MLM Success 101: Asking the Right Questions of Your Prospect

Sunday, April 25th, 2010 at 12:26 pm

Since prospecting and lead generation is the lifeblood of any successful MLM business, it behooves all great MLMers (or those who aspire to be great) to learn how to prospect well. Unfortunately, 97% of all network marketers are failing in their businesses because they have not learned how to effectively prospect. And successful prospecting begins with asking the right questions. These MLM success tips have helped my downline distributors and me sponsor numerous people with ease.

MLM Success Tip #1: Keep the Prospect Talking

The very best salespeople in the world understand that, in order to convert a prospect into a buyer (or sponsor more reps), the salesperson must masterfully convey that their product or service fulfills the person’s need. But sometimes, a prospect will not simply disclose this information, and even when they do, often important details are omitted or veiled. How do we expose these details? By asking the right questions, and then sitting back and allowing the prospect to willingly answer. Keeping your prospect talking opens up opportunities to glean information that will help you present your MLM opportunity as a viable solution to whatever they say their problem is.

MLM Success Tip #2: Have a Plan

Quite simply, before you begin questioning, you should already know where you are trying to go. What are trying to accomplish? Do you want to persuade the person that they should join your organization, or do you want your prospect to logically conclude on their own that your organization is a good fit for their personal goals? Are you trying to warm them up and close them later, or ring them in right away? If you cannot answer this question prior to prospecting, you will fail miserably at prospecting before you even open your mouth to speak. So make sure that your purpose is clear beforehand.

MLM Success Tip #3: Interact Appropriately

Many times, we turn off our audience by talking too much. I know we are all excited about our business opportunity, but most of the time, we need to be quiet, allow a response to our question, and listen attentively to their answers. Remember: Our prospects are happiest when they are talking. So let them.

Also, make sure you sound interested (the easiest way is to be interested) in the answers given. Showing that you’ve been paying attention builds rapport and trust, which increases the likelihood that your prospect will join you. A great way to show you’ve been listening is to follow up by building questions around the person’s response. For example, when your prospect explains that they are looking for an additional income stream to pay for health insurance, you might follow up with, “Oh, have you gotten any quotes yet,” or “Are you looking for full coverage, or supplemental?”

MLM Success Tip #4: No One Likes a Survey!

Be careful that your questions don’t sound like an interrogation. Try to avoid asking “why” questions, as this could be perceived as opposition and will put the prospect on the defensive. Your goal is get the person talking, not to have them clam up. Also, don’t stack your questions; ask one at a time and give the prospect time to think about an answer BEFORE interjecting. Finally, don’t sound like you’re reading from a script. For you internet marketers, this is critical, as much of your prospecting will be done over the phone. This part requires some skill, and it’s a good idea to practice and role play with peers and your upline sponsors to get it just right.

MLM Success Tip #5: Ask Emotional Questions

People buy based on emotions, so ask your prospect about things that make him/her think emotionally. Drawing on the insurance example above, you could ask, “What’s going to happen in the long run if you can’t afford that insurance?” Although your prospect may not communicate it verbally, I guarantee he/she is thinking about missed immunizations for the kids, or the out-of-pocket cost for their much-needed arthritis medication. Keeping the conversation emotionally charged will help later when it comes time to ask the person to sign up; these emotions will clue you in to how high (or low) solving this problem is on the priority list.

But be careful not to let the prospect off the hook by answering your own question. Refrain from saying things like, “So what would happen if you couldn’t afford that insurance? You probably couldn’t buy your arthritis medicine, could you?” When you allow your prospect to answer the question themselves, they are forced to imagine that scenario and all the emotions they have attached to it. You can then help the person solve their cash flow problem by creating more income through your MLM opportunity.

In conclusion, effective questioning is a skill that greatly supports any MLM business. It makes sense to become a great questioner, not just for the health of your enterprise, but for help in social situations, simple or complex negotiations, and just about ANY scenario that involves dealing with people. But as usual, don’t just take my word for it…take it for checking!