your link or contact information. If they call you back, they are a good prospect. If they don’t, leave them alone and move on to the next person.
Think of it as an audio email, and keep it to 20-30 seconds. Don’t worry about a reply; just focus on continuing to nurture your prospect’s trust in you.
At the beginning of your voicemail, insert your connecting statement (after you say who’s calling) then end with a note that triggers curiosity.
~ Source: Yesware.com
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these are my top 12 tips for calling your MLM Leads. None of this is rocket science, but if you follow these 12 simple tips I know you will get better results using the phone to grow your business.
What are your thoughts about calling your MLM Leads? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
I wanted to add something that is very important. You hit on it with #6 about being confident and have good posture. Many who call immediately apologize for calling. Saying you are sorry for calling is a sign of weakness, and most people will jump on that immediately. Think about it….you have nothing you need to apologize for. If they didn’t want phone calls, they wouldn’t have a telephone, or they would have it turned off.
The second part is: when you meet them face to face, dress appropriately. Under or over dressing can be a hindrance to what you are trying to accomplish.
Dress for success and have posture!
I do think that people tend to underestimate the impact the way they look has on others when trying to promote your business. Some people believe that if they do a good enough job presenting the company or the product then that will be enough, and honestly it should be. However, the way we look is a much larger representation of who we are as business people. If we dress professionally, then people tend to believe that we are in fact professional and organized in our business dealings.
Listening and being kind are such simple steps, but steps that are also often not taken. People can be so caught up in sharing information that they over-talk their leads or cut them off in an effort to tell them just one more thing. Also, it is quite surprising how brash people can come off in their effort to try to convince someone to become a part of their team.
We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should use them in that proportion.
Hi Chuck,
Excellent post. I wish I could disagree with something , but I can’t. I will say that it is absolutely amazing what people will tell you, if you let them!
Yes, you can learn a lot by asking questions and listening.
This was a very good post Chuck. There are two things here that I feel are of utmost importance. As an ex telemarketer, listening is probably the biggest problem with people who call to sell and network market. In many cases, prospects will tell you the answer to getting them to buy or sign up if we just listen, but in many cases, we are so busy trying to talk over them, we are not hearing what they are telling us. The other one is being short and to the point. There is nothing most people hate more than a short story turned into a 2 hour novel.
Everyone would benefit by becoming a better listener.