If you are working with a direct sales or MLM (multi-level marketing) company, and someone insists “It doesn’t work”…how do you respond?

Here’s some advice from MLM expert, Tim Sales:

1. Listen through the objection.

The more you can get them to talk about their M.L.M experience the better. Listen very carefully because they will probably mention THE issue that’s really bugging them. You’ll also probably hear them talk around the subject or task they couldn’t do.

2. Confirm your understanding of what the ACTUAL objection is.

Many times people fail at handling objections because they handle the wrong objection – therefore their prospect is still sitting with the objection. The "pyramid" objection is not the same as the "M.L.M doesn’t work" objection. They are both "M.L.M" objections, but you must make sure you understand that prospect’s exact objection. So if someone tells me how awful M.L.M is (step 1) but I never really hear their actual objection then I would ask, "So what was your bad experience, specifically?" To that he replies, "It doesn’t work!"

3. Make the question or objection valid to the prospect.

"I understand your concern on this. Of course you wouldn’t want to do something that doesn’t work."

4. Handle or facilitate handling.

When someone has the M.L.M objection "it doesn’t work" then what you have to do first is try to find out "what about M.L.M doesn’t work?" (from their view of course). It could be something they’ve read or they’ve tried it and couldn’t make it work. There is a big difference in these two responses – and how you handle it. So you can ask, "Are you speaking from personal experience or is this someone else’s experience?"

If it’s from someone else’s experience: If it’s something they’ve read or someone else’s experience then they are an observer and do not have a working knowledge. Therefore you need to give them facts. The facts are, there are 49.9 million people in direct sales that sell 89.2 billion dollars in sales. There are 475,000 new distributors joining each week. Then gently, not sarcastically ask, "What part of M.L.M do you feel doesn’t work?"

You see, if it’s someone else’s experience or something they’ve read, you can not ask them "Does it as in industry work?" prior to giving them facts because they will just repeat what they’ve read or heard!! So they will say to you, "No it doesn’t work."

If it’s from their own experience: If in helping them with their objection they tell you that they personally had a bad experience – ask them to tell you their bad experience. "What happened?" When they tell you, listen for clues of lack of training. You can even ask, "What were you not able to do?" Or, "what did they fail to train you how to do?" When you can finally get them to reveal this to you – then and only then can you ask them the question "Does M.L.M by itself, as an industry work?" Then, "What do you feel it takes for a person to make it work?" If they give you a "type" of person that M.L.M works for – then ask them, "How is that person different than you?" What they tell you is what YOU WILL HAVE TO TRAIN THEM HOW TO DO!

If they tell you "No it doesn’t work" after you’ve given them the facts, then you conclude the conversation and move on.

Someone who can not see that 89 billion dollars worth of products are moving to consumers… doesn’t want to see it. They don’t want it to be true, although it is. Why don’t they want it to be true? Because they don’t want to fail or fail again. They would prefer to blame it on the industry rather than that there is simply something that they failed to learn how to do.

When the first super microscope was introduced, scientists looked through it at a piece of steel and saw that steel was actually moving! Many scientists could not accept that to be true – even though it was true and they were looking at it. Same thing occurred when a telescope revealed that there were more planets… many more… than scientists had thought before. It’s nothing new for people to not see what’s in front of them.

You just can’t build a business off of people who can’t see what’s in front of them.

Learn more about the direct sales and network marketing companies I personally endorse.

Some of the advantages include:

1. Save time, money and work

The company has already researched and developed the products. They’ve already created the marketing material and will give you a ready-to-go website.

2.  Professional Development

A solid direct sales company will provide access to sales and professional growth training.  Some of the top trainers in the world are featured at their conferences.  One company I admire puts it this way: “We’re a professional development program with a compensation plan attached.”  True that!

3. Teamwork

One of the major disadvantages of working from home is the isolation.  So partnering with a direct sales company gives you the opportunity to be part of a larger team.  You are in business for yourself, but not by yourself.  That’s powerful.  Take it from someone who has worked solo for most of the last 20 years, having colleagues to partner with is a beautiful thing.  It’s like having employees without the headache of a payroll.  it’s the best of both worlds.

Some companies I like and people I know who are succeeding with them:

Mary Kay Cosmetics – this company has empowered more women to achieve a 6-figure income than any company of any kind on the planet.  If you are interested in the beauty industry, take a closer look. Their training program is outstanding and rumor has it half of their meetings are more like revivals.  I highly recommend National Sales Director Joan Paterson.  Email her at jpaterson@new.rr.com or visit her website: www.marykay.com/jpaterson 

Isagenix – This company’s nutritional cleansing products are absolutely life changing.  They are, without question, the best nutritional and weight loss products I’ve ever found.  They have a fantastic personal and professional development program headed by the amazing David Wood.  Contact Kimber King at kimber_king@msn.com or visit her website: www.kimberking.com

Efusjon Energy Club – This is the company I am partnering with and am hoping to play a role in helping them develop their personal and professional development program.  The products are fantastic but what I like about it is that it’s a very simple business.  Anyone can learn to teach others how to “shake well or tumble gently”   It’s also a business that’s easy to involve your husband with; in fact, the company is currently very male-dominated.  You can email me, donna@donnapartow.com or visit my website: http://www.fullfusjon.com/ld6/?go=donnapartow