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How to Be the Best Sponsor on the Planet in Network Marketing

2011-12-06T09:22:00.002-05:00

Network Marketing is an awesome industry. People come in to the industry for various reasons, but inevitably, regardless of whether they make $10 dollars, or $10 million, retention comes from what I call, the "People Factor".

Just like a two-sided coin, leadership in network marketing has two attributes - it is impossible to have one, without the other.

The People Factor consists of the two-sided coin called, Personal Development, which involves:

Developing Yourself
Developing Individuals

With each person you sponsor, you position yourself to guide the them to accomplish their goals. They have entrusted themselves to your leadership. That is quite an honor, because they have done so, choosing to put their hard earned money on the table and work with you, as their mentor and leader.

In examining how to be the best sponsor on the planet in Network Marketing, it is helpful to look at what not to do. Todd Falcone brings to light understanding from his unique perspective of explaining what not to do in working with people in the sponsorship role.

During dialogue, as you are interviewing your prospective business partner, if you're on the right frequency, you will pick up on their individual gifts, talents and abilities. Working with them in the sponsoring role, you want to work towards capitalizing and developing those, while at the same time working to strengthen areas that are weak.

Encouraging people to grow inside their areas of strength, while at the same time helping them to step out of their comfort zone in their areas of weakness, is what leadership is all about.

Let's examine some ways in which you can develop people to reach their fullest potential and be the best sponsor on the planet...

Spend time to really get to know them - and their why. Make sure you really understand all about their why. Here's a challenge for you. Sit down with a piece of paper, and write down the names of the people you've sponsored in the last 30 days, and beside their name, write out their why. If you can't write it out, then you need to have more in-depth dialogue with them.
Have your new team member write down their own why in detail and the goals it will take to get there to get that accomplished. Go over them together and outline a plan of action that the two of you will work toward in accomplishing their goals. Be accountable to one other.
Make yourself available - don't get too tied up in meeting, or exceeding your own recruiting goals and leave the sheep unattended - or the wolves will be sure to show up.
Be the best cheerleader, ever! When you see growth occur, reward it by letting team members know that you noticed. If you see they sponsored someone while you're checking your downline reports in your back office, give them a call and congratulate them for their efforts. The people you sponsor look to you for encouragement. Encouragement from the sponsor, fuels internal motivation that cannot be matched by anyone else.
Listen. Be a good listener.
Lead by example.
Ask. Ask on regular basis, what your team member feels they need help with.
Stay connected.. Communication builds cohesiveness in teams.

When you put these steps into practice, you'll see that what your team members can accomplish is nothing short of amazing.

Developing both your own leadership skills along with those of your team members is production at its finest and I can assure you that your team will think of you as the best sponsor on the planet - and that's a good feeling for everyone.

The Empowerment of Vision

2011-12-04T19:07:00.002-05:00

Vision...

It is the cornerstone in the foundation of success.

Without vision, there is no purpose, nor empowerment.

Vision is belief... empowered.

Vision begins with decision-making. It is decision, that shapes the vision.

When it Comes to Making Decisions...

Everyone makes decisions differently, based upon their own level of emotional intelligence and their unique style of logic and reasoning.

It's quite surprising how differently individuals reason and come to decisions.

Recently, I was interviewing some of my acquaintances about how they make decisions. I asked them the following question, "What process do you use to make a decision?" Here are some of the answers I received...

I go by pre-set parameters that I have for myself - if something requires me to step out of the boundary I have established for myself - the decision is NO. If it is within my parameters, the decision is, YES.

I ask others for advice and then compile their information with my own reasoning, and then make my decision.

I evaluate the risk and make an educated decision.

I do it on impulse, I go with my gut feeling and a 0% fear of risk - there is nothing in life without risk - I just manage the risk as it comes.

I think about both the short-term benefits, and the long-term benefits, and then I make a decision that is in my and my family's best interest.

As you can see from the above - there are as many ways to make decisions as there are personalities that make them.

Regardless of how you make a decision, the important thing is to make a decision. Once you make your decision, you have an end-point of reference to aim toward.

Let's Take a Look at 5 Active Characteristics of Vision

Dial in your focus - on the exact purpose - that you want
Create a picture
Energize your focus with that mental picture
Be present and feel your vision
Imprint your vision for automatic recall

Dialing in Your Focus

Dial in your focus to exactly what it is you want. Take time to get crystal-clear on your exact purpose - what it is that you want to accomplish. Write down your goals and think about them.

The Picture

Create a mental picture of your vision as already accomplished. Picture yourself living your life as it will be.

Energizing Your Picture

Energizing your picture is simply detailing it out. Imagine all the little details in your picture. See yourself in your picture as it is already accomplished.

Feeling Your Vision

Connect with your vision by utilizing all of your senses. Imagine how it feels to be present with your vision accomplished. Think about what it feels like in detail. Imagine how your life will be improved... what things in particular will be different? Write down on a piece of paper, your vision, and the emotions you will feel after it is accomplished, and focus on the way you feel with those emotions.

Automatic Recall

As you learn how to visualize your goal as accomplished, it will become natural and easier each time for you to re-engage your vision on automatic recall.

Take the time every day to direct your focus and reflect upon your vision. Learning to visualize your goals will empower your belief in yourself and get you to your destination.

How to Design an Effective Business Card

2011-11-17T09:57:00.012-05:00

The humble business card is the most cost effective marketing tool you could ever have at your disposal.

If you only had one resource, that would be the one you could utilize the best.

Business cards are portable - carry them with you in your purse or wallet.

When a business card is designed properly, you can leave the telling and selling to your business card - and spend your time better focused on making a good connection with people.

Business cards also enhance and personalize your business presentation if you include them with your company CD's or DVD's.

Here are some simple strategies you can implement when you design your business card...

Tip #1

Of course, you will want the basic information on your card, like:

Your Name
Your Direct Office Phone Number
Your Email Address
Your Website or Landing Page URL
Your Company ID Number
Your Company's Phone Number

Tip #2

Here's where you can get creative! You can add several options to business cards that will both educate your prospect and make your business card stand out from the crowd.

Here are some suggestions:

Put your company's Sizzle Line number on your card (the company dial-in recorded presentation)
Put the phone number to a previously recorded Conference Call.
Place a website link to a recorded Webinar Presentation.
Place an Appointment Form on your business card. Some contact management systems offer setting up your own landing or lead capture page. If you have that template available, you can create your own appointment form.
Add your picture to your card - it helps make it personal and also helps people to remember you.

Tip #3

Instead of just a landing page, how about getting your prospect to an opt-in landing page that is connected to an Autoresponder, such as AWeber, that will follow up with them using a series of emails and keep the relationship building process moving forward. With AWeber there are lots of cool web forms that you can choose from that is just right for your business opportunity.

Tip #4

Now that you have designed the perfect business card - you can take it even further. Take your card to the local newspaper and buy some business card sized advertising space to generate local leads.

Tip #5

Take it to the next level - and be sure to add your own creative ideas.

I hope you enjoyed learning these simple tips and strategies on how to design the perfect business card.

Using Behavior-Based Interview Strategies to Select the Right Person as You Build Your Network Marketing Business

2011-09-19T00:29:00.020-04:00

I recently called a lead who had opted in for information on my business, and during the conversation I asked him if he had ever been self-employed, worked for himself, or owned his own home-based business.

He began sharing with me that he had previously been involved in a couple of home businesses, "back in the day", but did not do well.

The statement, "did not do well", naturally caused me to ask him a series of other questions to get to the bottom of "why" he did not do well - such as:

What kind of support did he have?
How much time did he put into "working" his business?
Did he have a "marketing budget" that was sufficient to support his business expenses?
Tell me more about why you chose network marketing as a vehicle the first time to supplement your income.

After he responded to each of the questions I asked above, I was just about to direct him to a fantastic training resource where he could have received support, guidance and direction on getting started correctly this time and getting better results when to my suprise, with a one sentence summary, he shared with me that he just didn't assume his part of the responsibility to work his business like he should have.

This revealed to me the internal dialogue, and a self-sabatoging habit of procrastination. You can get creative in a lot of ways, but if genuine interest is lacking, and self-defeating habits are unwilling to be dealt with, there's not too much you can do with that.

This was not the behavioral response I was looking for during the interview process, but it was good enough to let me know what I needed to know. Unless there was a strong interest and a good work ethic this time around, his end result if he started in another business, would be the same exact experience as it was prior.

His summary during our dialogue, initially disqualified him to work with me.

Because I always try to keep my word, and he did request the information and seemed to have a genuine interest, I told him I would send him an email and scheduled an appointment to follow up with him.

To make a long story short, his interest the interest this time around is genuine and the work ethic is there too. The point is; interviewing with behavior-based questions, using a consultative approach, gives both parties the opportunity to communicate attentively and build rapport with one another.

Some important criteria you want to look for and direct your focus toward, are past successes and experiences that qualify the individual for the present position on your team.

You are looking for specific behavioral traits, which led to actions in the person's past experiences, such as the character trait of personal contribution. Personal contribution is most always a direct result of willingness to share a skill set learned, based upon a life or work experience.

As you take the time to conduct a good interview, you will find highly qualified people with good work ethics that will be an asset to your team.

Here are some sample behavior-based consultative interview questions:

Have you ever been self-employed, owned your own business, or been involved in a network marketing company before? (lead in question).
If yes... proceed to...How did that go for you?
If they were successful, ask them to share with you what they feel it was that contributed to their success.
If they were unsuccessful, ask them to share with you what they believe contributed to their frustrations, and what they feel could have been done differently to create a more positive outcome.
Share with me how you will balance the added extra responsiblity of starting a business from home, with your current work schedule and your personal life.
Tell me about a time, or event, where you had a challenging task at work and how you approached getting it accomplished.

In network marketing, your goal in the behavior-based interview is to uncover personal attributes. Build enough rapport to make a connection with your prospect, gather enough information to decide if the person you are interviewing is a match for you and your opportunity, and then give them the information they need to make an informed decision.

For even more success tips and strategies on interviewing and prospecting, you'll want to click here to add this training course to your tool box. In the course, you will learn how to avoid the seven most common mistakes made by the majority of marketers during prospecting.

How to Eliminate Distractions and Get Laser Focused to Build Your Network Marketing Home Based Business

2011-09-02T09:03:00.015-04:00

One thing is certain when you decide you are going to build a network marketing home based business:

You will have distractions. Some will be distractions from within, and others will be from outside sources.

How do you eliminate distractions so that you can focus on learning how to build a network marketing home based business?

Well, here's how you do it - just like you eat an elephant: one-bite-at-a-time.

First, let's talk about distractions from within.

Hopefully, you have a good, strong support system to guide you step-by-step where you can learn network marketing skills. Having a good support system is real important to your success. Everyone has days when they just feel like they can't do it anymore, and everyone has days when they feel like they're on top of the mountain.

Your support system: your sponsor, your team, and your training resources, will help you as you stretch and grow to develop yourself in your home based business.

As you grow, until your understanding is cultivated and developed, you may experience internal distractions in the areas of:

understanding this industry as a business model - what makes network marketing work.
motivation - keeping a positive attitude.
time-management - how to balance your home business activities with your current schedule at home.
growing your own belief.

These are all normal conflicts that every aspiring network marketer confronts as they grow into leadership. Learning these skills and disciplines equip you to begin knowing how to take the reigns of your life and be your own boss working from home in a home based business.

In addition to internal distractions, there are always the external distractions that can derail you from your business if you fail to recognize them.

You have to learn how to eliminate all kinds of distractions - because they will come. These distractions and diversions will help you to develop into a fine network marketing leader - if you learn the disciplines to master eliminating them.

Here some examples of external distractions:

Your current job commitment (time constraints)
Dealing with objections and solving your network marketing challenges

It's important to be realistic when you begin working from home. You are in a transition - you are not a full-time network marketing business person, yet; therefore, keep in mind that in order to be effective, you should learn how to prioritize and get the most important things done and taken care of each and every day.

Take care to nurture your own internal motivation before you call your leads and talk to your prospects.
Never end the day - until you've scheduled the next day's goals in you contact manager - first.

Get a daily calendar and set your home business hours. Get yourself into a routine. It takes three weeks, or twenty-one days to develop a new habit, so be sure to keep your nose to the grindstone until your prospecting routine becomes second nature to you.

Learning these disciplines of eliminating both internal and external distractions, will help you more than just about anything when it comes to getting a laser focus on building your network marketing home based business.

How to Overcome Skepticism and Establish Trust and Credibility with Your Prospects

2011-08-25T17:53:00.028-04:00

Well, let's just admit it - prospects are skeptical!

It's human nature, and the main objection in network marketing that you need to know and understand how to counter - is how to effectively overcome skepticism and establish trust and credibility with your prospects.

Skepticism is a natural defense mechanism designed to protect from harm and danger.

When you start cold calling, you'll find that your prospects are skeptical and they will put up their defense mechanism of skepticism by asking you questions.

Their questions are only to test your belief, since they have none yet.

When you recognize skepticism, you'll get good at countering it and maintaining control of the conversation when you call your leads.

Prospects want to trust that there are valid business opportunities out there (that's why they are looking in the first place), and even though they may never express to you verbally; in their mind they are thinking, "how do I know if this is a pyramid scheme"?

