How to Approach People You Don’t Know About Your Homebased Business

Last night on a team training we got into a discussion about how to do homebased business prospecting right.

The truth is the ONLY thing we can control in a homebased business whether it be MLM, Network Marketing or Direct Sales is the number of people we expose to our products and services.

The truth is everyone wants more homebased business leads. Some say they don’t have people to talk to. The reality is great prospects are all round us.

As we discussed on our call, finding or creating new mlm leads intimidates most people. It is crazy when you stop and think about it, getting new homebusiness leads is easy to do and easy not to do.

A Secret to Getting more Homebased Business Leads

Are you ready for this?

Don’t talk about your homebased business.

What I mean is don’t go into a pitch fest about how awesome your homebased business or products are when you first talking to prospects.

This is especially true if you are meeting people in the world of social media especially on Facebook.

One of the basic rules on online lead generation is give value and don’t make it about you.  Make it about the prospect.

Again, whether we are talking about getting homebased business leads online or local home based business leads we want to first figure out if the person is interested in what we have to offer.

I believe every presentation should actually be a conversation and in order to do this effective you must know something about the person you are talking to.

Questions are the Answer Homebased Business Whoas 

When I’m out and about and I see someone who has really good energy or an upbeat personality my ears always perk up.

If someone has a magnetic personality (great energy) they probably get pitched by homebased business entrepreneurs all the time.

Here’s how to be a great at Homebased Business Prospecting

• Engage them in conversation, compliment them
• Ask them about what they do, how long they have been doing it
• What to they like about it and dislike about it
• Tell them you enjoy helping people and you are a connector
• Be natural

As you ask questions, do it naturally. As Dale Carnegie says, “take a sincere interest in the other person”.

Homebased Business Prospecting Script

Just before you walk away ask, “Just throwing it out there but would you be interested in a side project that doesn’t interfere with what you are doing here at _________(wherever they work).

Your homebased business prospect will say:

• No thanks
• What is it?
• Sure

When they give you a positive response say, “Cool, what’s going on in your life that has got you open?” Listen carefully.

Then say, “I don’t have time to explain everything right now. Give me your contact info and I will email you some info, when do you think you can look at it and when would be a good time for me to follow up with you to see what you think?”

You now have to make sure you send your homebased business lead the email info, remember to compliment them, say that you can help them and be sure to follow up when they asked you to.

This is one of the biggest prospecting mistakes of homebased business reps–they drop the ball when they are supposed to follow up.

Make this a habit and watch your homebased business grow and proper.

Remember don’t be the rep that has verbal diarrhea all over the homebased business prospect.  Make it about the prospect not about you.

Let me know if this makes sense to you. If you see value in it, please quickly do me a favor and share with others and comment below how to do homebased business prospecting.

Your Success IS My Business.

Allow me to lend a hand.

Terry@TerryPetrovick.com
919.528.9162

PS If you are interested in working with me on a day to day basis and you are looking for a side project that does not interfere with what you are currently doing that will create a new leveraged income stream then click here.

Leadership NOTE: If You Do Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Lead Generation, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The biggest “mistake” people make on LinkedIn is to not make their Profile attractive to their ideal business partners or prospects.

Someone who is introduced to you via a mutual contact, but has never heard of or from you, will look for you on LinkedIn or via a search engine like Google. If they then find out that you are indeed the expert you say you are (remember it’s about the Trust factor and Social Proof), they might become VERY interested in talking to you.

Another benefit of having an appealing LinkedIn Profile is that it allows you to increase your visibility, which supports your personal branding and online reputation.

A good Profile increases your visibility on LinkedIn and also on the web. Google and other search engines index the information from your Public Profile on LinkedIn.  Since LinkedIn has a high Page Ranking in Google (indicating that LinkedIn is a very popular website) the Profiles will also appear high in search results.

Remember: LinkedIn is a business networking website.

The focus is on the business side of people (with a small part for personal interests). More and more people use LinkedIn to look someone up before they have a meeting with them. This means that LinkedIn is the first professional impression you make on someone. Make it a good one!

How to improve your Profile on LinkedIn and on the web

Before you begin, turn the notifications off

When you are going to make several changes to your LinkedIn Profile over one or two days, it is best to turn off the updates for your network. Otherwise they are notified every time you click “save” and that might annoy them (and even hide your updates, or worse—remove you from their connections).

