As a home business owner, which number one skill should be on your list of mastering?
This may surprise some of you, it’s People skills!
So, why, you ask? Well, let me first start by exposing myself here — For the last year I’ve been working exclusively with the top network marketers in the industry – humble millionaires to put it lightly. Why? Because I seriously needed some help with my people skills. I honestly thought I had good people skills, despite my mediocre results in network marketing. But, what I’ve learned is there are basics to network marketing. (I kind of knew this, but forgot over the years and I’m sure it’s not a surprise to you.)
So, I had to get back to my roots and uncover why I was having a problem and solve it (I solved it using a L.I.F.E. Model I created. I will share that with you some other day or if you’re a team member of ours, you’ll be seeing it soon.)
After I got to the root of the problem, I needed to develop the necessary people skills. Now, if you think you are going to jump right into acquiring your people skills of prospecting, but you still got some issues, then you’re mistakenly wrong. You must work on yourself first before you pick up any skills.
Alright — as I was being trained, I learned what it really took to pull in good quality people into our team. Simply put, people who wanted to make a difference for their life. I immediately went to work, applying my newly acquired skill and I was getting some amazing results (compared to what I was getting).
Have you ever learned something new but didn’t apply it? Yeah me too, but this time around I had a strong desire to succeed, so this never even entered my mind. I had a mission and there was no stopping me. Wouldn’t you like to have that fire?
What People Skills for Prospecting is all About?
Here is just one of the simple but very effective people skills I’ve been applying and it’s working beautifully. Have you ever talked to a prospect and felt like it wasn’t going anywhere? Yeah, right? Well, the problem may not be the prospect.
Shocking, I know. It’s actually you!
In order for your prospect to open up to you and feel comfortable, they must sincerely trust you. I’m not talking about trickery here either, I mean seriously trust you.
So how you get them to trust you is you ask postured and genuinely curious question. Here’s is an example – your prospect tells you they are from Southern California and you just so happen to know something about Southern Cal.
Instead of saying, “Oh, great” you will ask the genuinely curious question like, “Really, I use to live in Southern Cal down by blah, blah, blah. Have you ever been there before?” They answer with, “Yeah, I used to go there all the time.” You reply with, “That is so cool, I used to do _____ there. How about you?” The prospect will answer with something, but what’s important is they will begin to open up because you really wanted to learn about them and get to know them.
Are you noticing what is going on here? I mean seriously, do you? This is EXTREMELY powerful stuff and want to know something, it’s really simple to do. In fact, it’s so simple that people don’t even do it. And it’s really a shame because they are missing out here. If you want to build a stellar team that produces wild duplicated results, then people skills for prospecting is a MUST.
If you want to find out more ways to polish up your people skills and join us, then you can visit the “Partner With Me“ page. I can’t guarantee you’ll make it onto our team, but you won’t know unless you do something about it.
This people skills for prospecting technique is so important that it has allowed me to once in for all, exit Corp America forever. Not that C.A. was a bad place to be, as it did serve me well, but it was time for a change. Heck, now I was actually able to do it.
So, tell us what you think? Is developing people skills for prospecting something you can see yourself doing? I hope so.
Jerome Ratliff
P.S. If you’re new here, and/or you liked this post, would you mind sharing your take on it, or at least click the Facebook “Like”, Twitter, StumbeUpon or Digg buttons? It would be great if you did, plus people may even recognize you and click over to your site. Hint! Hint! 
If you want even more business building tips to FUEL your home business, simply fill in your contact information below. See you on the inside.
*We promise to NEVER, EVER share your contact information. We hate spam!
Photo courtesy of http://effective-communicating.com
Hi Jerome,
I like your ‘talking style’ blogging. Writing like you’re talking is something I also do and like so much.
I agree that the most important skill anyone can learn is the ‘people skill’ which entails human psychology and management. People that are skilled in this skill rule the world!
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the compliment. Having great people skills can serve your life, business or relationships. In fact, I like what you said about the “rule the world” piece because those are succeeding in life often do have good people skills.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jerome Ratliff
Hey Jerome,
Have people skills is very very important in this industry. It is the foundation to build a great career in network marketing whether you’re online or offline. Thanks for sharing!
Sherman
Sherman Smith´s last [type] ..Great Popular Online Marketing Tools You Can Use
hey Sherman,
I love that, “very very important” reference, and it’s so true. It’s the foundation to having a successful life. It is definitely a no-brainer to master having good people skills.
