Hello Everyone,
As I mentioned yesterday, I had an incredible week of three way calls. It was fun and exciting. I absolutely love it! What a way to improve communication skills.
What is a three way call?
It's is a mechanism whereby you get your possibility or prospect - there's a difference between the two - a possibility is an early contact who has not yet qualified as a true prospect. I also have a third category - a candidate. A candidate is one who has passed the prospect stage and is in the running for a position much like those who compete in subsequent interviews for a high level job. As you know I have turned down more folks than I have brought on board. Why would I do that when it seems most folks are scrambling to get someone "on paper?" ANSWER: Because I am building a multi-million dollar business and I want the very best people possible, not fillers. I am looking for All Pro team players.
There is nothing wrong with bringing on folks who only want to earn an extra $300 a month. That would make the difference in a lot of people's lives but I'm personally looking for folks who want to set the world on fire. My friend, Elizabeth Weber, who I love dearly, built her business with stay at home Moms who only wanted a few extra bucks (because of Elizabeth's excellent tutelage they all stayed around and have all gone on to earn millions) but I built my business with all men (with the exception of Arlene Lowy, an incredible businesswoman who became the OPC Queen and personally moves 40 cases a month) who were either full-time or had the intent to do so. These were folks who were already highly successful, many of whom owned their own businesses and all people that I could learn from.
The reason I seek out folks with a successful track record is because something special happens when you take a prospect or possibility to a UBP (Unfranchis Business Presentation) and every person they speak with is either already making big bucks, well on their way to making big bucks or were brought there by somebody making big bucks. As your prospects chats with or interviews the other folks in the room the person that they are talking with takes on the mantle of objectivity and has instant credibility simply because they typically are an unbiased third party.
It is a strange phenomenon that you can be the most credible person your prospect knows but you will not have the credibility of presenting this business as well as a third party that they don't even know. Why is that? ANSWER: I don't have a clue and probably never will but who cares? It's the way it is and I'm fine with that because it's the proven formula.
I always use the third party approach even if I can "close the deal" myself because it is duplicatable. What I set in motion will carry in motion. It takes all of the pressure off of the UFO (Unfranchise Business Owner) because they don't run the risk of feeling rejected and all of the pressure off of the prospect because they don't feel uncomfortable worrying that they may have to tell their friend that they are not interested. Usually the third party has no vested interest so there is no pressure on them to do a good job. Consequently, they are more relaxed and typically do a bang-up job.
A three way call is the same. Your job is to get the prospect on the phone with a third party. The best bet is usually to find someone with a similar background, if possible, because there is usually some type of instant rapport. That's the reason for attending events, to build a pool of folks with a wide variety of backgrounds to later plug in with prospects. We'll discuss building your internal network later.
If you don't know of someone with a similar background that's OK. Anyone can provide third party credibility.
What are the mechanics of a three way call? Three way calling is usually part of the package with most phone services, either mobile or land line. If not, it's a $2.00 monthly fee at the most. It is more fool proof than a conference call system because it gives you control to insure that the call is consummated. Simply call the first party - I like to call the prospect first, relax them and then get the 3rd party on the phone. This way the prospect doesn't feel like two folks are already on the phone waiting to ambush him or her. Then hit the flash button, key or call button. This temporarily puts the first party off line. Call the second party and when connected hit the flash again and the first party is brought back into the call. With a conferencing system you are relying on everyone to call in. This may not always happen. An analogy is taking a prospect to an UBP as compared to expecting them to drive themselves. Often they may not show up. If you pick them up, 100% of them will be there. If you are the dialer, you are not relying on them to call in.
It is important to book the appointment ahead of time with me or any third party. It creates value to the call and lends an air of professionalism. I ALWAYS tell the UFO that my third party's time is extremely valuable and that these calls are done by appointment. I then get several times that are convenient with the prospect and see what works best with the third party and firm it up.
Now, before the call it is important to relate to the third party the background of the prospect and the purpose of the call. The real purpose is to book a follow up appointment or action of some type but you must have a specific purpose that you want to accomplish. It may be to introduce the prospect to credibility, to get them to a meeting or 1 on 1, to see if they know someone who would be interested, etc. You must let the third party know what you want to accomplish. Once on the call, keep your mouth shut unless called on by the third party. Often the third party will be leading the prospect in a certain direction and if you butt in you interrupt the direction of the call.
Before the call you MUST edify the third party to establish their credibility. "This guy Frank has owned several businesses, was an upper level corporate type, has created a ton of million dollar earners, is an author, etc, etc." or, "Bob plays golf just like you. His dream was to play all the famous courses in the world and this business has given him the chance to do that with a bunch of other people in the business! You'll love his golf stories. I can't wait for you to meet him in person" or "Betty is a stay at home mom that was looking for extra income but couldn't fit a traditional job into her schedule. She got into Market America, caught the bug and in three years retired her husband. What an incredible story!" Then extol the virtues of the third party by telling the prospect how great each one of the people are.
You should do the same thing when inviting guests to a UBP. "Wait until you meet Cindy or Angela! This gal is really sharp. She'd be successful at anything she did. We are so lucky to have her as a role model. She's made (or will make) millions in this business. She is absolutely driven to help everyone succeed. You don't know it, my friend, but you just won the lottery!"
I learned the art of edification from my dear friend, Lou Manfredi. Lou is an absolute Master of Edification. He recognizes that the more he edifies the third party, whether a third party on a call or a speaker at a meeting or a trainer at a seminar the more receptive the prospect will be. He has learned to build confidence in the prospect before they even see the business. Even if Lou is not particularly fond of a third party he will find a way to truthfully edify them and establish their credibility. Farther, Lou is a Master at making friends. He educates his folks on how to start conversations and make friends. Lou's OJT (on the job training) includes walking and talking in malls or any public place. He makes eye contact, smiles and just starts asking questions. If you ever get a chance to hear Lou at a seminar or work with him personally, hop on it. I am not in the least bit hesitant to say that my success is a product of Lou, Elizabeth and Arlene's tutelage along with so many, many others. You see my goal is to sponsor people better than me then I can't help but become successful. Why would I want someone dumber than me/ Why would you?
I built my business on three way calls and so did most of my people. My requirement in the beginning was that every person in my group do two three ways a day with me until they got their business rocking and rolling. Later they could do them with anyone - once again this refers to the importance of building your internal network. The importance of the three way is not just for the prospect but for the UFO , too. It's a training session. By listening to the third party you will learn how to address specific questions and how to converse in a relaxed, conversational manner. You will learn that it is simply about putting a prospect at ease and learning a little about them (even though you should already be aware of their background). It may start out, "Hi, what do you do for a living?" or kiddingly, "How'd John rope you into getting on the call?" or "I understand you like to ski or are diehard football fan." Who knows where the conversation will go but once the prospect is relaxed it's easy to help them recognize that they have a need, want or desire that is not being fulfilled.
That's it. You job now is to do two three way calls a day with some third party until you are successful and then teach others to do the same thing. How do you get prospects on the phone with a third party" The answer is is Chapter 2 of Continuing the Journey but if you haven't read it I'll give you a hint - ASK!
Frank
sent via blind copy
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