How to Ignore the Rejection Rocket in MLM

Do you remember the first time you saw the presentation for your company?  Did it feel like you were just going to EXPLODE with enthusiasm.  Did you think, “Wow, I can’t WAIT to show my friends this amazing product!  We’re going to GET RICH and have a TON OF FUN together!”

So, then what happened?  You went out, armed with just enough information to make you dangerous, and you started showing the plan.  And your friends weren’t impressed.  Actually not only were they not interested in what you had to say, they actually LAUGHED at you and your naivete in pursuing such a huge scam. 

At this point, you have a choice.  Do you continue with what your heart is telling you is the right and perfect place for you to be, or do you listen to your head and quit?  As Mark and Rene Reid Yarnell state in chapter one of their book, “Your First Year in Network Marketing,” rejection causes more people to fail in MLM than any other factor, and often they fail literally before they ever begin because their approach is from the head, not from the heart.”

For me, this was by far the most difficult thing to get over (and it’s not like I’m totally over it still.)  When I joined my company, I had the vision of my friends and I traveling all over the world, and enjoying life on the beaches of the world.  I saw us laughing and spending time together, and creating the life of our dreams.  Unfortunately, they did not share my vision at all.  People tend to reject what they don’t understand.  Unfortunately, instead of taking the time to learn more about this amazing product and opportunity, they chose to reject it outright. 

With all that being said, what can you do to overcome this HUGE hurdle in your MLM career?  (Well, besides reading this book?)  When you enroll a new distributor, it is UP TO YOU to prepare them for what they are about to encounter.  Don’t take this responsibility lightly!  Make it strong and make them PROMISE that they will heed your advice.  Let them know exactly how harsh some of the reactions they will experience will be.  Prepare them for it.  Keep in mind, your new distributors will still believe down to the depths of their souls that they are different.  They are strong enough to avoid the negative influences.  They have all the belief they need and THEIR friends and family will see the opportunity in the same light they do. (Blah, blah, blah). 

You MUST make them commit to you that they will absolutely NOT share this opportunity with ANYONE until they have been properly trained as to how to share this information with them.  Not only do they need to know how to present the information properly, they need to know how to deal with the variety of reactions that they may experience.  Prepare them well, and you’ve set a strong foundation for their ultimate success.

Ok, they’ve been properly trained by you and are now ready to take on the world – or so you think.  Call reluctance is a big deal for new marketers.  May of them will feel the need to read and study, and know everything possible about the product, the compensation plan, the company, etc.  They feel they are getting ultimately prepared for every situation that may arise.  You need to let your distributors know that they need to go out and make their mistakes.  If they are following your duplicatable system to the “T” as they’ve been trained to do, all they need to do is going out and do it.  After all, you can’t say the right thing to the wrong prospect, and you can’t say the wrong thing to the right prospect.  Encourage your new people to take action every day.

Rejection may occur because the new distributor is not taken seriously.  After all they were a bartender last night, and now they’re a business owner?  Come on, get serious!  The only way to be taken seriously is to have absolute belief in yourself and your opportunity.  Prospects can see right through you, so if your attitude is a problem, change it.  Read books, listen to tapes and attend seminars.  Surround yourself with positive people who remind you of your worth as a business person.  You cannot do this for your distributors, but you can certainly guide them to what they need to do. 

Remember, rejection is not personal.  In this book, the Yarnell’s compare rejection to a waitress in a coffee shop. When she is pouring coffee, she may be told “no thanks” by some, and “I have plenty” by others.  She does not take this personally, those customers just don’t want coffee.  If she asks enough people, she is bound to find someone that wants what she has to offer.  The same is true of your MLM business.  Increasing the number of people you talk to will decrease the impact of the rejection you’re getting.

Finally, rejection can be turned into positive motivation.  One of my friends actually has what he calls a “Turf List.”  This is the list of people whose lawn he is going to “turf” once he gets the free car that his company offers.  Ok, maybe this isn’t the most positive method of creating momentum in your business, but it works for him. (and I think it's funny as heck!)

You may also want to share, not in a cocky way, something to the point that, “Yes, you may not believe in me or my product or my opportunity right now, but I want you to think about something.  If I fail, you have the power to say, ‘Oh that was a scam, I knew it would be a failure.’  But what if this actually works, and everything that I said will happen actually does.  What will you do then?  How will you feel when I am living the life that you have always dreamed about?  I want you to know that I am going for it, and I am going to make this happen.  I would love to have you join me, but if not, it’s ok.  Just don’t ever say that I didn’t offer the opportunity to you.”  Posture truly is everything.

Rejection hurts.  It really does.  But how you handle it, and the way you train your distributors to handle it, can make all the difference between a life-time of success and happiness or the pain of the status quo.