What Network Marketers Do Before Breakfast

There’s a newish movement in the business/entrepreneur world on “what successful people do before breakfast.” It seems that the secret to a successful day may be in what you do before breakfast.

So, I think it’s high time we look at what successful network marketers do before breakfast. Don’t forget to take a look at our list of what network marketers can accomplish before breakfast.

What Kevin D. Walls Does Before Breakfast

I’ll start with our favorite network marketer – me. If you’ve read any of my training, you know that I got a simple routine for each day called – Daily Operating Procedures (DOP)

1. Reading your goals.
2. Prioritizing your to-do list based upon your goals.
3. Deciding you’re the cause of your day.

For more on my personal routine before breakfast, please see page 15 of the free report –How to Build a Huge Ambit Business Part-Time.

What Else Do Successful Networkers Do Before Breakfast?

I like to think everyone is on the road to success, so I’m not going to rule anybody out. As I’ve written before, a colleague of mine grew up in a network marketing family. While she not actively involved in an MLM company right now, she spent the better part of the last two years supporting her husband’s efforts with it. My wife also supports our business so much that she's responsible for customer gathering and servicing customers and I am responsible for building and training our team. So, I think it’s worth mentioning what we did as a couple because it’s important to have your spouse or partner on board:

• Spend time talking about the things we’re thankful for.
• Look at our dream board and focus on accomplishing our dreams.
• Talk about our business and goals for it.
• Draw out our team.
• Talk about our fears and obstacles.
• Make a plan for the day.

I also posted this question on a Facebook Group I in and here are just a few of the responses I received:

Action Item: Join the conversation. Tell us what you do before breakfast in the comments below. And if you need some ideas for morning training, check out Hot Prospecting Tips. It will help you overcome the four biggest problems in your Ambit Business.  All you have to do is register for Simulcast 2013, send me an email to ambitfirstclass@gmail.com , SUBJECT LINE: I’m registered for Simulcast 2013, in the body of the email type your first and last name; then I will send you the link.This is a fast way to overcome the three most common problems in building your Ambit business – getting prospects to talk to you, getting prospects to want what you offer, and qualifying prospects.

How Do You Deal with a Spouse Who Objects?

One of the top song downloads of 2012 (in America) inspired this post. Listen to Gotye’s song “Somebody That I Used to Know” in the video below.

Catchy  and totally different than what you’re used to hearing. Why? It tells two sides of a story!

How often do we get that in music? We usually get a guy or girl’s broken heart and how they’re moving on from or still hung up on their former lover. I think that’s why the song is so popular – you get both perspectives.

So, how does that inspire? How does that help us move forward on a Monday?

It applies to a very real objection I’ve seen in this business – the partner or spouse. When a colleague of mine husband was with his former network marketing company, she was vetted and encouraged to be at his side for conferences. This particular company was “picky” about getting the spouse on board. And I’m sure others are like that, but this was a big piece of the recruitment mix.

Possibly because there was a lot of money and time at stake. They knew if they could get the spouse on the bandwagon, their team members were more successful.

So, how do you deal with a prospect whose spouse objects to Ambit or MLM? Go to our Ambit Pro Inviter Series to find out.

Here’s what I discuss on call #4, which covers objections in great detail:

One could perhaps attempt to argue this out, but all arguments fall to this one statement: Who else is to blame? One can try to put the blame on their spouse – or someone else for that matter – but that’s lame. A person being controlled by someone else has to agree to be controlled.

Here’s your plan for overcoming the spousal objection:

1. Be the prospect’s teammate and help them focus on what they need, want and don’t want.
2. Clarify the real objection. Find out the why behind their spouse “not letting them do it.”
3. Don’t EVER tell the prospect that their spouse’s “not letting them do it” objection is self-imposed.
4. Don’t pretend the spousal objection will just go away. Be compassionate and understanding. Help them look at the problem and overcome it. Determine exactly what “the objection” is and deal with it.
5. Be sincere and compassionate through the conversation.

