This is Blogger home of Tyrone Turner.
Folks, I'm pretty darn good at motivating people to get moving, and training them in relationship building, how to network, team building, and how to leverage certain tools to have more success.
I hope that you'll find your time here well spent.
Showing posts with label grassroots business network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grassroots business network. Show all posts
Timothy Ferris wrote a great book called The 4-Hour Work Week. In that book, he talks about employing virtual assistants to work in your business while you work on your business. That is to say a virtual assistant (VA) works in your business handling administrative tasks while you focus on growing your business by engaging in income generating activities (e.g., meeting with prospects and existing customers, attending networking events, open house events, product demos, etc.).
Highly qualified VAs are available offshore for as little a $6 per hour. The VAs in based in the Phillipines are particularly skilled and affordable. Some people frown about using offshore personnel and think that money is leaving the USA. That is not true. When a business owner cuts expenses while increasing her/his revenue, it is most likely that that "new found" disposable income will be spent right here in the USA.
To learn more about this option that can help you save time, energy, and money, go to www.OutsourceForSavings.com.
You know, I like to help people, and generally do not want or expect anything in return. However, when networking, some people always call me for a "hook-up" of some sort but they never reciprocate.
Check out this video I put on YouTube:
Here is a letter that I'm sending to a few people. They have to be reminded that networking is a two-way street:
======================================
Dear Friend,
I need your help.
You know that I network like a mad man and I work really hard to help others have success. I'm always looking for ways to connect people to prospective customers, vendors, and strategic partners. Not all of the referrals work out, but the fact is I give quality introductions via email, or I set up a conference call or a video chat.
Heck, I may have purchased products from you or used your service in the past - or maybe I still do.
Hey, I really need you to help me out.
Who do you know who is a busy corporate professional that has a side business?
I market two services that may be able to help them automate and preschedule blog posts and social media updates, and a tool that allows them to network with others from the comfort of their home or office.
Please keep your eyes and ears open for me and forward this info to others in your network.
I've shown you time and time again that I do in fact keep my eyes and ears open, and forward info to my social media network about you and the products/services that you offer.
Let's get the exchange flowing, and let's keep it going and growing.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Tyrone Turner
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Hey, if they don't get the message, they don't want to get the message. I'll just take my database of contacts elsewhere.
You make sure that you do the same. Follow your dollar. Put money in the pockets of those that put money in your pockets.
Don't be reluctant to give first, but if it seems to be a parasitic relationship rather than a symbiotic one, drop that zero and go find a hero.
PRINT THIS OUT if you're involved in our considering starting a network marketing home-based business. I am 100% confident that you'll find this helpful.
There is so much hype out there these days.
Before you invest your time, energy, and money, please ask your latest candidate to become your business partner 10 questions.
I'm not just talking about a new distributor you're looking to enroll, but also the gal or guy that is trying to recruit you.
Desired score for both is 70% - at least 7 out of 10 answers should be acceptable to you.
If you don't feel comfortable with the person or the proposition, DO NOT partner with them.
Questions for Your Prospective Trainees:
Have you ever worked a home-based business before? Tell me about your experiences.
[To determine their experience level].
What made you join that business?
[To determine their 'why']
Why do you want to join this business?
[To determine if their excitement being tempered by reasonable thought]
How much extra income per month would make you feel like you're getting ahead?
[What amount of money is considered 'success' to them]
How many hours per week are you going to dedicate to growing your business?
[Is the time commitment in-line with the income goal?]
How do you see yourself growing your business. From home, over the Internet, phone, mailing post cards, meeting new people, or some other way? [This will give you and idea of their personality type]
Do you have a * minimum * of $100 per month to commit to the operations of and marketing of your business?
[It costs to grow a business. This includes personal product and/or service use, along with replicated website, Bookkeeping software, CRM, samples, marketing collateral, postage, face-to-face networking events, and speed networking over the phone.]
How long are you going to commit to working this business before you decide that it is not for you? [Recommend 90 days]
Will you do what you say you're going to do? [To gauge their credibility--honesty]
Will you in be honest with me on how you feel and fact do what you say you're going to do once you make a commitment?
[Setting the stage for accountability]
_____
Questions for Your Potential Coach:
How many companies like this have you worked with before?
[To determine a track record of success or failure]
How long did you stay with your last company?
[To gauge their commitment level]
Why did you leave that company?
[To see if their reason for separating was valid - to you]
Why did you decide to partner with this company in particular?
[What was their why]
How many ways can I make money? [They should have a basic understanding of the compensation plan]
What are 3 things that makes an MLM program a good, worthwhile program?