That's where you come in.

When you are comfortable with:

Yourself
Your company
Your presentation
The process of walking someone through the interview
The process of going through the overview

Your prospect will lose the skepticism.

When you learn to be comfortable and be yourself, prospects can relate to you because you won't sound like some sleazy, snake-oil type of salesperson.

All people really want is someone to guide them to information on "how to do it" - point them in the right direction - and turn them loose!

Here is how to GAIN TRUST with your prospect:

Listen
Care about them more than your own agenda
Be willing to give without receiving back
Identify with them if they tell you something you can relate to
Let them tell you their story

When you put into practice the above listed bullet points - your prospects will have a good inkling that you are genuine, that you are coming from a point of "what's in it" - for "them".

That is how to build trust with your prospect - it's not too hard, really. Just be genuine, and be yourself.

Once you have built trust and developed rapport with your prospect, you will find that you have a whole lot of leverage called, "credibility" in their eyes.

You don't have to be a 6-figure pro in order to have credibility with your prospect. Just care about them and show them you have something in your company that can be a way for them to find a solution to the reason they are looking into a home business (or their "why").

Be willing to be transparent - show your human side and relate to what your prospect shares with you.

You build your business in this industry, one relationship at a time.

Lay down a good foundation and you'll enjoy those business relationships - because they will turn into true friendship relationships along the way.

It's real simple to build trust and credibility with your prospects.

Don't try to be someone else - be transparent and be yourself and don't worry about speaking the perfect words when you are prospecting. You can never say the wrong thing to the right person - and you can never say the right thing to the wrong person.

Just be human - transparent and open - with people to let them see that you are for real and not out to burn them - you'll see how natural trust and credibility will form in prospecting.

CLICK HERE - to learn EVEN MORE - about how to establish trust and credibility with your prospects.

Words to Live By...

2011-08-19T22:34:00.038-04:00

Every once in a while, I like to shake it up a little and do something different, totally "out of the box", if you will, so today's blog is exactly that as compared to what you normally find here.

I believe writings, quotes, and all inspirational materials are meant to be shared - that is why they were given by inspiration in the first place.

Poems, quotes, etc., will be added as time goes by each time I find something I think is noteworthy to share with you, my readers.

We live and learn through our experiences every day of our lives.

* Feel free to share a poem, quote, or story that inspires you and touches your heart, in the comment section below.

1 Corinthians 13:13

"And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity".

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

Lessons in the Valley

I have been through the valley of weeping,
The valley of sorrow and pain,

But the God of all comfort was with me,

At hand to uphold and sustain.

As earth needs the clouds and the sunshine,
Our souls need both sorrow and joy;

So He places us oft in the furnace
The dross from gold to destroy.

When He leads through some valley of trouble,

His omnipotent hand we may trace,

For the trials and sorrows He sends us
Are part of His lessons in grace.

Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning,
Forgetting the husbandman knows

That the deeper the cutting and paring
The richer the cluster that grows.

Well He knows that affliction is needed;
He has a wise purpose in view;

But in the dark valley He whispers,
"Later on thou wilt know what I do

As we travel through life's shadowed valley
Fresh springs of His love ever rise;

And we learn that our sorrows and losses
Are blessings He sends in disguise.

So we follow wherever He leadeth;
Let the pathway be dreary or bright;

For we prove that our God can give comfort,
Our God can give songs in the night."

* not sure who wrote "Lessons in the Valley", but the very first time I heard it recited, was by an

old-fashioned Baptist preacher on the radio a long time ago out of Maryville, TN by the name of - Pastor Buck Ledford.

~~~

He and his wife also used to sing on their radio show a song entitled, "Two Coats". He would pick his guitar and she would harmonize with him. He was an old-school, country, mountain preacher - and a fine one he was at that!

I couldn't find them online to put them on my blog; however, since this is a good old-time country gospel song - I wanted to put it on my blog in honor of: Pastor and Mrs. Buck Ledford.

The Crabb Family:

Two Coats

~~~

Give the World Your Best

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,

love them anyway.

If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives,

do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies,

succeed anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow,

do good anyway.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable,

be honest and transparent anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight,

build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them,

help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt,

give the world your best anyway.

~ Mother Teresa

How to Overcome Every Challenge in Network Marketing and Develop an Unstoppable Belief!

2011-08-17T07:59:00.027-04:00

HAVE YOU MADE the 12-INCH JOURNEY... of BELIEF?

Is Your Belief... "IN" You? ~ It's What's "IN" You... that Matters!

Would you like to know how to develop an unstoppable belief to build your network marketing business and overcome every challenge you come up against along the way?

When you start building a network marketing business you will face many obstacles and challenges along the way. Everyone has their own personal journey with their own unique sets of challenges and obstacle course to navigate in order to reach the finish line.

Some common challenges people face are:

Your own personal growth and development
Overcoming phone fear and speaking with people
How to turn cold leads into hot prospects
Learning technology and marketing
Syndicating your business
Time management
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success

If any of the above reasons are sounding familiar to you, I've got good news for you. Once you make the 12-inch journey of belief, I promise things will get a whole lot easier to focus correctly in building your business.

Belief makes a 12-in journey from that thing sitting on the top of your shoulders, called your head - to that thing right in the middle of your chest, called your heart.

12-inches - that a pretty short journey; however, it is huge when you understand how this process can help you.

Your belief - is what will determine the level of action you take in your network marketing business
Your belief - determines your results and level of success

Belief is an intangible - you can't see it, you can't touch it, you can't smell it - yet, it manifests as a tangible when it is put into motion.

Everything you see, was once a thought (an intangible), an idea mixed with belief; which became tangible. The clothes you wear was once a thought in a designer's mind, the TV you watch was once a thought in someone's mind. The silverware you eat with, the keyboard you type with, the car you drive, the color of the paint on your wall, the Internet, this blog, everything that exists which you can see, feel or touch... None of these would have ever come to fruition and tangibility without belief that comes from within.

Belief comes in different levels and stages:

Head Knowledge - is where understanding of the basics takes place and aligns with your passion for your business.
Heart Knowledge - is where belief transfers into an unshakeable conviction fueling your personal level of action in your business.

Once you have conviction, your belief is unwavering, unshakeable, and it is unstoppable, regardless of what challenges you face when building your business.

How do you reach a conviction level of belief?

Getting to a conviction level of belief begins with being able to realize what you really have your hands on with your network marketing company and how it is able to make lives better, starting with your own.

Sit down and take a good look at your comp plan in your company. Have you outlined a plan of action on how to apply your company's comp plan toward your personal goals to improve your financial future on paper? Put it on paper, map it out, chart it out, whatever your pleasure, just transfer your goal to written format, and focus on it until it becomes real enough to become part of you - so real, that it not only is part of you, but so much a part of you that it is IN you, and is you - two separate things that become one.

Belief has to be IN you - in order to have a true conviction about what you are doing, regardless of whether you are working a traditional job, a network marketing business, or even whatever hobby you like doing. If you do not have a conviction level, or heart level of belief, you won't produce what you are capable of producing because your passion for doing so has not reached its fullest potential.

Think about that...

When you have made that 12-inch journey of belief, your passion fuels your actions, which becomes your internal compass, directing and guiding you to your desired end result.

Make sure to make that 12-inch journey - so that you know - that you know - that you know, that your belief... is IN you... That your success is IN you...

I promise when you come to this point of belief, that you will never have any trouble overcoming any challenge of obstacle that gets in your way when building your network marketing business.

The Two Things Most People Overlook When Choosing a Home Business Opportunity

2011-08-07T02:07:00.008-04:00

What are THE - TWO - MOST - IMPORTANT things that you should be asking yourself when you choose a network marketing opportunity?

Should the company have:

- The perfect pay-plan?
- The most rare product on earth, only attained through your company?

Or perhaps you might think you should be asking:

- What kind of training will I receive?
- What kind of support will I receive?

These are all valid and important things to focus on when choosing a company that you will be investing your time, money, and talent with to build a stream of income in.

But are they the most important?

What you are about to read could save your hide financially in the long run in your business if you will keep these couple of pointers in mind...

There are two very important criteria that most people never, ever think of when they are looking for a home business opportunity.

1. How Much Effort Does Your Company Put Forth to Watch Your Back?

What does that mean? What it means is, does your company have a policy in place in their TERMS AND AGGREEMENTS for their representatives that will protect YOU from:

Finding the product(s) you market for income for sale at half price on an online auction site.

This has always been a pet-peeve of mine and I, for the life of me do not understand why companies allow this to go on and undermine the efforts of their distributors. Sometimes, people come on board with you as customers only, instead of business partners. What happens when your customer can go to an online auction site and purchase your product for half-price? You're out your commission on those sales.

2. Does Your Company Protect You in the Sponsoring Process?

Believe it or not, there are a few good companies out there that have checks and balances in place to guard your efforts in sponsoring people. Not only will your name be plainly shown on the "join" page of your website, but they also will not process an order that is placed until a sponsor (you) is named.

If your company has these two important criteria in place to protect you - kudos to that company!

Before you sign on the dotted line with any company - do your homework...

If you have an ethical company:

- You won't find your product for sale at an online auction site.
- They will be protecting you and watching your back in the sponsoring process.

Something to think about.

Share your thoughts in the comment box below...

Why Buy Nutritional Supplements from a Network Marketing Company?

2011-08-05T18:17:00.019-04:00

Would you like a big heaping helping of sand on your plate, for dinner tonight?

How about a nice dirt sandwich with a glass of sludge to go with it, for lunch?

Of course, you wouldn't eat such a thing for dinner, lunch, or any meal.

Just as the thought of eating sand, dirt and drinking sludge is not too appetizing to your taste buds, your body also will not respond positively to taking cheap vitamins and herbal supplements that are mass produced.

We give so much consideration to the quality of food we put on our plates and into our mouths when we eat - even to the point of insisting upon ONLY organic, or vegan - but how much thought and consideration do we really put into the quality of the supplements we consume?

In the past - I'll have to confess, I didn't. One vitamin was just the same as any other in my mind and the cheaper the better, especially back when I was raising my children. Little did I know there were network marketing nutritional companies that offered financial incentives for simply sharing their products with others. Eventually, I learned about network marketing and nutritional companies that manufacture high quality supplements.

Having seen firsthand the power of a good anti-oxidant and anti-inflamatory supplement and the difference it made in our family's health, I'm now a firm believer that there is just no reason whatsoever to shortcut when it comes to nutritional supplementing with cheap vitamins from the retail chains.

Your health is the one thing you do have some control over. Your health is your first wealth.

Here is a saying I heard once, and it goes like this:

"When you're young, you're willing to spend your health to gain your wealth - and when you're old, you're more than willing to spend your wealth to regain your health."

Isn't that just so true? When you are young, you think you are invincible, that you will live for such a long time and you can work, work, work and make lots of money at whatever it is that you do for a living.

And once middle age sets in and you get a big reality check that you may not always be able to be in good health like you are enjoying now, you start thinking about taking better care of yourself.

- Enter supplementing.

Now, we not only supplement with vitamins, we take antioxidants, and all types of preventative nutritionals for mood, memory and energy enhancement. Designer vitamins are all over the place, but how do you know which ones are the best?

The first thing, is to examine the entire process from start to finish.

Does the company manufacture their products with high quality ingredients.
Are the supplements cold-process manufactured in small batches for maximum potency?
Does the company outsource the manufacturing of the supplements to a third party, or are they in control of the process themselves?
Is your supplement made with binders and fillers?
How fresh are the supplements you purchase?

You get what you pay for - and when you shop the local retail store for your supplements, you will more than likely end up with a product made with fillers and binders instead of a high quality supplement.

Nutritional supplements are designed to fill the gap where the diet lacks, and provide an optimum environment for your body to function in optimum health and be strong enough to fight off the free radicals that can cause disease.

Like I said before, because I was uneducated in quality nutritional supplements and their benefits, it really didn't matter to me back in the day, when I was purchasing my family's daily vitamins at the local retail chain.

Once I became educated on the difference between store brands and network marketing brands of supplements, I will have to confess to you that I was more than happy to make the switch from retail companies who manufacture supplements to network marketing companies who care about their products.

The next time you go shopping for a good vitamin supplement, be sure to use the check list above, and that way you will know the quality of the product and be able to rest assured that your dollars are going toward something that will help you live a healthier life by satisfying your nutritional needs.

Make sure your supplements fit the bill when it comes to quality ingredients and cold-process manufacturing before you make your next purchase.

It's your body and your health - take care of it correctly and consume the high-quality supplements and nutritionals your body deserves.

Are You Missing the Signs of Attrition?

2011-08-01T13:00:00.258-04:00

Here today - gone tomorrow! Why do they do what they do and how does it happen?

Are there telltale signs to recognize that will help avert attrition in your business?

As promised, I'm going to deliver quite possibly the most comprehensive insight into attrition you may ever read...

How can I make that claim? Good question - and here's the answer. I know from firsthand experience. I have been a downline member who has left an organization, and I have also been the upline that has experienced attrition - so that qualifies me to share with you the insight on attrition you will find in this post.

I promise not to bore you with statistics, or overload you with data. There are plenty of studies out there that are provided online for those of you who are number crunchers.