Talk to you later,
Jerome Ratliff
Hi Jerome,
Man, I think we’ve all been there. Both with questionable people skills earlier in our walks and also learned something new but didn’t apply it.
It’s challenging but we really shouldn’t move onto new strategies or products until we’ve applied the lessons from the products/courses we’ve purchased. You have to give it a shot for a reasonable amount of time to even test it for yourself.
Jerome you illustrated the conversation well there. The more we can elicit replies and engage response the more valuable the meeting. People love to talk about themselves so just ask questions that allow them to do so! Then LISTEN.
Thanks for the read…
Jon
Jon´s last [type] ..3 Epic Revelations about Online Community
Hi Jon,
Thanks buddy for your comment. This is one of the challenges we know people are faced with and if they can overcome them in order to get a successful result, then why not.
Mastering this skill before moving on to the next skill is one I TOTALLY agree with.
Have an awesome day,
Jerome Ratliff
Hi Jerome,
This is a critical skills all network marketing pros master.
They are comfortable with themselves, so prospects are comfortable with them. People skills 101, but it’s difficult for even some veterans to lighten up and have a casual conversation with someone interested in their opportunity. With practice it becomes easier to relieve this tension and just be…you!
Thanks for sharing
RB
Ryan Biddulph´s last [type] ..Are You Laying Out Bread Crumbs with Your Network Marketing Campaign
Hi Ryan,
I wish more people can learn about the benefits of having good people skills. In fact, I had to learn the hard way. That seemed to work for me, but I imagine it won’t work for everyone.
I would have rather been just told.
Practice does make perfect, I suppose.
Jerome Ratliff
Hi Jerome,
People skills are definitely the most important tool in a network marketers toolbox. Just listening to people and showing interest in their lives will dramatically increase the number of prospects that you turn into business partners. And isn’t that our ultimate goal.
Thanks for sharing Jerome and have a great day!
Ian Belanger´s last [type] ..On Page SEO Basics A Simple Guide For Beginners On How To SEO A New Post
Hi Ian,
Showing genuine interest in the other person is just good practice. It’s the best way to learn about them and build a good relationship – even if it has nothing to do with your business.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jerome Ratliff
Hi Jerome,
Your post brings me back to the days when I was an interior designer. My initial goal with my clients was to find a connection. Working with them to create a vision for a room in their home meant $10′s of thousands of dollars, and the trust HAD to be there if I ever stood a chance to earn their business.
So, find a connection was my first mission. Did our kids have something in common, did we have similar friends, do we hang out at the same places, did our husbands both graduate from the same college, etc.
What a fantastic tip to blog about! Great job and nice to see you!
Heather
Heather C Stephens @ Business Blog Marketing Forum´s last [type] ..Join the Clever Marketer Mastermind Community- Blog Commenting Tribe!
I never knew that about you Heather. Interior designer ey?
You know, I’m actually glad you shared that because it just shows others how important and applicable having good people skills are.
It’s a MUST have skill.
Have a splendid and joyous Wed.
Jerome Ratliff
I feel that it is very important to develop your people skills and speak to others as humans not as ‘leads’.
I am not keen on those who are “salesy’ or don’t let you talk either.
Its also very helpful as a personal looking for the perfect partner to totally remove any attachment on whether they join you or not.
Once I learned to ‘not care’ whether they joined me and focus on the fact I would rather have them join me because they really wanted to, talking to strangers took on a whole new feel.
Have a great weekend. I enjoyed your post too btw. I did leave two comments a few days ago but your site was doing some naughty things. this is the third kick at the can for me! (Just so you know!)
Jayne
Jayne´s last [type] ..Are You Content With Life
Hi Jayne,
Thanks for stopping by…
You’re so right, it is very important we speak to our prospects and treat them as humans. Better yet, treat them like how we would like to be treated.
Have a great day,
Jerome Ratliff
P.S. I loved the “salesy” word you chose.
GREAT POST!! I’ve spent a lot of time trying to look and sound ‘professional’ and have only recently realized that being ME is so much more important.
If people can’t connect with you on a personal level they move on, and we often for don’t realize this until we’ve been working away for months.
Thanks for sharing!
Tammy Matthews´s last [type] ..Overcome The Fear of Failure
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for your kind words. You’re right, when you’re just yourself there is such a better flow than being something your not.
Have a great day,
Jerome Ratliff