Top 10 Tips for a Successful Network Marketing Presentation by
Maria Davies
As network marketers, we often have important information to impart and our
role in doing so is a major one. Many, many times I have had the pleasure of
having people approach me to say how hearing me speak literally changed their
lives due to the powerful message and the persuasiveness of the delivery. Most
people in MLM are not trained presenters or salespersons but there are a few
steps everyone can take to make sure their message has the best possible chance
of being well received. Here are my top tips:
1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
: Not every pitch will work for everyone so before you go to present the
products or the business, whether it's to just one person or to many, do a
little research to ensure you're presenting at the appropriate level. If your
presentation is too lightweight, you'll bore them; too in depth, you'll confuse
them. Either way, they will switch off and your vital words will fall on deaf
ears.
2. WIIFM
: Yes, that old chestnut, but it's worth repeating as it's so often forgotten.
Bearing in mind tip no. 1, what are the challenges faced by this person or this
group of people? How does your business opportunity or your product solve their
problems? Focus on answering these questions rather than trotting out the
mechanics of your offering. Your audience must feel you've prepared your
presentation specially for them, even if it's essentially the same one you're
giving all the time.
3. CONTINUALLY LEARN AND PRACTICE PRESENTING
: One of the most important skills any network marketer can hone is that of
becoming an accomplished speaker. It impacts so many other areas of your life
as it massively increases your self-confidence. The more professionally you can
deliver your message, the more readily it will be received, the more lives you
will touch and the more money you will make in your business. Learning to
present well is an investment in yourself and can give you the greatest return
on the capital you've invested.
4. HANDLE DISSENTERS WELL: One of the major fears I hear from network
marketers is that of being faced with doubting prospects or those who dispute
what they're being told. Unfortunately, the tendency is to dig in and fight
your corner but this can turn the discussion into an argument and work against
you, especially if you're giving a presentation in front of a group. When
you're faced with negativity, always start your answer with "That's a very good
question..." and continue with your viewpoint. Wherever possible, turn things
around to make your audience right. Download a free "one-sheet crib sheet" on
Handling Difficult Audiences at http://www.laddersofsuccess.com
.
5. SHOW, DON'T TELL
: Show the products you're talking about. Let people feel, smell and see for
themselves instead of just hearing what they are like. If you're making a
presentation about the business opportunity, remember that your company has
probably done a lot to make things easier for you. Make sure you get the
prospecting materials they offer, show the pictures of the top distributors,
talk about them as if they are real people <grin>.
6. LET YOUR GUARD DOWN
: People buy from those they know, like and trust. How can they do any of this
if you won't let them get to know the real you. You don't have to be perfect,
you can talk about your own challenges, beliefs, family, hopes and dreams.
Doing so gives your prospects more opportunity to identify with you so you can
use the similarities to build rapport.
7. STORIES INSTEAD OF FACTS
: When we get excited about our products, we often delve into the features of
the products, what works and why. This is all very exciting once you've had
your first wonderful product experience, but it doesn't make for a very
exciting lead-in to your presentation. People want to know about results. They
want the bottom line. There's plenty of time to get to the detail later but to
start this way could send most of your prospects to sleep (apart from the
professors in the audience, of course). The best way to illustrate what your
products or business opportunity can do is through telling stories. Use your
own story or a case study of someone you know. Use emotive words. Remember, not
just the facts, the feelings too.
8. MAKE 'EM LAUGH
: When people laugh they feel more relaxed and amenable. Every situation has a
humorous side and if you're telling a tragic story your prospects will welcome
the respite that comes with a moment of levity. The golden rule is to move
people: make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, then they buy. This is something I aim to
do in every presentation because it means I've moved my audience emotionally. I
appreciate this is an advanced technique, but if you learn how to do it, you'll
increase your success rate exponentially.
9. DON'T TELL - ASK: Instead of telling your prospects everything, get
them answering questions. Rather than saying "Did you know that only 1% of
people retire financially free?", ask them "What percentage of people do you
think retire financially free?". This gets your prospects involved and if you
word your questions correctly, you're coaching them to the purchase decision
rather than having to push them into buying. This is a technique I teach that
I've perfected over the years. It works great for network marketers and women
and I call it "pull
selling
".
10. GIVE A REASON TO ACT NOW: Again, not being salespersons, many network
marketers give a great presentation and then wimp out without asking for the
order. Your prospect's motivation will never be higher than it is at that
moment so make sure you use this to your advantage. Think of reasons why they
should place their order today. Some possible reasons might be because you are
offering a special bonus OR prices are about to increase OR there's an order
deadline coming up so they'll get their goods sooner OR you're placing an order
too so they'll save on the postage OR you're offering a discount on orders
placed today OR you're seeing someone else who could become a distributor and
will go beneath them. Whatever it is, tell them, and secure the sale.
About the Author
Maria Davies, Ladders of Success Ltd, is a network marketer and a Professional
Sales Presenter and Presentations Coach. She trains others to overcome their
public speaking fears and use presentation skills to increase the audience
share for their product or service by around 91%. Find out more about
forthcoming seminars, worldwide e-trainings or speaker bookings at
http://www.laddersofsuccess.com
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