by Cenay Nailor

Do you ever feel like if you learn/see/hear one more thing, you brain will start leaking out of your ears? Welcome to Information Overload .

I feel your pain.

I keep hearing from all the trainers, coaches and guru’s that it’s simple . And they each list "everything" you should do to be successful.

And guess what? Their lists don’t match!

Each trainer/coach/guru lists 5-9 things you MUST do to be successful online. How do you know which is really the one that you need to do?

Well, frankly, it’s gonna depend on you. I know that wasn’t what you wanted to hear, but dang-it, it’s the truth and I promised you truth above all, right from the beginning. It’s going to depend on your goals, the results you are expecting and the method you choose to give you those results.

But I digress. We are talking about how to avoid information overload.

It’s a matter of mindset, discipline and habits. When you are first starting out with a new "prospecting" method like using the Internet, you need to do some research, explore your options and then pick one .

Notice I didn’t say buy every book or product out there to teach yourself, nor did I say read only one . You do need an overview of what’s possible. And you need to know who is doing it successfully. But in the end, you need to choose one thing and then master it. Test it. Track it. Apply it. Study it. Don’t move onto the next "method" or "process", until you have the first one "down pat".

Trust me, I know it will be tempting to spend all your time researching, buying books that promise you 3 simple steps to financial freedom or listening to training calls from marketing guru’s morning, noon and night. But do you know why it will be tempting? Because if you are still researching and studying, you aren’t doing .

If you aren’t doing, you aren’t failing. Can you say "comfort zone"?

Listen, the number ONE reason you will succeed in this (or any) business, isn’t the marketing method, or the capture page, or the autoresponder (although these are all important pieces of the puzzle). No, the number one reason you will succeed, is because you took action. Massive action. Focused action. And you can’t do that if you are still chasing the hype.

There are thousands, no - tens of thousands of people on the Internet today, all hawking their "get rich quick" products, books and training courses. Each one promises you that you can quit your day job, fire your boss and retire in 1 year.

Tell me . . . in your heart . . . do you really think that is possible?

Nope, me either.

Success requires work. Anyone who tells you they have a system you just have to join to be massively wealthy overnight is flat out lying to you. But, I digress again. Sorry for the rant.

To Avoid Information Overload

1. (Focus ) Train yourself to look at one thing at a time. For example, if you are building a list using free traffic techniques, focus on that. All your efforts should be on that one thing until you can do it in your sleep.

2. (Consistency ) Train yourself to be consistent. You can’t succeed doing something only when you have extra time , or when everything else "pressing" is done. Allocate [X] minutes/hours per day for that task, and do it. No matter what.

Not doing it is only hurting you.

Don’t let obligations to others short-change you . If you are spending all your time doing something for someone else, who is growing your business? Short Answer? No one .

3. (Action ) Train yourself to be action oriented. If you are lying awake at night and an idea about how to do (better) what you are trying to do flitters across your brain, do it. The very next day. Take action. Even if it’s wrong action, it’s still got value to you, especially if you are tracking and testing like you should be. It is teaching you what doesn’t work .

You should have noticed that all three things I listed involved the word "Train ". That’s not an accident. You control your success or failure. No one else. Do you want it? Then train for it.

Alright, this post turned into a kind of a rant, and I am sorry about that. I just get so frustrated when I start mentoring someone and they come to the "table" with 43 eBooks, 14 DVD’s and 29 CD’s but not one single "action" under their belts.

I blame it on Information Overload.

Cenay Nailor is an Expert Internet/Affiliate/Network Marketer who hates rejection and chasing dead-end leads. To learn more about how she completely stopped having hotel meetings, home parties and *bump into’s* and still grew a lead database of over 400 prospects while generating over $3,000 in less than 30 days, even though no one joined her business, click this link ==> Cenay Nailor - Online Success Coach

If you’ve ever wanted to know what a "definitive" course on recruiting looks like, and what it contains, then check out the description I put together for you below.

It used to be…

• You called all your friends
• You called all your family
• You “pitched” everyone you came in contact with
• You pumped your new team mates for their friends
• You pumped your new team mates for their family
• You went to parties to talk about your business
• You quickly went broke buying leads because you ran out of people to talk to

Not any more.

