teamworkfirst

MLM Success Tip #26 "Always point to someone else"

2009-05-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

To try and do this business by yourself would be a huge mistake.

Friends and Family trust you, because you are a "friend and family". Nothing more.

It doesn't mean that they completely believe what you are saying. However, if a 3rd party came along and verified that everything you said was "truth" they would gladly accept what you said as possible gospel.

It never ceases to amaze me how someone that my friends and family DON'T KNOW, whom they JUST MET, whom they JUST LISTENED TO ON THE PHONE will immediately trust that person. Why is that?

Think of it like this......would you do business with your neighbor? Maybe? Maybe Not? However, if you witnessed your neighbor taking the garbage out in his underwear every day, with a cigarette hanging out his mouth and a can of beer in his left hand....would you do business with him? Yes? No? What Changed?

Your family and friends LOVE you.....but they might not completely TRUST you. They know you at your BEST, but they have also seen you at your WORST. Therefore in ANY business you add a 3rd party.

You can do this through a 3-way phone call, you can do this by bringing in a public speaker or expert to speak on a subject, you can use CD's, conference calls, websites, and so on.....

In this business it's important to get OUT of the drivers seat and hand the keys to your sponsor and let them HELP you get to your first 2-3 income levels.

Don't feel bad about it either. Because you will be doing the same exact thing with your business associates and partners and team members.

Always point to someone else......and likewise.....they will always be pointing back at you.

Its a business of giving.

MLM Success Tip #25 "Magic List 100"

2009-05-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is a classic example of MLM. I'm sure many of you have done this before, heard this before, seen this before, and so it seems like old news.

However

Did you do it right?

You make a list of 100-200 names of friends, family, work-mates, etc.....

Before you go and hide in a shell. I want you to understand that this IS networking. The average person knows 2,600 people by first name. You don't even realize it. Put yourself to work and sit down with a notebook and think of 100-200 names of people.

This can be fun. Form the list and don't ask yourself if they would do your opportunity or not. That's NOT the goal. The goal is to get a list of people. Can you do it? Get out the phone book, run through Christmas letter lists, Church member bulletins, business groups (like Jaycee's, Kiwanis, Lions club), social networking lists (like facebook, my space, twitter), cell phone number lists, the opportunities go on and on and on!

Once you get this list compiled you go through the list and you circle the TOP 10 people that you would consider your "Dream Team". These are the people that you MIGHT be scared out of your wits to ask into the business....HOWEVER.....you need to ask yourself this question while considering if they make your top 10 list..."If this person chose to do the business would they be good at it?"

More often than not we say "No" before even asking a person.

Make your list of 100-200 and come up with your top 10 business associates and your top 10 product users. (People who might not be a good fit for the business but NEED your product.)

Make the list and contact your upline to discuss a plan of action.

MLM Success Tip #24 "Lead beyond your level"

2009-05-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Every business opportunity has different titles for different levels...(whether its 100K, Gold Director, Double Diamond, Executive Director, Silver Director, 200K plus plus, Ultra Mega Emerald Select Quadruple Bogey Ruby President......whatever)

However

Whatever your GOAL is to BECOME you need to LEAD at that LEVEL.

If your goal is to become a six digit earner in the company in 1 year, than its important not to lead like a $5 a month earner.

Even if you are at the lowest income level....you should at a minimum lead like you EXPECT to be making more.

This fits right along with treating your business like a business.

Treat your business like a business and it will pay you like a business.
Treat your business like a hobby and it will cost you alot of money.

MLM Success Tip #23 "You gotta take shots!"

2009-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'm dedicating this post to the best player EVER to play the game of Basketball. Especially since this is tip #23....it would only be right to give a tip honoring #23 Michael Jordan.

Look....its really simple.

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.

Yes, its true. You might take 100 shots and miss 99. But the point is...if you never take a CHANCE...you are dead in the water before you even begin.

Michael Jordan took shots. He was a natural born risk taker. He drove it to the hoop and he drove it there often. He didn't make every shot. Sometimes he missed by a mile. But he took his chances and he grew up knowing that it was a game of chance. He only had control over what Michael Jordan did.....so he made the most of it.

Don't shy away from people because your "mind" tells you something different. We often put up our own set of obstacles based on a set of personal beliefs and experiences.

Don't do that.

Break through that barrier and contact the person you need to contact today to join your business or take your product.

What's the worst that could happen? Maybe they say no? Maybe you miss the shot? But at least you can say "I took a shot".

MLM Success #22 "Don't be Lazy"

2009-04-28T11:37:00.001-07:00

I had a discussion with a person on the phone the other day about Network Marketing.

It went like this......

"The reason why 97% of people fail in network marketing and never make any money is because only 3% of people have the "know how" to be successful in that business model. Either you have it or you don't. You have to be able to sell to people...and not very many people have the gift to sell, especially me. Most people will fail in this business."

and my response was.....

"You're right"

There was a long pause at the end of the line because I'm sure that I shocked the daylights out of him. I wasn't calling this prospect to sell him anything. I wasn't calling him to convince him of anything different than what he was already thinking. I was calling him to sort through a batch of leads that I purchased. He completely disqualified himself. NOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

"Have a great day sir" CLICK

But, he was right. Most people WILL FAIL in MLM. But not for any reason that he listed.

Do you want to know the ONLY reason people fail at ANYTHING?

People fail because they choose to fail. That's why. They choose to fill their schedules with unproductive activities that take them away from their goals. They get distracted. They lose focus and when they look back each year on their live...they wonder "what happened?"

They treat their business like a hobby.

Most people fail in MLM because it was never a business in their heart and in their mind. They didn't treat it like a business and treated it like a joke and guess what? It became one.

Most people fail PERIOD because they take the path of least resistance EVERY SINGLE TIME. And its very predictable. Its called 'human behavior". We are lazy. PERIOD.

Very few people out there have the hunger, the drive to form the habits needed to break the bad habits they already have.

Steven Covey states that to break a habit you must form another habit to replace it. We are naturally habitual people. So...form new habits instead of making excuses.

Did Michael Jordan wake up one day and get blessed with the ability to play basketball? Did it JUST HAPPEN? No. In fact, he never made his high school basketball team when he was a sophmore. He had to work at it.

Did Tiger Woods wake up and say..."Golly Gee, I'm so good at golf that I don't need a coach" No. He went out and hired a swing coach. He had to work at it.

Did Thomas Edison sit back and just invent things on the first try? No. He did trial after trial after trial until after the 999th time of failing he finally invented the light bulb. He had to work at it.

The only reason people fail is because they DON'T WORK AT GETTING BETTER.

1. They have poor people skills and don't work on improving them
2. They have a negative attitude and never fill their life with any motivational material
3 They have a lack of focus and never work on it
4. A weak commitment and never commit to ANYTHING
5. Unwillingness to change
6. A short cut mind-set
7. Rely on Talent and have a poor work ethic
8. and they have Zero Goals

And all of the above can be summed up into one word

L-A-Z-Y-

If you want to be successful in anything in life..lets cut the excuses. Lets get off our "Buts" and do something. And believe me they are all "Buts"...But I can't, But I won't, But I don't have time, But my job,

Nobody is going to spoon feed you anything in life. And if the only thing in life you are looking for is a free hand out....than the man on the phone was right. Most people ARE destined to fail.

Choose to take the path of MOST resistance. Nothing that was ever WORTH it in life came easy.

I know that MLM is right. Because its not easy. That's how I know. If it was easy...everyone would be doing it.

Separate yourself from the lazy....and go after it.

MLM Success Tip #21 "Let the tools do the work"

2009-04-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

We often try to do too much in our business. We try and be the expert in areas where we have no expertise.

We don't need to have a compelling story. We can borrow someone else's.

We don't need to know everything about the compensation plan. We can borrow someone else's explanation or model.

We don't need to make a huge income. We can borrow someone else's income.

We don't need to know all the science behind the product. We can borrow the testimony's of doctors and medical professionals.

We don't have to be an expert presenter. We can borrow someone else's presentation.

We need to let the tools do the work.

Cd's, DVD's, brochures, websites books....etc.

Get the tools into people's hands and follow up.

MLM Success Tip #20 "New School Rocks too!!!"

2009-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

"You mean to tell me that I need to get a computer?"

Not necessarily. It sure would make your life easier though.

Old school is powerful, its potent and effective. New School is a little more advanced, and sometimes confusing.

The fast pace in which new marketing moves is mind boggling.

Here are just a few ways that technology and new school marketing has changed MLM.

1. Google
2. Blogging
3. Facebook, Myspace, BetterNetworker, Networking Lounge, Youtube, Squidoo (Social Networks)
4. Twitter (It deserved a space of its own)
5. Active websites
6. webinars
7. Conference Calling (Spider Phone, freeconference.com,)
8. Cell Phones, Black Berries, Jitterbugs.
9. E-mails, Prospecting Centers, Follow Up Centers, Calling Trees,
10. Virtual Assistant
11. Lead Vendors
12. Email Blasts

The list goes on and on and its ALWAYS CHANGING!

The key is that both the old and the new work. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily.

HOWEVER

You need to be willing to learn and to use all tools that are available at your fingertips in order to succeed.

If you are a successful "old school" marketer...what's wrong with learning how to use a Black Berry? What's wrong with learning how to use Facebook, or Twitter?

Its just a method. And if I were in your shoes...I would use all methods for my success.

MLM Success Tip #19 "Old School ROCKS!"

2009-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sick and tired of getting repeat messages from so called Internet marketing gurus...claiming that the old ways of network marketing are 'dead and gone'. That the days of working your warm market, and making 100-200 lists of friends and family's and picking up the phone and pounding it hard ...are outdated methods that don't work anymore.

H-O-G-W-A-S-H!!!

Do yourself a favor the next time you get an e-mail from one of these self-proclaimed gurus, scroll down and discover what they are selling.

Yeah...you heard me right.

Scroll down the e-mail or web page and see if they are selling an e-book, coaching, services, an opportunity...whatever?

Everyone claims something different, and I am here to tell you right now that the old school ways have worked for centuries before you were born, and they will work centuries after you are dead and gone.

It's really quite simple. You call 10 people and you get 1 yes......Now, to some people that sounds dreadful. They don't like the thought of getting 9 no's before getting a yes. They don't like the thought of rejection. They don't like the thought of talking with people and solving their problems and listening to their hopes and dreams. Instead, they would rather write behind a computer screen and blog and e-mail people with the hopes that somehow, someway that people will find their website and the website will sell them into the business.

What an absolute scam.

You WILL have to talk with people....and guess what??? It totally rocks. Its fun. Its awesome....and when you get rejected 1,000 times....it gets a lot easier the minute you find that ONE person who has been waiting for your call. That one person...whose life is hanging on a balance. You have the opportunity to present a GIFT to them to change their life around. You get to be a part of that story.

Does that excite you?

If it does...you are in the right business. Forge ahead!

MLM Success Tip #18 "Learn"

2009-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me when I see a doctor (who went through 8-10 years of school) going back to school and getting more training.

You mean a doctor can still learn?

Or what about teachers going back to get continuing education?

Insurance agents going back for re-licensure and testing?

The list goes on and on and on.

Tip #18 is simple "Learn" and never stop learning. To stop learning is to be dead.

You should be a student of the game. You should read books on your business, about your business, about marketing, about motivation, and inspiration, about business......

You can always separate the serious from the non-serious by simply asking 2 questions.

"What book are you reading right now?"

"Tell me your top 10 books in your library?"

What a person is putting in their brain...reveals alot.

By the way here is my top 10 on my shelf.

1. Think and Grow Rich
2. The Richest Man in Babylon
3. How to win friends and influence people
4. Awakin the Giant Within
5. Failing Forward
6. The Power of Focus
7. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
8. Why we want you to be Rich
9. See you at the top
10. Wooden on Leadership

If you want to know what books changed my thought process on residual income and MLM?

1. Multiple Streams of Income
2. Why we want you to be Rich
3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

CD's

1. Building your network marketing business-Jim Rohn ***IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THIS AND IF YOU ARE ON MY TEAM...LET ME KNOW***
2. The Keys to the Vault 1 and 2-Bob Schmidt

Don't just sit back and let others dictate to you about YOUR business. Its your responsibility to know more about things....so you can educate people, and most importantly YOURSELF. So you can decipher what is truth and what is lie. What is fact and what is fiction.

MLM Success Tip #17 Know what you have control over

2009-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

There is only 3 reasons why people won't buy into your business.

1. They don't believe in your company.

2. They don't believe in themselves.

3. They don't believe in YOU.

You only have control over one of these reasons.

#3

You only have control over YOU.

Make a decision TODAY that you are going to show up differently for this business (starting now)! Have CERTAINTY in your business opportunity.

What you THINK ABOUT you BRING ABOUT.

You can not control life circumstances outside the business. But you can control what you do. Your activity and most importantly YOUR THOUGHTS.

MLM Success Tip #16 "Become a Fast Moving Train"

2009-04-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

Nobody jumps from a fast moving train. They would be crazy if they did.

However, if that train is moving slow it becomes easier to jump.

The same is true in your MLM business. Product users and business associates will never move from your organization if your team is building momentum and moving fast. The attrition rate for your organization would be minimal and the success rate for distributors would go through the roof.

However....everything reflects on YOU as the leader. If your team is moving slow....the chances are good that YOU as a leader are moving slow.

Fast Leader = Fast Team Moving Leader = Moving Team

So.....one of the keys of success in MLM is to become a fast moving train. Build momentum and keep that momentum going and going and going!

How do you do that? Take your time frame and squeeze it into a shorter duration. Take the activity that average or ordinary people might do in a longer time frame and put that same activity into a 3 month-6 month window.

If you do that......your ordinary, little, slow moving steam train will become a BULLET TRAIN!

MLM Success Tip #15 Don't go into management mode

2009-04-14T10:27:00.001-07:00

It gets easy in this business to stop recruiting and doing the ONLY thing you can control. And that's our own daily activity. Many horses died in Egypt because they couldn't make them drink.

Its becomes increasingly difficult when we want more success for people than what they want for themselves.

Its the 90/10 or 80/20 rule, where 80-90% of the income in a business is earned by 10-20% of the people. Its a hard fact.

If a person stops recruiting they lose out on the potential of finding a person that is from the 10-20% group.

But you still need to train people right?? Absolutely!! However, I would spend 90% of my time with the ten percenters and 10% of my time with the ninety percenters. Make sense?

Grease the squeaky wheel. The wheel that is moving. And place in a corner the wheel that won't move...for whatever reason?

