How to Maintain Your Posture When Speaking with Prospects Using Assumptive Questions

Written by BILL PESCOSOLIDO | Filed under RECRUITING

If you’re in network marketing, talking to prospects is critical to your success.

It’s simple…

No matter what anyone says, if you’re not able to effectively communicate with your prospects and potential customers, you’re going to have a hard time building your business.

Period.

Now, don’t get it twisted, I’m not talking about prospects who are complete strangers.

I’m NOT talking about going to the mall and talking to everyone within three feet.

Nor am I talking about writing down a list of 100 friends and family members and repeatedly annoying them by jumping up and down and beating them over the head with your opportunity over and over again.

That’s not at all what I’m advocating here.

This is about how you follow-up with your LEADS

These are people who willingly opted-in to receive more info.

High quality, pre-qualified leads.

People who raised their hand and said…

“Yes, I’m interested in learning more about this and how you can help me out.”

Here’s the thing, though…

Even when you’re dealing with warm, qualified leads…

You still need to know WHAT to say, and HOW to say it, when you’re talking to them!

That comes in the form of POSTURE.

Now, when I say posture, I’m not talking about your physical posture, such as if you slouch, or stand up straight or sit correctly

I’m talking about how you carry yourself when communicating with your prospects.

How do you present yourself?

Do you have confidence, or do you lack confidence?

Are you assertive, or are you sheepish?

Do you have this sense of…

“I don’t need you to build my business, but I’m certainly happy for you to come along and be part of the trip.”

That’s posture.

The opposite, a lack of posture, would be desperate and needy.

Posture is having the confidence to know…

“Look, I’m going to build this thing regardless of whether you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – I’m still going to move forward.”

Conversely, lack of posture is…

“God, you’ve got to join my deal – I need you!”

When you lack posture, your mind is racing with disempowering thoughts…

“Oh, if only I could get this one person, then they can recruit a bunch of people, and then I’ll be set.”

When you think this way, you convey desperation and neediness.

It’s a big turn-off.

So, the question becomes…

How can you improve your posture?

It’s a big question, with many facets.

But there’s one aspect in particular that trips people up and it’s SO easy to remedy.

It’s all about HOW you’re asking questions.

And by the end of this post, you’ll be able to immediately change your language patterns and significantly improve the effectiveness of your prospecting conversations.

Let’s start with a biggie…

The BIGGEST mistake you can make when talking to your prospects is…

Asking “yes” or “no” questions.

These are what’s called “closed-ended” questions.

And, throughout the majority of the process, you don’t want to ask “yes” or “no” questions.

The main exception is when you’re seeking a firm “no” (instead of “I’ll think about it.”), but that comes later in the conversation.

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Prior to that, though…

You want to ask “open-ended” questions

To illustrate, let me give some examples of closed-ended, “yes” or “no” questions.

For example, say you’re talking to your prospect and you ask something like…

“Hey, is it okay if I send you a presentation?”

Now that seems like a fine question.

However, you’re giving them the choice of answering with “yes” or “no.”

Right?

They could say, “Yes, please send the presentation,” or they could say, “No thanks, I’m not interested.”

Now sure, you hope they’re going to say “yes,” but you’re giving them the choice to also say “no.”

Thus…

You’re opening yourself up to a “no!”

And you don’t want to do that.

In fact, you want to avoid that as much as possible.

Another example “yes” or “no” question is…

“Hey, you have a lot of great questions. Is it okay if I set up a three-way call with my upline to get your questions answered?”

Again, this is a “yes” or “no,” right?

They could say, “Yes, that’s okay,” or, “No, I don’t have time for that.”

And if they say “no,” you’ve boxed yourself into a corner

And then you’re stuck without many options.

Another example I see all the time is…

“Hey, is it okay if I follow-up with you next week?”

Again, they could say “no.”

And then you, much like Axl and Slash, are left wondering…

Where do we go now?

Now, if you’ve ever found yourself asking “yes” or “no” questions, it’s okay!

It’s nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of.

95% of the people that come into network marketing, directs sales, or affiliate marketing have no previous sales experience and just don’t know what to do in these situations.

We all do when we’re first starting out.

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So, here’s what you need to do…

Instead of asking closed-ended, “yes” or “no” questions…

You need to start asking open-ended, “this” or “that” questions.

For example, going off of the same three questions that I showed you earlier…

Instead of, “Can I send you a presentation?” to which they could reply “no,” you say…

“Hey Steve, so here’s the deal: I’m going to send you a presentation to watch. Which email address would you rather I send it to, your work address or your personal address?”

