Just over a week ago, I sent an invitation to connect with a brand new member of IBOtoolbox. I didn't know anything about the person, except that she was brand new to IBO according to the message that showed up on the IBOtoolbox wall...
(For those that don't know, IBOtoolbox is a FREE networking platform designed specifically for Independent Business Owners (IBO) to build relationships with other like-minded professionals; while also providing a full suite of marketing tools to help promote and build your business).
...a short time later, I received a private message on IBO from this new member. Unfortunately, that often means that I am about to be "pitched" on some sort of business opportunity by this person that I have never actually spoken to or even exchanged a message with. But being who I am, I always try to turn a negative into a positive, thus using those situations as opportunities to help others understand that there are much better ways to go about building their businesses. Fortunately, I didn't need to do that here...
The message I received was simply a thank you for connecting, a little personal background, and an interest in networking and building a business relationship. Even after we exchanged a few messages that briefly included what businesses we are both involved in, there was never a "pitch" by either of us to try and recruit the other into our respective opportunities. I did offer to assist her with learning how to navigate IBO since she was just getting started, and she took me up on the offer as we continued to build our relationship.
So we conversed here and there over the last week and today while we were chatting she was "spammed" by someone from my business (clearly not someone on my team)! After exchanging a few instant messages regarding our experiences with spammers, she asked me about the company. I told her that if she called me I would talk to her about it...and she did a short time later.
By the time we got off the phone she had not only joined my team, but I had also already given her a brief training and a "blueprint" with a plan of attack on how to get off to a good start with building the business. I don't know how long it took for her to bring her first person in (maybe half an hour), but I do know that just a couple of hours later she had already enrolled 5 new people!
My hope is that somebody will be blessed by this brief testimonial about doing things the right way, and just maybe a "spammer" will reconsider his/her current approach to building a business. Hint: When you learn "attraction marketing" you won't need to spam!
To Your Success,
Antonio Moore
