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.

Negative People, They Have No Place In Network Marketing

If you're around people for any length of time, and that's a given, if youre involved in a Network Marketing Business, you're going to run into those people who always see the worst in everything. They'll find something wrong, in any circumstance in which they may find themselves. These "Glass Half Empty" people mystify me. I simply don't understand them. The world is ALWAYS out to get them. Nothing EVER goes right for them. They're not happy unless they have something to complain about. What an unhappy way to live! It's sad, really. Now, I'm not the type of person to ostracize others just because I don't like them or the way they behave. I'm a bit on the codependent side so in the past I would've tried to fix them. I suppose that tendency comes from all my years working in the Healthcare industry. Truth is though, they're usually not fixable, not by me, at least.

In Network Marketing, these people will be a detriment to your team and death to your business. They will destroy your morale and the morale of your team in a very short time with the poison that comes out of their mouth. It's their objective to bring other people down so they can have company to share in their misery. If this is allowed to go on, negativity will spread like a cancer throughout your entire downline. Really, it's best to avoid these negative people altogether and you certainly should never try to recruit one of them. You don't want them on your team. They won't be teachable. In fact, they will find fault in whatever you do try to teach them. And they won't hesitate to voice their disagreement in your team conference calls, no matter who may be present. You don't need them spewing their venom all over your new distributors or on prospects you may have invited to listen in on the call.

I have a name for these negative people. It's fairly descriptive of the kind of damage they can do to your business, and in a very short amount of time, as I said above. I call them "Dream Killers." They will suck the life out of you. Experienced Network Marketers understand the value of surrounding themselves with positive people who will encourage and edify them and their team. They know to avoid the negative crowd. If your Network Marketing Business is going to to be successful, you must surround yourself with positive, successful people and avoid the "Dream Killers." It's as simple as that.

Now I do, however, enjoy encountering one of them when doing a training call with a new recruit. I want my trainee to see how I handle the situation. I want them to see that I don't let that Negative Nellie get the best of me and that I DO NOT let THEM control the conversation. This accomplished, I then end the call with a comment like "you're right, Network Marketing isn't for you," or "no, you're not a fit for my business and my team." I thank them for their time and hang up. It only takes one call like that to get the point across to my trainee that under no circumstances do they want someone like that on their team! It's a great training lesson. I suggest making good use of it when it presents itself. Better they experience it first with you, in a controlled environment, than on their own.

My point is this, negativity breeds negativity. It's counter productive and will destroy anyone who spends much time under it's influence, no matter how experienced they are. It certainly has no place in Network Marketing and if you want your business and team to flourish, it's best to avoid negative people, altogether. Weed them out from the beginning if you can and don't have them as a part of your team. You'll be much better off, for it. Surround yourself with "Dream Builders," instead, people who will build you up and want to be built up, themselves. Fill your downline with positive, goal oriented, "Glass Half Full" people and you will grow a successful and profitable Network Marketing Business.

Network Marketing, MLM, The Berry Tree and The Big Picture

Network Marketing is a very simple business, but it's not an easy business. It's simple in that, if someone is teachable and will follow a very few simple steps on a consistent basis, they will succeed. It's not easy, however. The road to success is fraught with obstacles to be overcome. Some are external, financial difficulties, lack of training and support, people unwilling to look at your business or products. Most often however, obstacles will be internal. One of the most difficult to overcome is fear in all of it's many guises, fear of failure, of rejection, of talking to people. Another, closely akin to and providing the foundation for many of those fears is self-doubt. There will be many others. One of the worst, in my opinion and one I consistently come up against while introducing people to my Network Marketing Business, The Berry Tree, is failure to see The Big Picture. Most people simply cannot or will not see it.

I use The Berry Tree as my example because as a distributor, I am familiar with all the particulars, products, cost, marketing plan, etc. I also believe it to be the best and most powerful opportunity out there, bar none! However, there are other MLM's that could be taken as examples, Monavie, Vemma, Xango, even Amway. In fact, I am quite impressed with the new marketing thrust by Amway, their new commercial is pure genius. If you believe that company to be dead and gone, you are sadly mistaken. There are some very sharp minds behind their new marketing strategy. They are poised for a resurgence onto the MLM landscape and they are once again a company to be reckoned with, just wait and see. So what is the big picture and more importantly, how is it that most people cannot see it? Let's examine those questions.

Simply put, The Big Picture is this. True wealth, freedom, financial independence and security are attainable goals but it will cost you something to get there. If someone is willing to pay the price, they will reap the reward. Most people are not willing to pay the price. Most people fail. Those who are willing, succeed. They understand that it's worth the price, no matter how high it may be, to achieve the goal. They understand that nothing of lasting value in life happens by accident. They chart their own course, then set sail and never look back. That, in a nutshell, is The Big Picture. It's what sets individuals like Donald Trump, Bill Gates or Warren Buffet apart from the crowd. Those individuals understand a very simple yet incredibly powerful truth. The crowd is blind. So, why listen to them?

Perhaps that is why they are individuals and not part of the crowd. Network Marketing or MLM, represented for sake of this discussion by my company, The Berry Tree, stands alone as the most effective, the most efficient and most powerful vehicle with which the average individual (there's that word, again) can achieve true wealth and the freedom that comes with it. So what prevents most people from seeing The Big Picture? In my opinion it's because most people are short sighted. They stick with the crowd, thinking it to provide security and protection, when in fact, it blinds them and renders them incapable of reaching beyond their boundaries for the limitless possibilities of owning their own business. They can't or won't look past the initial cost to get started, to the reward they will recieve for paying that price. After all, if there is a cost to get in, it must be a scam, right? Wrong!

It must also be mentioned, that I am referring to more than financial cost. The successful understand they must invest a good bit of their time and energy, mental as well as physical. They know they will have to give up some things, TV, leisure time, time spent just hanging out with friends and doing nothing. It will require work. It will require intense thought, the outside the box kind of thought. And yes, it will require financial investment. But these people understand that investing in a business is investing in themselves. They don't see it as purchasing something, they see it as investing in their future.

Take The Berry Tree, for example. So what, if there is a $55 monthly autoship to maintain. So what, if there is a $40 to $100 autoship to be a BNA Member. So what, if a Senior BNA requires an initial cost $550. So what, if there are advertising costs such as a $100 monthly share in our upcoming infomercial. So what, if it requires time for training, time studying the business, the compensation and marketing plans, product information, and time on the phone sharing those products and the business opportunity with people. So what! It's worth it. Whatever the cost, it's worth it. Never forget that! And, in the words of the late, Jim Valvano, the man who in 1983, coached his most unlilely to succeed team of overachieving college basketball players from NC State University, to a surprising and highly improbable NCAA Championship over the much more powerful and heavily favored Houston Cougars, "Never Quit. Never give up, never never give up!"

Donald Trump and individuals of like mindset understand these things. But most people, the crowd, cannot or will not. They will not see The Big Picture. Those who do will know great success, great wealth and great freedom. Remember this truth. It's not the company. It's not the compensation or marketing plan. It's the person and their ability to see The Big Picture. Network Marketing success lies in seeing and capitalizing on The Big Picture. How about you? Do you see The Big Picture?

What's the Greatest Obstacle to MLM Success? It's Not What You Might Think.