Will this help you overcome the spousal objection every time? Not at all, but it will give you some ammo for one of the toughest objections out there.

Have you ever addressed the spousal objection? What did you do? Share your comments below.

What Network Marketers Can Accomplish Before Breakfast

Does the idea of getting up early bother you? Did you promise yourself you’d never have an 8 o’clock class in college?

Well, you may want to rethink that strategy. New research shows that people who spend a little time getting ready for their day – training, tracking, talking and thinking may be more successful in the long run.

The reason? You’re less likely to put off successful action builders – like making real decisions about your business, finding time for a training CD, planning your day or even exercising. Or combining something like exercise and Ambit training.

I found this interesting story about how making decisions is affected by the time of day they are made. For instance, a prisoner who appears for a parole hearing in the morning received parole 70% of the time. A prisoner appearing at the end of the day only gets granted parole about 10% of the time.

The reason for the fluctuations – Mental work of “deciding” wears down as the day goes on.

We brought you a glimpse of what successful network marketers do before breakfast here. You can also follow this discussion on our Facebook Group.

Today, we wanted to bring you something really useful – a list of 15 things consultants can do accomplish breakfast.

I went through a bunch of previous blogs on organization, productivity and prospecting and created this list of highly attainable actions you can accomplish before breakfast.

And we’re issuing you a challenge – do at least one of them for a week. And then tell us if you have more success in your business. We’ll come back next month and examine the results in another post.

1. Get up 10 minutes earlier and make a plan for the day.
2. Examine the 13 activities that has been proven  will get you to Ambit success.
3. Decide exactly what you want to achieve with your business.
4. Talk to your spouse or partner about your dreams before stress and daily routines create separation.
5. Spend 10 minutes writing down what you’re thankful for.
6. Spend 30 minutes being interested in yourself – exercise, journal or do something spiritual. If you don’t do it now, you’re less likely to make time for it later.
7. Plan how you will be interested in at least 5 people today – a card, a call or a compliment. Write it on a notecard and keep it within reach all day.
8. Get to know one member of your family on a deeper level. Take a walk with one of them. Chat over a cup of coffee.
9. Meet a friend once a week for coffee and a chat. Or join a walking group. This chance for building relationships can set your tone for the day.
10. Spend time getting great at one key piece of your business. 
11. Track what worked yesterday and make a list of improvements on what didn’t work.
12. Evaluate your success. Instead of focusing on what you’re not doing, get focused on what you can do today to get closer to the first goal on your list.
13. Write your blogs. Professional writers call them morning pages. The idea is to get the thoughts flowing. If you’re interested in using this tactic in your business, this can be a great way to fit it in.
14. Send an email to one team member and acknowledge them for their specific contribution to theirs and your success.
15. Review your purpose for being in this business and find more ways to focus on getting to your success.

Action Item: Need a place to start in your morning venture? Why not check out how to deal with the four biggest problems in building your Ambit business. Check out Hot Prospecting Tips. Each call is short and packed with value. Spending just 15 minutes with these tips in the morning can help you find new ways to solve your toughest business building challenges. All you have to do is register for Simulcast 2013, send me an email to ambitfirstclass@gmail.com , SUBJECT LINE: I’m registered for Simulcast 2013, in the body of the email type your first and last name; then I will send you the link.This is a fast way to overcome the three most common problems in building your Ambit business – getting prospects to talk to you, getting prospects to want what you offer, and qualifying prospects.

How to Talk to Strangers

Today, my colleague, Rachel, discusses some strategies for picking up the phone or approaching a stranger at a networking event or even the grocery store.

How do you typically start a conversation with a stranger?

Rachel: It depends on the situation, but usually I’ll observe something in the environment we’re in and make a comment about it. This is a skill that many dating coaches teach men when they want to start a conversation with an attractive woman.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate how this works. Remember, I’m a naturally shy person. But this was really easy.