This post will deal specifically from a first person perspective. So let us begin...

One of the most overlooked aspects on attrition is the fact that it takes a village. Just like raising kids in today's world is different than it used to be in the past. To be effective, you should be leveraging more than your own efforts... no man is an island. A little more on that later on in the post.

The Prospecting and Sponsoring Process

Attrition can actually be reduced and kept to a low minimum during prospecting - if it is done correctly and ethically.

When prospecting, you are always looking to identify certain qualifications with people: time, money/budget, and interest.

Prospecting should never be rushed through. True, it is a numbers game as far as getting to your individual ratio and developing your own skillset; however, if more time is spent to dig deeper and get solid answers from your prospects on time, money or budget, and interest, a lot of attrition can be avoided right out of the starting gate simply by letting people go who really do not qualify for your opportunity and building relationships with those who do.

Strong Relationships = Strong Teams
Weak Relationships = Attrition

When you have a group of people who are all striving toward the same common goal, you have cohesiveness which counters attrition.

I may be stepping on some toes here today, but that is okay. I would rather share with you from my heart the truth. This industry needs a good clean up from the hype and nonsense out there - and it starts with marketers being honest and ethical with prospects and disqualifying them for their opportunity if they do not qualify.

A major topic that involves ethics in prospecting is the money (budget) question, and that can be a touchy subject now days. Money is tight in today's economy for many people and they are looking for solutions. If your company's compensation plan truly offers a solution, show them from your pay plan how that can happen for them just as soon as they qualify on the budget.

Attachment and Bonding

You don't have to be an expert to lead a person in this business. The most important thing is to be transparent enough to be yourself and care more about your prospect's why than your own. Caring is a language all people understand. This is a people development industry - develop people and your income will follow.

People don't care how much you know - until they know how much you care. That phrase is just about worn out - but still holds true and always will.

I would like to recommend an excellent resource that actually will help with the attachment and bonding during the prospecting cycle. This resource walks you step-by-step through the interview process in a way that helps promote dialogue between the marketer and the prospect. It is our Prospecting Call Guide provided by Leaders Club. If you hate scripts, you will love this Prospecting Call Guide because it is a script turned inside out. Over 9 years of research has gone into the development of this call guide and it is specifically designed to encourage dialogue. The Prospecting Call Guide is available to subscribers of Leaders Club. For access to more information, click HERE.

When you have identified that your prospect qualifies for all three: time, money and or budget and interest, now is the time to get to their why and spend some time on it with them. Now is the time that they will see that you are different all the others who just want a sale and you care about providing them with a solution to help them with their "why".

If you don't "tie down the why" to your opportunity with your prospect, you might as well expect some attrition. Prospects absolutely must see how it is going to be a solution to their problem from their own perspective - not yours. They have to be the ones to understand it. They have to be the ones to have the "ah ha" moment. It is your skill that will help them be able to understand. Once they understand through your dialogue with them, you will have built some rapport and begun forming an attachment.

Good Old-Fashioned Customer Service Goes a Long Way

Provide that little "extra" to your team members by giving great customer service. Once they join you, they not only are your team member, but are your customer and you need to always take care of your customers like they are royalty because they are providing you a level of financial comfort you did not have before you acquired them.

Send them a thank-you note personally hand written when they join. Set yourself apart and let them know you have a personally vested interest in their success and that you appreciate doing business with them.

How People Learn and Why It Matters

I'm not quite certain at what transition point leading people makes a U-turn in the prospecting/sponsoring cycle, but it happens.

Prospects get sponsored; they are converted into paying customers and become the downline who find themselves scratching their heads wondering what they will do to get their business up and running. The only thing that they're certain of is - that they don't know what they don't know and they very much depend upon their sponsor's guidance at this critical stage.

It is up to the sponsor and other leaders on the team to develop and work with their people in an environment that is conducive to the new team member's individual learning style.

Not to sound "teachy" here, but it is a lot like teaching and what teachers do.

It is extremely important to realize that all people do not process information in the same manner. For example: some people are auditory learners (listeners), some are visual learners (readers), and still others may be kinesthetic learners (hands on approach).

Stay with me here...

Here's an excerpt from one of my previous articles, entitled "Are You a Buzz Killer as a Mentor".

"Educators are now gaining better understanding of how information is processed from Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which he developed in 1983. Dr. Howard Gardner is a professor of Education at Harvard University."

Below is a summarized list of the Multiple Intelligences he has identified.

1. Linguistic Intelligence - word smart
2. Logical Intelligence - logic and reasoning smart
3. Spatial Intelligence - picture smart
4. Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence - body smart
5. Musical Intelligence - music smart
6. Interpersonal Intelligence - people smart
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence - self smart
8. Naturalistic Intelligence - nature smart

*to learn more, just do a search on "Dr. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences".

You don't have to evaluate each person's learning style that you sponsor; however, it is very important that you understand that there are differences, and that you work according to those differences in your training methods with your team.

If you cover all the types of preferred learning modalities, it will help to eliminate the frustration some may be experiencing if you aren't training according to their preferred method of processing information.

People have to learn how to crawl before they can learn how to walk - it's the same in network marketing - baby steps. Baby step it for them by offering an environment where they can grow at their own pace according to their own learning style.

Give them a place to interact, exchange knowledge and experiences that they have learned from. A live interactive forum is a good place. Participating on live training calls is another. Teaming up in pairs on the team and having a "Buddy System" for accountabilty is also a great learning environment. This creates culture, which is the germinator for budding leaders and that is what you want to be developing.

Question:

So, how do you keep people who all learn differently and have different skill levels on the same page on a team?

Answer:

Simple. Engage with them in the process of their own learning and give them a place to grow. Leaders Club 90-Day Individualized Success Plan (ISP) provides self-paced individualized training. In addition to a personalized training plan, the ISP also includes interaction in formus with team members and live interactive coaching with certified success coaches.

Using email broadcasts of company events will keep your team plugged into the loop. I will discuss that more in a minute. You should always use some form of communication to be in touch and stay connected, either by personal email or Skype, or recording and broadcasting your own messages or training calls.

Live webinars with software that allows interaction is nice for team members to engage with you by "raising their hand to ask a question", etc. To learn more about this software, click HERE.

Audio training with a service like byoaudio is another one. The sky is the limit with tools that are available online today. To learn more about this tool click HERE.

The main thing is to be sure to cover each "intelligence" and "learning style" or at least the big three - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

In so doing, you will be providing the ultimate environment to keep people engaged, providing the seeds of both internal and external motivation - which leads to the next topic...

Motivation

Keeping people engaged in their own learning process will stop the "jumper syndrome".

In the beginning, you should be teaching them to follow the leader (you). As each member grows, they will eventually learn to follow the leader within.

Learning How to View Failure

Teaching people how to view failure in the correct light is something that is rarely taught. Sometimes you hear people say, "I just failed my way to success"; however, just saying that does not teach anything to anyone. People need to be shown that failure, if viewed correctly can be a very good, positive experience, because it means they are stepping out of their comfort zone and stretching themselves to grow - even if they don't succeed the 1st time, the 2nd time, or even the umpteenth time. Each time people do fail, if they view it correctly, they will have still gained experience and knowledge that will help them for the next try.

Teaching Goal Setting

To build internal motivation, it is important to learn to set goals. Small, attainable goals. The best resource I have yet to find anywhere at any price is the "90-Day Individualized Success Plan" by Leaders Club. You can access that by clicking HERE.

I personally have gone through the training and found it very good for my personal training needs. Leaders Club staffers put an individualized training plan together from a questionnaire that a new person fills out. Regardless of the skill level, whether a newbie, or a veteran in need of leadership training and development, a 90-Day plan of action will be provided from over 500 hours of the audio training available to subscribers that will address specific needs. It is this individualized approach that yields the best results.

In summary, what you probably have surmised from this post is the importance of culture. Culture is the life energy of the team that provides the sustenance for growth. If you pay attention to creating and maintaining culture, your attrition should be lowered.

For more information and insight on attrition, I would like to invite you to take a good look at Leaders Club. With Leaders Club,you have all the tools you need to work with people on an individual basis regardless of the size of your team. Leaders Club works because of the individualized approach to training that members receive. You can access some testimonials by clicking HERE.

Effective leadership that keeps the learner engaged in their own growth process will always help to slow the attrition cycle in your business.

For more information on leadership, click on my former post, Definition of a Leader.

If you found the information in this post on the topic of attrition helpful, please add your input and comments to this post below.

Together, we all acheieve more.

What is the Difference Between a Traditional Business and a Network Marketing Business?

2011-07-24T09:28:00.013-04:00

No matter how you build it, or which type of business you're in, the life blood of a business depends upon moving product and turning a profit... or does it?

What really makes a business profitable?
Have companies lost their focus on time-tested and true methods of how to build and grow their profits?

Those are some good questions that merit thought and what I'm about to say may cause you to re-evaluate how profits are actually generated in your network marketing business in a whole new light.

Stay with me...

There are lots of different types of businesses, but for this blog post, we will be comparing both traditional and network marketing business models in relation to the consumer and how profits are made.

Traditional business is focused on turning profits, primarily through merchandising. Everything from how inventory is purchased, to how it is presented to the consumer - it hinges upon buying at the lowest cost, and displaying to the customer to trigger a purchase, whether that purchase is an impulse buy, or necessity and selling with a profit margin.

Meeting the needs of the consumer on their level... hummm

Stay with me here...

Network marketing companies do not depend so heavily upon merchandising as they do in promoting both their product and the financial opportunity to consumers who are interested in not only a product but an opportunity to create additional income.

Once again... meeting the needs of the consumer on their level...

Anyone who has looked into any network marketing company has done so primarily for the reason of adding an additional stream of income to their own bottom line. That is the leverage offered with the purchase of products in a network marketing company.

Still meeting the needs of the consumer...

So, what is the difference between how a traditional business and a network marketing business meet the needs of the consumer?

Aside from turning the profit - both traditional companies and network marketing companies are focused on establishing long-term relationships with their customers, and they go about it by creating loyalty through building trust.

When consumers can trust the place where they spend their hard-earned cash, that is called, "customer loyalty". You see it all the time - customers subconsciously "vote" every time they make a purchase and demonstrate their company and even brand loyalty. Think about it next time you go to a fast food chain and you choose your drink. I'll bet you always choose one kind of drink: Cola (Pepsi or Coke), Tea, Root Beer, Mountain Dew, Water, etc. You get the point. Everyone has preferences and the company that meets the consumer's preference the best, wins their purchase, and most importantly their trust, because they meet their needs. In this example, the consumer's needs are their taste preferences.

Brand loyalty comes from trust that was built through establishing the relationship with the consumer.

In traditional business, the trust comes from advertising campaigns to their customer niche. The ads show the value to the consumers and it makes sense for them to purchase from the company, therefore a sale is made.

In a network marketing company, trust is also gained through the relationship formed between the consumer and the company representative. No TV ads, but more than likely there was an email campaign that built trust along with some personal interaction from someone representing the company.

The difference between a traditional company and a network marketing company - is in the way the relationship is built and who it is between that creates trust and loyalty with the consumer.

In traditional business, the relationship is formed and built with advertising and through providing value at the transaction point between the company and the consumer.

In network marketing, the relationship is formed during the sponsoring process between the customer and the sponsor. Additional cohesive relationships are formed during group interactions with other independent reps all working together in team settings which provides leverage for generating profits for all involved: the company, the sponsor and their new independent representatives, or consumers.

Every company understands the value of keeping trust and loyalty in the consumer relationship.

- The reward for the consumer is the trust that they will always receive value for their purchase.

- The reward for the company is a loyal customer that yields a solid profit to their bottom line.

So in summary, there really is not a whole lot of difference between network marketing and traditional business if you think about it, other than in traditional business the consumer has a company loyalty because they realize the value they will receive from them for their purchases. In a network marketing company, the loyalty comes through personal interaction built between the sponsor, new rep and the team they join.

In the end, it still boils down to one thing: no matter what type of business you are in, profits are always attained through the trust and loyalty from the relationship that is built and with the consumer through meeting their needs and providing value for their purchase.

Network Marketing 101- Lessons from a Rock Star...?

2011-07-15T19:07:00.013-04:00

You Gotta Tweet With 100% of Your Passion - Before You Can Rock It and Roll It...

The Jackson family gifted the world with their talents starting in the 70's with quite a few hits, and one special little boy that America fell in love with - Michael Jackson.

Whether or not you are a Michael Jackson fan, there is one thing that is certain - he was a very talented singer. Early on in his life, his potential was recognized and developed to what we see as his legacy today.

That desire to "tweetlee-deedlee-dee - tweetlee-deedle-dee" was his passion to do his thing and his family knew it and worked with him to develop that drive to sing and perform.

What lesson can we learn from Michael Jackon's climb to success that relates to learning the skills to succeed in a network marketing career?

Do you see Michael Jackson in this video standing there looking all timid, wondering what people are going to think of his performance? Not hardly! Even though it is quite early on in his career, he is confidently putting his whole heart and soul into his performance, enjoying what he is doing; and as a result he connects well with his audience.

--> You've got to TWEET with 100% of your passion and nothing less - before you can rock and roll in your network marketing business!

