YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
FIRST-YEAR IN MLM: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET-PART 2. Make rejection your ally instead of your enemy. NETWORK MARKETING IS ONE of the most fun and rewarding businesses in the world, but eventually all network marketers are faced with certain widespread and universal challenges.
REVIEW OF YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING-PART 1
Rejection By Your Spouse
Bob is at a transitional place in his life and open to a career change. He is receptive to listening to a new business concept. He goes to a network marketing meeting and for the first time everything makes sense. Now, because he’s about to be laid off, he has a transitional mind-set. Now let’s look at two possible outcomes. In fact, we’ll examine several scenarios.
First, Bob corners his wife. But keep in mind that even if the circumstances differ, the outcome is often the same. This discussion could have happened on a Sunday morning following a Saturday training session in which Bob had already signed a distributor application. It doesn’t really matter. The point is this: We are convinced that as many as 50 percent of all potentially successful net workers fail before ever getting started because their sponsor does not prepare them for the spouse Rejection Rocket.
The Greatest Networker In The World (Vishva Ka Mahantam Networker:
The Greatest Networker In The World IN HINDI)
Rejection by Family and Friends
BEFORE presenting solutions to the previous problem, let’s first scrutinize another scenario that occurs frequently. Although the participants are somewhat different, the outcome is equally predictable and negative. We begin by assuming that Bob’s wife is as excited as he is about this network marketing opportunity. Initially, Bob decides to take the lead until their new infant is a little older; his wife will join Bob later. Bob can anticipate the primary objections used by prospective MLM’ers and has memorized a response for each one.
Winning the Battle
This is a man Bob has known since high school. Their lives are quite different now, so they see each other infrequently but have nevertheless retained their warm friendship. The conversation begins with small talk, but let’s move ahead to the actual dialogue about the business. In this particular scenario, the objections and responses to them will probably continue for another five or ten minutes. In a last-ditch effort to shut Bob up, Steve may actually agree to go to a presentation. Of course, the chances that he will actually attend are slim to none. Unable to apply the six-month rule, the battle will never again be waged, let alone won. In other words, another potentially great network marketer is history. Kiss ten more possible net-workers goodbye!
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
Positive Negative
He feels rejected because his good friend is so positive that network distribution is a rotten industry. And because Steve is so positively negative about network marketing, Bob decides to never again extend the opportunity to his friend. That is a serious mistake, as we’ll explain later when we fully define the six-month rule. Which is better for you?” Steve answers pleasantly, “Gosh, Robert, it sounds great. Can you tell me just a little about it?” “Well, Steve, I’d rather not discuss it over the telephone because it’s about 90 percent visual. “My God, Bob!” Steve excitedly responds. 125,000 a month! Whew! I think Thursday would be our best bet. What time?”
This last scenario is actually somewhat common when new distributors are calling friends.
And that can be more devastating than any other form of rejection because you’ll feel deceived. So remember, no matter how nice they are on the telephone, half of your family and friends may not show up for your meetings, especially if you tell them about products and brochures, videos and samples. Knowing this fact ahead of time softens the pain.
“I was devastated as I hung up the phone. I had never been laughed at quite like that before.
Then all the voices began to come to me: ‘Why in the world am I doing this? Nothing is worth this kind of humiliation. Since nobody seems to want to do this, maybe they know something I don’t. If I quit now, I’ll never have to go through that again.’
“What a great response.
‘ Today, more than a decade later, that man who almost laughed me out of the business is still a disc jockey in Austin, Texas. Me . . . I live in the mountains in Colorado with my wife and kids and run an international business with distributors in over twenty countries around the world. I have made millions of dollars since that first laugh, and I can assure you . . . it was worth it. Let ’em laugh.”
In order to sustain herself through these years, she plays her own mental imagery tape in her mind.
May you be as fortunate as Frank, Dennis, and Maria when you have one of your friends put you down or scoff at you. Later, we will discuss the very finest “friend approach” in order to minimize the rejection like these distributors faced. But, we hope that learning of their battles with rejection will assist you in coping with your own. Fine wine can be a byproduct of sour grapes. Turn your battles into a motivational force and let that force propel you through those early rejections. Dennis is right. It is all worth it.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
Preparing Your Prospects for Rejection
Let’s set the stage. You have just presented your business opportunity effectively by following a specific format, one we’ll explain in a later chapter, and you’re convinced that three of the five prospects sitting in your living room are tremendously excited about the income potential. They’ve asked all the right questions and you’ve answered them to the best of your ability.
