Field Report - R. from Ohio

So I had company for the longest time, and I was FINALLY ready to get out in the field, but I was attacked with massive approach anxiety. When I DID actually get on the phone, I only made one call. It was a low hanging apple, but it so beautifully followed the method, I wanted to be sure and document it here.

A1 - Advertising
R. found me via a yahoo group. I don't know what attracted her exactly, but she bought my ebook (something I had written for my niche) and immediately contacted me to find out more about the business. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of an emergency that ended up lasting right through the holidays, and then it was the holidays, and then I had company...so it had been months since her first IOI.

A2 - Sorting
We had been emailing back and forth for some time, "I haven't forgotten you, etc.," and then she emailed me (and filled out my contact form again!), REALLY wanting to talk to me about the business. About this time, the method really clicked and I realized I needed a good DHV story that indirectly told her 1) I have been in the business awhile, 2) I am successful, 3) I am a leader, 4) she wouldn't be alone/first, 5) I am selective/won't take just anyone. I knew immediately what story to use, so I emailed her the following:

Just as a heads up, the initial conversation is just to talk and make sure we like each other. One of my favorite memories in the business is sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy eating gelato with a handful of my business associates. We had such an incredible time--we all felt like best friends...like family. I decided then and there that I would only work with people I had such a great connection with. Life is too short to spend time with people you don't like...wouldn't you agree? So tomorrow we'll chat for a few minutes, and if we find we like each other, we'll make an appointment for you to get some more information.

That story set the frame perfectly.

A3 - Qualifying
When we did talk, she told me she had a job, but I knew from her sig line that she also had her own business. When I asked her about it she said, "Well, not that I have time to do anything with it, but..." and she proceeded to tell me about her business. After we talked about that for a few minutes, I said, "So, if you don't have time for your current business, what makes you think that you're going to have time for a new one?" I now realize that THAT WAS THE PERFECT THING TO SAY. In fact, I now believe that an IOD like that is required in order to move from A2 to A3. Immediately after I said it, she began qualifying herself and investing herself in the conversation: telling me why this was going to be different, etc. etc.

Recently Solid told me some similar experiences with IODs and qualifying, too. One prospect said that she had quit a previous business and Solid said, "Well, I'm not looking to work with quitters," at which point the prospect started qualifying herself.

And here's an even more subtle example: During the initial A2 interview Solid asked a prospect if he had ever owned his own business before. When he said no, Solid said, "Hmm..." Immediately, the prospect started qualifying himself and telling Solid why he would be good at it, even if he'd never done it before, etc.!

Good stuff.

C1 - Comfort
This stage kind of meshes wth A2--general chit chat about life.

C2 - Connection
She and I both love to be organized and grew up with packrat moms--I told her we were siblings...separated at birth.

C3 - Intimacy
This is that magic moment -- it's a feeling...I can't describe it, you just know when you're there. It's that moment when it's not awkward at all to ask about the prospects dreams and desires. If you try and ask a personal question and they back off, go back to A2 and be more distant and aloof. Make them qualify themselves again.

Anyway, R. said that she just didn't want life to be so much a struggle, and I asked her a very important question: Have you ever felt that way before or is it only something you dream about? In her case, she said she had, and I asked her to describe it to me. When was it? What was it like? How did it feel? This is the KEY to C3--you must get them to actually feel what they want while they are talking to you. That associates the feeling with you.

S1 - Presentation
Normally, I would invite the prospect to attend the presentation by saying "A group of us are going to be...why don't you join us?" However, I wasn't going to be there, so I had to tease her a little bit with "I'm going to give you an assignment that I'm sure you'll be able to complete without my holding your hand." This is similar to Mystery's "role playing," which I'll have to write about in another post. She laughed and said yes, and I gave her the information to get on the call--being sure to tie in that feeling by telling her to pay attention to how the opportunity could provide that feeling.

And that, so far, is where the story ends. Since I wasn't going to be home that night, we made an appointment to talk the next day. When I called, she wasn't there and I had to leave a message.

As a BFC, I would be worried about that--"oh, no, not another one lost!" But, I knew that I had followed the system to a T and that the only explanation was that something had happened.

Sure enough, I got an email from her that night that said, "Hi! I am not ignoring you, but my secretary is off sick today so I am the only one in my office. I just know that if I get on the phone that will be the precise moment that a patient will call, so if I can't get ack to you here in the next little bit, I will ring you tomorrow! Thanks so much! The presentation was interesting, definitely something to think/talk about! It is pretty nice weather wise today. Sunny and about 36, so that is probably what you will be seeing tomorrow! :)"

Obviously the game is still on. I wrote back with,

No problem...I figured it was something like that. <-- non-neediness!

It was for the best, anyway. I'm on Day 2 of a three day dextox (fat flush!), and I feel MISERABLE. I had to drag myself out of bed to call you...ha ha ha! I have much more of an appreciation for you trying to quit smoking--withdrawal symptoms are the pits!!!! <-- reference to our comfort building conversation yesterday (C1)

Tomorrow at 11am the whole company is getting together to share our success stories. Why don't you join us? It's a lot of fun, and often pretty emotional to hear about other single moms, <-- reference to her own story

overworked executives, and even one couple who dug themselves out of poverty. <-- nipping the money excuse

I know you'll be at work, but it's the kind of thing you can listen to while you're doing other things. I'll set you up with the same access code you had for the presentation, just in case you can make it. Either way, give me a call sometime tomorrow when you get a chance. Have a great night! <-- again, non-neediness, come or don't, no big deal

Haven't heard back from her yet, but what if I had a dozen people I was comfortably romancing in this way? Awesome.