MLM Leaders – The Difference Between Bullets And Duds.
Do you know what a dud is? A dud is a bullet or bomb which refuses to get fired-up! I mean, it just sits there looking dumb and never does a thing. It’s shiny. It was meant to do something. It had a purpose, but somehow it just fell short of the job.
Now, I’m not saying that you should violently explode or something, but you know as well as I do that you’ve got to provide the spark that will ignite your success.
This post will help you avoid duds when you recruit
It will help you qualify prospects before they waste too much of your time with whining and ridiculous excuses. It will also serve as a handy checklist for self-evaluation… but let’s face it… if you care enough to check yourself… then you’re not a dud.
Here’s Seven Characteristics Of Duds:
They Never Open A Book: Seriously, a dud will buy a book and ask for a refund without even cracking the spine. They “knew” it wasn’t gonna work for them even though they never gave it a try.
They Listen To Negativity: A dud will never get anywhere because they’re too worried about what other people think. If one friend or family member tells them “it’s a scam” or “a pyramid” they immediately give-up without doing any thinking of their own.
They Watch A Lot Of TV: The funny thing about duds is that while they say they’re overwhelmed and don’t have enough time to succeed in network marketing you’ll hear the television playing in the background. Some people need to throw their TV out the window…
They Have Piles Of Excuses: Duds always have an excuse handy. They’re broke. Their uncle Billy was in a pyramid scheme. Their cousin Julie gained 173 pounds on diet pills. They want to make sure everything is perfect before they act. They steadfastly refuse to take even a tiny action from day one. They won’t even try.
They Ask Loads Of Finicky Questions: One sure sign of a dud is the types of questions they ask. An intelligent networker would ask something important. A dud will ask thirty questions they could have “Googled” instead of wasting your time.
They Refuse To Take Responsibilty: A dud will almost always pass the blame on to someone or something else. You know who these people are if you’ve ever worked with them. They’re all too willing to take compliments for other people’s work but they never do anything wrong… it’s always somebody else.
They Never Get Fired-Up! A dud will never get excited about anything. Their favorite expression is a frown. They sound depressed on the phone. Their writing is like a limp noodle. Their videos put crying babies to sleep.
Above all, a dud never even tries. They suck. Yeah sure, a bullet or a bomb may wound. But a dud doesn’t even bite. You might as well be throwing rocks at your enemies if you have a dud on your team. You might as well build your business alone if you’re recruiting duds.
In short…
Duds are losers!
Slimy, time-sucking vampires, you should avoid at all costs. And it’s our duty to help others avoid these duds before they latch on like leeches and suck all the success out of innocent newbies and the leaders of the future.
I know this post is a bit more emotional than most… but seriously… they give our industry a really bad name. They’re slowing us all down.
How do YOU pick duds before they fizzle?
How do you pick a network marketer you know will sizzle? I’ve shared my tips above but I would like to hear what you think. I would love to hear how you sort the chaff from the wheat and toss the rest of the duds in the heat.
Feel free to add to this list in a comment below…
Unless you’re really a dud. 
Jason The “Better Networker”
P.S. No Duds Allowed: But leaders are welcome. If you’re already a member of the Jason Better Blog then feel free to tell your friends by “retweeting” this… or another favorite post today. It’s that little green button on every post. I love that thing. 
P.P.S. I’m really impressed by the conversations that are popping up here from time to time. Thank you for your comments. Your ideas are often better than mine.
21 Comments
Melanie Milletics on December 4th, 2009
Important point~ because so many are taught that if they have a pulse, they are a prospect.
That is true if you are just looking for a sale-
but ultimately a sale to a dud is going to cause you far more suffering than you bargained for.
We all need to learn to GAP the duds. GAP stands for ‘grab a pen’. You want to get off the phone with a dud ASAP, so you ask them to grab a pen. Give them your name and website, and hang it up. Don’t spend another moment of your valuable time speaking to duds, when there are 2%ers to talk to!
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
@Melanie Milletics
Hey Melanie. Nice to see you here. I’ve
been a fan of yours for a while. You post
awesome content on Better Networker and
set an amazing example for everyone else.
Thanks for dropping in.
