One of the most important things that you can begin doing right now is planting the seeds for future growth. Growing your network, or recruiting, is a never-ending process. Every time you communicate with someone, especially those who are a part of your network, you have an opportunity to plant a seed. As a network marketer, you are the gardener of your business. When you plant a seed, you are establishing yourself at the top of their minds. You will continue to water that seed through consistent communication. That way, when someone mentions a need that you or your business can fill, they think of you and mention your name. Essentially they are doing the recruiting for you. Ideally, they will introduce them to you so that you can add them to your network and serve them as well. Introductions are the result of planting seeds. They are the seeds that flower. So how do you get to that point?

Why recruiting and growth are important, even if you don’t want a huge network

Recruiting is important even if you wish your network to stay about the same size. Many network marketers don’t want to lead a huge network. They’d rather keep it small. Because of this, many network marketers don’t focus on recruiting or planting seeds for future business. They may think that because they want to keep their businesses small, they don’t have to recruit. This is a big mistake! Even if you want your network to stay roughly the same size, it is important to continue to recruit and plant the seeds for introductions. Why? To maintain the size of your network. After all, people will come and go out of your network. They may no longer seek your services, they may move away, or you may lose touch. To keep your network the same size you have to add people to it. You may not need to add as many people as those who wish to grow their networks, but it’s still important to add people to maintain its size.

If you want to grow your network, you know how vital it is to recruit people to it. If you use Teamzy, then you have a rough idea of how many people to add to your network to meet your growth and recruitment goals. A main focus of your business may be to plant those seeds For business and future introductions in your biggest advocates. Your biggest advocates are the people who are probably mentioning you to their family and friends and singing your praises. However, they may need to be told and shown how to introduce you to these folks. It’s important to tap into that resource and also plant the seeds for growth in people in your network who may not be advocates.

How to plant the seeds for growth in 2024

Recruiting is easy when you follow these simple tips.

Focus on a need

You offer something you need to your network. What is it? What separates you from other people in your vertical? Chances are, what sets your part is your heart to serve. People know that they can rely on you and they like working with you. One of the ways to make sure they still enjoy working with you is to listen for a need. Every time you connect with someone in your network you have the opportunity to listen for a need that only you can fill. 

Sometimes they will mention a need directly. They may mention that they want to get fit by summer. If you’re in the health and wellness industry, this is your opportunity to tell them more about what you offer in your business. Or if you’re not, this is an opportunity to mention someone in that industry, who you trust, who you can introduce them to. By making this introduction, you are not only showing them how to introduce someone but you are also showing that you can be of service to them even if it doesn’t directly affect your business.

Other times they may not directly mention a need. This is when you have to listen for other clues. How do they sound? Do they sound stressed out? If you know them well you may even know how you can help. 

If you’re still stuck or you want to deepen your relationship with them, ask a FORM question. F.O.R.M. stands for Family. Occupation. Recreation. Motivation. Ask about their families, their work, or their hobbies. Then listen to their responses. They might give you some big clues. For example, if the recruit mentions that money is tight or they’re looking for a new job, this may be your chance to talk to them about the opportunity that you can provide. The key is to listen to their responses for what they’re saying, or not saying.

Ask without sounding pushy

Sounding pushy is the fear of most network marketers. You don’t want to sound like a pushy salesperson and alienate your friends and family and other people that you care about. In fact, you might like relationship marketing because there is less stress on forcing a sale. The people in your network, especially your biggest advocates, want to hear you talk about your business. They also want to see you succeed. Everyone who is in business talks about their business at some point in conversations. After asking how you are it’s natural to ask what you’re up to. This is your cue to talk about your business. And network marketers who are direct will pick up on this cue and talk about their business.

However, most network marketers may feel uncomfortable talking about their business. They may find it especially nerve-racking to try to recruit new people to their networks. This is especially true of new network marketers. You may not be used to discussing their businesses and recruiting new people. You may feel awkward or nervous bringing it up. Or, if you’ve been a network marketer for a long time and have been on the pushier side of sales, you worry about burning bridges. Whatever your reason, if you’re not used to talking about your business, it’s hard to feel natural bringing up in conversation.

Starting the conversation about your business takes practice, especially if you want to sound natural. Luckily, Teamzy has scripts to follow to get you started. The more you practice these scripts, the more natural you’ll sound and the more comfortable you’ll feel. Practice in front of the mirror, in the car while you’re running errands, or even while you’re brushing your teeth in the morning. Once you’re comfortable with them you can adapt them to your needs. If you want more practice talking about your business, sign up for Business Bootcamp where you will get the tips and skills you need to talk about your business and recruit new members to your network.

How to reach new prospects

Everyone you meet has the potential to become part of your network. However, Asking for introductions from your top advocates makes the most sense. These folks are already familiar with you and your business and have heard someone they trust sing your praises. That makes them more likely to want to work with you than someone who just has a passing familiarity. 

Since someone they trust trusts you they’re more likely to also trust you. This removes the biggest hurdle that many network marketers have when recruiting. It can be difficult to build trust, especially in the beginning when you are unfamiliar with the other. It takes time, consistency, and energy to build trust with someone. By asking for introductions from your biggest advocates you are fast-forwarding through this step. Of course, it’s important to reach out to them and build a relationship consistently; however, the hardest work is done.

Once the introduction has been made and you’ve reached out With your opportunity, Continue to follow up with them until they make a decision. There are two things to keep in mind. One is that it takes between 7 and 10 follow-ups before someone makes a decision so don’t rush it. Continue to reach out and build trust consistently. Two, your prospects need time to make that decision. When you initially talk to them about the opportunity you can gauge their interest. If they seem eager and excited, then you may want to follow up with them right away and get them on board. Most people will need some time to make a decision so continue to follow up with them and plant a seed each time. Even if you’re unable to recruit them at this time, remind them that you’re always there to help others who may be interested in joining your team. You may find that they don’t want to join your team alone. They would rather do it with others. When you extend your opportunity to others, they may be encouraged to join.

Let Teamzy help you recruit and grow your network

Teamzy has the tools to help you grow your network this year. Whether you’re new to recruiting new members or you’ve done it before, Temazy makes it easier and more fun. Click here to learn more.