I walked up to a woman at Starbucks and asked her if the seat was taken. She smiled and said, “No.” Then, I said, “It’s very busy in here today. Is it always this busy?”  

She answered my question, then a conversation ensued. We talked for over 45 minutes and the majority of the conversation was me asking observational questions and her answering.

When she got up to leave, she asked me what I did for a living, asked me for my card (which I couldn’t give her because I don’t carry business cards), and then she smiled and said how much she enjoyed our conversation. I took her card, and if I were still recruiting, you can bet I’d be calling her in a day or two.

What actions do you personally recommend for a “fearful of strangers” Consultant? 

Rachel: Here are my five tips for moving past the fear of talking to strangers: 

1. Start conversations every day. Make conversation every day without the goal of prospecting someone.
2. Give three sincere compliments a day. This will help you get in the mindset of “What can I do for others?”
3. Stop over thinking everything. Don’t think about the results. Just think about your actions. Think about the very next step in front of you and take it.
4. Don’t think negative thoughts. Don’t let your mind turn to a disaster call or the idea of a prospect laughing at you. Just think about picking up the phone and dialing.
5. Drill before you make calls. Practice what you’ll say. Do some drills with your sponsor so you’ll know what to say. Then, do it. Pick up the phone with your shaking hand and make the call.

Do you think people need to be able to talk to strangers to be successful in this business? 

With today’s technology, it is possible to sit behind your computer, never talk to a soul, and sponsor people.  

However, if you’d like to avoid terrible attrition and be a team builder, then you have to be able to talk to people. You have to invite people to look at your service or opportunity. You need to train your team.

If you can do three things, you can be successful in this business. Those three things are: 

1. Communicate effectively.
2. Believe in yourself and your business.
3. Care about others and help them to get what they want.

Your Turn

What’s your best strategy for talking to strangers? Tell us about it in the comments below. 

5 Easy Ways To Increase Your Confidence And Credibility

Bonnie sent this great question:

A problem I face is: A feeling that prospects do not perceive me as credible or believable.Perhaps it’s only my “reading” of their thoughts, but it’s the feeling I get from their reaction or response.

That's a brilliant question. I’m going to answer this in two parts.

1. Doubting yourself
2. How to increase your credibility

Doubting Yourself

A little story my mentor shared with me; throughout his life he had many feelings similar to this one. He said looking back, he's not sure if the person he was talking with really gave that “feeling” to him or if he was the one who gave it to himself because he didn’t feel like he had enough credibility to be talking to this person. Think about that for a few seconds…or a few minutes!

How can someone reach inside your head and make you feel [anything]?

I don’t think there’s a “no credibility” switch inside your head or mine that a person can reach in and flip.

What I’m trying to do is help you to see that this question mostly has to do with how you view yourself. Or how you allow others to influence the way you view yourself.

If you think about it, no one can MAKE you feel mad or angry or guilty or not credible – YOU are the only one who can accomplish that; even if someone says it to you.

Let’s suppose you’re a female and someone says to you, “You are a guy.” You would just look at them strangely and continue what you’re doing. You KNOW you’re not a guy. But if someone says something to you that you have already thought of – then you’re more likely to “allow” them to influence the way you see yourself. Like, “You’ve put on some weight.” But in reality, the two comments don’t have to affect you differently.

Is It in Your Thoughts?

Here’s the way it worked for my mentor and how he solved it. He used to have this thought that because he didn’t get a college degree, he wasn’t credible and that no one would listen to him. This wasn’t true – it was just in his thoughts. At a social gathering, he would meet someone and they would ask, “Where did you go to school?” He would reply, “Hixson High School.” They would then say, “No, what college?” he would reply, “I didn’t go to college.” To that they would say, “Oh.”