And I totally agree:
“…ultimately a sale to a dud is going to cause you
far more suffering than you bargained for.”
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Josh Boxer on December 4th, 2009
Sifting and Sorting is all in the sales funnel. Make them fill out an application as part of your process before you even speak to them to weed out the tire kickers.
It’s all how you position yourself and how you guide them through your funnel system.
I only talk to people after they have qualified for my time by taking specific action. Whether that is an application, a low end initial purchase or whatever, this will separate the “Duds” from the “Studs”
Once again Jason, Great Post. Curious as to how long it takes you to craft your posts. They are all such works of art.
Make it a great day and do something for someone today in the knowing that they can never pay you back.
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
@Josh
Love it…
“I only talk to people after they have qualified for my time by taking specific action.
Whether that is an application, a low end initial purchase or whatever, this will separate
the “Duds” from the “Studs””
If everyone ran their business this way… there would be a lot
less headaches in network marketing. Solid.
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Jeremiah on December 4th, 2009
This is great. So many new networkers try to sponsor everyone instead of sorting through to find the right people to create with. I know, because I used to do it to. I didn’t care who I signed up, I just wanted to get the commission that came along with it. Poverty mindset. Thankfully I come from a mindset of abundance now.
Explaining this to a new team mate is always fun. “What do you mean I shouldn’t sign Joe Blow up?” They always learn the lesson in the end.
I’m sending this to my leaders right now…great post.
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@Jeremiah
““What do you mean I shouldn’t sign Joe Blow up?”
They always learn the lesson in the end.”
Yeah, and it’s usually a painful one. I think the
same applies in any business. I made this mistake
myself a few times… totally blows.
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Rebecca Geiger on December 4th, 2009
A good thing to know is a dud will always be a mud spud and drop scud so they make a thud.
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Rebecca Geiger on December 4th, 2009
ps. How can I get my picture up like the two smarties above?
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@Rebecca
Haha… oh man.
“A good thing to know is a dud will always be a mud
spud and drop scud so they make a thud.”
I swear you make my day whenever you comment
Rebecca.
As for the pictures… try “googling” gravatar or searching for
the wordpress plugin “Easy Gravatars” it’s pretty easy to
install but let me know if it works for you.
It puts your bio pic everywhere you comment with your
e-mail address online. Really cool
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Mitcehll Dillman on December 4th, 2009
Well Jason,
Now you’ve really touched on something close to home.
You see Jason, I’m an avid sportsman with a fundamental belief in my right to keep and bear arms…I maintain an extensive collection and I’m proud to be an American.
The thing about any firearm though, is that without ammunition it’s simply an expensive club…If you ever find yourself in a pinch, or with that perfect trophy within range and you’re shooting duds, well you know.
If you’re not aware of it, there’s currently an interesting phenomenon occurring across America. As fast as ammo hits the shelves it’s bought up. It’s gone… It’s taken off the market and hoarded up in garages, store rooms, attics and private vaults all over America…This has been happening ever since last November and speaks volumes for where we are as a nation.
There’s a growing number of guys and gals out there that understand the value of any commodity and are willing to ‘hedge their bets’. Many truly feel that good ol’ ammunition is an investment, which to some degree, holds merit.
Now, what’s the tie in? What does this have to do with your article?
As we’ve already seen, over about the same time period, there has been a huge influx of new Americans, and people from all around the globe, raining into our industry…
Folks are worn out with the way things are and are looking for something better…A better and more rewarding way of life.
They are looking to what we already know to be the answer, Network and Internet Marketing…
Not unlike ammo, as fast as new entrepreneurs enter the market place, they’re presented with an opportunity and they’re snatched right up.
In my view, the dud’s will be weeded out naturally and the real ‘hot shots’ will rise to the top.
Unlike ammunition, you can see a ‘live one’ a mile away…They stand out. They have a spark that shines like a cigarette cherry on a moonless night.
It’s our job to reach out to all the new ‘bullets’ regardless, and help cultivate them into leaders. It’s our job to help them all. You never truly know when you have a dud til you squeeze that trigger, right?
