When it comes to prospecting the first steps of exposing a new prospect to your business, you must have your personal story nailed down.
If you don’t, you just might have missed a big opportunity with a prospect.
This is one of the BIGGEST areas that I see entrepreneurs going wrong.
Especially in those initial interactions with prospects! They wind up going on. . . and on. . . and on!
I have seen entrepreneurs spend five, ten or even fifteen minutes just talking about themselves!
The prospects eyes are glazing over. They’re SO bored! They begin saying to themselves, “There’s NO way I want to do this to other people!”
Yes, your personal story, when talking with a prospect is VERY important.
However, there is a very important principle that we MUST remember:
Your prospect, at the end of the day, DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. They care about what YOU can do for THEM!
So, when we talk about sharing our story, we have to keep that in mind.
We need to learn how to share our story from the perspective of the prospect.
There are two very important things that your story will do if you do it effectively.
These two things are critical if you want someone to buy your products or services or join you in your business.
First, your story helps you to relate to the prospect. You connect with people through your story, your problems, and your triumphs!
It helps the prospect see themselves in you. Your story tells them about a problem you faced and how your products or business was the solution to that problem.
And just maybe THEY have the exact same problem!
If you can get the prospect to relate to you or feel like they are like you in some way, it’s going to open the door for you to share your message and make them more receptive. It connects them to you on an emotional level!
Second, it helps you create curiosity as to what you do.
You’re not giving them all the details! So, they think to themselves, “Hmmmm….I have a similar issue as her. I wonder exactly how it is she accomplished this.”
Your prospect, at the end of the day, DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. They care about what YOU can do for THEM!
How Long Should My Personal Story Be?
Your story should be told in no longer than 60-90 seconds. For real! 60-90 seconds!
There are people who, when you ask them six different times about their story, you get six different versions. This should NOT be the case.
You need to know your own story so well that you become known for it. Just like you can sing your favorite song, you can tell your story in a heartbeat, anytime and anywhere.
My Simple 4-Step Process
I have a simple 4-Step Framework for effectively sharing your personal story with prospects for your business that I want to share with you.
If you cannot tell your story in less than 90 seconds following this framework, that tells me you haven’t prepared enough.
You haven’t put enough emphasis on the importance of nailing this. This is going to take practice….and editing too!
Step One: What is your background?
Tell people what your background is. What do/did you do for a living? If you’ve been in network marketing for a long time, you want to talk about what you did before you started your business.
So many people forget this part, but here’s why it’s so important. It makes you more relatable. If I say, “I started as a teacher”, and there’s a teacher watching one of my videos, they are going to immediately relate to me.
Step Two: What didn’t or don’t you like about your job/career?
We have to acknowledge that every person we know is lacking in one of four areas: Time, Security, Money, or Health.
When you sit down to think about what you didn’t or currently don’t like, touch on one of those four buckets.
Ex: “I worked harder and harder each year for less money. And then there was a lot of change, merging companies, and coworkers getting laid off. I felt no security about my long term future there and I wasn’t excited anymore.”
Ask yourself, what are the issues for you personally? Do not make something up if it’s not true but know that the more of those buckets you can touch on the better.
Step Three: How did my opportunity solve or address those problems?
The transition point is “I was lucky enough to find an opportunity that allowed me to address these issues and finally get paid what I was worth/build a residual income. I’m excited once again about my work. I have time freedom to take care of my family as I’ve always wanted to. And I also now have the time and financial resources to volunteer and donate to causes I’m really passionate about in life.”
You want to do this step without mentioning products or services.
Step Four: What are your results and/or what are you excited for in the future?
If you’ve been involved in your business and you have documented results, share them.
Ex: “I’ve transformed my health with my product and was able to build a business at the same time.”
If you’re brand new, talk about the possibilities ahead. And be excited and passionate! Prospects will fall in love with your excitement!
You can say, “I’m in a position now to create this for myself and my family, and it’s the first time in a long time that I’m truly excited about what I’m doing!”
That’s your story.
I recommend you sit down and write this out…and practice, practice, practice!
Once you have it perfected, you can use this anywhere. Whether you are at a networking event or prospecting, this is a tool that you can use anywhere!
It’s going to be way longer than it needs to be in the beginning. Just keep asking yourself,
“Does this particular detail matter?”
I’m not saying you won’t elaborate more during the process at some point, but it does not belong in the beginning of the prospecting process!
Writing a short, yet very impactful ‘Why’ is a common area that so many network marketers need help with. So, make sure and share this article with your team!