Watch the video again and see how much passion a young Michael Jackson puts into his performance. Even at this young age, you can see emerging dance moves and a hint of the style that was to come.

As you re-watch the video, take notice of the accomplishments listed as the song plays... even though we'd like it to, success doesn't happen overnight. As a matter of fact, success usually shows up disguised as hard work.

There has never been one network marketing leader that didn't understand the importance to first start tweeting with 100% of their passion and nothing less - before they rocked and rolled their network marketing business.

It's all about taking your skills and knowledge that you currently have ... to the max ... and have fun doing it along the way. Your passion will be the fuel to take you to the next level in your skillset.

Are you keeping track of your accomplishments in your network marketing journey to success?
Are you pressing forward with your whole heart to not only learn, but master the skills to become successful?
Are you willing to sacrifice and pay the price for your success?
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get over, under, through, and around every obstacle you come up against to reach your goal?

Think about Michel Jackson and the heart he puts into his performance in this video...

Think about the skills you have acquired in network marketing...

Use the talents you've been blessed with in your business with 100% of your whole heart and soul so that you too can...

--> TWEET with 100% of your passion and nothing less - and rock and roll your network marketing business!

The 64 Million Dollar Question You Should Be Asking When Interviewing a Prospect for Your Network Marketing Home Business

2011-07-09T09:44:00.003-04:00

Prospecting...

Depending upon whom you speak with, you'll get a variety of descriptions on prospecting and building a network marketing home based business.

Some prefer the "Belly to Belly" approach, which encompasses the 10 foot rule: Everyone in a 10 foot diameter of you wherever you are is a potential prospect - after all, who couldn't use more time and money that a home business can generate?

Others prefer working a prospecting script. Some insist on going word for word and others use it as an outline and go with the flow as the conversation transpires between the prospect and themselves.

Of course, there is always sending personal emails, email campaigns, collateral marketing in direct mail, etc. No matter which way you do it, you are using a method of getting yourself in front of people who are looking for an opportunity that can be a solution to their problem.

When speaking with prospects, regardless of whether you follow your script word for word or not, there is one question that should always be asked. Matter of fact, if you neglect to ask this question, I'm going to be so bold as to say that you are doing your prospect a severe dis-service as a leader.

As you go through your interview process and you narrow down the points that they qualify on, you will begin to establish rapport with them as you listen to them share with you their responses to your questions. These are all basic "prospecting 101" if you will. You want the basics: does this prospect qualify in time, money, and interest.

After the obvious points are covered, there are a couple of questions that are very important that will help the prospect see for themselves from their own perspective exactly why your opportunity can help them if you have presented correctly up to this point.

Initially, you want to find out what it is that they are looking to accomplish working from home and owning their own home business.

Do they hate their job?
Do they want to eliminate debt?
Do they want to be a stay-at-home parent?
Are they looking for a way to raise their standard of living?
Are they looking for a solution to provide a better retirement?

There are many reasons people want to work from home. The main thing is: have them tell you their reason, or why, so that you can leverage this to help them better see how the opportunity with your company can provide them with a solution.

After you know the reason they want to work from home explain to them how your comp plan works and go through the numbers with them to show them how they can accomplish that with your company.

When you see that everything makes sense to them, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they understand how the opportunity can be a solution for them...

...ask the 64-Million Dollar Question:

How long will it take you in your current situation, to accomplish the above?

This is a reality check for their why. The obvious answer to this question is: "a long time, or never". That is why they began looking in the first place.

When they answer you, ask them which way they prefer to get started. Go over whatever options you have in your company for start-up, and let them choose which is a fit for them and get them started.

It's pretty simple once you understand the process. In asking this question, you will help your prospect see from their own perspective that doing what they are doing now will only get them more of the same that caused them to start looking to begin with - tomorrow, next month, next year, and the year after.

By directing their focus on getting started, you'll be helping them to see how to put on the brakes, and turn the steering wheel toward their personal and financial goals.

For a free resource on developing your prospecting skills, click here for details

The Donkey Story

2011-06-19T13:46:00.006-04:00

There is No Such Thing as "Can't"

If you have the word "can't" in your vocabulary, you may want to think about replacing it with these two words... "can't hardly".

