1. Not working their business as a business. Don’t treat your business as a hobby. A hobby is something you “feel” like doing. Your business should not be run like a lottery, where you put money into it and wait around to see if you are going to hit a jackpot and make money. If you market your business as a get rich quick scam, you are going to get no where! You can’t build your business over night and don’t expect your prospects to do that either. The phrase “free” is also used as a crutch. If you are only willing to put nothing into your business, expect to get nothing out of it. Also realize that professional effort equals professional results.
2. Not getting the right training. Motivation is great and is very important in building your business, but it is very different from training. Motivation is the want-to and training is the know-how. If you don’t put skill into your business you will not succeed in the long run.
3. Not building relationships. Money minded individuals don’t have near the active prospects that relationship minded individuals do. If all you look for when you are looking for prospects are dollar signs and not the needs of others, expect your road to success to be longer and harder. Most people think they have great relationship skills. One sure way to tell is by your ratios. If you are having no-shows for your appointments or enrollments, look at the way you relationship with people. If you are having enrollments but many cancellations, also look at your relationship skills. Remember in your business, friends first!
4. Not following a proven system. Do what works! Understand that consistency is key. When your system is presented to others as very simple and proven to work, it gives your prospect confidence that they too can achieve success the same way you do by following in your footsteps. They have the mentality, “Hey, if s/he can do it, so can I!” Stop trying to create new and better systems that may only work short-term. Do what has been proven to work!
5. Not being your own best customer. You can’t really recommend something unless you have tried it and use it on a daily basis. When you believe in your product or service, in essence all you are doing is sharing your personal testimony.
6. Not telling stories. Facts tell – stories sell! Answer your prospect’s product questions with a personal story. An average marketer sells a product’s features. A middle-of-the-road marketer sells benefits. A great marketer sells results. For example (shampoo): An average marketer may say the shampoo is a more naturally based product. A middle-of-the-road marketer may say the shampoo is cheaper than other brands on the market. A great marketer may say the shampoo adds volume to their hair and allows them to cut down on the amount of time they spend styling their hair. If your prospect is asking a lot of questions, you are only selling the facts.
7. Not spending time prospecting. Some people think about or are waiting to prospect. JUST DO IT! Prospects are just that until you contact them and share the information with them. The more you dial – the more you will enroll. Your time should be spread by 80% prospecting 19% training and 1% problem solving. Do not have lead deficit disorder!
8. Not following up. There is fortune in the follow-up. Re-call the prospects you called last month to relationship with them. Continue to keep contact with that prospect either via email, phone call, or postcard. Not everyone will say ‘yes’ right away. For most it takes 5 to 6 approaches to spark an interest. Get referrals! And most importantly build a relationship with that prospect to have a better understanding of them and their situation.
9. Not asking for the order. Learn to close! In the business industry it is a game of posture. He who possesses the most confidence and backbone in their industry wins. You do possess the skill, not turn it into an art. Relationships = trust = business partner/enrollment.
10. Buying Excuses. An excuse is a well planned out lie. If you allow yourself to have excuses for why you are not succeeding, so will your prospects. If you believe your own excuses you will also believe theirs. Believing their excuse will cause you to lose that prospect. You must set goals. And, if you have goals, then NO excuse is good enough for not reaching that goal. You must determine how important that goal is to you and what obstacles you must overcome to reach it.
11. Not reinvesting in their business. People that will not re-invest in their business will not grow their business. For example: a farmer. At the end of the season the farmer sells his crop. He sits back and waits because he thinks his work is done. The next year comes and he has no crop. Why? He didn’t replant his seed. The same goes for your business. The best investment you can make is in your skills and training. You will always have your skill.