Here’s how we prepare our unwary prospects. We suggest you memorize or paraphrase this for your own use, speaking in the singular or plural accordingly:
“Folks, I know some of you are excited about the numbers you’ve heard today. I realize that you will want to do your due diligence, as would any responsible entrepreneur. But I want to warn you about the two primary causes of failure so you can avoid them while you’re doing your investigating.” Don’t be afraid to use a comment like “brain-dead” on your prospects no matter how successful or professional they appear. We’ve never had anyone fail to laugh at the comment.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
“The first cause of failure occurs when new network marketers listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
The second cause of failure results from their NOT listening to those of us who do know what we’re talking about. Let me give you an example. It’s just human nature that when we get excited about something, we want to share it with others. Whether it’s a new flavor of ice cream or a business opportunity, it doesn’t really matter we want to share it, especially with the people we most care about.
That’s fine with ice cream or a good movie, but it’s not right to share this business with anyone until you’re completely trained and knowledgeable about our company.
Why? Because the primary cause of failure in our profession stems from people getting excited about the tremendous earnings potential and then charging out to tell their closest friends and relatives before having the slightest idea how to do our business. It is critical that you not say anything to anyone until we have taught you a successful approach.
You know the truth about the earnings potential,
“If you begin talking to your relatives and friends about this industry, most of them are going to tell you that you’ve lost your mind. And even though you think you’ve got all the facts, even though you know the truth about the earnings potential, and even though your friends, neighbors, and relatives know nothing, they will still tell you you’re an idiot. And if you have ten or twenty people in a row question your sanity, especially people you know and love, you will give up before you begin.
So don’t even attempt to sell your spouse on the opportunity: simply get him or her back here for a presentation as soon as possible.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
“Now I know you think you’re strong enough to avoid being influenced by people whom you know are completely ignorant about our company. Everybody thinks that. And let’s say that you are . . . let’s say that even if twenty friends and relatives reject you and tell you you’re an imbecile, you do not collapse under the weight of their negative attitudes. The real problem is this: Once they’ve told you not to get involved, even if you later skillfully prove them wrong and answer every one of their concerns, they will not sign up !
Remember, once they’ve ridiculed you for getting into MLM, they cannot afford to sign up themselves because that’s tantamount to admitting their own foolishness. And in this era, many folks are more interested in “impression management” than in taking responsibility for their own lives and creating financial independence and time freedom.
Some of your very best “warm market” recruits will never join you, no matter how successful you become, if you approach them improperly. Years of experience have taught us that the single largest cause of failure results from listening to people who don’t know what they are talking about.”
Here’s the problem: New prospects’ friends and family don’t know anything about your company or the business of networking. And in their ignorance, they are certain it must be a scam.
Until you are involved financially, they sense you are not really committed. So they will do everything in their power to “save you” from making a big mistake. When you say, “Hey, everybody, I’m getting ready to open a new restaurant,” you can count on the response: “Are you sure you want to do that? I’ve heard most start-ups go under.” However, once you have already made the investment, your family and friends will do everything in their power to support you in your new venture. When you say, “Hey, everybody, I’ve just opened a new restaurant,” the response will likely be, “Oh, good for you . . . when can we come?”
Rejection by family and friends is by far one of the biggest challenges in network marketing.
But you can only change their attitudes by changing your own. After you’ve elevated your own self-esteem and confidence level, only then will you be able to help others elevate theirs (often altering their opinions, strengthening your family’s support or interest, and opening doors to your friends and associates).
We wrap up our business presentation by discussing the second cause of failure: not listening to those who DO know what they’re talking about.
If any of you do decide to sign up and become my front line associates, you must also be willing to duplicate exactly what I teach you. This business is totally different from traditional business, and if you are going to sign up and then try to reinvent the wheel, you’re going to fail. So promise me you’ll follow our system or, frankly, I’d rather not even have you sign up. Fortunately, we are in an experienced organization and – we know what we’re doing.
Your first ninety days are critical, and we start the clock today as you begin your decision-making.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
That dialogue is the way we close our in-home recruiting presentations, nearly verbatim. In fact, as prospects are preparing to drive away, we will frequently remind them one last time: “Don’t forget, please don’t attempt to explain this business to anyone, especially your spouse, until after ‘you’ve been trained!” As they depart, we are already beginning to visualize them as partners.