Something like 95 percent of the people who start out in MLM, fail. That's an alarming statistic and it begs the simple question," why?" Any number of reasons have been postulated by some of the best analytical business minds. What you believe, largely depends upon which circle you run with. If you are in the pro MLM crowd, you will hear things like; lack of support, poor compensation plan, lack of knowledge about the business or products. The list goes on. If you are in the anti MLM crowd you are likely to hear things like; MLM's don't work, they're nothing but pyramid schemes, only the guys at the top make any money. This list goes on, as well. But I'm here to tell you that none of these is the answer to the question posed. None of them is THE reason that most people fail. So, what is the answer?

The number one reason most people fail to achieve MLM success, or success in any endeavor in life, for that matter is embodied in one very simple, yet very powerful word. Excuses! That's right, excuses! I don't have any money. I'm no good at sales. I don't have the time. I know someone who tried one of those businesses and they didn't make any money. I need to wait until ____ fill in the blank. This list, like the ones above, goes on and on. In fact, ALL of these so-called "reasons" are nothing more than excuses, every last one. These excuses either prevent someone from taking advantage of a legitimate business opportunity that could change their life forever, or they are pointed to, in retrospect, as the reason the business failed. We humans are good at making excuses. It's a habit that has been ingrained in us from our youth. Like an infectious disease, this habit has been passed down from generation to generation, in all cultures and in all walks of life. No one is immune.

It's much easier to make excuses as to why one can't do something than it is to have the courage to to attempt it. It's much easier to excuse away failure than it is to take responsibility for it. The truth is, if someone REALLY wants something, if the desire or the need for it is strong enough, they will do whatever it takes, to get it. No excuse, no obstacle will stand in their way! Let me prove it to you. Suppose I handed you a small hand shovel and told you that buried in that one acre, ice and snow covered field over there, is a chest. Inside that chest is a treasure worth one million dollars, find it, and it's yours. What would you do? Would you say, "it's too cold out here" or "this shovel is too small" or "the field is too big" or "I don't know how to dig" or any other lame excuse? No! You would start digging and you would not quit until you found that chest! What if Instead of giving you the shovel, I offered to sell it to you for one hundred dollars? Would you argue with me or would you find the hundred bucks and buy the shovel? You'd buy the shovel!

The secret to MLM success is simple. Want it badly enough and do whatever you have to do to achieve it. Your company has the tools, the support, the training, the marketing plan, the product or service and the compensation plan to enable your success. What they don't have and what only you can supply is the desire and commitment to succeed. Look in the mirror, you're looking at the one variable you have control over, you! Stop making excuses, get in the game, commit, refuse to fail, refuse to quit. Your dream is worth it, your desire is worth it, you are worth it. So, in the words of that crazy comedian, "Git 'R Done!"

No Boundaries, The Berry Tree Opportunity

Tonight, I did something really interesting. I called a new distributor in my Bery Tree business. So what, you might ask, is so interesting about that? Well nothing, other than the fact that this gentleman lives in Australia, in a time zone 14 hours ahead of mine and the fact that it was a three way call with another person in California, a time zone three hours behind mine. Ok you say, that's fairly interesting. Oh, but I left out one small detail. My guy in Australia is not Australian. He's Serbian and speaks English as a second language, a very second language. His English is a bit rusty and he understands a good bit better than he speaks. Ok, a little more interesting. Add to that the different accents. Yes, friends, we Americans do have accents, just ask someone from Serbia. So, as you might have guessed by now, my third party in California was a translator, a Serbian National teaching at the College level in the US. I'm sure by now that you will agree, rather interesting. It was the ultimate three-way training call!

That's the beauty of this business of ours. We literally have no boundaries! Someone from Serbia, living in Australia who barely speaks English, found one of my articles in one of the online article directories and clicked on a link in the article to find out about my home based business. On his own, he signed up for The Berry Tree free trial and before the day was over, upgraded to a full member. All this, before I even had the chance to call him. This happened a few weeks ago and I have been having rather broken conversations with him while looking for a translator to enable me to properly educate and train this new distributor. In the meantime, I found a Berry Tree distributor, a young lady named Nicola, in Sydney, where this gentleman lives. Nicola IS Australian. She was willing to make contact with him and try to help him for me, while I was on the hunt for a translator. Nicola isn't even in my upline or my downline, she is in Shane Woods' downline! Talk about camaraderie and international cooperation! What a great business. It truly is for anyone, if they can just see the opportunity in front of them. Zivko did, and he barely speaks my language. Through the power of MLM and the universal reach of the Internet, we can do business anywhere in the world! So, why am I blogging about this? What's the point? I'll tell you.

If I can do this, find a translator, set up a three-way call spanning 17 time zones, to work with a person who found The Berry Tree business by reading articles on the Internet, how difficult can it be to pick up a phone and call someone just a few hundred miles away, or to reach out to someone in your own neighborhood? It's not difficult, at all. All one has to have is the desire, the will and the determination to overcome whatever barriers are placed in one's way and the willingness to get it done. We have a truly wonderful opportunity, here. We have a business that changes peoples' lives. Our products offer truly amazing health benefits and our business opportunity offers a truly incredible financial reward to anyone willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Over the next weeks and months we have the chance to gear up our efforts in preparation for our national Infomercial advertising campaign. We need to be training our downline distributors, getting them up to speed, getting them ready to handle the flood of new members that will come rushing in. Yes folks, we need to get ready. The Berry Tree is going to take the MLM and home business world by storm and we are in a true legacy position, on the front edge of a wave that is literally going to circle the globe. People are going to become very wealthy with this business and I intend to be one of them. Let's put away the excuses, break out the elbow grease and get to work. What do you say?

Putting Things Into Perspective

This post has absolutely NOTHING to do with home business. I was just sitting and musing, thinking about how out of control politics has gotten in this country. It's an election year and all of a sudden politicians are bending over backwards to tell us just how much they care about us, their constituents. It can be absolutely nauseating at times. Emotions get whipped up into a frenzy, lines are drawn, die is cast, sides are chosen and families are split in two. In another couple of months things will die down, life will return to normal, families will mend fences and we will wait another four years for the dance to begin again. Two years if you count the non presidential year congressional and senatorial elections. Anyway, here are the thoughts I was musing over.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of all the political rhetoric, all the finger pointing, right to left, left to right, over and over and over again. The news is full of it, political ads are full of it, even the debates are full of it. Today the phone rang and when I answered, this pre-recorded message began to play bashing a particular candidate for the NC Senate. Let me tell you, I'M SICK OF IT! I believe there are others of you who are sick of it as well. How can we know what a candidate stands for or against when all they do is bash the other guy?

When one candidate tells you that their opponent voted for or against this bill or that bill, they don't tell you that the bill in question was loaded with riders that their opponent, and probably even they themselves could not support but that would pass along with the bill if it passed, so naturally they had to vote against it. When one candidate quotes another on a given issue, they almost always do so out of context, painting their opponent's comments in an unfavorable light. It's tactics like this that just make me want to never hear another one of them speak again!

So, how can we put things into proper perspective? Here are a few of my ideas. I realize that none of these ideas will ever be put into practice. Heavens no! Why, they are just too practical. They make too much sense. That would really throw a monkey wrench into our political process, now, wouldn't it?

I would like to see a debate where the rules prohibited one candidate from bashing the other. When a question is asked, all the candidate can do is say what he or she believes, what he or she would do to solve the problem, meet the concern, whatever the issue, without pointing out what their opponent has done, has not done, would not do, etc. They would actually have to answer the question.

