I am sure there are people that have a natural gift for this avenue of meeting new people. I do not happen to be one of them. For that very reason, I do not build my business or my clientelle on warm chatting. If I am uncomfortable, there is no sense in coming across "fake". When I was a consultant and my director thought it would be fun to go warm chat, I said see you later alligator. No way, no how.
I use bridal fairs, health fairs, business expos, craft fairs, fashion shows, county fairs, etc... where I can setup a display and have people register for a product trial with the grand prize of a product trial & a gift certificate for products. On my registration form, I have the question -Have you ever tried MK? Y or N, Do you have a consultant? Y or N , if you didn't win the gift certificate, would you still be interested in trying Mary Kay products? y or n? - Guess what, using this technique, I know which people are interested in trying MK, often I only call the ones that say they are interested in trying the products, if someone isn't sure instead of spending alot of time, I select the more promising leads to personally contact and send the not so promising ones a nice "thank you for stopping" letter with an invite to attend a show or schedule appointment with me and leave the ball in their court. No, not everyone will call, the majority of them won't but.... the ones that are actually interested will. Using this approach has saved many of my unit members the horrible feeling one gets from getting all no's! And guess what, when you have so many leads you don't know what to do with them all, you don't mind being able to sort them like that.
I have to admit, I usually have very little trouble booking but I really think that it is because I have an attitude of "if you aren't interested, no big deal-" your loss. I am not hungry, I don't beg, personally, I feel it is their loss- I don't over sell, I am sincere and honest. I know these products and am great with color, application, and techniques, if they don't want to spend time with me - so what. Often I find because I dismiss people so easily, it leaves many wondering and coming back in the future and asking me to make time for them.
I have had people ask me why I haven't ever offered them the chance to try MK, is there something wrong with them, etc.. I apologize and say, no, I am sorry, I just don't ever want someone in a place I frequent to feel obligated to try or purchase Mk from me so I tend to be over cautious, never realizing that for some people that can be just as insulting as been warm chatted, oh well, it is still fun when they ask you.
Contrary to anti MK sites, MK doesn't consume me, if I am out shopping, I shop, I don't scan every aisle for sharp woman, as a matter of fact because of the volume of clients I have, I often end up having to talk to people who start talking to me, there are times, I would just love to run into a store, pick up what I need and leave - When in Church, my focus is were it should be on what is being said. I do not understand how some of the people on negative sites, were so OCD about it. My advice, chill, relax, be natural, be real.
I don't target woman if what I do comes up in a nature way in a conversation often I just tell them what I do, most ask if I have a car, I say yup the Pink CTS is in the parking lot, and it becomes a game to me because they end up questioning me to pieces because I only answer what they ask, I don't jump and offer and usually by the end of the conversation, I am being asked if I would have time to get with them! Got to love it. It all about attitude.
For all of those that continue to make fun of MK tactics and the "warm stalking" - how can you not see that "chatting about pt" to people is no different than talking about MK. Worse in my opinion because you are wasting a person time for nothing.
Hmmm.. and we are accussed of cult like thinking?
Some people don't want to hear about MK, and there would be some of us that would not want to hear about PT. Some of us are not in a pink fog or brainwashed. We have the capacity to think for ourselves and make our own decisions and if someone approached me to tell me about a negative site, I wouldn't stand there in shock, but they would know what I was thinking! ;)
ohvay, just be real, it works! One of the most valuable question I teach my consultants if they are in a situation where they want to be able to call the person again or back but don't want to come across as "pushy"... in closing, simply ask (what a concept? :) ) - would it be okay if I checked back with you next week? or would it be okay if I followed up with you after the new PCP books come out. As long as they say "yes" and you respect their time when you have them on the phone, they will respect and appreciate you. So what say you? What way have you found to build your business by warmchatting or any other avenue?
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