Of the many networking skills you’ll want in your arsenal, showing people why they should join your organization is among the most critical – identifying the need is an often missed step. There is no set formula to do this, however, because each person is different and will want different things—wealth, prestige, family life, wellness, time freedom, and so on.
Identifying the need in your prospects is a critical step you do not want to forget!
One approach people try is hard-selling, which we can safely say is hated by just about everyone. Hard selling involves pushing the actual product onto the prospect, using the sheer energy of your presentation to override any concerns or objections they may have. This is why many people pretend to not be at home when the salesman comes a-knockin’ on the door.
Identifying the need is ever important if you want to get your recruiting rates up!
Nobody likes to *FEEL* like they are being sold!!
A prospect may buy your product or service to get you out of their hair, but you’ll lose a lot of goodwill and probably the chance to re-sell too. It’s even more disastrous for building a network because your organization won’t have a concrete relationship to stand on. You’ll have a cascade of fall-outs as soon as you turn your back on your new recruits.
Identifying the need allows you to use an effective approach that not only stands a better chance of closing a prospect, but also fosters goodwill and a sense of cooperation. When you have taken the time to probe your prospect, identifying the need they have which led them to look into network marketing, you are able to present your business as the best answer to your client’s need.
Identifying the need and presenting a solution to the need = the opposite of hard-selling.
You do less talking and more listening when you are identifying the need of your prospect. You need to have some patience, a few good questions, and a sympathetic ear. Your goal is identifying your prospect’s specific need before positioning your business as a solution.
Properly identifying the need is kind of like learning to connect the dots…
Imagine sitting down with a prospect for the first time. Do you go straightaway into a presentation? Hardly! You’ll want to get to know them first. You try and chat for a while to build rapport. This is an excellent time to ask a few probing questions.
Probing is a subtle art. You need to come from genuine interest, without coming across as nosy. The key is to get the other person talking about themselves. This is usually easy to do, since we’re our own favorite subject. As you listen, you are in prime position to be identifying the need that your prospect has which may be the problems your business solves for them.
Your objective is to steer the conversation towards topics that are important to them. Ask them to elaborate, clarify, share stories. Doing so will eventually lead them to talk about what’s missing from their lives.
This checklist may lead towards more meaningful conversation:
1.) Identifying the need: Family
- How is your wife doing?
- How are your children?
- How are your parents?
2.) Identifying the need: Career
- You must be doing very well in your job now, right?
- Does your boss treat you well?
- Do you have time for yourself or your family?
- Are you happy with where you are?
3.) Identifying the need: Acquisitions/Achievements
- So what’s next for you?
- Are you aiming to buy a new home/car/business?
- So are you thinking about retirement? How’s it going so far?
You may also want to work at identifying the need as it pertains to: health, children’s education, or any present or future expenses. Find out where the problems may exist. Common needs may include: financing a home, job status or pay dissatisfaction, family burdens such as caring for an elderly parent or an unemployed sibling, or even concerns over an uncertain financial future.
3 Steps for “Identifying the need”:
- Take the time to sincerely listen, to empathize with your prospect.
- Let them talk. (Resist the temptation to jump in with advice. It’s important that you understand what they want and that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say.)
- Thank them for sharing and then lead into your presentation. (Only do this after they’ve finished talking.)
Here’s a good lead into Step 3: “I understand you have these concerns and I’d like to see if I can help. I know a way that can benefit you financially/career-wise/health-wise, and you can do it at your own time and your own pace. Would you like to hear it?”
When they say yes, proceed to the presentation, making sure to point out how it will indeed help with their concerns. Come from the spirit of wanting to help. Show them that an extra means of leveraged income could solve the majority of their problems. Let them know you can mentor them on how to do it.
By identifying the specific need, you have the basis for a business relationship. Your prospect won’t feel that you “sold them” something; they’ll feel as if you helped them make a wise decision. It will be easier to close the deal. In fact, you won’t have to convince them—they’ll convince themselves!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent article. I intend to use in promoting the nutritional supplement that I take daily.
Arthur Beaman recently posted..It’s Easy
Hi Arthur,
I’m happy you enjoyed the article. I believe that if you use the tips, you’ll find them to be very effective in making for a logical presentation when it’s the right time to do so…and also that you will see a much better conversion rate.
Thanks for the feedback! – Come again!
Cat Alexandra
These are excellent points Catherine. It is so critical to LISTEN after asking questions of prospects. So many people get to where they are can finally generate leads online for their business only to find that they don’t have a clue what to say when they finally get them on the phone. I had to train myself to listen while prospects are talking instead of just thinking of the next question. THAT is the key… truly listening! Great post.
Joe Sandy recently posted..By: Joe Sandy
Dear Joe,
I think you’re right about LISTEN (in caps too – lol). It seems to me that many people flub their way through conversations just waiting for the next opening for them to say what they want to say, rather than being in the moment and truly listening.
Great observation, Joe! And thanks for sharing your insight here. Come again soon!
Best regards,
Cat Alexandra
Boy, did you ever hit the nail on the head with this one Cat.
I always tell my team that you want to find out their needs, wants and desires because with the answers they give you, they are telling you everything you need to know.
I think like a lot of people, when I first entered this industry I thought it was all about the money. But I soon learned it’s about what the money will do for you. So find out what people need and then it’s your job to introduce them to something that can help them fulfill those needs. Definitely not by stuffing it down their throats though. No sir, that will get them running in the opposite direction. But my being gentle and letting them know that their answer will not make or break you. Yep, only the weak at heart will hammer the sale into the ground and make that prospect high tail it out of there.