I would like to see campaign advertisement reform that would limit or even prohibit name calling, finger pointing, opponent bashing, all of it. Only ads that present a candidates beliefs, plans, ideas would be allowed in this new reform. What we need to know is what they will do to solve the problems that face us as a nation, not what their opponent has failed to do.

I would like to see, on network television, comparisons of the candidates' actual voting records. No fluff, no hype, just how they voted on the important issues. Along with that, I would like to hear the candidates actually state what they believe to be the important issues and what they would do about them if elected.

If we could know what a candidate stands for without hearing what the other guy doesn't stand for, then we as responsible citizens would have a real basis upon which to decide who we want representing us in government. The emphasis is on REPRESENTING US, not special interests or party politics. That would definitely put things into perspective and we might actually achieve government "of the people, by the people and for the people."

What is BTStartFree?

BTStartFree is the brain child of two brothers, Art and Rob Phelps of Massapequa, New York and their marketing partners, the father and son team of Bob and Blair Bremner of Mechanicsville, Virginia. The Berry Tree, the up and coming Health and Wellness MLM conceived of by this team came into being in March of 2007, went into a six month pre-launch period in which all the kinks were being worked out of the system and then into a full launch in September of the same year. Since that quiet beginning they have done something like Three Million Dollars in sales while putting together what is becoming recognized as perhaps the most powerful home based business opportunity of our time. It certainly has worked out well for this husband and wife team. So, what is this BTStartFree, and how does it work?

In a nutshell, BTStarFree is a program that allows someone to test drive The Berry Tree business free for one month, paying only shipping cost of $4.95 for the company to send them some product samples to try. What a brilliant idea! There are any number of home business opportunities for people to chose from these days, some better and some worse, some legitimate and some that are nothing but scams. The Berry Tree knows this, so to help people decide whether or not this business is right for them, the BTStartFree program was conceived. For about the same cost as a cup of coffee at Starbucks, a person can get started in their own home business, access all the training materials, see how everything works, try the product and then make an educated decision as to whether they want to continue. If they decide they want to do so, they simply upgrade to a full member, a $49.95 per month commitment, and they are already well on their way. If, on the other hand, they decide it's not for them, they can simply cancel and never pay another dime.

This is a great way for the average person with limited financial resources to get started in a business and begin building toward a life of freedom and financial independence. With a solid national and international advertising campaign, BTStartFree can be seen in any number of home business related magazines, numerous incentives and fast start bonuses and an upcoming TV Informercial on The Berry Tree, momentum is building rapidly. More and more people are coming on board every day. The Berry Tree has leveled the playing field and is poised for massive growth which will make it one of the top income producing MLM's in the very near future. If you want to learn more, how you can take advantage of this MLM revolution, click BTStartFree and take advantage of the free trial offer. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

How to Start a Successful Home Business

With the economy seemingly coming apart at the seams, families everywhere are struggling to make ends meet. They are finding themselves more often than not, in need of extra income just to get by. Many of them are choosing to start a home business, rather than to look for a second job. This makes sense just considering the cost of gas, alone but as with any new venture in life, there is risk involved. How does the average person with no business background know how to start a home business and a successful home business at that? An in depth treatise on the subject would be difficult to tackle in one article and would probably bore the reader to tears in the process. However, there are a few basic principles that will help the aspiring entrepreneur get started in the right direction. Volumes have been written on how to succeed in business. That is not the purpose of this piece. The focus here is on getting started. Think of this article as "How to Start a Successful Home Business 101."

First, you need to determine your business niche. What interests you, what are you passionate about? Is it Golf, health and wellness, teaching a musical instrument, what interests you? You will be far more likely to succeed if your business is in a niche that you have an interest in and can have fun with. Second, there are lots of business models to chose from, such as MLM, direct sales, an online store, owning a booth at the local flea market, and so on. Some business models will be dictated by the niche you chose or how much money you want to make. Other than that, you're really only limited by your own creativity. So, in order to know how to start a home business you first have to know your niche and decide on what for you will be a successful home business model. The main point here is you need to like what you're doing and you need to have fun. It's important that you enjoy what you are doing, otherwise all you will accomplish is to take on another job and what's the fun in that?

Once you have decided on your niche and your business model, you need to do some research. There will be steps to take depending upon what you will be doing. If you want to own an eBay store, you will need to learn how to go about setting up and running the store, what products you will be selling, items from around the house or from yard sales or will you be working with a drop shipper, etc. If you want to teach guitar or piano, you will need a studio. This can be a room in your house or you can go to your students' homes to teach. My point is, there will be steps to plan out and in order to start a successful home business you need to go through that planning process, carefully and thoroughly. Many people like MLM's because they are typically a turn-key business with systems and tools already in place. All you have to do is plug in and you're on your way. But be careful, here. Chose an MLM wisely, products, compensation plan, marketability, and so forth. Another consideration is who you are signing up with. This person is going to be your mentor, you will need to be able to work with them. I personally like MLM, it's a proven and very successful home business model and can generate enormous amounts of money if it's with marketable products and a good company.

Lastly, your goal is to start a home business, not a hobby. You need to be passionate about it and treat it like a business or you will not be successful. You will only succeed to the degree that you apply yourself to the tools, the systems, the training and to the degree that you have passion and a business mindset. It can be tempting to not take this seriously but to do so is a recipe for failure. When the going gets tough, a hobby is much easier to quit than a business because a business carries with it a sense of ownership. Yes, have fun, by all means, have fun, but at the same time give your business the mental and physical energy it deserves. So, have a business mindset and remember why it was that you started it in the first place. I call this remembering your "why." If your why is powerful enough, and you stay focused on it at all times, you will succeed, no matter what obstacles come your way. This is how to start a successful home business, one that will provide you and your family with the income you need to accomplish the goals you set out to achieve.

The Berry Tree, A Brilliant Idea Whose Time Has Come

Until a little more than a year ago when The Berry Tree came into being, MLM had always been done one way. Sure, there were many variations on a theme, but when you brought it down to the basic nuts and bolts, the formula was the same. A company existed to move products or services from manufacturer to end consumer via a network of distributors who could earn commisions selling the product or service and could also earn a percentage of the commisions generated by distributors signed up under them, their downline. This is a great concept that has stood the test of time. Sure, MLM has it's detractors, anything of value always will, but the industry continues to thrive, none the less. The MLM business model is taught in university business schools, everywhere. It is here to stay. But it can be done better, and with The Berry Tree, it is.

The Berry Tree added a new dimension to MLM, the concept of profit sharing bonus pools. Basically put, stay with the business long enough and a distributor qualifies to begin earning a small percentage on the entire Berry Tree company. That means people who joined before them and everyone who comes in after. They do this by issuing Berry Member Credits, one half credit earned for every month a distributor remains an active member in the company. Once a distributor accumulates 10 credits, they qualify for The Bronze Bonus Pool, the first of many such pools. The Berry Tree pays out an equal percentage on every active member in the company to every distributor that has qualified for this pool. This payout occurs again at the next bonus pool and the next, and so on. The longer one stays in the business, the more pools they can qualify for.

This is a brilliant concept and a huge improvement on the basic MLM model and it places The Berry Tree squarely in the drivers' seat when it comes to selling a business opportunity to the average Joe. Combine this with their powerful 2 leg compensation matrix that forces massive spillover to downline distributors, helping them build their business and pays 12 levels deep, even deeper with leadership incentives, their fast start bonus that pays up to 5 levels for three months on newly sponsored downline and their numerous other incentive bonuses and you have a true winner. And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to join. The Berry Tree membership is $50.00 a month, that's all. Members don't have to keep spending more and more of their own money to qualify for higher commission levels, as is the case in many MLM's. Those higher commision levels are gained by group volume and time spent in the business. Again, Brilliant!