Mike Dillard and his home study course titled “MLM Traffic Formula” are redefining the “rules” of network marketing. Following his guidelines, you can change the dynamics of “prospecting”. Tell me, how many more people do you think you could convince to join your organization if THEY called YOU first?

MLM Traffic Formula (MTF) teaches a few simple techniques to position you exactly where your prospects are looking. It teaches you how to be a better leader. It teaches you the steps necessary to become the Hunted, instead of the Hunter. In other words, it teaches you how to succeed in network marketing.

These are just words though. You have no reason to believe me. Yet. Let me tell you exactly what it did for me.

I bought the course in August. I listened to all 11 CD’s. I read the supplemental manual. A real manual by the way, not just a transcript of the recordings. I watched the two DVD movies. And then I Googled my name — to establish my “baseline”. I got 5 pages returned, which surprised me — I didn’t think there would be any. I found some posts I made on a newsgroup from 1994 for goodness sakes!

Then I began implementing the steps outlined in MLM Traffic Formula.

It took a little while to build some momentum. Almost two weeks. And then I Googled my name again. 1012 pages returned. Sweet.

I continued doing the steps. I focused my energy for a solid month - all my spare time, every extra 15 minutes I could find. Googled myself again, and guess what? More than 2500 pages returned. Even better.

Fast forward 3 months and there were 12,200 pages returned. But even more impressive than all this was what was happening to my business. People started calling me. Can you imagine what it was like to GET a call asking me about my business? And even though many weren’t interested in my particular company, I still earned commissions on those that said no.

Why?

Self-funded advertising. I was offering a tool that helps people succeed in business. . . any business. So, even if they say no to Nussentials, many said yes to a “retail” product I endorsed. And I should mention that although MLM Traffic Formula carries a “price-tag” that is out of the range of many “start-ups”, I made back my money in less than a month, and I continue to earn 3 times what I paid, every month.

Google changed their indexing method again (they do this about every 3 months or so), and despite the number of pages dropping to less than 5000, I am still getting calls. More every week. My business is growing. My commissions are growing. My confidence is growing. Can you put a price on that?

If you are serious about network marketing (and I assume you are since you are here reading…), then you need to consider a different approach. MLM Traffic Formula is that approach. It offers the skills necessary to dramatically change the way you grow your business and income.

by Shiraz Khan - posted on his blog at http://downlineattraction.com/blog/?p=30

Shiraz is someone I met on the Magnetic Sponsoring training site whom I admire. I follow his blog regularly, but wanted to share an article I found that I really enjoyed. Thanks Shiraz for your laser targeted message.

You Can Build A Downline, Great! You Own Nothing

by Shiraz Khan

Have you ever considered becoming a lawyer without going to Law school? How about performing surgery without going to medical school?

Exactly…

It’s amazing how many businesses on the internet cater to people’s fears by telling them they’ll do ALL the lead generating, prospecting, and downline building for them. You can just sit on your butt and watch money come pouring in right through your computer screen automatically.

Just look pretty, and no need to lift up a finger…

Yeah right.

Here’s the problem with these “programs” that promise you the world. Even if they make you money, you’ll have NO ownership.

You won’t own any leadership skills of confidence to attract people into your business. You won’t own any marketing skills to generate leads. None of the prospects and downline members will belong to you.

It will all be the property of your company. If the company says goodbye to you one day, you’re dead in the water. Is that a risk you want to take and fully depend upon?

The wealthy will tell you that a real business is a true asset. It’ something you own, and it depends on no one individual or entity. It runs as a system independently, and you become the center piece.

If you’re not building “You, inc”, marketing and branding yourself, and building solid lead generation skills without cold calling and buying leads, then you’re not a real entrepreneur.

You’ve just got a job as a high-commission sales person.

- Shiraz Khan

P.S. My business is all about helping you build wealth and freedom. To learn more about my 7-Figure Home Business training, visit www.MeetShiraz.com for a free 10-day E-mail boot camp

MySpace.com is a social “networking” site that is free to use and is not just for teeny-boppers any more. There are more than 100 Million people with profiles on MySpace, and that number is growing daily.