MLM Success Tip #14 "Understand Numbers"

2009-03-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is a numbers game.

Anyone that tells you different either is selling you something else (like their CD, their e-book, their training material, website, book, seminar).

We seek two things in life...#1 Pleasure #2 How to escape pain

If something is easy, free, doesn't require much time, doesn't require talking with people and appears like we can get rich quick...we jump.

DON'T!!

Have you ever read this phrase while looking for ways to do your business better? "THE SECRET FOR MLM SUCCESS!!!"

Well, I'm going to share with you the secret.

Are you ready?

I hope so, because this is going to blow your mind.

Go grab a pen and get ready to write this down because it will change your life.

The secret to MLM success....(and remember this has only been known by the upper ONE PERCENT of all successful network marketing millionaires) is.....................

Drum Roll.............................

There is no secret. Ta dah!

There isn't a company, product, gadget, gizmo, compensation plan, leadership team, in the world that is going to make YOU successful. That all comes from you.

This is PURELY a NUMBERS BUSINESS.

The successful MLM leaders that get and understand the theory behind "large numbers" wins.

Here's why. Because this ISN'T SALES. You are not trying to convince ANYONE about the business. Either they are interested or they're not. The numbers show that 3 out of 100 will do your business.

So.....why do 95% of people fail in network marketing? Because they don't work the numbers and they don't let the numbers work for them.

Take massive action with massive numbers and compress those numbers within a short time frame.

See, alot of leaders teach the 3 X 3 method. Where three get three and they get three and they get three to infinity.

What happens?

Somewhere along the line bobby joe recruits mary jane and she recruits uncle Tom who really doesn't care either way and we suffer......."attrition".

You won't keep 100% of the people you sponsor in your group or downline. They will fall out for one reason or another. So....if you take the slow method and it takes 1 year to attract 14 people into the business, and 2 months later they are all out of the business....you will always be playing catch up!! HOWEVER, if you take those same 14 people and compress them into a ONE WEEK time frame. What happens?

You gain momentum. You gain excitement. The train has left the station and is picking up speed, and believe me...people don't want to jump from a fast moving train.

MLM Success Tip #13 "Don't carry two on your back"

2009-03-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Jim Rohn used to say "You can carry one on your back, but you can never carry two!"

How true of a statement.

It's where the term "Man, get off my BACK!!!!" came from. All the weight would come crashing down...slowing you down....and after a while...."MAN, GET OFF MY BACK!!!!!"

You're pulling all the weight. You're doing all the work. You're busting yourself to motivate your downline. You're training. You're doing the calls. You, you, you , you , you............

See the problem? You.

You're not duplicating yourself. This is a business of duplication. It's not a "sales" business. MLM gets the misconception of being a "sales" business. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

You've heard the expression before? You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

How true it is.

Here is an analogy to leave you with:

It's like you are in a lifeboat, and everyone else is drowning in the water. Some are fighting to survive while others have given up. You don't have that much time!! You can't save everyone. (And that's the hard part. Because you want to save everyone. But you can't.) So...you must decide who you are going to help. Don't waste your time trying to pull someone out of the water that doesn't want to be saved. You will expend all your time and energy trying to pull that person from the water and they won't fight for their own survival. They won't kick or pull or do ANYTHING to aid in their own LIFE!! Meanwhile, as you are struggling to save that ONE life...there are THOUSANDS who are struggling all around. TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK.

You have to make a decision with whom you are going to spend your time. You can want it for them....but it means absolute zero until they want it for themselves.

"You can carry one on your back, but you can never carry two"

MLM Success Tip #12 "Be Professional"

2009-03-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

You are a business owner now. Be Professional.

1. Return all e-mail and voice mail messages in a timely fashion.

2. Follow through with the appointments you set.

3. Be at your appointments 10 minutes early and If you can't make an appointment on time or at all...call ahead of time and reschedule.

4. Answer your phone and if you are not available make sure your voice mail system sounds professional. Most important: Make sure your voice mail WORKS!

5. Check your e-mail and voice mail daily (sometimes twice!!)

6. Always reply to your e-mail (even if just a short message like "I got it. Thanks") to let the sender know their e-mail didn't get lost in cyber-space.

7. Do what you "Say" you're going to do. FOLLOW THROUGH

8. Respect others time like you would like them to respect YOUR TIME.

Doing the list above is respectful, courteous, and responsible.

Again, you are a business owner now. Be professional.

MLM Success Tip #11 "Edify your upline and downline"

2009-03-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

At all times it is important to encourage and support our upline leaders and downline leaders.

This is a unique business opportunity that puts you in business for yourself but not BY yourself. We are part of a larger team. And here is the cool part about MLM. It supports teamwork better than any other organizational structure out there. Upline success doesn't occur until there is some downline success.

We need to always be affirming each other, and lifting each other up. Especially in the presence of others. Building up someone while in front of a prospect or other business associate is HUGE for the overall success of your business.

Before conducting your next 3way phone conversation with your upline leader...try this....

Edify your leader in front of your prospect and let them hear you praise them. In return, the leader affirms the downline in the same manner.

It's called laying out the red carpet.

Try it today.

MLM Success Tip #10 "Stay Focused"

2009-03-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

We already brought up the importance of having a calendar. But this is different. Staying Focused is essential to your success in MLM. It's easy to get distracted when you are working at home. You have all the temptations in the world from television, the computer, the phone, and friends and loved ones.

We're not on vacation here. We are working a business.

Where you turn your attention is what gets done and accomplished.

In NASCAR when a race driver feels his car starting to skid towards the wall he turns his head and changes his focal point to the inside of the track. The natural instinct would be to look at where you are going (the wall) but the driver knows that "you always end up where you are WANTING to go.....AND you always want to go where you are LOOKING".

Almost like a miracle the driver works himself out of the skid and misses the wall...simply by looking away.

In MLM we need to do the same thing. We need to keep our eyes focused on where we want to go. If that is two levels up....we need to change our focus on getting two levels up. If its recruiting 5 new individuals...we need to change our focus on getting 5 new individuals. And it starts with focus.

What are you focusing on?

MLM Success Tip #9 "Develop a Strong Why"

2009-03-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Why do you have an MLM business? Why Multi-Level Marketing or Networkmarketing or whatever you call it? Why?

It's vital for your success to have a strong and compelling "WHY" and have it written down. Let's not be naive enough to think that we'll never hit tough times in our business. We will...its unavoidable. However, you can curb the effects by having a strong why statement written out and placed in front of you at all times.

When you hit difficult times you can re-read your why statement as a reminder of WHY you do this business. That way we don't lose focus of the end results that we are striving for...

"Nothing good in life ever came free and easy. It took work. It took planning. It took blood, sweat and tears.....that way we can enjoy the fruits of our labor AFTERWARDS.

Write out your "Why Statement today"

MLM Success Tip #8 "Don't Take Advice from Poor People"

2009-03-02T09:31:00.001-08:00

In the book "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George Clason, he tells a story of a young man that saves up enough money in a year to make an investment.

A brick layer comes along and tells him that he can invest his hard earned savings on some jewels from a distant land (which are worth 3 times the amount he would pay.) He could turn around and sell the jewels and triple his money.

(It's like modern day E-Bay right?)

The brick layer travels to the distant land and comes back with FAKE jewels. He ends up being scammed for jewels made of glass and the young man loses his money.

The lesson being learned that a brick layer understands the business of Laying brick, not the business of Buying and Selling Jewels.

Therefore, the same is true in your business. When a person comes to you and says "There is no money in that.....", "That's a scam", "That's a pyramid", "Nobody is EVER successful in that"..Consider their background.

Would you take advice about money from a poor person? Would you take advice about cars from a person who sells bicycles?

The same is true in MLM. Don't consider the advice from people who have no idea WHAT they are TALKING about.

Taking advice from poor people, would simply be a poor decision.

MLM Success Tip #7 "Fortune is in the Follow Up"

2009-03-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Follow Up.

So....you had the guts and glory to get out there and give a CD to a person, or present your opportunity to a person......

That's not where we make money in this business.

We make money on the follow-up.

How serious are you about your business?

Be responsible and follow-up with people.

"The fortune is in the follow-up"

MLM Success Tip #6 "Take Action"

2009-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Things happen when You Happen.

Don't be a person that says "Ready.....Aim.....Aim.....Aim................."

Eventually you need to pull that trigger.

Go for it!

Put a plan on paper...and put it into ACTION. Make baby steps, make GIANT steps, whatever....it doesn't matter, just make STEPS!!!

Your results will be a direct correlation of the action you take.

Therefore,

Massive Action equals Massive Results

or

Little Action equals Little Results.

Ultimately, we have complete control over that. We can't control outside sources....but we CAN control our own actions.

Activity, Activity, Activity

MLM Success Tip #5 "Have a Plan ON PAPER"

2009-03-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was listening to an audio training the other day and the speaker told a story of building a new house. The contractor he was working with had everything carefully drawn out from his architect. Every detail was written down on paper.

It was the BLUE PRINT

In other words...they had written down the very plan they intended to work.

Don't shoot from the hip. Have your plans written down on paper. Plan to work....but most importantly work your PLAN.

Success does NOT happen by chance. It's not accidental. It's not by some strike of God given luck!

Success happens when you plan for success, and you follow that plan and stay focused.

Meet with one of your upline mentors today and get a plan drawn out on paper. Writing it down...assures you of success. You are 95% more likely to succeed when you write it down.

MLM Success Tip #4 "Be a Person"

2009-03-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

We are in the people business. Therefore, learn about people. Build people skills.

Try reading this book.........

"How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie.

This book is an amazing book and will change the way you work with people.

Another book is "Bring out the best in people" by Alan Loy Mcginnis

Why do people do the things they do?

We need to understand this.....becoming a people person ALONE will make you more successful than all the online guru's that claim to be MLM genius'.

Put people first.......and the rest will fall in line.
People first..............and the rest will fall in line.

It's about people....people.....people...people!!!

MLM Success Tip #3 Be Industrious

2009-02-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

What's the rule of 90/10?

It means that 10% of home business owners are making 90% of the actual income earned in home-based business.

Funny.

Because when I go trolling different websites and google "home-based business opportunity" It seems that everyone (including their mom and dog) are becoming massively wealthy from home based business. It appears that EVERYONE is the expert.

And.....even though some of this may be true, the reality is that the rule of 90/10 says otherwise.

So, what's my point?

My point is that don't go under the illusion that working a home-based business is easy. Don't go under the assumption that free money will instantly start pouring out of your computer SIMPLY because you signed up under someone else that is WORKING the business.

Don't buy into the "get rich quick" schemes that are available.

If you make the decision to treat this as a business, it will pay you like a business. Period.

If you make the decision to treat this as a hobby, it will pay you like a hobby. Period.

It's that simple.

Be Industrious. Work this business hard. Treat it like a real business. Fill up your calendar with quality appointments.....and if you do it consistently....you will win every single time.

MLM Success Tip #2 Be Coachable

2009-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Nobody likes a "know it all".

So, here is today's success tip. "Don't be one"

You don't have to be a person that knows WHAT to say, WHEN to say it, and HOW to say it. You don't have to know ANYTHING.

BUT......and this is a very big BUT......

You do need to be coachable.

You can take the next 2-3 years of your life and LEARN and SHAPE yourself into the next success story in MLM.

Why do most people fail in MLM? Because they think they know it all, and once a know it all fails...they quit. Quitting leads to 100% failure every single time. BIG SHOCKER!

Do yourself and your team a favor and humble yourself today by calling your upline. Call a leader in your organization. Make a decision today to be 100% coachable and learn from the best. Success rarely happens by accident. It's planned. It's intentional. There is a rhyme to the reason. So...don't reinvent the wheel. Copy what is working. Become coachable and DO what SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO.

Do that.....and we'll see each other on the beaches of the world.

MLM Success Tip #1 Look at your calendar

2009-02-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Do you want to be successful in Multi-level marketing? Take out your calendar and ask yourself how your week looks? Do you have your days and weeks full of appointments?

In ANY business venture its easy to fill out your calendar and make yourself SEEM busy with meaningless tasks that don't pay.

Understand that we are only paid on 4 things in this industry.

#1 Having a 1-on-1 appointment with a prospect.
#2 Having a 3-way call with another business builders prospect.
#3 Having a training session or strategy session with a business builder.
#4 Having a seminar, conference call, regional or international convention where you invite someone to attend with you.

We are in the people business so it is important to ALWAYS be in front of people.

Where would a doctor or dentist be if they didn't continually update their calendars or reconfirm appointments?

We are in the same boat as a business. We need to continually have appointments and work from meeting to meeting.

We should always ask ourselves this question: What's next? What's the next step? What's the next move?

A pro-golfer will admit they are always playing three to four strokes ahead. Why? To set their next shot up.

It's no different in the MLM arena.

My general agent when I worked in the insurance industry used to always say that to make a profit we should always have 10-15 appointments a week.

3 appointments a day and working from appointment to appointment, and always setting the next appointment sets you up for success in this industry. Between prospecting, having first time meetings, training meetings, and follow-ups, we should never be without an appointment.

Like a golfer, set your next shot up TODAY, and plan 1-2 weeks ahead.

Think like a Fish

2009-02-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

There are two basic things that people fear.

#1 Death

#2 Being Sold

So, if you are trying to sell something to someone....STOP. It doesn't work. People naturally have a 6th sense about them and they can usually smell it a mile away.

We need to quit trying to be a hunter and more like a fisherman.

What?

That's right. We need to quit hunting and start fishing.

What does an animal do when it senses being hunted?

It runs.

The same is true in any business venture. Stop hunting and instead let the prospect or consumer come to you.

Your job is not to SELL. It's not to convince. Its simply to throw out some information (like bait) and let the prospect decide whether or not they are interested. And....if they bite? Reel em' in!

Get this straight and your business will soar.

(quit treating people like a meal ticket, and start caring for their needs. Discover their problem and solve it)

Something happened on the way to the Emerald City.

2009-02-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

You guessed it!! I'm talking Wizard of Oz language. And....you guessed it again. That is the picture of the yellow brick road.....and guess what? You're on it.

See...we are ALL on the yellow brick road of life. I don't care how you slice and dice it and I certainly don't care what vehicle you choose to ride on that beautiful yellow brick road. The point of the matter is that if you want to get to the emerald city...YOU HAVE TO STAY ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY PATH LEADING YOU THERE!.

So, I was working my plan and I got side tracked off the yellow brick road.