On top of the page, click on the arrow in front of your name and click on “Settings”. Usually you now have to give your password since LinkedIn wants to be sure it is you making the changes. Under the title “Privacy Settings”, click on “Turn on/off your activity broadcasts”.

Then check off the box “Let people know when you change your profile, make recommendations, or follow companies”.

Your “Teaser”: Picture, Name, Professional Headline, Location and Industry, Status Update

Why do we call this part the “teaser”?

Because this is what people will see when you end up in a search result or when you contribute to a Discussion. This part should encourage them to read the rest of your Profile.

1. Your Profile Photo: use a professional photo.

• There is not much space for your photo—your head will be enough. Although it is not necessary to upload a photo, this makes it easier for others to remember and recognize you. It also helps before a meeting if the face is familiar. You help other people to feel more comfortable with you by uploading a professional, up-to-date photo and make it visible to everybody who visits your Profile (if you don’t want to do that, you can make it visible only to your first degree connections or to your network = degree 1, 2 and 3).
• You can click on someone’s picture to enlarge it, which helps later recognition. This means you can upload a higher-resolution image (up to 4 MB).
• Since you now can upload a high-resolution photo, you might want to have it taken by a professional.

2. Name:  If you want to be found by other people who know you, use the name you use in a

professional environment—no nicknames.

• If you are married and have taken the name of your partner, people who knew you before (for example in college) won’t be able to find you. So add your former/maiden name.
• If you want only your first-degree contacts to see your last name, you can choose to only show your first name and the first letter of your last name.

3. Professional Headline: by default it is your current function.

• Use words that are benefit driven and get your prospect’s attention. Give more detail than on your business card! For example: “online marketing coach specialized in Facebook marketing solutions” is much clearer than “online marketer”. Describe how what you do helps people, i.e., instead of “Owner, ABC Press” choose, “Helping writers to self-publish”.

Many people don’t dare to make their Professional Headline specific because they might miss out.  Someone important might not find them.

Actually, it works the other way: the people you REALLY want to connect with will find you more easily if they are drawn to your headline!

Of course, most people never consider to whom they want to appeal and as a consequence don’t get results either.

Your headline is critical because this are the first words people see when you show up in their search results, or what is shown when you answer a question in Answers or in a Discussion. The headline will encourage or discourage people to read your Profile. So polish its appeal!

Remember this…

When changing your professional headline the information in the “current” field won’t change.

In order to stand out, add a personal element (e.g. happy chocoholic like Bert) to initiate a response from others. LinkedIn is a platform for individuals, and people tend to like others who share their common interests. If you are looking for a “Quality Manager” and get 1.5 million results, who stands out? On which profile do you click and why?

4.          Location: Although you have to provide your postal code, this is not shared on LinkedIn. For privacy reasons, LinkedIn works with geographic areas instead of exact addresses.

5.          Primary industry of expertise: Complete this field to find colleagues in other companies in your industry, and to be findable by them.

6.          Status Update: tell other people what you are doing, this helps to raise your visibility and credibility and hence is good for your personal branding.

If this post and the others has been helpful then please vote for my blog to be in the Top 50 MLM blogs. PLEASE vote here.

Your Success IS My Business.
Allow me to lend a hand.

Terry@TerryPetrovick.com
919.528.9162

PS If you are interested in working with me on a day to day basis and you are looking for a side project that does not interfere with what you are currently doing that will create a new leveraged income stream then click here.

Leadership NOTE: If You Do Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Lead Generation, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

Top 4 Blogging Mistakes People Make

Marketing Mistake #1 Not Hosting Your Own Blog

Mistake:

Some people who have not committed to the blogging process think that they will save money by using a free blogging platform’s domain such as Blogger.com, WordPress.com, or TypePad.com. Eeek!

Hosting your blog on a free platform’s URL like http://yournameblog.wordpress.com is a BIG gamble.  I have a friend that built a wonderful blog, he had a ton of followers then one day it ALL DISAPPEARED with no explanation. Four years of work gone just like that!  OUCH!

For less than $10/month you can have your own hosted blog.