Simply put, The Berry Tree does it better. There is enough fast start money and incentive bonus money to enable anyone to join this business, have their costs covered and even be making some money their first month. The two reasons people fail and quit MLM are first, no support from the company and/or their upline and second, they don't make any money. The Berry Tree has solved those two problems by putting a system in place that builds success and enables the average person to make money, a little money in the beginning and lot of money over time. No, The Berry Tree is not one of those get rich quick schemes. They don't work. The Berry Tree does. This business is designed for the long haul, to produce a lifetime of passive residual income. Yes, The Berry Tree is truly a brilliant idea whose time has come.

Save A Child

In Africa, 3,000 children a day die from Malaria. This is a terrible crisis! If there were a way you, the average person could do something to help make a difference, would you chose to do so? Well, there is such a way. Nutronix International in partnership with the Save A Child campaign is doing something wonderful. Their Colloidal Silver Solution has been proven to be effective against the parasite that causes this deadly disease. It has been tested in clinics in Ghana, West Africa and it works. Children are being cured and lives are being saved!

Nutronix International has decided to take a proactive stance in the fight for the lives and the health of these children, to work to bring an end to the death toll caused by this maleficent killer. For every 4 ounce bottle of Colloidal Silver Solution purchased to be sent to Africa to treat the children, Nutronix will match it with an additional bottle, so that two bottles are sent with each order. Those of you who know me, know that I am a Pediatric Respiratory Therapist. My professonal life has been dedicated to helping peole, especially children. To be part of an organization that embraces that same mission is a source of great pride to me. Malaria is not only a crisis in Africa, but in much of the world. Nutronix will be expanding this Save A Child campaign to other nations as well, in the near future.

Everyone reading this article is invited to become part of this life saving work. Simply click to go to my Nutronix page. Once there, click on the products tab, then click on the Save A Child link and place your order. It will cost you $15.00 if you want a T-Shirt and $10.00 if you don't. I will not make one cent in profit from this order. My only motive is to support the fight for the lives of innocent children who have done nothing to deserve such a terrible fate. Will you join me? I hope you will. The children deserve a fighting chance. Together, we can give it to them.

Colloidal Silver Solution The Natural Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Wonder

We live in an age when disease causing pathogens are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotic therapy. Many of these diseases are becoming serious killers, such as MRSA or Methicillin Resistant Stapylococcus Aureus, VRE or Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus, and Mycobacterium or Tuberculosis. Resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of antibiotics. This resistance comes about in nature via the process of natural selection but it can also occur when "evolutionary" stress is applied to a given microorganism population as with the overuse or misuse of antibiotic therapy.

The result is an increase in the number of organisms becoming resistant, some of them to more than one antibiotic. These are the so called "Superbugs." Additionally, the stronger and more powerful antibiotics used to kill these "superbugs" can have unwanted side effects in the human population. In some cases those side effects can be as harmful as the disease being treated. There is a solution to the problem that is all but ignored by modern medicine, especially in the United States. This solution is beginning to gain world wide popularity, however, especially in the holistic health and alternative medicine communities and in countries with less bureaucracy to stop the advance of natural, non drug related therapies. That solution is the use of Colloidal Silver Solution, a true natural antibiotic.

Colloidal Silver Solution is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver, colliodal meaning particles which remain in suspension without forming a dissolved or ionic solution. Colloidal silver is a known powerful antimicrobial agent. Concentrations of 5 parts per million have been found to kill numerous infectious bacteria. It's mechanism of action seems to be via the oligodynamic effect by inhibiting the expression of enzymes and other proteins essential to ATP or Adenosine-5' -triphosphate production. It is toxic to a number of resistant organisms such as MRSA and Tuberculosis, and has in some recent studies, even been shown to have effect against viruses such as Influenza A, the virus that causes Bird Flu in humans.

In the United States, companies which manufacture or sell Colloidal Silver Solution are prohibited by the FDA from claiming any therapeutic value of the product. It cannot be labeled as a natural antibiotic, though that is in truth what it is. The agency does allow it to be labeled and sold as a food supplement as long as no medicinal claims are made. Ongoing scientific studies are being done by many independent laboratories to validate the efficacy of this potential antimicrobial wonder and Colloidal Silver has been tested against a number of resistant and non resistant pathogens with good results. It has been approved by the EPA for use as a disinfectant in hospitals and medical clinics in the US. Silver is also used in the treatment of burns and bed sores.

Internationally however, the story is much different. Many nations have recognized and are making use of this powerful agent, this natural antibiotic, to treat any number of disease causing pathogens. Colloidal Silver solution is being used with much success in African hospitals to treat malaria, cholera, AIDS, flu, hepatitis, respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, sinus infections, food poisoning, vaginitis, staph and strep infections, thrush, burns, wounds and skin infections. This author has used it effectively, against sinus infections, periodontal infections, tooth infections, cuts and wounds.

It seems there is no end to the beneficial effects of this amazing metal. I'm reminded of the great George Washington Carver and his research on the peanut. Colloidal Silver Solution could very well be the antimicrobial wonder the world is in desperate need of as more and more of these antibiotic resistant super bugs are cropping up every day. We can only hope that American medicine will catch up with the rest of the world and begin using Colloidal Silver against these enemies of our health. If you would like to hear more about this amazing "miracle metal," this potent natural antibiotic, Take the time to view the Colloidal Silver Solution Video presentation by Keith Moeller, Vice President of American Biotech Labs and the world's foremost authority on the uses and benefits of Colloidal Silver. If you would like to share with me thoughts of your own, pro or con, feel free to contact me at phayesinc@ctc.net. I would love to discuss it with you in person.

Purchase a bottle of Colloidal Silver for yourself and experience the many benefits of this amazing Natural Antimicrobial Wonder. Are you looking for a change, a new direction in your life, professionally? Or do you just need to bring in a little extra money to help with the family budget? Whatever you are looking for, I invite you to examine this Amazing Business Opportunity in the Health and Wellness Industry and then contact me via the email address above or Click this next link to Join My Team!

MLM Lead Generation, The Key To Survival

MLM lead generation used to be a fairly simple process. It was basically done two ways. Either you invited all your friends, family, associates, your warm market, to a meeting, showed them some products or a marketing plan or both and then invited them to join your business opportunity or you visited those same folks in their home, product in hand, asked them to try the product, presented a business opportunity and then invited them to that same meeting in method number one. Simple, right? Sure it was until you were into your second or third MLM and when those same friends, family and associates saw you coming they would run for the hills! None the less this was how it had been done since MLM began with Amway in the 1940's. Then came the Internet and online marketing and MLM lead generation was changed forever. No more terrorizing your warm market, you now had the whole internet as a recruiting ground. Problem solved, right? Well, yes and no.

The Internet is a very big and impersonal place and the process of MLM lead generation just took on some new and significant challenges, mainly, how to find people and get them to our websites to see our products or present them with a business opportunity or both. The internet is full of scams and people tend to be skeptical of MLM opportunities. So how do we get people who don't know us to trust us enough to try our products and look at our business opportunity and then get them to trust us enough to join us? If MLM lead generation is the life blood of an internet business and key to it's survival, these problems have to be solved. Of course we can always go back to that same warm market and invite them to look at our website, but we really don't want to run them off, do we?