Below is an excerpt from Joyce Meyers' book, "Never Give Up!". It is a story that illustrates the power of determination and how to turn obstacles and challenges into the stepping stones of success.

~~~

A donkey fell into a deep well, and the farmer who owned him had no idea how to get the donkey out. After much thought, he concluded the best solution would be to call some of his friends to help bury the donkey in the well. After all, he reasoned, the donkey was old and trying to get him out of the well was going to be a lot of trouble.

The neighboring farmers arrived with the shovels and they all began to pitch dirt into the well, on top of the donkey. The donkey began to make horrible noises - for a while. Then the donkey was silent. The men peered down into the well and saw an amazing sight.

Every time they threw a shovel full of dirt into the well, the donkey simply shook it off, so it ended up under his feet instead of on top of him. They kept shoveling, trying to bury the helpless donkey and he kept shaking off the dirt! Before long, the pile of dirt with which they were trying to bury him became tall enough to raise him out of the well, and he simply stepped off of the pile onto level ground.

- Excerpt from "Never Give Up!" - Joyce Meyers

For more inspiration on mindset, click -->HERE.

Do You Have a Business Plan for Your Network Marketing Business?

2011-06-12T00:46:00.005-04:00

Got... a business plan? Didn't know you needed one? Oh, no one told you that, huh? Let me be the first one to shed a little light on the subject for you then.

There's a few things that people tend to overlook when starting out working from home. One of them is not understanding all that is involved in setting up their business to operate successfully.

You need to get the fundamentals down first - that's a given. If you are building your business calling leads, you'll want to understand the process of how to talk to prospects and build rapport using the phone as your number one tool.

Another part of the fundamentals is the basic operations of marketing, like knowing how to navigate through your company's website to direct prospects to specific information relating to their needs. That's what you call good old-fashioned customer service.

Aside from the fundamentals, there is one very important thing that every network marketer should always know when it comes to sharing their opportunity. That is how to explain the pay-plan so that people understand what it takes for them to break even and get into profit.

The way you do this, is simply understand what percentage commission is paid on your personal enrollees, understand the group volume and personal volume, and how many people it takes with the percentage commission your company offers to reach the break even point... example...

A company pays 25% on the first level.
If an average order was $50 of product per month, at 25% commission, that would be $12.50 per average order placed.

You would therefore need a group volume of $200 in order for the 25% to cover your personal volume which is the $50 (50 is one-fourth, or 25%, of 200).

At that scenario, you would need about 4 people, each ordering $50 a month, or 2 people ordering $100 a month of product, in order to generate the $200 of group volume. After that, your business is in profit.

When you know how to show people how to break even, they know what it will take and they have a measurable goal as far as "how many people it takes to break even" to strive toward. Good understanding makes for good teaching, and good teaching makes for good duplication.

If you don't understand how to break down your compensation plan, get with your sponsor or someone upline from you, or call the company and ask someone to explain it to you.

The next step of your business plan involves tailoring it to meet your individual needs on a "per hour" basis.

When you take on starting up a home business, if you are already working at a traditional job, you also need to realize that working a home business is just like taking on a 2nd job. You are the one, and the only one who can make it happen. It's nice to sit down with a planner and outline your 24-hour day for each of the 7 days in the week.

You will need to carve out extra time for the following:

Training Calls
Coaching Time with your Sponsor
Prospecting
Working With and Getting New People Started
Emailing
Blogging or other types of social media if you are using them

Last, but certainly not least, is operating within your budget. Only you know this number. It is a personal decision that you make, and should be made with good sound judgment.

Look at your household budget, come up with an amount that is reasonable to cover your operating expenses in your business (websites, product, tools, etc.), and stay with the lowest possible number you can come up with to qualify for your company's commission until you get into a profit margin. Don't overspend on products and tools.

Remember up above where we figured out what it took to break even. That is why you want to start with the lowest number - so you can break even quicker.

If you stay on top of it and get organized, you can operate your business smoothly and be effective and efficient with your time.

For even more resources on how to use what you already have to grow a profitable network marketing business, click ->HERE<-.

MLM Training Material

2011-04-18T00:08:00.006-04:00

Do you know with 100% certainty, how to create a sustainable residual income?

Have you ever wished to be shown step-by-step, working one-on-one with an industry leader exactly how to accomplish that, and wouldn't it be nice to do so in... as little as... 90 days?

MLM training material is scattered all over the Internet. You can find it on You Tube, Google searches, or even in home business magazines at the store.

The 64-million dollar question, once you do find MLM training material is --> How do I know it will work for me?

If this is not your first attempt as an entrepreneur, you probably have some learning gaps. If this does happen to be your first attempt, then you really owe it to yourself to sit up and pay attention to avoid having learning gaps and get off to a great start.

The ease of getting started in a home business is just an incredible opportunity for the average person who wants to own their life. The low start-up cost of a couple hundred bucks makes it affordable and downright lucrative to most people.

A lot of times however, there is one single ingredient to a person's success that ends up coming up short on the stick, which is individualized training and personal coaching.

With an individualized approach, you will appreciate the skill development that will occur. Getting live feedback from personal success advisors and professional coaches who are looking out for your best interests (as you go through your learning curve) will equip you for a quicker route to your success as you begin learning how to sponsor and recruit people into your business.

Individualized training and personalized coaching is a good fit for everyone, whether they are newbies just getting started, or leaders wanting to take their business to the next level. If this type of network marketing training appeals to you, check out our Individualized Success Plan in the link below.

www.DebraSmithHomeBizTraining.com

Definition of a Leader

2011-01-27T09:04:00.016-05:00

What Defines an Effective Leader?

In order to determine what an effective leader is, you have to look at what exactly a leader's role is to begin with.

A leader:

Is willing to pay their dues.
Knows how to lead themselves.
Cultures an environment where each team member can develop to reach their fullest potential.
Sets the pace for their organization.
Guides and points to resources.
Identifies and develops future leaders which will duplicate their own level of effort and action.

In Order to Lead People, You First Must Know How to Lead Yourself.

Do you accomplish your goals?
How thick is your skin?

Leaders make it happen - they visualize their own success and understand that in order to get the life they want it won't just "happen", they have to "make it happen". In order to make it happen, they create their goals and objectives within each goal that will move them forward to accomplishing their goal. One goal at a time, each one leads to the finish line.

A Leader NEVER Caves to a Challenge.

Leaders have this uncanny knack of finding solutions. Leaders believe, know and understand that for every problem there is a solution. Because they know that challenges will arise, they readily deal with them instead of procrastinate as most people do with issues. It's all about developing the skills of getting to the solution and not focusing on the challenges.

A leader will evaluate and deal with a challenge in the following manner:

Identify the challenge.
Eliminate it by creating a solution.

A Leader Cultures an Environment.

Leaders understand the many facets that go into development of people. They know how to utilize individual approaches that are specifically suited to each person, while at the same time culturing an environment that is a team atmosphere where each can openly participate and be "part of the family".

A good leader breeds trust into their organization. When people are in a trusting environment the sky is the limit.

Leaders Set the Pace

Good leaders are very good at evaluating the skill level of the individuals on their team and establishing a pace for them individually according to the skillset that they come to the table with - whether they are a newbie or a seasoned marketer wanting to move their business to the next level. Leaders know and understand how listening and getting to know their team members plays a critical role in mapping out a plan of action that is realistically, in range, with the current level of knowledge of each person they are leading.

Leaders Guide and Point to Resources

A good leader is a good pointer. Have you ever been at a crossroad before and seen the signs that point every direction? Leaders are the sign-posts. They direct people to resources and information that will help them to build their business.

Leaders Identify and Develop Future Leaders

A good leader is always looking within their organization for those who are willing to take action and are serious about what they are doing. Good leaders produce good leaders because they know how to develop their people.

Not every person on a team has the ability to lead - even those who sponsor into their own organization. Those with a burning desire who display by their actions that they do have the attributes and traits of a leader should be, and deserve to be worked with. Good leaders attract and develop people.

Are You Ready for a Brand New Year?

2010-12-26T01:12:00.004-05:00

Ready for a brand new year?

One is on its way, right around the corner from today. Most people are already thinking about which new year's resolutions they will make... again...

How will this year be different than the last year you just went through?

Now is a good time to take inventory of your life and your business and make the proper adjustments that will bring you closer to your goals. Goals are the pathway that get you from point A to point B. Without them, you won't make your destination.

Whether you are a part-time or a full-time entrepreneur - it's a good idea to examine and sometimes even re-examine your goals from time to time.

If you have not reached your projections for this year - then you need to make some adjustments in order to avoid repeating the year over.

You always want to be moving forward in your efforts - doing the actions that will drive your business forward, instead of lagging it behind. It is a matter of prioritizing the important things. When you prioritize the important things and address them first, each task becomes manageable and guess what - you always get the important things done - because you do them first when you prioritize.

I had a manager who taught me about prioritizing one time. She took all of us on the team into her office and outlined how she prioritized her day on a legal pad. This was an ongoing process throughout her day. In the morning, she would examine her list and NUMBER the list in the order of importance. Number (1) was completed first, and so on. I have always heard of making a list, but never did hear of anyone prioritizing and numbering the list after they made it. I thought it was a pretty good idea and have used it ever since. Oh yeah, this system even works for simple things like housework, planning out meals for the week, etc. Whatever you can imagine to use this system with, it will work.

Make a list of the things you accomplished that you liked this year, and capitalize upon it by expanding the operations that generated the result you liked.

Same thing in reverse: make a list of the things you did not accomplish this year, evaluate why the particular goal(s) was/were not achieved and figure out what it will take to get you from point A to point B.

Major goals are accomplished by breaking them down into smaller goals that will lead to the end result. Even if you have to take baby step mini-goals, just keep putting your best foot forward. As you accomplish each goal, you will discover the systematic simplicity of building your business one goal at a time.

To help you get it all together, you will need a contact manager. A contact management tool, such as the Oprius Contact Management System will help you to organize your life, and we all know how crazy life can be sometimes.

With a contact manager, here are a few examples of things that you should be scheduling:

Prospecting time.
Followup appointments.
Your schedule (the hours you work at your job).
Family time.
"You" time.

Every one's daily schedule is different, but one thing is certain. We all should be scheduling the daily events as home business owners, aka. entrepreneurs. It's known as the daily method of operation. Once you get into the habit of doing this you won't know how you lived without it.

Have fun planning your new year!

Why It is Important to Set Goals

2010-12-05T10:34:00.003-05:00

Do you ever meet people who are always telling you what they are going to do, or have... someday, but never do? I think we all have at one time or another...

Today, I would like to speak to you about setting goals and getting down to business - building a business.

In network marketing, you are paid on production - what action you take, and the action of the people you sponsor on your team.

Success doesn't just "happen" - it is created. It is created by setting and working through goals.

Sometimes goals are hard to follow because of things constantly changing in your life, so you just keep adjusting your goals to flow with those changes.

Business is a living entity - it is like the ocean. There are peaks and flows of the current, storms that you have to weather sometimes. Learning to flex with the changes is what will equip you to keep moving forward toward your ultimate success in your business.

What do you want to accomplish working from home. List the end result, and work backwards from that to figure out what you need to do to get there from where you are.

If you want to generate a part-time income from home, figure out what it will take from your comp-plan, and then what action steps you need to work toward to accomplish that.

In speaking with people, many times I find that they really do not understand what working from home is - they just know that they want to have the perks that come from that such as financial freedom, time freedom, etc. Not knowing how to set and establish reasonable goals to get from point A to point B in your life will rob you of time to get to the finish line faster than you could be.

Training is critical to learning how to set and establish goals for yourself. There is no one-size fits all. If someone offers you that kind of training, you should avoid it. People are all different, and come with different skill sets when they get started in business.

Click HERE to access some important information on training and setting goals. Learn how to get the most important things accomplished in their priorities and you will be surprised how your business will grow.

Getting Follow-Up Right: Avoiding the "Litterbug Syndrome" of Network Marketing

2010-10-13T10:16:00.012-04:00

How Do I Work a Leads List and Follow Up with Prospects?

Are you a practicing devotee of the "Litterbug Syndrome" in your home-based network marketing business?

This post deals with the topic of how to work a leads list when cold-calling prospects, and the proper follow-up technique.

First, let me tell you that there is not "one perfect" method that is set in stone when it comes to working a leads list. Everyone is a unique individual, with different time challenges that must be addressed. For this reason, the information herein should be taken as general information, which can then be customized according to your own needs and schedule.

This is what I have personally found helpful in working my lists, and you are more than welcome to try it for yourself. Be sure to come back and let me know how things go for you.

With a list, whether purchased, or warm market, the first thing I do is divide out the names into their respective time zones. The worst thing that you could possibly do is call someone who is 3-4 hours away from you at the wrong time, so you want to be considerate of the time that you call people.

In general, I like to call between 9am and 9pm in the prospect's time zone:

EST (Eastern).
CST (Central).
MST (Mountain).
PST (Pacific).

I have tab dividers in a notebook with EST, CST, MST, and PST. Inside my dividers are pages that I have created for keeping record of my dials with the prospects. For additional resources concerning getting started, just CLICK HERE to view a previous post.

This is a little time consuming in the beginning, however, you will find it to be time-saving once you get started. For example, if you are in EST, you can start working the EST leads first. As you near your own 9pm/EST deadline for calling, you can then bump over the the CST's, the MST's, and finally the PST's.

Now comes the time where you set yourself apart from the Litterbugs - honestly, this is one of the worst things you can do when it comes to working leads.

When I first started in this industry, I listened to so-called leaders who would host training calls doing dials to cold leads. They would bust through a list of names and then just trash a leads list like it was nothing. You can't leave a littered trail of trashed relationships behind you in this industry and expect to have any type of measurable result in your business, because in order to be successful there is one thing to understand: this industry is a relationship business. Direct Selling, Network Marketing, Multi-Level Marketing, Referral Marketing, call it what you like, they are all in the same family of this industry. We build our business by establishing relationships that are mutually beneficial. That is the beauty of working from home - it is a win-win. Everybody profits.

What do you do with prospects that you don't get to speak with personally?
How do you follow up with prospects after you leave them a message?
Should I leave a message if I don't reach the person I'm calling?
Is it necessary to send an email to a prospect if I left them a message?
How many times should I try to reach a prospect on my list before I give up?

These are questions that I had in the beginning when I first got started.

If you don't understand the importance of following up, and how to do it right, all you will do is keep spinning your wheels in filling up your marketing funnel with . Your marketing funnel is simply a picture of the sales process of acquiring customers and/or business partners.

Starting with the questions above, let's address them one by one...

Question #1

What Do You Do With Prospects That You Don't Speak With Personally?

You certainly do not hang up on them after you have dialed their number. Regardless of what you may have heard people do when making dials, this is a no-no! What you do is listen to their answering machine message.

If it is them, you should leave a message directed toward them that you are trying to reach them to give them the information that they requested. Leave your contact number in your message and do not give them your website. Here is why you do not give them your website: Your goal is to see how you may best assist them with what you have to offer, and you cannot do that by simply giving them a website to go to. This can only be uncovered by a personal conversation.
If it is vague, such as: "you have reached, 123-4567, and we are unavailable to take your call, please leave a detailed message after the tone." You don't know for sure who is listening to the message, so you want to be brief and to the point. Just leave a message that "this is , calling for . My number is, (*), please let know that I called - thanks!

