Big Tom - First Sentences For Network Marketing: How to Quickly Get Prospects on Your Side

New distributors have two problems.

They dont know what to do.

They do the wrong things.

These are serious problems.

I conduct trainings throughout the world. During the first hourof my Super Sponsoring Workshops, I ask the attendees a simple question:

What is the first sentence out of your mouth when youmake a business presentation to a prospect?

The silence is uncomfortable.

The attendees avoid eye contact.

The attendees pretend to look at their notes.

The whole room squirms in agony, hoping that someone, anyone,will answer that question. If I didnt say anything, nothing more would happenfor the rest of the day!

Finally I give the attendees some relief. I explain that weonly have one chance to make a good first impression. If our firstimpression is great, we can make mistakes for the rest of our presentation andour prospect will still like us ... and still want to join.

If our first impression causes our prospect to put up hisdefenses, mentally guard his wallet, and evaluate every future statement from anegative, skeptical mindset, then we are in big trouble. We could give the bestpresentation, complete with a laser light show, and the prospect stillwouldnt join.

Thats how important our first sentence is in our presentation.Its almost everything.

This holds true for any presentation:

* an opportunity meeting,

* a prospecting telephone call,

* or a business presentation across the kitchen table.

Your first sentence will determine the mood and cooperation ofyour prospect.

A bad first sentence will cause your prospect to foldhis arms, put up his defenses, guard his wallet, and listen with a skepticalattitude.

A great first sentence will make your prospect a partner.Your prospect will forgive the fact that you cant remember the name of yourcompany, that you get confused on the product ingredients, and that you donthave a clue how the compensation plan works.

Your prospect makes decisions in the first few seconds suchas:

* Should I trust this person?

* Should I believe what this person says?

* Do I like this person?

* Is this person trying to take advantage of me?

* Do I want to do business with this person?

This is why we must develop a great first sentence. Mosttrainings concentrate on how to present the products or compensation plan.Hours and hours are spent memorizing and practicing presentation and closingtechniques.

That is wasted effort!

If the opening sentence is great, you can mangle the rest ofyour presentation and prospects will still beg you to let them join. Or, at thevery least, prospects will give you a fair hearing.

Think of it this way:

I would rather have my distributors give lousy presentationsto prospects who love them, than give great presentations to prospects who hatethem.

So, back to the Super Sponsoring Workshop and theuncomfortable attendees. I have asked the attendees to tell me the firstsentence out of their mouth when they give a presentation.

And then the excuses begin.

The attendees say:

* Oh, I just kind of think something up, whateverfeels good at the moment.

* I always start with the second sentence. I neveruse a first sentence.

* Im confused. Do you mean the first sentence at anopportunity meeting? Or do you mean the first sentence at an in-homepresentation?

* I just wing it.

* It depends on the prospect, the weather, or how Ifeel.

* I concentrate on a multimedia presentation of thecompensation plan. I never worry about how the prospect feels.

Right. Sure.

Want to know what the attendees are really saying? Theyare saying:

I dont know what to say.

Their sponsors never taught them the importance andstrategy of a good first sentence. They were never taught effective first wordsto say to start a successful business presentation. That is sad.

When your distributors:

1. Dont know what to do,

2. Dont know exactly what to say,

3. And dont know how to start a successfulpresentation,

Guess what?