"Something happened on the way to the Emerald City"

#1 I had the activity
#2 I had the response I was looking for....
#3 I had MOMENTUM

and that momentum completely consumed me...right back into management mode. :)

So...for the record....this boy is getting back on the yellow brick road because I need courage, a heart, and a brain...and most of all I just want to get back to Kansas!! Make sense?? My solution lies within the gates of the Emerald City.

Through the use of reverse engineering (which I'll go into more detail in a later blog) and developing a plan through one of my mentors (in another organization) I have combined the two and will be implementing it with my marketing strategy for the 90 day plan.

Hold tight....the 90 day journey to the Emerald City will continue.

"Because we are offffffffff to see the wizard....."

Day 5-6: Uh oh.....things are snow balling.

2009-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Ok...I was prepared for the activity, but nobody prepared me for when the prospect says "yes".

Actually, I was prepared for it....but I have to laugh because now the juggling process of making 125 calls day starts to blossom into new customers and new business associates and THAT TAKES TIME!!!!

So, a quick run down of Friday and Monday. We have a new customer, and a new business builder. Plus, we had a full interview with someone who is quite serious about making this a full time business for themselves. (Exciting stuff!)

But when you hit those days where the activity turns to productivity....how do you balance? How do you balance prospecting with actually writing up the order? Because you can't afford to take your foot off the gas to simply fill an order...you have to keep on trekking.

So....we have 2 new associates with a total of 300 volume coming to the upline.

Here we go!

Why ask Why?

2009-01-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

I recently came across some wise words from Michael Dloughy. A 30 year veteran in the home-based business and MLM industry. Listen to what he has to say about having a "WHY STATEMENT" This comes from the 10 pillars of success with mentoringforfree.

A nailed “WHY” can save your life.

Most people have a huge problem when they decide to improve their situation in
life.

That problem is one or more of the people closest to you will NOT want to
see you succeed.

This is a FACT for virtually everyone on this planet, and you are no different.
You can argue with me until you’re blue in the face, but that won’t change anything.
There are people in your life who will be threatened when you make a
passionate push to success. They will complain and criticize and try to
suck the life out of you.

Why? Because THEIR life is a mess and misery truly does love company.

Your best option is to get rid of them. Next best is to have an AMAZING “WHY”,
a 99.9% “WHY”, that will keep you going through rain, sleet, snow, flood, pestilence,
nuclear holocaust, or the criticism of a “loved” one.

So why is it critical you do THIS business? And why is it critical that you succeed?

People always tell their goals.

Fine. You need goals.

But your "WHY" is a big, big, big reason that will keep you going.

Where's your fire? What do you LOVE? What do you HATE? What is REALLY important
to you? What do you REALLY want? What situation in life do you want to
get out of so it never ever, EVER happens again?
It's not goals. It's not money, either.

When I started coaching, people would write their "WHY"… usually money.
They’d need to pay a big hospital bill, or replace a car. Whatever.

But your real "WHY" is never money.

It's about who YOU really are.

Your driving factor must be WAY more than money.
It's something you want ... or something you want to get away from. Better yet,
BOTH. If your "WHY" is a 70% and you come up against an obstacle that's a
72%, you're gone. You'll drop out, disappear.
But when your "WHY" is a 99.9%, then you're here to stay and be successful.

Why are you on this planet? In one form or another, you're here to change lives,
touch lives, and help people. What were you meant to do?

Let’s Play Sherlock Holmes.

A new business is always a risk. People risk to avoid pain, or to achieve pleasure.
Answering these questions may help you find your "WHY".

·What gets you REALLY excited?
·How many hours a week do you work?
·What do you LOVE about your job?
·What do you HATE about your job?
·What do you do with your free time?
·If you had 2 months vacation and all the money you wanted, what would you
do?
·How do you like the people you work with?
·What problem scares you to death that more money could solve?
·What do you just absolutely HATE about your life that more money could solve?
·If you had all the money you needed, what HUGE problem would go away?
·If you had all the TIME in the world to do anything you wanted, what would you
do?
·Other than money, what are you looking for?

Discover your WHY....it makes all the difference in the world!

Day 3 and 4: Comedy

2009-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

I got behind.....in the world of track that's never a good thing. You need to stay on pace! But...I'm planning on making up some calls this week and getting this whole thing even and squared away!

So.....I made 125 calls today! SWEET!!!! Actually today I got my tushy kicked pretty hard. The numbers didn't add up today. But the cool thing is that my call reluctance is fading.

Here are a few of my adventurous calls today.

#1 Barb the disabled lady who already had a business but felt $125 overhead for a business was to high. (Anyone know what the franchise fee each year for McDonald's is? Just curious)

#2 Jim Jones the homeless guy at the homeless shelter (for real)

#3 Judy (the lady with the loud sigh on the phone when I mentioned "Home Business")

#4 Billy Bob (who wanted me to give him a 10 second run down on "what it was all about")

After a while....some of the calls started to become amusing. But you know what? Its just a reminder that its a qualifying business. Some will, some won't, So what.......

The ONE thing that stuck out to me was obvious. Some of these prospects were on their last thread of hope. Some of these prospects were so far gone when I called them that even if I waved a million dollars in the air...they wouldn't move.

This business is not a joke and I hope that every single on of you reading this right now take this thing serious. We have people who are placing their last hope on this business. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to train them? Are you going to help them build the business? Are you going to hold their hand and walk across the finish line together?

What if I told you that right now as you read this post there is a single mother with three kids out there that is searching the Internet. Guess why she is searching the Internet? She is looking for hope. So, she goes to Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com praying that some miracle will pop out at her and give her a job or some kind of income that will allow her to support herself and her family. What does she find? She finds an ad that promises her information on how to make money from home and on the Internet.......and then she runs across scam after scam after scam.........

But not you. You can provide the one voice of hope through the darkness. You can show her a way. That's what this business can do.

You have an awesome responsibility to get the word out about your opportunity. Don't you dare sit down and even think about turning on the television without talking with at least 3 people about your opportunity today. Make a list and contact them. Make another list because you probably forgot 80% of the people you know. Call them. Get on facebook. Share your opportunity. Get on Twitter. Share your opportunity. Get involved with Chamber of Commerce. Share your opportunity. Get involved........and share your opportunity.

And that part.......is not funny. Its not comedy. Its very, very serious. We have a responsibility as business owners...so lets do it.

Think life is hard? How about with no arms or legs?

2009-01-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

Day 2: Focus

2009-01-06T16:38:00.001-08:00

Day number two with the 90 day plan can be summarized in the following manner: FOCUS!

We live in a day in age where constant distractions can totally knock us off course, off goal, and change our focus point. You might have your eyes on the prize, but along comes a shiny object that takes your eyes away from the prize!

This sums up my day. I had a plan to make 125 calls today and only was able to squeeze 32 calls in today. I had some good reasons....but I also had some bad reasons.

1. Had to take kids to school (good reason)

2. Had to take dog to the vet (good reason)

3. Had to have lunch with sister-in-law (good reason)

4. Had to take a nap. (bad reason)

5. Had to catch up on some NFL news online (bad reason)

6. Had to meet with one of my team members on sponsoring (good reason)

7. Had to meet with another on of my team members on sponsoring (good reason)

8. Had to eat supper with family (good reason)

9. Had to meet with team at team meeting (good reason)

10. Had to deal with telemarketing calls (bad reason)

11. Had to deal with some bills and focus on our debt (bad reason)

12. Had to spend time e-mailing and face booking (bad reason)

The truth of the matter is that FOCUS is exactly what we need to succeed in what we are doing. This is a marathon NOT a sprint.....and to get distracted this early in the race is detrimental to your financial health and freedom.

Here were the results of my 32 calls.

16 voice mails left

2 wrong numbers

8 disconnects

5 not interested

1 interested

Guess what? The numbers are still holding true. Because if I get one person interested out of every 30 people I call....I'm right around 3% once I make at least 100 calls!!

"Keep your focus!"

Day One: FEAR

2009-01-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie to you. I have call reluctance. I had call reluctance when I telemarketed in college. I had call reluctance when I sold insurance and I have call reluctance now.

What is call reluctance?

It's when you are scared and have high anxiety that little monsters will come pouring out of the phone and eat you. :) No, but seriously the phone does get very heavy and its gets very very hard to make calls.

Call reluctance is the #1 reason for failure in sales and business. Did you know that? When sales people cripple up with fear that they cease to do the activity that is required for success.

Day ONE for me on the calling boot camp was no different. I hemmed and I hawed and I made a plan, and I checked it twice and I looked all around town to find out who was naughty and nice and came home to find my wife looking at me with her arms crossed......

and she says: "Are you going to do what you said you're going to do?"

It reminded me alot of when I was a little kid standing on the diving board and staring down at the water....crippled with fear to jump....until little miss fearless pants sneaks up behind me and shoves me in!

In all sincerity, I did get motivated to finally pick up the phone and make 125 calls today.

These leads were 6 months old, and were double-opt-in leads. (Which basically means they clicked on an ad requesting stay-at-home business information TWICE) These are considered cheap-leads and 9 times out of 10 the prospect doesn't even remember clicking the little ad on the computer and putting their information into the computer. So.......needless to say I knew this was going to be a tough climb today.

Here are the results:

11 Not Interested

27 Disconnects

18 Wrong Numbers

5 Interested

64 Voice Messages left

Notice anything? The numbers don't lie. I was expecting 3% and that's about what I got out of 125 calls. Now the rest is in the follow-up.

90 Day Calling Bootcamp

2009-01-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

I know that I have mentioned this in a previous blog entry, but I had heard the story of "Jett" in the multi-level marketing company (Mannatech). He was (is?) the top distributor for the company and I felt his story was so compelling on "how to make it happen" in the world of marketing.

He literally called 10,000 leads in 90 days. Now....that might seem crazy (and it is) but the whole concept was to create "massive action" to get "massive results" and that's exactly what he got!

You talk about taking the bull by the throat! He totally set his business up "for life" by creating the action up front and at the beginning.

So...........................

I have decided to go on a little journey over the course of the next 90 days. I figure we are in a new year and what way to bring in the new year for the business with a little calling? How about 9,000 leads over the course of those days? Yep, you got it figured out right....that would be about 125 calls a day (Monday through Saturday...at about 3,000 leads averaged in one month).

I figured its time to put the calling and numbers to the test.....and hey!!! Why not blog about it? So, over the next 90 days I will be blogging about my calling journey and hope for you to follow along.

I have been in sales now for about 18 years and have some bold predictions on my quest for sanity.

#1 I will be rejected. ......Alot actually...do the math!
#2 I will have alot of interesting conversations with people I really don't know.
#3 I will be very busy making phone calls.
#4 I will get very good at making phone calls because THAT'S ALOT OF REPETITION BABY!
#5 That the numbers will win. They always do....and my prediction is a 3% return into the business.
#6 The 3% return on my investment will help me recover quickly from the rejection. :)

So, with that being said.......tomorrow (January 5th) is our calling launch date.

5,4,3,2,1............................BLAST OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you get a chance to ride along....its going to get very, very interesting!

3rd Party Verification

2008-12-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

Whatever business you are in (and whatever income level you are at) if you are not using 3rd party verification you are missing a significant part of your business that could easily double or triple your business.

What is 3rd party verification?

It's when a 3rd person joins the conversation, presentation, and gives their story.

Don't blow this off. When used properly its very powerful.

Let me give you a few examples of 3rd party verification.

#1 I talk with Sally Sue about product XYZ and she is excited about our conversation. She gives buying signals and I ask a closing question: "Would you like to get started today?" Even though Sally Sue in sincerely interested....she does the totally normal human reaction. She takes two steps back and says the normal response: "I have to think about it" or "I have to talk it over with my spouse". I give Sally Sue a brochure and business card and tell her that I'll call her the next day. (In most cases.....lost sale, lost prospect) However, the next day Sally Sue calls on the phone (pleasant surprise) and says: "I was talking with my sister about your product and she said that she read an article about it and heard that its amazing stuff.....when can I buy XYZ?"

What happened was 3rd party verification. The 3rd party was Sally Sue's sister. It doesn't matter who the 3rd party is...and in this case it was just dumb luck, but it happens when word is getting out about your product or service.

#2 You are talking to Bobby Joe about product XYZ and he is interested. You stop your presentation and 3-way another business leader from your organization and have him/her briefly share their story over a cell phone (or 3-way telephone call). Bobby Joe hangs up and says, "Wow, that's really interesting. What do I have to do to get started"

3rd party verification is powerful because it allows a different person with a different personality to interject their thoughts, story and philosophy.

#3 You are talking on your cell phone on an airplane and the person in the neighboring seat says: I'm sorry I couldn't help but eave drop on what you were talking about...that sounds really interesting. At that precise moment a complete stranger pops their head over the back of the seat and says: I'm sorry to interrupt but is that product XYZ? Because that stuff is amazing and has done wonders for my mother.

NUFF Said.....The 3rd party verified who you are and your product....and the person sitting next to you didn't even know the 3rd party.

The trick to 3rd party verification is....#1 Don't interject..let the 3rd person tell their story. #2 Don't dump all your information on a person...only give them a little. Less is more. Peak people's curiosity. Give a break outline of the "kind" of business you are in...(work at home, its international business, its a nice change from days in corporate America, go where I want to go because its fun, I can work my business from anywhere..virtually where ever I have a phone and computer access, it provides a lot of freedom.) Give a business card, and if you want I can send you some information.......#4 CHANGE THE SUBJECT!!!! (This is the secret) Take away the cookie....change the subject off yourself and start asking about them. (The point is to get people to pursue you and not CHASE THEM!)

Get the information of your Up-Line, Side-Line, and Down-Line...PHONE NUMBERS. Why? So you can use the ENTIRE team and not just one individual. Find out when people on the team are available for 3-ways, get on instant messenger for easy access, twitter, facebook.....

Make a voicemail call and get several people on your team to give their short testimony or story so a 24 hotline is always available for 3-ways....24 hours/7 days a week.

The Reason for the Season

2008-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

The last week I had an old friend from High School lose her 2 year old baby girl. She passed away on Christmas Eve Day.

Put things in perspective and remember the reason for the season....

Thousands of years ago God gave the world a gift in his son, Jesus Christ. Thirty-Three years he walked the earth and ministered to the world before dying for it.

Everyday we are faced with choices. We have the choice whether or not we want to eat fast food, or eat broccoli. We have a choice whether we watch television or read a book. We have a choice whether we spend time with our loved ones or with something or somebody else. We have a choice whether to stay captive to a job, or work for ourselves. We have a choice whether to follow a Savior or ignore Him. We have choices......

