Blog Post #6 - The Power of Listening

I'd like to talk about a skill that is important to have in any business setting but is INVALUABLE to a professional network marketer: the ability to listen.

Some people might read this and think to themselves, "oh, I know how to listen, that's easy." Sadly, from what I've seen, most people don't know how to listen. They know how to HEAR. They hear the words coming from someone's mouth but they are so focused on their own intentions that they often forget to listen to that person which results in missed opportunities. Let me give you an example of this in network marketing:

Person 1 says: "Hey I have this amazing business opportunity that would be great for you and your family. You can make a healthy living doing this part time and still work your other job while it grows."

Person 2 says: "Oh I appreciate the offer I just don't have the time to do something else right now."

Person 1 thinks to themselves, "well I don't want them on my team if they're that busy. They'll never do anything for me and my team will never grow."

Do you see what happened here? Person 1 is just talking, not listening! They are so busy worrying about their own desires (building a big network marketing team) that they didn't stop to LISTEN to what person 2 wants/needs! When someone says they don't have time for something then what they're really saying is "I don't have the time for this because you haven't given me a good enough reason to make time for this." If someone wants to do something then they MAKE time for it. Period. That excuse is just a way to get rid of you because you are not appealing to them. This rule applies to almost all excuses network marketers receive. I heard someone use a interesting example to explain a similar point. They said, "If someone uses the common excuse that they don't have the money to do this, that's not true. Everyone has or can get the money to do something they WANT to do. Always. If you were to tell this same person that if they enroll they'll get a Ferrari then you can bet they would find the money to enroll. It's all about how well you can explain to them the figurative (possibly literal) Ferrari they get with network marketing."

So how do you encourage people to want to do something in network marketing? By listening to them! By taking a GENUINE interest in people's lives! Let people tell you what they are looking for in their life and then you can determine if there is a way for network marketing to help (hint: there is). You must appeal to people's needs and each person is different. One person might be interested in the financial opportunity, some might be interested in the products, others may be interested in having more time freedom, etc. It's up to you to figure out what will appeal to who. But here's the good news: there is a proven system for talking and listening to people that will help you determine how you can help and appeal to them. It consists of 4 parts and is represented by the acronym F.O.R.M. Let's break it down...

Family. Ask them questions about their family. LISTEN to what they have to say. How many kids do they have? How old are they? How many boys, how many girls? How long have they been married to their spouse? Do they get enough time with their kids? Do they vacation often with their families? How is their health? Etc.

Occupation. Ask them questions about their occupation. What do they do for work? How long have they been doing it? Do they enjoy what they do? What do they think of their boss? Do they travel for work? Do they feel fulfilled with what they are doing?

Recreation. What do they like to do for fun? Do they like to travel? Play water sports? Ski? Fish? How often do they do these things? Do they wish they had more time or money to do the things they love?

Money. How do they feel about money? What are their thoughts on the economy? Do they wish that financially things were different? Do they feel like they will have a comfortable retirement when the time comes? If they're already retired are they making enough to truly enjoy their "golden years?"

Once you become a pro at using F.O.R.M and LISTENING to people you will notice a change in the way people receive you. You begin to look more like someone that is genuinely trying to help another human being and less like a person who is desperately trying to recruit for their team in order to hit their quota. After working on the corporate side of network marketing for 6 years I am a strong believer in the products and financial opportunities this industry offers. I see the Ferrari, it's just a matter of helping other people see it too.

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!