Top 10 objections in MLM business

Every distributor faces objections. And while experienced networkers know how to respond to all the doubts of a potential client, a sales novice is more likely to get lost. After several failed meetings and rejections, inexperienced distributors lose their enthusiasm, begin to doubt their abilities, and often leave the MLM business.

To prevent partner attrition from their structure and increase their productivity, it is important to provide newcomers with quality training and provide a step-by-step algorithm for handling objections.

What Is Objection in MLM

Objections - these are negative beliefs, a potential client/partner's defensive reaction to an offer to join the structure or order products from a network company. Working with such beliefs is a mandatory step in sales and attracting new partners.

Handling objections is a skill that improves over the years. The main thing is to realize that each client is unique, and objections, as a rule, turn out to be a sign of interest. By choosing the right arguments and properly handling criticism, the distributor will attract the most determined partners to the team. It works something like this:

• Step 1. The representative of the network company contacts a potential partner, presents the goods and terms of cooperation to them.

• Step 2. After listening to the presentation, the person moves on to actively defending their interests and presenting arguments against purchasing / cooperation.

• Step 3. The MLM project partner selects the right arguments, overcomes objections, and achieves their goal - making a sale or recruiting a new team member.

To learn how to handle objections in network marketing, you need to study their types and essence. In general, they are divided into:

1. Primary. When a person presents truly significant arguments against a company. They may relate to the price or quality of the product, marketing plan, etc.

2. Secondary. Replies that resemble excuses, such as "I'll think about it," "I know where to get this product cheaper," etc. Usually, people respond like this against a backdrop of a bad mood or unwillingness to communicate.

3. Valid. Objections based on a person's personal experience. It is most difficult to work with such beliefs.

4. Invalid. Contradictions based on rumors, internet reviews, or comments from potential distributors' friends.

Examples of objections in network marketing:

№1. This is a pyramid scheme

Nature of the objection: people fear being deceived, do not trust the sponsor, do not understand the specifics of partnership programs. This objection is very easy to provoke if the needs of a potential customer are incorrectly identified and information about the company is presented incorrectly.

How to handle a request: Find out why a person considers the company a pyramid scheme and explain the essence of working with network organizations. Specify the criteria that clearly demonstrate that your project operates within the legal framework and complies with the legal norms for MLM businesses.

In one of our previous articles, we already discussed The Difference Between Network Marketing and Financial Pyramids.

№2. Only those who came to the company first earn here

Belief nature: a person is afraid of facing failure, being incompetent, losing money. Also, self-doubt and incorrect beliefs about network marketing may play a role.

How to handle the request: explain the principles of your company's operation that help in career growth. Tell your story and cases of people from your team who recently joined the business and showed rapid growth.

№3. This is a business for losers

Belief nature: a person is afraid of looking ridiculous and does not want to provoke judgment from their immediate environment. Indirectly, low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence can influence this.

How to handle the request: find out why the person thinks that way, talk about your achievements in the network, the progressiveness of the team, earning prospects using examples of company leaders, etc. Show examples of well-known people from your project who have reached a certain level and only enhance their success.

Also, provide examples of achievements of network companies that have been successfully growing for many years - this business, undoubtedly, cannot be called a failure. We talked about such projects in the article Top 50 MLM Companies of 2024.

№4. It's difficult, I can't do it

Nature of Belief: uncertainty in one's abilities and fear of being unsuccessful. Also, the style of presenting information about cooperation and the general level of a person's awareness play a role.

How to handle the request: Tell your story of joining the network marketers and share success stories of people from your team. For individuals with such an expression, it is crucial to feel closeness, support, and direct contact with a mentor. Offer them to try their skills under your guidance and personally evaluate the results obtained.

№5. I have few friends, nowhere to find partners

Belief nature: lack of confidence in their abilities and fear of failure, lack of experience in sales, marketing, business organization, absence of leadership skills, etc. Such a person is unfamiliar with the principles of network marketing in general and is a "clean slate."

How to handle a request: present the essence of network marketing from the perspective of networking and self-development tools in terms of skill-building. Provide a clear understanding that network marketing is not limited to attracting friends - there are numerous channels for attracting and thousands of people to work with.

№6. This is a women's business

Nature of persuasion: fear of appearing funny, weak, condemned, rejected, inadequate. Demonstrative display of "masculinity".

How to handle a request: tell what is sold in the network and "male products", that "female business" is created by men and how distributors work in cosmetic companies. Ideally, if you have men in your team and can talk about their results.

№7. People don't have money to buy this product

Nature of belief: fear of appearing greedy and pushy, funny, unwanted. It can also be a common excuse and a sign that it's worth contacting the person later.

How to handle a request: show examples of how a business grows during a crisis and demand for your company's product exists in any economic situation. Also, you can prove and demonstrate with cases how the purchasing power of your personally invited partners grows. Describe the economic benefit for product consumers in the short and long term.

№8. I have already been in a network

Nature of persuasion: a person is afraid to deal with an unscrupulous sponsor, does not trust you, does not want to take responsibility for the results of work and earnings.

How to handle a request: Get closer to the person, build trust, get to know them better, find common ground. Try to understand what specifically hindered their development last time and provide real examples of how you help solve problems.

№9. This is a cult

Nature of belief: Fear of the new, the unknown, fear of looking foolish, condemned. Such people are usually naive, believe in myths/stereotypes.

How to handle the request: Find out why they formed such an opinion, tell more about the essence of network marketing and your individual position on this matter. Provide information from the perspective of how MLM methods are used in traditional business and it doesn't bother anyone.

Also, one of the main differences between a sect and network marketing is that in MLM people earn. However, the income in MLM is the personal responsibility of each individual distributor, the money doesn't just "fall from the sky" and one will have to work hard.

№10. I don't believe in your product, it doesn't work

Nature of Conviction: lack of trust in the sponsor and the specific company, belief in rumors and online reviews. Often, such objections arise regarding organizations that sell dietary supplements - then, a person simply fears harming their health, testing, and experimenting with their body.

How to Handle the Request: identify the person's needs and values, look for other points of contact. An argument could be the fact that youth is not eternal, health and beauty need to be actively maintained. Operate with facts about the company's product. If it's about a product - let the person personally use the company's range (for example, send samples or offer a personal discount on purchasing the products); if it's about services - tell a real example and the benefit that you and your clients have received.

Thus, objections in MLM business are often based on fear of the new and lack of self-confidence. Training distributors to effectively handle objections not only helps retain them in the team but also contributes to dynamic sales growth, partner structure, and the MLM company as a whole.

For over 20 years, our team at FlawlessMLM has been creating comprehensive IT solutions with built-in training modules that contribute to the successful growth of our clients' MLM projects. Contact our experts in chat and we will help you build a productive distributor structure.