Tips for selling to friends and family
Many of your sales representatives probably started by pitching to friends and family. They have to start somewhere, and this often feels like a good place to do so. However, friends and family can be turned off when they feel like their loved one is always trying to sell them things.
If a family member or friend feels like phone calls, hangouts and social media have become more about pushing sales and less about their relationship, it may become strained. Not only does this approach hurt relationships, it can also prevent valuable business connections.
That’s why it’s important to help guide your sales team in knowing how to effectively engage with friends and family in a way that maintains their relationships and allows them to at least open the door to the possibility of sales. Please share these tips to help empower your team:
How to talk to loved ones about joining your MLM venture
When it comes to talking directly with loved ones, it’s important not to rush into things. Those in the MLM industry should proceed carefully and strategically. It’s important to approach those specific friends and family members who have an interest in the opportunity. The individuals who are passionate about the type of items you’re selling, looking for a new opportunity or wanting to supplement their income, for example.
Pay attention to determine which friends and family members may have an interest or motivation to join you on this venture. Bring the business conversation in at a natural place. Don’t rush the discussion, but also be clear about what you’re trying to get across. When you see a good opening, you can say something like:
“As you know, I’ve been doing this and it’s allowed me to… I really think it could be a great fit for you as well. It offers many perks that I believe you would appreciate. Would you mind if I shared a few more things with you or asked some questions to see if the opportunity is a good match for? I promise not to pressure you into something, if you aren’t interested after I’ve shared the details, let me know. There won’t be any hard feelings.”
This allows you to ease into the conversation, respect your loved one’s feelings and it creates an open space to share.
How to sell products to loved ones
Whether you’re selling products to loved ones in person, over the phone or on social media. It’s important, as addressed above, to ensure you’re targeting those who may have an interest. You don’t want to go after everyone, because you’ll turn off people who have no interest. Instead, when hosting a party or creating a business page, invite those you think would have an interest in the product. You can always send out individual messages to these people about why you think they may be interested, but don’t be too salesy or pushy in your communication.
You want everything to feel conversational. You want them to know why you thought of them and what they may like about the products (or even a specific product). Another thing to keep in mind is, don’t just reach out to these people when you have a sale, try to keep in touch with them about everyday things, asking them how they’re doing and checking in with them periodically. Also, make sure you respond to their messages. If a loved one typically only hears from a friend or family member when they’re trying to sell something it can quickly turn the relationship sour and erase any chance of a sale.
The biggest thing to keep in mind when selling to loved ones is that you don’t want it to take precedence over your relationship. You need to still make time to talk about other things like what’s going on in their lives. You want to support them in their ventures and show them you have an interest in your relationship beyond just hoping to make a sale. You can share what you do and how your product or business may help your loved one, but you want to do so with care. In doing it this way, you’ll be more likely to gain additional sales without injuring your relationships.