A couple weeks ago, I did something I hadn't done in a while. I bought leads. Not just any leads, mind you, these were good leads. Expensive leads. What they call "Real time leads." I guess they call them that because as soon as the lead responds to an ad, fills out a form, or whatever, they contact me. It was perfect. Or so it seemed . . .
Now, I know there are some out there who have had tremendous success calling leads. Friends of mine who are super successful today got there by calling leads. I guess they have some magic that I neither possess nor understand, because I've never had one bit of success calling leads. None.
In fact, most leads I've called fit into one of three categories, none of which helped my self esteem or built my business.The first category is the largest. About 80% of the phone numbers I called gave me voicemail. This was no big deal. My company had given me a voicemail script. It was short, to the point, and was easy to deliver. I started getting tired of voicemail, though. Well, at least until I had my first person answer . . .
The second category is when somebody actually does pick up the phone. In my experience, this is rarely pretty. About half the time the person who answers pretends to be someone else, even though they are the person you're trying to reach. Sometimes they'll come clean and tell you who they really are (now that they know you're not a bill collector or the FBI), but that they're no longer interested. Some don't even remember filling out a form. And those are the nice ones . . .
Others that fit into this category surely belong somewhere in Dante's Inferno. They are the darkest of the dark; the ones you dread when you try and lift that 800 pound phone. They usually say something like, "Yes, this is John, and I want you people to just leave me alone! Take me off your bleeping list right now!", just before the line goes dead.
Still another in this category is the nice person who seems interested, promises to look at your website, and call you if she has any questions. When you try and follow up, however, she's disappeared.
The third category, of course, is the wrong number, fax machine, or the non-answer. After some of the other responses, sometimes this one is a relief. This time would be different, however. After all, these were "Real Time" leads . . .
So I got home from work, signaled to the lead company that I was ready to receive my leads. I was to receive a maximum of 10 leads a day, which I felt would be appropriate. If these leads were as hot as I imagined, surely at least half would be receptive. This could be a gold mine!
My heart jumped into my throat when the first 4 leads appeared, complete with phone number an email address. Here it comes . . .I lifted the phone, dialed the number. My prospect's name was Valerie.
The phone rang twice before an older man answered the phone."Hi. May I speak with Valerie?"
"Who?" the man said loudly, as if he could barely hear me.
"Valerie!" I repeated loudly.
"Ain't no Valerie here . . ." I could hear him speaking with a woman in the background. Then her voice came on the line.
"Who is this?" she said, somewhat rudely.
I explained who I was and why I was calling.
"Valerie ain't lived here in 6 months! She done moved to Mississippi."
I thanked her for her time and hung up. Unfortunately, none of the other calls I made from my "Real Time" leads turned out much differently.
Honestly, this is how I've spent most of my network marketing career. Well, until recently, anyway.
After experiencing network marketing online with solo ads, list builders, and traffic exchanges, and after recruiting an enormous number of people this way, I don't understand how anyone can keep using the old techniques. I mean, most days I reach more than 10,000 people, and I face zero rejection.
I shudder when I hear companies teaching that everybody is a prospect, and how you should keep adding names to your list. Undoubtedly, these are the same people who still attend Thursday night hotel meetings. No thanks. I'd rather surf MySpace, Facebook, or Yuwie. In my experience, it's much more profitable.
Not to mention, more comfortable.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Language Of The Subconscious Mind
As a hypnotherapist, many people ask me about visualization. Most want to know how it works, while others have tried it without any results. To be sure, there are a lot of books out there that make it seem much easier than what it really is. Still, it's far from difficult, and if you want something bad enough, I guarantee you that it will work for you.
Firstly, though, I just want to say that I have trouble with the word, "visualization." Mostly because that word suggests that you're using only your vision. That's not at all true, as you're about to find out.
The purpose of visualization is to create a change in your subconscious mind, that part of your mind which runs in the background. It's responsible for beating your heart, breathing, healing, and a lot of other things. You're seldom aware of it, yet it controls your entire being.
To influence your subconscious mind, however, you must know it's language. Words and numbers mean nothing to it. Logic is foreign to it. It's the realm of emotion and creativity. Rational thought doesn't exist in the subconscious.
At first glance, this presents a problem, especially if you're trying to build wealth using visualization.Your first challenge, then, is to be very specific about what you want to manifest. Instead of just saying, "I want to be wealthy," say, "I want to make $50,000 a month in residual income within the next 12 months." See the difference?
That presents the next problem. How do we communicate this to the subconscious? $50,000 means nothing to it.Your task then becomes to determine what that $50,000 a month will look like? Sound like? Smell like? Taste like? Feel like?
For instance, $50,000 a month to you might mean walking on the beach with the person of your dreams. You feel the sand under your feet. Is it warm, or cooler? Moist, or dry?You feel a breeze through your hair, and smell the salt from the waves. You hear the waves crashing on the beach, and taste the salt on your upper lip. Emotionally, you feel an immense sense of gratification at achieving your goal.
These are the ways you tell your subconscious mind what you're really after. The more you submerse yourself in your imagination, the more real you make your vision to your subconscious mind. If you do this 5 to 10 minutes a day, you'll be surprised at how your life will change.
What you're doing when you visualize like this is creating a false memory. Your subconscious, you see, can only act on what it knows. If there's no reference to your being successful in your past, it's got nothing to draw on.
The remedy for this is to give it that something, which is why false memories are so potent.
A word of warning: Don't expect instant results. Your subconscious needs at least 21 to 30 consecutive days of this kind of visualizing before it starts to sink in. Until then, just have fun with it. When it kicks in, you'll know it, believe me.
Firstly, though, I just want to say that I have trouble with the word, "visualization." Mostly because that word suggests that you're using only your vision. That's not at all true, as you're about to find out.
The purpose of visualization is to create a change in your subconscious mind, that part of your mind which runs in the background. It's responsible for beating your heart, breathing, healing, and a lot of other things. You're seldom aware of it, yet it controls your entire being.
To influence your subconscious mind, however, you must know it's language. Words and numbers mean nothing to it. Logic is foreign to it. It's the realm of emotion and creativity. Rational thought doesn't exist in the subconscious.
At first glance, this presents a problem, especially if you're trying to build wealth using visualization.Your first challenge, then, is to be very specific about what you want to manifest. Instead of just saying, "I want to be wealthy," say, "I want to make $50,000 a month in residual income within the next 12 months." See the difference?
That presents the next problem. How do we communicate this to the subconscious? $50,000 means nothing to it.Your task then becomes to determine what that $50,000 a month will look like? Sound like? Smell like? Taste like? Feel like?
For instance, $50,000 a month to you might mean walking on the beach with the person of your dreams. You feel the sand under your feet. Is it warm, or cooler? Moist, or dry?You feel a breeze through your hair, and smell the salt from the waves. You hear the waves crashing on the beach, and taste the salt on your upper lip. Emotionally, you feel an immense sense of gratification at achieving your goal.
These are the ways you tell your subconscious mind what you're really after. The more you submerse yourself in your imagination, the more real you make your vision to your subconscious mind. If you do this 5 to 10 minutes a day, you'll be surprised at how your life will change.
What you're doing when you visualize like this is creating a false memory. Your subconscious, you see, can only act on what it knows. If there's no reference to your being successful in your past, it's got nothing to draw on.
The remedy for this is to give it that something, which is why false memories are so potent.
A word of warning: Don't expect instant results. Your subconscious needs at least 21 to 30 consecutive days of this kind of visualizing before it starts to sink in. Until then, just have fun with it. When it kicks in, you'll know it, believe me.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Remembering The Network In Network Marketing
Everywhere we look these days we hear about networking. It's been said that networking is all we can do to prepare for the economic train wreck up ahead.
In the corporate world we now see positions with titles like Chief Networking Officer (CNO). The ability to build alliances, negotiate, and communicate effectively is a primary prerequisite for most top level government jobs.
So, what exactly is networking, and should you be doing it? Why do so many people think it's important?
Yes, you definitely should network. After all, you are involved in NETWORK marketing, aren't you? What does it mean, to network?
Networking is simply meeting other people for the purpose of creating mutual beneficial relationships. These relationships can be professional, personal, or both.
Why is networking a good idea? For one, the more people you know, the more options are available to you. For instance, let's say you lost your job. You could scour the want ads, post your resume, even visit potential employers to find out if they're hiring.
But, let's say you also network on a regular basis, and that you've developed amicable relationships with many people. Since they both know and like you, they're likely to keep their eyes and ears open for any job openings they might come across. Even better, maybe some are even in a position to hire you themselves.
So how is it done? Do you just call somebody up and start chatting? Are there certain protocols to follow?
Well, I've been a therapist now going on 14 years, and my first response when getting to know someone is to ask questions. People love to talk about themselves. In networking, you have to give before you receive. This means really listening to the answers you get, then asking for clarification.
For instance, if somebody says, "I don't like network marketing," ask what they don't like about it. Maybe they were with a company that insisted they go to weekly meetings. Maybe their sponsor was a jerk. Maybe they're just saying that because they heard someone else say it.
Also, make sure the person you're talking with knows you understand what they're saying. Unfortunately, listening has become a lost art, and most people don't feel heard when they speak. If you can demonstrate that you do hear and understand, you'll gain a lot of points.
Dale Carnegie said it best: "To be interesting, be interested." If you do this enough, not only will you have won friends and influenced people, but you'll become quite wealthy.
In the corporate world we now see positions with titles like Chief Networking Officer (CNO). The ability to build alliances, negotiate, and communicate effectively is a primary prerequisite for most top level government jobs.
So, what exactly is networking, and should you be doing it? Why do so many people think it's important?
Yes, you definitely should network. After all, you are involved in NETWORK marketing, aren't you? What does it mean, to network?
Networking is simply meeting other people for the purpose of creating mutual beneficial relationships. These relationships can be professional, personal, or both.
Why is networking a good idea? For one, the more people you know, the more options are available to you. For instance, let's say you lost your job. You could scour the want ads, post your resume, even visit potential employers to find out if they're hiring.
But, let's say you also network on a regular basis, and that you've developed amicable relationships with many people. Since they both know and like you, they're likely to keep their eyes and ears open for any job openings they might come across. Even better, maybe some are even in a position to hire you themselves.
So how is it done? Do you just call somebody up and start chatting? Are there certain protocols to follow?
Well, I've been a therapist now going on 14 years, and my first response when getting to know someone is to ask questions. People love to talk about themselves. In networking, you have to give before you receive. This means really listening to the answers you get, then asking for clarification.
For instance, if somebody says, "I don't like network marketing," ask what they don't like about it. Maybe they were with a company that insisted they go to weekly meetings. Maybe their sponsor was a jerk. Maybe they're just saying that because they heard someone else say it.
Also, make sure the person you're talking with knows you understand what they're saying. Unfortunately, listening has become a lost art, and most people don't feel heard when they speak. If you can demonstrate that you do hear and understand, you'll gain a lot of points.
Dale Carnegie said it best: "To be interesting, be interested." If you do this enough, not only will you have won friends and influenced people, but you'll become quite wealthy.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Choosing The Right Network Marketing Company
With things the way they are today, having an alternative source of income is no longer an option. Network marketing is the obvious choice. It's an easy, inexpensive way to start a business that can be very lucrative. With so many companies out there today, however, how do you decide which one is the best fit for your situation?
If I had to use one word to describe all the stuff that's out there today when I do a Google search on network marketing companies, it would have to be "hype." It's literally everywhere. Thousands of opportunities scream at me. Some make ridiculous claims. Others sound like they might be doable. How do you decide?