Question #2

How Do You Follow Up With Prospects After You Leave Them a Message?

You send them an email letting them know you are trying to reach them, enter the date you called on your call log in your notebook or your contact management system.

Question #3

Should I Leave a Message If I Don't Reach the Person I'm Calling?

Of course! Always use the opportunity to be personal and present yourself to people as such, a real person. I get calls all the time from people who use automated systems to do their calling for them - what a joke! These poor people are investing their marketing dollars into some computerized sorting system that can never in a million years - develop a relationship and a new friendship that hopefully is something that turns into a nice business partnership. I always wonder what kind of attrition levels these people have, but when I try to call back the number on my caller ID, I'm never able to reach them. So much for the relationship. Competition is stiff - people are busy and they just want the facts, not a bunch of BS and hoops to jump through to get to the facts. When you let them know that you are a real person with a real opportunity, some will call you back.

Question #4

Is It Necessary to Send an Email to a Prospect If I Left Them a Message?

Of course, sending an email is the first step in beginning to build rapport. You want people to be able to get to know you, and if you've left a message, you definitely should be following that up by sending them an email allowing them to get to know you and giving them a way to communicate back with you. Written communication and correspondence has its place in the marketing mix and can be highly effective when used correctly.

Question #5

How Many Times Should I Try To Reach a Prospect On My List Before I Give Up?

Here's where the Litterbug Syndrome comes in to play. Lead providers love people with the Litterbug Syndrome. If you have this syndrome, you will go from list to list working your tail off trying to fill up your marketing funnel, purchasing list after list, putting your marketing dollars down a sink hole.

Have you ever heard people say the fortune is in the follow-up? It's not just a cliche. It's true. The more you follow up with prospects the better your odds are at discovering if you meet their needs with what you have to offer.

If you only call once, and then give up on calling people on your list, you are helping your competition.

Here's how to put the smoke on your competition; you do what they won't do - follow-up with people.

1st Week - Contact prospects at least 3 times at different times of the day and days of the week.
2nd Week - Contact them 2 times.
3rd Week - Contact them 1 time.
4th Week - Contact them 1 time.

This makes one month that has passed. Now you can enter them into a long-term follow-up email drip campaign.

2nd month -Contact them 2 times.
3rd month - Contact them 1 time.
4th month - Contact them 1 time.
5th month - Contact them 1 time.
6th month - contact them 1 time.
9th month - Contact them 1 time.
12th month - Contact them 1 time.

Contact = A personal phone call and an email.

Obviously, this is a long-term follow up plan which will require both contacting by phone and emailing. You should have some type of emailing in your marketing toolbox.

Now that you know how to set yourself apart from your competition, you can be professional in your marketing efforts and expect better results, seeing growth and better long-term retention in your home-based business.

* Resources for your email campaigns:

http://www.globalgroupsend.com/ - Referral ID# is 35551
Email Marketing 101 - Training Podcast

How To Develop a Business Plan For a Successful Home Based Business

2010-09-30T22:27:00.007-04:00

Working from home is a business and needs to be addressed as so, right in the beginning of your career. By implementing careful planning, you will be setting yourself up for the best possible chance to succeed.

Getting your financials figured out in the beginning will allow you to devote most of your focus on developing your skills as soon as possible.

Below are a few items that you need to consider when starting a business in the network marketing industry. Use it, as a checklist and you will be glad that you got it out of the way. It will free up your time to continue focusing on building relationships with your existing and future team members.

Marketing

• Marketing System – How you will present your opportunity to others, whether it is a replicated website offered by your company, or a blog it is important to have a professional presence and system that can process retail sales for you.

• Marketing Materials – Catalogs, Brochures, CD’s, DVD’s, Online Video’s, etc.

Daily Method of Operations

• Time Management – THE most important thing in this list. Sit down and write out your schedule for one week. You can access a weekly planner at: http://www.freeprintablecalendar.net/

Itemizing Expenses

• Monthly Recurring Product Order

Possible Additional Expenses

• Online Marketing – Website recurring billing.

• Online Marketing – Advertising (including social media ppc., Google ppc., etc.).
• Offline Marketing – Newspaper and Co-Op Ads.
• Offline Advertising – Collateral Marketing such as CD’s, postcards, thank you cards, etc.
• Leads – Your tools to build your business.
• Training and/or Coaching – Training Company/Seminars.
• Postage - Stamps.

FREE WEB CLINIC

How to Use What You Already Have to Grow a Profitable Network Marketing Business

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Everyone Pays Their D-U-E-S

2010-09-22T17:50:00.013-04:00

Whether you are a total newbie, or a 25-year veteran of the network marketing industry, one thing is certain...

When it comes to working from home in a home based business...

Everyone Pays Their D-U-E-S

I have yet to have found one person in our industry who has not paid their dues. Everyone who experiences any level of success, regardless of their profession, pays their dues. There's no free ride, there are no exceptions to the rule - if you want to be able to make a decent income from home it will take time, effort and most importantly, paying your dues.

Let's take a brief look at how to go about paying your D-U-E-S.

D - Dig For It
U - Understand It
E - Execute It
S - Share It

Dig For It

The difference between being an employee and being your own boss and calling your own shots starts right here. As a business owner, it is your responsiblity to take the reins and learn what you need to know about working from home.

When you know...

Your Comp Plan.
Your Products.
Your Marketing System.
How to Talk to People.
How to Overcome Basic Challenges.

You will have prepared a firm foundation to build a solid stable structure on. You know you can't build in the sand and expect a house to stand, therefore don't try to build your network marketing "house" like that either. It takes more time in the beginning - but you will be glad that you paid your dues.

Understand It

There is no use trying to recruit and sponsor people into your home business if you don't understand what you are doing. Get familiar with the way this industry works, plug in to your training that is offered by your upline so that it becomes second nature to you. This will ease the pressure off of you to expect yourself to know "every possible answer" to any question that a prospect may ask you. When you know it like the back of your hand, there's not too much that can shake you when it comes to questions from people. Most people will ask you questions just to test your belief. Know it and understand it - your belief will be unmoveable and unshakable.

Execute It

It doesn't do any good if you dig for it, and understand it, if you don't EXECUTE IT. Put what you know into action daily. Opportunities come up every day that will give you the perfect practice session to execute what you know and understand. The more you execute what you know and understand, the better you will become.

Share It

Real professionals know the value of sharing their knowledge and expertise with people. This is a duplication business - the best paid are the best trained. Don't sit on your knowledge and keep it all to yourself. Even if you think you have very little to offer, I can guarantee you that there is someone somewhere who would love to sit down with you and learn something from you.

There you have it - how to pay your D-U-E-S in our industry.

Pay Your D-U-E-S and Maximize Your Success Today!

Building Your Business by Learning How to Share Your Story

2010-09-11T23:20:00.007-04:00

What is the Most Important Activity to Focus on When Starting a Home Business?

Every home business offers either a product, or a service, so for the sake of this post we will be focusing on "products".

When you first get started working in your home business, you are naturally going to be excited to get people into your opportunity. While that is the ultimate goal and objective, approaching every person who fogs a mirror is really not the best plan of action. The best way to get started is to experience your products, just like your customers will do.

You Should Be a Product of Your Products.

Become familiar with your product line. Try a variety of products that your company offers on a rotating basis. Do not settle in on one product and use it month after month without experiencing the rest of the product line. You are in business to move product, and when you gain experience with multiple products, you gain product experience. With product experience comes belief and conviction about the quality of your products.

It's kind of like reading a book to learn how to ride a bike. You could read the directions until you are 90-years old, but until you hop on that bike and start pushing on the pedals, you'll never really be able to show someone else how to ride. The only thing at best you can do is hand them the manual.

Once you have personally used some product, you now have a product experience - and your experience is something very unique and very special...

Your Experience is Your Story.

Why is it so important to have "Your Story"?

Here's why it is so important to have your own story when starting in your own home-based business.

When getting started, the main thrust is going to be focusing on acquiring customers.

If you have had a product experience, it will come natural to share it with others. We all love to share experiences that make us happy. In business, that is what we call referral marketing, or word of mouth. When you have used a product offered by your company and it has enhanced your life in some manner, your product experience is something you will want to share with others.

How Do I Share My Story With Others?

There are two options for methods of sharing. The first option is one that the majority of people do, and the majority of people who do this method experience less that optimal results.

1. Scouting for people who need your company's products.

Unless you wish to join the NFL (no friends left) club, it is needful to understand that in business, there is no "one size fits all" formula for success. True success comes in learning how to identify who would benefit from a product that your company offers.

The second option is:

2. Listening.

There is an art to sharing your products with others. It involves "listening". Our brains can intake and process words and thoughts 3 times faster than we can speak them. So when someone is speaking, our minds can also be processing other information at the same time. Hearing is a gift, but listening, is a skill and it requires us to discipline ourselves to slow our brains down enough to focus only upon what we are hearing and nothing else.

When you are out and about, and you become engaged in a conversation with someone that you immediately recognize will benefit from a product that your company manufactures and sells, the first thing you should do is KEEP LISTENING to them. Do not enter the "telling and selling" mode telling them all about the latest, greatest product to hit the market, and just by coincidence, our company manufactures and sells it. Listen so that you can relate to them. Make eye contact and acknowledge what they say by repeating back to them what they say to you, so they know that you are listening to them.

When you have listened correctly, you can then effectively share "your story" or "experience" you've had with your product. By sharing your story, you can build rapport with your potential customer and they will listen back to you when you share your story. As you begin sharing your story, they will be able to picture it in their mind as if they are present with you in your story.

People tend to see things from their own perspective. This is why sharing your story is such a powerful method of building your business in comparison to the "telling and selling" mode. It is much easier and simpler to just share your story. No skepticism can occur in the mind of your potential customer because it is "your" story and you now have gained credibility because of your product experience.

To Recap:

Be a product of your products.
Get your own product experience.
Listen for the opportunity to share your experience.
Share your story.
Build your business.

Have fun - "Sharing Your Story" and building your business.

The Value of Listening to Yourself

2010-08-16T09:10:00.019-04:00

Working from home in your own home based business, you are always perfecting your personal growth. I, as a Christian, have the benefit of growing through the living Words that are preserved in the Bible for me. I, as an entrepreneur, also have the added benefit of growing from the words of those who have taken the same journey as myself and are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

Listening is the most important skill of every marketer. Ask any successful marketer this, and they will tell you; people who listen are leading the largest organizations. Your prospects and future business partners do not care nearly as much about how good your product, your comp plan, or your company is, as they do how much you listen to them.

To whom are you listening?

Would you be surprised, if I shared with you one person in particular you should always, without fail be listening to, is yourself. Yes, you should listen to your spiritual and business leaders, because within them God has placed wisdom for you to grow. Yet it seems that no one is teaching people in this industry to learn to listen to themselves.

What does it mean to listen to yourself?

I have learned a few things from my own experience about listening to myself that I can share and pass along. In my first year as an entrepreneur, I was told that the best way to get started was to get myself on every training call and live event that I could, and get myself “plugged in” so that I could develop. This is very good advice. You definitely need to be saturating yourself with successful people and getting yourself grounded in the culture of network marketing. There is no better place to incubate as a newbie than those places. There comes a time however, that you must progress even further.

To me, when I began learning to listen to myself, I learned a whole lot about what other people need from me and how to help them. We all learn about attitude checks, taking the prospects temperature, etc., when we are beginning in our marketing careers, but sometimes we just need to take our own advice and give ourselves an attitude check, and take our own temperature. The way you do that is listen to yourself. It is something you rather have to train yourself on, because it is not something that comes naturally in the perspective that I am talking about here. I am not speaking directly about how we view ourselves, what I am speaking directly about is how we view others through our own perspectives. So many times, we only focus on looking through the lens from the prospects perspective on things, when in reality the best way to know people is understand ourselves first. The understanding happens when we begin knowing how to listen to ourselves.

Listening to yourself helps you to be all that you can be, because through listening to yourself you know whether you are acting and reacting correctly to every situation.

How do I listen to myself?

Listening to yourself comes as opportunities present themselves in your life and your business as you interact with others. Listen to the words you say to people. Every word that you say, presents itself from the heart. The Bible states that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. As we learn to listen to the words we speak, we learn what is in our hearts, which becomes an opportunity for growth as leaders. The Bible also states that the power of life and death are in the tongue. Words we speak are extremely significant. We can through our words edify, or devastate. Network marketers are builders. Not only do they build organizations, they build people by being good listeners. That is why this is such a great industry to be in.

From this day forward, remember… to listen to yourself. As you learn to listen to yourself, you will be developing the skills as a leader to build not only an organization, but the people within it as well.

Helping others to become what they want to be begins with learning to listen to yourself first.

Here is an inspirational story that you may not have known behind the story of the movie, "Rocky". The success of that movie began with someone who knew how to listen to himself. This isn't a networkmarketing success story, but the point is, as we learn to listen to ourselves, we then become equipped to lead, touch and bless others.

“God will help you be all that you can be… but he will never help you be someone else”

-John Maxwell

Is it "Risk Free" or Just a "Free Risk"?

2010-08-03T12:14:00.008-04:00

One of the most important aspects of network marketing in your home-based business is presenting your products and opportunity with integrity and credibility to your customers. One very common method of accomplishing this is by offering your products with a guarantee. We call it "Risk Free"... but is it really Risk Free... or more like a Free Risk? Let's examine that thought for a minute or two...

In order to examine the differences, we need to identify the factors of each one in reference to building a network marketing business enterprise.

RISK FREE.

Requires no huge outlay of finances.
Company provided website.
Company provides a training plan.
You get the whole deal (a leader and a team to work with).
Just purchase what you want to purchase each month, and the same for your customers. Your business offers products that people will buy as they see fit according to their needs and wants.

FREE RISK.

Requires finacial outlay, but offers money back if not satisfied.
You pay extra for your website.
You are upsold to purchase training.
You figure out how this thing works, you're on your own lone ranger (but it's still free).
Required autoship and/or expensive packages of inventory in order to qualify (which may lead to inventory stocking which is against most policies of Direct Sales Companies).

When you think about it - you can really see the difference between RISK FREE, and a FREE RISK...

Next time you are out and about, checking out opportunities be sure to evaluate your RISK FACTOR...

Listen to a Recording about Risk Factors
1-870-307-6131
(option #1 for English, then option #7)

Want to know more...?

Here's the scoop - CLICK HERE to check it out!

"We, The People".

2010-07-25T22:54:00.028-04:00

video platform video management video solutions video player

When you know who you are, you not only change your own world, but also quite probably may change the entire world, perhaps even chart the course of history.

Nick Vujicic gives us a pretty good example of learning about who you are and utilizing your gifting to reach others.

Do You Know Who You Are?

America was established by a people who knew who they were and determined to walk in their gifting and calling. Their calling was freedom, and their gifting was love for their fellow man. We enjoy the blessings of living in a free country and rejoice to be part of blessing others in return from thankful hearts as we have been blessed.

Are You Walking in Your Gifting and Calling?

God has endowed every individual with special giftings, a unique way of ministering to others. You may not have really thought that you have any special gifts to minister to others, but as you begin to be aware of it you'll start to see that every day God places people in your path in which you are able to make a difference in their lives by offering yourself through your gifting. Your gifting may be as simple as praying for them, giving them a smile when you are passing by, sharing a conversation with a total stranger that brightens their day.

