Recently I had a Facebook “friend” (you know the people who request you so that they can pitch you a business) contact me because she wanted to buy a product from me (or so she said) but she ended up prospecting me. I had no problems with being prospected at the time because I was actually looking for another business opportunity so I wanted to hear what she had to say. I was very interested…but she couldn’t close me! Could you imagine that…having a prospect that wants to sign up but you can’t close them? Take a look at the conversation….
Here is the Beginning of the Conversation (Bear With Me)!
As you can see it started off pretty general, friendly, and my interest was peaked!
Part Deux (Excuse My French..he he)!
In the next series of events you will see where it all went WRONG… and I do mean wrong. It was as if she just wasn’t listening she didn’t ask me for my phone number so that she could call me and discuss the opportunity. I think this is why people choose to “contact” not “connect” on Facebook (there is a big difference between connecting and contacting I found that out during my brief interaction with this lady.
So I actually listened to the webinar that she scheduled for me and after hearing and listening and watching the opportunity I decided that I wanted a certain software that they were offering. And the saga continues…
You know how people are…I had to ask LOL!
During the very lengthy webinar they mentioned that I could get this fabulous Facebook friend adder software for “FREE” imagine my surprise when I found out that I actually had to sign up for the company in order to receive it!
In this economy people are looking for a means to an end… a solution to a problem…MORE MONEY! And you will see she had NO SOLUTIONS. She wasn’t even listening (or reading in this case).
*Side note:* If people find value in You and what You are doing they will find the money for WHATEVER you are offering.
Yes, yes, yes, yes ….All the way across the board! I was staying optimistic and positive about the situation because I really wanted the software.
In prospecting it is definitely imperative to make the person that you are connecting with feel at ease about talking to you. You want to connect, point out their strengths and build on it, don’t talk negatively about them or their financial status (I am sure that wasn’t her intention but words have power!). On with the show!
In network marketing or even sales, when you are presenting an opportunity how much another person makes really has no bearing on how much YOU can make. How much YOU make is solely dependent on YOU and what YOU do, how YOU connect. With that said why am I hearing about James? Not only that but in a previous message that she sent she says that she has more money than she can count. So why is she giving James so much credibility and POWER? It just shows me that she does not see herself as the Leader that she truly IS! Which is important oftentimes we find ourselves answering questions that weren’t even asked. Think about that. Why add stress and anxiety to a situation by answering questions that concern how much YOU make or have made in this opportunity and it wasn’t even up for discussion?
Things that make you say hmmm….
She also states that she doesn’t want any money from me! If I didn’t need any money then what is the real problem? Oh, I know! The problem was that I did need money.
This is the last of the conversation …I promise ( 
)!
So as you can see she received all YESSSSSSSS’s! But she could not close me. I gave her a problem and she didn’t even try to see how we could work something out. We must remember to LISTEN! Because 90% of closings happen really within the first 30 seconds and by listening to what the problem is and providing a solution we can CLOSE! I hope that everyone enjoys this post and understands my hears my heart. I wasn’t trying to be difficult I actually wanted something that she was providing but for some reason even with a yes she still didn’t get the sale. Now I am not saying that we need to be Miracle Workers we just need to listen with our hearts. PROSPECT FROM YOUR HEART!
*Side bar*: During the webinar they stated that all I would have to do is copy and paste a “script” into Facebook! Do you think that the script worked? Don’t get me wrong I do believe in the scripts that leaders give you in order to help you when you’re connecting. But I think that scripts are more effective over the telephone! What do you think?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
There is so much to learn from this interaction. You’ve done a great job of pointing out where we can avoid making the same mistakes. Listen, really listen. Make sure we understand the problem from the other person’s perspective. Don’t make people beg for your information. Don’t insult people if you don’t see eye-to-eye. I’m going back for a re-read. I’m sure I’ll find even more. Thanks for sharing, Shekinah!
Teresa Ivory´s last blog ..Will These Drain Energy From Your Success?
Thanks Teresa! I actually had a really good time with that lady I actually thought that it was funny! I never thought that I would find someone who couldn’t close a yes! Our jobs would be so much easier if we listened
!
Shekinah,
Nice play-by-play on what many FB’ers do all the time. Glad to see that someone has captured this, and made a teaching moment. You should send Miss Kimberly the link, so she can learn something…
LOL
Corey
Corey Ellis´s last blog ..How To Increase Web Traffic Leveraging Article Marketing Techniques
Rich absolutely Rich i tell ya. There is so much that can be learned from this interaction. It truly shows that people can be so caught up in there own situation that they ignore others. With all the yes’s you gave it makes me wonder what size downline she has. I Love the way it was scripted and the way you used the red boxes to emphasize the areas where her prospecting went wrong. This is definately a template that can be used for How Not to Close a Prospect Every Time. Thanks Shekinah this made my day
Evin
Evin Anderson´s last blog ..So Whats Your Goal?
Shekinah, all I can say is WOW! I often wonder when people do not take the time and listen do they realize they are costing themselves money? This is a perfect example of someone talking their prospect out of a business because they did not just take the time to listen! This was the best example of what not to do that should have been in the script book that she was reading from. This was great, thanks!
Lori Robertson´s last blog ..Article Marketing The Traffic Booster
Hi Shekinah…great, great piece…reminds me of the time I was working as a Customer Service Rep and I always overheard fellow workers always botch it because they never listened, they waited until it was their turn to talk…there IS a difference, believe it or not…I couldn’t help but laugh to keep from crying; I just felt empathy for you…lots of folks can learn something just by reading this…hang in there girlfriend, it can only get better!
Excellent post Shekinah! I received the same inbox message about 20 times. Only it’s not James, it’s Eddie. LOL! As soon as it’s all about what their friend is doing, HUGE red flag. After I didn’t respond, I kept getting messages. So I had to ask, If you are making all this money, then why are you chasing people around? Shouldn’t they be coming to you? Guess what she gave me? A nasty response similar to the 1 you received. She had no idea of what kind of revenue that I am already bringing in, who I was or who I am partnered up with. What if I am already doing better than “Eddie”?
Keep up the good work girl! You’re a LEADER! Love it!
Jim Coffman´s last blog ..MLM Review Of Narc That Car: Scam Or Legit?
Hey Shekinah,
I can’t actually believe what I just read. Apart from all the YES’s she was incredibly rude and negative and whether it was a worth while opportunity or not she clearly has no concept of customer care and having a go-giver attitude.
It felt like an automated telephone conversation, please listen to the following options
Press 1 if you wish to say YES
Press 2 if you want to say YES but you are not quite ready to be closed yet
Press 3 if you have already said YES but haven’t yet been closed
Press 4 If you are saying YES but you are Broke
Press 5 if you are still saying YES but you would like to know how James is doing.
Press 6 if you are fed up of saying YES
Arrrrgh!
I am utterly speechless and don’t actually know what to say…thank you for making me feel better.
Beth
Beth Hewitt´s last blog ..What does your mind say about you?