Mining for Diamonds:
Tips for a Contact List that Works!

"Keep building your contact list," urged President Frank L. VanderSloot at January Launch. A contact list is so important, creating it is the first fundamental step in building a Melaleuca business. "Wherever you go," said Frank, "you should take your list and continue to add names. Never leave home without it. It is your diamond mine. You will find the diamonds if you keep sifting through the names and adding new ones."

But how can you tell a diamond from a rock? It takes a lot of work. It takes polishing and persistence. But when you've found that contact that turns out to be a real jewel, your work will be well rewarded.

Two expert "miners" in Melaleuca are Jim Head, Executive Director V in Florida, and Laraine Agren, Executive Director V in California. In Jim's seven years in Melaleuca, he's earn $1.5 million. Laraine's income last year topped $320,000, and she was honored as Marketing Executive of the Year in 1999. Jim has over 4,800 customers in his organization, and Laraine has over 3,700 - which means they've had to find a lot of contacts and teach others to find contacts as well. With their combined experience, they've set up some simple, easy-to-follow steps that will help any business builder find a few shining diamonds and reap the rewards.

The Importance of a Contact List

Jim Head calls in another enrollment

"One of the reasons we've had success early in the game," explains Jim Head, "is because we learned to take the whole idea of the contact list as serious as a business would consider its inventory. A store can have the very best looking displays, computers and a great location, but there's no way that store can do business without inventory. In our business the inventory is the contact list."

"When you think about it," Jim continues, "it behooves one to have as big an inventory as possible and know what's in it at all times, to have it organized. You can apply all of that to making a list. You want to be specific about what you have in inventory."

Once the new enrollee has grasped the importance of the contact list, Jim teaches two basic concepts: you have to write the list and work the list. "When we talk about writing the list, we don't write it in our head or on any old piece of paper. Would a serious business keep track of their inventory on a post-it note? No, they'd have an inventory book or ledger divided into sections. I suggest getting a hard-cover notebook, and using tabs to divide it into sections to help yourself be organized."

Laraine Agren agrees. "Without a contact list I'm out of business. I keep it in the back of my planner so I have it with me everywhere. I used to write down leads on cards or little papers on my desk, but now I've transferred it all to my planner. I add to it daily so I have new people to call all the time."

Creating the List

When writing your list, you need to be comprehensive and creative. To make sure no one is prejudged and left off the list, Jim asks the enrollee to write down everyone who goes to the grocery store and pharmacy. "Everyone goes to the store. At the most basic level, you're going to do everyone a favor and just let them know how to switch stores and get a better value for their money. Let everyone have the freedom and dignity to decide for themselves if they're interested."

Laraine Agren calls a new contact, then jots down notes in her planner so her follow-up calls are more productive.

"I find my leads creatively," says Laraine. "I generally meet people when I'm out and about doing my daily routine. I'm looking for a certain type of person." Laraine will look for a nice car that must belong to a successful person, then try to find the owner. And she looks for people who are self-employed. "You've got to locate the right people," she says. "Just ask questions. When I'm at the airport I talk to people - I ask why they're traveling, where they live, how many kids they have. I look for someone who's outgoing, who smiles, who talks back."

To get the most names, Jim inventories three vitally important areas: past, present and future. "This is where creativity comes in. For the past, look through old high school yearbooks. Think of anyone you knew in work relationships, sports, social circles, church or synagogue. This is work, but it's your inventory."

"In your present life, you have another whole set of contacts. Who are you currently working with, rubbing shoulders with? Write everyone down." Then, says Jim, carry your contact book with you at all times. "Don't leave home without that list. That's how you build your list for the future. Have a section that's fluid, for ideas that come on a daily basis. It could be the person you meet at the store, the mechanic who fixes your car, anyone you contact. It might not be someone you want to talk to today, but someone you'll get to know so you can contact them tomorrow. That's the future aspect - you're always adding names and cultivating for the future."

For that last year and half, Laraine says she's been out of warm leads. But that hasn't slowed her down. "Everybody I've found are people I located out of my circle of influence." She tells about a new contact found while helping a friend look for a house. She called an ad that said "For sale by owner," and asked the seller what he did. He sold insurance, and he said his wife was out of town. Laraine asked what his wife did, and he explained that she sells insurance, too. "I said, 'You're the perfect person I'm looking for. I'm looking for self-employed people who are interested in a business.' I ran Melaleuca by them and set an appointment. And you'd better believe their names are on the list in the back of my planner now."