He said he would walk away feeling like he had no credibility with them. And, perhaps he didn’t. But the real damage was when he didn’t talk to people simply because he thought he didn’t have the right to talk to someone because he didn’t go to college! That’s enormous damage.

Working It Out in Your Head

Here’s how he worked it out in his head – Now, what’s the “truth?” Is there anyone who has ever been successful in life that didn’t go to college? YES!

People go to college so they can be more knowledgeable on a subject so they can get better results. So, it’s results that matter. But he used to think [incorrectly] that college equaled better results. Perhaps if he was trying to be successful as a doctor it would matter, but in network marketing it did not.

So, he just dumped the idea that he needed a college degree to be successful because just having that thought would actually STOP HIM FROM BEING SUCCESSFUL!

Talk about irony! He went on to make $25 million dollars in network marketing out of 26 countries!!!

How to Increase Your Credibility

He knew the ONLY way he was going to gain the respect of others (college graduates or not) was to get results. So number one, he had to not stop himself no matter what anyone said to him or what he said to himself. He had to just keep on until he got results.

Here’s what he did and what he taught me, I recommend you do this if you want to increase your credibility:

• Talk with people – no one can be successful without this step.
• Use the 10 Communication Qualities & Inviting Formula – you will immediately increase your credibility ENORMOUSLY by increasing your communication skills
• Help people and allow others to help you.
• When someone helps you, give back something of equal or greater value. When you help someone, allow them to help you back.
• Be trustworthy.
• Do what you say you will do.
• Increase your knowledge. 
• The more knowledge you have in the area you are advising or suggesting about, the more influence you will have. So know network marketing. Know the Ambit service. Know Ambit Energy.
• Increase your results (doing the above will accomplish this). 
• The more results you’ve gotten in the area you are discussing or attempting to attract another into, the more influence you will have. This is not a requirement obviously because everyone in Ambit starts with zero results.

The Bottom Line

If you sense someone isn’t giving you any credibility, move on and do not allow them to weaken your view of yourself. If your prospect needs credibility in order to listen to you, then you can contact them after you’ve gotten results.

A person who is unable to evaluate a business has to judge the business based on their perception of the credibility of the person presenting it. Those who can not evaluate a business based on its merits will work for those who can or miss out on a lot of money.

Next Steps: Instantly access our free training and to learn how you can be an elite Ambit Consultant.

How to Talk to Prospects You Consider “More Professional”

I read an email from James W. recently that made me go back to something my mentor shared with me. He writes:

“I’m having a real problem walking up to approach professionals. Maybe I’m a little self-conscious because I did not go to college myself. Sometimes I just find it hard to approach anyone. And it’s not like I just started in this industry.”

James, I understand where you are coming from. My mentor didn’t go to college and that can be intimidating. Read more about his story here.

But I want you to know something – Just because you didn’t spend a fortune on an education doesn’t mean you aren’t a professional. The people that are intimidating you have a distinction from you – a professional degree. But that doesn’t make them better or worse than you. Just a bit different.

Here’s something else I want you to know – they’re just people. With real problems and real dreams and real wants and needs.

I think if you will start looking at people as people and not suits and letters by their names, you’ll be less intimidated and a lot more successful.

That’s the first step. The second step is going to require some work on your part – getting inside their heads. Obviously, you can’t gain the same professional knowledge of their career (they did get a degree in nursing or engineering, for example). But you can begin to understand what makes them tick. How they make decisions. What they like to do.

With these three keys, you can approach them confidently and professionally.

So, how do you find out what they like, how they make decisions and what they like to do?

• Start talking to people. It starts with conversations with people in general – Please read the training articles on how to talk to strangers. These resources will help you understand how to talk to people in general.
• Ask your prospects what they do for fun. This can be an ice breaker and can give you great inside information on what they do with their time and find entrances into common ground conversation. What do I mean by “common ground conversation”? It’s simply connecting with your prospect on something you both know about or are interested in.
• Use common ground conversations to learn more about their decisions. Let’s say your prospect is into running and nutrition. You may sell nutritional supplements that benefit runners. Ask about what he or she takes or mention that since you’ve started taking an interest in supplements, your race times are faster. That’s going to spark more common ground conversation.
• Ask the prospect about what they enjoy in their work. Listen for key phrases such as “working with people” and “helping others learn about XYZ.” That’s solid gold in finding common ground with a prospect.