The Rejection Rocket can be deterred quite effectively if it is anticipated and fully understood by new net-workers and prospects.
Actually, if you train new frontline people properly based on the systems we will advance throughout this book, rejection will be the least of your worries. In fact, once new distributors finish with their “warm market” prospects and enter the “cold market,” rejection is one of their greatest allies. Why? Because the sooner it can be determined that a prospect is not receptive to a network marketing opportunity, the sooner the distributor can file her away for a six-month follow-up, and move on to viable prospects without wasting time.
Maintaining a positive open attitude.
“And so I systematically tried everything under the sun to avoid the pain of rejection including the art of managing a nonexistent downline, but it always comes back to taking action and maintaining a positive open attitude. Napoleon Hill, the author of the classic Think and Grow Rich, helped me understand that my state of mind must be one of absolute belief in what I am communicating to others and in my ability to deliver the message not just a mere hope or a wish.
For me, this business has been the greatest self-development course in the world.
As I leave the house to prospect, I have learned that I can create one of two mindsets. I can strive to be well received by those I approach and that is a one-step process called perseverance. Or I can try to avoid the pain of rejection and that is a three-step formula: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” Persistence, coupled with absolute belief, can never be defeated, and that is precisely why we know that Paul and Jenny will prosper abundantly.
REVIEW OF YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING-PART 1
Call Reluctance
OFTEN the mere fear and anticipation of rejection will keep new net-workers at home. Fear of getting started is one of the primary causes of failure in our industry. It is an obvious but unspoken phenomenon. New marketers will hide behind the need to study the products more, or attend a few more meetings, watching how you do it over and over, even though they’ve already seen it ten times. They will gladly attend training meetings after training meetings, invest time in their new business by listening to audiotapes on how to prospect and overcome objections, and generally do anything and everything possible to avoid actual prospecting.
“Just do it!
They will become involved in all manner of unproductive activities just to avoid having to, in the words of the great Nike, “Just do it!” Then after days, weeks, and sometimes even months of such busywork, they will decide that this business just doesn’t work. After all. they haven’t succeeded in building an organization.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
The reason is clear to everyone except them.
The mere anticipation of rejection leads to “call reluctance,” which can and often does lead to failure. Often, a week or so before they quit, we hear the essence of their failure in the remark, “If something doesn’t happen soon, we’re going to have to get a job to make ends meet.” In traditional business, things may just happen, but in network marketing, success comes to those who make things happen.
And by the way, “call reluctance” is not an experience limited to nonprofessionals.
Often it’s the most sophisticated executives who carry this secret phobia, not of actually being rejected, mind you, but of the fear that they might be. Mark recruited the mayor of a major southern city and after six months of virtually zero activity, he asked the mayor for his warm market list. He reluctantly handed over his top twenty-five names, but Mark couldn’t find one person whom the mayor had actually called.
“MLM is a scam?
In the final analysis, the mayor had to admit that he was afraid to call those friends because an election year was approaching and he didn’t want to risk damaging his reputation with his constituents. He quit, having never called one prospect because of his fear of rejection. He later had the audacity to state publicly, after failing in a second network marketing company for the same reason. that “MLM is a scam.” He came to that conclusion without ever having called a single prospect.
Not Being Taken Seriously
THOSE who make it past the initial fears of getting started will often be assailed by other elements of the Rejection Rocket. Common among women is not being taken seriously one of the most degrading forms of rejection. It is common for an interested male prospect who is shown the business opportunity by a professional woman net-worker to think something like: “I’ll have to talk to my wife about this little home business.” It’s not a case of the woman being ineffective or the man being demeaning; it’s just that most men cannot identify with having a woman recruiter who is working at home. And if she is distributing cosmetics or some other product or service with which he cannot relate, that only serves to compound the problem.
No matter how strong a female leader is, in some cases the male ego cannot be assuaged by her alone.
On these occasions, the potential rejection can be sidestepped by having a male upline or male partner assist her in closing such prospects. This is not codependency, but rather part of the intrinsic nature and value of what we call “double-gender” closing because ours is a team-based business. First-year associates need not close prospects alone. It’s teamwork that earns leaders the right to receive multi-level compensation.
In some situations, women have discovered that their gender challenges come from within rather than from without.
Historically, men have had more self-confidence while women still struggle with poor self-esteem. For years some women have been financially dependent on their husbands and frequently overlooked for promotions in the workplace.