May your choices this holiday season reflect the reason for the season. May your choices reflect how delicate and fragile our lives are.....and how short our time to reflect on those choices.

The 3 Month Plan

2008-12-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I learned of a marketing strategy from the #1 distributor of a top health and wellness company. (I'll call him Jet)

Jet had spent few years in sales before joining the company and brought with him the skills and drive to work a marketing plan he devised. It was a basic and simple 'numbers' strategy plan.
Here's what it looked like:

If you were to call 100 leads over the phone...eventually (because of the numbers) 3-10 people would join your business opportunity.

Knowing that number is what set Jet free...and he went on a major calling campaign. Over the next 90 days Jet personally called 9,000-10,000 leads. Seem aggressive? Seem crazy? Maybe. But, Jet didn't just become #1 in his entire company by mistake. He set himself up to succeed. He set himself up for the MOMENTUM.

What would happen at the end of 90 days if you called 10,000 leads and only had a 3% response? (You would sponsor 300 new leads into your business opportunity!!)

Now....lets equate that to money using power start bonus (depending on if your opportunity has a fast start bonus). If you made an average of $60 per person, you would make $18,000. Not bad for 90 days of work...and that was only showing a fast start bonus check...not including additional income made from streamlining and duplication. And if the same 3% came into the business with a major start up (lets say $390 commission) that would pay $117,000. ($390 x 300).

What would happen if any of the 300 decided to do the same thing over the next 90 days? You would completely set yourself up for success.

If you had a higher success rate and had a 10% response you would make a staggering $60,000 in 90 days. Could you use an extra $60,000?

This plan is 100% and works. I have seen it work for several business friends of mine (Cynthia, Jim) and it works if you work. It isn't easy, but the numbers never lie. The only hard part is dealing with rejection (considering you will most likely be rejected 9,000 times) but if someone paid you $60,000 for being rejected a few thousand times...would you do it?

So...here is the plan.

1. Buy your leads or develop your own leads. either way you need between 3,000-4,000 leads a month. You should plan on making 125 dials a day (Monday-Saturday) and only allowing a max of 5 minutes a conversation.

2. Keep this a sorting process. You aren't recruiting ANYONE. Only the serious....its a numbers game. Next. The right people will shine.

3. 9,000-10,000 leads in 90 days!

Tribes

2008-12-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

I was conversing through e-mail with my online marketing colleague, Cory Citron, and through the course of our communication I stumbled upon his blog where he mentioned his latest read, TRIBES by Seth Godin. I was further intrigued when both Carlos Aponte and Aaron Rashkin ALSO mentioned the book.

It's a very deep book. It's a quick read, but by no means does it do you any justice reading it once. Take your time and re-read it again. I only say this because the information is so good and makes complete sense in the new world of marketing.

I especially like his reference to "The Grateful Dead". Even though I am not a Dead Head and have no clue what the term "2-14-70" means, it did make perfect sense when he explained that the Dead never had a top 40 album. Ever. But, it didn't prevent them from selling thousands and thousands of albums and selling out concert after concert after concert. Why? Because they had a following. They had the "dead heads" behind them....it was their tribe. Their success wasn't from a music perspective. Their success was from making their music an "experience". It was a group you WANTED to be a part of.

Today, the online marketing spectrum is the same. We have new tribes forming from Twitter, and Facebook. The communication spectrum is increasing and so is the marketing that walks along side it. Why? Because tribes need leaders.

Its worth a read.....

The People Business

2008-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

No matter what road of life your business is on (whether traditional, online, networking etc.) its important to recognize and remember one thing.

"You are in the people business"

Do me and the entire world a favor. Forget about your product. (I know....it seems like heresy!) Let's face it....for one reason or another we probably got involved in our business because we "somewhat" were attracted or loved our product. So, we decided to jump into the business because we have a PRODUCT!!!! It works! It's totally Green! It's safe! It's delicious! It's packaged environmentally friendly! It's economical, fun, smart, fast, stylish, tasteful, sweet, and the world is a better place because of it! Right?

That's not WHY people choose to do business with you. They choose to do business with you because of YOU. It's the only thing different you can really add if you are starting a soda company and run up against competition like Coke? It's the only thing different you can add when you are running up against cereal like Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. Anything else is JUST product....but YOU add something totally different.

In the world of Internet marketing it appears that many people fail to recognize one thing. (It's still a people business...and it always will be). If you think just because you have a computer that you can hide behind the monitor screen and not develop relationships and talk with people you are fooling yourself. Relationships exist because people communicate with each other in MEANINGFUL ways...not just through a blog, twitter, facebook, a website, or any other social networking site. Yes...it allows you to stay in contact with people and give and receive useful information, but its only a tool and that tool is totally useless if you are not expanding WHO YOU KNOW, and WHO KNOWS YOU and developing those relationships.

The other day I was having a tea at the local coffee shop and a total stranger approached me and asked, "What is it that you do?". How do you answer that question?
Do you go into your mindless spiel about how you market a juice, or vitamins? Do you unleash the fire hose of information on a stranger that is simply seeking a simple answer?

The answer is..."I market a health beverage....or non-toxic cleaning supplies, or high quality vitamins, that helps with asthma, arthritis...." or whatever your product helps.

The reason is equally simple...because it usually leads to another question. If a person is genuinely interested in YOU, they will be genuinely interested in your product....especially if they feel and get the response that you are genuinely interested in THEM.

And the world goes round and round and round. That's how real authentic relationships work. If a person isn't interested...guess what happens? The questions cease. Its a perfectly normal human reaction when a person loses interest. They quit asking questions. However, that doesn't mean that YOU quit asking questions. Your objective is to further your relationships.

A lot more to come on attraction marketing.

Just remember that you are in "the people business"

Motivation from William Wallace (BraveHeart)

2008-12-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

One of the best motivational speeches EVER!! Don't trade your life for something less important.

Well you stand up and fight for your own financial freedom????

"Freeeeeeeeeeeedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Thoughts on the 2007 Recession

2008-12-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

Lets take a look back at U.S. economics. We have enjoyed a historic "59 month" expansion. WOW!!! What a record!

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the agency that officially determines the timing of economic expansions and contractions, the U.S. economy has experienced 31 periods of sustained economic expansion since the 1850s and the average length of these economic expansions has been 35 months. This
makes the current economic expansion, to date, three times as long as the average economic expansion during the past 150 years.

The duration of recent economic growth is indeed very impressive given the record- breaking length of the current expansion, but recent economic growth is even more remarkable due to the fact that the current expansion followed an economic expansion during the 1980s that lasted 92 months, and these two economic expansions were separated only by a relatively mild eight-month recession in 1990 and 1991. As a result, during the past 207 months (17 years and three months), the U.S. economy experienced economic growth during 199 months or 96% of the time. These two economic expansions mark the longest back-to-back expansions in U.S. history.

WOW!!! That's impressive considering that 911 happened and media experts claimed we were on the brink of recession since 2000? Apparently...none of that was true? huh?

Here are the facts:

Recessions historically last on average from 8-16 months. (Since the current recession started in December 2007...it would mean we have another 4 months to go before expansion begins again)

Expansions generally last on average from 35-59 months.

It's the laws of economics. Things will always go up and down, up and down, up and down. Recession will always follow expansion. But know this....after recession comes expansion!!!

If we only have 4 months to go before expansion hits again, don't you think that NOW is the time to position yourself for that growth? Don't you think that NOW is the time to prepare yourself for that expansion?

According to statistics and history that expansion is due to begin in 2009. Get yourself ready!!! It's comparable to surfing. If you are going to ride a wave, you need to position yourself in front of that wave BEFORE it becomes a wave. It's called "catching a wave". If you don't prepare yourself and get yourself ready to surf that wave you'll miss it! Now is the time to prepare yourself for that huge financial wave of opportunity...during recession....not during expansion. We have approximately 3-4 years of expansion on its way.

"Get ready and surfs up, dude!"

You are under attack!!!!

2008-12-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned this before in this blog. However, MORE THAN EVER, is it important to guard your mind, your attitude, your heart and your belief systems! You are constantly under attack from negative outside influence. Let me give you a brief example of what I mean....

Everyday, when I open my Internet connection I am introduced to a lead page that gives me a run down of the daily headlines in the news (Both in the world and local). I will list some TRUE headlines over the past 2 days.

1. Police shooting sparks riots in two Greek cities
2. Militants in Pakistan torch more than 160 US and NATO vehicles
3. Tribune company prepares for possible bankruptcy filing
4. U.S. special forces mistakenly kill 6 Afghan police
5. Rio Tinto to cut 14,000 jobs to cope with slump
6. Whole sale inventories, sales plunge in October
7. Black Hole AIG needs another $10 Billion
8. California will be out of money by March
9. Illinois Governor arrested for bribery.
10. Chrysler executive says car maker failure could spark depression
11. Robbers in drag get million in Paris jewel theft
12. Top Indian officials admit "lapses in attacks from terrorist"
13. Budget Crunches happening world wide
14. Mayo Clinic is targeted by a telemarketing scam
15. Fire Fighter loses house in Fire
16. Students make a pitch to save the band program from school cuts
17. Employers cut 533K jobs in November (most in 34 years)
18. Oil plummets on dire US jobs figures
19. Citibank lays off 10,000
20. AT&T lays off 12,000

Happy, Happy, Happy..............................................

Does this make my point?

We are surrounded by negative images everyday from the T.V., Newspaper, Internet....all media outlets. Our minds and attitudes are easily influenced by outside forces. It's important to protect yourself....and feed it full of positive material.

In fact, Hitler's propaganda specialist use to say, "If you tell a lie often enough, eventually that lie will become the truth"

Things are not as bad as the media would like you to think.

1. Interest rates are at an all time low. This is the biggest opportunity for real-estate investors in 20-30 years.

2. Home-based business has seen an increase in sales and business thanks to the false security that corporations provide.

3. The stock market is at the lowest its been in 30 plus years, providing opportunity for investors.

To contradict Chicken-Little: "The sky is NOT falling"

Keep focused. Stay positive. Stay away from the negative media! Go buy a motivational book or CD!!! Now is the time to protect yourself from the attack.

Massive action equals Massive results

2008-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Lets not make this blog cutesy cutesy. I don't want to mince words so I'll cut to the chase.

"It's a numbers game"

Stop and take a note of where you are. (Point A)

Now make a note of where you want to be. (Point B)

How do you get there? That is the true question. It would be nice if I could paint a pretty picture that its a clear straight shot from "where you are...to where you want to be", but the truth is that it's a long, tough, and bumpy road. You WILL have obstacles to overcome. You WILL have setbacks, delays, frustrations, errors, failures....that is just part of the game that will always remain the same. BUT...the good news is that you can overcome every single obstacle in your way...as long as you don't give up. If you are willing to work hard, learn, and overcome those obtacles..you will succeed.

What's the numbers game? It simply states that if you see enough people, enough times a day, that eventually enough people will react or buy. It's like the batting average in baseball. You step up to the plate ten times...and you strike out seven times. Not bad! You're batting .300 and we all know what a .300 batter makes in baseball? Multi-Millions!!!

Take ten beans and place them in your left pocket. You have an entire day to move each bean into your right pocket for every single contact you make in that day. 10 contacts a day equals 70 contacts in a week. One month later after you have 280 contacts established for the month (all from a simple bean exercise) and if you're batting .300....that would mean 84 new people are brought into your opportunity!!

So you say..."Yeah...but Dan that is so un-realistic"

Ok...so lets get conservative with the estimate. Cut that number in half...(wait!) How about cutting it down to 25%? That would mean 21 new people came into your opportunity? What would that do to your business?

Don't miss the point. "Massive action equals Massive results". If you want to get from point A to point B...simply do what it takes to get there. Do the math. Do the work. Do the numbers. The numbers always work...and it doesn't matter if you get those contacts by purchasing leads, producing your own online leads, by making a warm-list and working other's warm list. However you choose to do it...it doesn't matter. What really matters is that you just "do it". Action will always give you results...no matter what. But if its massive results you are looking for....than pump, pump, pump it up! Because massive action is the only thing that will provide you those results.

Words of Wisdom from ROCKY

2008-11-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Do friends and family criticize you?

2008-11-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

WHEN WINSTON CHURCHILL was a young man, his father concluded that Winston was “unfit for a career in law or politics” because he did so badly in school.

Barbra Streisand’s mother told her she wasn’t pretty enough to be an actress and she could never become a singer because her voice wasn’t good enough.

Conrad Hilton, who created a business empire with his Hilton Hotels, once overheard his father say to his mother: “Mary, I do not know what will become of Connie. I’m afraid he’ll never amount to anything.”

George Washington’s mother was a harping, complaining, self-centered woman by all accounts. She belittled Washington’s accomplishments and didn’t show up at either of his presidential inaugurations. She was always whining that her children neglected her, and she was especially enraged when her son George ran off to command the army for the American Revolution. She honestly believed it was his duty to stay home and take care of her.

In his youth, the late Leonard Bernstein, one of the most talented and successful composers in American history, was continually pressured by his father to give up his music and do something worthwhile, like help out in his family’s beauty-supply business. After Leonard became famous, his father was asked about that, and he answered, “Well how was I supposed to know he was the Leonard Bernstein?!”

People may criticize you or make fun of your ideas or actively try to stop you. Often their efforts are only attempts to protect you from failure. But failure is only a possibility if you stop. If you keep going, a “failure” is just another learning experience. And besides, giving up on a heartfelt aspiration is worse than failing. “Many people die,” said Oliver Wendell Holmes, “with their music still in them.” That’s true tragedy.

So listen politely to the worries and criticisms of your friends and family, and do your best to put their minds at ease, but then carry on. Listen last to your own heart. You know yourself better than anyone on earth. Make sure your song is sung.

Don't die with the music still in you!

Thank God you can smile!

2008-11-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

If you need more to be thankful for watch this video.....amazing the little things we take for granted.

Being Thankful

2008-11-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Just being a week away from Thanksgiving...I believe it's appropriate to blog on thankfulness.

The obstacle

The problem is that when things are given to us over and over, we start taking them for granted or we forget being appreciative of what we receive.

You can overcome this tendency by dedicating some time daily just to be thankful.

How?

Simply sit somewhere where you are not disturbed. Think of anything you have (examples below).

It is not a matter of comparison, but think for a second about the millions of people who are not blessed with what you have, or are simply in a worse condition than you. Realize that you could easily not have had all the things you do have.

