Are you looking for a simple overview of the major skills you need to possess or develop for network marketing success, and home business success in general?
Let’s take a look at four key skills that you need to develop. Being competent in all these areas is important. The more you work at it, the more you set yourself apart from the crowd as a true leader.
The good news is, if you lack in any of these areas, these skills can be easily developed with dedication and persistence!
Here are the four major skills you need for success in network marketing.
Develop Quality Connections and Relationships
Meeting people and building relationships is perhaps the most important thing you can do. Since network marketing is truly a “people business”, you must be able to meet people and get to know them.
If you’re really shy or lack confidence in yourself, this can be difficult. However, I’ve come a long way myself so I know you can do it too. As a child, and on into early adulthood, I was basically a loner. It was hard for me to talk to anyone except family and close friends.
Becoming involved in network marketing, along with a determination to “get out of my shell”, changed all that. So, if you feel weak in the area of building relationships, focus on learning to take a genuine interest in others. Meet people and get to know them for who they are, not just as potential prospects for your business.
Build Credibility Across the Board
You want to be a person that people trust. You want people to think of you as dependable and true to your word. In everything you do, be honest and open. If you say you’ll do something for someone, do it.
When presenting and advertising your network marketing opportunity, don’t use a lot of hype and make a lot of promises. This will compromise your credibility immediately.
When presenting your opportunity, be up front and professional. Don’t be evasive when questions are asked. Learn how to answer the most common questions effectively. If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t make something up. Tell your prospect you’ll find the answer and get back to them.
Posture Yourself as a Confident Leader
Even if you aren’t making a lot of money with your network marketing business yet, position yourself as confident that you are in the right place at the right time. People are attracted to this.
Don’t sweat sponsoring anyone. If you’re talking to a really high potential prospect (such as a local business leader with tons of contacts), don’t come across as anxious to sponsor them. Your prospects can sense anxiety and desperation, and will be turned off.
It’s so true – people are attracted to people who appear confident and relaxed in what they do!
Cultivate a Habit of Daily Action
This is a skill that trips a lot of network marketers. With our very busy lives, it is often just downright hard to find time to build a home business. It’s really easy to fall into a habit of doing “whatever, whenever”. This will hurt your progress in your business.
Make it a habit to do something for your business every day. Find creative ways to make connections at times you normally wouldn’t. If your kids have a ball game, have some business cards on hand and talk to people you run into. Look for opportunities to tell people what you do. It’s very common for new people you meet to ask “what do you do” – be prepared to tell them.
It is the quality time you spend contacting people, developing relationships, and presenting your opportunity that will bring you success in network marketing.
In closing, let me emphasize again – if you’re like most people, you’ll be weak in one or more of these four areas. These are not born skills – you can develop them quickly if you want to. Make the classic three-liner your motto: Just Do It
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About Eldon Beard
Great post, Eldon! I couldn’t agree with you more about the need for personal honesty and credibility in business. To me, those things are the bar that must be cleared if my business conversation is going to go any farther with someone.