I love when people ask me questions and I can cut a video or audio to help a lot of people out at once.

This video is in response to a person asking me what their next step was in a recruiting process.

Very often folks get so worried about “doing it right” that they lose their common sense and most of all their connection to the prospect.

What comes next has to do with what would serve the prospect best.

Our job is to share into and sort through people looking for the proper candidates for our team.

We all know how to just relax and have a conversation.

We do it all the time with friends, family and co workers…

So why is it so hard to do with a prospect?

Probably because we are attached to the outcome of the conversation as opposed to being IN the conversation.

Take a listen and give me your thoughts in a comment.

Recently, I wrote an article called, “BUT I DON’T WANT TO SPEND ANY MONEY! Objections About Home Business Start Up Costs.”  It talked about making sure your home business prospecting system is clear about start up costs.  The last thing any of us want to do is spend time talking to un-qualified, non-serious prospects.  It wastes our time and saps our energy.

But no matter how strong your system is, these folks occasionally get through. Rather than see this as a bad thing, why not see this as a learning opportunity? Consider it a chance to build your skills, grow your confidence, and maybe even turn a poor prospect into a customer or future home business professional – in YOUR organization.

 Here is how to talk to these people…

1. First and foremost is keeping the upper hand in the conversation.  This doesn’t mean you should be rude or abrupt.  But it does mean you must maintain the confidence in what you are doing. NEVER look for ways to bring someone in less expensively, or for free.  It sends a signal of weakness.  It tells the prospect you want them in your business so badly you are willing to bend your expectations.

Even if it’s been forever since you’ve sponsored someone, you must still come from a position of strength.  If you bring your prospect in any way other than through your system, you have destroyed the system’s credibility and effectiveness.  Your new person will learn from your experience and duplicate what you have done.  You now have an organization of bargain hunting short cutters.

2. Use the example of franchises to explain the business model to your customer. Every franchise sells not only its products or services, but its organization and brand. There is value in the company, and there is a start up cost in doing business. If you need to rely on numbers, it would be a great idea to know the start up costs for different type of franchises, including restaurants, computer service companies and others. It would also help to know the royalties. No doubt your network marketing company‘s costs are much less expensive.

3. If you continue to get objections, or any kind of hesitation, have a tool or system to point the prospect back to. You must always position yourself as too busy to argue or debate. You have others waiting for the chance to work with you.  And if you do this correctly, and with enough people, that will become the truth!

4. Unless you have decided you absolutely do not want to work with someone, do not take them out of your prospecting system. Continue to send them emails. Keep them on your list.  Invite them to conference calls. Give them content that provides real value and real service.  Over time, some of these people may choose to work with you. Some may also choose to be customers of your products or services (which is where some of the greatest business builders come from).  And some may refer their own contacts to you, which opens up a whole new circle of influence to your products and your opportunity.

Yes, it’s not much fun to hear people’s objections. But handled correctly, you will find the ones who are ready to grow into a solid home business professional. And you will become stronger and more abundant in the process.

I don’t know if this is still the case, but when I was growing up there were hundreds of commercials on television for phone and mail order products.

They were fun to watch.  They seemed to follow a similar formula.  First they would present a problem.  Someone wanted something, or was scared of something, or was in trouble.

Then it presented a product or service that would fix the problem they showed.

Then they would show a “consumer” enjoying it.  It might have been a really good drive with new golf clubs. Or it could have been a dip in the pool of the retirement community a celebrity was pitching.

It often seemed like it was an older couple sitting at a kitchen table, enjoying the peace of mind that came with their new life insurance policy.  I think they still run those commercials!

It makes sense.  If there is a formula, don’t mess with it.  Keep using it until it stops working.  Then play around until you find something better.

But if you watched those commercials and were paying attention, you usually noticed one other thing…

They didn’t ask for the sale….at least not directly.

They asked you to call a phone number and ask for a free brochure about the product.

As a marketer, I now understand what they were doing.  Asking people to make a big investment at the beginning of a sales process is a bad idea.  They haven’t built a relationship with you, or the product.  They haven’t “sold themselves” on the need for it.

But asking them to obtain some free information is the beginning of a commitment.  Notice how they usually used the words, No Risk when describing this action.

And not only that (this was my favorite part), they would usually show someone – again, often an older person – asking the operator to send that free brochure.  The operator always had a friendly smile and would say, “Right away, Sir!”

Get it?  When you start the process, you get respect and esteem.  You get someone who will serve you.

Safe, and reliable.

And you begin the process of selling yourself on the product.

Not to mention the fact the company now has your address and/or phone number, and can market to you over and over.

We very much do the same thing these days with capturing email addresses.  Google and other companies customize your advertising based on the websites you visit and the text of your emails.

But that is all part of the same process.  Going after the sale at the beginning of the process is for marketing goofballs.

Giving your prospects something to do that makes them feel safe and empowered is where the gold is.

Picture yourself having a great conversation with a prospect for your business. They came in through your advertising, or responded to an article you wrote. You built a “long distance relationship” because they grew to know you through your online presence.

Then you finally spoke on the phone. You put them through your presentation, both the online and offline version.

You answered their questions. Maybe you even had a three way phone call with another member of your team.

Everything is great.

It’s time to take the next step. Now comes the part where you close them. Are you feeling any emotions while you read this? Are you a little nervous? A little uncomfortable?

If you are, your prospects can sense it. And it creates doubt in their mind. Doubt about whether or now you are the right person to lead them to the success they’re looking for as they start their business.

Let’s back up for a second. If you’ve built your marketing strategy correctly, you are only having in depth conversations with people who are serious about working with you. Everyone else has been sorted elsewhere. They’re either getting automated response materials from you (autoresponder), or they’re scratched off you list altogether. Or they might be consumers of your product or service without an intention to build a business.

You’ve got the people who are ready. They proved themselves worthy and ready for your business.

Now sign them up.

If you’re having a hard time with this, one of the best things you can do is make sure the process we just described really is in place. A lot of people have a hard time closing because they fear rejection.

And it’s a valid fear. If you’re talking to the wrong people, there is a good chance you are going to be rejected. That’s no fun.

If you do find yourself talking to qualified, serious people, then recognize you are a powerful person in the home business industry. You have a skill most others don’t have.

That alone should be a good start in helping you to feel powerful…powerful enough to close a transaction.

But if you are still struggling, here are two things you can do…

1. Get a more skilled person in your organization to close for you. This is almost always an upline person, in your MLM or affiliate program. They have an interest in your success. And hanging around a strong person tends to help that strength rub off on you.

2. Send them to some automated process where they are entering their credit card number on line. Remember though…people ultimately do not sign up with systems. They sign up with other people.

The long term solution: find ways to grow your confidence and assertiveness. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. So long as you are moving in the right direction, your success is “closed.”