I understand the importance of time and not wanting to waste it on a ‘dud’, yet some ‘killers’ start out slow and gain momentum as they grow…
Anyway, sorry for my rant. I get so emotional and passionate when it comes to my guns 
For me, it’s a matter of our rights. To stand by and watch as our government quickly erodes them is a travesty…What’s the talk I’m hearing about Congress now wanting to control the World Wide Web for the sake of National Security?
I better go…
Thanks,
Mitchell Dillman
Eco Warrior
P.S. Let me know it you want to publish this as a book
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December 4th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Good day Mitchell,
I like your philosophy… I am a little
worried that the duds won’t be weeded out
fast enough though… and there seems to be
plenty of them to go around.
The good news, is that the live ones are
like you said… easy to spot… it’s the ones
in between that worry me.
They have potential… but something’s holding
them back… maybe some day… the human
duds… click… get fired up and go.
Again, I think your insight is spot on. I don’t
know why you don’t turn some of your comments
into full articles… they would make some ripples in
network marketing… especially Better Networker.
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Mitchell Dillman on December 4th, 2009
Thank you Jason,
Your encouragement and support are greatly appreciated. My wife Judith, has also been prompting me to focus more of my time on writing.
Well, I’ve got exciting news…
As of earlier this morning I’ve been offered the opportunity to begin writing a regular, feature column for a ‘high traffic’ and highly targeted web-site. One which I know you’re familiar with.
Your leadership and direction has lead me to this new opportunity. I’ve simply put into action the lessons you teach. Connecting with people is, in my opinion, one of the three paramount keys to any successful business. Never be afraid to reach out to others you aspire to be like.
I’ve always known that half the battle, in life or business, is just showing up. When the coach knows you’re here to play, sooner or later he’ll put you in the game.
I’ll share more with you about this exciting news once my first article is published…
Thanks again,
Your friend and student of life,
Mitchell Dillman
P.S. You will be seeing more of my thoughts popping up over at the Better Networker as well..
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December 4th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Hey congrats Mitchell!
For sure. Let me know when
you’re published. It’s only going
up from here.
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Rebecca Voyda on December 4th, 2009
This is quite possibly one of your best posts ever! 
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Thank you Rebecca,
You just made my night. I’ve been
following your posts and John’s posts
on Better Networker too.
Have a great weekend.
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Manuel Man on December 6th, 2009
Great stuff…
It’s then pretty hard when you sponsor a ‘dude’ and you want to change him into a leader.
I talked about this with a friend of mine. He said he lovs his friends and wanted them to go along with him eventough they dont have the right mindset… and have the attitude as a ‘dude’ He’d want to change them.
I dont say it’s not a bad thing… but it’s hard.
thanks for sharing…
Manuel:)
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December 6th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Hey Manuel,
I’ve never been a believer in “changing”
anybody. Because education is the most expensive
marketing plan in the world.
Much easier to find people who want to hear
what you have to say.
With that said, I know it would be great if
we could all tell our friends and family about
our plans and invite them to join us. I don’t
know if there’s an easy answer except to keep
your arms open and lead by example.
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Safar on January 14th, 2010
Hey Jason I couldn’t put it over better myself , about this dud thing . What I do know is that duds would always be in the pipe line and it’s not hard to figure them out because of their attitudes. On the other hand people who are willing to learn would get involved by communicating and asking questions to satisfy their curiosity . In short they are sheep, and they are shephards . One bread to be led and the other bread to lead . With keen observation you can seperate the two.
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January 14th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Safar,
I have to agree with you. Some
people are not meant to lead at all.
I was surprised to see your comment
on this post. It’s one of my favorites too.
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Recently, I’ve started using Eric Worre’s “If I… Would You” approach in prospecting and talking with possible business partners.
For example, “If I gave you this dvd, would you watch it?” “If I lent you this magazine, would you read this article?” etc. etc.
If they say no or they hesitate, then the conversation is over and I haven’t wasted any more of my time.
I’m looking for people who are serious about making the commitment to changing their life, not people I have to drag and pull along.
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
@Patty
That’s awesome. It’s the first I’ve heard of it too,
but I love it. Right to the point. Beats my seven
point checklist… hah
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