There are two forms of prospecting in the MLM network marketing business: fishing and hunting. These two methods are directly opposite each other. One method will build you a massive organization and make you the top producer and producer in your company, while the other method will repel your friends, family, and even potential winners.
1. Hunting Prospecting – During my early days in MLM, my upline would tell me to keep calling a friend or family member until they said no. Something didn’t feel right about this. When I put myself in my prospect’s shoes, I found him unattractive; regardless of how attractive the opportunity that was sold to me is. I wouldn’t even find out because I’ll keep running from the seller and the opportunity from him.
When a hunter goes hunting, they hide and sneak away. When the animal or the hunted finds out that he is being hunted, he moves further away from the hunter. One of my mentors said that anything or anyone caught on the hunt usually means they were killed before they were even useful. Does this sound familiar? He did it for me because I’ve had hands on experience. One of our closest friends didn’t pick up the phone after seeing the opportunity. When we finally caught up with him at a social gathering, his reason for not doing the business was that he would never chase people like we do.
I had been there before. I had been that family member or friend who bothered to find a second source of income. I found it difficult to understand that method of marketing an opportunity even though I was not familiar with MLM at the time. At that time, I had already built another traditional business to success without my family and friends. In fact, I completely ignored the people closest to me and built credibility by marketing to strangers. After that, my family and friends flocked to me and referred people who needed the solution I offered in Real Estate.
2. Prospecting by fishing: fishermen fish by providing value to the fish, or so it seems. The value is the food you would put on the bait and hook. During that period of drawing them to you is just the point where you build trust, credibility with the fish. The fish is usually alive when caught and can be caught with many other fish. The most important thing is that they are useful. In fact, in MLM network marketing, we are not going to eat the fish. We are going to help them become fishermen by training them and therefore changing their lives.
In conclusion, when you have a weapon in your hands and you start running after an animal, it doesn’t matter if you are doing it in its favor. It will either run away or defend you if the animal is wild enough. MLM Network Marketing Business is based on relationship and that will never change. The tradition of scaring your friends and family is not efficient because it eliminates the relationship. I find it ironic that producers and top earners in this industry never have to scare their friends and family. Only beginners do this. Jesus said that I will make you fishers of men and not hunters of men.
