October 1999
What Do You Say
...to "Three-way calls are too pushy?"
Ever since he enrolled with you, two weeks ago, Gordon has been making calls to his warm market. He hasn't yet had much success, so you have offered to do a few three-way calls with him. Gordon hasn't called to schedule anything, but you notice that you have enough time for two or three calls with him this afternoon. You phone him to see what he has going on during that time.The two of you chat about how things are going. He lets you know that he has several calls this afternoon - right during the time you are available - and you repeat your offer to coach him. After an awkward pause, Gordon finally says, "These are people from my warm market, so I really care about how I present myself. I think three-way calls are too pushy."
What do you say?
Delmae Bower joined USANA when the company first opened in Australia, in February 1998. Delmae resides in Melbourne, and her current level of achievement is Silver Director.
This is an interesting situation that often happens, and my response is to ask the question: Why do you feel that way? If we were at a party and your friend arrived, would you call him/her over and introduce us? Why not over the phone?
It's important for me to listen carefully to find out why it seems pushy to my new downline person. He may have ideas and expectations about three-way calls which are different from the way I would do them.
Carlos Gueits, National Sales Director with AmeriPlan, lives in Miami, FL.
When someone tells me that, I agree with them in a way. Sometimes three-way calls can be pushy. I've had times when people called and said, "Hey, Carlos, I have so-and-so on the line." They catch me by surprise, and I don't appreciate it. I don't get a chance to say, "I don't want to talk to this person." It almost feels like they're ganging up on me. I think that three-way calling should be done only after a distributor has made initial contact with a prospect to schedule it and let them know who to expect on the line.
I'd tell Gordon: You are the one who has credibility with your warm market. My role as your upline is to lend credibility to the business because, as everyone knows, no one is a prophet in their own land.
You need to tell your warm market prospects who I am (so they don't think I'm just some guy off the street), and you need to edify me to them. That's important. If you don't edify me, I'm dead in the water with your prospect, and the call will either seem pushy or just pointless. I'm here to be your expert on the business, but I don't want either of us to give a presentation on the phone. Our goal is to generate enough curiosity and interest that your prospect will want to come to an opportunity meeting.
I don't do presentations over the phone. I try to get people to a meeting because I've learned, after seven years in this industry, that you have a lot more control when you're sitting eyeball-to-eyeball with a person. I just give them enough information to awaken their curiosity and get them to an in-person presentation.
Once your warm-market prospects see me as an expert, they will be willing to schedule a three-way call and listen. When I come on that call, I will edify you by telling your prospect how hard you are working, how much energy and drive you have, and the positive things you have accomplished so far.
I don't have to lie to edify even a very new distributor - there is always something positive to say. There may also be a chance to edify the prospect if my new distributor has told me something positive about the person.
A three-way is a second invitation after the distributor has already talked to the prospect about a call with me. My philosophy is that a three-way should be a support call, with me as an expert to help answer the prospect's questions and train the new distributor in the process.
Maureen Mulvaney, an Area Manager with Arbonne, runs her business from Phoenix, AZ.
I'm an international speaker, so I haven't had anyone say that to me. It's all in the way you look at it, I suppose. I see three-way calls not as pushy so much as informative and helpful. I'd tell my new distributor: I want to save you money, time, and effort, and I want to do the same for your prospect. It's easier if I make that call and include you so there is no cost to you, and it saves you time.
Let's say your prospect is a busy single mom like me. She doesn't have time to get a babysitter and go to a meeting on somebody else's schedule. Rather than going out of her house, she can get on the phone in the comfort of her slippers and jammies.
When you schedule the call with her, let her tell you what time works best. I'll make myself available for her convenience, in case she has to put her little one to bed, or something like that. She can do what she needs to do while she is listening to you and me. I think it's probably the least intrusive way. Your prospect can choose to be a passive listener, and just sit in on our conversation while she does the laundry or whatever she needs to do.
For me, a three-way call would be set up to accomodate a busy person who wants to get some information. It's an easy way to give information on Network Marketing and its benefits, or product information.
I'd advise my new distributor to say: "I'll bring one of our product experts onto a call and let her speak to you, so it won't cost you a dime and will be done on our time and energy. That way you'll get some information about our organization. Since your time is valuable, let me help you out with a personalized educational session. You get to set it up on your time and for what you need."
I don't do that very often, but that's how I would do it. It's all in the way you set it up.
Share your best "What Do You Say?" with us! Send your, or your team's, proven Networking one-liners, phrases, questions and answers to Tina Howell at the Upline address, or email them to tina@upline.com. 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.
Reprinted with permission from Upline, What Do You Say? - October 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