[Look for 3 out of the following: Good company management with experience in the industry; Timing in the company and industry; Remarkable product; Fair compensation plan--rewards spare-time, part-time, and full-time people; Training system; Purpose that fits your tastes; Reputation and culture of the company and it's distributors]
How many people are you actively coaching now?
[To see how available they'll be]
How many business opportunities are you working right now, and why are you working more than one program?
[How focused are they and are they a shrewd capitalist?]
Other than the start-up kit and my monthly commitment (products or service subscription), how much extra money do I need to spend?
[They should be able to something like this: "It costs to grow a business. This includes personal product and/or service use, along with replicated website, CRM, samples, marketing collateral, postage, face-to-face networking events, and speed networking over the phone."]
How can I get the extra money to start and maintain my business?
[Buy from yourself--if your company has products that allows you to "switch stores", CoinStar(TM) machines, bag lunch, W4 adjustment]
A lot of people want to start their own business but don't know where to start. I don't mean how to start making money but how to get started at square one by actually picking a business. Hopefully, an entrepreneur picks the right business. Not the right business according to me or anyone else. But what is the right business according to that entrepreneur. Even if you are the already operating a business, perhaps you can maximize your fun and profits by taking on a different function within the business.
This is where Steve Little comes in. Steve Little is the President of Zero Limits, Inc. He is truly a renaissance man. He has been an entrepreneur since 13, he's a champion athlete, and has made tens of millions of dollars and he's still going! He's been rocking and rolling as a successful entrepreneur for more than 40 years now. Steve’s mentoring has helped hundreds of people to break the barriers sabotaging their success and have created their dream life as a result. He has put his knowledge into a program called The Perfect Biz Finder. What it does is help you find your perfect business in 21 days or less. Step by step resources and blog take you by the hand and show you the perfect business that is genetically matched to your DNA.
Lisa Torres (aka the Social Butterfly) and Tyrone Turner (aka Ty the Card Guy) share a few tips on things to do to get the online conversations offline.
Some things touched on:
Social networking sites
Face-to-face networking events
Virtual networking events
Follow-up tools
Video email and chat
Building your list
.
I hope that you like what you hear in the above video.
Expand Your Network with Unlimited Virtual Networking Events for less than $10 per month...
Have real conversations, make more connections, and grow your business without having to leave your home or office!
As you know, your business success has a lot to do with how effectively you network. New referrals, ideas, and opportunities all come from the people you know. But to increase the power of your network it needs to constantly be growing.
Unfortunately, traditional approaches to networking can waste time and money without delivering results to your business or new contacts to your network.
Has this ever happened to you at an In-person Networking Event?
Have you ever gone to a networking event where you made no new connections, or you couldn't break into a conversation with someone you really wanted to meet, or you couldn't break away from a conversation that went on and on and on?
Even worse, have you ever paid an annual membership fee so you could then pay for gas and parking driving to an event where you then paid to enter and met nobody new?
But what about Online "Social Networking" sites?
With the explosion of social networking sites over the last few years, we found it a bit ironic that none of these sites is really "Social" (i.e., instead of interacting - you type something, hours later I type a response, you respond, etc, etc, etc...)
...nor were these sites really helping us meet new people in any meaningful way to build out our network. Sure we were making hundreds of new contacts on these sites - but how many of these "connections" did we ever actually talk to?
We knew there had to be a better way. Working in affiliation with Blitz Innovations, Inc., allow me to introduce you to SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com.
If we could combine the personal nature of in-person networking, the reach of online networking, and the convenience of the telephone - and give professionals the ability to make 10-15 new connections in a single event through actual 1-on-1 conversations; we knew we could turn the failed promise of "networking" into networking that actually works.
10,103 conversations later, we've heard again and again that this is an amazing way to meet new people and grow your network"
After 100+ conversations on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com, I've already gotten a feel for how powerful SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com can be, and can recommend it to other business owners and sales people without hesitation.
Imagine what it would be like to meet 1,240, 12,400, or more new contacts on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com. What new opportunities would that lead to? How would that impact your business?
In fact, if you've got the time - you can see & hear all of their feedback by clicking here.
Join as a Professional subscriber now and Take Your Networking to the Next Level
As a Professional subscriber, here is what you get:
Attend an unlimited number of Virtual Networking Events each month
Meet an unlimited number of new people through SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com events
Send an unlimited number of followup messages to new professional contacts you make on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com
Create your own group(s) on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com
Host an unlimited number of your own SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com events
Record your own audio "elevator pitch" played for people you speak with.
Lock in the rate of $9.95 per month for as long as your subscription remains active.