More and more business professionals are discovering the world of connecting with other business professionals using a “guarded gate”. MySpace has put all the tools in place to allow you to connect with others in your business, or your prospective customers, without giving out your email address. MySpace, the champion of your personal privacy, allows others to connect to you inside the “community” with tools like…

• Friend Request
• Add Comment
• Send Message
• Notify Friends
• Instant Messaging
• Groups

Another feature that really rocks in my book, is the “Bulletin” service. You can broadcast a message to everyone on your “friend list”. Done correctly, this allows you to market your message, white papers, articles and other helpful information to everyone on your list, by writing it one time.

Although MySpace is pretty easy to use, there is a learning curve. You can’t expect to learn everything there is to know about MySpace in an afternoon. In fact, several months later, I am still discovering new features and new ways to reach out. You also can’t expect to set it up once, and then walk away. Like any ROM (Reaching Out Method) you use, you have to be consistent in your efforts. You can’t get impatient. But done right, MySpace can be a source of prospects for both your business and your products.

I have created a MySpace profile, which you can see here. Cenay Nailor on MySpace . I invite you to come check it out, request to be my “friend”, and let me show you how to reach hundreds of people, passively but “on purpose”. Would it surprise you to know that in the last 30 days, I have gotten 32 “prospects” via a link to a capture page that people can reach from my MySpace profile?

Now, I didn’t get to that point over night. In the beginning, it was slow going… request a friend here, request a friend there. I got 2-3 requests every week or two from people who saw my profile by clicking on my picture in the comments I left for other people. Today though, I get 2-3 friend requests a day.  Today, I also received commissions on two products I am an affiliate for that sold through that capture page, while I was sleeping.

This amazing service and free method of prospecting is so cool, that I am creating a set of video’s (starting at creating your profile) that will help you get started. There are currently two videos in the set, another is almost done, and at least 10 more coming in the next couple of weeks since this is a such an involved topic.

If you would like to see the video’s, please visit my How-To Videos site at http://www.Videos.CenayNailor.com and select the “Social Networking” link in Categories. To be notified whenever I post a new video, please sign up for Notifications by completing the form on the right when you get to the page. There is also a link at the top called “Get Updates“.

The Internet is an enormous place, full of a lot of good content, excellent resources and more than a few pitfalls.

I have been in network marketing off and on for 15 years, and have yet to find a place where I could go, let my hair down (so to speak) and just chat with other network marketers online without being recruited or suffering the “my company is better than your company” argument.

So, naturally, I created one.

It’s generic in nature, and no one is allowed to recruit or spam. There is an “topic” called Introductions where you can tell us all about your “opportunity”, but that is the only place it is allowed. (Signature lines are allowed elsewhere in the forum, of course). My goal in creating it, was to get exactly what I have been looking for, a quiet place to share idea, talk about tools or methods that work, how to gather customers, prospecting techniques, phone scripts, training your downline, managing work and home from the “home-office” and so much more. I can see this getting a lot of my attention as I do work from home in a small town where the “entertainment” in the area consists of 5 bars (yuk), 2 senior centers (help me) and several all night gas stations. Not much in the way of “social gathering hotspots”, huh? And being a small town, there are a lot of retirees here (did I mention it is in the mountains and a little off the beaten track?).

So, if I wanted interaction with people like me (entrepreneurial minded and willing to do whatever it takes to retire with something in the bank so I don’t have to rely on Social Security), I was gonna have to drive 150 miles to the nearest “big town”, or create something for myself.

So, stop by and check out the Toolbox For MLM’ers Forum, phase I in creating a safe haven for network markters to share ideas and discuss techniques or strategies. Please, leave the recruiting at the door and bring your good ideas. It’s informal here, so kick your shoes off and sit back with a steaming cup of coffee and let the exchange begin.

Network marketers have been taught by training programs, their up line and printed material that they have to “handle objections” as a matter of course, to get to the sale. BS. Objections aren’t really “objections”, but rather an invitation from the buyer to make a connection to us. Thank them for the invitation, and connect with them. Look, it’s a proven fact, buyers present 58% more objections than non-buyers, and that is before they buy. It’s their way of forcing you keep connecting until you establish trust. They already know they have a need, you already know you have the solution (presumably), so once there is trust, you two can get to the “does this solution fit”?

