MLM - Art Of Closing And Making Sales

Why is it that so many MLMers never get around to making an stable and recurring income you ask? First of all this type of business is called Network "Marketing", so how many network marketers you know actually have a marketing degree? Probably none, or if you do, are those people applying what they learned in school correctly? And even if they are great marketers, do they know how to close a sale? Because in the end you cannot call yourself a network marketer if you don't practice the art of closing a sale and have some of what MLMers call "posture power". Marketing a product, and doing it right, be it by networking or in a store or for a big company, plays a big part in the success of your marketing campaigns, but imagine a really big company (they have the financial resources to put up a huge marketing campaign) without sales people... the sales people are the one who their job is to successfully "close the deal", you could have the biggest and best marketing campaign ever, it could be a great success.. but without people in your organization who practice the art of "closing" your marketing campaign will be simply that.. a marketing campaign..you need to have people who are talented at closing sales! Ok, but you don't have the budget nor the resources of a big company.. well then you have to learn how to market your products AND close the sales yourself! Let's take a look at how to do this.

I have to tell you that i have worked in sales for about 5-6 years, on the phone, in the public, in stores, and others, and i also worked in marketing for about a year or so.. so i want to share my experiences with you, and try to help you develop your organization.So now you have your marketing campaign running... of course you call your friends, family and relatives to let them know about your product, you meet new people everyday (maybe 2 or 3 people, you give them business cards and take note of their phone numbers).. that's great.. you also have your online ads running, like adwords, blogs, forums postings, seo campaigns, ebay, froogle and others.. awesome! Now you get more leads than ever! People call you, send you e-mails and stuff.. you want to make sure now that you know how to close a sale, I'm going to give you some examples of things that might work, but you have to understand the 4 "personality types"! Because if you have no clue what type of person you're talking to, you might end up not closing the deal, so you want luck to be on your side! Well..there's no such thing as luck... i believe in hard work and coincidences, but you get the idea!

So here we go!

Solid: The solid type of personality doesn't like conflicts, arguments or fights, they would like everything to be in perfect harmony. Solids won't really cry for attention like the expressive type! They don't demand much attention, but they are certainly worth paying attention to, because they usually have a really good sense of humor, optimism, and a really interesting way of thinking. They are usually healthy and relaxed people. They like solitude and calm, but they will join in for a good laugh. They are, i would say, the most "balanced" type of personality. They can blend really well in most situation or group, they are easygoing and also sensitive and in touch with their emotions. Their weakness would probably be their lack of enthusiasm, since they are relaxed and calm people, you will rarely see them jump up and down. When trying to close a sale, you may have a hard time figuring out if they are interested or not, so keep in mind that the solids are usually stubborn, and don't like to change. So when you talk to them about your products/offer you absolutely have to ask them what they think (in a very subtle way), or else they won't tell you, and you may find it hard to investigate further. So you have to ask them the right questions at the right time and you will do fine, or else they will give you information bit by bit and it can take long, very long, so by asking the right questions you will gather infos more quickly. Try to get some useful information, then propose something right away, and then narrow down your search.

Expressive: Everyone notices the expressive person... try to think of a party, anniversary or gala. They are the ones who will light up the room! They are energetic and enjoy talking. They are usually fun to be around because they are dynamic and love to have fun. They are pretty easy to identify, they make the "grand entrance", they love to be in the spotlight, the center of attention. They are optimistic and cheerful people. When trying to close a sale with the expressive type, make sure you use words and sentences like: trust me, amazing, beautiful, awesome, useful, fun! Don't give them too much infos, you'll loose them.. They will buy something in a heartbeat, impulsively.. so what you want to make sure is they keep buying your product month after month (passive revenues for you!), you have to be very careful not to stress them to close the sale, simply talk with them about how great your product is (don't be over-enthousiastic tho), do it in a very "laid-back" way, don't talk too fast, don't rush them, but you have to come up with something that will make them go "wow". Listen carefully to what they have to say, answer their questions, and make sure you understand exactly what they are saying! Only then you will be able to find that little thing that will make them go "wow.. I'm buying this"!

Dominant: Confident, authoritative, and result-oriented! The dominant will usually cut down more work than any other type in much less time, not that they are work-a-holics, but multi-tasking come naturally to them: talking bussiness on the phone, typing a report, checking their e-mails.. all at the same time... we all do this sometimes, but the dominants do this all the time! You could say they are "driven", and they are willing to work long and hard to go where they want to go, and they will succeed! They empower others, and are always looking for new challenges. Their social life is, of course, not the same as the expressive type.. they like to converse, but it absolutely has to be interesting, intelligent and you have to be confident about what you are saying to a dominant, because they tend to be a little "bossy" and take control. To make a sale with someone who is dominant you have to be very careful not to be too expressive! They are results-oriented, remember? so talk to them about the results they will get if they use/take your products, they want to know what it will do, how and when! They are very strict, so you have to be very precise when answering their questions...if you don't know the answer, just tell them you don't know (don't make something up.. they will notice!!), but you can ask someone else (upline, coach..etc) and you will get back to them with the answer. They will like you to take the time to consult someone else to give them the right information.

Analytical: "A place for everything and everything in it's place" would describe the analytical type best. The analytical is usually someone who is intellectual looking, quiet and reserved. Someone who analyzes things, conversations, and situation without really thinking about it, or doing it on purpose, it just comes naturally to them. They are usually more interested in the spiritual side of things; spiritual values, wisdom and integrity, than the other types. The analytical type is really disciplined and loyal, and is not much of a talker. They are perfectionist and sometimes introverted. Trying to close a sale with the analytical can be difficult, they need time to think and evaluate your offer, so simply give them the information, give them time to think about it, then call them back or re-contact them, and ask them if they read or watched what you gave them, and ask them what they think, if they have objections and questions, you have to be very professional, answer their questions, and tell them you value their opinion, if your offer seems good to them, they will join, if not, they surely have more questions, so do what you can to answer all their questions, but never ever ask them to join or buy your product right away, that won't work!

Ok, so now you know some about the basic types of personality. Of course marketing and sales are not just about knowing these! You also need good products, good marketing campaigns (try writing 4 different ads, one for each personality type) and also a solid team to help you as you build your organization (upline, coaches, mentors).
Happy marketing and sales!

Author Bio
Jonathan-C. Phillips is an independent entrepreneur (mlm) for Immunotec Research based in Canada. He is also an online marketer and advertiser, and runs many websites and blogs. Contact him via his business/marketing blog here

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