September
13
2011
I just read a post on a forum that I belong to, that I had to respond to. The writer was asking why Network Marketing was so hard? They also asked for special ‘tricks’ that they needed to know about. Following is my post reply. I hope it can help if you too, if you think Network Marketing is hard:
1. Work with your warm market first (people, who if you call them, would know you by name asap), and make that list and contact them. We all hear that tip, but shriek with horror in formulating it – but very necessary. If you cannot talk with them, it’s harder to work with a cold market first.
2. Make sure that you are with a company that you would use their products even if you did not rep for them. You will have built up longevity of usage, and can speak knowledgeably about them, whether the products or the opportunity, and will show folks that you are with them for the ‘long haul’.
3. Work on your belief system. By calling NWM ‘hard’, it tells me that a person is new to this industry. You have to work on your belief system (the industry, the company, the products, and mostly YOU) before you can feel confident that no matter what comes out of your mouth, it reflects positively about who you are, what you rep, and why you are in business.
What are your thoughts on this?
May
14
2011
Sometimes life just happens – know what I mean? Things can just come into your life, take control for a while, and then leave you wondering what the heck happened?
For me it was taking a siesta from my blog to get seriously into my studies. This now past Spring semester was my last semester as a non-trad college student. While the two years I spent learning new things, studying for tests, and working on creative projects was quite interesting to say the least, it also interrupted an already busy life.
Though I love to put my thoughts down on paper, and communicating with my faithful followers, sometimes you need to say “This is just more important right now” and stay focused on what needs to be done. For me, it will all be worth it when I take that walk at my graduation to accept my diploma. My family and close friends are proud of me, and I too, am pretty proud of myself.
With that being said, I just want to say “I’m back!” I’ve missed sharing the meanderings of my mind, and hearing your responses. My business has taken a great upswing, and I’m grateful and appreciate more than ever that I work for myself.
How about you? What has taken a hold of your life, and made itself a priority? Once the episode received your attention, how did you spring back and re-dedicate yourself?
January
28
2011
Yesterday we received 9 inches of snow. What’s frustrating is that we still had a ‘wall’ of snow left over, surrounding our property from the snowstorm a few days earlier. So 9” on top of 6”, well, that’s just too much snow in my opinion! As a mom who, as she gets older, likes snow less and less, it gets really hard to motivate my two teenage daughters to shovel out our driveway. No, we don’t have a snow blower. My husband insists we don’t get enough snow to warrant purchasing one. Well, with the amount of snow we received last winter, and so far this winter, it makes me think we need to start investigating the purchase of a snow blower this Spring (when the prices go down, naturally).
So what does snow have to do with leadership you may be asking? Well, you see, to convince my daughters that in order to get to do things they want to do (ex. going to the mall to shop, go out to eat), we sometimes have to do things we don’t want to do. They agreed, but half-heartedly. Some of you know that I’ve sustained a hip injury a number of years ago, that only now is raising its ugly, painful head. Being a ‘prime candidate’ for a hip replacement sometime in my future, it’s imperative that I don’t fall, and decrease the length of time I have to put off this operation. It also means that tasks such as walking too much (not to mention snow shoveling) can be quite painful. To show that I am not a ‘leader who leads only by word of mouth’, I grabbed a shovel (we just so happen to have 3 of them), and helped the girls shovel out our driveway and walks. From time to time I would look up at them, tell them how great a job they were doing, and gave them ‘high 5’s’. Yes, I was in pain (I gladly took pain medication when I got back inside). Yes, I was tired. But knowing that I ‘led by example’, and was part of the team, made them feel more of a bond to me (and me to them!). We were in this together!
What is your leadership style like? Do you dictate and expect your team to follow orders? Or do you dig right in and work side by side with your team? What are your thoughts on this?
December
28
2010
I’m full of analogies today. Maybe it’s because of the New Year being just around the corner, or I’m just feeling philosophical lately – but I feel I need to get a certain message out. This entry that I just posted on my Facebook wall got me thinking:
“Stop focusing on how hot the tea is and open the darn fortune cookie already!”
