Icebreakers: Network Marketing's magical communication technique!

In this post, you discover why icebreakers are the magical communication technique for Network Marketing that is non-sales-y and not pushy!

It is impossible to sell or sponsor if we don’t have interested prospects, but how do we get them? We use the icebreaker as the instrument of persuasion that gets us the chance to talk to people about the good stuff we offer.

It is the ice breaker is an easy, comfortable introduction to our business while we are in a social conversation, and there is almost zero rejection with this approach. 

Icebreakers move social conversations—normal chit-chat—to business in a socially acceptable way. They are pure magic when done properly, and they are easy to learn.

Naturally, the icebreakers we use when talking to younger prospects differ from how we approach family or older prospects, as you will see from the examples below.

We will learn different icebreakers that appeal to younger and older prospects here in this post. And even different types of icebreakers for business owners and entrepreneurs. 

Icebreakers for Younger Prospects

Here are several examples, and one is a favourite:

I show students how to pay off their college debt before finishing school!

I am just curious, do you want to work for 4o or 45 years as your parents did, or would you like to be able to retire in 5 to 10 years?

Do you want to work five days a week and have two-day weekends or work two days a week and take a 5-day weekend?

My favourite of all the icebreakers uses the phrase, “Retire in 5 to 10 years!”

Icebreakers for Mature Prospects

You will see how different these are right away. Here are some examples;

You know how we work and work, and at age 65 we can think about retiring on a pension that is less than what we could barely live on when we worked? Well, I just found out how we can retire in 5 years and at full pay.

I show retired people how to get an extra paycheck every month without getting apart time job, like becoming a Walmart greeter!

Well, you know how the bills we paid over the years meant we could not save as much as we wanted for retirement? I just found out how to get a 2nd paycheck in retirement without getting a part-time job!

My favourite is the “Walmart Greeter” version. What about you? 

The ice breaker turns the prospect’s attention to their problem and away from feeling like we are selling them. They visualize the solution and even ask us for more information.

The Formula Icebreakers

How can we create icebreakers? Know the formula.

I just found out + _____________ (Benefit Statement).

Would it be okay if + _____________ (Benefit Statement).

I show people how to + _____________ (Solve a Problem).

I am just curious + _____________ (Benefit Statement).

Well, you know how + ______________ (Mention a Pproblem you can solve) + I just found out + _______________  (Solve that Problem).

With the formula, we now have the ability to create hundreds of unique icebreakers. And once we get used to using them, we can even make them up on the fly!

It is how to introduce our business or product in any social conversation without embarrassment. 

To the prospect, our icebreakers do the selling, not us. And that is why they are the zero-rejection way to build your business.

I talk about a sponsoring test in another short post you may wish to read. It proves that you do not need to search for perfect prospects, and it is a training example that my friend Tom BIG AL Schreiter created.

Speaking of Tim Schreiter, he describes Icebreakers as being so effective that they “Get Any Prospect To Beg You For A Presentation!” That link is to Tom’s book on Amazon, in case you want to do more research into this communication technique.

Practising New Skills

There are two really important concepts with practising skills that we need to be aware of:

1. If we do not practise new skills when it comes time to use them we will either freeze of butcher them and ruin an opportunity. And;
2. We must use skills to master them,, which sounds like it is the opposite of #1 above (and it sort of is).

A rule of thumb is to write out the skills, then repeat it,, then prctise it on someone you know.

However, you must apply it in public with someone you met to truly get comfortable with it. And that has to happen before the fear of using it builds into a roadblock.

Set a timeframe of a week to practise a skill then go and meet someone you do not know and use it immediately, even if you butcher it.

Rinse and repeat (practise it at home some more and then go and apply it again). In a few weeks you will have this new habit down and you will be proficient enough with a new skill, like the use of Icebreakers, to employ it at will.

What sometimes takes longer is the ability to customize t on the fly. But having a few different types that are memorized will get you started.