We realize this is changing in America, but this phenomenon is still prevalent in Eastern cultures and among older generations.
Women have so very much to offer this industry, their companies, their husbands and male partners, and certainly the members of their own organizations. The problem has stemmed from an industry-wide lack of awareness about just how much women have to give and how needed feminine qualities are in today’s global marketplace. The role of women is on the threshold of explosive change, along with their image.
If you suspect that you are being rejected because of an attitude you project, then take some time to work on your own personal growth before attempting to build an organization.
Read books, attend seminars, and listen to audiotapes to enhance your self-image. Surround yourself with positive people who constantly remind you of your worth as a person and the contributions you are capable of making. Shake off any residue of negative self-esteem, any emotional baggage that you may be carrying around, and take pride in yourself.
It is important to understand that you have greatness and unlimited potential to elevate everyone around you.
Practice exuding your inner strength with your head held high and you will see an immediate difference in your general acceptance, your leadership success, and your income. Perhaps no woman in network marketing’s forty-five-year span has better exemplified the transition that can occur in a woman’s life once she begins to accept and project her strength than Kathy Denison.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
“But in Kathy’s case, I suppressed my enthusiasm as rapidly as it surfaced, mainly because I wanted to devote a solid year to snow skiing, hang-gliding, and writing the first edition of my book Power Multi-Level Marketing.
What a fool I was. After finally awakening from my stupor and signing her up, Kathy promptly signed up every possible prospect in Basalt and Aspen, then moved to San Diego and gradually built a business that transformed her into a millionaire.
Never qualify prospects for any reason.
Nearly a decade later, Kathy Denison is one of network marketing’s true heroines. And as Richard Poe so correctly pointed out in Wave 3, “Denison’s stripped-down approach served her well. She rose from a lowly maid to a millionaire in just a few years.” In 1997, Kathy was named one of the top ten “Women of Distinction” in Jerry Hoffman’s International Directory of Network Marketing. That simple two-minute message meant as much to us as any other achievement in either of our lives.
Mark flipped the on-button, the machine rewound, and there, in a broken voice, was our frontline associate Kathy Denison. Her message was simple: “Thank you for believing in me!
We believe there are thousands of women out there just like her, and everyone could succeed if they could shake off their limited programming.
To any woman who may feel assaulted by the Rejection Rocket because of her own self imposed struggle with a negative self-image, we suggest that you select another successful woman as a mentor. Allow her to coach you every step of the way, and duplicate her steps to success.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
Don’t Take Rejection Personally
NEW associates must be taught that a “no, thank you” is not a personal rebuff. And yet that is comparable to what happens to brand new distributors.
They take no, however it is said, too personally.
Like the waitress walking around with a coffeepot, we are mere. searching for those who would like to have what we have to offer. Accepting no is merely part of the process of finding those who say yes. Consider this fact: Of the first sixty-seven individuals whom Mark first approached about joining his organization, sixty-six said no.
However, his first prospects were cold calls, and all but one rejected his offers to even see a presentation.
Mark felt like quitting right then and his sponsor actually did that week.
That’s what the Rejection Rocket can cost a person.
Dealing with it is an ongoing task. At one point, rejection nearly drove Phil Mims of Grapevine, Texas, out of networking. That career gave me a good lifestyle, wonderful friends, and a professional ego.
“Making the transition into MLM meant starting over, forcing me out of my comfort zone.
Friends became cold and distrusting. My family began to snicker. Jewelry associates responded with concern for my sanity. It hurt me when they appeared to feel that I was taking advantage of them and abusing our relationships. I wanted to just say, `Okay, never mind,’ and head back into my comfort zone and ‘secure’ jewelry life. I almost quit network marketing entirely. Those feelings continued for my first eighteen months in MLM because my friends were important, and their acceptance was crucial.
“Then it hit me. Some members of my downline began thanking me.
They expressed their gratitude for my help and for leading them to great changes in their lives. Wow! The acknowledgment made my heart pound and my eyes tear up.
Net-workers are such caring, sharing, giving, and excited people, who, like me, are seeking success, peace, and freedom. The traditional business offers these things for a few people, whereas success is possible for so many in network marketing.
