Learning from the experience of other UnFranchise® Owners is a great way to build your business, so we’ve created a brand new blog feature that will help you do just that! We’re excited to introduce “Shop Consultant Spotlight,” a weekly interview with a top Shop Consultant answering YOUR questions!
This week, our featured Shop Consultant is successful UnFranchise® Owner and Director of Internet Services and Training Jeremy Fennema. Want to know his tips and tricks for building a successful business? Read on!
Market America: In regards to Market America Webcenters: you have demonstrated how to talk to prospects in person, but what about cold-calling them over the phone? Is this an effective business-building tactic?
Jeremy Fennema: A lot of people have asked me this question, but before I answer, think about this: how do you build your UnFranchise ® business? By going out and talking to people, building relationships, and finding out what you can provide them that fits their needs. The same is true with websites: in order to be successful, you must build great relationships with business owners so that you can provide them with the best solution to fit their needs.
We are in a relationship building business. Picking up the phone and calling everyone in the phone book won’t get you very far in terms of building relationships and establishing rapport. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cold approach people, because while you may not know the person initially it, only takes a warm handshake and a friendly introduction to change it to a warm approach. Just remember this: how you create leads is irrelevant. What is important is that you are always building relationships with people. So, no, I do not think cold-calling is an effective business-building tactic.
MA: What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you started your UnFranchise® business?
JF: The best piece of advice I received was to go to Leadership School, now known as World Conference, and here’s why: if I hadn’t gone to Leadership School, I would not have been able to build such a successful UnFranchise® business. If I didn’t go, I would never have brought along a prospect with me, who signed up on the third day and became my very first sponsored person. Not only that, but if I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have had the chance to work with the corporate team or be part of the Internet Advisory Board. In three days, I learned more at Leadership School than in the three months leading up to it! I can honestly say that if I didn’t take my mentor’s advice and gone to Leadership School, I would not be sitting here with you today.
My advice to everyone is go to World Conference! The information you learn there is irreplaceable. If you have any intention of becoming a successful UnFranchise ® owner, purchasing a ticket is the best investment you can make in yourself and your business.
MA: Do you have any tips on how to get customers to your portal?
JF: If you want to successfully introduce anything to a person, whether it’s a product or an idea, you have to make them curious about it. Talking about getting paid to shop for products they already use is a great curiosity builder I use often.
To introduce my current customers to SHOP, I showed them that they could still buy all their favorite products on SHOP while enjoying new features like CashBack, AutoShip, and ShipFree. I also put labels on all the products they ordered that said “to reorder, please go to SHOP.com/portal ID”, which was a very effective way to move my customers over to the new site.
Even with all the benefits like CashBack and Ship free, some customers can still be resistant to switching to SHOP because they unfamiliar with it. For someone like this, I send them an eGift for a product I know they love or have wanted to try. Since everyone likes free gifts, they have no problem visiting SHOP to redeem the eGift. Without even realizing it, I have helped them make a smooth transition to SHOP by immersing them in the shopping experience.
MA: If you had to choose, what are your top 3 business building tips?
JF: 1.Do something every single day for your business. It doesn’t have to be big, but you have to do something every single day because consistency is key to success. 2. Use your ears more than your mouth. Listening more than talking helps build relationships and makes you aware of what actions you need to take to stay relevant to those around you. The key to building rapport is listening to people, not talking at them. 3. Listen to your mentor. Whether your mentor is the person who sponsored you or just someone you hear speak at an event, there’s always someone who can be a mentor to you in this business. Every day people are telling you how to be successful, but the key is to listen to them and take action.
MA: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three Market America branded products with you, which would you choose?
JF: Isotonix® OPC-3, Ultimate Aloe® and MochaTonix®. I love mixing MochaTonix with milk, but if there wasn’t any around, I imagine that mixing it with coconut milk would taste pretty good!
MA: What’s your favorite business-building or entrepreneurial quote?
JF: “There’s only one road to true human greatness: through the school of hard knocks” – Albert Einstein
MA: If you could travel back in time to when you first started your UnFranchise® business, what advice would you give your younger self?
JF: I would tell myself that I shouldn’t be afraid to talk to people and show the plan more. I was very shy when I first started and I didn’t talk to people as often as I could have. If you push yourself to talk to people, you will learn how to talk to people. I wish I had learned that lesson earlier so I could have talked with more people and shown the plan more.
MA: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
JF: Even though it hasn’t happened yet, I am probably most proud of The New UnFranchise®. It’s a huge project that will be a giant leap forward, with wide-ranging effects for everyone who is part of Market America. To spearhead this project and have people think it is valuable is an incredible feeling.
MA: What is the most rewarding part about your job?
JF: The most rewarding part of my job is having the ability to create amazing things that I know people want to use. Having been a distributor for about 14 years myself, I know what tools people are looking for and the things that they use on a regular basis. Being able to create and enhance things that matter to me, my team, and all the distributors in the field is amazing.
We would like to thank Jeremy Fennema for taking the time to speak with us and revealing some of his best business-building tips! To submit a question, keep a close eye on the Market America Facebook page. Every Tuesday at 12 pm we’ll give you an opportunity to submit questions for that week’s Shop Consultant. Then, read the MA blog on Mondays to see if your question has been answered!
Now it’s your turn: which one of Jeremy’s tips do you think will be the most helpful to your UnFranchise® Business and why? Comment your answer below!