Firstly, ask yourself if this opportunity is a real opportunity, or just another scammer. I usually check it out with www.work-at-home-forum.com. There, you can usually get an unbiased review from someone who's actually experienced this company.
Another consideration is cost. If you're struggling to pay the rent, can you really afford a $250.00 a month autoship? Also, there are hidden costs like autoresponders, websites, and marketing budget.
I shouldn't have to even say this, but your upline is extremely important. Unless you are highly self-motivated, your success depends a lot on the support of your team. So many people join awesome companies, only to fail due to faulty upline support. Put simply: Nobody even tells them what to do!
How do you know if a potential sponsor or team is worth considering? Ask your upline how long they've been in the company, and how many personal enrollments they have under their belt. Call every upline member you can. If they are solid, they'll answer your questions truthfully.
If they hem and haw, on the other hand, you might want to start looking elsewhere. Network marketing is no place for ambiguity.
Your success ultimately boils down to you. I've honestly seen people with atrocious uplines and crappy companies succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Most successful network marketers agree that you can be successful with almost any legitimate company, provided you're willing to do what you have to do.
If I had to use one word to describe all the stuff that's out there today when I do a Google search on network marketing companies, it would have to be "hype." It's literally everywhere. Thousands of opportunities scream at me. Some make ridiculous claims. Others sound like they might be doable. How do you decide?
Firstly, ask yourself if this opportunity is a real opportunity, or just another scammer. I usually check it out with www.work-at-home-forum.com. There, you can usually get an unbiased review from someone who's actually experienced this company.
Another consideration is cost. If you're struggling to pay the rent, can you really afford a $250.00 a month autoship? Also, there are hidden costs like autoresponders, websites, and marketing budget.
I shouldn't have to even say this, but your upline is extremely important. Unless you are highly self-motivated, your success depends a lot on the support of your team. So many people join awesome companies, only to fail due to faulty upline support. Put simply: Nobody even tells them what to do!
How do you know if a potential sponsor or team is worth considering? Ask your upline how long they've been in the company, and how many personal enrollments they have under their belt. Call every upline member you can. If they are solid, they'll answer your questions truthfully.
If they hem and haw, on the other hand, you might want to start looking elsewhere. Network marketing is no place for ambiguity.
Your success ultimately boils down to you. I've honestly seen people with atrocious uplines and crappy companies succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Most successful network marketers agree that you can be successful with almost any legitimate company, provided you're willing to do what you have to do.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Why Consistency Is King
A few months ago, Jeff, who is in my upline told me that he had received 29 autoresponders without a single sign-up. Now, our team average is 1 sign-up for every 7 autoresponders, so he was due.
He said he wasn't doing anything differently. Still working the same safelists, traffic exchanges, and list builders, but without the usual results.
Had it been me, I would have tried something different. Different ads, different lists, do more stuff. I would have been buying marketing tools left and right, trying to fix whatever it was that was wrong.
Not Jeff. He kept on doing the same old things. Then it happened.
A couple weeks ago, Jeff recruited 5 premium members in one day! How is it possible? Nobody does that. I wanted to know his secret. So, he told me.
No, he used no new technique. He didn't find a new ezine that had super-responsive solo ads. He didn't buy any new marketing tools or ebooks. He didn't even increase his efforts. He told me his secret with just one word: Consistency.
Jeff did the same thing the day he signed 5 people that he did during the weeks he signed nobody. He knew eventually the law of averages had to kick in, and boy did it ever.
The lesson I learned was this: You cannot control how many members you enroll today. It's impossible. It's out of your reach. It's kind of like fishing.
The fisherman doesn't go out on the lake knowing he's going to bring home 13 fish. He sets his bait and hook, does the best he can, and realizes there's only so much he can control.
But also, kind of like fishing, you can control how many hooks you have in the water. And, like fishing, you can control how many hours a week you go out on the lake.
If you keep 5 hooks in the water for 40 hours a week, eventually you'll be able to calculate an average number of fish that will bring in. Barring some unforeseen event (the lake being poisoned), you can count on the law of averages every time.
The exact same thing holds true with your marketing. If you consistently place quality ads, write quality articles, and follow up with your downline, those actions will produce predictable results over time.
If you can identify the actions that make money for you, and do them on a consistent basis, there's absolutely no way you can fail.
He said he wasn't doing anything differently. Still working the same safelists, traffic exchanges, and list builders, but without the usual results.
Had it been me, I would have tried something different. Different ads, different lists, do more stuff. I would have been buying marketing tools left and right, trying to fix whatever it was that was wrong.
Not Jeff. He kept on doing the same old things. Then it happened.
A couple weeks ago, Jeff recruited 5 premium members in one day! How is it possible? Nobody does that. I wanted to know his secret. So, he told me.
No, he used no new technique. He didn't find a new ezine that had super-responsive solo ads. He didn't buy any new marketing tools or ebooks. He didn't even increase his efforts. He told me his secret with just one word: Consistency.
Jeff did the same thing the day he signed 5 people that he did during the weeks he signed nobody. He knew eventually the law of averages had to kick in, and boy did it ever.
The lesson I learned was this: You cannot control how many members you enroll today. It's impossible. It's out of your reach. It's kind of like fishing.
The fisherman doesn't go out on the lake knowing he's going to bring home 13 fish. He sets his bait and hook, does the best he can, and realizes there's only so much he can control.
But also, kind of like fishing, you can control how many hooks you have in the water. And, like fishing, you can control how many hours a week you go out on the lake.
If you keep 5 hooks in the water for 40 hours a week, eventually you'll be able to calculate an average number of fish that will bring in. Barring some unforeseen event (the lake being poisoned), you can count on the law of averages every time.
The exact same thing holds true with your marketing. If you consistently place quality ads, write quality articles, and follow up with your downline, those actions will produce predictable results over time.
If you can identify the actions that make money for you, and do them on a consistent basis, there's absolutely no way you can fail.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Should You Start a Home Based Business?
Job insecurity is a fact in today's economy. Still, people are reluctant to own a home-based business. Why is this? Many are addicted to the paycheck mentality. They'd rather look for a job that pays them steadily, if somewhat dismally, than take a chance on a much bigger, brighter future.
Any self-made millionaire will tell you that the key to wealth is leverage. Leverage is simply making more money by doing less work. This is impossible as an employee, regardless of your salary. With a home-based business, you even earn while you sleep, especially with the enormous power of the Internet at your disposal.
Never before in history have we been able to connect to billions of people worldwide. Not only that, but we stay connected 24/7! Take a moment and imagine the implications of this.
In just 5 minutes, you could be set up to offer your products to customers anywhere on this planet. You have a store whose open sign is always on.
Compare that to working a job. If you're on salary, you probably work more than 40 hours a week, and still bring home the same pay. If you are hourly, you only get paid while you're on the clock. No surprises. You already know what your next week's check is going to be. There's not much you can do to change it.
Why do we keep trudging along then? Why don't more of us kick the 9 to 5 and go out on our own? I think it's fear. Not only that, but I think the fear is both created and promoted by big business. I mean, if all of us had our own business, who would they get to make the widgets, sweep the floors, or take out the trash?
You want to talk about fear? What could be scarier than to be at the whims of the people running Wall Street right now? With the swipe of a pen you can be downsized, like a non-person. You become just another number, a statistic.
While most of us have bought in to the whole master/slave mindset, I'm finding more and more people are questioning its validity. If you're reading this, you're probably one of those people.
When you first contemplate going out on your own, it can indeed be scary. Breaking the paycheck mentality addiction takes guts, and if you're going to do it you need a plan. I would highly recommend investing in some personal development or growth before making the jump. Remember, you're not only changing your lifestyle, you're also changing your mindset.
In today's economy, however, jumping may be much safer than staying aboard a sinking ship. Thousands of people, pink slips in hand, are finding this out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most addicts don't change until they hit rock bottom, which is where Wall Street appears to be headed right now.
In the long term, owning a home-based business provides much more security, as more of us are learning every day.
Any self-made millionaire will tell you that the key to wealth is leverage. Leverage is simply making more money by doing less work. This is impossible as an employee, regardless of your salary. With a home-based business, you even earn while you sleep, especially with the enormous power of the Internet at your disposal.
Never before in history have we been able to connect to billions of people worldwide. Not only that, but we stay connected 24/7! Take a moment and imagine the implications of this.
In just 5 minutes, you could be set up to offer your products to customers anywhere on this planet. You have a store whose open sign is always on.
Compare that to working a job. If you're on salary, you probably work more than 40 hours a week, and still bring home the same pay. If you are hourly, you only get paid while you're on the clock. No surprises. You already know what your next week's check is going to be. There's not much you can do to change it.
Why do we keep trudging along then? Why don't more of us kick the 9 to 5 and go out on our own? I think it's fear. Not only that, but I think the fear is both created and promoted by big business. I mean, if all of us had our own business, who would they get to make the widgets, sweep the floors, or take out the trash?
You want to talk about fear? What could be scarier than to be at the whims of the people running Wall Street right now? With the swipe of a pen you can be downsized, like a non-person. You become just another number, a statistic.
While most of us have bought in to the whole master/slave mindset, I'm finding more and more people are questioning its validity. If you're reading this, you're probably one of those people.
When you first contemplate going out on your own, it can indeed be scary. Breaking the paycheck mentality addiction takes guts, and if you're going to do it you need a plan. I would highly recommend investing in some personal development or growth before making the jump. Remember, you're not only changing your lifestyle, you're also changing your mindset.
In today's economy, however, jumping may be much safer than staying aboard a sinking ship. Thousands of people, pink slips in hand, are finding this out on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most addicts don't change until they hit rock bottom, which is where Wall Street appears to be headed right now.
In the long term, owning a home-based business provides much more security, as more of us are learning every day.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Why Do It Any Other Way?
As a network marketer, I do about 99.9% of all my marketing online. With the Internet, it's just a no-brainer. Network marketing is a people business, and where can you reach more people than the Internet?
Offline marketing is just so time consuming. I remember the hours spent on the phone calling numbers from a list I'd purchased. If I did get through to the person I was trying to reach, which happened about 3% of the time, they were usually rude, said they hadn't requested any information, and would appreciate it if I took them off my list.
What a waste of time!
Another offline technique I'd used was the 3-foot-rule. You know, that's the one where you strike up a conversation with anyone coming within 3 feet of you, and snaking your business message in there somehow. I used to go to the grocery store, solely for that purpose. Oh yeah, that one really brought me a lot of business (not!).
Still another tactic was placing or handing out flyers. I was taught to go to apartment building parking lots at 2am and put flyers on all the cars. This one felt sneaky, almost dirty, like I was ashamed of what I was doing. No wonder so many of us quit this business.
The discomfort factor really plays into it, as well. Unless you have incredibly thick skin and a "sales" personality, offline marketing can be quite intimidating. You experience it the very first time you try to make a cold call. If you're like I was, your mouth becomes the Sahara, and the phone suddenly weighs 700 pounds. You make every excuse you can think of to put this off until another day.
With offline marketing, it's also difficult to target prospects. Face it, handing out flyers at Walmart is not going to net you many serious prospects. Neither will placing an ad in your local newspaper.
Another downside to offline marketing is their training, or lack thereof. Training usually consists of going to meetings, either in a hotel room or somebody's home. If the meetings are held Thursdays at 7pm and you work from noon until 8pm, then where does that put you?