Well, if we are not going to harass our friends, family and associates, we're left with finding ways to get total strangers to visit our site. That means buying traffic and there are basically only a couple of ways to do that. You can advertise your business, print or online, or you can buy website traffic. All the paid methods really boil down to those two options. The best ad campaigns, leads and traffic, the ones that give you quality people who are serious about finding a business opportunity, are very expensive, costing in the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. They work well, but the average MLM distributor can't afford them, at least not for long. The budget leads really aren't worth what you pay for them. And the free ads and free leads, well, you get what you pay for. They tend to produce more "tire kickers" than "car buyers." Either way, In the end you're still left with the problem of getting people who don't know you to trust you. What's the answer to this dilemma?

In my opinion, personal branding and attraction marketing have revolutionized MLM lead generation. This is the process of becoming known as a person worth listening to and worth following, a leader and mentor. You attract prospects to you rather than chasing after them. This is accomplished by adding value to the online community by joining and contributing in online MLM or home business forums, blogs and social networking sites. These communities are populated by millions of people, many of them either in or looking to be in a good business opportunity. Over time they begin to know and trust you and you will attract like minded people to your business. Article writing is another way to establish personal branding. If you write quality articles on subjects related to your business or your products and they get published in article directories, you become recognized as someone who is knowledgeable and someone who can help others become successful. This will attract people to you and your business. The great thing about attraction marketing, it doesn't cost a dime! It takes time to produce but once it starts to do so, you will never have to buy another lead again.

MLM lead generation is the life blood, the key to survival for your home based business. I suggest a two phased approach. In the beginning you will need to buy leads and traffic but this should be a short term fix. It will get you started building your business but then you need to begin the process of branding yourself and becoming an established leader and mentor to the online home business community. Once accomplished you will be off to the races and MLM lead generation will never again be a problem. You will have more leads than you can handle and they will be quality leads. If you have questions or would like to discuss personal branding, attraction marketing, or any other subject, feel free to contact me. I would be more than glad to help in any way I can.

Ask Yourself This Simple Question. What Defines You?

Most people allow themselves to be defined by things other than who they are. They allow themselves to be defined by what other people think, by circumstances, by many things beyond their control. Or they allow themselves to be defined by their achievements, how much money they make or how successful they are. Perhaps they define themselves by how much education they have or how much power and influence they have. This one is especially prevalent in political circles. Some define themselves or are defined by others according to their station in life. Do they work for that big law firm or major corporation and live in a six thousand square foot home on the lake or the golf course, or do they work at Walmart and live in a trailer park?

None of these things, in truth, define us. In fact, not only do they not make us who we are, most of them are the result of who we are. No, we cannot control what people think. Nor can we always control outside circumstances that are forced upon us. But, we can control how we respond to those things. At this point I would like to stop and ask a simple question. I suggest you reflect upon this question. Don't just dismiss the idea and don't answer immediately, off the cuff, either. Take some time. Reflect upon it. Get alone in a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of life and ask yourself this question. What defines you? Or, in the words of a philosophy professor I had back in my college days and we won't go into how long ago that was either, can you tell me who you are without telling me what you are?

I warn you, this is no easy task and it will mess with your head a little. However, I believe the exercise to be of tremendous value. Everything in our lives from business to relationships to our faith and most certainly our sense of self worth, depends upon how we feel about who we believe we truly are. In fact, feelings will probably come closer to the truth than a more pragmatic analytical approach. Most of us have difficulty being honest with ourselves. Perhaps we are afraid of what we will discover if we probe too deeply. We don't always like getting in touch with our feelings. Do it anyway, it's important. How can we be comfortable in the many different relationships we have in life, personal and business, if we are not comfortable with and have not accepted who we are? So do yourself a favor and ask yourself. What defines you?

How To Select The Best Home Based Business

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have fielded this question. "What is the best home based business?" I participate in a number of online forums, most of which are in the home business and MLM niche and that question comes up quite frequently. It is also a common question in various question and answer forums, like Yahoo Answers and others. It seems more and more people today are looking for a good opportunity and they want to know what the best ones are.

Being as I am involved in my own home business, of course I believe mine to be the best one out there. I recognize, however, that the business that is just right for me is not going to be just right for everyone. Home business opportunities are as different as the people who are in them as well as the personalities of people who are searching for the right one. With this in mind, I thought I would put down a few guidelines to help business opportunity seekers select the best home based business for them. Of course I am assuming that before you go through the steps I will outline below, you will have already done your due diligence and researched the company, the ownership, the products, etc. and will have determined that this is a legitimate business. The intent of this article is to help people decide which legitimate work from home opportunity is the best fit for them.

First and foremost, can you "connect" with the person who is offering you the opportunity? More than likely they are the one you will be working most closely with and they will be the one mentoring you. If your personalities are a match and you can be comfortable with them and like them, that's a pretty good indicator. You don't want to be in business with someone you don't like or can't get along with and be comfortable with. Business is about people. You're not only joining a company, you're joining a person, or persons. If the chemistry is wrong, your business venture will be a struggle and probably you will not be successful.

Do you like the product or service enough and believe in it enough to be passionate about it? You're going to be selling it, so you had better be able to be passionate about it. Would you use that product or service if it were not attached to a business opportunity? These are important questions. You cannot successfully sell a product or service and the business opportunity associated with it if you don't like or believe in that product or service. People will sense it in your voice and they will be hesitant to do business with you. More importantly they will not believe in You! Remember, business is about people and people won't buy from you unless they buy into you. They won't join your business unless they feel comfortable about joining you, even if it's the best home based business the world has ever seen.

Does the business sell products or services that people want or need? Are those products reasonably priced and Are they consumable so that your customers will have to come back for more? Or, will you be selling non-consumable big ticket items that have a large profit margin? You can make money with either, but in my opinion the former is better. I personally would rather sell high volume low priced consumables that generate repeat business.

Does the business have a good compensation plan that will produce an ever increasing residual income? Can you understand the compensation plan? If you can't understand it, you will have a difficult time communicating it to people you will be showing the opportunity to. The big money, the real power in multilevel marketing businesses is in establishing a solid team of people in your downline who can duplicate the process and keep the business growing and expanding underneath you. So, in addition to a good compensation plan, is there a marketing plan and system in place that is simple and easy for the average person to duplicate?

Lastly, is there a good leadership and support structure? This really goes back to the point about connecting with people. Without good leadership and upline support it will be very difficult for your business to be successful. As I stated earlier, the people factor is probably the single most important criteria to consider when looking for the best home based business opportunity, even more important than the product and compensation plan. You can find the absolute best products and the sweetest profit margin and compensation plan, but without good leadership and support, you will probably not succeed.

How to Recognize Work at Home Scams, a Serious Dilemma

It is becoming more and more common for the average person, even professional people, these days, to have to find extra income to supplement their household budget. At least in the US, the economy is in a recession, just look at the mortgage and real estate industries or pay attention to the rising cost of groceries, clothing, the necessities of life. But with gas prices skyrocketing it is also becoming less feasible to work a part time job. It just costs too much do drive back and forth. Because of this, many people are choosing the route of owning a home based business. With all the work at home scams out there, and believe me, there are plenty, how does one know which ones are and which ones are not legitimate work from home opportunities?