Say "thanks" internally. Some people like saying "thanks" loudly. You can use thankful phrases to express what you are grateful for, or find inspiration in thankful quotes. You can start a gratitude journal in which to record what you are thankful for, or you could also have a gratitude rock.

Examples of what you can be thankful for:

Simply walking or having any sense (smell, sight...).

Friends, relatives, a spouse, a partner, someone that appreciates your company, even a pet.

Possessions: clothes, a car, a house, a computer, a watch, a TV, etc.

Your job! If you like it, then wonderful; if you do not like it, realize that it still gives you money that allows you to build your life.

Your health. You may have more or less problems with your body, but you are here, you are breathing, you are alive.

Food. Do you starve daily? Do you have problems to obtain food? Many people do.

Just start the day with each foot sliding out of bed while saying "Thank" as your left foot hits the ground and "You" as your right foot hits the ground. Thank you....because I am ALIVE! Its a gift....use it.

My time with Les Brown

2008-11-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had an opportunity to listen to one of my favorite authors and speakers, Les Brown.

It was a FANTASTIC experience, but nothing would prepare me for what happened. I was walking around after the event and (by a stroke of luck or fate) ran RIGHT INTO LES!! What was even more LUCKY was the fact that I had his book "Live Your Dreams" in my travel pack. Talk about being at the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

I quickly grabbed my book out of my pack and said, "Mr. Brown, I'm a huge fan of your work. Could you please sign YOUR book".

He looked at me with this look of surprise and looked down at my ORIGINAL FIRST COPIES of his book...he smiled and said, "I can't believe you have that book...wow! That's THEE book." He opened the front cover and wrote: To Dan, LES Brown P.S. You are a Winner!

Here are a few things I learned from Les Brown that day (Write these down).

1. You have to have a game plan for being here. Empower yourself!!!
2. Our Life is God's gift to us...How we live our lives is our gift to God.
3. Learn how to tell your story!! Your voice is your calling card
4. Put your money where your mouth is
5. Help people overcome "opportunity blindness" and "possibility blindness"
6. You might be through with your past...but is your past through with you? (Do some things still haunt you?)
7. Somebodies OPINION of you does not have to become your REALITY!
8. Find a coach with a proven track record
9. Get grounded! Sometimes things go up, sometimes things go down..you need to work on YOU! If you are a bum on the street when the DOW JONES comes down..what do you care? You're still a bum!! Change that.
10. Be a thermostat not a thermometer. Thermometers CHECK the temperature, thermostats SET the temperature.
11. Listen to motivation everyday! Read motivation everyday! Why? Because if you don't program your mind...your mind will get programmed! Stop watching so much negative T.V.!!!
12. Get Busy...and Walk Fast! "In life you are either ON THE WAY or IN THE WAY!!
13. There is no success with out successors. Learn from the great ones. Why? Because success leaves clues.
14. "We have all been misled with "Opportunity knocks. That's a lie. Opportunity does not knock, it stands by silently waiting for you to recognize it."

Thank You Les

The Big Drill Theory

2008-11-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Nobody that went looking for a drill actually wanted a drill. It's true. You might be thinking I'm crazy for bringing this little theory to the table. Just think about it. The last time you went out to buy a drill were you REALLY looking for a drill or were you looking for a way to create a HOLE?

Deep thought eh? When people go looking for something....what they are really looking for is a solution to their problems. People don't join your business because of the product, or the company. In fact, they don't join a business because of YOU. Unless...you seem to be a person who sincerely and seriously points to a solution to their problem.

If a friend looks at your business and can answer YES to 3 questions...they'll join.

1. Can I do this? or is this so complicated that it guarantees my failure?
2. Will this offer me a solution to my problem?
3. Is this the right leader to follow?

Every person has a RIGHT to dream. So....discover what kind of HOLE they are trying to make and point them to the right tool to create that hole. YOUR BUSINESS with YOUR LEADERSHIP.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Halloween marks something special for me. Yes, it can be exciting carving pumpkins, and handing out candy and dressing the kids up for trick or treating. But, it can also be exciting from a goal setting perspective.

Why?

Because the next day represents November 1rst. That's right! You have approximately 6 months to redirect your focus and realign your priorities to hit your goals before April 15th!! That's right...Tax day!

You can make the next 6 months count in a HUGE way...both from a business perspective and tax perspective.

Make sure you update your tax folder, keep your receipts, track your expenses, log your mileage!! Not only will this save you money in the long run, but pay for your business!!

#1 Write down where you want to be in 6 months.
#2 Write out what it will take to get there.
#3 Break that down into 6 monthly goals
#4 Give yourself a reward for hitting the goal!!
#5 Tell your upline, your downline, and SOMEONE YOUNGER!! (maybe a 5 yr old if you have one around! :))

Why? Because writing down your goal triggers a response in your brain. It puts your thoughts and words into concrete form. It moves you in the direction you want to go.

Why tell people? Because it turns the seriousness up a notch. Now you have people cheering you on, and periodically checking your pulse?

Why would I tell my 5 year old? Because little ones are relentless. How often do you think my 5 year old asks me about my goals? EVERY DAY.

Why? Because he knows that when we hit our goal....we're going to Disney World.

That my friends....is lighting a serious fire under you!

Set your 6 month goals today!

Deep Inside of You is the voice of an Opera Singer

2008-10-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you can believe it...you can achieve it! SING! SING! SING!
Sing the song of your heart.....it was a song placed there by God and it was meant to be sung!

It's about the process!!

2008-10-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are.

Think about that for a second............

It's not about all the money. It's not about all the fancy cars and nice homes. It's not about the trip to Hawaii. It's about "GROWING".

The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You can't believe what it does to the spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.

Don't settle for less. Don't wish for things to be "easy"....wish to get "better"

Pity the man who inherits a million dollars and who isn't a millionaire. Here's what would be pitiful: If your income grew and you didn't.

Think about that......"if your income grew and YOU didn't"

The most important question to ask on the job is not "What am I getting?" The most important question to ask on the job is "What am I becoming?" Are you growing? Are you getting stronger, faster, better?

See, money is one thing. Becoming is another....and after the ride is over the Good Lord won't ask you about your pocket book.

After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what's important is not the million dollars; what's important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.

It's about the process.....

Process that!

Lesson of the Seasons "Jim Rohn"

2008-10-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Would you like fries with that?

2008-10-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Why are people drawn to McDonald's? Is it for the mouth watering burgers? Is it for the unforgettable meals? Maybe it's because of the earth shattering fries and top notch service from a few select High School students?

Ray Kroc came up with a SYSTEM that was predictable, speedy, and low in prices. He then turned around and SOLD that system to franchise owners. His system was simple and allowed high school students to work a business that consistently turned beef into cash.

Let's face it. People don't buy a McDonald's franchise so they can sell delicious food. They're in business to make money and Ray Kroc sold that opportunity in a box...and called it McDonald's.

Here's a thought: Network Marketing has nothing to do with your company or product.

(As much as I love my product....this is the truth).

If your product holds real value and offers a solution to the consumer...that's all that matters.
Whatever business or product you are offering...understand that somewhere, someplace, someone is offering something more unique, more economical, more convenient, better tasting, and better packaged.

So....what separates you from the rest of the pack? What do YOU have to offer that others don't?

The answer: YOU.

Network Marketing is about "Marketing". And the business you are marketing is YOU Inc.

You are the CEO, President, Sales Manager, Marketing Director of the hottest company on the planet. YOU!

Think about it. What makes McDonald's so appealing? It's the predictable experience. You know what you're going to get. You know that you can order a happy meal and your child will love it....why? Because somewhere deep inside that goofy little box is a 25 cent toy. Cheap? Maybe, but your child will love that little toy and the experience will be worth every single little cheap burger you eat!

This is called personal branding.....and attraction marketing. People will follow you and listen to you...because its YOU!! The fact that you have an outstanding product is just the cherry on the sundae! Or should I say...."Would you like Fries with that?"

A Message from "The Lost Boys of Sudan"

2008-10-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

In 1983, about 25,000 boys from southern Sudan, most of them 5 to 10 years old, fled the advancing Muslim army from the north that was seeking to exterminate the male population of black Christians. The Lost Boys, as they came to be known, trekked barefoot for more than 1,000 miles and eventually settled in a U.N. refuge camp in Kakuma, Kenya. Rather than becoming bitter and hostile, the boys formed a close-knit society in which they all took care of one another, boys as young as 11 taking on the responsibility of surrogate fathers. What is remarkable to see is that these children did not let their sadness and suffering -- many buried their families -- wipe out their good will and kind nature.

Last week, one of these Lost Boys (John Bul Dau) came to Mason City and spoke about the events that unfolded.

He was forced to flee from his village in the middle of the night from attacking Muslim soldiers. He escaped only to walk barefoot for 3 days in the desert (No water, no food). He drank water from the mud on the ground, and found a peach-like fruit in which he ate to survive.

He came upon a refuge camp in Ethiopia where he lived for nearly 4 years. The camp was surrounded by armed guards and prevented the refugees from leaving. The camp came under attack AGAIN from Muslim Soldiers and they were forced to flee.

This time, they had to cross a river to reach freedom. This river was no ordinary river. It was so wide that it took nearly 3 days to cross. They had no boats, no rafts, to floatation devices, and were forced to wade and swim across the river. The only thing they had to help them across the fast moving current was a single rope that had been strung across the river to prevent mothers and children from being swept away. If that wasn't enough....the river was full of crocodiles. Many people perished from the man eating crocodiles, and on several occasions, some of those people were eaten alive right next to John.

I write this blog today for several reasons. First, I think that everyday we complain about the simple things in our life. I believe that alot of us, living in the FREE WORLD, take our freedoms for granted. How blessed are you to be able to get up everyday and have opportunity knocking at your door?

John Bul Dau had two main points to his speech.

First, he wanted everyone to know that the Almighty God saved him. He believed that it was the only thing that allowed him to survive the nature of events that unfolded. Everything from surviving war, to desert, to lack of food and water, to crocodile filled rivers.

My question to you is....where are you at personally with your relationship with God? It's a big question. But it is one that John felt was important to list as his #1. There isn't anything too big happening in your life RIGHT NOW that God can't handle.

Second, he cried out "NEVER GIVE UP!".

Every day as Americans we get out of bed and we should say these two words with every foot that hits the ground. "Thank"..."You". Thank you God that we live in a time and place that allows us to walk to work without crossing a river filled with man eating crocodiles. Thank you God that you put us in a time and place that allows us to live free. Thank you that we have the freedoms to either deny You or accept You. Thank you that we have opportunity to work a home based business, work a job we love, walk away from things we hate, involve ourselves with family, friends.....WE HAVE OPTIONS...and WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.

From a Life perspective: What are you doing RIGHT NOW to live the life you want?

From a Relationship perspective: What are you doing RIGHT NOW to strengthen your relationships?

From a Business perspective: What are you doing RIGHT NOW to further your business? You can make 10-20 contacts a day. Why? Because you don't have a crocodile sitting by your phone.
We might be able to make excuses for our failures....we certainly don't have excuses for quitting.

The Tortoise and Hare "revisited"

2008-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

1. Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. The tortoise and hare both agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realised that he'd lost the race.

The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with.

2. But then recently, someone told me a more interesting version of this tortoise and hare story. It continues.
The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realised that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed.
This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.

The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable.

3. But the story doesn't end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. The tortoise and hare started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.

The moral of the story? First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency. In an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you.
If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.

The story still hasn't ended.

4. The tortoise and hare, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So the tortoise and hare decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time.
They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. Both the tortoise and hare felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.

The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.

How can we use this philosophy?

Tune out the Negative Voices!

2008-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

I saw an old friend of mine today after a business meeting in a local coffee shop. As I stopped to talk with him I quickly learned he was majorly depressed. His life wasn't turning out the way he thought it should. His finances, his career, his relationships, his family, and his health were all unbalanced. Throughout the conversation he would say "I'm just not sure what I'm doing, where I'm going. I feel like a loser"

Ever felt that way?

I went on to tell him that I thought he was being bombarded by the negative voices inside his head and that the only way to turn things around was to TUNE OUT THE NEGATIVE VOICES.

We are constantly being bombarded with negative words, thoughts and images. (Especially as of late with the national election around the corner.) The television, radio, news print, all seem to emit a negative vibe and the only way to curb it is through TURNING those media outlets off, or casting them to the side and replacing them with positive and motivational books, CD's, and Video's. Our minds are fragile places and it seems that whatever we allow inside blossoms into something much, much, bigger on the way out!

Take a single word for example. What could a single negative word do? Well, the English Language has somewhere near 750,000 words. This constitutes the most words in any given language with German running a distance 2nd place with half as many words.

What's so fascinating about this?

The average person's vocabulary consists of between 2,000 and 10,000 KNOWN words. That means we regularly use only 1/2 of 1 percent of the language! Out of this figure only 3,000 words are related to human emotion, and out of those emotional words only 1,051 of them describe a positive emotion. That means 2,086 (over half) describe negative emotions.

We are naturally bombarded within our own culture with a vocabulary that includes twice as many negative emotional words than positive words. So, it only makes sense that when we turn on the television, open the next day newspaper, flip on the radio, that our own senses will be attacked by these SAME negative words of influence. That SINGLE negative word....could be self-destructing. Thus, it's important to realize that words shape our beliefs and impact our actions.

Advice: Tune out the negative and replace it with something positive. Go on a mental fast and cut out the destructive static in the back ground that is sabotaging your dreams and your life!! Do it today and reap the benefits!!

My "Why"

2008-10-06T08:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words....isn't it?

Life is Short

2008-10-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had a long conversation with my mother last night. We normally talk about things like..the grandchildren, brother and sister stuff, family, church, community, jobs, career, finances, vacations....all the normal stuff.

But the conversation quickly changed to my cousin. She hasn't been feeling well the past few months and she went to see her doctor. The tests recently came back that she has cancer in her liver. They can't operate. They can't cure it. They sent her home and brought in a stay at home nurse to take care of her.

I'm familiar with liver cancer. My Grandmother died of it. She lived exactly ONE week after being diagnosed with it. Liver cancer moves fast...and I know my cousin will be gone soon.

Sorry if this seems like a down and out posting on my blog. But sometimes we all need a reality check.

Life is short. One day we are here, and the next day our Father calls us home. We know neither the time or place.

People are not going to remember whether or not you made billions of $$$ in your life time. They are not going to remember whether or not you worked for Target Corporation and worked a 90 hour a week job.

BUT........

They will remember the time you spent with them. They will remember the special phone calls, the walks, the talks, the trips, the memories of being TOGETHER.

