Who Inspires You?

I posted my article, "The Secret To MLM Success" in one or two of the online forums in which I participate. I never know what kind of response I will receive when I post an article out there. Well, the feedback I have been getting from this one has been incredible. The most common adjective that comes to mind is, Inspiring. This prompted me to write and post a little more about a man who is somewhat of a hero to me, "Pistol Pete Maravich." He almost singlehandedly revolutionized the game of basketball. But it was his dedication, his faith, his desire to let nothing stand in his way and prevent him from being the best he could possibly be that is truly inspiring. That phrase "This is Inspiring," keeps coming up over. Here is my response. Enjoy.

Yes it is, ______. I will not ever forget seeing him play. He was one in a million, a skinny white kid who looked like he would break in half if someone ran into him. But once he stepped onto a basketball court, he was poetry in motion. His shooting ability was matched only by his ball handling and passing skill. He would make some of the most incredible passes that teammates would miss because no one would ever expect that a pass that good was even possible.

But what I said about Pete in my post above is only part of the story. The rest of the story (Oh man, now I sound like Paul Harvey, LOL!) is even more inspiring. His dad, Press Maravich, was was a successful college basketball coach and former college and professional player. When Pete was growing up, he found a passion for the game that fueled the most amazing, even legendary work ethic. He was determined to be the best that had ever been.

His unwavering dedication, the superior knowledge of the game of basketball he gained from his father along with hours upon hours upon hours, usually late into the evening, spent working on ball handling, passing and shooting drills, also learned from his father all combined to produce the most incredible and unstoppable force the game had ever seen.

It is this dedication and tireless and relentless practice and work ethic that comes to mind now, as I reflect upon my post, above. The fans only saw the end result, and as awesome as that was, it pales in comparison to the work ethic and dedication that got him there. His confidence, his skill, his ability to take over a game and carry his team upon his shoulders were only the tip of the iceberg. So, when a bad game would come, and they always do, he would just keep right on doing the things he knew would get him through it and the law of averages, which it always does, would turn in his favor. Success and the turn of the tide, was always only one "jump shot" away.

It's important that we have people in our lives that inspire us to keep on keeping on, when it looks hopeless, when everyone else says "just give up, it's impossible," when nothing seems to be going right. I have had many such people over the years, to inspire me, the greatest of all being my Father, truly the best man I have ever known! Another is "Pistol Pete Maravich," the greatest player I have ever seen play the game of basketball. My quesiton to you, the reader, is "Who Inspires You?"

The Secret to MLM Success

What's the secret to MLM success? Now, there's another good one for the "If I had a dollar for every time" category. Do a search on the subject and you'll see any number of ads, blog posts, articles and you-tube videos offering their amazing secret short cut to wealth. They all start off with "MLM Lies" or "The truth about MLM Success your upline won't tell you" or any number of variations on that theme and then try to sell you their "Secret Formula" or DVD set or a membership in their "Millionaire Club" or whatever gimmick they're pedaling. The truth is, there is no secret formula. There's no magic bullet. There is no gimmick or short cut that will make you successful. I'll tell you the secret to MLM success. Get ready, this is deep. The secret is you. It all begins and ends, with you. Success, no matter what endeavor you undertake in life requires work, a lot of work. It's not easy. It takes time. It takes practice. It requires patience, resolve, dedication and commitment. No mentor, no DVD set, no seminar, no business system can supply those things. The only one who can, is you.

Now, I'm not saying someone should not take advantage of legitimate seminars, instructional DVD's and mentoring by others who have achieved success. Of course they should. I spend a good bit of time myself, reading or listening to people who can inspire or teach me. I participate in several online MLM or Network Marketing forums, lots of wisdom in there. I study successful people and what made them successful. I have people on my team and in my upline who teach me something just about every day. But in the end, the one person will will decide your MLM success or failure, is you. You have to put the teaching, the mentoring, the systems to work. You have to DO something. You must make a commitment and dedicate yourself to success, no matter how long it takes. You have great products and an awesome business opportunity to offer that can make people's lives better. So get off your sofa, turn off your TV, get on the phone and, now here's the big secret, talk to people.

MLM success is a numbers game. If you're not sponsoring anyone, if you're not selling enough product, you're not talking to enough people. It really is THAT simple. No, it's not easy. Sometimes it can be downright frustrating. You'll have days when you couldn't sell a bar of soap to someone who just got out of a mud bath. But talk to enough people and you WILL find those who want what you have to offer. "Pistol Pete" Maravich was one of the greatest scorers I ever saw play college basketball. He would score 50 to 60 points in a game, and that was in the days before the three point shot. But he would also take 40 to 50 shots a game, sometimes more. Did he get frustrated if he threw up 10 or 12 or more without a basket? No! Did he quit because he was having a bad game? No! He just kept firing away. His success depended on it. He believed in himself. He knew that if he took enough shots, the law of averages would turn in his favor and the points would come. Of course he had great skill and an incredibly accurate shot. But even the great "Pistol Pete" couldn't make every shot he took. So he kept on shooting.

The same principle applies to MLM success. If you keep talking to people, enough people, even when you don't feel like it, even when no one seems to be interested at the time, the law of averages will eventually turn in your favor and you will be successful. It's true, you do need to acquire the skills and the knowledge to know what to say and how to answer questions and objections. You need be able to present your products and opportunity with confidence. That comes with time, patience and lots of practice. So, practice. And you do need to talk to the right people, people who are as driven and as hungry as you are. But you never know where you will find them, so you can't prejudge. Appearances can be deceiving. For all you know, the person you're talking to right now could be the very one who will go crazy, sponsor a ton of people and explode your downline. You just don't know. So, you have to talk to people, enough people, period. If there is a secret to MLM success, that's it. Talk to people. Your business and your success depend on it.