Do You Recruit Or Require?

Ever wonder why so many people in your downline just don't seem to work the business like they should? They don't recruit, don't advertise, don't sell, don't show up for conference calls and training sessions. But they EXPECT to be successful and when they aren't, they blame you or the company or the product, anything but the one person who is actually responsible for their lack of success, THEMSELVES! It's a common problem in network marketing and one of the reasons we get such a bad rap. But perhaps to some degree that criticism is deserved. Perhaps some of the blame should fall on us, for recruiting those people in the first place. That's a rather bold statement, but let me explain.

In a traditional business, where someone applies, produces a resume and character references, then goes through an interview process, many of those people would be weeded out before they are ever offered a job in the first place. So why should it be any different in network marketing? Too many network marketers go for numbers, not quality. Yes, it's a numbers game, but do you really want that person in your business that you had to call eight or ten times just to get them to agree to look at your website and then you had to call them as many times to close and get them in? If you have to beg, chase or practically bribe your prospect to get in, what do you think you're going to have to do to get them to actually DO anything, once they are?

On the other hand, if you approached the recruiting process as more of an interview, attempting to determine if your prospect is right for you and your business, rather than you and your business being right for them, I dare say you would be more selective as to whom you invite to join you. Ascertaining your prospect's strengths and weaknesses, their drive and ambition, their work ethic, is no less important to the success of your network marketing business than it is for a traditional business. In fact, I propose that it is even MORE critical because in network marketing, distributors have to be independently motivated. They don't have a supervisor looking over their shoulder and monitoring their progress.

In traditional business, applicants know what is expected of them up front and the employer knows from the interview process, that they are getting the right person for the position. Why? Because they don't simply recruit, THEY REQUIRE! They require that the person they hire will have the abilities and qualities necessary to be an asset to their business. You need to have the same mindset in network marketing. Don't just recruit, REQUIRE! Sure, the occasional bad apple will slip through, but as you get better at reading people, those occurrences will be fewer and further between.

Determine ahead of time that you prefer quality, not quantity and guess what will happen. Your downline will learn from you and develop the same mindset. As you bring in only those kind of people and they bring in only those kind of people, the foundation of your business will be strong and secure. It will grow and prosper, slowly at first, but eventually it will hit critical mass and explode! It's delayed gratification, sure. But once you get the ball rolling you won't be able to stop it! Nothing will stop it! So don't just recruit, REQUIRE!

The Customer Is Always Right

I was born in 1953, grew up in the 60's and graduated high school in 1972. So many things have changed, since then. Life was different, slower paced, simpler. People felt a much stronger sense of community. Neighbors would hang out on one anther's front porch on into the evening and catch up on what was going on in each others' lives. Neighborhoods were like one big family. Kids would run and play outside from dawn till dark and no one ever worried about a child being abducted. Life was a lot less expensive. Gasoline was cheap, we could get high test for 37 cents. We could go to the movies for under a dollar, two if we bought a soda and some pop corn. Heck, you could buy a really nice sports car for under Five Grand and the average mortgage was under Fifty Thousand. Yeah, life was more simple.

There was a popular saying in business in those days, it went something like this, "The customer is always right." Sadly, that philosophy is rarely if ever, adhered to, today. Of course, the customer was not always right but that wasn't the point. Business establishments, especially those that were locally owned, treated their customers like family. There was a strong sense of honesty and fairness in business dealings. Proprietors would rather make a little less on a sale, than cheat a customer. In return, people felt a sense of loyalty and would shop at the same stores, buy a car from the same dealership, get gas at the same station, eat at the same restaurants and so on. Why? Because the customer was always made to feel that they were important, that they were family. And in a very real sense, they were.

Another benefit to the establishment was word of mouth advertising by very satisfied customers. This is the best kind of advertising because it's very effective and it doesn't cost anything. Well, it does, but not monetarily. It's cost is measured in things like integrity, character, honesty, a good work ethic, taking the time to insure the customer gets the right product at a fair price. This is the kind of advertising that will grow a large and successful business for you. In Network Marketing we talk a lot about offering products and a business opportunity that meet a real need and make someones' life better. To me that's what that old "The Customer is Always Right " philosophy meant.

The truth is, this business, any business, is not about you. It's about your customer, your prospect. Our business exists because we have products and an opportunity that can help people and make their lives better. People don't care what's important to us. They don't care about how their purchase or decision to join us will help us, financially. They care about what THEY need, want or desire. If they believe you care about them and truly want to help them, they will buy from you and they will sign up for your opportunity. Remember, People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. It's not about you. It never has been. It's about your customer and "The Customer is Always Right."

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?