I'm writing this because I don't want people to get duped into buying into systems that don't work or listening to people who have no track-record of success.
CLICK ON THE PLAYER BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE COMPANION AUDIO (3 minutes, 56 seconds)
A couple of year's ago, I came across a CD featuring a successful financial products sales agent named John Addison called Don't Take Advice From Anyone More Screwed Up Than You. That CD changed my life. That CD has really had a heavy influence on my life and has shaped the way that I look at the world and business.
For the life of me, I just don't get the popular show American Idol. I get the part about people working hard to live their dreams, but why do people listen to Simon? I saw an interview on 60 Minutes about a year or so ago and by his own admission, he has less than no talent. However, he is an authority in identifying talent. Perhaps that works in the entertainment industry, but not in grassroots business. If you are a sole proprietor, a home-based entrepreneur, a sales agent looking to achieve and exceed quote, or a small business owner, you need to learn from those who have walked a mile in your shoes. You need proven strategies and how to information that really works. Not theory.
Please, do not take fashion tips from naked people!
I am so sick and tired of coming across people who are self-appointed (and self-anointed) "gurus" or "experts" getting away with blowing smoke up - well you know where.
When you go for a job interview or you're looking to retain the services of a professional (e.g. doctor, photographer, etc.), you want to see their resume´, right? Well, make sure that same standard is applied to the "gurus" you come across on the Internet.
I can NEVER give a woman any tips about how to deal with menstrual cramps or the pains associated with childbirth. I am a man and have never and will never experience those challenges. I wouldn't dare try to give any advice other than referring them to another woman who could speak to her with empathy.
When someone presents him/herself as being an expert, ask them two simple questions:
What in your experience qualifies you to be an expert?
AND
May I have three references, please?
They better be able to give you a work history with references. Don't think of them as show-offs if they can provide this information to you, because Will Rogers said, "If you really did it, it ain't bragging."
Don't take fashion tips from naked people.
In network marketing, affiliate marketing, and direct sales, oftentimes it is the blind leading the blind when looking for short-cuts to success. Yes there are faster ways to become successful, but their are now proverbial "magic bullets" that will solve everything for you. It is all about putting in work. As Vidal Sassoon said, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary".
There are a lot of pretenders pushing systems that are supposed to help you "explode your business", however, all that really happens is that you end up imploding your business instead. The marketing systems can become expensive and may promote things other than your primary product or service. You end up conveying a confusing, not very unique message to your prospects.
Also, just because someone was successful in one thing, doesn't mean that they would be successful in something else. For instance, Michael Jordan was an awesome basketball player, but a below average baseball player.
Please don't accept anyone's success theories as gospel. If they haven't done it themselves, they are experimenting and guess who the guinea pig is? YOU!
If you're a network marketer that is looking to grow her/his business, here is what I recommend:
Make sure that you're working with a company that meets the 7 criteria of a good home-based business. For insight, go to my blog post entitled "The 7 Wonders of Home-based Entrepreneurship"
Make sure that your sponsor will make herself/himself available to mentor and coach you. If they won't commit to helping you have success, don't sign up with them.
The reason that I mention Networking Times is because it is THE journal/trade publication for network marketing. There are FREE weekly webinars and articles posted on their website. You even get more with a subscription that is only $47.77 per year. There are successful network marketing legends and rising stars who contribute to the content. There are people like Tom "Big Al" Schreiter, Mark Yarnell, Doug Firebaugh, Randy Gage, Karen Phelps, and tons of others. Also, referral-getting gurus like Bob Burg and Ivan Misner also contribute. Folks, you can't get any better that having these experts as resources. It takes a village to raise a child, and business is a team sport. Refer to village elders and pick your team wisely.
You can have great marketing brochures, a killer website, and an awesome product/service. However, people will buy from those that they like, know, and trust, and the only way that you're going to accomplish that is to build a relationship.
Here is a 10-step follow-up system on how to build relationships with new people that you meet:
First things first, have your "quickie pitch" and your "60-second commercial" prepared
Here is the format for the quickie presentation (approximately 10 seconds long):
My name is ___. I market a (product/service) that (what it does). My ideal customers are (describe target customer). Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that? Let me know, okay?
Here is the format for the 60-second presentation:
My name is ___. I market a (product/service) that (what it does). My ideal customer are (describe target customer). My motto/tagline is (your catchy motto or tagline here). Please let me know if you know somebody that would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that, okay?