See the difference there?

That’s an example of a “this” or “that” question.

You’re assuming the “yes”

And taking charge of what’s going on by leading them through the sales process.

You’re NOT sitting there asking for permission.

You’re letting them know the process involves you sending them a presentation to watch.

That’s a given; there are no “yes’s” and “no’s.”

The ONLY question you have is…

Which email address do you want me to send it to?

Do you see the subtle, yet profound difference there?

Okay, so here’s another version of one of the earlier questions…

Instead of saying…

“Hey, is it okay if I schedule a three-way call with my upline to get your questions answered?”

Again, they could be like…

“No…that’s NOT okay, brotato salad.”

So instead say…

“Hey Philippe, you’ve got some great questions and here’s how we’re going to get them answered: I’m going to schedule a three-way call with my upline. Which day works better for you? Tuesday or Wednesday?”

Do you see the difference?

Again, you’ve assumed what’s going to happen next.

You’re already putting them squarely into the next step of the process.

You’re like a tour guide.

You’re guiding them through the recruiting process.

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You’re not like…

“Hey, is this okay with you?”

You’re NOT asking permission to take them to the next step

You’re, in fact, leading them through the process.

In the above example, the only question you’re asking is what day works better for you.

“Tuesday or Wednesday?”

And if they say “Wednesday,” then say…

“Great, which is better: morning or afternoon?”

Again, see the difference?

Okay, there’s something else happening here I want you to think about…

It’s important to always give your prospects a choice

…even if it’s more of a “false choice.”

But from their perspective, they’re still making a decision.

The difference is now the decision is no longer “yes” or “no”…

Instead, it’s between their work email vs. their personal email, or Tuesday vs. Wednesday.

This is important because:

1. You’re not coming across as a dictatorial person who’s commanding them against their free will
2. You’re allowing the prospect to make their own decision

Which means…

They feel like they’re still in control

That’s the most important aspect of this entire process.

They’re the one making the choices.

In their head, they’re thinking…

“I better make it my personal email address, because I don’t want to clutter up my work inbox.”

And you can say…

“Okay, fair enough. I’ll send it right over to your personal email address.”

Or likewise to the question of Tuesday vs. Wednesday, they might be thinking…

“Well I’ve got a PTA meeting on Tuesday, so let’s do it Wednesday.”

Great!

They FEEL like…

“I’m in control; I chose Wednesday.”

But, of course, the game is rigged in your favor.

And that’s what’s so critical here…

You gave them the choices!

But they chose, so they feel like they have the power.

And you know what—this is not manipulative, unsavory, or unethical.

This is called salesmanship.

This is posture.

And it’s what successful people do to lead people through the sales process without sounding wimpy and meek.

It’s very matter of fact, and is not a trick question.

You’re not doing anything sketchy, tricky, or deceitful…

You’re just clarifying what works best for your prospects

You’re simply moving them through the process with posture.

Now, my last thought for you is important, and it’s this…

I want you to take action and implement what you’ve learned today the next time you’re in a prospecting conversation.

Success is all about execution.

It’s not about thinking, “Well that was neat,” and then doing nothing.

Now here’s a choice YOU need to make…

The next time you’re going to invite someone to a 3-way call…

You could do things the “old fashioned” way of scheduling a call, like network marketers have been doing for decades.

Or, you could use a new, low-resistance and rejection-free alternative to traditional 3-way calls

…using Facebook Messenger.

You know, that app everyone’s walking around with in their pocketses (…well, 1.3 billion people, anyway).

So if you need any help prospecting on social media or want to sponsor a LOT more people, then I recommend picking up my friend Julie Burke’s 3-Way Facebook Messenger Recruiting Scripts, which is 100% free.

You can practically “copy and paste” these PROVEN scripts to quickly enroll 10-15 new team members each week.

…all without being “spammy” or sounding like an infomercial.

You’ll discover the exact methods Julie used to sponsor 270+ reps and grow a team of 8,300 distributors, all from the comfort of her home, in just 3 years, as a mom of two boys.

Ready to learn more?

Then make sure you click here and grab your free copy today!

 

Sincerely,

Bill Pescosolido

Content Marketing Expert & Super Affiliate

BILL PESCOSOLIDO

Bill Pescosolido is a Certified Content Marketing Specialist and is in charge of the content and email marketing for Pescosolido Marketing, LLC. Prior to joining his wife Michelle in their digital marketing business Bill spent 16 years in Corporate America in sales and consulting roles.