That's a double whammy, because offline marketers tend to get beat down more than online marketers. Because of this, they actually need that training, just to stay focused and motivated.
If you're thinking about marketing online, you will need at least some training in online advertising and marketing. If you don't know much about autoresponders and capture pages, for instance, those are two aspects of online marketing you will need to become familiar with.
One very positive aspect of online marketing is that it's very easy to target your prospects. Safelists, traffic exchanges, and keywords for search engines provide just some ways to take aim at your market.
Probably the biggest selling point for me, however, is that online marketing doesn't require any sales skills or outgoing personality. And honestly, network marketing is not set up for just those kinds of people. It's all about duplication, and just because you might be a sales type, doesn't mean that everybody in your downline has that type of personality. How, then, would they duplicate your success?
As far as training goes, you can train and motivate your downline daily, with all the online methods available. Is a downline member struggling? Shoot her an email with a link to a motivating website, or maybe to some training she needs to overcome a problem.
Personally, I see little reason to market any other way.
Offline marketing is just so time consuming. I remember the hours spent on the phone calling numbers from a list I'd purchased. If I did get through to the person I was trying to reach, which happened about 3% of the time, they were usually rude, said they hadn't requested any information, and would appreciate it if I took them off my list.
What a waste of time!
Another offline technique I'd used was the 3-foot-rule. You know, that's the one where you strike up a conversation with anyone coming within 3 feet of you, and snaking your business message in there somehow. I used to go to the grocery store, solely for that purpose. Oh yeah, that one really brought me a lot of business (not!).
Still another tactic was placing or handing out flyers. I was taught to go to apartment building parking lots at 2am and put flyers on all the cars. This one felt sneaky, almost dirty, like I was ashamed of what I was doing. No wonder so many of us quit this business.
The discomfort factor really plays into it, as well. Unless you have incredibly thick skin and a "sales" personality, offline marketing can be quite intimidating. You experience it the very first time you try to make a cold call. If you're like I was, your mouth becomes the Sahara, and the phone suddenly weighs 700 pounds. You make every excuse you can think of to put this off until another day.
With offline marketing, it's also difficult to target prospects. Face it, handing out flyers at Walmart is not going to net you many serious prospects. Neither will placing an ad in your local newspaper.
Another downside to offline marketing is their training, or lack thereof. Training usually consists of going to meetings, either in a hotel room or somebody's home. If the meetings are held Thursdays at 7pm and you work from noon until 8pm, then where does that put you?
That's a double whammy, because offline marketers tend to get beat down more than online marketers. Because of this, they actually need that training, just to stay focused and motivated.
If you're thinking about marketing online, you will need at least some training in online advertising and marketing. If you don't know much about autoresponders and capture pages, for instance, those are two aspects of online marketing you will need to become familiar with.
One very positive aspect of online marketing is that it's very easy to target your prospects. Safelists, traffic exchanges, and keywords for search engines provide just some ways to take aim at your market.
Probably the biggest selling point for me, however, is that online marketing doesn't require any sales skills or outgoing personality. And honestly, network marketing is not set up for just those kinds of people. It's all about duplication, and just because you might be a sales type, doesn't mean that everybody in your downline has that type of personality. How, then, would they duplicate your success?
As far as training goes, you can train and motivate your downline daily, with all the online methods available. Is a downline member struggling? Shoot her an email with a link to a motivating website, or maybe to some training she needs to overcome a problem.
Personally, I see little reason to market any other way.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Death of Rejection, The Dawn of a New Age
I remember how terrified I was the first time I tried to cold call from a leads list. The first time a very rude woman told me to take her name off my list and never call back, I thought I'd never recover.
The truth is, most network marketers fear prospecting because of the rejection factor. And even though I eventually overcame my fear, I know many marketers who didn't, and subsequently quit the business because of it.
Now for the good news: The old ways are dead. Yep, you heard it first here. Cold calling, hotel meetings, hounding family and friends, and the 3-foot-rule died a slow but welcomed death.
Gone are the days when the preferred action was to buy lead lists for hundreds of dollars a month and cold calling, fishing for that one soul who could see the big picture.
Good riddance, I say.
And what mongrel murdered the dreaded tactics we so despised. Why, his name is Internet, of course.
Think about it: Network marketing is a people business. Where can you reach more people than the Internet? People all over the world, 24/7, are surfing somewhere.
The Internet has removed the rejection factor. No longer do we network marketers need fear picking up the telephone. We don't need to feel guilty because we missed the Thursday hotel meeting, or went to the supermarket today and didn't pitch our business to a single soul.
Imagine that.
No, now our websites handle all the rejection. That's OK, because they're emotionless creatures. You can call them names, they don't care. You can tell them their products suck, and still they're unaffected. Best of all, they keep at it, 24/7, and need no breaks of any kind.
Now, like everything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to use the Internet. The wrong way is to put up a website, list your products or try to sell your opportunity, and expect success. "Build it and they will come" is the motto of the Internet fool.
There are many right ways to use the Internet, but all of them revolve around generating traffic, that is, visitors, to your site. Traffic has been called the life blood of a website. Without it, the website serves no purpose.
There are some purists who argue that Internet marketing is inferior to face-to-face methods because it's difficult to build relationships. I couldn't disagree more.
I personally have made many, many more friends on the Internet than I ever could by going to some hotel meeting or handing out flyers at Walmart. The key is to remember that the Internet is only a tool.
Yes, you still need to develop relationships, and yes network marketing is still very much a people business, but that initial contact is much more comfortable when it occurs online. At least, that's been my own experience.
In days past, marketers had little choice but to attend meetings and cold call. Nowadays, we have webinars and teleconferencing, where you can talk to people on the other side of the world without leaving your home. How awesome is that?
I for one am glad to see the old ways disappear. My phone weighs a lot less, I don't feel guilty because I didn't ask Uncle Fred to do a 3-way call with my upline, and I'm making a lot more money since my downline has no problem duplicating what I'm doing.
Life is good.
The truth is, most network marketers fear prospecting because of the rejection factor. And even though I eventually overcame my fear, I know many marketers who didn't, and subsequently quit the business because of it.
Now for the good news: The old ways are dead. Yep, you heard it first here. Cold calling, hotel meetings, hounding family and friends, and the 3-foot-rule died a slow but welcomed death.
Gone are the days when the preferred action was to buy lead lists for hundreds of dollars a month and cold calling, fishing for that one soul who could see the big picture.
Good riddance, I say.
And what mongrel murdered the dreaded tactics we so despised. Why, his name is Internet, of course.
Think about it: Network marketing is a people business. Where can you reach more people than the Internet? People all over the world, 24/7, are surfing somewhere.
The Internet has removed the rejection factor. No longer do we network marketers need fear picking up the telephone. We don't need to feel guilty because we missed the Thursday hotel meeting, or went to the supermarket today and didn't pitch our business to a single soul.
Imagine that.
No, now our websites handle all the rejection. That's OK, because they're emotionless creatures. You can call them names, they don't care. You can tell them their products suck, and still they're unaffected. Best of all, they keep at it, 24/7, and need no breaks of any kind.
Now, like everything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to use the Internet. The wrong way is to put up a website, list your products or try to sell your opportunity, and expect success. "Build it and they will come" is the motto of the Internet fool.
There are many right ways to use the Internet, but all of them revolve around generating traffic, that is, visitors, to your site. Traffic has been called the life blood of a website. Without it, the website serves no purpose.
There are some purists who argue that Internet marketing is inferior to face-to-face methods because it's difficult to build relationships. I couldn't disagree more.
I personally have made many, many more friends on the Internet than I ever could by going to some hotel meeting or handing out flyers at Walmart. The key is to remember that the Internet is only a tool.
Yes, you still need to develop relationships, and yes network marketing is still very much a people business, but that initial contact is much more comfortable when it occurs online. At least, that's been my own experience.
In days past, marketers had little choice but to attend meetings and cold call. Nowadays, we have webinars and teleconferencing, where you can talk to people on the other side of the world without leaving your home. How awesome is that?
I for one am glad to see the old ways disappear. My phone weighs a lot less, I don't feel guilty because I didn't ask Uncle Fred to do a 3-way call with my upline, and I'm making a lot more money since my downline has no problem duplicating what I'm doing.
Life is good.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Who's Your Target Market?
Like most, my first few attempts at network marketing failed miserably. Looking back, I now realize this is because of how I was taught. The most poisonous of the crap your upline tells has got to be that everybody is a prospect.
This idea alone is probably responsible for more failures in this business than anything else. You want to lower your self-esteem a couple notches? Try using the 3 foot rule more than a few minutes.
So if everybody is not your prospect, then who is? Many these days are focusing on people looking for home based businesses, but is this really going far enough? My own experience with this has shown me that many people looking for legitimate home businesses consider network marketing taboo.
I’ve seriously had people ask me, “Is this MLM?” When I say it is, more often than not, the line goes dead. They have their reasons, many of them valid, but that’s a whole nother subject.
I’ve also encountered people who were looking for business opportunities who wanted nothing to do with selling. What? Show me one business that stays afloat without selling. Too many of these people believe the hype that’s out there. You know, like “No selling involved?” This alone makes them less than ideal candidates to be considered a target market for network marketers.
Who then? Who understands network marketing requires work and discipline? Who has made their names list, done business presentations for their families and friends and, because they were taught to find a way to snake their business opportunity into every conversation, now find themselves not being invited to family gatherings and such?
Well, considering more than 95% of network marketers fail within three to four months, the answer should be somewhat obvious. The target market for network marketers is fellow network marketers.
I’m not saying to persuade those in other companies to join your opportunity. More than likely, that would also end in frustration. However, with a 95% failure rate, there are a whole lot of people out there who believe in network marketing but haven’t been given the proper support or training. This is where you come in.
If you target these disillusioned, but motivated souls, you’ll find a gold mine. By teaching them solid, no nonsense marketing techniques, many are likely to succeed, which translates into more success for you.
This idea alone is probably responsible for more failures in this business than anything else. You want to lower your self-esteem a couple notches? Try using the 3 foot rule more than a few minutes.
So if everybody is not your prospect, then who is? Many these days are focusing on people looking for home based businesses, but is this really going far enough? My own experience with this has shown me that many people looking for legitimate home businesses consider network marketing taboo.
I’ve seriously had people ask me, “Is this MLM?” When I say it is, more often than not, the line goes dead. They have their reasons, many of them valid, but that’s a whole nother subject.
I’ve also encountered people who were looking for business opportunities who wanted nothing to do with selling. What? Show me one business that stays afloat without selling. Too many of these people believe the hype that’s out there. You know, like “No selling involved?” This alone makes them less than ideal candidates to be considered a target market for network marketers.
Who then? Who understands network marketing requires work and discipline? Who has made their names list, done business presentations for their families and friends and, because they were taught to find a way to snake their business opportunity into every conversation, now find themselves not being invited to family gatherings and such?
Well, considering more than 95% of network marketers fail within three to four months, the answer should be somewhat obvious. The target market for network marketers is fellow network marketers.
I’m not saying to persuade those in other companies to join your opportunity. More than likely, that would also end in frustration. However, with a 95% failure rate, there are a whole lot of people out there who believe in network marketing but haven’t been given the proper support or training. This is where you come in.
If you target these disillusioned, but motivated souls, you’ll find a gold mine. By teaching them solid, no nonsense marketing techniques, many are likely to succeed, which translates into more success for you.
Taking The Focus Off Yourself
Not too long ago, my network marketing business struggled. My marketing budget was almost zero, and I hadn't recruited anyone in a long time. It hurt.