In another article I defined the word "scam" as an attempt to make money by fraudulent means. In other words it means to trick people into opening their wallet or their checking account to pay for a product or service that is never delivered or to invest in a business that in fact does not exist. Scam artists are very good at what they do and can fool even the most intelligent, observant, business savvy people. It happens every day. So, before you jump into a home business, MLM or not, do your homework! Find out all you can about the business, and not just by reading their promotional materials and visiting their websites, either. Anyone can make an attractive and professional looking website, it's not difficult at all.

Here are a few things you can do. Check the business against the Better Business Bureau. Not all businesses are listed there, but it's a good start. Do some research in your public library or online, or both, for work at home scams. Find out if there are any reports of fraud or any major complaints about the company you are interested in. Find out who the owner of the company is and research them as well. Always get a phone number and call the company directly. Never do business online with a company that does not have a legitimate customer service phone number. If all they have is online chat, or email support, stay away! They may be for real, or they may not, but in my experience, I have found many of them not to be.

Go to some of the reputable online home business forums and ask the same questions of the forum members. Tell them you are looking for legitimate work from home opportunities and you need advice. Two very good forums to go to where I know you will get truthful answers are The-Work-At-Home-Forum.com, and mlmforums.com. Frequently in those two online communities you can find other people who are in or have been in the business you are investigating. Ask them about their experiences.

A word of caution, however, is in order. While conducting your research be sure to check more than one source. Check several. There are lots of folks throwing the word scam around when they don't know what they are talking about. Some of them are disgruntled people who have been burned by MLM. Some of them are self appointed scam police who do not have their facts straight. Some of them are trying to steer people away from the competition to lure them into their own business. This can make the research a bit more difficult, but if you check enough sources, and ask enough questions of the right people, as in the forums I suggested, you can find enough information to make a good educated decision as to whether or not to get involved in the business in question.

Work at home scams have become a huge blight on society and on the entire home based business industry. There are plenty of good, profitable, legitimate work from home opportunities out there. If you are careful, and if you do your due diligence, you can find one that is a fit for you. Take your time, investigate, and you will find what you are looking for.

Life is Short, so Live It!

I recently went through a period of being just completely emotionally and physically drained. There were several family issues, nothing really big, but lots of little ones all hitting at once, compounding their effect. In addition to that, my mother has been having heart problems, and some other medical difficulties as well, and that was weighing on me. In fact we went out to Texas just last week to see her and my Dad. She had an operative procedure done this afternoon that should get the heart problems back in line. Things went well, and that provided some stress relief.

In the midst of all this, I was experiencing somewhat of a dry spell in building my home business. I was having difficulty recruiting new members, and in an MLM business that can be quite discouraging. Looking back, I can see that more than likely the trouble recruiting was largely attributable to the fact that all of the above was coming through in my voice and potential recruits were being affected by it and driven away. I'm not by nature a negative person, but the past few weeks or more I know I have been. It had to be having an effect on my prospecting efforts. What, you might ask, does all of this have to do with MLM or Home Business? Everything. It really put things in perspective for me. Perhaps it can do so, for you.

You see, life is short, very short. It's much too short to lose sight of the important things, like family, friendships, even our goals and dreams. It's much too short to spend complaining, whining, worrying, things I had been doing quite a bit of, recently. We spend far too much time in MLM, talking about the negative. We lament over things that hinder our success, people who just don't get it, who can't see or won't see the power of the opportunity we are putting in front of them. We discuss all the negative press our industry gets from people on the outside who, quite frankly, don't know what they are talking about. And we complain about how it affects our recruiting efforts. We gripe about success not coming quickly enough to suit us, when all along the greatest gift of all has been given to us, for free! That gift is life. And that life is very short.

We have so much to be thankful for. I know I do. No, I'm not making as much money as I would like, one never does. My business is not growing as fast as I would like it to, and even if it were, I would just want it to grow even faster. It's amazing what things we allow to upset our apple cart, things that when put into proper perspective when we or a loved one becomes ill, or worse, really don't matter. I'm not saying our dreams and our goals are not important or worthy of our commitment, our determination and effort. I'm not saying that the obstacles in our way are not real. I'm just saying that we need balance. That balance for me comes in the form of my wife, family and friends, my church, my faith, and yes, my life. If we lose balance we lose perspective. If we lose perspective we are lost, adrift in a sea of confusion and uncertainty, like a ship with no rudder. If we lose balance it will affect every thing in our life. Nothing will be truly right, for us, unless that balance is restored.

I apologize if this is a bit too metaphysical, but I do believe it is important. Maybe it will help someone else who is going through a crisis of balance and perspective. If you have lost sight of what is really important in life, my suggestion is to take the time to get alone with yourself, take time out to be thankful for the incredible gift of life you have been given. Find that center, find that balance and let it put everything else back into perspective. It will, if you will let it, I promise you. It did, for me. And now, with that balance restored, I can get back to the business of growing a successful organization that will continue to change my life and the lives of those who will come along. I can focus on my dreams and goals with much more clarity of vision and I can work toward them with much more commitment and determination. Yes my friends, life is short. So live it.

Are You a Good Listener?

There are a couple of inside secrets that all successful sales people know that the unsuccessful do not and I intend to share these secrets with you, here and now. Secret number one, sales is not about your product, your business opportunity, your compensation plan, none of that. Sales is about you. The sooner you figure that one out, the better. People don't buy your product, they buy into you. They don't join your MLM or home business opportunity, they join you. You are not selling any of the above. You are selling yourself.

The second secret, just as important as the first, is this. Successful sales people are good listeners. They are able to discern their customers need, want, desire, or the source of their pain and they recognize when the customer is giving them cues to close the sale. Successful sales people listen more and talk less. So what are the skills that make one a good listener? Let's look at a few.

Before you pick up the phone to call a prospect, find a place of inner calm and quiet. Do some breathing exercises. Say a prayer. Sing a line or two of your favorite song. Do whatever it is that helps you to get centered, inwardly calm and allows you to tune out any distractions, even your own misgivings or fears. If you are not in a place of peace, your customer will pick up on it immediately, even over the phone.

Next, you should have no agenda other than to find out what your prospect needs wants or desires or and to discern if your product or home business opportunity is right for them, and they for it. Don't enter into the conversation trying to sell, enter in trying to listen. Remember how you have felt when you pick up the phone and that annoying telemarketer is on the other end cramming a bunch of information down your throat, bludgeoning you with all manner of questions and not letting you get in one word edgewise? Don't put your customer through that same torture.

Start off with some small talk, allow them to open up to you and begin to identify with you. If you pay attention, you will know when this has happened. Then start off with a question or two that can only be answered, yes, like "it would be great to have more money at the end of the month wouldn't It?" Get them agreeing with you, then move on to more open ended questions that encourage them to give you their need, want or desire. At this stage, listen, pay attention. Accept their answer, don't judge, don't rebut, and by all means don't interrupt. You've got them talking, now let them talk. Acceptance does not mean agreement or validation. By accepting their answer you make them feel you are genuinely concerned about them. Of course you had better be. If not, they will pick up on that one as well.

Now, here is the real meat of the subject. Once you get them talking, if you will really listen rather than try to formulate a response or an answer, you will know when they are giving you cues to close. Unsuccessful sales people begin to offer answers, rebuttals and talk themselves right out of the sale! Don't sell past the close. When they give you the opening, offer them the solution to their need want or desire, be brief, and then shut up! In that moment, silence is golden. If you have done a good job, they will feel as if they have solved their own problem, found the answer to their desire. You have successfully sold yourself, and they have bought into you.

