How I Learned the Importance of 3-Way Calls continued...

One day I had just gone through a strong presentation on the internet over the phone with Shae. She had said, “Yes,” in all the right places. She was in, but just needed to sleep on it- like she’d make a better decision in an unconscious sleep state rather than with me right there on the phone. Oh well. I didn’t push it. And, I made the major blunder of not scheduling the next step.

Those coincidences all through life aren’t just random moments of luck, there’s some kind of plan going on here. Before I could set the phone down and get up from my chair, the phone rang and it was Ruth, my upline. I went on to relay a condensed blow by blow of the presentation and what Shae had said.

“Did you schedule a 3-way call?” Ruth asked. She knew I didn’t. I never did. I just closed people myself. If they didn’t sign in on the spot, I did my own follow-up. If that didn’t go, I said, “next,” and was on to somebody else. So Ruth asked, “Do you think she’s home now?” I had told Ruth that I’d just hung up, so why the question I wondered. Before I could answer Ruth asked, “Do you have her number there.” She knew I had the number too. Then came the punch line, “Give her a call. I’d love to meet her.”

“Now?” I responded, slightly stunned and off balance.

“Why not?” Ruth said, completely matter-of-fact.

“Hi Shae, it’s Phil. I hope you’ve got another minute. I was just telling my business partner what a great addition you will make to our team and she asked if I’d introduce her to you. You remember me telling you about Ruth and what an incredible help she’s been? Well, here she is. Ruth, meet Shae.”

At least I did this part right. I sat back, put my phone on “mute”, and listened.

They seemed to be getting along beautifully. There was just one problem though. Ruth was saying the same stuff I’d already said. I figured that Shae was feeling like she was being oversold. You know, overselling is when the prospect has heard the story and agrees with everything and the presenter just keeps going over and over the same stuff.

This went on for a good half hour. I must admit that Ruth had a way about getting commitments. And she did hit a couple things about the products that I learned from, but all in all it was the same stuff I had covered. Then Ruth got to a point where you could feel was the end. She said, “Well Shae, sounds like you have some great goals, and I think we could have a lot of fun with this. Would you like to know what the next step is?”

There was the ugly silence that comes at a “close of a sale”. But the silence didn’t last long. I figured Shae would tell Ruth exactly what she had told me- she wanted to sleep on it. Then I expected Ruth to give it another shot, and just like what I’d done, she would let Shae do it her way. One thing I knew I’d hear was Ruth scheduling a set appointment for the next step- the follow-up. That’s not how it went.

Shae said, “Sure.”

Sure? What happened to sleeping on it? Then Ruth went on to enroll Shae! Good thing neither of them could see the shock on my face. My mouth hung open in total disbelief.

I had thought of the 3-way call as being about me, and helping me accomplish something I was not capable of doing myself. Wrong again. The 3-way was about Shae. It was Ruth’s way of showing Shae that she didn’t have to be a great presenter or closer. She would have help just like Phil did. She could do this because she would have support. She’d be part of a team. She could learn while we helped her build her business, and someday she’d do the same for those on her team.

Then I thought about the people who I’d brought into our business who tried and failed because they though they had to be the lone wolf- like they’d seen me do with them. I felt sick thinking what a disservice I had done to them. Instead of modeling what they could duplicate, I had been like the hot-shot ball hogs on my son’s soccer team who always tried to win the game single handedly- but usually caused the entire team to lose. I learned that Network Marketing is truly a team sport, and the 3-way call is someone else validating what the first person said. And it’s giving them a model to guide them, actually doing what they would need to do. It’s giving them confidence that they can be successful if they will commit to following the system. It’s about team.

I wish I could say I never made that mistake again, but old habits die hard. I kept after it- and Ruth kept after me. Once I was able to make a habit of always looking for “the next step” after anything I do in our Network Marketing business, I changed our business- and the “luck” of countless people under us.