Commission or Omission: Either Way, It’s A Lie

Will — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:37:06 +0000

Today we have a guest poster. John Meatte is a nationally recognized trainer of network marketers as well as other sales professionals. He built a large downline in his primary opportunity in four years. John did it completely from his home using only his telephone and email.

His Tuesday Night Live training calls are often copied, but never duplicated. He has the ability to teach getting right to the heart of the matter and does so with his One-On-One Mentoring Program. Tuesday Night Live calls will begin again in January. I’ll let you know dates and times in a few days.

I’ve been privileged to get to know John well while working together on a new project. He has given me his permission to share this article with you. There is a lot of food for thought here. This is the first of three parts. And now, Commission or Omission by John Meatte

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In our industry, MLM & Network Marketing, lies of commission (outright lies), take a back seat to lies of omission (not telling the whole story thereby providing a false impression).

Forty years ago, when I was a green trainee after graduation, my mentor used to say; “There you go again John with your perception, when it’s the facts that counts.” And that was 43 years ago. What about today?

Traditional marketing for the last 50 years has thrived on the “PERCEPTION” versus the “FACTS”, and for the most part as consumers, we subscribed to these half truths and perceptions. That is until the worst recession of the last 100 years hit us in 2008. Consumers are finally recognizing we are living in extraordinary times and are living through a defining moment of history that will have lasting effects for years to come.

Just like the half truth’s and lies we were subjected to with traditional marketing, the lie of omission in Network Marketing that offends your prospects the most is the “We don’t sell” spiel some marketers use.

The facts have been conveniently left out. The facts of why you don’t need to sell in the traditional sense, what the alternative is, and how effectively to apply the alternative. We gain from raising our level of professionalism. The price of achieving our goals is brains, hard work, honesty, patience, personal growth, and the ability to change whenever it is needed.

Selling is a fact of life.

Is your Doctor trying to convince you to take better care of yourself?

Is your Minister trying to save your soul?

Have you ever wanted to ask someone you are attracted to out on a date?

If so, and in hundreds of other ways, you are selling every day. You get the idea. We all sell on one level or another…all the time. Here’s the rub for me…

Implying working a business is not selling is ludicrous. The minute you begin working a business opportunity; face it…you’re selling or you’re failing; thinking anything less is the lie of omission I’m referring to.

When someone fails to inform their new team members/business partners about the alternatives of how to avoid being a traditional sell and tell salesman, and how to apply these alternatives to benefit everyone concerned, they begin to resent that person and they start to hate the business.

They lose confidence in themselves because of them.

Eventually they quit with any excuse because they didn’t feel comfortable enough to work the business…because of them.

They may have stolen their new associate’s dream! Bad Dog!!!

The new associate/distributor is never taught to find and work in their comfort zone because their up line tries to teach them to work in a uncomfortable manner. They feel like a square peg in a round hole.

This single reason alone is by far the most significant and common reason for new business failures. Here comes the truth…

People will do what is comfortable and not do what is uncomfortable for them. Period!

How many times have you heard a prospect say; “Don’t tell me this is selling”?

Right here is a fork in the road. This is the moment to make the facts crystal clear. Do not allow a misguided perception for a minute. If you are unclear, the prospect will end up assuming you’re lower than pond scum in thirty days and will abandon you and our industry.

This is the single and most recognizable cause of network marketing’s bad image.

Now, if you’re going to say to your prospect; “We don’t sell.”; you better damn well be able to make your prospect comfortable with what you do differently. If your selling is old school, in your face telling and selling, your goose is cooked. You’re finished before you start.

No matter what you say it is not, you might as well as give it up. You’ll have to convince them instead of letting them convince themselves.

Because if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it is a duck.

So how does one change the “perception” of selling to a comfortable,conversational, connecting process?

Here is the crux of the issue. There is a better way, an honest, more comfortable way, with a more respectful approach for the prospect.

This is it. The simplest way to address the issue is to stop telling and selling. Ask better questions and better follow up questions in a conversational format. It isn’t an interrogation. It’s no longer about me, myself and I. It’s all about them! It’s all about the benefits you can provide to your prospects real needs.

Give and ask for nothing in return… give your prospect 50% plus of the podium and learn to listen in lieu of throwing up all over your prospects.

Personally speaking, it would be a better market place if we forgot how to sell and learned to serve.

Start by placing our prospects first, finding out about what they need and how they can be comfortable working in their own business and avoiding unrealistic expectations.

We accept the status quo by being afraid to change. We need to keep pressing on until we learn how to deal successfully with today’s issues by using what works today.

Believe completely in your mission. Investigate the options for your business. Discover what works today and apply what you learn to reach the success you desire and deserve.

Next time, let’s explore some solutions!

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“Our destiny in our journey to success is not determined by forces beyond our control. Our success has always been the sum total of the choices made and the actions taken by each Marketer. It has always been up to us.” – John Meatte

Will Adams - Online » “you don’t have to sell”

Commission or Omission: Either Way, It’s A Lie