In summary, sales, MLM or otherwise, is about selling yourself and getting customers to buy into you. It's about making them feel they have solved their own problem, answered their own need. Successful sales people know how to listen more and talk less. They know how to accept their customers answers without necessarily validating them, especially with objections. They have no agenda but to find out what their customer needs, wants or desires and to see if what they have to offer will meet that need. Successful sales people listen for cues to close and then do so, they don't sell past the close. Successful sales people know how to listen. Are you a good listener?

Home Based Business Success is Never an Accident, part 3

In our last two installments we discussed how we must become students of success in all it's aspects, and how we must make success our plan. Now we will see how in order to succeed, we need to take action, not some half-hearted action, ALL OUT MASSIVE ACTION! It must be action fuled with an all consuming desire to succeed. Nothing short of this will do. MLM and Home Based Business Success must be worked for with determination and resolve.

We've prepared properly, we've formulated our plan, now we need to implement. You may have seen the IBM TV commercials with "Innovation Man," the caped crusader with the big "I" on his chest all fired up for innovation, with no concern for implementation. My favorite one ends with the slogan, Stop Talking, Start Doing!

So, how do we implement? I suppose we must first define our term, "All Out Massive Action!" There are any number of good articles and books on how to do the tasks and what those tasks are, that bring success. In this article I want to focus on the principles of massive action. Get those down and the tasks will come much easier.

While researching this topic I came across this quote by well known MLM success mentor and author, Sean Mize, "Massive action is doing one thing with a fervor that is one hundred times that of anyone else doing the same thing." I think that pretty well sums it up. What Sean is talking about is passion. Get to the head of the class, break in line, climb over the top, whatever you have to do, but get there! When you think you're working hard enough, work harder! When you think you've done enough, do more! That's passion. Never say die, "Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!"

So what's step one? In her article on this subject, "How to Motivate to Massive Action," Tina Su, another incredible home business success mentor, says, "The decision is the first step towards change. Regardless of the decision, every change requires some form of action." Those are powerful words. Make a decision and stick to it. Simple. Not easy, but simple.

Next you must set your goals and set them high! Or as Tina puts it, "Start with the end in mind." Don't sell your self short, either, dream big! Once you have set your long term goal, establish some short term goals that progress toward your primary goal, I call them bench marks. It's a much less daunting task to move from one small goal to the next, plus you can celebrate along the way each time you hit a mark. It's more fun, that way for sure.

Author and success coach Bob Proctor says, "start doing a thing to have the energy to do the thing." Take that first small step and the subsequent steps will come easier. Build momentum, keep moving forward, resolve to hit that next goal. When you get to that one, resolve to make the next one. If you know your physics, you know it's much easier to keep an object in motion, moving, than it is to start it moving. That principle applies, here. Keep Moving!

One last piece of advice, surround yourself with successful people. Successful people are motivated people, people with high goals and aspirations. Find out what they do, and do that. Lastly, don't hang around negative people, rather, avoid them like the plague! I call those people "dream killers." They will suck the life out of you and hold you back. Don't listen to them, don't even hang around with them. MLM success is not easy. It's simple, but it's not easy. Successful people will keep you motivated and focused.

In summary, we've studied, we've planned, now it's time for action. It starts with a decision to get going, to take All Out Massive Action. Set your goals, long and short term, set them high, dream big, then work for them with passion, fervor and a never say die attitude. Take that first step, whether it's getting on the phone, digging into your company's training materials, meeting with your sponsor, whatever the step is, take it and don't look back. Make momentum work for you, not against you. Surround yourself with successful people and avoid those "dream killers." Do these few things, stick to your plan, and MLM home business success is yours. I guarantee it.

The Berry Tree Scam

As I spend time in Internet forums, various blogs, researching and publsihing articles in various ezines and on other social networking sites, I find this recurring theme being played out like a broken record. The Berry Tree is a scam. This complaint is due, for the most part, to a few supposed problems; they charge a membership fee to join, the bonus pools are too small, it takes a too long to make any significant money and too many people fail with the business. In this article I will address these complaints, as well as the accusation that MLM's in general and The Berry Tree in particular, are scams.

I'm intrigued by how freely the word scam is thrown around these days, focused and aimed like a sniper's rifle at anything that smacks of MLM, The Berry Tree included. In most cases these accusations are by people who are simply misinformed. Or, they are by people who feel they've been burned by MLM and they're on a mission to bring the entire industry to it's knees! Not exactly what I would call credible witnesses. I wouldn't build a court case based on their testimony.

To determine the truth of such accusations, I suppose some definitions are in order. I turned to our good friend, Mr. Webster, and what I found was both interesting and informative. The definition of the word scam is "a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation," or, "an attempt to make money by fraudulent means." Fraud. Scam. Deception. Those are strong words and should derinately not be spoken lightly! If someone is going to hurl those words like a cannon ball at the MLM industry, and more specifically, at The Berry Tree, they had better be sure of their facts.

Let's take a closer lookat the above accusations in light of these definitions. MLM's like The Berry Tree, charge a membership fee in exchange for which the distributor receives products, marketing and training tools, mentorship, etc. They in turn, get the rights to profit from the business. That sounds pretty fair to me. It's not unlike buying into a McDonald's, or Starbucks Franchise. To own a franchise, one will have to pay franchise fees. So what's the difference?

If a membership or start-up fee makes The Berry Tree or any MLM a scam, then by definition, charging franchise fees to open a McDonald's or Starbucks is also a scam. Now, the start up cost for most MLM's is under $100, whereas the franchise fees above are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Which of these do you suppose would enable the average person to become a successful business owner and realize great wealth and financial freedom?

If promising someone they will make money with an MLM, only for them to end up in failure, is a scam, then the same is true with traditional business owners who start out with that same dream, only to fail, and go out of business. It happens every day. Most often that failure is attributable to failure on the part of the business owner to do the things necessary to succeed. And, in those cases where it was the fault of the company, insufficient training, poorly designed compensation plan or whatever, it's still not fraud, and therefore not a scam.

Remember, scam means "by a fraudulent or deceptive act." Just because the business owner doesn't make the money they or the company thought they would make, either by their own fault, the company's fault, or some combination of the two, this is not a scam. It's not fraud. It's a bad business business model, maybe, bad luck, maybe, but it's not fraud.

I'm not implying that there are not real scams out there, there certainly are. There are those phony envelope stuffing schemes, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and perhaps the most successful one of all, that inheritance that suddenly has become yours from some rich philanthropist in Nigeria who has passed away and somehow their attorney or a family member has found you and wants to give you a large sum of money, yada yada yada. Now, pay attention class, those are scams. Remember, "by fraudulent means?"

So why is The Berry Tree being accused of being a scam? Several reasons. They charge a membership fee to join, we've already addressed that point. It takes time to make money and the bonus pools are small. The Berry Tree is not intended to be a get rich quick scheme. It is a compensation plan based upon growing and developing a deep and stable downline. The idea is not just to build numbers, but to build quality, distributors capable of reproducing themselves and duplicating the process downward. It takes time to accomplish this.

Sure, this will pay less in the beginning, but over time, this process will produce significant long term passive residual income. The small bonus pools do not indicate a problem either, but quite the opposite. The company is entering a phase where more people are qualifying for those bonuses, which of course will deplete them somewhat. However, those same people are sponsoring new members and growing the business, which will in turn increase the bonus pools, over time. This perceived problem is in reality evidence of growth and stability.

