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Successful network marketers know how to follow up because they understand that it is important to cultivate relationships with prospects before converting them into customers or new distributors. When you learn how to follow up, you will start cultivating relationships.

Unless the prospect tells you 'No, I'm not interested, and do not contact me ever again,' you should always follow up with the prospect at some point. Most successful network marketers will say that it is quite rare to make a sale or sponsor a distributor from the first contact. They often find that success occurs anywhere between seven and ten contacts, so they learned many ways on how to follow-up.

If you talked to a prospect by telephone or met face to face, and they tell you that they are not interested, you can ask, 'Would it be all right if I follow up with from time to time in the event you change your mind'? Your prospect will most likely say yes in this circumstance. Set up a time to follow up at least once a month, and keep following up. The timing may not be right for now, but perhaps down the road, the timing could be perfect when their circumstances change.

When you follow up, you expose the many benefits of your business opportunity, product or services. The prospect may not have experienced a need the first time you presented the opportunity, but that need could develop over time. Or perhaps when you mention a benefit, the prospect might realize there is a certain need. The only way you are going to find out that need is through following up continuously, until they tell you 'Don't contact me anymore'Ask them questions about how things are going for them with their career or what steps they are taking to ensure they are financially secure. Perhaps you may uncover that they need a plan B, and may see more of a need for your opportunity. Always think of yourself as a problem solver in this industry.

Here are a few techniques on how to follow up with a prospect:

Send an email - When you are prospecting, always ask your prospects and customers for their e-mail address, and ask for their permission to send follow-up emails. You can set up an autoresponder service like AWeber or Get Response, where you have automated e-mail messages following up with the prospect spread over set intervals of time. Make sure to ask their permission. If not, you will be guilty of spamming, and that will surely destroy rather than build relationships with prospects.

Place a phone call - Call your prospect after a specified interval, and say that you're just checking in to see if they are interested in hearing more about their product or business opportunity. If they're not interested, make sure to ask for permission to keep in touch with them.

Always remember to follow up, but make sure that you ask for their permission to do so. By following up, you will develop a relationship with the prospect, and always put their needs ahead of yours.