Would you like a few tips on how to avoid being a prospecting turkey at work?
Speaking of being a domesticated fowl (see the previous post), you could be considered a turkey if you as a network marketer start indiscriminately prospecting your co-workers. Particularly if you are a manager and are approaching your employees, very bad juju. Most likely a conflict of interest and against company policy.
Worse yet, I know first hand the exact reaction this will create in the mind of an observer who doesn’t know anything about your business, they will think it is a the proverbial “pyramid scheme.” Your business could be completely legitimate, but the injustice you will bring to the industry can hurt it, affecting people’s thoughts about a great opportunity for years to come.
I’ve known people who justifiably have gotten pretty irate over their manager prospecting them and it’s so obvious the dilemma the employee finds themselves whether he chooses to join or not.
If you are a network marketer and are unsure how to approach people at your work, here are some tips from Mark and Rene Yarnell from their landmark book “Your First Year in Network Marketing.”
Here it is…
London. Photo by Challen Yee (1989)
PROSPECTING: AT WORK PRECAUTIONS
From the passage titled “Sixth Warhead: Conflict of Interest”
Some professionals hold back in building their network marketing business because they are concerned about conflicts of interest. As a minister, Mark was afraid it would be a conflict for him to approach individuals in his congregation. Rene was a County Commissioner and afraid to approach her constituents. Since this was a large part of our world, it put a serious restriction on prospecting our warm markets. So we understand that this is a legitimate concern. It can even be a question of ethics. Whatever you do, you do not want to jeopardize your present career. You want to decide when you are leaving your profession. You don’t want it decided for you.
We have two suggestions that may help. First, when you are on the job, never mention the name of your particular network marketing company, but prospect through “lifestyling.” That is, approach people through the normal course of your life — clients; customers; store clerks; people at the health club, the bank, the grocery store—complimenting them about the personality trait that drew you to them (make it genuine). Let them know that, with that quality, they could be outstanding in your business and are exactly the kind of people with whom you are looking to partner. Tell them up front that you cannot discuss the matter there (say, for example, “This isn’t the place” or “It’s against company policy”), but that you would like to find a time that would be good for both of you. Then ask permission to call them. Exchange business cards, and write on the back of theirs the best time to reach them. This is the method Rene used extensively, and it was very effective for her. By handling the situation straightforwardly, few constituents ever complained about her having a conflict.
If that method doesn’t work for you, you might consider Mark’s approach. He never did approach his congregation, but he recruited one couple from the church who did. And they used his name for credibility…
[In Review:] If your professional career has a potential conflict of interest that hampers recruitng efforts, you can either:
1 Prospect through “lifestyling,” that is, by approaching people through the normal course of your life, letting them know, without mentioning your business, that you would like to get together with them when it is appropriate; or
2 Sponsor someone who knows your business associates and can ethically approach those people.
(end excerpt)
Here is a video with a focus on warnings to corporate managers who are prospecting their departments.
As a final word, the best way I’ve discovered to prospect anyone is to keep in mind that you want to make it the idea of the prospect to look at your plan by asking them questions about why they are even interested in earning extra money. Do this before before you present your “solution” to their problem. That way they are not biased against it as they may be if they perceive they are just helping you. In either case, I would still be careful not to have a conflict of interest at work.
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Backup link to video: http://youtu.be/Bb2uQYKIiPI
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I hope you got some value from this, if so please LIKE SHARE COMMENT
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I’ll see you… on the next page
Challen Yee