Wake Up! Are You Building a Real List?

So Are You Building a Real List? Oh Really! I may shock you now.

Check this out:

These are just SOME of the business cards I collected a couple of years back when I did a ton of local networking. Yesterday I dug them out and thought DUH Rachel. You’re building a huge list online but what about all these guys?

Now this doesn’t mean I didn’t do the trusty MLM pitch on them way back when cause the chances are I did BUT why are these peeps not in my email list receiving the odd update from me about what I have to offer them in terms of products and services (inc. Network Marketing)

What if their situation has changed? As I’m unable to be present (and don’t really want to be!) at every local networking event how on earth would they stay in touch with me?

This is a classic example of how most networkers are shown to build their candidate list and prospect everyone on it and follow up until they jump off the fence either way.

What then? Some of you may be groaning now as you see where I’m going with this.

Imagine if I (after 7 years of prospecting) had kept every contact through the trillions of leads I bought back in the day and all the networking I’ve done. And what If I’d kept all the emails of my team members who’ve slipped away?

Wow can you imagine how many people I’d be able to stay in touch with just by sending them the odd email with some cool stuff I’m learning along the way?

I’m willing to bet there are 6 figure networkers amongst you who don’t have a list that you can easily communicate with, of all your contacts from the years you’ve been building the business.

You may say ‘well I can find them in my outlook or they’re in my phone.’ What about when you change your phone or your computer dies and you shift to a new one and lose all those email addresses and numbers?

I know it happens cause it has happened to me. SO. What can YOU do today even if you have no BLOG and no capture page and are a complete tecnno twit?

What is your strategy for offering them value to keep them connected with you, rather than phoning them up every 6 months to see if they’re ‘ready’ to give you their credit card number? They may never be ready for your MLM business but they might be ready to buy an MLM product or a cool marketing product from you. (No and before you think of excuses you don’t need to make one yourself!)

Start reconnecting with ALL of the people you know inc. the dreaded friends and family and just ask them if you can pop them on your email list to stay in touch with them now and then so they can forward on the info to anyone they know who might find it helpful.

This is for you if you’ve got piles of old contacts that didn’t join your MLM – do you think they might buy an MLM product from you down the road if you were to stay in touch with them … AND

It’s ALSO for you newbies (I know you’re there) who think you have nothing to offer cause you’re not a ‘GURU.’ You don’t need to be a guru to build your own list.

From now on everyone you meet, instead of breaking out in a cold sweat about how you’re gonna ‘get em in’ your MLM, focus on how you can be in touch with them again.

Collect their card and or get their name to connect on Facebook. If they are business people ask them if you can add them to your mailing list so you can be in touch with them now.

You see how it works?

If you have an auto-responder (with 12 peeps in it!) get cracking. You can add them easily to a list of say ‘local business people’ or ‘family and friends’ and just drop them an informal email to let them know you will be sending them stuff that may help them or someone they know. (They can opt out if they don’t want to be on it but just ask them if it’s ok)

If you are truly doing this, by the end of the year you could have thousands of people on your list ranging from the local right through to peeps you meet on holiday or MLM trips.

Warning. If you don’t do this you are gambling. Will they join my MLM now or not? Yes = cool
No = complete waste of time and no relationship building and no long term safety net

Ok getting the idea? Even if you have no auto-responder (come on guys its $9 a month to build your security) you can still do this even with a card box or manual emails. Not my cup of tea but really there are no excuses for not being in touch with people over a long period of time.

Here’s my old card box from my first company when I was an MLM virgin and retail ninja. These guys are not in my email list! Gonna put that right though now.

Do what you know how to do today. Don’t make excuses. If you only have an empty card filebox like this then use it. That is the start of your ‘list,’ The golden nugget here is that you must make a way to stay in touch with these people even when they are not just current customers or prospects.

I made thousands and thousands of pounds with this box and you can do the same with your list even if you have no one on it yet. We all know people and you can start to add them not sell them!

Social networking has made it thousands of times easier to reconnect so start rebuilding your connections today. I’m gonna add all those people on these cards to a list and drop them a little email. If there’s no email I’ll be looking for them on Facebook or phoning them just to reconnect and ask if its ok to add them to my mailing list to stay in touch.

If you need an autoresponder I highly recommend this one. It’s super easy to use and you can manually add people as long as you’re telling them you’re doing it. Yes this is an affiliate link and you can get a free trial here if you want. Set Up Cheap Auto-Responder

Ok enough list ranting but really it had to be said!

I set up a new Business Page on Facebook so please come ‘like’ me and let’s connect over there too. I’ll be giving out lots of tips and training for building your business.I seem to be having trouble with people finding this page so if you try to ‘like’ me and can’t see it could you pretty please leave me a comment to let me know? (Thanks)
Rachel Henke on Facebook