Let me put it another way… your goal as a salesperson is to help your client, which means you guys are on the same side, right?

It’s not a contest, it’s not a debate, it’s the beginning of a relationship. (Hence the term relationship marketing) So get into what the objection is. Find out what’s really behind it. What are they worried about? What does that matter? How does that work? What happens then? What’s at stake for the client? It might take a few questions to get to the root cause, concern or problem. Your job is to uncover the truth. Bring it out into the light of day and examine it. Frequently, the buyer will throw up an objection that isn’t really what they are concerned about. It’s a reflex action. You have to listen closely and ask questions to find what their real concern is. This is an important step in the process. Skip this at your own peril. If you don’t deal with the questions and objections, and I mean all of them, they will linger in your prospect’s mind, even if you do manage to “make the sale”. (Buyers Remorse is a common term for it) Another is “unproductive member of your team”.

Okay, having said all that, let’s get down to brass-tacks. How exactly, do you deal with your prospects concerns, step by step? There are a lot of formula’s out there, I am sure you have seen one or more of them. I have a couple that are favorites, which I will detail here…(can’t remember where I got this one, wish I could…)

Step #1: Hear your prospect out - Really listen.
Step #2: Restate the objection.
Step #3: Expound on it.
Step #4: Isolate it.
Step #5: Answer it.
Step #6: Have your prospect agree that you’ve answered it.
Step #7: Transition to the next close.

Step #1: Hear your prospect out - really listen

What’s important to remember is that although your prospect’s concern may seem insignificant to you, it’s very real and very significant to them. Don’t cut him short, and don’t be apathetic. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Listen and listen very attentively. Only then can you truly decipher what your prospect is really saying.

Step #2: Restate the objection.

Believe it or not, sometimes this is all it takes for your prospect to realize just how silly or unfounded his objection really is. By hearing his own objection coming from your mouth, it sometimes minimizes the impact or significance of it. The key here is how you restate it, your tone and inflection, and always follow up with a benefit. For example, your prospect says, “I can’t afford $500 to get started.” Your response would be, “You can’t afford $500 for a possible return of $5,000 a month in just 12 short months?” However, the way you say it should make your prospect hear it like this: “What? Are you crazy? You can’t afford $500 for this kind of return? Are you nuts or just certifiably insane? I can’t believe you just said that!”

Step #3: Expound on it.

Get your prospect to talk about his concern. This is where it pays to listen very attentively. By getting your prospect to expound on the issue, it sometimes leads to the real crux of the issue. For example, maybe your prospect’s objection is “I don’t know how to do MLM.” Your response would be, “Explain what you mean by that.” “Well, I just wouldn’t know where to start or how to begin.” So the real issue here is a perceived lack of prospects to call on. That’s an easy one to overcome. But if we get our prospect to elaborate on it, sometimes they come to their own conclusion that it’s really not an obstacle after all.

Step #4: Isolate it.

By isolating the objection, you’re eliminating any other reason or reasons your prospect may have for not signing up. This is a critical step in the process, so as not to put all your energy and resources into overcoming a money issue, when in fact, he also has to talk it over with his wife. For example, “Mr. Jones, in addition to your concern of coming up with the initial investment of $500, is there any other reason you can think of that would keep you from getting started in your own business today?” “Well, I would still need to talk it over with my wife.” At that point, it would be prudent to involve his wife before attempting to address the money concern. If his response would have been “No, everything is fine, I just don’t see how I can come up with $500,” then you’ve isolated the objection and you can begin to answer it. Remember, the key here is being firm and direct with your prospect and getting a commitment to join before you appease his concern. “Mr. Jones, if we could find a way to come up with the $500, is there any other reason, any at all, that would keep you from getting started immediately?”

Step #5: Answer it.

When answering objections, there are three golden rules you must always live by:

1. Never argue with your prospect. No matter how insane an objection may sound to you, it doesn’t sound that way to your prospect. Remember, you’re in this business to feed your mouth, not your ego.

