Today, I want to educate you about how to deal with fence sitters in your MLM business.
If you’ve spent any amount of time in this industry, you’ve dealt with fence sitters before.
These are people who put off making a decision and procrastinate. They tell you “maybe” or “I have to think about it.”
At the end of the day, this is a STALLING TACTIC, not an objection. Normally, people sit on the fence for one of two reasons:
- They don’t have the money to make a purchase and are embarrassed to tell you so
- They really aren’t interested, in what you have to offer but they don’t want to hurt your feelings and tell you NO
Yes, there might be a few others reasons people stall, but these are the most common two reasons people put off making a decision.
You must learn how to deal with fence sitters in your MLM Business if you want to be successful.
I’d like to share a few tips that have helped me immensely.
First off, you must ASK FOR THE SALE every time you talk with your prospect. I am 100% certain that if you do not ask for the sale, you will not get it. Even if the person is interested in what you are offering them, and wants to buy or join, they will not do so unless you specifically ask them to do it.
You could say something as simple as: “What product would you like to try today with your first order?” Or, you could say “what questions do you need me to answer before we get you started today?” Both of those questions work very well for me.
The next thing you must do is FOLLOW UP. Most people will need minimum five to ten follow ups before they buy or join. I read online the other day that 81% of all sales happen AFTER the fifth follow up, yet most people give up after the second follow up. If you get nothing else out of this article, remember that. The fortune is in the follow up.
Next, you must EXPECT OBJECTIONS and STALLING. It is normal. Most people will not jump for joy and sign up on the spot. An objection is nothing more than a request for more information. Do not get defensive or argumentative with your prospect. Answer their questions to the best of your ability. Learn how to respond to the most common objections, so you have a good response.
Another tip is to have so many people in your pipeline that you aren’t emotionally attached to your prospect’s decision. At all times, have 50 to 100 prospects in your pipeline. This will keep you excited and it won’t matter to you who gets in and who doesn’t get in.
You also have the option to do THREE other things with your fence sitters.
First off, you can tell them you are going to “scratch them off your list.” You could just say something like “Joe, by the sounds of it, you don’t sound all that interested in what I have to offer you. I’m going to scratch you off my list. If you ever change your mind, feel free to give me a call.” While you might lose some people after you say this to, what I like most about this phrase is the takeaway. Anyone even 10% interested will tell you not to scratch them off your list.
Another option is to tell your prospect what the next step is. Just say something like this. “Joe, the next step is to watch the training webinar on Friday night at 9pm EST. On the webinar, my successful business partner will be explaining the business and answering people’s questions. Can you commit to attending the webinar?” Your prospect will give you an answer and you will know where you stand.
Your final option is simply to move on to another person. There are nearly 7.5 BILLION people in the world. At the end of the day, you are looking for people who are looking. If someone can’t make a or 0 decision, move on to someone who can.
Final Thoughts
There you have it folks. These are my thoughts on how to deal with fence sitters in your MLM Business. I hope you got some value from this post. On a side note, I would love to hear what you do with fence sitters in your own business. Leave a comment below to let me know what you think.mour
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 have had to deal with fence sitters so these tips are great to have. People tell you over and over again that they really need money but won’t take your offer. It is so very important to say the right thing to a prospect. I often have hear people say “You wouldn’t want to hear about my business would you”? Or “Do you want to order something”? Those statements alone sound like you don’t care about the business or the products so why would anyone want to join or order from you…
If you are passionate about your business it will show. Just treat people right and never treat them like you are in it for yourself.