These little tidbits of conversation have nothing to do with who has more degrees or who is considered more “professional.” It’s about you being interested in another person and possibly finding a way to help them with a need or want.

I hope this helps.

Your Turn

What do you do in a situation where you are “outranked by degrees?” Tell us about it in the comments below.

Action Item: Educating yourself on proven techniques can help you improve your level of professionalism in prospecting. That’s why I did 3 conference calls on  Hot Prospecting Tips. All you have to do is register for Simulcast 2013, send me an email to ambitfirstclass@gmail.com , SUBJECT LINE: I’m registered for Simulcast 2013, in the body of the email type your first and last name; then I will send you the link.This is a fast way to overcome the three most common problems in building your Ambit business – getting prospects to talk to you, getting prospects to want what you offer, and qualifying prospects.

Top 5 Rules for Using LinkedIn for Network Marketing

Have you ever attended a professional networking event and been overwhelmed with the number of people that you shake hands with and exchange business cards with?

Who hasn’t? That’s where LinkedIn gives you a professional network marketing advantage. You can research prospects and connect with new ones. Today, we have bring you the top 5 rules for using LinkedIn for network marketing prospecting. Click the image below to a see a larger version. 

Tell us how you’ve had success with LinkedIn in the comments below. 

5 Cool Places to Find Prospects

This month at Ambit First-Class Training 365/24/7, we’re talking about everything related to prospecting. And today we’re giving you five fresh ideas for cool places to find prospects.

A few of these places may seem obvious, but they can also spark some ideas if you’re struggling with that age-old network marketing question, “Where do I find new people to talk to?”

Let’s get started.

Cool Place to Find Prospects No. 1 – The Gym

This may seem obvious, and it’s a favorite of mine. Here are a few reasons why finding prospects at the gym can work for you:

1. Motivated people go to the gym, especially on their lunch break. You’re looking for motivated people.
2. People with goals spend time in the gym. If you’re looking for business prospects, you’re looking for goal-oriented people. This is a good place to start.
3. You’ll have a regular opportunity to talk with people when you attend classes. Attending a regular class can give you an opportunity to get to know others and start building rapport. Show up a few minutes early and chat someone up.

Cool Place to Find Prospects No. 2 – Look for Classes & Events on EventBrite.com

This is a directory of events happening all over the place. You can search in your local area and find free classes, networking events and other events of interest. The cool thing about this site is that you can usually see who the organizer is and get detailed info on who should attend and who will be exhibiting. If you’re looking for business contacts or people with similar interests as you, this could be a good way to research new places to find contacts.

Cool Place to Find Prospects No. 3 – Join a Book Club

Book clubs can be a great place to find new friends and build relationships. You can also get to know people on a more than social level as you learn more about their motivations and ideas behind the themes of books. This is a great way for an introverted person to get “out there” and meet new people.

Cool Place to Find Prospects No. 4 – Do Something Good for Your Community

Spending a little time giving back to your community (especially where you work on a team), can give you an opportunity to meet people outside your general social sphere and help you find a new network of motivated, compassionate people.

Cool Place to Find Prospects No. 5 – Join a Social Group

Don’t go with your same group of friends. Put feelers out that you’re looking for a new Bunco group or that you’re looking to meet new people in your age group. This works great for those of you new to a community. You can build relationships and rapport with people of similar interests and have fun doing it.   

Next Steps

I recommend working through Jackie Ulmer’s Meetup Magic for Network Marketers for more tips on how to find these groups and how to use these cool places to find prospects to expand your warm market.

