What do you say?
... to "It's Saturated" - Coy Barefoot
The follow-up is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30. You drive by on your way home after work, park, and pause for a minute, before you get out, to hear the last of a Zig Ziglar tape.
You climb out of the car and march to the front door full of positive energy. It doesn't matter if this couple is interested or not, you think to yourself, because I'm in motion on the way to the top.
You first met the gentleman in the waiting room at your dentist's office. When he asked you what you did, you said: I'm a paralegal by training, but I also own a growing distribution business. He started asking a lot of questions, and the next thing you know, you're at his home a few days later drawing out the business plan for him and his wife.
That was Sunday afternoon. They seemed very interested. You left two tapes and some literature with them. Now you've come back for the follow-up to answer any questions and see if they are ready to get started.
With the encouraging words of Zig Ziglar still echoing in your head, you ring the doorbell. The gentleman opens the door, nods and says hello. He has the info-pack in his hand. He doesn't invite you in. He's not smiling. This doesn't look good.
`Did you and Lois get a chance to check out the information?" you ask hopefully.
"Yes, we did," he says, handing you the pack. "My wife and I both looked through all of it and listened to the tapes, but we just don't think this is for us."
You smile curiously. "What part didn't appeal to you, the extra $2,000 a month or retiring early?"
"No, no," he says quickly, "We like all that, of course. It's another issue. We just think that this is one of those deals where you had to get in 20 years ago to make any money. By now, if it's as good a deal as you say it is, everybody who would be interested has already seen it and is probably involved. We just think the market is probably saturated already."
You shift your weight, still a little uncomfortable that he hasn't asked you in. Then you look him right in the eye and. . . .
What do you say? -- Coy Barefoot
Jeff Mack has been in the Networking industry for almost nine years. He is a Triple Diamond with Rexall Showcase, and a member of the Presidential Board of Advisors.
"Saturated? Really? How many people do you know that are actively involved in Network Marketing? How many friends do you have that retired early as a result of their Network Marketing business?
"In the history of business, Network Marketing is a relatively new idea-- only about 50 years old. New ideas go through three different phases: ridicule; overwhelming opposition; acceptance as self-evident. Franchising has gone through the same three phases. Today, franchises are accepted as legitimate, mainstream business opportunities. Network Marketing is still in one of the first two phases, depending on who you talk to. It is only now moving into the third stage and being accepted as a viable, mainstream business option. The time for real opportunity is right now. Now is the time to be a pioneer."
Barbara Lazar is a Master Ambassador with Reliv. She has been involved in Network Marketing for almost 17 years.
"Our industry is anything but saturated-- especially these days. There are just too many new markets and opportunities constantly opening up. Let's look at a few. All the kids that are turning 18 every day-- the Generation X-ers-- they are the most entrepreneurial generation in the history of our country. They've watched their parents go through the system and end up with no time and a lot of stress, or perhaps even be downsized out of a job. They have 55-year-old parents out of work and struggling. These young adults want to own their own businesses and call their own shots, and most of them don't even know Network Marketing exists.
"There are also the people who may not have been interested in Networking five years ago-- they felt secure in their jobs-- and probably wouldn't have given Network Marketing a second thought. But these people have seen too many coworkers get laid off, they've taken a good long look at their investment portfolios, and they are rushing to get involved today. Doctors, lawyers, corporate executives, a whole market of professionals is just now discovering Networking. These are the same people who probably said they weren't interested five or ten years ago.
"Plus, there is a long list of international opportunities opening up overseas as Networking companies branch out into places like Russia and China. Saturated? No way. We're just getting started."
An Executive Director with Market America, Arlene Lowy has been in the Network Marketing industry for 16 years.
"Hey, there are people out there who have never even heard of Amway, and that's been around since the 1950s. But more importantly, what do you mean by saturated? There are a lot of people who may understand what a computer is, but have never seen one. Most people don't have one in their homes. Is the computer market saturated simply because most people have heard of computers? Of course not.
"Saturated? Do you think there are too many people retiring early, working out of their homes or running their own businesses? No way. Is the potential market of moms who want to spend more time with their kids saturated? Are there way too many people happy and secure in their jobs? These markets are anything but saturated. I wish they were.
"I'm all for saturating the market, because I'd like to see more moms and dads at home raising their own children, instead of handling them off to employees at a daycare center. I'd like to try to saturate the market; would you like to help?"
Connie Dugan is a Master Director with Oxyfresh, and has been in the industry for eight years.
"I can appreciate that concern. But if that were true, then Amway would have been shut down a long time ago. Instead, they have had some of their greatest growth in the last few years. A lot of people say no to Amway every day, but they continue to be the biggest Network Marketing company, and they're still growing.
"Network Marketing will likely never be saturated. There are just too many new companies and products coming on line all the time. It's timing, too. People who may have said no five years ago are now at a different time in their lives and could see the same opportunity tomorrow and say yes.
"There's also the element of credibility. Someone could see the same opportunity from four friends and not be interested. Then their doctor shows them and they get excited about it."
Pete Laurence is a Twelve Star Presidential Director with Mannatech, Inc. He has been involved in Network Marketing for 11 years.
"I think this is one of the best objections or concerns that we could get. It shows that the person you are talking to is really interested. They're already seeing themselves involved, they're just wondering how the process will actually unfold in the future.
"There are some religions that have been around for centuries-- Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism. Have any of them ever saturated the world's population? No. Realistically then, what are the chances that we as a company, or even Network Marketing as an industry, are going to do better than the world's great religions and saturate the population of the world? The real question comes down to this: Do the benefits of these products and this opportunity make sense to you? If so, then don't you think the people you care about deserve to hear about what you've discovered?"
Share your best "What Do You Say?" with us! Send your, or your team's, proven Networking one-liners, phrases, questions and answers, to Coy Barefoot at the Upline address, or email them to barefoot@cstone.net. We just might include them in a future publication. Be sure to include your name, company, and a little neat information about who you are.
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Reprinted with permission from Upline, What Do You Say - January 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
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