Mistake #2 Not Having A Well Thought Out Brand

Mistake:

If you pay attention, you will see it all the time.  Some people try to be everything to everybody.  They do not have a well thought out identity for themselves or their business and it shows in their blog.

Their content is all over the place with no standard target market.

You must understand that people come to your blog because they are looking for answers.

You must be the problem solver.

One of your first thoughts should be… who is my ideal prospect?

Write a detailed description of your ideal prospect.  When you write your blog posts or create your videos speak to their needs.

If you are in the home-based business niche like I am there are tons of people who are struggling with things like Facebook marketing, Twitter marketing and video marketing.  Pick a few of these areas, develop your skills and start teaching others what you have learned.

It is that easy.

Your blog should be your central hub of all your online marketing.  If you have not yet gone through my Social Media 8 video boot camp, I would highly recommend it. You can find it on the top right of my blog and the bottom of this post.

Your Blog’s Brand should be professionally done.  Here’s a blog post with information about a Blog Design Service that I recommend if you need one.

Marketing Mistake #3 Publishing Too Much Content About YOU

Mistake:

Many people let their ego get in the way.

When the content you publish on your blog is too heavily focused on you – your products, services, achievements, and why you’re awesome – and it’s seriously lacking leadership.  It is a turn off to prospects.

Publishing product or company-focused content is okay only if you limit it to a one out of ten blog posts.

The goal should be support your reader and their problems with your experience and knowledge.

Always answer the question the prospect has in their mine, “What’ in it for me?”

It is really not that hard to establish yourself as a leader, coach and mentor if you are consistently producing good content.

Examples of Leadership-Driven Content:

• Industry/market data
• Industry best practices
• Reports based on industry research
• Content that educates
• Thought-provoking content
• Common Problems

By creating these types of content, you’ll start establishing your blog as a resource.

Also know that people are more likely to share content that is educational in nature, your content will reach a larger audience of potential customers.

Marketing Mistake #4 Publishing Infrequently & Inconsistently

Mistake:

This is a BIG mistake people make.  You’ve created a well-branded blog, you even host it yourself, but you don’t publish posts on a regular basis.

You just shot your self in the foot.

When you’re not publishing content at least weekly, people will not take you serious.  In fact, you will lose credibility.

Research shows that the people benefiting most from blogging are the ones that blog frequently and consistently.

Some people suggest blogging daily.  Are you ready for that level of commitment?

According to HubSpot’s 2010 State of Inbound Marketing Report, 46% of companies that publish a business blog have acquired a customer from a blog-generated lead.

In addition, there is a direct correlation between the frequency of blogging and customer acquisition.

The data below shows the more often a company blogs, the more likely that company is to acquire customers from its blog.

Ignoring your blog rather than keeping it updated with fresh content means you are leaving prospective customers on the table.

Make a commitment to the upkeep of your blog.

Get organized by creating a blog post calendar. Once you’ve worked your way into a regular blogging routine, consider increasing your blogging frequency.

Please leave me your thoughts and comments below on blogging mistakes…happy blogging!  It works.

Your Success IS My Business.

Allow me to lend a hand.

PS If you are looking for a coach to help you get from where you are to where you want to then let’s talk. You can begin the process by clicking here.

PSS If you are looking for a side project that does not interfere with what you are currently doing and could create a new leveraged income stream then click here.

Hey my friend and thank you for stopping by the blog today!

My message to you today is about making mistakes and knowing who to follow.

If you have not watched the Gardening and Social Media and Online Marketing message from March 26th, I would recommend you check that out as well. Just click here.

I have been full time in the industry for 17 years.  That means I have made a lot of mistakes, spent time with the wrong people and probably made every leadership mistake you can make.

All so I could share with you my story.  Not really, I’m not that smart. I’m just a simple guy.

What I can tell you is if you have a vision of success and you are passionate about what you do AND you are willing to work on yourself you too can become a million dollar income earner like I am.

In the video below I going to share some important lessons that will help you grow faster and become more successful than you thought possible.

I hope that was beneficial for you. Please leave comments and questions below.

Here’s the link to the videos from Jonathan’s Blog that I mentioned:  http://JonathanBudd.com/get-recognized and http://JonathanBudd.com/7-musts

I have been on The 7 Figure Networker System’s Top 10 Affiliates Leader Board for several months.