My business means nothing to me. My Family means EVERYTHING.....and that is why I work my home-based business. Because my family is my "Why". Everyday when I get up...I don't think about how many people could benefit from my product or opportunity. No...instead..I think about how my family is benefiting from Mom and Dad staying at home...being together. How I am investing in myself and my family rather for someone else and their pocket book.

Why? Because I know that eventually someday....my time will come. And when it comes..I want to make sure that I have lived my life to its fullest. I especially want to make sure that I have spent that time wisely...and not foolishly.

Have you written out your why? If so....great. If not....WHY not? Check out my next posting...."My Why"

Life is short.........start living it!

The Pyramid of Success Part 3 (The 2nd Tier)

2008-10-03T10:34:00.001-07:00

The 2nd Tier of Wooden's Pyramid involved Self-Control, Alertness, Initiative, and Intentness.

Control of your organization begins with control of yourself. Do you lead by example? Be a heads up leader! Make alertness a habit. Take the necessary steps to see what's coming. Are you ready for Glimpse?

Never fear failure. Even well-reasoned actions can fail. Mistakes and failed action are part of progress. An effective leader understands this....accepts it...and strives to make sure those misstep's are not caused by sloppiness, haste or poor judgement.

And for the last building stone in the 2nd tier...always remember to have intentness. Call it focus, persistence, determination.....in the end they all mean the same thing!

Let's put the 2nd tier into practice today!

The Pyramid of Success part 2. (The Foundation)

2008-09-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Between the corner stones of success lies the foundation for success. This truth holds the key to success in any thing you do in life. What is that foundation?

People Skills.

You need to establish good people skills....especially when...(drum roll please)...YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE. My personal advice is to go purchase a book from Dale Carnegie entitled "How to win friends and influence people" I would rank this book as one of my top 10 leadership books of all time.

In the foundation of success we have "People Skills" and those skills are broken into 3 main areas: Friendship, Loyalty, and Cooperation.

Friendship in John Wooden's terms- "Seeking to create a team that shares camaraderie and respect (friendship) is the right thing to do. And where it exists you'll find a formidable organization."

Loyalty in John Wooden's terms- "To be effective, you must have real Loyalty from those you lead. First, be true to yourself and your core values. Then be true to those under your leadership. Remember: All that we send out to others, comes back to us. Send out Loyalty and it will be returned in abundance"

Cooperation in John Wooden's terms- "The sharing of idea, information, creativity, responsibilities, and tasks-is a priority of good leadership. An effective leader understands that it is a sign of strength to welcome honest differences and new ways of thinking from those on your team as well as from others."

Good people skills includes learning how to listen. (God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason)

Good people skills includes learning how speak and use language effectively. Communication plays such a vital role in good people skills.

Good people skills includes learning to give of our time and serve others without any false self-serving motives.

Good people skills includes learning how to have better manners, and better personal hygiene.

We all can learn these things.

Why is a dog man's best friend? Because a dog can't talk. Think about that for a second.

(Nala....our Golden Retriever sleeping with Kadyn and Tami...Life is good isn't it?)

The Pyramid of Success--(The Corner Stones)

2008-09-10T09:00:00.006-07:00

John Wooden (The most successful coach of our time) had a core belief system that he modeled after a pyramid. "The Pyramid of Success". He had a blown up picture of the model above put on the wall behind his desk so that every single parent and player that came to UCLA would see it. He believed the structure of the pyramid demonstrated his model best because it is still known today as the most solid structure. In fact, it was so well built that today it is the only 7th wonder of the ancient world still standing.

He began his "Pyramid of Success" with the cornerstones. These two corners of his pyramid were the two MOST IMPORTANT pieces of his success model. In construction, the cornerstone represents the most stable and important piece of the structure. If you have a weak cornerstone...the rest of the structure will crumble. That is why he chose these two success elements to help build the first part of the foundation.

1. Hard Work (Industriousness)

It might seem simple, but in fact what he means is hard work from the time you get up in the morning until you sleep at night. No time wasted. Every minute of your day accounted for where you are working towards your goal with 100% effort. This step alone can reap you ALOT of success.

2. Enthusiasm

Coach says it best...."Work without joy is drudgery. Drudgery does not produce champions, nor does it produce great organizations. You will not reach the top if you and those you lead are wearily trudging along, waiting for the workday to end so you can move on to something you'd rather do."

You gotta love what you do! Where does your energy come from in what you do?
And it makes alot of sense that he placed these two steps as the cornerstone for success. They both support each other and are a good start to a stong foundation for success.

What are you doing TODAY, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, to move your business forward?

The insurance company (AFLAC) uses a simple business model to illustrate this point (using the same strategy of John Wooden). It's called the power of ONE. Every day you should be contacting one person, Having one appointment, and writing one application. If you do ONE thing a day in your business....your business will move forward and you will hit success.

Dale Swain (who I had the honor to work personally with in this industry) is one of the top leaders in USANA. He says it best, "Do ONE thing...in your business EVERYDAY..and you'll find financial freedom"

Doing one thing a day in your business takes dedication and hard work. If you add a little enthusiasm and excitement to that mix, according to Coach John Wooden, you have the two cornerstone's in place for success.

Wooden On Leadership

2008-09-10T09:00:00.005-07:00

It wasn't too long ago when I was reading the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill. In one of his chapters I remember vividly the fact that every night (before he went to bed) he would surround himself with his "master mind group". Any leader or successful person that he could draw a picture from, learn from, and model himself after....some of these great people were notable "untouchables" or famous people who are no-longer living, so how could he even remotely get close to these great minds? By reading their work and their books.

I can't stress enough how important it is to read and learn self-improvement. In fact, I would love to hear from anyone reading my blog what they are currently reading?

So....I thought to myself....what great leader do I highly respect? What leader would I like to learn from in the art of "winning"? It didn't take me too long to come up with the name "Coach John Wooden". With his merits:

*10 National Championships (a record)
*Including 7 Championships in a row (a record)
*88 consecutive victories (a record)
*38 straight tournament playoff wins (a record)
*4 perfect seasons (a record)
*With only one losing season (His First) in 41 years of coaching

Obviously, I wanted to get inside this champions head and get a little insight. So, I bought his book, "Wooden on Leadership" and I already have made my money back from the investment in Chapter 1. Read below...what he writes in the first Chapter.

For most of my life I have believed that success if found in the running of the race. How you run the race--your planning, preparation, practice, and performance--counts for everything. Winning or losing is a by-product, and aftereffect, of that effort. For me, it's the quality of your effort that counts most and offers the greatest and most long-lasting satisfaction

Remember my father's advice: Set your standards high; namely do the absolute best of which you are capable. Focus on running the race rather than winning it. Do those things necessary to bring forth your personal best and don't lose sleep worrying about the competition. Let the competition lose sleep worrying about you. Teach your organization to do the same.

Amazing stuff isn't it? WOW!!! I will tell you in short, that I was cross-recruited last night for another MLM organization. While I started to share my opportunity with this man...he interrupted me (once he figured I was IN and FOR Network Marketing) and began to cross-recruit me for HIS business. I listened to him tell a story of how this specific area in Russia is Highly Radio-Active and it causes the fruits and vegetables to grow at an extra-ordinary rate and they use these fruits and vegetables in a product that is soooooo much better than MY product. Not to mention, that his mother was one of the top leaders in the company and that I would make 3 times more money.

I smiled and complimented him on being part of such an interesting company (especially one that adds cancer causing radio-active elements to their product) and asked a subtle question.

"So, Roger, being that your Mom is one of the top leaders of the company....and that you work with her. How come your not full-time?" (He had told me previously that he was working for $8 an hour and hated his job.) If what you have is so great, how come you waited to approach me about the product and business? How many people do you have in your organization? How much volume are you moving each month? Who are the leaders in your company and what is their background?"

You see, questions are powerful stuff! He didn't know what he was talking about and clearly wasn't right for my team. It took me less than a minute to determine that fact. Coach Wooden said it best...I don't lose sleep over the competition. I do my very best and when I encounter them...I already know how to overcome objections, ask the right questions to the right people, and know how to present the business and product to people. How? By sharpening my tools. When I'm not presenting the business...I'm reading about it. When I'm not talking about the business...I'm learning about it. I'm getting sharper and better and stronger.....and I encourage you to do the same. Pick up a good book today and get ready to get into the game! That way...when your number is called YOU are READY!!!!

The Soda Pop Story

2008-09-10T09:00:00.004-07:00

There once was a man who loved Soda. He loved it so much that he decided to start a Soda Pop company and he named it 3-UP

Well....it didn't take very long before the man quickly realized that the soda business was a disaster. The soda recipe wasn't right and nobody liked the taste of the lime flavored drink. It wasn't like the other dark colored cola's around and people were not in favor of the change.

So, without giving up, the man changed the recipe to be a little more sweet, and a little more crisp in taste. This time he named the soda 4-UP. Again, the consumers couldn't latch onto the idea of a clear colored soda pop.

The man didn't quit. He changed the labels, and he got more aggressive with his advertising techniques....and this time he named the soda 5-UP. Well, for whatever reason the advertising techniques didn't work and the soda got mixed reviews, but it still failed.

The beaten down business guy didn't give up. He decided to give everything he had to get the soda off the ground. He sold his car to raise more funds for advertising and he changed the recipe one last time to add more citrus lime flavor. He packaged the drink in a green bottle rather than a clear one....and this time...he called the soda 6-UP. And people started to like the soda...in fact, they really started to switch over to the lime flavored drink. But in time...after the trial phase was over the people went back to their regular flavored cola's and the soda pop business man went out of business. He was beaten down, tired.....and QUIT!.

Two years later....an unknown man in his early 20's got a hold of the old business plan. He bought it for a $1 and made a few changes to the label on the bottle..and began to market the drink as a way to help settle an upset stomach....this time he named the soda 7-UP. And it was an instant success........

Moral of the story....never quit...you are only a distributor away from HUGE success.

A page from the Go-Giver

2008-09-10T09:00:00.003-07:00

I've already read through the "Go-Giver" and I have to say it was a good read. I want to give you a page to read from the book.....because I think what it says is so valuable.

The words of Debra Davenport

Twelve years ago I turned forty-two. I got three presents for my birthday. One, a hundred-dollar gift certificate to JC Penny. Two, my kids bought an all day, expense paid day at the spa. Three, my husband gave me the most surprising gift of all. He gave me the wake-up call of a lifetime-when he walked out the door and never came back.

It took me one full year to unwrap, open, understand, and use that gift.

You see, at forty-two I was suddenly single with three kids to feed. I had never spent a day in the mainstream work-force. As a full time mother, wife and manager of a busy household, I had juggled dozens of skills and worked grueling hours. But, I quickly learned that none of what I had done the last twenty odd years were considered marketable. I was turned down everywhere I applied because I was overage and under-qualified. So, I decided in the next few months to pursue my real estate license. The following eight months were busy learning and trying from the advice given from other Realtors in the firm.

They taught me every kind of sales methodology and closing technique ever invented. I learned the direct close, time-driven close, trial offer close, compliment close, embarrassment close, best-time to buy close, and the never-the best time to buy close. I learned every close from A to Z. What? You don't believe me?

I learned the Assumptive close, Bonus close, Concession close, Disraction close, Emotion close, Future close, Golden Bridge close, Humor close, IQ close, Jersey City close, the Kill close, Leverage close, Money's not everything close, Now or Never close, Ownership close, Puppy Dog close, Quality close, Reversal close, Standing Room only close, Takeaway close, Underpriced close, Vanity close, Window of opportunity close, Xaviera Hollander close, Ya-Ya sisterhood close, and the Zsa Zsa Gabor close!! Honey, I learned to CLOSE!!!!!

And let me tell you what happened. At the end of a year, I had not sold ONE, single, property. And I hated it. Every single, desperate, failing minute of it.

That Thursday, I turned forty-three. And a friend of mine bought me a ticket to a sales symposium. Tell you the truth...I didn't want to go. But she was my friend...what could I do? So I went. And the speaker started to speak and said "Whatever it is..YOU can excel by adding value. If you need money...add value. And if you need ALOT of money, add ALOT of value."

People in the audience laughed....but I raised my hand. I stood up and said, "What if you need ALOT of money FAST!!!" He nodded, smiled and said, 'Then find a way to add a lot of value FAST!'

Ladies and Gentleman, I thought long and hard about what that speaker said. And all weekend I thought about it. Sunday evening, it came to me. What could I possibly add? NOTHING. There was not ONE single solitary shred or ounce of value I could think of that insignificant little Debra Davenport could add. After a year of trying, I'd proven I had no professional value whatsoever. What I had to offer these clients was NOTHING. So, that Sunday evening, I made up my mind. It was time to quit. You understand what was going on inside my head? When my husband walked out that door, my self-esteem got up and walked out with him. One year later...I still hadn't unwrapped that birthday gift that he gave me!

So, I went the next morning ready to clean out my desk. I had one last appointment that I couldn't weasel out of, so purely out of obligation, I met the prospect and drove her to see the house. "It was already over" I told myself "So what the heck". I just let myself have a good time with her. I let go of all the techniques. I didn't even bring spec sheets on the house! On the way over, we chattered, talked about everything, silly stuff. I couldn't tell you for sure if I even told her the asking price! It was the MOST UNPROFESSIONAL, SLOPPY, IRRESPONSIBLE, DISGRACEFUL sales presentation in the history of real estate.

I sold the house.

I learned something that day. When I said that my life as a mom, wife and household manager left me with nothing the marketplace wanted, I was wrong. There WAS something else I learned over those years, and that was how to be a friend. How to care. How to make people feel good about themselves. And that, my friends, is something the marketplace wants very much...always has, always will.

The speaker at the sales symposium had said, Add value. I had nothing to add but myself. And apparently that was exactly what had been missing. I've sold a few more homes since then...(She had the real-estate record for most homes sold)

Today I have the honor of selling you something more valuable than a house. Today I'm here to sell you on YOU.

People, remember this: no matter what your training, no matter what your skills, no matter what area you're in, YOU are the most important commodity. The most valuable gift you have to offer is YOU. Reaching any goal you set takes ten percent specific knowledge or technical skills--ten percent MAX. The other ninety-plus percent is PEOPLE SKILLS.

And what is the foundation of good people skills? Liking people? Caring about people? Being a good listener? But it doesn't replace the core value. The core of it is WHO YOU ARE. It starts with YOU.

As long as you are trying to be someone else, or putting on some act or behavior someone else taught you, yo have no possibility of truly reaching people. The most valuable thing you have to give people is YOURSELF. No matter what you THINK you are selling, what you're really offering is YOU.