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever met prospects? Tell us in the comments below.

What Ambit Consultants Can Learn About Fear From the Supersonic Skydiver

You’ve probably heard about Felix Baumgartner, the supersonic skydiver who broke the sound barrier by completing a sky dive from 23 miles up in mid-October. What you may not know is that he calls fear “a friend of mine.”

And that’s what Consultants can learn from the supersonic skydiver – how to use fear to their advantage. Let me tell you Felix’s story, and then I’ll share how Consultants can use fear to their advantage in almost any situation.

How a Small Fear Almost Derailed a Life-Long Goal

In a recent article from Wired, “Fearless Felix,” an Austrian who has completed more than 2,500 skydives as a professional skydiver, says:

“Fear has become a friend of mine. It’s what prevents me from stepping too far over the line. On a mission like this, you need to be mentally fit and have total control over what you do, and I’m prepping very thoroughly.”

And prep he did to overcome a very common fear – claustrophobia. Felix wasn’t afraid of the jump, but he was fearful of the suit he needed to wear to survive his 23-mile leap.

In order to help him conquer this fear, Red Bull (the energy drink company sponsoring the jump), brought in a sports performance consultant who specializes in working with athletes who perform “extreme” feats, according to the Wired story.

Where Does the Fear Originate?

Dr. Michael Gervais then evaluated Felix to see if his fear was rooted in the jump or in wearing a pressurized spacesuit for the first time. He found that it wasn’t the jump, but the restrictive movements of the unfamiliar suit that was causing Felix to experience panic attacks.

Sound a little familiar? The fear of the unknown scared him to the point of not achieving his ultimate goal. What Dr. Gervais says next is really important because it applies to 99% of the reason we let fear move us to inaction.

The doctor spent three days helping Felix figure out how to wear the necessary suit. And he found that Felix didn’t “have quite the right tools to manage his mind and emotions in the face of so great a risk.”

In other words, he was projecting the fear onto the suit. Instead of putting his focus on his real goal – “going somewhere no one has ever been before,” he was focused on the fact that he “didn’t have complete control.”

Four Ways Consultants Can Use Fear to Move Forward

Dr. Gervais shared these wise words:

“When we are in a high stakes or intense situation, it’s not uncommon for our minds to jump forward, going to the next moment and worrying about what happens when this moment doesn’t go well. What happens is we give 50 percent to something that doesn’t exist yet and 50 to this moment.”

Here are four simple techniques from Dr. Gervais that Ambit Consultants and skydivers alike can use in any unfamiliar situation:

1. Deep breathing – This step helps to calm nerves and refocus attention.
2. Positive self-talk – Being in control of thoughts and words about the situation (the jump or even a phone call).
3. A detailed plan of action – Felix worked with a retired skydiver who had once attempted the jump himself and a specialized flight team to keep his mind off the 23-mile ascent (which meant he would be in the suit for 3.5 hours up and 20 minutes down).
4. Full commitment to a vision – Felix wanted to jump from a place no one else ever had. You want to have a life like no one’s ever had. That vision can help you use the fear to your advantage instead of letting it cripple you.

So next time you find yourself in that frozen state of inaction, think about this four-step process. It helped a skydiving pro go where no one else has gone before. It can help you go where you have never gone before – forward in your goals, not backward.

Your Turn

Tell us how you overcame a big fear in your business and took the next step in the comments below.

Action Item: Still struggling with fear and communication? Check out our Brilliant Communicator Series and build confidence in your business and yourself. 

Why You May Need to Elect a New Prospecting Approach

Today is Election Day in the United States and one of the questions that’s been asked repeatedly throughout the 2012 campaign season is “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” 

I’m not going to offer any political advice other than it’s important to express your opinion in the form of a vote for the candidate that lines up with your values. In other words, your vote matters.

But that question got me thinking of a new question related to our Ambit Opportunity – “Are you better off since you elected the current prospecting approach(es) you’re currently using?” 