1) Approach and Interview the new person and ask "Who are you, and what do you do?" Ask the new contact what they do and who their ideal customer is. Take notes on what they say. Make sure to have a little notepad. Gather as much contact information as possible (i.e. mailing address, e-mail, and fax). Note: If the person is reluctant to give you their mailing address, just tell them that you want to send them product samples or information about your business.
2) Quick Pitch or 60-Second commercial - If they haven't already asked you, ask them if you can briefly tell them about your business. Usually, the quick pitch is the way to go but if the environment allows it, and they person is asking you a lot of questions, go with the 60-second commercial.
3) Graceful exit - Give them permission to work the room, and promise them that you will be in touch as you want to learn more about them and their business.
4) Update your contact manager - When you get back to your office, input their information into your contact management system (e.g. Outlook, Sugar, Act, Goldmine, SendOutCards, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc., or an Excel spreadsheet)
5) Email (or fax) them a "nice meeting you" note.
6) Direct mail - Send them a "nice meeting you" greeting card via the U.S. Postal Service. A greeting card is 11x more likely to be read when compared to a letter.
7) Phone call to check-in - 5 business days later, if the new contact hasn't already called you, pick up the phone and call them. Make sure to ask them if you have caught them at a good time! Schedule a phone conference or a face-to-face meeting to discuss business matters. The purpose of this meeting is to learn more about their business to see if you two can somehow help each other out down the road - if the chemistry is right and after you have developed trust.
8) Appointment (face-to-face, video conference, or phone conference) and Exchange Marketing Material. On the phone conference/at the face-to-face meeting, learn all that you can about their business. Ask questions about who their ideal customers are, and what other types of businesses service their target market. At the end of the meeting, ask them to give you brochures and other information about their business, and hand or mail them info about your business. On a face-to-face meeting, bring a small gift. I typically bring a small bag of candies, or some company-branded giveaway like a pen or mug. Sometimes, I'll give them an educational CD (Ivan Misner, Robert Kiyosaki, or David Bach). Make sure to tell the other person that you will be following up on "x" date to discuss what you've read about their product/service, and to get feedback on what they learned about yours.
9) Follow-up phone call - The million dollar question: "So, what do you think?" Commit to them, that as you two get to know, like, and trust each other over time, you will be keeping your eyes and ears open to send business their way when possible.
10) Never stop following-up - periodically check-in with them to to share information and just to say "hi". Mix up and space out your approach. Use text e-mail, audio e-mail, video e-mail, fax, direct mail, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings. Never, ever, ever try to hard-sell them. The info you gave them about your business and your character will do the selling for. Just remind them from time to time what is is that you do, and you'd be surprised how people will buy from you and/or send referrals your way.
TOOLS
You may want to consider adding some of the following to your marketing arsenal:
Autoresponder (for mailing lists, newsletters, and special reports; you may also want to use audio enabled e-mail; and/or video enabled e-mail
Send real greeting cards via the Internet. You can create a personalized greeting card over the Internet in less than 60 seconds. The company's back office prints the cards out, stuffs it in an envelope, and sends it off to the recipient via the United States Postal Service
Telephone/virtual assistant/fax -- also called a unified messaging system.
When meeting face-to-face, give the person a small bag of candy. Keep a steady supply chocolates and other candies. They are available at discount prices.
You may want to also consider video blogging, and broadcasting, and maybe even podcasting and teleseminars.
A lot of my clients, family, and friends like to burn scented candles, so I became a "Candle of the Month" subscriber as candles make great gifts.
If you'd like to know my specific recommendations for the products and services described above, just contact me.
I've had people buy from me because I am pleasantly tenacious in my follow-up. You have to show people that you are really interested in them, and that you believe in your product/service. It is very, very important that during the follow-up, "courting" process, you develop a relationship. People are more likely to do business with people that they know, like, and trust.
Always remember that new customers are the life blood of any business, and the best way to get new customers is through the referrals of other satisfied customers.
Take care of your customers, and they will take care of you.
"Givers gain." - Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman of Business Network International (BNI)
"Appreciation beats self-promotion any day of the week." - Kody Bateman, Founder and CEO of Send Out Cards, Inc.
"We shower our customers with attention. There is no doubt in my mind that our philosophy can be applied to selling just about anything - from aircraft engines to beanbags." - Jack Mitchell, CEO Mitchells/Richards, author of Hug Your Customers®
I'm a 40-year-old corporate professional and home-based entreprenerur from Queens, New York. My day job is that of an operations manager for a major law firm. With my home-based business, I'm am an independent broker of various products and services relevant to my niche -- solopreneurs and home-based business owners. I also have to say that I'm pretty darn good at training people in relationship building, how to network, team building, and using certain follow-up tools.
