PROSPECTING TO PROSPER - Renakit

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTWhen your prospects approach youIf you carry your Rena Ware Filter Bottle around, it may getnoticed and you may get approached by curious prospects.When this happens, make conversation by saying, forexample:I didn’t like the taste of my tap water and I was payingtoo much for bottled water. Now I have fresh tasting watereverywhere I go, I am saving money and I am helping to protectthe environment from plastic waste.Then start to approach your prospect as explained above. Totransition, you can say for example:By the way, I’m and I am a Rena Ware IndependentRepresentative.Opportunities to ask for referralsIn addition to asking for referrals when you first approachyour prospects, you can ask for referrals also in the followingsituations, still using Questions 8 and 9 from the GrandDrawing Card (RW54):After presentations: after sharing the Differenceand/or the products.RW203.01.022045

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTAfter service/support visits or calls to yourcustomers. Once you know when a product isbeing delivered, call your customer and eitheroffer to come over to show him/her how to useit or send the related videos via text message.After that, ask for referrals.During follow-up calls. When you call a customerto follow-up after a purchase, offer support andresources and ask for referrals.General approach tipsThroughout the approach, keep in mind the following tips.1Reassure with your wordsand with your gestures.Introduce yourself with a calmand welcoming voice, sit orstand where they can see youand your face, respect theirpersonal space.2Grab their attention/interest.You have 8 to 10 seconds toattract a prospect’s attention.Use the time effectively: usethe water filter bottle; saysomething nice and safe aboutyour prospect, for example: “Ilike your outfit.”RW203.01.022046

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECT3Don’t make it easy for yourprospect to say “no” (don’tgive easy outs). If you offeryour prospects an opportunityto leave, they probably will.Don’t say “Is this a good/badtime?” Try saying: “How muchtime do you have?”4Make it about them, not you.Make statements andquestions about your prospect.For example, you could say“When works better for youTuesday at 3 or Thursday at11?” If your prospects resistsor objects, know that it is notabout you. It is about someneeds that the prospect istrying to meet (for examplethe need for time/space etc.).If you can identify that needand keep it into account oreven address it, you alreadyhave a foot in the door!Read the Do’s and Don’ts of approaching inperson and on the phone, in Appendix 3.EXERCISE 10RW203.01.022047

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTFOLLOW UPFollow up every step of the way. Your main goal in followingup is to increase the level of commitment of your prospectsand customers, from prospects/referrals to leaders and/orreturning customers.Reach out to your prospects by phone, email or social media,as is most appropriate to the situation, and at a frequencythat shows you are both interested in your prospects andrespectful of their time and space.If a prospect gave you referrals, contact the referrals as soonas you can, preferably within three days. Do not postpone.Chances are that your prospect has informed them you wouldreach out, so it is best to do so while they still remember.RW203.01.022048

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTIf a new customer has made a purchase, call them and:Praise their purchaseAsk if they have tried itOffer to show them how to use the productShare the Difference againAsk for referrals (on the phone or after anin-person service visit, as appropriate)Share Social Media links for product relatedvideos or other useful contentRW203.01.022049

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTIf an existing customer has not bought products for a longtime, contact him or her and:Let them know about new products or specialsOffer to schedule a presentation of the newproductsShare the Difference again, on account of thefact that now they are “expert users” of theproducts and could easily talk about the benefitsAsk for referralsRW203.01.022050

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTIf a prospect declined joining your team or buying products,call him or her again after some time as things may havechanged for him/her in the meantime, and ask questions tofind out where they are at in their lives, then depending on theanswers, do one or more of the following:Share the Difference againLet them know about products (if you have notbefore) or about new products or specialsTry to schedule a presentationAsk for referralsEXERCISE 11RW203.01.022051

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarHOW TO PROSPECTSend “thank you” notesAfter each meaningful exchangewith a prospect, send a thank youmessage (via email, text, or even acard), including when a prospect orcustomer:Makes an appointmentGives you referralsBuys productsListens to a presentation (regardless of theoutcome)EXERCISE 12RW203.01.022052

PROSPECTING TO PROSPERHOW to PROSPECTAT a GLANCE:HOW TO PROSPECTPrepare1Become knowledgeable about all things Rena Ware:the Cause, the Difference, the products, the earningsplan, the direct selling best practices.2Become knowledgeable about your prospects:remember that they can be wary, better educated/informed and busy. Adjust your approach accordingly.Offer the Difference and the products but also theservice and added value.3Research your prospects whenever possible.4Identify and engage Connectors: the prospects whoknow a lot of people from a variety of worlds and cangive you access to those worlds.RW203.01.022053

