What does persuading entail? Follow these 10 principles to get better results from YOUR presentations When you are doing the business of NWM as a professional and in the manner that is intended by “networking,” you are making lots of presentations. Some are one-on-one in person. Others may be for a group of people. You may be doing the presentation over the telephone.
Whatever the circumstance and whatever the number of prospective product customers or prospective business partners, you must be persuasive in your presentations.
Certainly you are trying to attract people to your team and to be involved in the business opportunity. Or you are trying to attract people to your line of products and become customers that continuously consume the products. You are definitely attempting to create a residual income. Persuade NULL The Encarta® World English Dictionary defines persuade as: “to make somebody believe something, especially by giving good reasons for doing so.” Synonyms for persuade are: influence, convince, sway, advise, urge, encourage, promote, market, and sell. These are all positive activities that can bring to pass positive outcomes. That is exactly what we want to accomplish as we give presentations for our NWM business. The concept of persuade implies more effort and energy than simply to “share” the product or opportunity with others. Focus for a moment on the “by giving good reasons for doing so” part of the definition. That would surely eliminate the hype and misinformation from any presentations that we should be giving in NWM. It also means that when we believe in something, it is very appropriate to get others to believe too! It’s great to be persuasive. Just don’t be pushy, or obnoxious, or rude, or overbearing. Persuasive Selling After business school, I worked in sales management with Proctor and Gamble. All managers and salespersons were taught the Persuasive Selling Model to increase the effectiveness of their selling efforts. The most important principle of the model that assists us in having persuasive presentations is “to sell the benefits.” People are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” They want to know how the product or opportunity will benefit them.
In order to give persuasive presentations, you must teach about and stress the benefits.
Product Features and Benefits The president of a large corporation once remarked, “We do not buy products; we buy what the products do for us.” In making presentations, many networkers give the features of the product or service they are trying to sell. They do not effectively communicate the benefits the person enjoys when the idea is accepted. The outstanding, persuasive NWM professionals are those who consistently talk in terms that interest the prospect. They are the ones who answer the prospect’s question: “What’s in it for me?” They are the ones who stress customer benefits, not product features. What is the essential difference between a benefit and a feature? A benefit is a favorable result the buyer enjoys from the purchase. A benefit appeals to the buyer’s selfish motivations by answering the question “What’s in it for me?” Whenever possible in discussing benefits, you should try to be specific. Many specific benefits of NWM are: financial independence, flexible schedule, income diversification, and limitless profit potential. Some of the benefits of nutritional products that we share are: eliminate pain, more energy, heart health, enhanced immune system, and protection against germs and disease. A feature is any characteristic of a product or program that provides the favorable result or benefit. Features could include: ingredients, specific amounts of this or that, simplicity, no territories, duplicatable, no business experience required, and certain procedures. The persuasive networker stresses benefits, not features.
Use the features to communicate what the benefits are, and reinforce how they impact upon the prospect.
Enthusiasm Makes the Difference When thinking about persuasion, I immediately went to Norman Vincent Peale’s book Enthusiasm Makes the Difference. In the chapter “Enthusiastic Persuasion,” Peale says, “There is a magic formula for success: find a need and fill it!” Think about that. You’ll discover that it is guiding you to the “sell the benefits” principle. You’ll also come to the understanding that you are thinking win-win when you are giving persuasive presentations. You are not trying to take advantage of anyone for your own gain. Contemplate the many needs that we can fill: current financial needs, quality retirement lifestyle, health challenges, energy needs, vitality needs, and the desire to belong. To be successful in networking, we simply must find those with these needs and persuade them that our products or our program can fill the respective needs. Responsible Persuasion Listen to what Peale teaches: “Success is not based on smug cleverness, sharp practice, shady promotion, or super high pressure. Loud talking, simulated enthusiasm that is usually coupled with high pressure is another false procedure that doesn’t have what it takes to persuade and communicate and produce long-lasting results.” Bravo, Norman! Oh, that more distributors and leaders in NWM would read and apply that counsel.
We need responsible persuasion. We have high-quality products that certainly need no false propaganda or “shady promotion.”
We have the business of NWM in which people can make money. We need responsible persuasion. Those who continue to create a bad image and sorry reputation for our industry need to get rid of the “smug cleverness,” and outright misrepresentations that deceive the unwary. 10 Principles for Persuasive Presentations in NWM Here are ten principles that can get you better results from the presentations that you are making about your products and your business opportunity. 1. Be Prepared This is the motto of the Boy Scouts. Great advice for life. Great advice for presentations. Henry Ford said, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.” In order to make effective presentations, you do not have to know everything, but you do need to have an idea of what it is that you should cover. You must have a track to run on. You must get your ideas and information organized. You should have mini-presentations about 1) the company, 2) the products, 3) the distributor support organization, 4) the compensation, 5) NWM and 6) dreams. Be flexible in how and when you present each segment to your various prospects. When you are properly prepared, you can be comfortable in visiting with prospects and responding to their questions and needs as opposed to giving them a “standard” presentation that you give to everyone. Preparation provides flexibility. As you present, confirm understanding and acceptance with appropriate open-ended questions. Listen to responses. Re-emphasize what you have told them and sell them with enthusiasm and persuasion. 2. Be Yourself As you present persuasively, you must learn to “visit” and be at ease. The more comfortable you are the more your personality comes through to the prospects. NWM is a relationship-building business. Through your “presentations” {your visits}, you are creating a connection. You are bonding with someone. I have also found that the more that you act like yourself the more fun you have in NWM. That is certainly a huge benefit of NWM. We love what we do because we have fun! 3. Present with Passion, Excitement, Pizzazz Successful NWM is a business of energy. It’s like the energy of a magnet. You are attracting people to YOU! You are attracting people to your products! You are attracting people to your opportunity of making money. This takes excitement! This takes sincere enthu
siasm! Be responsible and do not degrade yourself or the industry with hype, exaggeration, misinformation and false propaganda! Don’t fall for it when you hear it and don’t do it to others. At certain times the energy of magnets also repels. Use your energy in a positive and productive manner. What kind of folks do you want to attract? You’ll attract folks that are like you! Responsible passion, excitement and pizzazz are not only compelling, but fun and effective. 4. Present with Persuasion in Mind Red Motley said, “Nothing ever happens until somebody sells something.” Sell the product! Sell NWM! Sell the business opportunity!
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Prior to network marketing, he was a Sales Manager for Procter & Gamble and a District Sales Manager for Johnson Baby Products Company. In addition, he owned and operated the David Nelson Securities Schools of Denver and Dallas, teaching and training stock brokers and company executives how to pass the NASD license qualification examinations.
David graduated number one in his class with an MBA from Brigham Young University after earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He lives in Centennial, Colorado with his wife, Nanette. They have four children, Mark, Scott, Dana, and Craig and 11 grandchildren — ten grandsons.
David was the number one money earner with a nutritional network marketing company for over seven years. He has consistently been a top money earner in network marketing.
He is a founder of the JDI Team™ a distributor support organization, which is established to help networkers make money in network marketing. He is a host of weekly, live, interactive conference calls helping distributors learn the business and build a bonus check. He loves network marketing and has a passion for doing the business.
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- Do YOU Want to Know a Secret? by David Nelson - May 1, 2009