Here are a few of my previous posts on the 7 figure networker system:

• 2 videos only for network marketing leaders or people who would like to be (you will see that in Feb 2010 I earned over $3000 as an affiliate).
• here’s another post where Jenn Lawlor interviews me on becoming a top affiliate.
• here’s a webinar that I conducted for Jonathan and the 7 figure networker community on telephone prospecting. Be sure to download the slides, I think you like them.

I’m passionate about this system.  WHY?  Because it gets results for EVERYONE who implements it. I have gotten results, recognition and grew my business because implement what I learn from Jonathan.

Hey, if an old fart like me can do this you can too!

There are no more excuses for anyone now.

After sharing my successes,  I know that I am not doing as good as I could or should be doing.  I’ve been playing small. No more!

Well, all I can say is live and learn.

I’m here to support you and there are lots of people like the Daily Crushers on facebook that are there to help you succeed.  But, YOU have to show up and do your part. You MUST be proactive.

Know that you can do this.  Don’t take short cuts. Get after it! Hustle it like Gary Vaynerchuk.

You WILL doubt yourself if you are anything like me.  Know this my friend.  If I can earn a full time income in this business.  You can too.

Get involved in tribes like the Daily Crushers. Click here to join

Get involved with Jonathan Budd’s 7 figure networker system and study and implement and teach as much of this knowledge as possible.  Three months from today you will thank me for it!

And by the way, Jonathan told me that he is going to increase the price from $49/month to $97/month but if you get it at the $49 price you will be locked in at that price.

There is no better way to build your list, which is one of your only TRUE ASSET in this business. Click here to learn more.

Leave me your comments below and please retweet this post for me.  Together we’ll make a real difference in the world.

One more thing, go buy Gary’s book: CRUSH IT!

If you have ever seen an old Tarzan movie, three stooges movie, or any of a number of adventure movies then you know about quicksand.

It is nature’s unexpected trap that many inexperienced travelers fall into.

In the new world of Social Media marketing many people and I mean… many people… fall into the Social Media Quicksand trap.

People spend way too much of their time pitching their products and services and they wonder why they have little to nothing to show for all their time and money invested in Social Media.

Here’s the truth…

Social media is not the place to pitch your stuff. Yes, I know a lot of people do this but, that doesn’t make it right.

I see it on twitter every day. Someone becomes your new friend and in the same breath (140character message) they are pitching you.  This is a TURN OFF!

If this is you, I have two words . . . STOP IT!

Many people will spend hours in groups attempting to make new friends, only to pitch them before they have earned the right to share any marketing information.

So what do they do?

They go to another group and spend more time and sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand.

How about you…do you know anyone like that?

Do you find yourself spending lots of time with social media with nothing to show for it?

Here’s a secret.

Social media is about four things:

• Community
• Connection
• Content
• Conversation

Before you can share any marketing information, you have to earn the right to do so.  Social media is all about relationships!

When a prospect is ready, you must have a systematic approach that is professional and attractive and works within the world of social media.

Many people are all about themselves–you know who I am talking about.  They do not attempt or they make a weak attempt to be part of a community by helping and serving others.

You must give and serve others first then you will become attractive.  As people begin to get to know you, like you and trust you, you develop what is called ‘Social Equity”.

You become a leader.

Seth Godin describes this as building a ‘tribe’.

Remember, social media is not a push marketing tactic. It is a pull or attraction marketing approach.

Once you establish a strong brand (a name for yourself) people will want to take your advice and they will want to part of what you are part of.

If you are looking for a good rope to pull yourself out of the quicksand then study the diagram below.

This ‘Process’ is the rope that can pull you out of the social media quicksand.  Without it you will die in the world of social media marketing.

Done correctly, social media will feed your sales funnel and you will reap the rewards.

Social media marketing does not happen over night. It happens when you give, serve and support your communities.

To learn the secrets for social media marketing be sure to opt-in on this page to get your free 8-day video Social Media Secrets bootcamp. You will get over 4 hours of training as I describe this whole process.

If I can serve you in any other way or you have questions let me know.

PLEASE comment below and let me know what you think of this…thank you for your comments!