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarProceed1Use a mix of strategies: target your prospects (hunt),make yourself known and visible (fish), combinespreading information about your business andtargeting interested prospects (farm).2Approach your prospects using the Grand DrawingCard (RW54) for your cold market, or your Circle ofInfluence (RW120) and the 5-point system for yourwarm market and:Give a presentationorMake an appointment: give specific date and timeoptions;Ask for referrals. In addition to first approach, ask forreferrals after presentations, after service visits toyour customers, during follow-up calls.In any case, highlight the benefits of attending apresentation (grand drawing) and the benefits you willtalk about in the presentation (improving prospect’slifestyle).3Follow up. Reach out to new customers, existingcustomers, prospects who declined joining or buyingand offer appropriate options (share the Difference,mention new products, offer to show how to useproducts, etc.)RW203.01.022054

PROSPECTING TO PROSPERPROSPECTINGSKILLSCOMMUNICATIONBECOME an EXPERTCONVERSATIONALISTLISTEN to OVERCOME RESISTANCEMANAGE OBJECTIONSUSE non-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONPERSONAL 2055

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSAs prospecting is the start to building relationships, it requires anumber of skills typically used to build relationships. Here youfind the ones that apply more closely to prospecting.COMMUNICATIONBECOME an EXPERTCONVERSATIONALISTThink of prospecting as having conversations with people.Do not go immediately after recruiting and selling. Do not goimmediately after your commission. Try to connect with yourprospect first and guide the conversation from there. Hereare some suggestions to help you connect:Minimize the talk about yourself. Yourprospects don’t want to talk about you. Ingeneral, share enough information so that yourprospect feels comfortable talking with you.Keep it short and on point.Ask questions. Your prospects want to talkabout themselves. Questions help you to getinformation about your prospect’s interest so youcan talk about those. Ask both open questionsthat require slightly elaborate answers (How ?What ?) and closed questions that requireyes/no or very short answers (Do you likecooking? How many people are in your family?)RW203.01.022056

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSFind common ground. Talk about somethingyou and your prospects are interested in. Havegenuine interest in your prospect, and look forthings you two have in common. That will fuelthe connection.Listen. In order to ask relevant questions andfind common ground, you have to really listento your prospect. This means listening tounderstand who they are and what needs theyhave.By becoming an expert conversationalist, you will connectwith more people, gain useful information to sign up evenmore recruits and close even more sales.EXERCISE 13RW203.01.022057

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSLISTEN to OVERCOME RESISTANCEDespite your preparation and skills, you will encounter someresistance: some prospects will raise objections. It is a naturalpart of the process. Resistance and objections are not aboutyou. They are expressions of needs your prospects have.Identifying those needs is the key to creating connection andovercoming resistance.When you hear an objection use the LCO process:RW203.01.022058

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLS1Listen to the objection.Sometimes it helps to turn theobjection into a question or arequest in your mind and pausefor a moment.2Confirm the objection.Acknowledge and if necessary,say the question out loud tocheck that you understoodcorrectly.3Offer Optionsthat work for both you and yourprospect.RW203.01.022059

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSFor example:Your prospect says:I’m not interested.In your mind, you hear:Could you show/tell me why I should beinterested/the benefits for me?You pause for a second. Then you say:I see. (acknowledge) Would you like me to show you the benefitsfor you? (confirm)And you continue:What if you could enter a drawing to win amazing products?(offer option)RW203.01.022060

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSTwo extra steps1Empathize firstEmpathizing means understanding what someone else isfeeling, connecting with the emotion and more importantlythe need or needs that person is experiencing, not thespecific event or circumstance. Empathizing is meetingpeople where they are. So in the example above, you couldadd the empathy step:So in the example above, you could add the empathy step:Prospect: (expressing issue) I’m not interested.In your mind, you hear:Could you show/tell me why I should beinterested/the benefits for me?RW203.01.022061

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSYou say:I see. (acknowledge). Are you worried (empathize with feeling)because you would like to see the benefits for you? (empathizewith need)If you empathize with feelings and needs before offeringoptions, you have more chances that the option will beaccepted because the other person felt heard first.Empathizing out loud may not be appropriate in all situations,but doing it silently in your mind helps you to connect with yourprospect’s need.2Ask for clarificationIf your prospect’s objection is really not clear to you, ask yourprospect to explain. For example, you could say:You obviously have a reason for saying that (acknowledge).Would you care to share it? (request to explain)EXERCISE 14.?RW203.01.022062

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSMANAGE OBJECTIONSHere are a few common prospecting objections, the possibleneeds underneath and some example responses:ObjectionPossible needsI don’t havetime.“Space”1Understanding(the benefit)Response1OK. Let’s make anappointment for later.What works betterfor you morningsor afternoons?232344I want to thinkabout it.I don’t needanything.I’m notinterested.I understand. And whatis your greatest concern?Obviously you havereasons for sayingthat. Would you bewilling to share one?I see. And what if youcould enter a drawing towin fantastic products?These are examples of needs strictly related to theencounter and they may be in addition to other needs thatyour prospects already have in their lives and that you mighthave to explore during the appointment. The important thingis once you know the need, you can come up with differentstrategies (options/proposals) to fulfil it and that helps youto move things forward.RW203.01.022063