You may ask what I mean by that question. There are numerous ways to promote your business from calling on your warm market to attending networking events to buying leads as well as many others.

But what I’m asking you is simple – Is the prospecting approach giving you what you need – the opportunity to start conversations with people who need your help determining their needs, wants and don’t wants and potentially solving that need or desire with our service or business?

Is your approach working or is it time to elect a new approach? Here are a few tips on how to evaluate your prospecting approach candidates.

Are you comfortable with the prospecting approach?

Similar to the candidates for president, one of the factors to consider is comfort. Does the prospecting approach make you feel at ease?

For instance, do you feel comfortable calling on a person who suggested in an email form that they were interested in a home business opportunity? Or, do you need to change your approach?

Maybe the idea of calling these leads scares you to the point of inaction. You could just need a few warm up calls to make the approach work or some more training on what works when calling a prospect. I recommend a couple of resources in this case – Brilliant Communicator Series and the Effective Phone Messages portion of Hot Prospecting Tips. 

What’s the prospecting tactic’s track record?

Similar to the questions you have asked of your presidential or legislature candidate, what has the prospecting approach done for you? Where’s the track record? If you’ve used an approach for a while, such as a bandit sign with a call to action like “Call Sharon if you want to earn extra income working at home,” and you’re not getting any relevant calls, maybe it’s time to elect a new call to action or rework the sign.

For instance, if you have the call going directly to your phone and your prospect is getting the automated voicemail on your phone, “Please leave your message for 555-777-9311,” you could improve this approach in numerous ways. Here are two:   

• Make the call to action more specific. Something like, “Call 800-777-9311 to hear a recorded message about this opportunity.” This gives your prospect the opportunity to hear more without having to talk to you directly (or get that lovely automated voicemail message). It also allows you to screen prospects and be more productive in your prospecting.
• Offer a free DVD or Magazine if they call you. “Call today to get your free magazine and DVD.” This option gives them incentive to take action.

What are the pros and cons of electing this prospecting approach?

Before you spend money on a prospecting approach, it’s important to consider the costs involved and time required to make it work. Yes, you have to make a prospecting approach work in order to increase your number of conversations with people who want or need our service.

So, I recommend that you outline all the pros and cons of any prospecting approach before you cast your vote of confidence. If the pros outweigh the cons, then you should probably elect the approach for a specific amount of time. Then, it’s time to evaluate what’s working and what’s not working.

This election style process will help you determine where to spend your money and time – every consultant's two most valuable resources.

Action Item: Revisit the Inviting Formula in our Ambit Pro Inviter Series for a tried and true method of communicating with every prospect.

Recap of the Live Call with Jackie Ulmer on Meetup Magic for Networkers

In case you missed the live call Thursday night with Jackie Ulmer on her Meetup Magic for Networkers system, I have a quick recap of what you missed. If you want to listen to the call in its entirety, you can access it here.

What is Meetup?

Meetup is an international website that helps you find people with similar interests in your local area. The way you can use Meetup in your business is to find people of common interest and turn them into warm market prospects in the long-term. 

“I probably get 1-2 recommendations for groups from Meetup each day (via email),” Jackie says. “Just in my region, there are 1,200 meetups. I use this as new way to find contacts.”

Can you go to Meetup just with the intention of making business contacts?

Jackie warns against this multiple times in the call. She says you can have the goal of building relationships with warm market contacts, but you need to be there to meet people first.

“You need to develop rapport,” Jackie says. “Unless they (a fellow meetup group participant) reveal ‘buying signals,” you need to develop the relationship first. However, if it comes up in conversation, you can start asking questions and get contact info.”

Is Meetup a business networking site?

Meetup is a site for groups of all kinds. It’s not only biz-oriented like Chamber, LinkedIn or BNI. There are business meetups, but it’s much more interest-based.

How do you get started finding Meetup groups to get involved with?