“To remember now that I almost quit because of my wounded pride helps me to understand what my new down line reps face. Shedding my old self and becoming a new person was indeed a painful transition. The hardest thing I ever did was to leave the comfort zone of my jewelry business. But as a result of my newfound personal freedom, personal growth, and feelings of appreciation, I’ve found a bigger and better comfort zone. always be a net worker, thankful that God opens doors, provides the courage to go through them, and furnishes the light to guide my way”
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
Not Talking to Enough People
IF we only talk to a dozen people in the course of a week, the act of rejection by those few becomes bigger than life. If we contact a few dozen people each week., rejection is no problem because a few will always get involved! Remember this law of balance: Increase the number of approaches and decrease the impact of rejection.
Positive Responses
Susan averaged ten contacts a week in her business because she was working part-time and had an extremely busy schedule. Because she was working from her warm market list, she had a high ratio of positive responses.
Five promised to come to her Tuesday night business briefing to learn more about this opportunity.
Two actually showed, but neither signed. Four more weeks of that kind of rejection and she will be out of the business. Why? Because her prospecting numbers are too small. All other activity is busywork until you have achieved a certain level of success. Do not become a professional audience participator! Get out of the bleachers and onto the field.
In contrast to Susan, the two of us prospected huge numbers of people when first building our individual organizations. He didn’t just lose six out of seven distributors he lost major leaders. That is the ultimate rejection. Again, he leaned on Richard Kall to keep him focused on the importance of perseverance. Consider the impact of Richard’s inspiration.
Prospecting small numbers makes rejection bigger than life; prospecting large numbers focuses our attention on those who say yes.
If you make contact with a hundred people in the course of a week, twenty of whom say, “Yes, I’d be interested in looking at what you have,” and eighty of whom say, “No thanks,” your focus will be on the positive.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
The Narrow Focus Syndrome
MANY people make the mistake of inviting rejection by presenting a far too narrow focus. They often promote a single product or just one division of their company as opposed to creating wide appeal by stressing the leveraged income and free time that result from orders of commonly used products and services. Network marketing is intrinsically designed to appeal to everyone. It is not meant to be an elitist club, nor is it effective if you promote just a single product line. And yet newcomers and old-timers alike often make this mistake.
Some people failed to earn as much as they should have when their company added an exciting new nutritional division in the early ’90s.
Thus, seven out of ten people approached with only the new division just weren’t interested. They couldn’t relate to nutritional products and were unwilling to change their behavior. The original division upon which the company was founded consisted of personal care products. One hundred percent of our population bathes, shampoos, shaves, moisturizes, deodorizes, and brushes their teeth with reason-able regularity. So success would have been more widespread had the distributors offered both lines of products in their presentations, thereby avoiding the needless problems created by limited focus.
Even more significant, they should have been selling prospects with the American Dream: big money and free time.
Nearly everyone is interested in ways to achieve wealth. So focus your presentations on personal and financial freedom, making certain to call your prospects’ attention to all your products, services, and divisions. This comprehensive approach is how legends ultimately build large and dynamic organizations.
Turning Rejection into Positive Motivation
They enjoyed working together and shared a track record of success. Over the next five years, he created a six-figure income; then, due to a merger, he was laid off.
One week before he was due to start the job, John was introduced to network marketing. He found the right company and chose to go full-time immediately. After receiving the news, his father’s comment was “John, I guess everyone has to do something. I know all about network marketing.
YOUR FIRST YEAR IN NETWORK MARKETING: IGNORING THE REJECTION ROCKET
SUMMARY
Failure in network marketing often results from two problems:
- Don’t talk about this business with friends or relatives until after you have made a commitment and have been trained. (Make it a point to teach this at the close of your presentation.)
As you begin talking to prospects, you have the choice of creating one of two mind-sets:
- You can strive to be well received by those you approach by setting yourself up for a friendly callback.
- You can try to avoid the pain of rejection by saying nothing, doing nothing, being nothing.
- Persistence, coupled with absolute belief, can never be defeated.
- Don’t let “call reluctance” and the fear of rejection stop you before you start on your adventure in network marketing.
- Rely on the credibility of your upline leaders.
- Remember, you are in business for yourself, but you are never in business by yourself.
- As their sponsor, prospects look to you as their mentor and leader.
Rejection is not to be taken personally, but merely as an indication that the timing isn’t right in people’s lives.
- Persevere with every ounce of enthusiasm to give yourself the necessary excitement to do this business correctly.
- Prospecting small numbers makes the act of rejection bigger than life; prospecting larger numbers focuses your attention on those who said yes.
- Educate your customers about all your new products or services, thereby undertaking to change their behavior.
- Rejection can be redirected to become a force for good in building your business.