2. Don’t make the mistake of being perceived as attacking prospects personally when addressing their objections. Be sensitive to their feelings and show respect for their objections. It’s not your job to prove them wrong. You’re there to empathize with their concerns and show them through new information how their fears are groundless.

3. Lead them to overcome their own objections. People don’t like to be sold; they like to be informed. By giving them proper information, they can make their own intelligent decisions.

To further illustrate Step #5, let’s assume my prospect Mr. Jones’ objection is, “I just don’t know enough people to get involved in this kind of business.” Let’s also assume that I’ve already taken him through the first four steps, and I’m now ready to overcome his concern of not knowing enough people. The following is an example of how I would address his concern:

“Mr. Jones, I understand your concern. In fact, I understand it all too well. It was only 8 months ago that I sat in my living room thinking the very same thing when I first looked at this opportunity. I remember thinking, ‘Who in the world do I know that I could possibly introduce this business opportunity to? Maybe 10 people if I’m lucky.’ Then my upline sponsor gave me what’s called a Memory Jogger List, and I was amazed at just how many people I really did know. It’s incredible. Between the newspaper delivery man, my chiropractor, insurance agent, next door neighbor and all the rest, I came up with more than 300 people I could call on immediately. Chances are we can come up with even more than that for you.”

“Mr. Jones, if I could provide you the same list, do you feel that would be sufficient in getting you enough people to call on to get started immediately?” “Sure, but what if I can’t reach all of them?” “That’s okay, because chances are you won’t reach the majority of them. In fact, I only reached a mere 10% of the 300 I came up with on my list, and then only 10% of them got involved. But that’s all it took to start me well on my way to financial freedom, and having the time with my family to enjoy it. And if I’m reading you right, and I think I am, that’s exactly what you want for your family, isn’t it?” “Yes.”

Step #6: Have your prospect agree that you’ve answered it.

This is self-explanatory. As in the case of Mr. Jones, he’s already agreed that the Memory Jogger List would appease his concern about a lack of people to call on, and therefore be able to get started immediately. However, if I really want to be sure, I add, “Do you see how the concern you had about not knowing enough people is really no concern at all with the help of the Memory Jogger List?”

Step #7: Transition to the next close.

Don’t put too much credence on the term, “Closing the sale.” All it simply means is bringing the presentation to the next logical conclusion, which culminates in your prospect signing the application. However, it sometimes takes more than one attempt to get a prospect to commit. As in the case of Mr. Jones, his concern was a lack of people to call on. Once I appeased his concern, and I got him to agree that I did, I would then transition to the next close. For example: “Mr. Jones, now that we see just how many potential prospects you do have to call on, let’s get your application in right away, so that we can get you started making money immediately.”

Wrap Up

In closing, understand that objections are a natural part of the entire sales process. They are very common and therefore shouldn’t be feared. View them as invitations from our prospects to further enlighten and inform them. Expect them, embrace them, and be challenged by them. Make a list of the most common objections you encounter - then write at least three different responses for each objection. Each time you use one of your responses, make a mental note about how effective it was. If it didn’t work to reduce the prospects fear/problem/objection after 5 attempts, throw it out and work with another one. Continue this process until you find the means to effectively handle the objection.

Keep in mind that each response should address the objection from a completely different angle. What might make sense to one prospect may have no relevance to another. After writing your responses, practice your delivery. Get with your upline or someone who can be objective, and practice, practice, practice. Only through repetition and frequent application will you gain the confidence to overcome even the toughest of obstacles. Master this skill, and prospecting will be “no brainer” for you. Once you find what works, share it with your downline too!

Signature lines are a great way to prospect and make the most of a medium you are already using. You already send e-mail’s to friends, family, and business colleges but perhaps you don’t want to present your opportunity outright to them. Let’s face it, most of us have been in more than one network marketing opportunity and have “burned some bridges”. Adding a compelling signature line to your e-mail’s allows you to say whatever you want, provide a “link” to your marketing web page and do it without any pressure or obligation.

Think about it, how many emails do you send out every day? How many of these forwarded jokes, pictures,

Continue Reading "Using Signature Lines To Prospect"