Take an inventory of your interests. Meetup will help you connect with groups based on what you tell it you like to do.

For instance, if you like eating good food, look for meetup groups that try different restaurants.

These social groups can naturally open doors for you. Jackie says she went to a small meetup – a Halloween tea last weekend and the question of “What do you do for a living?” naturally came up in conversation.

She recommends having a short statement that invites curiosity for openings in the conversation.

“At this particular meetup, the question came around to me,” Jackie says. “And I said something like, ‘I own an Internet Marketing company and work from home.”

She says that she never said anything about her product, “I put it out there and see what interest comes up.”

Does this method really work?

Jackie answered this simply – “If you’re there to meet people, it’s going to work.” She gave a few tips on dos and don’ts:

• Do create curiosity. Say a little bit about yourself and stop.
• Do give a little info if people ask about what you do.
• Don’t throw up on people. It’s the worst thing you can do. Don’t give them too much info.
• Do develop your networking skills. This is a big part of any in-person networking.

What MeetUp groups should we look for?

Look for groups that you enjoy. If you’re selling a product, see if you can find groups that match up, but it doesn’t have to be an exact match.

A couple of examples:

• If you sell a weight loss product, look for weight loss groups, fitness groups, etc.
• If you sell a skincare product, look for beauty, fashion groups, etc.
• Don’t eliminate social groups – Bunco, Sunday brunch, women over 40, etc.

Remember this; eight out of 10 people are looking for a plan B. People will give you clues. 

Do I have to leave the house?

Yes, you are going to have leave the house to make this an effective part of your business. Jackie says we’re in a relationship business. “Meetup is a site where people meet face to face. It’s designed to bring people together.”

What’s the time payoff?

A lot of it depends on you and the people you meet. It varies because you are building relationships.

Something to remember is that you still have to develop warm market skills and avoid the salesperson’s persona. Keep the mindset of meeting new people and making friends.

Once you find a group, are there criteria you should look for to prequalify people in the group?

I personally like the smaller groups because you can make better connections. It helps you remember them and it helps them remember you.

You can also interact with people who are in the group on the forum and on the RSVP list. You can make a comment before; get a few details on the people coming to the meetups through their Meetup profiles, etc.

You’re not walking in blind. One of the benefits of this strategy is that you know who to interact with at the meetups.

Your goal with going to these meetups is to make yourself unforgettable. The way you do that is to be interested in the other person.

“When you can engage people, you become unforgettable,” Jackie says.

How does this differ from fitness clubs, networking groups, etc.?

Jackie answered this with a simple question – How many times have you driven up and been scared to walk in? Meetup helps you to put names with faces and know who you want to interact with ahead of time.

If you’re not on Twitter, Facebook or don’t have a website, can this work for you?

You can learn this skill tonight and go out and use it tomorrow. You don’t need to have advanced social networking skills to make Meetup work for you.

You simply need to find a group, join it, RSVP for an event, research people and show up.

Should I start my own Meetup group?

Starting a Meetup is a big time commitment because you’re the organizer and responsible for promoting it. It’s an option if there are not a lot of groups in your immediate area, but there is a time commitment.

What about people in rural areas?

Expand the search to be more than 5 or 15 miles outside your zip code to see if more groups appear. If you’re in an area without many Meetups, it may be a good idea to start something up. You’ll build a lot of credibility by being the organizer.

Next Steps

I hope this Q & A helps you understand more about how Meetup can help you expand your warm market contacts. But as Rachel Embry (my Mentor's marketing director) said on the call, it helps to have a system for making this work.

Jackie Ulmer’s Meetup Magic for Networkers is designed to do just that – give you step-by-step instructions on expanding your warm market. Get FREE access to the complete system until 11:59 Central on Friday, January  25^th, which a day before our Ambit Simulcast. Simply attend our webinar in it's entirety and at the end a special link to the complete system will appear. There you learn the whole system.