Overcoming Fear of Prospecting in Network Marketing

How do you overcome a fear of prospecting for your network marketing business?

There is something I’ve observed over time. I have worked with people who seem to have everything in place, mentally. They have a solid “why”, good written goals, and a desire to make money as soon as possible.

But then, something is there that paralyzes them and causes them to put off taking action. There is often a lot of thinking, planning, plotting, and preparation but little or no actual prospecting. I see a lot of procrastination, a sense of “I’ll be ready to go when…..” or “Just give me a couple weeks to work through some things then I’ll get out there and talk to everyone I know”. Things like that.

There really isn’t one all-inclusive list of reasons for this, as people are different. I wish there was a magic wand for overcoming fear of prospecting…but realistically there isn’t, you just have to analyze what’s going on in your head and sort it out.

Here are three things I’ve found that can cause a reluctance to talk to prospects about your network marketing opportunity.

Confusion About Your Business Focus

If you are having a casual conversation with someone, and they ask “what do you do”, what would you say about your business? If that answer isn’t pretty clear and easy to say, that can cause some problems.

If you represent a line of health and wellness products, and someone asks “what do you do”, do you say….

1) “I sell health and wellness products for XYZ Company” (not the best thing to say really, who wants to “sell”?)

2) “I represent XYZ Company and can help you make money from home, let me show you something” (pushy, not the best way to respond)

3) “I have a part time home business with XYZ Company” (better because it creates at least a mild curiosity)

4) “I help people feel better and earn extra income from home” (better still as it states two strong benefits and invites further inquiry)

The key is getting comfortable with “who you are” and “what you do”, so that you can answer the “what do you do” question with confidence. This helps you with your overall prospecting efforts, as well.

Are you comfortable with your network marketing opportunity and what you do? Do you feel good about what you are offering? Do you think what you have can really make a difference in the lives of others? The answer to all these questions must be YES.

Fear of Losing Really Great MLM Prospects

Often, overcoming a fear of prospecting requires taking the focus off of particular individuals that you might view as “game changers” for your business. This can be well-connected and successful people you know personally, as well as those you meet through online connections.

I’ve seen promising network marketers get totally paralyzed about prospecting, because they fear saying something wrong or making some sort of mistake in their presentation that causes their prospect to lose interest.

You may have heard this, and it’s really true –

you can hardly say the wrong thing to the right person, nor can you hardly say the right thing to the wrong person…

Let the presentation tools provided by your company or upline team do the heavy lifting and presenting – your job is simply to get people to review the presentation. Letting your tools do the talking takes the burden off of you.

Outright Fear of Rejection

Fear of prospecting is often caused simply by a fear of rejection. Nobody likes to be rejected, and I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times: don’t take it personally – the prospect is rejecting the opportunity, not you.

That’s true, but it can still be painful. This is one of the skills that you must develop to be effective in network marketing – an ability to think about “no” as your prospect saying “this is not the right time for me”.

I can’t sugar coat this – it’s tough – but it’s a skill you must develop.

Overcoming fear of prospecting and building a profitable and successful network marketing business isn’t easy work. You will need to develop new skills. You will need to polish up some existing skills. You will have to overcome challenges, frustration, and setbacks.

The bottom line is, though, that network marketing gives you options. It’s a business you can start part time and work around your job and other responsibilities. Sticking to it, and developing skills that will help you in everything else you do, can create a fortune for you.

Did you get some value from this post? If you did, I would really appreciate you sharing it with others! And, your comments are welcome below!

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