We, the People, can effectively lead.

When we know who we are.
To change our own world.
And perhaps, even chart the course of history.

Give of yourself and make the world a better place today.

Lead to reach... one life at a time.

A Portrait of Leadership

2010-07-19T10:57:00.010-04:00

What is a Leader?

Today on a conference call, I heard a poem read that described the qualities of a leader. Having been mentored myself by some very good leaders, I've been privileged to learn first-hand that effective leaders know how to inspire.

Leaders...

Lead by Example
Inspire Others To Succeed
Do Good, in the Knowing that it Could Never Be Repaid

So today, I wanted to share with you this poem that exemplifies leadership. You may not think of yourself as a leader, but you are - to someone. You may not be the world to everyone, but to someone you may be the whole world.

+++++

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;

And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you and the high advise you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind.

When a weaker brother stumbles and a strong man stays behind.

Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me,

To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be.

And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today,

Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.

One good man teaches many, men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed is worth forty that are told.

Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to every one is clear.

Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one, any day.

- Edgar Guest

+++++

In honor of the greatest leader I know... He who led with humility... and a servant's heart.

What Can You Start Counting Today?

2010-07-15T08:54:00.003-04:00

How to Escape the Rat Race

2010-06-29T22:07:00.011-04:00

Working from home in your own business is one of the blessings we have in our country. We can make the choice to take the wheel and steer our own ship to chart the path of our own life. That's what you call, true independence.

Let's talk about getting out of the Rat Race...

Did you know that the "Rat Race" was not set up for the rats to win it? It's a crying shame that people work their entire lives not realizing that they have... options. I didn't know when I first started working that there were... options. The only thing I knew was to report to work and get paid for my efforts.

One day, I got a news flash. I was speaking with a co-worker, and she shared with me that her husband had a business and that they were getting a check each and every month. She told me at first it wasn't anything big, just a few dollars, but it began to grow as their team grew, and next thing you know, he was operating his business full time.

I just had to go talk to him. We scheduled some time for lunch, and he presented his opportunity to me. Next, he invited me to "a meeting". Oh... the "meeting". Meetings are awesome. That's where you get your first experience of networking with people who are like minded. I will never forget how I felt at my first "meeting". It was great meeting people who made tons of money. I went home and couldn't sleep that night. The next day, I signed up.

Let me ask you a question... what are your options?

Chances are, you are looking for some options because you are on this website. I was looking for options at one time. There are many opportunities on the Internet. You see, what you are looking at right now, this blog, is an example of one of the steps I've learned.

If you want to work from home in your own home based network marketing business, you need to understand that no matter how good your company is, no matter how great your sponsor is, the real thing that matters most is how much drive and desire you have to make a go of it, especially when the waters get rough. Anything worth having you will have to work for. Please don't follow the hype in the industry that preys on innocent people who believe that by joining an opportunity they can live a life of luxury. It doesn't work that way. Working from home in your own home based business... is work. As my father-in-law always said, "Anything's hard work, if you work hard enough at it". It will require work. You WILL have to learn some skills, you WILL have to learn self-discipline, and you WILL be responsible for your own success or failure depending upon the effort that you put forth. Now that you've heard the truth, let's revisit my former question...

What are Your Options?

If you continue doing the same things today, you will have the same results tomorrow.

Make a choice to change, dig in and start taking control of your life. It happens one choice, one step at a time. As you make those steps, your life will begin to take on a new direction.

Are you willing to take the long term actions that will equip you for success in life as an entrepreneur?

If so, then here's your next step --> CLICK HERE

Are You Leveraging Automation in Your Home-Based Business?

2010-06-28T00:55:00.020-04:00

Old-School vs. New-School.

If you have investigated network marketing at all, you are more than likely familiar with what is referred to as "Old-School" marketing. What is it? In essence, it is having meetings and home parties, stocking and inventorying products, cold calling leads, and sharing with your friends and family the latest, greatest product to hit the market.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH OLD-SCHOOL NETWORK MARKETING?

That's a good question! The answer to that question is... nothing. There are many successful marketers in network marketing who have built a large organization by using the techniques above. In and of themselves they are not bad strategies, but those strategies can be self-limiting if you overlook the power of the Internet in today's marketing toolbox. I'm not referring to replicated websites here. I'm referencing online tools that give you the edge to personalize your presentation to potential and existing customers, such as this site for example. There are other tools that additionally need to be in place if you want to experience new-school results in your home-based business.

When you work from home as an entrepreneur, understanding the relevance of staying on top of marketing strategies involves being able to capitalize both on and offline. Business is always established based upon the relationship that is built with the customer. Corporations go to great lengths to build relationships with their customers and they understand that once established, keeping trust in the relationship is the best long-term retention strategy. Break the trust, and you business will feel the effects.

LEVERAGE AUTOMATION IN YOUR HOME-BASED BUSINESS

Chefs do... (restaraunts don't ask gourmet chefs to create masterpieces on wood cook stoves)

Singers do... (imagine a band performing at a concert without a great sound system)

Advertisers do... (broadcasting through the airwaves to reach the masses)

Mechanics do... (mechanics use state of the art diagnostic tools to repair vehichles)

Teachers do... (chalkboards are being replaced by whiteboards)

IF YOU PLAN ON BEING SUCCESSFUL WORKING FROM HOME...

You should... too! (adding automation to your marketing toolbox is smart marketing)

Having a system of automation to add to your marketing toolbox which will run on autopilot allows you to experience the ulitmate leverage through the power of marketing online. Automation is your best friend when it comes to building your business, because with it, you can devote your valuable time toward building and retaining relationships which will provide you a solid foundation for a very stable business.

97% Who Start a Business Won't Succeed.

The 3% Who Know How to Make a Profit Tap Into Automation to Assist Them In Building Relationships With Their Customers and Business Partners.

CLICK HERE

To start leveraging over $23,000 of success tools

and resources to automate your business today!

The Evolution from the W-2 Mindset to Entrepreneur

2010-06-24T11:40:00.017-04:00

It happens to all of us who make the journey of discovering independence as an entrepreneur.

When you start thinking about owning your life, you begin to gravitate from the W-2 mindset, especially when you realize that you are slaving away, and all of your hard effort goest toward a big shot's bonus.

For me, it happened when I decided that my employer was not qualified to dictate my worth.

Every person has their turning point, and a lot of the time, it hinges on their "why" (see other posts). It's important to know your why, but even more important, is CONNECTING with your why. If you can't connect with your "why" - do whatever it takes to get there. Start the process of rearranging your life, to get centered and focused in, on the reason you want to own your life.

++++++++++

Where you are today, is a result of the choices that you made yesterday...

Your choices are what creates your reality...

Would you like your life to be different?

Start making choices that are geared toward reaching the reality you want for yourself...

++++++++++

Don't Allow Dream Stealers to Rob

My Interesting Experience

2010-06-22T08:17:00.026-04:00

You Want a WHAT...?

You are probably wondering what in the world my title has to do with network-marketing and how it can benefit those who either already do, or are making preparations to work from home as an entrepreneur in their own homebiz.... after you read my post, you'll understanding will be crystal clear, and you might even crack a smile or two as you read my interesting experience...

You never know when the opportunity to get enlightened on a subject will present itself. I always keep my mind open to learning as events unfold in my life, because I know that things do not happen unless there is a reason for them to happen so that I can learn and grow.

So here's my interesting experience...

The other day, I was at Wal-Mart. I always work on developing my skills at building rapport with people and improving my communication skill when I'm in any type of a crowd. If you ever meet me, you'll think I'm a pretty big BS'r, because I like shooting the breeze with people and getting to know them.

So here I am waiting to check out, and the lines are long and the guy in front of me has his stuff all loaded on the belt... I'm waiting for his to move forward so that I can put mine on the belt. I noticed that part of his order on the belt were these 4 cute little "milk jug" types of things. I like learning about new products, especially those to use in new recipes that make life easier, so... I made my move. I positioned myself closer to him so that I could start a conversation.

I picked up one of the little "milk jugs" and started talking to him about them. I said, "Wow, these are pretty cool, huh?" "What are they?" He answered me, "Oh, those are for making pancakes, all you do is add water". "Works pretty good for a bachelor... (pause... wink) like me." I ignored the flirt and went right on with the conversation. I said, "Oh, yeah, I bet it does work out good for you being single." "I make all of my pancakes for my HUSBAND and myself from scratch." "We raised four kids (three of which were boys), so I'm kind of used to cooking for an army, 'cause my boys sure could eat like an army when they were growing up." I shared with him that I always cook too many pancakes when I make them because of that, so what "I" do is stack them on a plate and keep them in the fridge and we eat them the next day or two for breakfast.

Then he replied something that... TOTALLY FLOORED ME!

He said, "Well, that probably works pretty good for you." I didn't even get the chance to reply to him because by now he was on a roll... he just kept on talking...

He said, "That would never work for me, I don't have a DOUGHBY."

Now in my mind, I'm presented with a problem. Is this a NEW TERM that I've never heard before..., or is this guy being a total jerk making a derogatory comment toward my gender? At the risk of damaging any rapport that I had JUST established with him, I made a split-second decision to ignore him.

Wrong Option!

He noticed that I ignored him.. so he immediately tried to re-engage me in the conversation. He asked, "Do you know what a "DOUGHBY" is?" By this time, I knew where he was going with this, so I replied to him. "Well, I'm assuming that you are referring to a WOMAN as a "doughby"? "Is that correct?" He answered, "Yes"....

By then, I was beginning to see red... it was my female duty to stand up for every woman in America at that moment...

He asked for it, so I looked him squarely in the face and replied...

"You know what? That is the very reason (pause... big smile) that YOU don't have one!"

Needless to say, the conversation was over. He wasn't open to hearing any of that. This guy was about somewhere in his 50's too. Odds are, thinking like that he'll NEVER have his heart's desire.

Now... here is where the part about network marketing comes in to play. I thought about this experience for a couple of days. At first, I just looked at it on the surface, but there is always a deeper meaning to things that happen if you try to learn something from it.

This dude needed a total mindshift. His mindset was totally off, which is why he experienced the result of having no "doughby". The sad thing was, by his actions at the end of our conversation he consciously STILL chose to hold on to his belief about women.

This guy's beliefs, which led him to expectations that were not realistic were totally out of the ballpark! He could have had what he wanted (a doughby), if he would have just tweaked his belief system and corrected his misconception in order to understand that he was going about things the wrong way.

How many times do people forfeit their own happiness and success in life because the choose to hold on to a stereotypical mindset? Because of his choices, he has nothing left for him in life but a very lonely existence as a person who repels women, instead of attracting them like he thought he could do. Perhaps he will meet a "doughby" that he can attract, for his sake, I hope so. I wish him all the best of luck though, because he's going to need it.

In network marketing and working from home in your own home based business, it is imperative that you learn how to adapt to changes in the industry and embrace them or you will be left behind by your competitors.

So, that is my interesting experience. A long post I know, but I hope that through sharing it, it helps you to understand the importance of ridding yourself of stereotypical beliefs. That type of belief system will always limit your potential, and/or hold you back from your success.

--> PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ANY TOPIC RELATED TO WORKING FROM HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON IN THIS BLOG...

The TOP 5 Reasons - Why You Should Be Working Cold Leads

2010-06-19T12:08:00.024-04:00

If you're looking for a way to achieve a higher level of success in your network marketing busiess, sit up and pay attention to the following information.

If You Don't Know How to Generate Your Own Leads... who will you talk to? Surely you aren't going chase down all your friends and family members? That's not professional. When you have a leads list you have people who have raised their hand and are wanting someone to show them the way... remember when you were a lead...?
Building Your Customer Base... You can't be a merchant with an empty wagon, and there's no use having a wagon if you don't put something in it. People are looking for a way to generate additional cash flow. People are sick and tired of hearing about and experiencing a recession. What do you have to offer people? Your business opportunity, and your wonderful products... right? Well, yes. Get yourself out there, and make sure you have plenty of available resources to put in front of your customers - that's Step #1. It doesn't matter how much traffic you can generate, if you don't have something ready to show to people who are ready to buy, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the majority of your business will come from... you guessed it... customers. Every customer at one time was a lead of some sort; whether they were from the warm or cold market.
ABS's... Always Be Sorting... Thought I was going to say ABC's didn't you? Not a typo, gottcha on that one :-)... Nope - ABC's stand for "Always Be Closing". If you are a newbie, you need to hone your skill to sort through the tire-kickers, the form-fillers, and basically the time-wasters. This is one part of working the business that cannot be short-changed - so... get the skills under your belt, and you'll be glad you did.
You Should Always Have More Prospects than You Have Time... Here is the reason for that one: if you don't have more prospects than you have time, you have a tendency to get attached to the prospects and... hope that the ones who no-show you will call... eventually... or they will go back and re-visit your website... eventually... you get the picture yet? If people aren't ready, you move on. That's the mindset you need to have. It may be, that those people will be interested later, but at the current time you should always be looking for people who are ready to get started. Imagine going to Walmart, and filling up your buggy with everything you need, and then telling the cashier, "I just don't know if I'm ready to pay yet... or not". Wouldn't that be insane! A real prospect KNOWS what they want, and will put the money down to get it when they see it. It is your job to give them the information they requested, let them do their due diligence, follow up with them and collect a decision... end of story.
It is DUPLICATABLE...! This is probably the single most important reason that you should work leads... it is a process that people can duplicate when they come on board with you. If you are skilled enough already to be able to generate your own leads, that doesn't mean that your new team member will be able to do so. It is important for new people to learn the skills and go through the steps to lay up a solid foundation upon which they can build on their own to experience true personal independence. This is an important step in that growth process. THEN, when your people on your team do learn how generate their own leads, they will KNOW how to sort and qualify prospects not only for their business, but most importantly - for their time.

Alright, there are TOP 5 REASONS that you should be working cold leads...

If you need leads... click -->HERE<-- to choose a leads package.

One more thing - work within your budget. This is highly imporant. Buy only what you can afford that you have allocated and set aside to invest into your business.

If you need advice on which types of leads to buy, do not hesitate to pick the phone and call me, or the lead vendor to get your questions answered before making a purchasing decision.

--> PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ANY TOPIC RELATED TO WORKING FROM HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON IN THIS BLOG...

How Do You Get Started Working From Home? (Part 2)

2010-06-08T07:57:00.012-04:00

Developing the Mindset of an Entrepreneur.

What does it REALLY take to make it working from home?

Money?
Connections?
Marketing Skill?

The answer is both "yes" and "no".

It does require capital to operate a real business, but it won't cost a fortune.
It does require connecting with people and learning from the best in the industry, if you want to be the best, learn from the best.
Yes, it will require marketing skill, but not a marketing degree.

Those are things that can all be developed, but if you lack this one specific trait, I can guarantee you this fact -- you will NEVER make it in this business.

Everyone has their own journey, their own path they go through, and their own "why". Today, I'd like to speak to you about your "why", and how important it is to understand it, and be connected to it more than anything else in your life. If you are not connected to your "why", working from home and writing your own paycheck will not become a reality for you -- you must allow your "why" to become very real to you. In so doing, it will help you visualize and experience the reality you want to create for yourself, and consequently the solution to your "why".

Your "why" is what will drive you when you don't feel like going further, or when you feel like giving up. Your "why" is what will equip you to write your own paycheck.

Lots of budding entrepreneurs think their "why" goes something like this...

I want financial security.
I want personal independence.