Then Eric, who was in my downline, called me with a problem more serious than mine. His wife was leaving, and, in addition to the emotional stress he felt at the time, he didn't know how he could make ends meet without her income.He was thinking about quitting the business.
Eric had been one of my top producers. Losing him would be devastating. He became my focus.The next couple weeks I helped him find every free advertising source we could find. Safelists, traffic exchanges, traffic bars, posting video to YouTube, press releases, blogs . . . You name it, we did it. Oh, and along the way, I did these same techniques.
What happened? Within a month Eric sponsored 5 new premium members, advanced in rank, and was able to generate enough additional income to stay afloat! Not only that, but I was able to sponsor 3 new premiums myself that month. How did that happen?
Zig Ziglar is famous for many things, but one of his most famous sayings goes like this: "If you can help enough people get what they want, then you can have whatever it is that you want."Nowhere does this saying apply more than in network marketing.
In reality, you are nothing without your downline. Think about this for a moment. If every member of your downline were to drop out right now, where would you be?And yet, so many times I've heard about how difficult it is to reach your upline. Reach your upline? A truly supportive upline should be calling you at least twice a week.
If you don't communicate with your downline, how do you expect to succeed? They are literally the air in your balloon.
I can guarantee you that if you take the focus off yourself and your business and put it where it belongs, on your downline and their business, that yours will take care of itself. Yes, you'll still have to prospect and recruit new members, but when you focus on others, a kind of magic clicks in, and it seems to happen almost effortlessly.You can call it karma, reaping what you sow, or Universal backlash, but it's all the same.
It's kind of like when you watch someone else's back, someone else automatically watches yours. I've done this several times now, and it's always the same. If I start getting frustrated or worried about my business, I'll simply focus more time on one of my downline who might be struggling. Without fail, when I check my numbers again, they're up. It's really the strangest thing.
Then Eric, who was in my downline, called me with a problem more serious than mine. His wife was leaving, and, in addition to the emotional stress he felt at the time, he didn't know how he could make ends meet without her income.He was thinking about quitting the business.
Eric had been one of my top producers. Losing him would be devastating. He became my focus.The next couple weeks I helped him find every free advertising source we could find. Safelists, traffic exchanges, traffic bars, posting video to YouTube, press releases, blogs . . . You name it, we did it. Oh, and along the way, I did these same techniques.
What happened? Within a month Eric sponsored 5 new premium members, advanced in rank, and was able to generate enough additional income to stay afloat! Not only that, but I was able to sponsor 3 new premiums myself that month. How did that happen?
Zig Ziglar is famous for many things, but one of his most famous sayings goes like this: "If you can help enough people get what they want, then you can have whatever it is that you want."Nowhere does this saying apply more than in network marketing.
In reality, you are nothing without your downline. Think about this for a moment. If every member of your downline were to drop out right now, where would you be?And yet, so many times I've heard about how difficult it is to reach your upline. Reach your upline? A truly supportive upline should be calling you at least twice a week.
If you don't communicate with your downline, how do you expect to succeed? They are literally the air in your balloon.
I can guarantee you that if you take the focus off yourself and your business and put it where it belongs, on your downline and their business, that yours will take care of itself. Yes, you'll still have to prospect and recruit new members, but when you focus on others, a kind of magic clicks in, and it seems to happen almost effortlessly.You can call it karma, reaping what you sow, or Universal backlash, but it's all the same.
It's kind of like when you watch someone else's back, someone else automatically watches yours. I've done this several times now, and it's always the same. If I start getting frustrated or worried about my business, I'll simply focus more time on one of my downline who might be struggling. Without fail, when I check my numbers again, they're up. It's really the strangest thing.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Not Getting Enough Traffic? Try Giving A Little.
When I get online, I usually look for information. Yea, I buy some things here and there, and do business online. But when I'm surfing on my own time, it's usually to find new recipes for salmon, how to upload a video to my blog, or who was the winning general in the Battle of the Bulge.
I know I'm not alone. People are hungry for information and, with the Internet, almost anything they want to know awaits a click of the mouse. What an age we live in!
The exciting thing about this is that the marketers who fully understand this and constantly give away free, valuable content now make very lucrative incomes. Nowhere else has it ever been more obvious that the more you give, the more you receive.
And all this giving translates to long term income. For instance, articles that I wrote over a year ago and posted on some submission sites still bring me large amounts of traffic even today.
How do you get in on the action? There are several things you can do. Firstly, do what I just did. Write articles, post them to submission sites (there are several out there), and watch your traffic soar.
Article submission sites allow you to post your contact information, including your website address, in the author resource box. Ezines, blogs, etc. can then use your article, free of charge, as long as the resource box remains intact.
This creates a win-win for everybody. The ezine or blog gets free content, and you get your name and website out there for all interested parties to see. What's more, is that you are establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
A second way to give away free content is much simpler. After you've written a number of articles, compile those with a common theme into an ebook, or a report. You can then use the ebook or report to bribe visitors to give you their names and email addresses, thus building your ever-important list.
So, what if you're not a good writer, or if you just hate to write? No problem. You can hire ghost writers fairly cheap to write 10 or so articles for you at a time. Posting 10 articles a month comes to 120 a year. Not bad, eh?
Doing business this way is probably the best way to create long term growth for your business. What's more, this growth is viral, meaning it grows almost exponentially. Imagine exponential growth combined with continued input. Sounds unstoppable, doesn't it?
With all the talk about the economy these days, one thing that will never go down in value is good information. If you're on a budget, you'd be a fool not to use this method to promote your business. After all, it's free, and the dividends are outstanding.
I know I'm not alone. People are hungry for information and, with the Internet, almost anything they want to know awaits a click of the mouse. What an age we live in!
The exciting thing about this is that the marketers who fully understand this and constantly give away free, valuable content now make very lucrative incomes. Nowhere else has it ever been more obvious that the more you give, the more you receive.
And all this giving translates to long term income. For instance, articles that I wrote over a year ago and posted on some submission sites still bring me large amounts of traffic even today.
How do you get in on the action? There are several things you can do. Firstly, do what I just did. Write articles, post them to submission sites (there are several out there), and watch your traffic soar.
Article submission sites allow you to post your contact information, including your website address, in the author resource box. Ezines, blogs, etc. can then use your article, free of charge, as long as the resource box remains intact.
This creates a win-win for everybody. The ezine or blog gets free content, and you get your name and website out there for all interested parties to see. What's more, is that you are establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
A second way to give away free content is much simpler. After you've written a number of articles, compile those with a common theme into an ebook, or a report. You can then use the ebook or report to bribe visitors to give you their names and email addresses, thus building your ever-important list.
So, what if you're not a good writer, or if you just hate to write? No problem. You can hire ghost writers fairly cheap to write 10 or so articles for you at a time. Posting 10 articles a month comes to 120 a year. Not bad, eh?
Doing business this way is probably the best way to create long term growth for your business. What's more, this growth is viral, meaning it grows almost exponentially. Imagine exponential growth combined with continued input. Sounds unstoppable, doesn't it?
With all the talk about the economy these days, one thing that will never go down in value is good information. If you're on a budget, you'd be a fool not to use this method to promote your business. After all, it's free, and the dividends are outstanding.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Imagine Ozzy Osborne Pumping Gas . . .
In 1981, I pumped gas at a full service gas station in Ohio.
Well, during the day anyway. At night I played in a rock and roll band named Warrior. We rehearsed just a few blocks from where I worked. I was 19.
I remember the smell of the gasoline when it got on my hands. Worse, in the winter I wore gloves under the misconceived notion that they would keep my hands warmer. When drenched in gasoline, however, their smell became unbearable.
My hands sometimes became numb. Keep in mind, this was when most gas caps were metal, and without feeling in your hands it was easy to cut yourself and not even know it until later.
One day, I was extremely hung over. I fell asleep under the hood of a car while checking the oil. It was an Audi, I believe, and its dipstick was hard to find. The lady was nice enough to show me where it was. I'm still not sure she knew that she'd interrupted a dream.
Working there taught me a lot. I learned that companies expect a lot from their employees, even when they pay you next to nothing. I learned that customers, regardless of how nice and helpful you try to be, will sometimes just be jerks.
One day a man and his wife parked next to our office and came inside. They dressed like they had just left church, and I was expecting an invitation to the cathedral down the road.
Surprisingly, however, they weren't thumping bibles. They were pushing Amway.
Now, at the time, I'd only seen Amway in passing. In those days, if it didn't have something to do with rock and roll, I didn't pay it much attention. This couple seemed convinced, however, that Amway would change our lives.
The way these people talked convinced me that Amway was their religion. It could solve any problem confronted by man.
They told us they could teach us how to be wealthy . . . that we could have success beyond out wildest dreams.
Well, success to me meant only one thing: Rock Stardom. It certainly didn't include driving around to gas stations and talking to minimum wage workers who could barely afford to eat.
Such was my very first experience with network marketing.
In all fairness, I've peddled my business to the wrong crowd as well. I did it mostly because my upline taught me to do it that way.
I've spent endless hours on the phone trying to get Bubba the truck driver to take a look at my business. I've bought lead lists from every company out there. I've memorized scripts, tracked my results (zero), and even paid for coaching.
Sponsoring even one person became my Holy Grail.
Even though it wasn't that long ago, just a few months, actually, today I look at those days and laugh.
I've now built a sizeable downline with hungry, motivated people. My duplication is through the roof, as my team's system is simple to teach and execute.
And guess what? I didn't call one prospect. I didn't pitch my business to anybody.
What changed for me? I was lucky enough to find a team of individuals that developed a system that is super-effective.
Gone are the days when duplicating my upline means handing out flyers or approaching strangers in Walmart.
If you're serious about financial independence, this might be your lucky day.
Well, during the day anyway. At night I played in a rock and roll band named Warrior. We rehearsed just a few blocks from where I worked. I was 19.
I remember the smell of the gasoline when it got on my hands. Worse, in the winter I wore gloves under the misconceived notion that they would keep my hands warmer. When drenched in gasoline, however, their smell became unbearable.
My hands sometimes became numb. Keep in mind, this was when most gas caps were metal, and without feeling in your hands it was easy to cut yourself and not even know it until later.
One day, I was extremely hung over. I fell asleep under the hood of a car while checking the oil. It was an Audi, I believe, and its dipstick was hard to find. The lady was nice enough to show me where it was. I'm still not sure she knew that she'd interrupted a dream.
Working there taught me a lot. I learned that companies expect a lot from their employees, even when they pay you next to nothing. I learned that customers, regardless of how nice and helpful you try to be, will sometimes just be jerks.
One day a man and his wife parked next to our office and came inside. They dressed like they had just left church, and I was expecting an invitation to the cathedral down the road.
Surprisingly, however, they weren't thumping bibles. They were pushing Amway.
Now, at the time, I'd only seen Amway in passing. In those days, if it didn't have something to do with rock and roll, I didn't pay it much attention. This couple seemed convinced, however, that Amway would change our lives.
The way these people talked convinced me that Amway was their religion. It could solve any problem confronted by man.
They told us they could teach us how to be wealthy . . . that we could have success beyond out wildest dreams.
Well, success to me meant only one thing: Rock Stardom. It certainly didn't include driving around to gas stations and talking to minimum wage workers who could barely afford to eat.
Such was my very first experience with network marketing.
In all fairness, I've peddled my business to the wrong crowd as well. I did it mostly because my upline taught me to do it that way.
