Some people in Network Marketing are afraid of what’s going to happen once they finish going through their warm market. They think that there will be nothing left to do and no one left to talk to about their product or opportunity. They are avoiding the cold market.
The truth is you will never run out of people to talk to because the cold market is endless.
You are always meeting people as you go about your day whether it’s in a restaurant, store, or bank. The problem is not having enough people to talk to, but having the confidence and knowing how to approach cold market prospects.
So, how do you approach cold market prospects?
I’ll admit that for a long time when I started out I would avoid reaching out to my cold market. But I had to overcome that fear of talking to strangers if I wanted to succeed in Network Marketing. So, I worked at getting out of my comfort zone and learned how to talk to my cold market.
Examples of Approaching Cold Market
Here’s an example of how I approach cold market prospects:
I met someone on a plane. We were both travelling outside the country and as we sat next to each other, we struck up a conversation. He ended up asking me what it was I did, and I said that I was a Network Marketing professional. We talked about the profession, our travels, our experiences…everything.
We just started talking. By the end, I had asked for his contact information, and told him I’d give him a call once both of us returned to the Philippines.
Another example is when I started talking to the person at the next table at a restaurant. She had an interesting accent, so I asked her where she was from. After she told me, I said, “That’s amazing! I am actually looking into expanding my business in that region. Now’s not the time to talk, but can I get your contact information and sit down with you at another point to see if you think there would be interest in that area for my product?”
Never Prospect Someone Cold
You see, I never prospected someone cold. I never met someone and immediately threw my pitch at them or gave them any materials to look at. No one wants a stranger to come up to them and tell them that they need to invest money in a company they’ve never heard of.
You don’t know them! You don’t know what their situation is, what their dreams are, or what they like to do in their spare time. And they know nothing about you. So why would they join your business?!
What You Should Do
Talk to people. That’s all you have to do. Strike up a conversation with your waiter or the person checking you out at the store. Don’t get on a plane and do nothing but play games on your phone for the entire trip. Talk to the person sitting next to you. Get to know where they’re from or what they do. Then get their contact information because you’d like to sit down and talk with them again.
If you receive really good service from someone, compliment them. Tell them that they did a really good job and you appreciate them. Then ask for their contact information because there is something you might want to talk to them about later. After a week or two, call that person up and invite them to go have coffee with you.
And this is very important – get them to meet you at a different environment than where you met them. I’ve found that changing environments helps to reduce a prospect’s natural resistance. If you try to prospect someone in that original environment, their resistance is going to be very high. But if you talk to them about your business in another environment, then maybe go to a third environment for a follow up, and then a fourth environment for another exposure, then you have a higher chance of success.
Build a Relationship First
Talk with the person, compliment them, get their contact information, meet with them, and set up exposure after exposure – all of that is building a relationship with them. You are building trust. And when they trust you, they are more likely to sign with you.
So, never prospect your cold market immediately. Instead, talk with them, get their contact information, and then later you can give them a call and say, “Hey, I have something that you might be interested in. Do you want to meet up and talk?”
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