The First 90 Days, Part 1 (the 30-days Before Their First Day)

What to do with your new recruit, and how do you get them started off right? This is a question that has plagued many MLMers through the ages. I don’t know if I have all the right answers, but I do know what works for me.

First the bad news: Anywhere from 80% to 90% of all your recruits will not be active after the first year or two. This is just a fact of life, and you shouldn’t take it personal when “Aunt Betty” doesn’t produce one iota of new business after you recruit her. I’m not sure if it’s the “hype” of being able to make money without doing anything (“My sponsor/you will put new people under me, and I’ll be making money hand-over-fist!”),  or if they never get past the first few “No’s” they experience when they approach people about the business…no one likes rejection. When they don’t make the million dollars after the first month, they get discouraged and stop working the business.

If you notice, most of these reasons are our fault…yes, I said OUR fault. Where did they get the idea that they would make fast money? Where did they get the idea that the business involves no work? Where did they get the idea that the products sell themselves? That to be successful requires no selling, just sharing?

This industry has enough working against it then for us to be involved in these really ‘scammy’ type of concepts that we push through our own words and/or our company’s media/literature. Honesty is always the best policy, and in my opinion, helps us to keep more of our recruits than if we just do the old “throw them against the wall and see if they stick” mentality we have.

The first 90-Days of one of my new recruits starts about a month before they have even signed the papers (so I guess this article should be called “The First 120-Days”). On average, it takes an individual about 30-days to make the final decision to join an MLM company. Every now and then you can find a person who’s ready to sign on the spot after seeing an exciting Biz Op meeting/speaker, but I find those folks sign the papers and you never hear from them again.

Some of the studies I’ve seen have supported this observation of mine that it takes about three-to-four weeks for a person to sign up. Since I approach my job as an adviser, I try to help them make the decision that is right for them. One of the things I’ll do about the second or third week of their decision making process is refer them to “The Hidden Secret of Think and Grow Rich“. I tell them to get the eBook, and take the next week to read “Think and Grow Rich”, and then take two-hours on the following Sunday to go through the workbook.  Every leader in this industry always refers their people to read “Think and Grow Rich”, but no one (except me, maybe?) helps their people figure out what the secret is and how to use it.

One good thing about this process: If they read the eBooks that come with “The Hidden Secret of Think and Grow Rich“, and work through the exercises…then I know I have a potentially great recruit on my hands. They’re teachable, and willing to learn new things. I will still recruit someone, even if they don’t buy the books, but at least I know with who to spend quality time with.

Hopefully, if I timed things right…the potential recruit will be finishing up the workbook about the time they sign the paperwork. If they finish the books (whether they’ve made the decision to come on board or not), I then refer them to the “Simple*ology 101 Course“…one of the best programs I’ve found to point someone in the direction of setting goals (I make this their first personal development course in their new self-development regimen). The beautiful thing about this course is that it’s FREE! It’s 40-days long, but at the end of it, you (and your recruits) should be very aware of the power of the secret in “Think & Grow Rich” (though Mark Joyner, the author, doesn’t mention the book once during the course). This is another one of those “I CAN’T RECOMMEND THIS COURSE HIGHLY ENOUGH” things <chuckle>.

If you haven’t yet gotten your copy of “The Hidden Secret in Think & Grow Rich” or you haven’t signed up for the “Simple*ology 101 Course“…Don’t hesitate,  DO IT NOW! You’ll be glad you did.

==== End of Part 1 of the First 90-Days ====