I've spent endless hours on the phone trying to get Bubba the truck driver to take a look at my business. I've bought lead lists from every company out there. I've memorized scripts, tracked my results (zero), and even paid for coaching.
Sponsoring even one person became my Holy Grail.
Even though it wasn't that long ago, just a few months, actually, today I look at those days and laugh.
I've now built a sizeable downline with hungry, motivated people. My duplication is through the roof, as my team's system is simple to teach and execute.
And guess what? I didn't call one prospect. I didn't pitch my business to anybody.
What changed for me? I was lucky enough to find a team of individuals that developed a system that is super-effective.
Gone are the days when duplicating my upline means handing out flyers or approaching strangers in Walmart.
If you're serious about financial independence, this might be your lucky day.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
You Create Your Own World
You know it's true. You've seen it in those you admire, and in those you pity. If you could hear the conversations in their heads, you can bet they'd be drastically different from each other. It's like they travel in opposite directions. But there's more.
Your thoughts create your reality. All philosophies and religions teach this one basic truth. You become what you think about most of the time.
My friend Jim always had the worst luck with women. It was always the same: The first month or so would be awesome. Then according to him, the woman became psycho. Several of these women Jim saw abused drugs. At least one had outstanding felony warrants and was looking for a place to hide out. Most were abusive in some way.
"Why do I attract all the nut cases?" Jim asked me after a particularly dramatic episode. After all, he was a nice guy, good-looking, and made a decent amount of money.
My gut told me to find out more about Jim's relationship with his mother, the first woman in his life. What he told me made perfect sense.
Jim's mother was 16 when he was born. She abused drugs and alcohol, and passed young Jim off on friends and family whenever she could. He felt unwanted everywhere, and admits today that he thinks his mother was crazy. Unfortunately, this mindset now affects all his relations with women. Until Jim changes his way of thinking, he's doomed to repeat the same scenario indefinitely.
So, what do successful people think about that unsuccessful people do not? Why does success seem to come so easily for some, and so hard for the rest of us?
Stanford University posed these questions to many thousands of successful people, and their answers are all the same. Successful people think about what they want and how to get it. That's it. That's the big secret.
Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, think and talk about what they don't want most of the time. They talk about their worries and fears. By doing so, they bring many of these things to pass.
Unsuccessful people tend to blame others for their woes. They seldom have clear goals. Because of this, their energies are scattered, and they never seem to accomplish much.
To succeed, you must have written, well thought-out goals. The reason those who succeed seem to do so almost effortlessly is because, well, they do! Let me explain.
Having clear goals is about 85% of the battle. If you know where you're going, getting there is just a matter of following a few simple steps.
Clear goals focus your mind on what you want, and how you're going to get it. If you write them down and review them often, your success is virtually assured.
Your thoughts create your reality. All philosophies and religions teach this one basic truth. You become what you think about most of the time.
My friend Jim always had the worst luck with women. It was always the same: The first month or so would be awesome. Then according to him, the woman became psycho. Several of these women Jim saw abused drugs. At least one had outstanding felony warrants and was looking for a place to hide out. Most were abusive in some way.
"Why do I attract all the nut cases?" Jim asked me after a particularly dramatic episode. After all, he was a nice guy, good-looking, and made a decent amount of money.
My gut told me to find out more about Jim's relationship with his mother, the first woman in his life. What he told me made perfect sense.
Jim's mother was 16 when he was born. She abused drugs and alcohol, and passed young Jim off on friends and family whenever she could. He felt unwanted everywhere, and admits today that he thinks his mother was crazy. Unfortunately, this mindset now affects all his relations with women. Until Jim changes his way of thinking, he's doomed to repeat the same scenario indefinitely.
So, what do successful people think about that unsuccessful people do not? Why does success seem to come so easily for some, and so hard for the rest of us?
Stanford University posed these questions to many thousands of successful people, and their answers are all the same. Successful people think about what they want and how to get it. That's it. That's the big secret.
Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, think and talk about what they don't want most of the time. They talk about their worries and fears. By doing so, they bring many of these things to pass.
Unsuccessful people tend to blame others for their woes. They seldom have clear goals. Because of this, their energies are scattered, and they never seem to accomplish much.
To succeed, you must have written, well thought-out goals. The reason those who succeed seem to do so almost effortlessly is because, well, they do! Let me explain.
Having clear goals is about 85% of the battle. If you know where you're going, getting there is just a matter of following a few simple steps.
Clear goals focus your mind on what you want, and how you're going to get it. If you write them down and review them often, your success is virtually assured.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Two Main Ingredients For Success
I woke up early this morning and checked my email. I always get these "How to Get Rich" messages. You know, the ones that tell you if you enroll in their program for only $30 a month you'll learn the secrets of the masters.
After wading through tons of stuff about SEO's, autoresponders, and affiliate programs, it hit me that you really only need to do two things to be really successful.
The first one should be obvious. It's deceptively simple, but it's no means easy. If you do this, however, you're about 85% of the way to being as successful as you want to be. What is it? Well, you must know exactly what it is you want.
When I say "exactly," I mean just that. "I want to be rich" is not good enough. "I want to have $50,000 in my bank account by January 15," however, comes a lot closer.
Without knowing exactly what you want, you'll most certainly not get it. Hopes and wishes won't get you there. You've got to develop laser focus. There can be no vagueness, no maybe this or maybe that.
To be effective, your goals must be written down. This solidifies your commitment to seeing them through. Writing your goals also forces you to visualize them. In essence, when you write down your goals, you are creating a roadmap to your future. After writing them down, it's important to review them daily, just to keep you on course.
The second thing you need to do to be successful is to determine the price you'll have to pay for what you want, then get busy paying it. Don't be fooled. Nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING is free. There is a price you'll have to pay for being successful.
Say, for instance, you want to write and sell an ebook online, using affiliate programs. The first thing you would have to do is to learn how to write an ebook. Then you'd need to research affiliate programs, how they work, how you're paid, etc.
You would have to invest money in a PDF creator, to allow you to create your ebook in that format. To look professional, you might want to hire a graphic designer to design electronic cover graphics. Then, unless you're a really good copywriter, you'd need to hire somebody to write professional copy and design your splash page.
Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Only you can decide if the price is worth the reward.
So, the next time you're surfing, and you read about systems, programs, and techniques designed to make you rich, remember that it all boils down to these two concepts. Sure, there are a lot of tools out there that can help you get there, but without these two basics, nothing much will happen.
After wading through tons of stuff about SEO's, autoresponders, and affiliate programs, it hit me that you really only need to do two things to be really successful.
The first one should be obvious. It's deceptively simple, but it's no means easy. If you do this, however, you're about 85% of the way to being as successful as you want to be. What is it? Well, you must know exactly what it is you want.
When I say "exactly," I mean just that. "I want to be rich" is not good enough. "I want to have $50,000 in my bank account by January 15," however, comes a lot closer.
Without knowing exactly what you want, you'll most certainly not get it. Hopes and wishes won't get you there. You've got to develop laser focus. There can be no vagueness, no maybe this or maybe that.
To be effective, your goals must be written down. This solidifies your commitment to seeing them through. Writing your goals also forces you to visualize them. In essence, when you write down your goals, you are creating a roadmap to your future. After writing them down, it's important to review them daily, just to keep you on course.
The second thing you need to do to be successful is to determine the price you'll have to pay for what you want, then get busy paying it. Don't be fooled. Nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING is free. There is a price you'll have to pay for being successful.
Say, for instance, you want to write and sell an ebook online, using affiliate programs. The first thing you would have to do is to learn how to write an ebook. Then you'd need to research affiliate programs, how they work, how you're paid, etc.
You would have to invest money in a PDF creator, to allow you to create your ebook in that format. To look professional, you might want to hire a graphic designer to design electronic cover graphics. Then, unless you're a really good copywriter, you'd need to hire somebody to write professional copy and design your splash page.
Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Only you can decide if the price is worth the reward.
So, the next time you're surfing, and you read about systems, programs, and techniques designed to make you rich, remember that it all boils down to these two concepts. Sure, there are a lot of tools out there that can help you get there, but without these two basics, nothing much will happen.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Personal Brainwashing--Creating Success From The Inside Out
Private Kirk seemed like the last person you'd want in your army.
He was overweight and out of shape. He smelled. The kind of guy other guys like to poke fun at. Not what I expected to see at US Army Basic Training.
It took my friends and me by surprise when our drill sergeant named Private Kirk as our squad leader. Heck, lots of guys in our squad were more qualified. Did the sergeant see something in Kirk that we didn't?
We soon learned the logic. The first thing I personally noticed was that his body odor vanished. He became more focused. Within a couple weeks, he took on a swagger.
Nobody wanted to laugh at him anymore. By the end of Basic Training, I would have been proud to fight next to this guy.
What changed? How did Private Kirk go from a geek to a fighting machine, almost overnight?
Simple. He was forced to play a role. Our drill sergeant gave him no choice. So Kirk pretended to be a top-notch soldier. After pretending for so long, eventually he started to believe it. He made everyone else believe it, too.
So what does this have to do with network marketing? Just that if you're afraid of failure, then your thoughts become major obstacles. You convince yourself you can't succeed, and fulfill your own prophecy.
Aren't we all afraid, at least a little bit, when we first get involved with network marketing? I know I was. So how do we defeat these obstacles?
Following Private Kirk's lead, we can pretend we're already successful. As if we've already made it. This is the "fake it until you make it" mentality, and it's extremely effective.
When you first start acting successful, it feels very much like you're lying. To yourself and others. Eventually, though, you turn a corner, and something magic happens.
Not only do you believe you're successful, others believe it, too. And in this business, like no other, success attracts success. Others will want to be in your downline simply because you're successful, and you must know what you're talking about.
Pretending to be a successful network marketer forces you to do things you wouldn't ordinarily do. You stay up an extra hour to get things done, make that call to your downline, or place another solo ad.
Ironically, these actions lead to outward success as well. If you do the things successful people do, then there is absolutely no way you'll not be successful.
Your tone even changes when you talk business. You now possess authority. Others find that appealing and reassuring, and you're sure to attract many people.
The bottom line is this: You won't be successful until you believe you're successful. The really cool thing is that if you believe it on the inside, the outside must follow suit as day follows night. It can be no other way.
Napoleon Hill, in "Think and Grow Rich," says that "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." It's like planting a seed inside of you that grows from the inside out.
Like Private Kirk, you can turn yourself into a force to be reckoned with. All it takes is a little imagination, a little pretending, and a lot of desire.
He was overweight and out of shape. He smelled. The kind of guy other guys like to poke fun at. Not what I expected to see at US Army Basic Training.
It took my friends and me by surprise when our drill sergeant named Private Kirk as our squad leader. Heck, lots of guys in our squad were more qualified. Did the sergeant see something in Kirk that we didn't?
We soon learned the logic. The first thing I personally noticed was that his body odor vanished. He became more focused. Within a couple weeks, he took on a swagger.
Nobody wanted to laugh at him anymore. By the end of Basic Training, I would have been proud to fight next to this guy.
What changed? How did Private Kirk go from a geek to a fighting machine, almost overnight?
Simple. He was forced to play a role. Our drill sergeant gave him no choice. So Kirk pretended to be a top-notch soldier. After pretending for so long, eventually he started to believe it. He made everyone else believe it, too.
So what does this have to do with network marketing? Just that if you're afraid of failure, then your thoughts become major obstacles. You convince yourself you can't succeed, and fulfill your own prophecy.
Aren't we all afraid, at least a little bit, when we first get involved with network marketing? I know I was. So how do we defeat these obstacles?
