July - August 1999
Feature
The Fear Of Prospecting Professionals - Mark and Patty Meckler
My wife and I have been involved in Network Marketing for approximately one and a half years. It has been a fascinating journey so far, and we thank our sponsor regularly for having the strength to introduce us to this incredible industry. You see, we are some of those people that so many are afraid to prospect: the successful professionals. For that reason, until very recently, we had never been prospected.
I am a business and real estate attorney who practiced law for eight years. I have been corporate counsel for a large real estate developer and a large hotel company. I've worked in a large law firm and had my own small partnership. My wife Patty's background is as a highly successful salesperson. Several years ago, she was the number one salesperson in the nation for Minolta Business Systems. Most recently, my wife and I have built and sold several successful businesses together. We're the kind of people that many Networkers disqualify before they ever offer us the opportunity.
Now that we're involved in the business of Network Marketing, we hear the same story over and over from our friends inside our company or involved in other Network Marketing companies: "We thought about talking to you guys, we knew you would be great, but we didn't think you would be interested. We figured you were already successful, so why would you want to do this business?"
Why would we be interested? How about the lifestyle we all hear so much about? How about the opportunity to build an unlimited residual income stream and a lifestyle offering total time freedom? How about the simple joy of being involved in a business that is all about helping others to achieve their dreams?
All of those reasons are what attracted us to Network Marketing when the opportunity was finally presented to us. Sure, we were successful financially, but at what cost? We were slaves to our businesses, our employees, and our linear income stream. We had no freedom. We had moved to a small town for lifestyle, and we watched it from the windows of our cars and businesses. The quality of life we had sought was escaping us, and there was no end in sight.
So it must have been another successful professional who got us into the business, right?
Wrong.
It was our friend Cheryl-- a professional mom with little business experience prior to Network Marketing. As she exposed us to the lifestyle potential, slowly and gently, we were tempted to look further. The clincher was an introduction to her upline. A successful professional, right? Wrong again. He is a high-school-educated, self-made entrepreneur. Having quit a successful business to pursue Network Marketing, he was able to demonstrate the lifestyle change that appealed to Patty and me. He has total control of his own time, spends much of it with his family, and has built an impressive residual income stream. We were convinced that he and Cheryl had what Patty and I were looking for.
What are the lessons in this? You've heard it before, but it's important: Don't ever prejudge someone. Always present the opportunity. You never know someone's "why" until you ask. Most people, even professionals, have a "why." Successful traditional business ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be. Neither is the life of a professional, like a lawyer, doctor or CPA. They all bill hours, and their earning potential, though great, is limited by the number of hours they can work. The cash flow stops immediately when they leave the office. Many of those people went into business to help people, and ultimately found that the helping was only a small part. All the while, the residual income of Network Marketing continues to flow.
When you're not sure how to get through to someone, or what the right approach might be, look for someone else in your organization who might be able to relate to them. Remember that this is a team business, and the most successful distributors always take advantage of the strengths of their organizations.
Don't be timid! The professionals are out there, and they're just waiting for you to offer them a better way to achieve the American dream. Keep an eye out for them, and approach them, secure in the knowledge that you can help.
MARK AND PATTY MECKLER have achieved Global Expansion Team status in Herbalife International, Inc. They live in Nevada City, CA in the Sierra foothills with their two children, Lucy, two months, and Jake, three.
Reprinted with permission from Upline, Meckler Feature - July/August 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