In other words, stop concentrating on how bad, stressful, boring, horrid a situation is, and look around you at what is right and beautiful in your world – right there inside and in front of you.
If the new economy hasn’t taught us anything else, we need to learn to be open to new opportunities. The ‘same old, same old’ is not cutting it anymore. With so many folks out of work, some for quite a long time, it’s hard to be upbeat. Others are in jobs they hate; they drag themselves out of bed each morning, and go thru their day like they are running thru mud. They stick with it not because they love what they do, but that they feel they have no options.
Don’t kid yourself that ‘things will get better’. Things are changing. You need to change with the changes. You need to adapt and evolve into a newer, better, less shakable you.
That’s why I love network marketing so much. Whether you are looking for a new job, in a job you hate, or you love your job but just need to supplement your income, the options and opportunities are almost endless. With network marketing, that glass ceiling is a thing of the past. I’ve seen waitresses, stay-at-home moms, as well as doctors and corporate execs make great incomes while working a network marketing business.
Open your eyes & hearts so your mind can see and make a real difference in your life. Take the risk, and be willing to work to better your future! Here’s to a great New Year!
November
13
2010
Ever get just plain tired of how things are? Ready to change things, but don’t know how? Feel like you’re in a rut? Allow me to give you a visual that may help you get over the ‘woe is me’ state and move into a better place; a forward moving activity.
I’m sure most of you have flipped thru a magazine recently. You first flip thru the pages, notice the advertisements; articles that you want to read when you have time; articles you may never read because they do not interest you; and some articles you read right away. How you determine which is which is by your cognitive decision by how it makes you feel.
The next time the same old thing comes your way, make a decision on how you will deal with it. You have a choice!
1. Will you not give the notion or activity a second thought and think ‘Next’?
2. Will you say ‘I’d LOVE to, but I can’t right now’ and plan for that activity another time (be sure to put it on your calendar or in your planner!)?
3. Will you get active right away because the mere thought of it is intriguing and you cannot wait to get started?
4. Will you take a look at it and say, ‘Nah, not interested’, and choose to move on?
When something is so dull, depressing, or just same ol’ same ol’, (as in #4 above), make a mental choice to ‘flip that page’ and decide NOT to allow it to affect you. Move on to brighter things. Allow yourself to notice the newness of change; a different direction. Depending on your time availability when a new concept or activity presents itself, you will either do what #2 above suggests – do it when you have more free time; or what #3 suggests – it’s so intriguing and enticing that you make plans to implement and make changes.
You have control over the “Yay, this is exciting!” and the “Yuck, I’m tired of this!” It’s all a matter of how quickly you flip that page. What are your thoughts on this?
October
28
2010
Are you having difficulty booking a party, business presentation, product event?
I am on The Success Factory’s (www.thesuccessfactory.com) email list, and the tip provided here was such an ‘ah-hah’ moment for me, that I had to share this novel idea!
“I just had a light bulb moment recently and wanted to share it with you. Another direct seller and I were talking about some challenges some of our team members were having. They call and call and call and never get parties. Why, we ask? Well, let’s give our downline the assignment of calling THEMSELVES and leaving a message and either ask yourself to book a party OR ask to recruit yourself in the business. Later, have them pick up their message and let them ask themselves “Would I book a party from me?” or “Would I like to be in business with me?” This way, THEY are their own critic , not you.”
If you choose to try this, feel free to share what you thought. Would YOU book an event with YOU?
October
18
2010
There is no such thing as ‘overnight success’. What may look like someone just ‘falling into’ a good deal, or ‘coming into riches’, etc. is really hard work, positive action and making more right choices instead of wrong choices; all consistently done over time.