I want to travel and see the world.
Or, simply - I hate alarm clocks! I want to do what I want, when I want, with whomever I want.

Those are all good "reasons" but terrible "why's"! If these are typical thoughts that you have as to why you want to work from home, I'm telling you right now that these are not enough to get you by.

Understanding what it will take to relieve your pain, or give you the pleasure will help you to identify your "why".

Some people have a real hard time getting laser focused on their "why". Here is an exercise that may help you to tap into your "why".

Write down on a list of paper - right now after you finish reading this post - EVERYTHING that you dislike about your life on the left-hand side of your paper. Take the time to sit down and think specifically about what you would change if you could. Across from these on the right-hand side, right down what it would take to replace the things you dislike in your life (solution).

Examples:

Debt - Replacing my income with a residual income from a home business.
No time with my family - Time freedom through owning my own life working from home.
My job - Fire my boss, and work from home.
Leaving my kids in daycare - I work from home, my kids are not entrusted to the care of strangers..
Commuting - Working from home = no commute to eat up time in my schedule.

So now, you have an idea that may help you to get a crystal clear focus on your "why", which will help you in your drive to succeed in working from home in your own home based business.

If you missed Part 1 - Here's the link: "How Do You Get Started Working From Home?" (Part 1).

How Do You Get Started Working From Home? (Part 1)

2010-06-05T01:02:00.021-04:00

HomeBiz Basics For Beginners.

Today, I would like to speak to you about specific tools you will need in order to become a successful entrepreneur. Not talking here about replicated websites, etc... I'm speaking about real skill development that seperates the "fakers" from the "movers and shakers".

It is very common when you first start out in your journey as an entrepreneur to make some common mistakes, so I would like to help you avoid failure in your HomeBiz by helping you get off to a great start.

Of course you will be familiarizing yourself with your company, products, and the pay plan - that's a given. Plugging in to your company training calls is an absolute must. Always be present at the next current event, and not just present, but actively present, as in participating. This helps you to grow as a leader.

There is more involved than plugging in to your company, however. You will need to make an honest evaluation of what skills you will be bringing to the table as a business owner. You may be very competent on the computer, or you may be a total newbie to everything. If so, that's ok! Everyone starts out at the beginning, so don't be intimidated by what you don't know. Just start with what you do know, and build from there.

* Surround yourself with successful people... it rubs off!

OPERATION STRATEGIES FOR BEGINNERS

- A notebook (a paper "system" to keep track of your operations) is one of the simplest tools for most people to set up when they first get started, and the great thing about a notebook, is it is not subject to power failures, and you can grab it and take it with you wherever you go. That way, when you are starting out, you can even take your notebook with you and make calls on your lunch break, or whenever you get a free couple of minutes.

Tab Dividers - 31 for the days of the month, and 12 for each month.
Tab Dividers - 4 for Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific Time Zones.
Area Code Chart - http://www.greatdata.com/.
A TimeZone Chart - http://www.worldtimezone.com/.
A Contact Management Log - design one of these easily in Microsoft Word.
Plastic Sheet Protectors.

*As your business grows, and your skills become further developed, you may want to purchase a contact management system.

How to Assemble Your Notebook...

If you use a script, put it in plastic sheet protectors in the front of your notebook, as you will be accessing this the most.

Place your TimeZone tab dividers in your notebook.
Place "the current month" tab divider you are in now in your notebook.
Place the 31 tab-dividers after the current month.
Place the other 11 tab-dividers in the back of your notebook.

Now, you have a simple system that is totally portable to get your business up and running. When you call a lead/prospect that you connect with, you can fill out the info in the "Prospect Information Sheet", and place it in the appropriate tab-divider for the date of your next follow-up appointment with them. If it is someone that you speak with who is interested but now is not the right time for them and they would like to be contacted in a month, slip the Prospect Information Sheet into the appropriate month in the back of your notebook, and can avoid your prospects falling through the cracks and losing touch with them. Keep them warmed up by looking ahead in your notebook and sending them emails from time to time with information that is of relevant content to their primary want as it pertains to your business opportunity... do not send an email unless it is something that is specific to their interests and desires. You want to set yourself apart from your competition.

As your HomeBiz grows and you learn more about marketing online, you can leverage the power of technology and the Internet and put your business on autopilot with the skills you learn.

"Developing the Mindset of an Entrepreneur"

How Do You Get Started Working From Home? (Part 2)

PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ANY TOPIC RELATED TO WORKING FROM HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON IN THIS BLOG...

Herding Cats and Turtle Races

2010-05-29T09:53:00.014-04:00

There are certain things in life, that one should avoid engaging in. The two mentioned in the topic of the post are to grab your attention of course. Did you ever try to round up more than one cat? How about trying to race turtles? My kids used to have turtle races when they were growing up. It was a fun activity for them in their childhood to fill their day, but it's definitely something that most of us reading this blog would avoid.

As adults, we know that time is the most valuable luxury we own, and engaging in useless, time-wasting activities is a futile waste of our effort and energy. If you are working from home and learning how to write your own paycheck, one of the very best skills you can learn is prioritizing your tasks, and eliminating things from your schedule that are unproductive. Once you master becoming productive with your time, you will be well on your way to a better, more secure income.

An easy way to prioritize your tasks, is to write down on a list what you absolutley must get accomplished "today". Most people know to do this, but here is an added step that helps with creating a to-do list for yourself. After you write down the things you want to accomplish... look at your list... and then number them to the left hand side in the order of their importance.

Always do #1 - FIRST - and then work your way through your to-do list. You will feel good because you are getting the important things done, and even if you don't get all of them completed for the day, you can re-write them into tomorrow's to-do list and prioritize them in their importance.

Learning this simple, yet highly effective operational strategy, frees up your time in your business and enables you to place your focus on connecting with people.

PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ANY TOPIC RELATED TO WORKING FROM HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON IN THIS BLOG...

Your Frame of Mind is... EVERYTHING!

2010-04-12T08:13:00.032-04:00

Your frame of mind is the most important ASSEST you will EVER OWN!

You are the one in control of how it is directed...

Start your day, every day, in some way that keeps you in a positive state of mind.

I like listening to great music, and so I wanted to share some of my favorites with you here...

--> check back often, as I will be adding as time goes by...

"God Made Me" - Mississippi Mass Choir

"He Is My Everything" - Chicago Mass Choir

He's a Battle Ax - Florida Mass Choir

"When I Get Carried Away" - Gaither (Toronto) w/ Ivan Parker

"Get Up In Jesus' Name" - Gordon Mote

"Little is Much When God Is In It" - The Gaither Vocal Band

"At the Midnight Cry" - Gold City

"Tears Will Never Stain the Streets of That City" - The Singing Cookes

"I Keep Praying" - The McKameys

"I'd Do It All Over Again" - Vestal Goodman

"I Don't Regret A Mile" - Howard Goodman

"Sinnner Saved by Grace" - The Gaither Vocal Band

"I'm Gonna Sing" - The Gaither Vocal Band

May the Lord bless your heart as His grace uplifts and comforts you today.

==========

Are you looking for answers?

The Lord has it already taken care of, just turn it over to Him...

Freedom FromWrong Mindsets - Joel Olsteen

You Are Somebody's Miracle - Joel Olsteen

If You Believe, All Things Are Possible - Joel Olsteen

How Big Is Your God? - Joel Olsteen

How To Handle Criticism - Joel Olsteen

Be Grateful - Life is Short!

Don't Quit

2010-03-01T08:56:00.005-05:00

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

And the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won, had he stuck it out;

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

Ths silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're the hardest hit-

It's when things seem worse that you must not quit.

- author unkown

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again..

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things... so many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:

Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

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The Success Principle of Sam Walton

2010-02-27T11:47:00.014-05:00

Fish... they don't share the similarities of most other meats, traditionally speaking. They don't walk on four legs (or even two, like a chicken), and they require an aquatic environment to sustain life.

Unlike most other selections of meat at the grocery counter, fresh fish are displayed entirely intact; head to tail fin on ice, so for the most part, fish are marketed very differently in comparison to other meats, yet one fact remains: fish can provide protein to the consumer, just the same as any other form of meat, and in many cases is a better choice due to the fact that fish in most cases are lower in fat that other meats.

So what does that have to do with Mr. Sam Walton?

Mr. Walton understood some profound principles of humanity when it came to building an enterprise. Three of them were the founding principles of the company he built known as Wal-Mart.

1. Respect for the Individual.

2. Strive for Excellence.
3. Service to the Customer.

These three founding beliefs are what have carried this company to the success it has achieved from a little mom and pop store; to the mega-giant retailer it is today, employing thousands of associates.

Mr. Sam, as associates who knew him fondly refered to him as, didn't sit in an office and micro-manage his company. He was a people person, and a great connector. He would visit his stores unannounced, which usually put the management team into shock mode, and then he would take the time to speak to cashiers, stockers, cart pushers, the same as he would the store manager, or assistants in the offices, and he would ask each of them what they thought from their own perspective, could be improved upon to make the company better. He wasn't interested in finding out if people saw the fish as he saw it, he was more intent on knowing know how they saw the fish, and taking suggestions from their perspective to improve his company.

One of his slogans he emphasized when training management teams was: "Listen to your associates, they are your best idea generators". He wanted the associates who worked for his company to know that they were just as much a part of the success of the company as anyone else, and that their input was highly valued. The way he demonstrated it was by asking questions, and giving them the opportunity to give their input. Their responses were what gave him the insight he needed to keep his company in growth and momentum, which not even the best of consulting firms could provide.

When teaching leadership to new management, Mr. Walton always stressed awareness that the strength of the company rested in understanding the different skills, abilities, and talents within people, and in taking these differences and developing them. By doing so, his company was able to provide the uniqueness of culture that built strong lasting retention relationships with his customers.

People who are developed to their potential are what creates momentum in any business, whether it is direct sales, referral marketing, franchising, or retailing. The willingness to understand people from a perspective other than your own, demonstrates respect for the individual, which in turn helps them to strive for excellence, and yields the end result of great quality service to the customer and profits for your business.

The next time you eat fish, remember, it's not just what's for dinner..., in business principle, to some people, FISH may be what they consider from their perspective to be the meat "without legs".

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Plan Your Work ~ and ~ Work Your Plan!

2010-02-16T07:56:00.007-05:00

Sitting here watching the snow fall... it's early in the morning, but not too early.

Thinking about how many people are trudging their way to work through the six inches of snow that fell last night, and how they hate it. It's just not something we say we want to do when we are a kid growing up. I mean, when was the last time you ever heard a kid say, "When I grow up, I want to drive on dangerous, snow covered roads before the crack of dawn to go to work at a job I hate!"

Seems like we are conditioned and programed with a W-2 mindset from the first day of school. There were not any entrepreneur classes when I went to high school with instructors teaching students how to "Write Your Own Paycheck", or I would have been the first one to sign up on the deal. I was always dabbling my way into selling something, or belonging to a book club in order to get that "special price" on the books I would have purchased 'anyway". I've always been a trailblazer, one that cuts their own swath through life. Wherever the norm is, just look the other direction, and that's exactly where you'll find me.

Did you ever say to yourself, "There's got to be more in life than this..."

Well, friend, I'm here to tell you that there is more to life than the daily drudgery and the daily grind that most people are stuck in, BUT YOU MUST BE WILLING to step out of your comfort zone to get there..., and stepping out of your comfort zone is NOT easy by a long shot. You need several things to help you accomplish that, and here is a brief outline for your toolbox you will need, if you are brave enough to venture outside of your personal comfort zone.

KNOW YOUR "WHY" - Just saying to yourself, more money, more time, more freedom to call my own shots is not enough. You should sit down with a piece of paper and write down your "why". If you have more money, time, or freedom - "how" will your life be different once you have those things, in comparsion to what your life is like right now? Write it down, and keep it in front of you.
MAKE A COMMITMENT - Dabbling in this industry never got anyone the first penny in their bank account. Today, make a serious commitment of at least a year that you will learn and apply what you learn and give it your best shot. How else will you know if things can change if you can't commit to your future?
WORK CLOSELY WITH A LEADER - True success in this business involves several things being in the right place, and one of them is working with someone who knows the ropes.
BE COACHABLE - Always be flexible in your approach to learning this business. Sure, you have your ideas, and should utilize what works for you in your particular situation, but always remember that your leader has a vested interest in you, and is looking out for your best interest to help you to grow.
GO FOR IT LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW - Everyone comes to the table with unique sets of challenges, talents, and gifts that all need to be taken into account. When you know what you have to work with, you then will be able to map out a game plan for your success.

Plan Your Work ~ and ~ Work Your Plan!

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You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink... UNLESS you know to salt his oats! In other words - How thirsty must you become, in order to make a change in your life?

2010-02-09T15:47:00.013-05:00

Working from home full or part-time, is one of the best ways I know of to enjoy being the you that God created you to be. For those of you who are still thinking on it, and have not taken the plunge yet, I know how miserable, and confused you are feeling.

Sometimes as you go through the decision making process, in your mind you will go through all the "what if's" or the "I don't know if I can do it's"... but be of good cheer, you are not alone. We have ALL had those types of thoughts before. You are not the first one to have them, and definitely will not be the last one either.

Only you, can be the one who will be able to weigh all things in the balance, and see if working from home is the right option or not. Doesn't matter, if it's right for Networker Jane, or Heavy Hitter Joe. Don't let that pressure you in the least, what others do. What matters most is this, is it the right decision for you...

Here's how it came down for me...

I've always been very independent. I like to call my own shots, and make my own decisions about everything that affects me personally in my life. I never had to work the majority of my life, but after some sickness in our family changed our circumstances, I decided I needed a "job".

At first, it was pretty cool! I liked where I worked, because I am a people person, and I got to deal with the public in a sales environment. Something was missing, so I broadened my mind, and looked into additional ways to become financially independent, and that is when I found network marketing, and fell in love with the whole concept; the business model, and everything about it!

It wasn't easy giving up the security of a full-time job, let me tell you. People told me I was crazy, I would be in diapers and in the nursing home by the time, I was successful. So far, no diapers, and no nursing home yet.

I have been privileged to be mentored by some of the best in the industry, top leaders have been willing to take me under their wing, and devote their precious time developing me. I want to pass this on, and keep the chain going because it is important to me to see people who are living in the place in their lives that makes them happy and fulfilled.

We in our society are too much of a slave to the rat race, and we need to stop - and smell the roses for a change! Life goes by fast enough the way it is.

If you are unhappy with where you are now... may I make a suggestion?

Ask yourself this question...

"If time and money were not an option, how would my life be different today?"

What would you be doing, right now, if you had no worries about too much month at the end of the money, or time constraints...

Being in the rat-race day in, and day out can begin to steal your dreams from you. If you aren't careful, you'll get caught up in the routine, and forget that there is so much more for you in life to enjoy, and it doesn't have to be the way it is now...

God has a way of working in your life, and "salting your oats" thereby allowing your thirst inside of you to give you that little extra "push" you need to get you headed in the right direction.

So the next time you are feeling all stressed about where you are in your life, just simply lay it out there in black and white... what will it really take for you to start building your own dreams instead of someone elses? I guarantee you when you ask yourself that question, you'll immediately know the anwer.

For me, the answer was in working in a home based business that offers products that I am passionate about, and being able to work on a team with like-minded people. That is what I enjoy the most about the business - the culture of network marketing!

Well, that's all for now, I hope I gave you some food for thought, and what I really hope is that you can tune in to yourself, and focus on whatever it is that you have your heart wrapped around, and when you find out what that special something is... GO FOR IT!

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