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.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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?
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?
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