You want great people skills? Then be a person. It's called AUTHENTICITY and its worth ten thousand times more than all the closing techniques that ever have or ever will be invented.

In closing, I know it gets overwhelming in this business because "we're not Bob Schmidt, or Cory Citron, or Tommy Johnson, or...FILL IN THE BLANK" But...we were never intended to be JUST like those other guys! Be who you are and bring that to the table...what you have to offer in this business is YOU!!!

The Go-Giver

2008-09-10T09:00:00.002-07:00

In response to Mike's e-mail...I wanted to share a short list of books I have been reading over the last few months to give you an idea of how much development I do outside of regular business.

1. Think and Grow Rich- Napolean Hill
2. Keys to the Vault Volumes 1 & 2 - Bob Schmidt
3. Failing Forward- John C. Maxwell
4. Awaking the Giant Within- Anthony Robbins
5. The Secret-many authors
6. Wealth Without a Job- Phil Laut
7. Why we want you to be Rich- Trump and Kiyosaki
8. Rich Dad Poor Dad- Kiyosaki
9. Money, and the law of attraction-Esther and Jerry Hicks
10. See you at the top- Zig Ziglar
11. The Holy Bible-NIV- God

and my latest book I'm reading is........

12. The Go-Giver- Bob Burg and John David Mann

This is an outstanding book...and I encourage each of you to go out and order it today! It's a little story about a powerful business idea.

Think about what you are currently reading and listening too? Does it reflect where you want to go in both your personal life and business life?

E-mail from Mike

2008-09-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

I was reading an interesting e-mail sent to me by my friend and business guru, Mike Dillard. Mike is a self-made millionaire who started out as a waiter and 9 month's later had over $500,000 in the bank from working a home-based business from his bed room. That's right....his bed room.

Today, Dillard is a multi-millionaire who has tracked website biz success's like magnetic sponsoring, advertising on a budget, black-belt marketing, and so on. Over 109,000 websites and video's have been posted about Mike, and even our own Carlos Aponte Jr. and Cory Citron have been posted as being students of Mike. In other words, he knows his stuff....

Read this short e-mail he wrote to me.

Dan,

What's the real reason people quit in business? Why do so many people fail, while a select few succeed?

Drum roll please.........

Those who succeed have a core desire to do so.

The only time anything ever gets done in your life,when you follow through to completion with a sense of urgency, is when you desire to accomplish that task at Core Level 100 out of 100! You must accomplish it. It's part of you. It consumes you! It dominates your thoughts.

That's it Dan. That's the secret. You can't get frustrated when people don't work the business like you do. Some will and some won't, but the key to winning in this business is desire. The sad truth is that most people in this business didn't buy a business. They bought hope. And hope is never backed by true desire. A career in network marketing has been a core desire of mine for 7 years.

I've moved across the country because of it. I've taken certain jobs because of it. I've dated or not dated because of it. I spent money on training instead of furniture because of it.

The desire to never work for anyone else again has been a dominating force in my life, and it's the reason I didn't quit after the first 6 years of hell. It's the reason I continued to pour every spare cent I ever made into my business. It's the reason I pawned a $3,000 bike I won two state championships on to buy advertising - and came up empty.

Yet I kept going forward without doubt because I have this core desire at a level of 100 to succeed in networking.

And this means my success was 100% guaranteed. It was no longer a matter of IF, but when...

What do you do each day to build your business? How many books on the industry do you own? How many conference calls are you on each week? How many people do you talk to about your business/product each day?

What would you be willing to give and sacrifice to succeed?

I hope the answer to that questions is "whatever it takes", because I can promise you the end result is worth the sacrifice.

So how can you tell if your prospect is going to succeed or fail from the very first phone call?

Easy...

Ask them this question: "So which books are you currently reading on self-development and marketing?"

Anyone who is TRULY serious about being a successful entrepreneur will be able to name at least one book they are reading right now.

Those who can't, are just kidding themselves.

I hope that answered your questions.

Sincerely,

Mike Dillard

So, what are you doing currently to better yourself? What are you reading? What are you learning? Like Mike said....this is the KEY to success. It's about getting stronger and better! I know that I'm trying to get better...and I'm with you every step of the way team!

Back Injury

2008-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that many of you don't know that I injured my back about two weeks ago. It was an injury that I didn't fully discover until the next morning AFTER it occurred. However, as I tried to get out of bed the next morning....I quickly realized that I couldn't move. In fact, every time I tried to move it felt as if a small 8 inch knife was being stabbed near my lower spine.

To make a long story short. I eventually went to the Chiropractor and discovered I had a herniated disc in my back.

I apologize for not blogging during my recovery stage, but it dawned on me today during my rehabilitation that

#1 I'm not handicapped.

Thank God for that! It puts things in perspective when you KNOW that you're getting better and day in and day out there are others who live like this EVERY DAY!

#2 My income checks from my home-based business never stopped!

If you ever wanted to get a compelling reason to get started in network marketing...there it is!! What if you get injured? What if you can't work? Every day people are living pay check to pay check, instead of working part time for wages, and full time on their fortune!

Build something that will last for you and your family. Work in the present to build for the future!

Yes, my back injury situation is temporary, but the business that was put into place before it happend is built with a life-time gurantee! That's the power of residual income.

You all have a very powerful business model sitting on your lap! Don't waste it!

P.S. It was comforting to hear my Chiropractor suggest our juice for one of the anti-inflammatory's to take during the recovery!

The Story of Abraham Lincoln

2008-08-27T08:12:00.002-07:00

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures fail, lost 8 different elections and had a complete nervous breakdown before becoming president in 1816? His story is a great inspirational confidence story in that he shows how if you just keep moving towards your dream, you will eventually make it.
Abraham Lincoln overcame great setbacks and obstacles on his journey. Take a look at the synopsis of his life and see whether you would have had the courage to continue on?

1809 Born February 12
1816 Abraham Lincoln's family was forced out of their home and he needed to work to support his family.
1818 His mother passed away
1828 His sister dies
1831 A business venture failed
1832 He ran for the State Legislature. He lost.
1832 In the same year, he also lost his job. He decided he wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
1833 He borrowed money from a friend to start a business. By the end of the year, he was bankrupt.
1834 He ran for the State Legislature again. This time he won.
1835 The year was looking better as he was engaged to be married. Unfortunately, his fiancee died and he was grief stricken.
1836 This was the year he had a total nervous breakdown and for 6 months was bedridden.
1836 He sought to become Speaker of the State Legislature. He was defeated.
1840 He sought to become Elector. He was defeated.
1842 Marries Mary Todd. They have 4 boys but only one would live to maturity.
1843 He ran for Congress. He lost.
1846 He ran for Congress again. He won and moved to Washington.
1848 He ran for re-election to Congress. He lost.
1849 He sought the job of Land Officer in his home state. He didn't get the job.
1850 His son, Edward, dies.
1854 He ran for the Senate of the United states. He lost.
1856 He sought the Vice Presidential nomination at a national convention. He got less than 100 votes.
1858 He ran for the Senate again. He lost again.
1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States
1862 His son, Willie, dies at age 12.
1865 On April 14, Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.

Never quit....keep driving forward!

Developing your "Why"

2008-08-18T10:05:00.003-07:00

In every business I've been a part of it became essential to my development and success to learn my "why" in doing the business. In essence, what drives you? What motivates you? What gets you out of the bed in the morning and starts your day? What makes you want to put in those extra hours, and extra phone calls to spell success? In short, WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS BUSINESS?

It became absolutely vital to my personal business success that I develop and write out my why statement. After I wrote my "why statement" I printed it out and put it somewhere where I could see it every day.

And here is what happened.............

Tuesday, at 6:25 p.m. my little nephew Jack was born into the world. He was born weigh 7 Lbs 11 ounces.

If that wasn't enough.................

We learned later that Jack nearly died in childbirth. My sister-in-law had a hard time pushing and Jack wasn't coming out. He was delivering face up and his heart rate was dropping fast. The Dr's scrambled fast and inserted a vacuum device into the womb and literally sucked baby Jack out. Jack and his mother are both alive and well.

The moral of the whole story............

Life is short. One day we are here, the next we are gone. Everyday we take precious time for granted. Having control over my financial destiny is important to me. However, no amount of $$ will EVER take the place of my two boys and wife. I am blessed to have a family around me. I am equally blessed to have an amazing team working with me. I don't know what your "why" is....but I hope that is has something to do with having the freedom to create more time for yourself...so that you can spend it with the most precious commodity we have on this Earth........"People". Especially the ones we love. I encourage you to develop and write out your "why statement". Print it out and keep it visible where you can read it every single day.

The Law of Attraction

2008-08-18T10:05:00.002-07:00

Have you ever wanted to know why one person seems to "get lucky" and the other guy seems to always run into problem after problem with his life, relationship's and finances?

There isn't a real cookie cutter answer to that question. However, I do believe that we constantly attract things into our lives, either positive or negative. This is what has become known as, The Law of Attraction. Sometimes you may even hear me call it "The Attractor Factor"

There is numerous books on this subject matter from Abraham-Hicks book, "The Law of Attraction", to the more famous version currently, "The Secret".

So, what is the secret? It's simple (according to the book) we hold the key to our own success in our brain. Whatever we are thinking on a daily basis is ultimately what we draw into our lives.

Bob Doyle (author and law of attraction specialist) claims that 'like attracts like'. So, as you think a thought, you are also attracting "like" thoughts to you.

John Assaraf (entrepreneur and moneymaking expert) claims that the law of attraction "becomes what you think about most, but you also attract what you think about most".

Dr. Joe Vitale (metaphysician, marketing specialist, and author) says, "You want to become more aware of your thoughts and choose your thoughts carefully and you want to have fun with this, because you are the master piece of your own life. You are the Michael Angelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is YOU."

This really makes a lot of sense in both your life and your career. Think about the times you have stayed up half the night worrying about something. Nine times out of ten the very thing you were worried about HAPPENS. According to the 'Law of Attraction' it's because you drew it into your life.

Spend your time thinking positive about your business. Sharpen your tools, get stronger, get better! As you do this...your business will naturally grow because you will be attracting success.

In the book, Think and Grow Rich, by Napolian Hill, the author goes into great detail on how he attracted wealth into his life. He would spend the first five minutes of the morning and the last five minutes before he went to bed....thinking and meditating about wealth. He didn't worry about "How" that was going to take place, but he put his brain into motion and he recognized later that his thought patterns literally attracted wealth into his life.

Last, but not least, think about the people and things around you. Who or what are you attracting into your life? Remember....."like attracts like". Become what you want to attract and you will attract it.

Can you really motivate others to succeed?

2008-08-18T10:05:00.001-07:00

I remember when I was a director with another MLM company that I had several people on my team frustrated because it was difficult to motivate others. So, the questions remains: Can you motivate others to be successful in network marketing?

To answer this question I relied on network marketing industry expert Aaron Rashkin.

Aaron is an MLM Expert whose 14 years experience being self employed in Free Enterprise has allowed him to earn a high multiple six figure yearly income since 2004 and currently his team reaches almost 10,000 people in 14 countries doing millions of dollars in business every year. Read what he has to say about motivating others.

"I get asked dozens of times every month by ambitious network marketers (even in my own organization) from all over the world, "How can I motivate others to become more successful?" Now as great as it might sound to be able to motivate someone else, the answer is, you cannot successfully motivate others. You may inspire them, but motivation for them must come from within.
Anything less than internal motivation is like spray paint on rust. Eventually, when the motivation from an event or pep talk wears off, its a person's commitment that is left over. You cannot motivate others to want to succeed any more than you can push a rope uphill.
Truth is, a person must first want it for themselves before they will ever become successful. If you want it more for someone else than they want it for themself, this can become very unhealthy. (for both parties) The key then to having motivated people on your team, is to be motivated yourself. Being self motivated is the only surefire way to reach long term success.
Being self motivated means that you don't require someone else to remind you of the opportunity you have in front of you. Being self motivated means that you wake up every morning raring and ready to take on the day, create new relationships, market your business and show people how to get started. Being self motivated means that you attend local events, regionals, conventions or trainings without having to be reminded that these events are taking place. Being self motivated means that you invest in your education by reading good books, listening to audios and modeling successful people.
Being self motivated means that you take all out massive action, regardless of who believes in you, supports you or joins you. Being self motivated means that you are inspired by your future and what is possible. Being self motivated means being self determined. Being self motivated requires that you are self functional. This means that you must learn the system, how to do business and produce.
So what do you do if your prospects are unmotivated to get started and your team unmotivated to take action? FIRE THEM and find new people. New people who are hungry for success, will stop at nothing to get it and are determined to develop themselves into a leader that others are looking to follow." -- Aaron Rashkin

Jim Rohn says it best, "You can't change people. It's like herding cats! People have to want to change themselves!"

With that said....I'm off to read more and sharpen my own skills! Go team!

Lesson #2

2008-08-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

In the book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki points out a very important rule.

RULE #1

You must know the difference between an asset and a liability, and buy assets. If you want to be rich, this is all you need to know. It is rule no. 1. It is the ONLY rule.

The poor and middle class acquire liabilities, but they think they are assets.

The key is to learn how to read the numbers. And if you cannot read the numbers, you cannot tell an asset from a hole in the ground.

An asset leads to income.....and a liability only leads to an expense......

I recommend to anyone on the team to go and invest in the book, Rich Dad Poor Dad,.....its a new school of thought but we are from a new generation where our financial literacy is increasing. School's don't teach wealth 101 or 102....you can find those classes in some high quality books and Cd's at your local bookstore.

Your Actions Define You

2008-08-12T20:26:00.003-07:00

I once heard a famous speaker proclaim these words, "Your actions define who you are". I believe those words as the truth. You've heard it said before..."actions speak louder than words", "It's not what you say, it's what you do", "Talk is Cheap", "Walk the walk, don't talk the talk"....etc.

Well, there is a lot of truth to all of this. At any point of our life you could probably pin point a time when you said this, or you said that....and didn't follow it up with action (I know that I have). Words without action is just lip service...and to coin the Seinfeld expression.."yadda yadda yadda"

Anthony Robbins in his book, 'Awaken the Giant Within', goes into detail about what it means to have action in what you do.

"The most powerful way to shape our lives is to get ourselves to take action. The difference in the results that people produce comes down to what they've done differently from others in the same situations. Different actions produce different results. Why? Because any action is a cause set in motion, and its effect builds on past effects to move us in a definite direction. Every direction leads to an ultimate destination: our destiny."