Following Private Kirk's lead, we can pretend we're already successful. As if we've already made it. This is the "fake it until you make it" mentality, and it's extremely effective.
When you first start acting successful, it feels very much like you're lying. To yourself and others. Eventually, though, you turn a corner, and something magic happens.
Not only do you believe you're successful, others believe it, too. And in this business, like no other, success attracts success. Others will want to be in your downline simply because you're successful, and you must know what you're talking about.
Pretending to be a successful network marketer forces you to do things you wouldn't ordinarily do. You stay up an extra hour to get things done, make that call to your downline, or place another solo ad.
Ironically, these actions lead to outward success as well. If you do the things successful people do, then there is absolutely no way you'll not be successful.
Your tone even changes when you talk business. You now possess authority. Others find that appealing and reassuring, and you're sure to attract many people.
The bottom line is this: You won't be successful until you believe you're successful. The really cool thing is that if you believe it on the inside, the outside must follow suit as day follows night. It can be no other way.
Napoleon Hill, in "Think and Grow Rich," says that "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." It's like planting a seed inside of you that grows from the inside out.
Like Private Kirk, you can turn yourself into a force to be reckoned with. All it takes is a little imagination, a little pretending, and a lot of desire.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
How Burning Bridges Can Set You On Fire
I got high a couple days ago.
No, it didn’t involve Colombian herbs, bongs, or munchies. I didn’t sit and stare at my hand for 20 minutes. But I felt like I could do anything. Let me explain.
My wife and I took one of our cars to a local dealership to sell it. When we exited our car, I immediately felt defensive. I’ve seen places like this before, and if you’re not careful, these shifty-eyed piranhas will eat you alive. Imagine my shock when . . .
My demeanor changed completely when a young man named Roger walked up and introduced himself. He asked us questions—What were we looking for? Where did we live? Do we have any kids?
It wasn’t so much what he asked, but that you could tell he was genuinely interested in us. Well, that, or he was playing his role extremely well.
I found his optimism contagious. He was sure something good was going to happen for us today, and he was going to do all he could to make sure of it. At least that’s how he made me feel.
At that point, I think I would have bought almost anything from him, and at any price. He was that good. I felt empowered and important. But that’s not all.
We sold the car that day, and we were happy about it. But that wasn’t the best part. My hands tingled slightly, and I felt a smile on my face. Selling the car became an afterthought. I wanted to know Roger’s magic. How did he make customers feel so comfortable?
According to Brian Tracy, “Ambitious people dream big dreams and the only behavior they accept from themselves is to make those dreams come true.” Call it tunnel vision, one-track mind, or whatever. They become experts at burning bridges.
Burning bridges leaves you with no other option but to succeed. Like Alexander the Great when he burned all of his army's ships, to ensure there would be no retreat. His men would either be victorious or they would die. They won.
It’s called commitment.
Being committed doesn’t mean you won’t fail. It does mean that when you fall on your face, you’ll pick your bloodied self back up, guns a’blazin’. It means you’re optimistic enough to see failure as an opportunity to learn how not to achieve your goals.
It means that regardless of what happens to you, you’ll continue to look for ways to get what you want.
Committed people don’t look back, second guess themselves, or look for shortcuts. They know they’ve got to pay a price to get where they want to go. They continually educate themselves.
They understand that applied knowledge and consistent action are the keys to realizing their dreams. They won’t veer from their chosen path.
Commitment does not mean wishing or hoping. Pipedreams and idle talk are for losers. The truly successful know that dreams are important, but planning and doing make these dreams reality.
As for Roger the car salesman, it came as no surprise to me to find out that he was the top salesman on the lot. I’ve no doubt this young man will go far in life.
You will too if you first decide to act, and then take action. Burning bridges pushes you onward, away from your toxic comfort zone.
Accept nothing short of greatness.
No, it didn’t involve Colombian herbs, bongs, or munchies. I didn’t sit and stare at my hand for 20 minutes. But I felt like I could do anything. Let me explain.
My wife and I took one of our cars to a local dealership to sell it. When we exited our car, I immediately felt defensive. I’ve seen places like this before, and if you’re not careful, these shifty-eyed piranhas will eat you alive. Imagine my shock when . . .
My demeanor changed completely when a young man named Roger walked up and introduced himself. He asked us questions—What were we looking for? Where did we live? Do we have any kids?
It wasn’t so much what he asked, but that you could tell he was genuinely interested in us. Well, that, or he was playing his role extremely well.
I found his optimism contagious. He was sure something good was going to happen for us today, and he was going to do all he could to make sure of it. At least that’s how he made me feel.
At that point, I think I would have bought almost anything from him, and at any price. He was that good. I felt empowered and important. But that’s not all.
We sold the car that day, and we were happy about it. But that wasn’t the best part. My hands tingled slightly, and I felt a smile on my face. Selling the car became an afterthought. I wanted to know Roger’s magic. How did he make customers feel so comfortable?
According to Brian Tracy, “Ambitious people dream big dreams and the only behavior they accept from themselves is to make those dreams come true.” Call it tunnel vision, one-track mind, or whatever. They become experts at burning bridges.
Burning bridges leaves you with no other option but to succeed. Like Alexander the Great when he burned all of his army's ships, to ensure there would be no retreat. His men would either be victorious or they would die. They won.
It’s called commitment.
Being committed doesn’t mean you won’t fail. It does mean that when you fall on your face, you’ll pick your bloodied self back up, guns a’blazin’. It means you’re optimistic enough to see failure as an opportunity to learn how not to achieve your goals.
It means that regardless of what happens to you, you’ll continue to look for ways to get what you want.
Committed people don’t look back, second guess themselves, or look for shortcuts. They know they’ve got to pay a price to get where they want to go. They continually educate themselves.
They understand that applied knowledge and consistent action are the keys to realizing their dreams. They won’t veer from their chosen path.
Commitment does not mean wishing or hoping. Pipedreams and idle talk are for losers. The truly successful know that dreams are important, but planning and doing make these dreams reality.
As for Roger the car salesman, it came as no surprise to me to find out that he was the top salesman on the lot. I’ve no doubt this young man will go far in life.
You will too if you first decide to act, and then take action. Burning bridges pushes you onward, away from your toxic comfort zone.
Accept nothing short of greatness.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Enemy Within--3 Steps to Victory Over Yourself
My client Connie gave up.
Her life was a disaster--financially, emotionally, and now legally. Worse, even after months of therapy, she still couldn't see how she caused almost all her problems.
If her husband would communicate, her life would be perfect. Well, that, and if her mother would be more supportive--and then her supervisor at work . . .
Unfortunately, Connie's not alone.
Lots of people I see these days try and solve their problems by looking outside themselves. Doing this ensures you will never resolve those issues.
On the other hand, if you focus on improving yourself, many times you'll find the outside world follows suit.
Now, I'm not saying it's easy to do. In fact, owning up to your shortcomings and looking your demons square in the eye can be well . . . scary, if not downright painful.
If you feel up to the task, however, here's what you've got to do.
Identify
This seems obvious, but you'll be surprised how much in denial most of us keep ourselves. Victory over yourself, however, means identifying the enemy.
It takes courage to admit you talk too much, or that you're lazy. Worse, you may not even have a clue as to what others see as your major issues. What do you do then?
Simple . . . ask and listen. Ask your friends, family, bosses, bartender, or spouse what are your least tolerable traits. The answers may surprise you.
Modify
Modify means to change. Armed with the knowledge of who the enemy is, you now move into action. This takes time.
You don't want to try to modify everything all at once. Instead, pick one or two traits and put special emphasis on making changes in those areas.
For instance, let's say you're always late. For at least a month, make being punctual your number one priority.
Solidify
Why a month? Research shows that it takes 30 days to
form a habit. After that, it's almost automatic. Like brushing your teeth.
If you do this, within a year your life today will be virtually unrecognizable to you when you get there. I personally guarantee it. How can I be so sure?
Not only do I counsel people in ways to improve their lives, I actually practice what I preach. I've made some dramatic changes in my life using these techniques, and continue to do so.
If you've got the guts to "Dare Something Worthy," then I challenge you to look at yourself.
Her life was a disaster--financially, emotionally, and now legally. Worse, even after months of therapy, she still couldn't see how she caused almost all her problems.
If her husband would communicate, her life would be perfect. Well, that, and if her mother would be more supportive--and then her supervisor at work . . .
Unfortunately, Connie's not alone.
Lots of people I see these days try and solve their problems by looking outside themselves. Doing this ensures you will never resolve those issues.
On the other hand, if you focus on improving yourself, many times you'll find the outside world follows suit.
Now, I'm not saying it's easy to do. In fact, owning up to your shortcomings and looking your demons square in the eye can be well . . . scary, if not downright painful.
If you feel up to the task, however, here's what you've got to do.
Identify
This seems obvious, but you'll be surprised how much in denial most of us keep ourselves. Victory over yourself, however, means identifying the enemy.
It takes courage to admit you talk too much, or that you're lazy. Worse, you may not even have a clue as to what others see as your major issues. What do you do then?
Simple . . . ask and listen. Ask your friends, family, bosses, bartender, or spouse what are your least tolerable traits. The answers may surprise you.
Modify
Modify means to change. Armed with the knowledge of who the enemy is, you now move into action. This takes time.
You don't want to try to modify everything all at once. Instead, pick one or two traits and put special emphasis on making changes in those areas.
For instance, let's say you're always late. For at least a month, make being punctual your number one priority.
Solidify
Why a month? Research shows that it takes 30 days to
form a habit. After that, it's almost automatic. Like brushing your teeth.
If you do this, within a year your life today will be virtually unrecognizable to you when you get there. I personally guarantee it. How can I be so sure?
Not only do I counsel people in ways to improve their lives, I actually practice what I preach. I've made some dramatic changes in my life using these techniques, and continue to do so.
If you've got the guts to "Dare Something Worthy," then I challenge you to look at yourself.
Monday, September 15, 2008
If You Don't Know Where You're Going, How Will You Get There?
Sir Edmund Hillary did something huge. He climbed
Mt. Everest. In fact, he was the first person in history
to do so.
Imagine for a moment, a reporter waiting at the bottom
of Everest when Hillary finished.
"Sir Hillary! How did you do such a thing? Many people
tried to do what you've just done and most have died.
Why did you succeed when nobody else could?"
Hillary scratches his head. "Well, I was just walking
along and saw this hill. I figured I might try to climb it,
just to see what happened . . ."
As ridiculous as the above sounds, this is the exact way
many marketers approach their business. I'm amazed
at how many people have no idea what they want. And
those that do, usually think small.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret I learned while
becoming a clinical hypnotherapist. OK, 2 secrets.
Alright, you got me. Three secrets.
The first is that the subconscious mind creates your
entire reality. All of it. Look around you. Your job,
your car, your spouse, your health--all of this originated
in your subconscious mind.
Scary, isn't it?
The second secret is that the subconscious mind
doesn't know the difference between what's real and
what's imagined.
This means that as far as the subconscious mind knows,
your fantasies, dreams, and even your nightmares have
all happened.
Another secret is that the subconscious mind tends to
keep bringing you more of the same. For instance, if
you're always broke, the natural flow of things tends to
keep you that way.
So, if you're not satisfied with your life, how do you
disrupt that natural flow and change course?
It's been proven that if you keep an image in your mind
that, over a period of time, the subconscious mind picks
up on that image and acts on it.
There have been documented cases of people making
themselves wealthy this way. Even curing cancer.
