Building a Big Business...One Step at a Time

FEATURE - Randy Gage

Network Marketing is really not that difficult a business. We make it seem a lot tougher than it really is. If you broke it down into its essential elements, I think there are only four of them: Contact, Inviting, Presenting and Follow-up. I've always maintained that you could teach people all the skills they would need to build a million-dollar business in about 12 hours.

So what's the problem?

I believe it's not a question of learning skills; I think it's a problem of belief. People look at the business, they are fired up, they are excited, but they see how long it is going to take them to get to the highest level of the pay plan and they give up the ghost. The drive is there, their dream is there, but the goal seems so far away that they give up. They just can't keep the faith.

One of the things we've used to get new people started fast while keeping their beliefs in place, is the concept of 300 PV circles. Here's how it works: Instead of getting a new distributor to focus on going to the top, we get them to commit to doing $300 PV a month.

First, we get a commitment that they will use at least $100 a month in personal consumption. Second, they commit to $100 a month retail. This could be one new customer of a $100 a month, two customers at $50 a month or four customers at $25 a month-- it doesn't matter. The main thing is the commitment of $100 a month volume retail. Third, we get their commitment to do $100 a month wholesale. This means they will start off at least one new distributor who has a $100 PV or two new distributors who have $50 PV in that month. This brings them to $300 in volume.

Let's look at what happens next. . . .

We ask our distributor, "Can you find three people who can duplicate this same process?" Of course, the answer is "Yes." Now we get them to commit to getting those three people in the first month or two. This produces at least $1000 PV, which gets them up to the Manager or Supervisor level (you may have to adjust the numbers to fit your specific compensation plan). The magic of all this, of course, is that they are getting some volume, they are getting some people and they are building their belief all at the same time.

Now, we just help them duplicate the process through the next level. When the three get three, they are now looking at enough volume to go Director. If they are serious and really applying themselves, they can do this in two to four months. By reaching this level rapidly, their belief becomes so strong that they are committed to stay on the course-- they will be there until they get to the top. It gets them out of gate fast, builds some volume and builds the belief.

To get this done, you have to sponsor people in bunches. One of the things we've found is that "onesies" and "twosies" don't work in this business. If you just sponsor one or two people, there is not enough critical mass for the meetings or functions. People stall out, people have to work overtime at their jobs, people quit. The business can seem to simply fall apart if you just have one or two going. By sponsoring people in bunches, there is always some activity going on in at least one line and the activity feeds across the lines. This creates something like sibling rivalry, and it generates excitement for all the lines. The formula we use for sponsoring in bunches is:

We talk to 12 people. Of the 12, nine will probably be willing to see an actual one-on-one presentation. If we present to nine, the odds are that we'll sponsor three. Getting three started at the same time is the critical mass we are looking for to get some excitement going in the group.

The best time to get this going is usually on Sunday evenings. From about 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. is the prime time for making phone calls. The secret of the call is to be brief, direct, and get to the point. In other words, it is not necessary to catch up on everything over the last nine months since you talked to the person. It's quite all right to pick up the phone and, as soon as they answer, say, "Hey, Jeff, it's Randy. I've got a quick question for you," and then go into your approach. You will find that people really appreciate this and you can get all of your calls done in an hour or so.

Here are some helpful hints on getting the process going faster. Put your dream in front of you-- have a picture of whatever your dream is in front of where you're making the phone calls. Then, get out your list and just say, "One-two-three, go!"-- pick up the phone. Finish the call, and "One-two-three, go!"-- pick up the phone and make the next call. Burn off your calls as quickly as you can. When you get to the point and ask people directly, it's quite easy to get a lot done. It's not that difficult to speak to 12 people. If you're excited, enthusiastic and you're using the proper questions, you can talk to 12, probably get nine appointments, and then probably sponsor three of them.

If you find that you are not getting these percentages at first, that's not unusual. That's the signal that you need to slow down and counsel with your sponsor. Role-play with them if necessary and find out what you're doing that might be slowing you down. You'll also find that after you do this for a while, your numbers will go up. You could talk to 12, present to ten and sponsor four or five. As your belief builds, your sponsorship rate goes up. Try this process with your group. It gets people started fast, it builds volume and, most importantly, gives them a chunk-by-chunk believable goal that they can achieve. When they start to achieve their goals, their beliefs get even stronger and they're on their way to the top!

RANDY GAGE is the author of the best-selling tape album training in Network Marketing history, How to Earn at Least $100,000 in Network Marketing, and the highly-praised new book, How to Build a Multi-Level Money Machine. This article has been adapted from Randy's new seminar, Recruiting 101, which teaches you the four critical skills that separate average Network Marketers from the MLM Millionaires: contacting, inviting, presenting and follow-up. Randy will be presenting Recruiting 101 in the following cities: Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA; Atlanta, GA; Orlando, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Detroit, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Las Vegas, NV; Salt Lake City, UT; Cleveland, OH; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; New Brunswick, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; and, Boston, MA. The cost of the seminar is $97. Group discounts are available. Please call 1-800-432-4243 or (305) 531-7085 for further information about dates and locations.

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Reprinted with permission from Upline, Gage Feature November/December 1998, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com

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