The Life of a Network Marketer, Part 1

Three times a week my wife, Jessica, gets herself ready in the morning before the kids are up.  As quickly as she can, she showers, gets dressed, puts on her make-up, and eats breakfast.  Our one-year-old, Ajani, is the first to start making noises this day.  She hears him through the baby monitor, resting on the kitchen table.  She shoves spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth in an effort to beat Ajani to his eventual crib crying.  What she dreads the most about her day is about to begin: the painful journey that is getting out of the house.

People without children take for granted the natural and systematic progression of getting ready for work.  Sure they may be pressed for time, running late, grabbing a snack out of the pantry to substitute the missed opportunity for breakfast at the kitchen table.  But nothing compares to the chaos that parents face every morning, priming their children to be ready for several hours of time outside the house doing whatever needs to get done.  This isn't a blog about the challenges of parenting toddlers, so I'll spare you the details.  Just note that what Jessica and other stay-at-home parents do each morning to simply leave the house is enough to commend, not under appreciate.

It's a must that Jessica leave the house as a Network Marketer for Arbonne International Arbonne Intl. page.  Network Marketing for any company involves one particular task that is the lifeblood of the business: Prospecting.  "Prospecting" means many things to many people.  In general, prospecting is the purposeful task of meeting people and gauging their potential for the business of Network Marketing in the span of a short conversation.  The actual process of prospecting is quite simple.  I learned it shadowing Jessica for one week while I was on vacation from my 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. "job" as an Assistant Principal at a High School.  (This is my normal, "non duty" workday.  Often times I work even more hours, supervising sporting or other types of evening events)

In this pic, Jessica scans for "prospects" at a local indoor mall, pushing the stroller.

The Prospecting process described by a non network marketer, i.e., me: 

1. Scan.  You scan the place you're at for "confident" looking people.  Observe a person's body language for signs.  Is the prospect standing tall?  Are his shoulders squared to the world?  Does she walk with confidence?  If you by chance should pass by her and smile, does she smile back?  Is she dressed decently?  The latter has to do with how someone takes care of themselves.  If she shows up to a place looking like she just got out of bed, chances are she's not the person you want on your team.  (She may not take herself seriously)
2. Engage.   This is one of my favorite parts of the process, simply because I enjoy talking with people.  Once the network marketer determines someone looks "interesting," it is time to engage!  This is where many network marketers get flustered with their own self-doubt.  They think too deeply of the encounter:  Maybe the prospect will be rude, a snob, self-absorbed, etc.  They psycho analyze the situation to death: What should I say to break the ice?  What if she has to leave before I get to ask her my key questions, etc.?  Their fears prevent them from acting and their business subsequently suffers.  I was proud of Jessica during my time shadowing her, she engaged many individuals, and some (but not all, of course) of these people turned out to be great prospects!  Goes to show that unless you engage, you'll never know what can turn out.
3. The Conversation.   During the conversation, the network marketer builds rapport and trust with the prospect.  He is genuinely interested in the person in front of him.  And why shouldn't he be?  After all, there are many interesting people in this world.  Some of these people have unique talents they've yet not unleashed because of their stifling and mentally numbing careers.  The network marketer converses with purpose, to ascertain if the person in front of him has what it takes to be a leader of their own network marketing business, a leader of other people.  The network marketer attempts to arrive at a conclusion: this person before me wants with great urgency, an alternative to their mundane and hectic lifestyle; this person wants out of the "rat race" badly, to spend more time with their kids, or spouse, or sick father, etc.  The key question the network marketer asks to finalize the conversation:  If I could show you a way to dramatically increase your income and have complete control over your time, are YOU the kind of person that would sit down with me for 30 minutes over coffee and explore the possibilities?  How would you respond if asked this question?
4. The Exchange.  If both the network marketer and prospect agree that an additional conversation over coffee/tea should take place in the near future, phone numbers are exchanged.  The network marketer gives the prospect a business card and also makes sure to take down the prospect's full name and telephone number.  A day later, the network marketer calls the prospect and sets-up a One on One meeting where the business will be thoroughly explained to the prospect.  Just like the prospecting process, One on One meetings are very decisive and indicative of the prospect's potential, but this is for a later post.   

In this pic, Jessica has engaged a prospect and is in the middle of her conversation.  My daughter, Rehani, is directly in front of her.  I'm with my son several feet away impressed with my wife, seeing her in action.

Take the time to view this video by Robert T. Kiyosaki:

The business of the 21st Century

Credit for pic

In my previous post on Multiple Stream of Income, I briefly described network marketing and gave links to additional information.  Network marketing is not for people with fixed mindsets.  This is a business where no matter your background, level of formal education, or current career, everyone can have the same level of success.  Being consistent, following the steps you're given, listening to your up-line, participating in ongoing training, and most importantly, NOT GIVING UP WHEN YOU FAIL will make the difference in you and your business.  It is not easy.  On the contrary it can be very difficult, but if you are willing to take the leap forward, then commit, and DO NOT LOOK BACK, no matter who or what stands in your way!

    In this pic, Rehani is pushing off the cushion, committed to a forward leap.  Ajani sees dad with his phone out and soon comes after it. 



Would you like more information about starting your own Network Marketing business with Arbonne?  Or are you interested in getting more information about Arbonne's pure, safe, and beneficial products?  Email: star.boundinc@yahoo.com