In summary, a scam is a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation, an attempt to make money by fraudulent means. It implies intent. Poorly run companies, bad business models, people not making money due to their failure or their company's, are not scams. They are problems for sure, but they're not scams. Membership and franchise fees are not scams. Businesses fail, people fail, this is a fact of life. This does not make the company a scam. MLM is a solid business model and The Berry Tree is one of the best this author has ever seen. It certainly has been successful for us. The only way to fail with The Berry Tree or any good MLM is to quit.

Look for The Berry Tree on CNBC, coming this fall on Eye on America with Diane Sawyer.

Home Based Business Success is Never and Accident, part 2

In our previous discussion we examined how Home Business Success must be studied, much the same as in any other business or vocation. In this article we will discuss how success must be planned. No successful venture is ever entered into without a plan. Sports teams enter into a game with a game plan. Corporations enter into business with a business plan. Medical professionals develop a care plan for their patients. So why should it be any different when entering into a Home Business? As the saying goes, "failure to plan is planning to fail." How true. So how does one plan success?

First and foremost, you have to know your marketing plan, how your company goes about selling it's products and business opportunity. In order to work a plan you have to understand it. Your company and your upline will have a plan that is tried and proven. Learn it and follow it. As I said in my previous article on this subject, "don't try to reinvent the wheel." Your upline are successful for a reason. Find out how they did it, do what they did and you will succeed, as well. In other words, duplication. It works.

Next, you need to establish a budget. You need to know how much you can spend on advertising, office supplies, training materials, etc. Set a budget and stick to it. Keep a record of expenses and income. If you don't know how much you can afford to spend compared to how much you are spending, you will have no idea how much money you are really making. Also, because this is a business, most if not all of your expenses will be deductible. Find out what expenses are deductible and keep track of them for tax purposes. Save your receipts.

Another thing you must budget is your time. Decide how many hours per day, per week, you can devote to your business, and stick to it! Within this framework, you will have to allocate time for studying and training, calling prospects and following up with them. You will need time for record keeping and scheduling appointments. As your business grows you will need to spend time training your new people to duplicate your success. All of this is time consuming and you need to plan for it. And, very important, plan and schedule some down time and family time. You and your family will need it.

Next, you need to know how to talk to your prospects. If you know ahead of time what to say and how to say it, you will be much more comfortable talking to people. With the help of your Mentor and some pre-written scripts, practice first time prospecting calls and follow up calls until they become second nature. Practice handling objections, you will get them. Listen in on live calls with your mentor, then have him or her listen in as you do the talking and then have them give you feedback afterward.

A point worth mentioning here is the need to be prepared for rejection. Not everyone you talk to will be receptive. Count on it. Some of them will be downright rude. Also, be prepared for people in your business to drop out, some for valid reasons and some for poor ones. Some of them will even blame you for their failure. Be prepared to feel discouraged at times. It will happen. If you are prepared ahead of time for these setbacks, you won't be blind sided by them, and you will be able to deal with them.

Having said all of this, no plan is perfect and no plan can foresee all the obstacles you will encounter. You will have to be flexible and will need to make adjustments to your plan along the way. Don't be discouraged when this happens. If you have a framework to work within and have set some goals to strive for and if you keep your eye on the prize, your financial freedom, you can adjust your plan and keep right on going.

In summary, no business, your own Home Business or any other venture entered into haphazardly will ever succeed. Fail to plan and you are planning to fail. So, make a plan and follow it. Budget your money and your time. Know your company and your products. Practice your prospecting techniques until you have them down pat. Listen to and follow your mentor. Expect setbacks and obstacles and when they come adapt and adjust. Stay focused on your goal. Do these few things and you will be successful, I guarantee it.

MLM Home Based Business Success is Never an Accident

It never ceases to amaze me, no matter how many times I see it happen, how so many people enter into an MLM Home Business unprepared and without a plan, expecting to be successful. And when they fail, which unless they are very lucky, they eventually will, they blame their failure on the industry, on their company or on their upline. Home Based Business success does not happen by accident. Success must be studied, planned and worked for with determination and resolve. I'm reminded of the old adage, "nothing of lasting value in life happens by accident." Success in business, in any career, in life even, is no exception. In this three part series we will examine the three components of Home Business success mentioned previously. This list is by no means exclusive, there are other components as well. We are just going to focus on these three.

Success must be studied. If you want to be successful in any venture whether it be business or any other vocation, you must study every aspect of the endeavor. If you want to become a physician, you must first study medicine, and then apprentice under skilled and experienced physicians before you can be licensed to practice on your own. If you want to become an attorney, the same is true. It is true for any chosen profession. Can you imagine men like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein or Marshall Field becoming successful inventors, scientists, businessmen, without being thoroughly educated on every aspect of their field of expertise? Absurd! Why would it be any different in a Home Business, MLM or otherwise? It's not.

In business, you need to know your product, your marketing and compensation plans. You need to know how much it will cost you to do business and the profitability of your business and products. Those costs include but are not exclusive to; advertising and lead generation, advertising materials, business and office supplies, telephone charges, and very important, your time. Time is the one resource you have that is non-replenishable. Once spent, you can never get it back. So, time spent learning the business, learning the products, advertising, calling leads, following up on prospects and customers, training associates or downline, must all be taken into account. Your time may be your most costly resource, because as I stated earlier, it's non renewable.

Additionally, you need to know who your target market is and how best to reach them. Products fall into some kind of niche, you need to know what that niche is for your business. You need to be able to fine tune your advertising and sales efforts to be most effective for reaching the demographic for which your particular business and products are most suited. You cannot do this unless you thoroughly understand your product, sales and marketing strategy, and your niche market.

Another important aspect of studying for success is mentor-ship. Why re-invent the wheel? Once you decide upon a business, one of the most important things you can do is to seek out a mentor, someone who has been there, done that, and knows the quickest and most efficient path to success and the pitfalls to avoid. You need to attach yourself to this person and soak up every last drop of knowledge and wisdom he or she has to share with you. Obviously you should seek out someone who is very successful and learn how to do what they do the way that they do it. Don't cut corners. Don't resist the training. They are successful for a reason. Find out what that reason is and duplicate it. It has been said the shortest path to any destination is a straight line. Well, this person can show you how to walk that straight line, in the least amount of time, with the least amount of pain and frustration. Follow them.

Lastly, and very importantly, prepare yourself for setbacks. Discuss this with your mentor, know ahead of time what those set backs can and will be, where you can expect them crop up, and be prepared. This won't prevent setbacks from coming, but it will prepare you mentally to "tough it out" and work through them. They won't catch you by surprise and you will know how to deal with them. Trust me, you will face obstacles and difficult times. You will go through periods where you couldn't sell soap to someone covered in mud! It just happens. It's not you, it's not the company, it's not the marketing plan, it's just life, Murphy's law. And Murphy was an optimist. Knowing there's a boogie man about to jump out of some doorway or dark alley makes it a lot less frightening when it happens and prepares you to respond in an efficient and effective manor.

To summarize, success must be studied. Prepare, apprentice, anticipate obstacles and setbacks, and you will succeed. You won't be able not to. In your Home Based Business as in any career or chosen endeavor, the ones who succeed are the ones who have prepared. The ones who have prepared are the ones who have studied. The ones who have studied are the ones who are serious, dedicated, focused and determined and who have decided ahead of time, failure is not an option and success is not an accident.