As marketers, we can start by imagining huge things
for ourselves. Why settle for a measly $10,000 a month
when you could have millions? Why be satisfied with
Everest, when you could have the stars?
Practically, this should take between 2 and 3 sessions a
day. Each session should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Now, I can hear all you busy marketers out there
moaning, "Great, another thing to squeeze into my
20-hour day!" But it's not like that.
In fact, if this imagining thing feels like work, then you're
doing it all wrong. This is play. Funtime. You should
be smiling, or even laughing while you envision your
wants.
If you do this enough on a consistent basis, your
subconscious will pick up on it. You are essentially
activating your mind to do the job for you.
How did Hillary do it? He became obsessed. He planned
and thought about what he wanted. His first attempt
at climbing Everest failed, but did he focus on that?
Nope.
He saw what he wanted, and I'm sure he imagined many
times how his victory would taste.
Likewise, if you plant the seed in your subconscious,
nothing short of greatness awaits.
Mt. Everest. In fact, he was the first person in history
to do so.
Imagine for a moment, a reporter waiting at the bottom
of Everest when Hillary finished.
"Sir Hillary! How did you do such a thing? Many people
tried to do what you've just done and most have died.
Why did you succeed when nobody else could?"
Hillary scratches his head. "Well, I was just walking
along and saw this hill. I figured I might try to climb it,
just to see what happened . . ."
As ridiculous as the above sounds, this is the exact way
many marketers approach their business. I'm amazed
at how many people have no idea what they want. And
those that do, usually think small.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret I learned while
becoming a clinical hypnotherapist. OK, 2 secrets.
Alright, you got me. Three secrets.
The first is that the subconscious mind creates your
entire reality. All of it. Look around you. Your job,
your car, your spouse, your health--all of this originated
in your subconscious mind.
Scary, isn't it?
The second secret is that the subconscious mind
doesn't know the difference between what's real and
what's imagined.
This means that as far as the subconscious mind knows,
your fantasies, dreams, and even your nightmares have
all happened.
Another secret is that the subconscious mind tends to
keep bringing you more of the same. For instance, if
you're always broke, the natural flow of things tends to
keep you that way.
So, if you're not satisfied with your life, how do you
disrupt that natural flow and change course?
It's been proven that if you keep an image in your mind
that, over a period of time, the subconscious mind picks
up on that image and acts on it.
There have been documented cases of people making
themselves wealthy this way. Even curing cancer.
As marketers, we can start by imagining huge things
for ourselves. Why settle for a measly $10,000 a month
when you could have millions? Why be satisfied with
Everest, when you could have the stars?
Practically, this should take between 2 and 3 sessions a
day. Each session should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Now, I can hear all you busy marketers out there
moaning, "Great, another thing to squeeze into my
20-hour day!" But it's not like that.
In fact, if this imagining thing feels like work, then you're
doing it all wrong. This is play. Funtime. You should
be smiling, or even laughing while you envision your
wants.
If you do this enough on a consistent basis, your
subconscious will pick up on it. You are essentially
activating your mind to do the job for you.
How did Hillary do it? He became obsessed. He planned
and thought about what he wanted. His first attempt
at climbing Everest failed, but did he focus on that?
Nope.
He saw what he wanted, and I'm sure he imagined many
times how his victory would taste.
Likewise, if you plant the seed in your subconscious,
nothing short of greatness awaits.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Demon in My Living Room
I took a short break from marketing last night and turned on the EIR (Electronic Income Reducer).
Most people call it a television, but it's much more than that. It kills dreams, steals thoughts, and sucks you dry of any motivation you might have.
Anyway . . . I saw a pampered celebrity whining and moaning about how unfair life had treated her. She cried and her friends tried to console her, but none of them understood the pain she was going through.
I almost vomited.
This little tramp had no idea how cruel life can be. Try being homeless and sleeping in a park for two weeks. Try watching your apartment burn to the ground. You wanna talk about pain?
Just as I started to get all settled into a comfortable rant mode, I stopped myself. "That's it!" I said out loud. "That's how they get you!"
The disgust I felt for poor little DUI celebrity chick drew me closer. It felt like a magnet almost. By causing me to feel emotion, they were holding me hostage. Until I discovered their game.
I turned the EIR off and cranked up some Bach, sipped some hot tea, and closed my eyes.
Anyone who's had some success at marketing knows how important emotions are. Chances are, you've heard it said many times that we buy out of emotion, not reason or logic.
This is certainly not lost on the EIR industry. With this in mind, however, I'm confused at how many ads I see that give REASONS why their product/opportunity is the best.
Anybody can say "We're the best because . . ." Does that mean I believe it? Do you? Probably not.
You probably wouldn't believe me either if I told you that my team is the fastest growing team in GDI . . . so I'm not going to.
Some things you've just got to find out for yourself.
Most people call it a television, but it's much more than that. It kills dreams, steals thoughts, and sucks you dry of any motivation you might have.
Anyway . . . I saw a pampered celebrity whining and moaning about how unfair life had treated her. She cried and her friends tried to console her, but none of them understood the pain she was going through.
I almost vomited.
This little tramp had no idea how cruel life can be. Try being homeless and sleeping in a park for two weeks. Try watching your apartment burn to the ground. You wanna talk about pain?
Just as I started to get all settled into a comfortable rant mode, I stopped myself. "That's it!" I said out loud. "That's how they get you!"
The disgust I felt for poor little DUI celebrity chick drew me closer. It felt like a magnet almost. By causing me to feel emotion, they were holding me hostage. Until I discovered their game.
I turned the EIR off and cranked up some Bach, sipped some hot tea, and closed my eyes.
Anyone who's had some success at marketing knows how important emotions are. Chances are, you've heard it said many times that we buy out of emotion, not reason or logic.
This is certainly not lost on the EIR industry. With this in mind, however, I'm confused at how many ads I see that give REASONS why their product/opportunity is the best.
Anybody can say "We're the best because . . ." Does that mean I believe it? Do you? Probably not.
You probably wouldn't believe me either if I told you that my team is the fastest growing team in GDI . . . so I'm not going to.
Some things you've just got to find out for yourself.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Why Free Crap is Just . . . Crappy
For years my employer provided free soft drinks to its employees and customers. It seemed like a nice setup until people starting abusing it.
Now we've got a Coke machine. Seventy-five cents a pop. If I want a soft drink, now I've got to walk across the parking lot and spend my hard-earned cash. But you know what?
It tastes better. I know it sounds ridiculous. I mean, it's the exact same stuff, right? I don't think there's a separate formula for Mountain Dew that goes in a machine, and one that goes on a store shelf. Yet I can taste the difference.
I know this is purely psychological.
It reminds me of all the "Absolutely Free" programs out there. I've tried several of them, and have gotten exactly what I paid for them. That's why I have no trouble forking out good money for a program I feel has a solid potential. I look at it as an investment.
A couple such programs are Ann Sieg's The Renegade Network Marketer and Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring. They cost $67.00 and $40.00 respectively, but both have made me many times that amount. They continue bringing me money even today.
I've recently begun a project that at first glance appears to be "free." This project takes up a lot of time, however, so "free", in this instance, is a relative term. Still, I see a potential for profit, so I'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.
Now we've got a Coke machine. Seventy-five cents a pop. If I want a soft drink, now I've got to walk across the parking lot and spend my hard-earned cash. But you know what?
It tastes better. I know it sounds ridiculous. I mean, it's the exact same stuff, right? I don't think there's a separate formula for Mountain Dew that goes in a machine, and one that goes on a store shelf. Yet I can taste the difference.
I know this is purely psychological.
It reminds me of all the "Absolutely Free" programs out there. I've tried several of them, and have gotten exactly what I paid for them. That's why I have no trouble forking out good money for a program I feel has a solid potential. I look at it as an investment.
A couple such programs are Ann Sieg's The Renegade Network Marketer and Mike Dillard's Magnetic Sponsoring. They cost $67.00 and $40.00 respectively, but both have made me many times that amount. They continue bringing me money even today.
I've recently begun a project that at first glance appears to be "free." This project takes up a lot of time, however, so "free", in this instance, is a relative term. Still, I see a potential for profit, so I'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Clint Eastwood For Mayor
In 1986 I watched Clint Eastwood give his inaugural
speech in Carmel, California.
I couldn't believe I was standing this close to one of my favorite actors, a real living legend. Dirty Harry himself.
How awesome to live in a town where Josie Wales was the mayor!
The entire area felt magical to me. And I think I've figured out why. Almost everybody I met in Carmel and the surrounding area had "made it." It was a community of retired actors, artists, and musicians. Nobody here struggled.
I never saw cigarette butts or gum wrappers on the streets and sidewalks. No rundown old buildings cluttered the rustic scenery of the downtown area. It was like everything was where it was supposed to be.
I saw lots of famous people's houses.
I had not made it, however. I was in the military and would be leaving California soon. The thought made me sick. I loved the culture, the atmosphere, and the weather. There wasn't a whole lot I didn't enjoy about Carmel.
You might say, "How come you didn't relocate there after you got out of the Army?"
Well, anybody who knows the area knows that the cost of living there is possibly the highest in the nation. Unless you're super-successful, living there is out of the question.
Ever since I began network marketing, about 10 years ago, when people asked me what my big "Why?" was, I always answered the same. To live comfortably in the Carmel area. That was my heaven; that was my dream.
Today, about all that has changed about my dream is that I'm closer to it than ever. After years of following wrong advice from the wrong people, I stumbled onto a system that works.
Now, I've read that there really are no more secrets. That's nothing but a bunch of bull. There are lots of secrets.
If you know how to do brain surgery, that's a secret I don't know. If you're the guy responsible for getting the Space Shuttle into orbit and back, then you definitely know a lot of secrets I don't know.
I know a HUGE secret. If you knew what I know you would become as successful as you want to be.
My team and I reveal these secrets to people every day, with truly amazing results.
If you want to discover the secret that will get you whatever you want, I invite you to be a part of our team.
Make my day, Punk.
speech in Carmel, California.
I couldn't believe I was standing this close to one of my favorite actors, a real living legend. Dirty Harry himself.
How awesome to live in a town where Josie Wales was the mayor!
The entire area felt magical to me. And I think I've figured out why. Almost everybody I met in Carmel and the surrounding area had "made it." It was a community of retired actors, artists, and musicians. Nobody here struggled.
I never saw cigarette butts or gum wrappers on the streets and sidewalks. No rundown old buildings cluttered the rustic scenery of the downtown area. It was like everything was where it was supposed to be.
I saw lots of famous people's houses.
I had not made it, however. I was in the military and would be leaving California soon. The thought made me sick. I loved the culture, the atmosphere, and the weather. There wasn't a whole lot I didn't enjoy about Carmel.
You might say, "How come you didn't relocate there after you got out of the Army?"
Well, anybody who knows the area knows that the cost of living there is possibly the highest in the nation. Unless you're super-successful, living there is out of the question.
Ever since I began network marketing, about 10 years ago, when people asked me what my big "Why?" was, I always answered the same. To live comfortably in the Carmel area. That was my heaven; that was my dream.
Today, about all that has changed about my dream is that I'm closer to it than ever. After years of following wrong advice from the wrong people, I stumbled onto a system that works.
Now, I've read that there really are no more secrets. That's nothing but a bunch of bull. There are lots of secrets.
If you know how to do brain surgery, that's a secret I don't know. If you're the guy responsible for getting the Space Shuttle into orbit and back, then you definitely know a lot of secrets I don't know.
