As a Network Marketer, one of my daily tasks is to “talk” to people. During my interaction with them, many questions will be thrown out to me. Whether I answer all or part of the questions or just keeping mum about it, is secondary. If you can immediately reply to them, it’ll be good, but if you can’t, then do it on the next meeting with them. It’s best not to answer with ‘rubbish’ if you do not know. Remember, there is always the next time, if you know how to handle your prospects well.

There are probably many questions that have been asked by your prospects. Wondering whether you can still remember them or just take it one at a time. I wanna share with you an experience I encountered last Tuesday.

Actually I met a long lost friend of mine while searching for friends in Facebook. Apparently he was online and accepted the friend request within 5 minutes. Both were very excited, and we began to chat with each other. We chatted about the past and the current. He then asked me what I was doing for a living.

After having in the business for quite sometimes, I will normally introduce myself to anyone I’ve met about myself as a Network Marketer. So, the same was being shared with him. He was not surprised to hear and asked me one of the ‘jack port’ questions that were always being asked to a network marketer. You probably knows what he was asking me right? Anyway, if you are a network marketer, you must know to answer it.

This is what he asked me.

“Jai, I know you are a person that could click with anyone you met, so it’s not a surprise to hear that you are a network marketer. I’ve been approached by so many people about this network thing like MLM, and trying to sell me products, since you are one of them, as a friend, can you be truthful to me, WHY you join network marketing when there are other industries that I know you are very good with it. Will you?”

I’ve been answering these question before not once, but unaccountable. Do not assumed whether your prospects want to test you or otherwise. You have to know the answer. Remember, no one could predict what’s going to happen next, so just take one thing at a time. Remember in this situation I was not selling nor sharing with him anything. I just told him that I am a network marketer and running my own business.

There are many ways of explaining to your prospects if this question is forwarded to you. I’m going to share with you what I shared with my long lost friend.

Firstly, I shared about setting-up a traditional business. Building a traditional business can be very demanding and difficult. You probably need to have some criteria such as a rock-solid background, “power”, large amount of capital, to build a big business. When business is concerned, it is always challenging, competitive and even cruel at times. Price wars are a common thing. This does not include borrowing from banks where interest need to be paid. There are problems everywhere. You cannot stop the business, turnover of staff, customer care program, while not forgetting to expand new ones. A traditional business must be well taken care and it is a never ending story.

Next, I shared about some case study about successful cases in traditional business is usually fewer unless we are really a ‘large’ corporation with solid financial support. In traditional business, you can succeed 100 times, but failing just once could kill the business forever. Everything must fall into right places at all times. Survey have shown that few businesses can survive a decade, a handful is still around after 25 years, and barely any company can last more than 50 years. The risk to start a traditional business is very high.

Lastly, I shared with him about dreams. It is almost impossible to fulfil your dreams through traditional business. You may argue about this, but it’s the fact. Some people believed that you need to have money and time if you want to succeed. Everybody want to succeed, but have you heard of a successful person with no money in his pocket? Though money is not everything, but without money, you can do nothing. Making money is important because it improves your standard of living. Rich people do not have problems with money. But being successful means you have plenty of time too.

In a traditional business, you are always busy. You have money but don’t have time. Even when they have the money, they want to expand their business from one to many branches; and as a result, traditional business owner keep investing. They will become more busier than before. Again, there is no end to it. Sometimes, there is no time for their families too. When they reach the retirement age, some of them have already ‘gone for good’, and some is still managing their business.

Given the chance to start all over again, I doubt many may choose not to get involved in a traditional business again.

“Bro, these are the reasons why I choose to be involved in network marketing business rather than running a traditional business. I’ll share with you the next time we meet up; and explain how network marketing differ from traditional business. See you soon, goodnight”. This was the last chat messages before we call it a day.

To you, hope this will brighten up your day. Just remember that we should take charge of our own freedom. Yes, we must work hard, but set a time frame about 5 years from now if you just starting your network marketing business, so that you can live a life with freedom.

Talk to you soon,

Jai

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