Success relies heavily on faith. Positive choices you make today will not always reap good results today. Or tomorrow. Or next month. But consistently making good choices, working towards your goals every day (even if you only have 20 minutes to spare), actively puts you into cultivating your dreams. In a results-focused word, we often want to skip from ‘planting our seed’ to ‘reaping our rewards’. The key component missing is the cultivating (nurturing, growing, weeding) – all of which takes time!
In his book, “The Slight Edge”, Jeff Olsen explains it this way: “We plant the seed by joining the gym, and then get frustrated when a few days go by and there’s no fitness harvest. So is taking steroids to enhance athletic performance. So is robbing a bank; so is playing the lottery.” And he sums it up as “…..(it) takes place only through the patient dimension of time.”*
Are you patiently working on your business? Doing something, any small thing, to move you forward every day? Are your expectations in line with the reality of the time factor?
(*”The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olsen – Ch. 3 “The Secret of Time”)
October
15
2010
We’ve heard it said that network marketing is a ‘relationship business’. How can a ‘relationship’ affect your business (and life in general)?
To engage in a relationship, you first need to get along with yourself. People who can’t get along with themselves cannot get along with others. You spend more time with yourself than with anyone else. If you can get along with yourself, people around you will be easier to get along with.
You need to value people. If you are seeking customers for your products and prospects for your business opportunity, you need to make the other person feel important. Be real about this – you cannot make another person feel important if you truly feel they are just a number.
To effectively work your business you need to be around people. You need to make the effort to form relationships. Relationships take energy. If you don’t have energy, how do you expect to be effective in life or your business?
Understand that a relationship is a reciprocal exchange. If you have a good attitude towards people, they will have a good attitude towards you; and the opposite is also true (regarding having a bad attitude).
Take a look at your customers; at your team members. Do you have a good relationship with them? If not, today may be the day to start doing something about it. How have you worked on yourself first, to be fully engaged?
October
13
2010
As you go about sharing your business opportunity, keep in mind that, no matter what product line your company sells, it’s not a ‘product company’ that you are offering your prospects. You are truly in the business of helping people discover and build their dreams. In today’s economy, you are offering them hope.
Ask your prospect what their wishes are, no matter how crazy they may seem to them. Show them how they can turn their wishes into dreams using your opportunity as a springboard. Ultimately their dreams will be achieved using both their goals and your team’s system. And remember to never forget to tell them, “Yes, you can!”
What are your thoughts about how you are sharing your business opportunity?
October
11
2010
On a recent training call with Jordan Adler (author of “Beach Money”, and a recognized leader and high earner in Network Marketing), we received great reasons ‘why’ a Network Marketing business is a wonderful opportunity – now more than ever! Here are some key points I wanted to share with you. If you’ve been on the fence about looking into Network Marketing (henceforth noted as “NWM”) as a viable career, you just may want to take a closer look!
1. You can start a NWM with a low investment – generally $500 or less. No large capital investment or bank funding required.
2. You can work a NWM business part time and build it while you are doing something else.
3. If you are a stay-at-home mom or dad, there is no requirement for daycare.
4. There is definitely an unlimited growth potential.
5. Due to the low investment aspect, you can be profitable right away.
6. Flexibility – You can work as much or as little as your schedule allows. Some days you will have more time to devote to your business, some days you will have less time. But done every day (and not ‘sometimes’), you can consistently grow your business.
7. NWM provides real residual income. You will continue to be paid on efforts made now, and going forth.
8. Free training is provided from others who are in your chosen company – those who have been there, done that.
Wow! Now isn’t this awesome? Have you turned down a friend’s presentation offer because you were skeptical about their new business venture? You owe it to yourself to make an appointment with them and see if what they are doing is of interest to you.
If you were searching for a home-based business, and you got overwhelmed with all the opportunities out there, did you push the thought aside in frustration? Click on link “Home-Based Business” under “Work With Me” on the right column. I would love to chat with you to see if what I have to offer would be a good fit for you.
As always, I invite you to comment below, click ‘Like’ and ‘Tweet’above, and share this with your team.