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSUSE non VERBAL COMMUNICATIONWhen we communicate, part of our message is in what wesay - our words (verbal communication), and another partis in how we say it - our body language, including our facialexpressions, gestures, posture, and our voice (non-verbalcommunication).Non-verbal communication is particularly important whenapproaching people for the first time as it can make thedifference between a rejection and starting the conversation.Be mindful of your own non verbal communication as well asof your prospect’s.Possible needProspect’s possiblebody languageYour responsebody languageSpace andSafetyKeeps at adistance, doesnot come close.Respect personalspace: maintaina distance that iscomfortable foryour prospect.Perhaps avoids eyecontact; keeps armsor legs crossed.Sit or stand wherethey can see youand your face.Relax your body andkeep open postures:keep your arms andlegs uncrossed, turnto face your prospect.RW203.01.022064

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSPossible needProspect’s possiblebody languageYour responsebody languageTrustTries to makeeye contact.Make eye contact.Frowns, grimaces.Voice: talk ata comfortablepace for yourprospect. Typically,this would befast enough tomaintain interest,but slow enoughfor clarity.UnderstandingSmile genuinely,with your mouthand your eyes.Much of non-verbal communication dependson the culture and on the relationshipbetween the people who are communicating.For example, eye contact and personal spacemay vary greatly between two friends, twostrangers and between different cultures.EXERCISES 15-16RW203.01.022065

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSMind the medium: in person, on the phone,on social media When you contact yourprospects, be mindful of how you arecontacting them: in person, by phone or onsocial media. Adjust your communicationaccordingly. See some tips in Appendix 4 forsome useful tips.PERSONAL SKILLSProspecting, as most things, requires a mix of personalskills. Here are the most helpful ones. However, keep in mindthat ultimately what works best is to know yourself and actin harmony with your personality. Know your strengths andweaknesses, leverage the first and work on the latter, andfind your style.PERSISTENCEPersistence is the determination to do something even if itis difficult or other people oppose it. It does not necessarilymean repeating something blindly without knowing what yourgoal is or without evaluating the effectiveness of your actionstowards your goal.It means that you have a clear goal and an action plan, youtake action, evaluate what worked and what did not work,adjust accordingly and try again until you achieve your goal.Persistence is the determination to carry on despite obstaclesand setbacks and it goes hand in hand with resilience.RW203.01.022066

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSRESILIENCEResilience is the ability of a substance or object to springback into shape after distress. Think of a rubber band: if youstretch it and then release it, it will go back to its originalshape. Applied to people, resilience is the ability to recoverquickly from difficulties.Applied to prospecting persistence and resilience mean that:You keep having at least 30 conversationsa week with the goal of getting at least threeappointments and/or referrals.RW203.01.022067

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSRejections do not phase you: you accept themas a natural part of the process and carry on.You go through the cycle again and again:(AGAIN)You do not let other obstacles, such as skillgaps, stop you: you find ways to overcomeobstacles. For example, you train to improveyour skills.RW203.01.022068

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSORGANIZATIONCreating a prosperous business requires some discipline.Since you are working for yourself and do not have an employerproviding structure and organization to your activities, you willhave to provide that structure yourself, starting from prospectingsystematically. Here are some suggestions.Set goals that are specific, measurable,achievable and time-based. For example:RW203.01.022069

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSDedicate time to prospecting every day andhave a dedicated part of the day for prospecting.At the beginning, prospecting will be nearly allyou do. As your business starts to grow, you willbe going to more appointments and deliveringmore presentations, and eventually deliveringtraining. Even then, continue to prospectregularly.Have a prospecting schedule. Each day, planhow many prospects you are going to contactfrom each category (warm market and coldmarket).Keep records of your actions. Have a way(perhaps a spreadsheet, database or similar)to capture whom you contact, when, how, theoutcome and the next steps. For example:RW203.01.022070

P R O S P E C T I N G T O P R O S P E R SeminarPROSPECTING SKILLSReview. At the end of each week, review yourgoals and your results. Also, review your recordand try to evaluate how things are going, youcan use some questions to help you:What things are working?What things are not working?What do they have in common?Do you see a pattern? (For example, you getmore appointments by calling then by texting).Get input from others. Connect with your teamor fellow representatives. Share experiences, askand answer questions. Share best practices.Adjust. Based on the review of your performanceand on the input from others, adjust your actions.EXERCISE 17RW203.01.022071

PROSPECTING TO PROSPERPROSPECTING SKILLSAT a GLANCE:PROSPECTING SKILLSCommunication1Be an expert conversationalist: minimize talk aboutyourself, ask questions about your

At a glance: Prospecting skills Start now: ready, set, go! 5. What is your prospecting personality? 6. Event day prospecting strategy 7. Tips to remember people’s names 8. Role-plays 4. Do’s and don’ts of approaches in person, on the phone and online 3. Powerful talk 5-talking points: additional script