Working the List

Then it's time to work the list. "The first key to working through this huge inventory is to classify and qualify," says Jim. "We classify what we think of the person before we talk to them, then qualify from what we know after talking. The classification system is different for every leader. Some put stars by who will be a Director. What I do is divide the list into A, B and C. If you walked into a jewelry store, you'd find several levels of inventory, like Rolex, Seiko and Timex. My list is like that: A's are the Rolexes, the people who will be great to work with as a team. B's are the Seikos, those who could go either way. And C's are the Timexes, the customers in my business. Now, when I actually contact these leads and qualify my list, I may find that my C's are really A's."

Ray and Laraine Agren pose with their President's Club trophy.

Laraine works her leads on the list through a series of calls. Since most of them are cold contacts, she first warms them up with a couple calls. She might three-way conference call with someone else who has been successful in Melaleuca. And then she'll follow up with yet another three-way call the next day, so the contact meets another successful Melaleuca person. "I let them hear other people, another viewpoint before I go see them."

And yet Laraine won't bug them if they say they're busy. "I just tell them I'll get back with them another time. I don't want to be a pest, but I want them to know that they're wanted. People like to be chased."

Bringing that initial phone call to a good close is what leads to good call backs. "The first thing you want to close for is an appointment," says Jim. "If you don't get an appointment, the second thing you try for is a referral. And if you don't get an appointment or a referral, definitely close for a call back. It could be a time when things are rough and they're just not ready to listen. I put those contacts on my 'get back to' list. I ask for the opportunity to recontact them, and leave the door open. I make notes in my planner about the day and time we talked, what we said, and when to call back in two or three months."

Making Notes

Laraine leaves enough space on her contact list to makes notes about her conversations. She writes the date, the name of the spouse and the kids, and any details that let her know a little about the person. "Then calling back is the key. I don't ever cross them off unless they absolutely say, 'Don't call me again!' But if I hear no, not interested right now, I'll ask if I can call back. But without the list and those notes, how can you keep calling?"

Lorena and Jim Head enjoy the sunshine outside their Florida home.

If you don't keep close records on call backs it could mean losing a prime contact. Jim shares the example of the time he was referred to Johnny Adams, now a Director III in his business. Johnny had been previously contacted by someone in Jim's organization, but after the initial contact that business builder did not follow up. "I happened to call when it was the right time. I added his name to my list and made the initial phone call. A couple days later I followed up and set an appointment. After that presentation I went back and did a second one with his wife present. During the whole process I kept close records and followed up, and after two weeks he started to build the business. Now he has 150 customers. The other guy I work with is glad that Johnny enrolled, but still wishes it had been him who had followed up and done the enrolling."

The Contact List Leads to Success

Laraine spends a lot of time working on her list, and keeps it growing everyday. "You've got to keep bringing in people who are willing to be Directors. It's real important to keep your list growing if you're looking for those people. It's not any easier for me because I've had success. I still have to keep working at it. And it all starts by saying 'Hi.'"

Laraine shares a recent success story: "My husband found a business card on the ground at the gas station. The name was Rodger Benadom and there was a business 1-800 number. I called and left a message, and he called me back and told me about what he was doing. I listened to his story - after three years of hard work in this company, he had 200 customers and $27 of residual income per month. I did a total interview on him, his children, and how he used to be a drywall contractor. Then I said, 'Now let me tell you what I'm doing. I've got something much better.' I made an appointment, did the presentation and enrolled him in Melaleuca. In his first full calendar month he became a Director II and made a check for almost $1,000 - more than he made all year in his former company. All that success was off a card my husband found on the ground, and having the initiative to call."

"This is a business of search and teach," Jim concludes. "You search for those who want to be a customer, and when you find those who want to make money, you teach them how to do it. We have to understand that this is about finding the right person at the right time. It could take several times of contacting them before it's the right time. As long as we stay organized and constantly, consistently work the list, you'll find a teammate at the right time."

Editor's Note: This is the first article in a seven-part series featuring the seven critical business-building activities.