The foolproof way to enroll any new Distributor.
Leapfrogging is a form of presentation whereby your enrollment candidate is motivated to join your opportunity, not based on what they know about your program or their belief in themselves, but rather based on who they know by occupation. It is based on the author's belief that most people who choose not to join you do so for two basic reasons:
- Based on what you told them and on their own self-esteem (or lack thereof), they do not believe they can be successful.
- They do not believe that what they could earn would be worth the time and effort they would need to put forth. In other words, they "hear" $1,000 a month and they interpret it will take all of their spare time, which they decide is not worth it.
If as a prospect, I tell you, "I do not believe I can do this!" and that is my truth, then no amount of you telling me, "Yes you can!" will persuade me otherwise. You, as the salesperson, do not have the ammunition of conviction to overcome my 40 years of repeating this mantra to myself.
The same is true for those who decide the amount of money available is not worth the time they think they will need to spend. Who are you and I as the enroller to argue with that very personal and credible decision? Sure we can argue, but where does it lead us? Nowhere.
It's Who You Know
Leapfrogging was designed to circumvent the above issues by never asking (or even allowing the candidate to assume that you are asking them) whether they think they can be successful, or whether it might be worth their time. Leapfrogging takes the presentation into a realm where the candidate does not have deep, personal convictions with which to argue.
Leapfrogging "leaps over" the candidate by asking them:
"Who do you know that is a __________?"
Notice it is not the typical referral question of:
"Who do you know that might be interested?"
The question is: "Who do you know that is a _____________?" And you fill in the blank with an occupation that you know has been, can be, and will be successful in your business model. What is the occupation (or former occupation) of the number one distributor in your company? You could fill in the blank with that occupation.
Everyone knows a couple of teachers, coaches, ministers, dentists, chiropractors, housewives, small business owners, firemen, policemen, etc. Use occupations for which you can tell success stories. Use occupations for which you can logically explain and sell why that particular occupation does well in your company. Use common occupations that you know your candidate will have in their network of contacts.
For example, perhaps you sell pet products. You could ask:
"Who do you know that is a Veterinarian?"
"Who do you know that is a groomer?"
"Who do you know that is a total pet lover?"
Perhaps you sell vanity products. You could ask: "Who do you know that is a hairstylist or dermatologist, or sells high-end clothes?" Everyone can tell you about people they know in these categories.
You will want to match the occupations you ask about both with your product line and with successful Distributors in your company so you can tell their success stories. Once you are clear on the occupations you will use, you will want to learn the stories of everyone in your company within those occupations that has had some success. Memorize these stories. You will also want to map out on paper and memorize how your particular product line is such a natural fit for a particular occupation.
Let's say you sell nutritional supplements and you want to use chiropractors as your occupation. You will want to learn all the success stories of DCs in your business and map out a business plan for how and why they should be successful.
For example: The average DC sees 10 patients a day, 5 days a week. That equals 50 people a week. If just 10 percent of them order your starter antioxidant pack, that is $250 is sales per week times 4.3 weeks a month equals $1,075 a month in sales. Memorize that little business plan as part of your Leapfrogging approach.
When & How
There are many places in the conversation to start Leapfrogging a candidate. You can use this method in your initial interest-building conversations by asking anyone: "Hey, who do you know that is a DC?" Let them tell you who they know by name. You can tell them that you are involved in a business in which DCs are doing very well and you are looking for others to expand with. You can tell them that your company might even pay them a referral percentage if the DCs they recommend are selected.
Most often leapfrogging is used in the actual presentation towards the end, instead of any kind of close on the candidate.
Here is a sample script presented in a role-play model:
"So Mary, now that you've seen the products and the opportunity, I would like to ask you who you know that is a hair stylist."
"Well, I know Janine."
"Great. Where does she have her salon?"
"Downtown."
"Perfect. How long has she had it?"
"10 years."
"Excellent. And does she have other stylists working with her?"
"Yes, I think about 4 others."
