without prejudging their suitability, successful networkers also pinpoint those
prospects who are likely to possess the qualities necessary to ensure long-term
success and therefore profitability. They look for people who are coachable
and for those who have shown a propensity for doing those things that have
resulted in accomplishment in other areas of life and business.
In short, the powerful persuader prospects deliberately, targeting pur-
poseful efforts at people who have the desire, resources, motivation, and will-
ingness to make sound decisions to move their businesses forward, and the
potential for attracting other successful people.
3. PREPARE
Red Motley, who started Parademagazine, said that the average person will
work like crazy to get a sales appointment or an opportunity to make a busi-
ness presentation, then blow the opportunity with a poor presentation after
the prospect has agreed to the interview.
You don’t persuade busy people by rambling on for 40 minutes about
features and benefits of your products or company. Usually, after such dis-
jointed presentations, neither the networker nor the prospect can summarize
what’s just been said. Professional networkers always do their homework.
They know that the better they’re prepared, the more persuasive they’ll be
when they walk in to make a presentation. They research to find out every-
thing they need to know about the prospect. They plan what they will show
and what they will say, and they practice, practice, practice.
4. PERFORM
Amateur networkers are easily let down when their prospect turns out to not
be interested in their income opportunity or their potential customer refuses
to make a purchase. How could that customer not want these great products?
How could that prospect not see the value in this marvelous opportunity?
They must be idiots!
The customer and prospect were not idiots. Either the novice networker
simply did not create sufficient value to persuade the customer to buy or the
prospect to join or, perhaps, the products or opportunity were simply not a fit.
Remember: People don’t typically know the benefits of using your won-
derful products or joining your extraordinary company. Communicating this
extreme value is yourresponsibility. If you don’t make a strong presentation,
you can’t persuade your prospect to buy or join.
Powerful persuaders are like stage actors playing to a full house. They
are artists at making their presentations. They’re entertaining and informative
98 THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO NETWORK MARKETING