Be Honest: Wouldn't You Rather Chop Off A Pinkie With A Meat Cleaver Than Do This?

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.

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.

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.

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.