"That is really good. Let me tell you why I ask that, Mary. One of the most successful leaders in our company used to be a stylist. Julie used her salon as a platform to launch her business. Now she earns tens of thousands a month. And guess what? Her sponsor earns a bundle as well.
"And Mary, a stylist is in a perfect position to build a business with us. They see 8 to 10 people every day, and for 30 to 60 minutes those people are a captive audience. So what Julie did was just display a couple of the products right in front of the client on the shelf so they could look at them throughout their session. They would eventually ask her, 'What's that?' And she just told them what the products did for her. Guess what, Mary? Most of them bought.
"Let's look at the math. If even half of the eight clients Julie saw a day purchased a $20 package of products, that's $80 a day, times six days a week equals $480 a week. Multiply that times 4.3 weeks a month and she sold over $2,000 a month in product. Julie earned an extra $800 a month in retail profit without styling any more hair.
"Now, you said Janine had 4 other stylists with her?"
"Yes."
"So, she could do even more that Julie did. Let's just say the Janine did half what Julie did and she created $1,000 a month in business. Do you know any other stylists?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Larry."
"Where does he have his salon?"
"He works out of his home."
"How long has he been doing styling hair out of his home?"
"Just for a couple of years, but he has a large clientele."
"Great. So perhaps Larry could also do $1,000 a month in sales and earn himself an extra $400 a month. But let me show you something even more powerful than that, Mary. How many other stylists, both here in town and all across the nation, do you think Janine and Larry know?"
"I'm not sure."
"Just guess."
"I don't know...maybe 10 to 20."
"Great. Let's say Janine and Larry decide to try this and they introduce us to 15 other stylists each. And let's say half of them get involved. Why wouldn't they, for an extra two days pay for no additional work? So that is 7 new distributors each under Janine and Larry. Let's say each of them only do $500 a month in sales. That's $2,000 from Janine, $1,000 from Larry, and $7,000 from the 14 others for a total of $10,000 in total sales. Do you see how that adds up?"
"Yes."
"Great. Now comes the good part for you, Mary. Our company will pay YOU over $1,000 a month just for helping me introduce Janine and Larry. I can't guarantee they will do it, but if not them, then someone else you know. Do you have any use for an extra $1,000 a month right now?"
"Yes, of course."
"Good, then let's get started. How soon can you introduce me to Janine and Larry?"
"Anytime."
"Perfect. Let's do it this week. First, we need to get you registered to earn your royalty. I will present the opportunity to them and all I need you to do it get us an appointment and be an enthusiastic new distributor yourself. So let's get you enrolled and started on the products yourself. Which of these packages will work for you to start?"
Every company has a different way to enroll, so adapt the finish to how you get people started with their package. If your candidate balks at enrolling, just explain to them that you cannot effectively convince their prospects to enroll unless they are an enthusiastic product user and distributor themselves.
Rarely will a candidate NOT flow with this enrollment presentation.
Leapfrogging works because you never ask the candidate if THEY THINK they can do it, or if it is worth their time, or if they even want to do it. The issue never comes up. What does come up is a crystal-clear vision of someone else doing it, and doing it successfully.
Your very clear plan is not something the candidate can argue with. It has nothing to do with their belief systems or self-esteem or personal preferences. It has everything to do with someone else, and you are the expert at whether that someone else will do well. They do not have any convictions to argue with you, and you have a well thought out arsenal of examples of success.
You can continue to add occupations and additional people, and even additional levels (3rd Level: And how many stylists do you think each of them know?), until you have an overwhelming picture of what your candidate will be leaving on the table if they pass.
Here are a few key points:
- Memorize your success stories.
- Design and memorize your mini business plans.
- Ask for specific occupations.
- Ask for details about who they know: Where do they work; how long have they done it, etc.
- Be enthusiastic about their responses to your questions.
- Draw it out on paper for them. If they are on the phone, direct them to draw it out. It is critical that they SEE the organization they will be letting go by if they choose not to get involved.
- Show them specific income for them.
- Assure them you will do the presentations.
- Do not guarantee success.
- Let them know their role is to get the appointment and be enthusiastic about the product themselves.
