Network Marketing and 3-way Calling

3-way calls. What are they? Why? And, how to do them right? There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about using three-way calling. In order for you to get good at this whole gameof prospecting, you have to master this simple tool now.

First off…what is 3-way calling? Two answers…the technical side is this. Three-way calling is a service that you can have added, usually through your local phone company that allows you to be able to connect with an additional party, other than the person you are already on the phone with. It costs just a few dollars a month, and you cannot live without it…period. You absolutely, positively MUST have 3-way calling added to your phone service if you expect to thrive and survive in the network marketing industry. There are no if’s or but’s about it. You’ve got to have it. If you think you cant afford it, forget one latte a week, and you’ve got it nailed.

Here’s the basic gist of how it works. You’re on the phone with a person…and you now want to bring in another person on the line. You simply press the “Flash” button on your telephone. In some cases you may not have a flash button, so you simply press the “Talk” or “On” button. When you have 3-way calling on your phone it will give you another dial tone once you have pressed the flash button. You simply dial the number of the other person you wish to reach, then press the “Flash” or “Talk” button again, and you are now on a 3-way call. To disconnect and end the call with the party you have brought into the call, you simply press the “Flash” or “Talk” button again and it disconnects your second caller.

Here is a BIG NO-NO that many novices make that you must remember to never, ever do. Here’s the scenario. You’re making dials to your prospects with you upline or sponsor on the telephone…meaning you are on the phone at the same time. You’ve got your list and you're making calls together. You hit the “Flash” button to go dial one of your prospects and forget to FLASH BACK to your sponsor. You then get their voice mail or answering machine and leave a message, and THEN flash back to your sponsor. You then proceed to have a conversation…where many times you are talking about that very person you have just called and left a message for…only to hear a “beep” that says, “your recording is complete”. In fact…most of the time, you probably won’t even hear that. What did you just do? You just left a message of you and your sponsor talking on the telephone to your prospect. Bad news…bad impression. Do not make that mistake.

Here’s a tip for NEVER, ever making that mistake. You’re on the phone with your sponsor…you press flash, dial the number of your prospect, IMMEDIATELY press flash once you have completed dialing their number, and say to your sponsor “Back”. That means you are back together on the line. You should BOTH be hearing the phone ring. Then…if you get their voice mail, leave a message. When you are done leaving the message, press flash again. This will disconnect your call with the prospect or prospect’s answering machine. I even like to double-check that I did disconnect the other call by pressing Flash yet again to make sure I hear a dial tone. If I hear a dial tone, I know I am safe and haven’t made that dreaded mistake of talking about my prospect with my sponsor on my prospect’s answering machine. I can't tell you how many times someone has called me up with a supposed “Heavy Hitter” on the line…because they know I have a track record of success in this industry, only to hear them talking about me on my answering machine. It’s hilarious…and a mistake you definitely DO NOT want to make.

Now that you know the basic technical stuff, and the big NO-NO's, let’s talk about the way to effectively use 3-way calling to make you money. The most widely used 3-way call is for 3rd party validation and support from your upline. So…here’s how it goes. You’re on the phone with your prospect. You have taken them to review some information about your opportunity: a live call, recorded call, website, whatever it is that you do to present your business. The person responds favorably to the initial exposure. You then do the following. Say, “Joe…can you hang on for a second.” Of course, they’ll say, “Sure”. People are used to hearing that. Then…you simply press Flash and dial your sponsor or upline support person’s number. Now…pay close attention. This time it’s a little different. Instead of you flashing right back and bringing the parties together…this is your quick opportunity to have a chat on the side with your sponsor to get them up to speed on who you are doing to be introducing to them. Here’s what I do. I dial my sponsor…and, if they answer, I say, “Susan…this is Todd. You got a minute? I’ve got a prospect on the line who just listened to our 20-minute live call. He says he’s an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. He has a background in sales but has never done MLM. He sounds sharp. Can you do the call?” If he says, “yes”. I say, “Great…hang on, I’ll introduce you to him.” THEN…I press flash and bring the call together. That took a total of about
20 to 30 seconds. The prospect had no idea I was bringing on my upline. And quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. It’s not for him or her to decide.

Too many people make the OTHER crucial mistake of asking for permission to do a 3-way call. Nix that idea out of your head. You don’t need to ask. You are in control. Don’t ever ask for permission to do a 3-way. Now, when I bring back my sponsor on the line, here’s what happens. I say to my prospect, “Joe…you back with me? Great! Listen. I was able to grab a business partner of mine who is incredibly successful in the network marketing industry. This is a gentleman you will be working with as well. He is a top earner and trainer with our company and one of the most-respected people in the entire industry. Susan…this is Joe. Joe this is
Susan.”

Then…I shut up. I don’t say a peep. The third crucial mistake people make in 3-way calling is interrupting their upline by saying things like, “Susan, don’t forget to tell him about this or that.” You have just blown the entire upline edification process. You introduced your prospect to an upline who you built up as an expert. The expert KNOWS what to say and do. You do not need to interrupt or interject. You’ll know when it is appropriate to talk. This isn’t totally black and white…but for a great majority of people, don’t say anything. Regarding the term upline edification…here’s what I did. I introduced my sponsor or upline as an expert. I gave some stats. I made her sound like the successful person that she is. I didn’t lie. I created automatic authority and respect in the mind of my prospect for my upline. Clue in on this one folks. It’s important. Build them up. If I just said, “Hey Joe…this is Susan, a girl with our company.” What does that do? Nothing. Use the edification part to your advantage. But, don’t build your person up to something that they’re not. And…please definitely, DO NOT lie.