Great explanation Cat of diving down to get their needs. Crucial element in learning how to properly prospect. Excellent points.
Adrienne recently posted..Crucial Steps Before Upgrading WordPress
Hey Adrienne,
Glad you liked this one so much!
I absolutely agree – every clue we need in order to present true value comes by listening to the answers that our prospects give us.
You made an astute point on the money versus what they money gets people. Money is always the means to _______.
I’m glad to see that others such as yourself are putting out a better message to folks. It’s easy to reduce things down to only the point we know/understand to be true based on our own needs. Til we learn to be comfortable with active listening for the purpose of helping play matchmaker for folks (if a match is to be made), it’s difficult to prosper because we will be at odds with the flow that our prospect is delivering. Always go with the flow!
Thanks for the great insight of your own journey!
Cat
Cat,
Finding the NEED first…this just had to be said! it seems that most people get into a business and try to sell others into it because of their need for money. The reality is you look and sound desperate when that happens.
However if you can find THEIR need first then getting the deal done is actually a lot easier. AND you can identify if you actually have a qualified person to do business with anyway. All this is the posture the pro’s speak of and the beginners take a while to figure out.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Ken Pickard recently posted..Content Syndication Twitter Style
Ken,
I share your sentiments regarding how pushing with no need reeks of desperation. It’s just completely unprofessional to push where there’s no need. Consumers are savvy these days. They’ve seen it all and heard it all and probably had to deal with at least one unprofessional person shoving something onto them before. This means that the sensitivity level is going to be heightened more times than not when it comes to a sales presentation.
It is truly up to us to be the consummate professional who is more interested in doing right by the prospect than just trying to close a deal. We can’t do right if we’re not alert and paying attention.
It’s an ebb and flow thing…
Thanks for the fantastic feedback!
Cat
People (usually) love to talk about their favourite topic – themselves and with a few simple and probing questions, exactly as you have laid out above, you will have all the “ammunition” to relate back to them for them to sell themselves on what you have to offer – if the need and desire is really there.
It is a real skill that relates to the human psyche and once mastered will bring success in all relationship type businesses.
Great post Cat and should be part of the training for all new distributors in the home business market!
Nicky recently posted..MLM Secrets to Choosing Your Sponsor
Hey Nicky,
Yes yes and YES! People sure do like to share about themselves when they are questioned properly. I like how you called the information “ammunition.” It’s a good metaphor for what we receive if we are connected to the conversation and truly taking the clues which the prospect provides us. It’s amazing how simple it is to make high integrity closed sales by simply taking the information and connecting it to the element of our presentation which answers the “question” or “need” that the prospect has outright told us they are seeking.
Thank you for the kind feedback! I think that this may go into a compilation that I do put together for newbies!
Cat Alexandra
I think that’s a great idea Cat – “a new Marketer’s Blueprint”
Nicky
Nicky recently posted..MLM Success – Happy New Year!
You nailed it, Cat. Listening is definitely the key to finding out what people need and want. Too many rookies just start talking and talking, eager to get to their presentation and never figuring out if the person they’re talking to will benefit or even wants to hear about your business. You may be stoked about it but that doesn’t mean your “prospect” will be.
One thing I will add is this — when you take the time to listen and identify someone’s needs, you must be willing to accept that what you have to offer is NOT right for that person! Success in this (or any) business is predicated on doing what’s right for your customer. Sometimes turning them away, even if they want to join is the right thing to do.
Thanks for the reminder, Cat. Great post!
Dr. Bob Clarke recently posted..Dear Santa! My Holiday Wish List for Online Marketing Pretenders
Hi Bob,
I had a feeling we’d have similar views on this subject here! Thanks for the fantastic addition to the checklist, too! I know that turning folks away is sometimes the right thing to do – I’ve done it myself before. This is one reason why I truly love to stay up to speed on what my professional networker colleagues are doing because when we are well networked and up to date, we are sometimes able to point that prospect to a friend who we know that has a more appropriate “fit” and the professionalism to assist that new person properly.
So glad you liked the article! I hope that you and your loved ones had a beautiful Christmas!
Cat
Cat,
Great post. One of the mantras that comes to my mind is that God gave you 1 mouth and 2 ears – use them proportionately. Ask a question then be quiet. Zip it and listen as I tell my kids sometimes.
It isn’t about what the person in front of you is starting to tell you is their pain it is about what is the underlying longer term pain that we can help solve.
Yes, someone may need money today but what they may really be saying is that I’m tired of having lived paycheck to paycheck for X amount of time or whatever the underlying theme is.
Love this post because it is a reminder that by helping others get what they want out of life we get what we want out of life. Thanks girl!
VaNessa
Hey VaNessa,
I love your 1 mouth 2 ears mantra! lol It it’s great that you are teaching your kiddos the important life lessons like this early in. I think that when we are brought up to understand these niceties, it’s pretty amazing how well we are able to best adapt ourselves in anything we do in life (making friends, holding the esteem of others, becoming popular/trusted in social groups, being successful in our chosen life or business path, etc).
I think you hit a very astute point too. We can never correct the pain of the past for folks, but we can help them see that hope is there for a brighter future where they may be elevated from the point of their pain. This is good – forward thinking. Forward thinking needs to be a part of the solution process we share in our tailor-fit presentation.
Thanks so much for sharing your insight, VaNessa! You’re very much appreciated!
Hope you and yours have an outstanding time together ringing in the New Year!
Highest regards,
Cat
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