I know a HUGE secret. If you knew what I know you would become as successful as you want to be.
My team and I reveal these secrets to people every day, with truly amazing results.
If you want to discover the secret that will get you whatever you want, I invite you to be a part of our team.
Make my day, Punk.
Monday, September 1, 2008
I Felt Like a Scared Little Girl
Do You Know Fear?
I thought I did until that day. It felt like a giant hand gripped my body, and I couldn't move. Not voluntarily, anyway . . . my hands shook like I was freezing, but this was July. Let me explain.
I was a soldier in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This particular day our Company Commander ordered us to climb a 60 foot platform, then repel down the other side. It looked like something you'd see on TV. It looked fun. And then the darker side . . .
The rungs on this platform consisted of 4 by 4's, about 5 feet apart. All the other soldiers flew up it like squirrels in trees. I made it to the second rung, and that's when it happened.
I reached for the third rung, but something in my gut pulled my arm back. More soldiers raced by me. I reached up again, but my arm trembled. Drill Sergeants stood directly below me. What was I to do?
I tried a third time, but found myself clinging to the rung like a scared little boy clinging to his mother's leg. I couldn't move.
A Drill Sergeant yelled and asked me if I was scared. At first, I couldn't say anything. Then I managed, "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
He told me to climb down. Surprisingly, I was able to do so. He didn't yell anymore when I reached the ground, just told me to go stand in formation. I later learned that the scared ones are usually the ones who fall.
I didn't feel that degree of fear again until I tried phone prospecting. I remember making up excuses for not being able to make calls that evening. That fear literally paralyzed me.
I was able, however, to work through my fear of the phone. I wanted network marketing success so bad, I would have walked through fire if my upline told me it would help me build a downline. Little did I know . . .
Thank God I learned a system that lets me do all my marketing online. No scripts, no getting psyched to make calls, no handling objections. Just place ads and count the autoresponders. This is a dream.
I thought I did until that day. It felt like a giant hand gripped my body, and I couldn't move. Not voluntarily, anyway . . . my hands shook like I was freezing, but this was July. Let me explain.
I was a soldier in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This particular day our Company Commander ordered us to climb a 60 foot platform, then repel down the other side. It looked like something you'd see on TV. It looked fun. And then the darker side . . .
The rungs on this platform consisted of 4 by 4's, about 5 feet apart. All the other soldiers flew up it like squirrels in trees. I made it to the second rung, and that's when it happened.
I reached for the third rung, but something in my gut pulled my arm back. More soldiers raced by me. I reached up again, but my arm trembled. Drill Sergeants stood directly below me. What was I to do?
I tried a third time, but found myself clinging to the rung like a scared little boy clinging to his mother's leg. I couldn't move.
A Drill Sergeant yelled and asked me if I was scared. At first, I couldn't say anything. Then I managed, "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
He told me to climb down. Surprisingly, I was able to do so. He didn't yell anymore when I reached the ground, just told me to go stand in formation. I later learned that the scared ones are usually the ones who fall.
I didn't feel that degree of fear again until I tried phone prospecting. I remember making up excuses for not being able to make calls that evening. That fear literally paralyzed me.
I was able, however, to work through my fear of the phone. I wanted network marketing success so bad, I would have walked through fire if my upline told me it would help me build a downline. Little did I know . . .
Thank God I learned a system that lets me do all my marketing online. No scripts, no getting psyched to make calls, no handling objections. Just place ads and count the autoresponders. This is a dream.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Dog Days
The whole Michael Vick episode makes me sick.
I bring this up because last night I watched a special the Animal Channel aired about the whole ordeal. I seldom watch TV, but I love dogs with a passion. How anyone could be so cruel to such awesome animals is beyond me.
I walked away with feelings of optimism and sadness. Let me explain . . .
The authorities treat high profile cases like this differently. They usually euthanize fighting dogs, no questions asked. In this case, however, they brought in animal control experts to assess the dogs. This is almost never done. But that's not what shocked me the most . . .
The experts expected to find vicious fighting dogs. What they found were cowering, whimpering, underfed and otherwise abused animals. But that's not all.
What surprised me the most was this: When they put these dogs with other dogs, they didn't fight. In fact, they behaved like most dogs I've seen. Some even played. It was also obvious that they craved human affection.
They behaved just the opposite of what we've been told. Ruined for life? Not hardly. A little scarred, maybe. In fact, of Vick's 53 living dogs, only 2 had to be euthanized. The rest now live with families. One works as a therapy dog in nursing homes! Imagine—a former killer sitting on Grandma's lap. And being quite loveable.
Maybe we can use the Vick case for some good. What if we focused on rehabilitating these dogs, and not just killing them outright?
I bring this up because last night I watched a special the Animal Channel aired about the whole ordeal. I seldom watch TV, but I love dogs with a passion. How anyone could be so cruel to such awesome animals is beyond me.
I walked away with feelings of optimism and sadness. Let me explain . . .
The authorities treat high profile cases like this differently. They usually euthanize fighting dogs, no questions asked. In this case, however, they brought in animal control experts to assess the dogs. This is almost never done. But that's not what shocked me the most . . .
The experts expected to find vicious fighting dogs. What they found were cowering, whimpering, underfed and otherwise abused animals. But that's not all.
What surprised me the most was this: When they put these dogs with other dogs, they didn't fight. In fact, they behaved like most dogs I've seen. Some even played. It was also obvious that they craved human affection.
They behaved just the opposite of what we've been told. Ruined for life? Not hardly. A little scarred, maybe. In fact, of Vick's 53 living dogs, only 2 had to be euthanized. The rest now live with families. One works as a therapy dog in nursing homes! Imagine—a former killer sitting on Grandma's lap. And being quite loveable.
Maybe we can use the Vick case for some good. What if we focused on rehabilitating these dogs, and not just killing them outright?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
There's Something In Them Georgia Hills
Almost a week ago now, my wife called me at work. Now this wouldn't usually be a big deal, but this time she was almost screaming. "Turn the TV on CNN—NOW!!"
A gazillion things went through my head as to what I was about to see . . . Another terrorist attack, World War III declared, martial law imposed. But what I saw shocked me more than I could have imagined.
It was a news conference. The word "LIVE" at the top of the screen. The fellow speaking wasn't a politician, though. The caption at the bottom of the screen read, "Tom Biscardi—Bigfoot researcher."
It looked like a couple of good ole boys had found the body of a Bigfoot in the North Georgia Hills. Not only that, but three or four more of the creatures followed them out of the woods as they dragged the body. I was completely blown away.
Now, had this been on a lesser-known network, and the faces unfamiliar, I would have immediately written this off as a hoax. But this was Tom Biscardi, the world's foremost expert on Bigfoot, on CNN! And that wasn't all.
They were talking about DNA testing and autopsies, and even allowing journalists to view and report on the body. Biscardi went on and on about the integrity of the two men, and how he believed them wholeheartedly. And then . . .
The DNA tests came back. It was combination possum and human. Either there was a mistake, or some lonely redneck did it with a possum. No wonder the poor creature stayed hidden.
A few days passed, and nothing about Bigfoot came across the airwaves. Not a syllable.
So, the day before yesterday I Googled Bigfoot, and guess what? Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed.
Them Duke boys sure pulled one over on CNN, and the rest of us for that matter. "Bigfoot" was a rubber gorilla suit in a block of ice. What a letdown.
The two morons claimed they did nothing wrong, but they're being sued by the world's largest Bigfoot research organization. One of the men who was a police officer also lost his job because of this whole stupid mess.
It's downright scary that some things can seem so real, and turn out to be something else.
Today, for instance, I got an email with a link in it from someone I trusted, telling me that this would be the perfect job for me. It was all about writing for money, and it seemed like the perfect way to help fund my Success University business.
I was within a hair of entering my credit card information, when I decided I should do some research on this company first. I've been saved by www.work-at-home-forum.com so many times I feel like I should send them a donation or something. They saved my butt again today.
The company I was thinking about joining was a major ripoff.
They were charging people's credit cards without authorization, and were impossible to contact. Nobody who joined mentioned making a dime. I immediately deleted the email.
Just like Bigfoot, though, it seemed real. The website was top-notch, all with pictures of pretty girls and guys and lots of dollars.
So how do you keep from getting fooled and losing a lot of money without becoming cynical of everything? Yes, there are people out there who will rip you off. There are also legitimate programs that can make you lots of money.
If they all look the same, though, how do you tell them apart?
One way is the method I used today. Talk to those who have been there. Ask other people online about their experience with the program you're thinking about joining. You'll be surprised how honest and just out and out blunt your answers will be.
Another way is to look for contact information. Ideally, the site will list both a phone number and an email address, and hopefully provide you with the name of a live human being. If you can't at least find an email address, don't bother.
Make it a Great Day!
A gazillion things went through my head as to what I was about to see . . . Another terrorist attack, World War III declared, martial law imposed. But what I saw shocked me more than I could have imagined.
It was a news conference. The word "LIVE" at the top of the screen. The fellow speaking wasn't a politician, though. The caption at the bottom of the screen read, "Tom Biscardi—Bigfoot researcher."
It looked like a couple of good ole boys had found the body of a Bigfoot in the North Georgia Hills. Not only that, but three or four more of the creatures followed them out of the woods as they dragged the body. I was completely blown away.
Now, had this been on a lesser-known network, and the faces unfamiliar, I would have immediately written this off as a hoax. But this was Tom Biscardi, the world's foremost expert on Bigfoot, on CNN! And that wasn't all.
They were talking about DNA testing and autopsies, and even allowing journalists to view and report on the body. Biscardi went on and on about the integrity of the two men, and how he believed them wholeheartedly. And then . . .
The DNA tests came back. It was combination possum and human. Either there was a mistake, or some lonely redneck did it with a possum. No wonder the poor creature stayed hidden.
A few days passed, and nothing about Bigfoot came across the airwaves. Not a syllable.
So, the day before yesterday I Googled Bigfoot, and guess what? Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed.
Them Duke boys sure pulled one over on CNN, and the rest of us for that matter. "Bigfoot" was a rubber gorilla suit in a block of ice. What a letdown.
The two morons claimed they did nothing wrong, but they're being sued by the world's largest Bigfoot research organization. One of the men who was a police officer also lost his job because of this whole stupid mess.
It's downright scary that some things can seem so real, and turn out to be something else.
Today, for instance, I got an email with a link in it from someone I trusted, telling me that this would be the perfect job for me. It was all about writing for money, and it seemed like the perfect way to help fund my Success University business.
I was within a hair of entering my credit card information, when I decided I should do some research on this company first. I've been saved by www.work-at-home-forum.com so many times I feel like I should send them a donation or something. They saved my butt again today.
The company I was thinking about joining was a major ripoff.
They were charging people's credit cards without authorization, and were impossible to contact. Nobody who joined mentioned making a dime. I immediately deleted the email.
Just like Bigfoot, though, it seemed real. The website was top-notch, all with pictures of pretty girls and guys and lots of dollars.
So how do you keep from getting fooled and losing a lot of money without becoming cynical of everything? Yes, there are people out there who will rip you off. There are also legitimate programs that can make you lots of money.
If they all look the same, though, how do you tell them apart?
One way is the method I used today. Talk to those who have been there. Ask other people online about their experience with the program you're thinking about joining. You'll be surprised how honest and just out and out blunt your answers will be.
Another way is to look for contact information. Ideally, the site will list both a phone number and an email address, and hopefully provide you with the name of a live human being. If you can't at least find an email address, don't bother.
Make it a Great Day!
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