And here is the key to what Anthony Robbins is getting at....

"In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently"

I received wise counsel from a leader in another direct marketing company. Her advice for success in business was simple. In fact, it was only two words.

"Consistency, and Persistency"

We all must be consistent in what we are doing in order to achieve true success. Don't quit...stay in the race. Think of it as a marathon and not a sprint. You need to stay consistent and build upon that consistency. Start forming positive habits, work your business EVERY DAY. Build the courage the talk to at least ONE person every day about your business.

Also, it's important to stay persistent in what you are doing. You are going to get rejected. It's a fact of life. What do you do with the people who "aren't interested"? My old sales manager from Wisconsin would always say, "No doesn't mean no. It just means NOT YET". In this business the key to persistency is "Polite Persistent". Don't chase people. When a person asks for information don't unleash the fire hose and blow them away with so much technical stuff that you literally blow them away!" However, follow up with people. Keep a "drip list" of people who initially said "I'm not interested" and follow up quarterly.

Consistency and persistency are both actions that will define you. Go out and make it happen!

The Love Connection

2008-08-12T20:26:00.002-07:00

Do you love what you do? Why or Why Not? Everyday we face the possibility of what are attitude is like. Your thought process is the ONE thing you can control. Think about this....your brain is sooooo powerful that you can literally control what goes in and what goes out. Therefore, you can literally shape and develop your attitude. We can ALSO shape and develop our LOVE for people.....which is the most powerful emotions we have!

So, if we know that Love is one of the most powerful emotions we have...we can literally harness the energy from this emotion through our brain to do A LOT of GOOD. Why? Because we can control what goes in and what goes out!! We're in control!!! God made us beings of thought and will...he did not make us robots!

The Master Himself (Jesus Christ) taught this information and summed everything up into TWO BASIC LAWS.

#1 Love God with all your heart, mind and soul

#2 Love your neighbor as yourself.

The key word in both these commandments was to LOVE.

The key to harnessing this powerful emotion? Get your mind OFF yourself and onto others. Start caring for the will being of people. Start asking more questions. Start listening more and talking less. Start affirming others instead of criticizing. Start being part of the solution instead of the problem....simply put... love until it hurts, and when the day is through, love again!

The Burning Heart

2008-08-12T20:26:00.001-07:00

They say if you can take a thought, and mix it with a burning heart and desire to do something, that you can accomplish anything.

You can't teach a burning heart. You either have it or you don't. But....you certainly can develop a burning heart. The burning desire to succeed is in us all....but if the seed is flooded out by the negative thoughts of society, if it is blown away by the sweeping winds of change, if it is swallowed hole by the birds of in opportunity....you stand the chance of having that fire extinguished.

May I offer a suggestion? For once in your life quit listening to the negative voices and tune your ear to the positive air waves. Why take criticism and advice from losers? If you are receiving advice from someone...consider this....ask yourself: Is this a person whom I want to be like? Do they earn the income I want to make? Are they at a place in their life that I want to be at? If not...why take advice or criticism from them?

Simply walk away.....because you cannot put your burning heart at jeopardy.

In the days of the Vikings, they would pull their ships to shore and burn them. The Generals would than pronounce to the warriors, "The ships are gone. There is only one way to get back home and that is to win this battle or war!" "There is no going back....only forward!"

It's the sink or swim mentality. All or nothing, win or lose. The only option for survival is to WIN!

The burning ships translated themselves onto the hearts of the Viking warriors and turned into a massive burning fire within their hearts! I wish the same onto you!

In closing, a famous track star won the gold medal in high jump. It totally amazed the reporters and spectators because this track champion only had ONE LEG. How was it possible that a one legged man could win the gold medal in the high jump? So the reporters asked him. He replied, "I threw my heart over the bar....and my body followed"

You can do anything in life and in business if you give it enough heart! Don't stop, Don't whine, Don't quit....keep driving on with a burning desire to win...and you will!

Failing Forward

2008-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

In business and in life we strive for perfection. We excel in knowing that we 'got it right...the first time'. We measure success with victory and live to tell the story of Super Bowl Champs and paste giant "Loser" signs on Super Bowl losers. Lets face it...nobody remembers who finishes 2nd place in our society. They only remember the winners.

In order to get ahead...you need to throw out that philosophy. Not only is it impractical, its not realistic and its certainly NOT healthy. You don't win from winning. You win from losing. When you lose and when you stumble you LEARN. Its in life's lessons that we get stronger. It's in the little failures and big failures where we get better. No child learned to ride a bike without scraped up knees. Its the nicks, bruises and burns along the way that make us who we are.

John Maxwell in his book, "Failing Forward" hits the nail on the head.

"One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind. Someone like Tony Gwynn doesn't look at an out that he makes and think of failure. He sees it within the context of the bigger picture. His perspective leads to perseverance. His perseverance brings longevity. And his longevity gives him opportunities for success."

No matter where you are currently in life....come to realize that mistakes and failures build you into success.

Thomas Edison discovered the phonograph while trying to invent something different. Kellog's Corn Flakes resulted when boiled wheat was left in a baking pan over night. Ivory Soap floats because a batch was left in the mixer too long and a large volume of air whipped into it. Scott Towels were launched because a toilet paper machine put too many layers together.

Fail....Fail often, Fail early and Fail Forward!!

Low Lying Fruit Pickers

2008-07-31T18:07:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity yesterday to spend the day in Des Moines both training people on the "teamworkfirst" team and showing the opportunity to another friend....and guess what happened? I was cross recruited TWICE!!!!!! It's amazing what happens as you start working your business. The "cross marketers" come out of the wood work. These are people that try and pull you away from what you are doing and plug you into their business.

It really is amazing and I refer to these people as "lazy marketers". Instead of listening to what you are doing and saying..."that's fantastic" they try and get you to a meeting, get you to their website. (And I don't think there is ANY problem is swapping information as long as the other person is sincere in checking out YOUR information too). These lazy marketers want a free meal. They figure if you are already doing a business that you are the EXACT kind of person that they need...someone who wants to work a business....this is called "picking low lying fruit". Why wouldn't you listen, smile, and affirm them in what they are doing and move on. You can easily put that person on a drip list and get back to them at a later date. Check in quarterly with them and see how the business is doing. For the most part....a person is convicted in what they are doing.

If you are to be successful in anything you do, you need to stay focused. You need to stay in the game and give it 100% for at least 6 months to a year. Give it time to work. In fact, give YOURSELF time to work. Clear your mind of all the opportunities out there (and there are MANY) and stay focused on what you are doing.

Don't let 'low lying fruit pickers' pull you off the fast track to success. Simply ask them....how long have you been in the business? How many people have you sponsored in the last month? How much volume is moving in your organization? ...If they can't answer this directly without being wishy washy...its not worth your time.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not naive enough to think that what they have to offer isn't a good offer. All I am saying is that for YOU to be successful....you need to stick with it and give it 100%. If you keep bouncing around...you'll never reap the rewards you deserve. Trust me on this one....the more successful you become in network marketing OR ANY VENTURE, the more opportunity givers will appear. There is an opportunity around every corner...and guess what? You are IN ONE!!

The Attractor Factor

2008-07-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

Stop for a minute and think about WHO or WHAT you are attracting into your life? It always amazes me how attracted bugs are to light. A light shines in the darkness and they all swarm to it like metal to a magnet.

The same is true in business. Its better to attract people to you, than go chasing people or selling people. How do you do that? By becoming stronger, educated, smarter, "fined tuned". We are in a perfect business to do those things. Don't go chasing people....rather attract them to you.

Jim Rohn says it best:

"To attract attractive people, you must be attractive. To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, you go to work on yourself. If you become, you can attract."

So the most important thing to the equation is working on "Thyself".

I can guarantee you success if you only improve upon one or two areas in your life....and you can attract success. You are in a business of attracting.....don't sell....go attract by "BEING". Don't wake up in the morning and say to yourself "Wow, I wish I could be like her". Go do it! Don't say to yourself, "I wish I could be rich". Go do it! Don't wish for success. Create it by attracting it in your life!

Lesson #1

2008-07-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

According to Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, one of the most important lessons he learned from his Rich Dad was:

Lesson #1 Rich people don't work for money.

It never ceases to amaze me how the middle class view work and wages. If you work a job, you get an hourly wage. If you have "good" wages and work a standard 40 hour work week than you can make a decent income.

What about when the dollar doesn't keep up with inflation? Rising gas costs? Higher Mortgage payments? What about sudden changes in health? Is that dollar guaranteed or protected?

"Most people have a price. And they have a price because of human emotions named fear and greed. First, the fear of being without money motivates us to work hard, and then once we get that paycheck, greed or desire starts us thinking about all the wonderful things that money can buy. The pattern is then set."

"What pattern?"

"The pattern of get up, go to work, pay bills, get up, go to work, pay bills...Their lives are then run forever by two emotions, fear and greed. Offer them more money, and they continue the cycle by also increasing their spending. This is what I call the Rat Race."

-Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The whole thing is about getting stronger mentally and emotionally. Money doesn't feed the need. Educate yourself and sharpen the tools in your tool box, and get better at what you do. Knowledge is far better than money.....and only than will you truly leave the Rat Race! Quit letting money control you...and take control of your own life!

Live your dreams!!

2008-07-10T16:43:00.002-07:00

Have you ever listened to someone talk about their dreams? Sometimes it absolutely amazes me. Try it some time. Take interest in others and sit down with them for thirty minutes to an hour and affirm them and ask honest questions.

"Wow! That's really neat Joe. How long have you been interested in starting and running a crab restaurant? Amazing! 13 years? How come you haven't begun the process of getting one going? I think it sounds like a cool idea! Who doesn't like crab? Plus, I think 'Joe's Crab Shack' sounds like a very catchy name! You should go for it! Do you have a business plan? Where would you get the working capital? I'm sure there are some open minded investors out there!"

A little bit of interest in others and affirmation and encouragement can go along way!

In the book, "The Dream Giver", it lays out the cycles we go through in developing and sharing our dreams. It would be a marvelous thing to think we would never encounter objections in our dream process. Unfortunately, we encounter the biggest objections from friends and family. Quite frankly, those objections hurt the most because it's from our friends and family that we seek the largest amount of support.

We live in a negative society. Let's face it! You can't even turn on the television or radio without being blasted with negative stories. Apparently, negativity sells? The next time you encounter someone that has a dream as big as yours....give em a little boost! Listen to them, ask questions, and affirm them. You never know....you might be talking with the next Sam Walton and hearing about a dream of Wal-Mart?

The essence of team work

2008-07-10T16:43:00.001-07:00

I had an interesting conversation with a good friend and business partner today. He had brought up some highlights that were shared with a sales team from upper management. The general point of this manager was to convey to the team that "greed is good". He went on to share that to get anywhere in life you need to be greedy and aggressive.

I understood why my friend shared this story with me. Because he knows me very well, and he knows that the "greed" mentality goes against my own belief system. I just had to shake my head in dis-belief. Yet, it didn't totally surprise me either. Harvard Business Review states that 52% of all managers shouldn't be in management. That's right, over half of people who are in management roles, jobs, careers, or positions shouldn't even be managers. So, I shouldn't be baffled when I hear stupid remarks that managers make on a daily basis.

Zig Ziglar is quoted in saying, "You can have everything you want in life, if you help others get what they want in life"

Interesting isn't it? It's the giving mentality. The more you give, the more you receive, and this isn't some Dan Cline revelation. This philosophy is plastered all over the bible. To have the opposite thought process and notion that greed is good is to fully admit that you love one of the seven deadly sins.

Let me clear in what I am saying. Greed is not good. It doesn't help you get what you want in life. It might help you get somewhere over the short term, but over the long term it spells out death. It spells out complete failure and catastrophe in sales, business, school, relationships, and in life. You don't get what you want in life by having a "me first" mentality. You get somewhere in life because you fully understand the essence of team work.

I started the team "teamworkfirst" because I wanted to give the ever lasting impression that putting "others first" would not only reward you financially, but MOST importantly reward you in life. What a great feeling it is when you give back. My encouragement to anyone reading this is to GIVE, and GIVE HUGE!! It will change your life.

I love the game of football, and I will leave you this last point. In the game of football it represents what we go through in life. You have a common goal (to score a touch down) but you also have an opposing obstacle trying to prevent you from accomplishing that goal (life's set backs). You have two options in the game. You can trust your ability and talents and try to score that touchdown on your own, or you can trust and work together with your team's overall talents and gifts and work towards scoring the touchdown together (teamwork). It's not impossible for one person to out perform eleven people on the other side...but it is extremely difficult. It's nearly impossible to stop eleven people working together...and the odds improve nearly 100% that you'll score that touchdown! Get on a winning team and do your part! Give back and help others and good things will happen!

By the way.....up in the upper right corner of this post is the main core of my team!

Re-Thinking the word "Job"

2008-07-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's easy to fall into the money trap. Times get tough, the economy buckles down, oil prices start soaring, inflation rates start sky rocketing, and words like "recession" start being batted around the financial media outlet like water in a desert.

It doesn't take too long for the "chicken little factor" to take effect, and before you know it every Tom, Dick, and Harry are all singing in unison, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling". The dooms day critics are quick to point to the sky as well. Why? Because it has been foretold in ancient literature that our days on earth our numbered. It's the beginning of the end or just simply put.....it's over. Finished. Done.

In times of financial stress the norm will proclaim the importance of "holding on to your job". The 'average Joe' will go running to work a 60 hour work week, facing traffic jams, constant mis-management, constant review and minimal vacation and for what? All for a small salary and benefits. The same benefits that ultimately stab you in the back when you try to use them. You know? The famous 80/20 health plan with a $2,000 deductible. The same plan that sucks $500-800 out of your pay check monthly. The same plan that covers you for your once a month $60 doctor visit. But it's all about playing it safe.

How safe is corporate downsizing? How safe is job lay-offs? How safe is your minimum wage job at the expense of lazy management? Playing it safe, quite frankly, is playing to lose. It's time to stop playing the victim in the game of "Chicken Little" and stand up for yourself and break free of the financial poverty that binds you! It's time to stand tall and stop making someone else rich and start making yourself rich! It's time to stop wasting your time and having a job rob you of your precious time and start taking back precious minutes for yourself and your family.

It's time to join the winning team, and the other 28 million home-based business owners who are taking advantage of financial freedom, time freedom, and tax advantages. Don't go work a "job"...your life is too valuable and short to be the peasant for the next guy. Time for you to think for yourself and reap the rewards that you so richly deserve!