Shutting Down Communication

You are a Champion!

There are so many ways to shut down communication. If we say something that might come across as insulting or offensive people will shut down their communication with us. Also, no one likes a know it all so our objective is to make other people feel important!

Often we can get away with being direct with a friend or relative who knows and appreciates us. However, to those who don’t know us (and have no reason to trust us) insulting language will ruin whatever chance we have to build a relationship because often first impressions are lasting impressions.

We can shut down communication by being a manipulative person. All of us meet people who are very “smart” about getting what they want at our expense. However, these techniques won’t work forever and once a person is on to manipulative ways the relationship is damaged (or even over) so have pure motives in dealing with people.

Just like the first date, with someone you admire, make people glad to hear from you!

When we see signs of people avoiding us we need to look for the reasons and adjust our behavior if possible. Obviously, this won’t work with someone who perceives themselves to be above us and it’s not valuable or beneficial to be around us. That’s OK, we don’t really want their friendship anyway because it will be one way.

This conversation works two ways doesn’t it and we may be the one shutting down or shutting out. That’s where we can work on our own attitude and that’s easier to control because we have control of our attitudes.

Tired of Getting Beat?

You are a Champion!

Phil Town relates in his book Rule #1 a story about a monk taking his final exam. He is told by his teacher, “You’ve done well, my son, You have only one last test to pass. I will return in one day. If you pass the test you will become a monk and join our order as a brother. If you fail it, I’ll beat you senseless with this stick.”

This test we all take because we haven’t been this way before. We are told to go to school, work hard, get a good job, etc. by people meaning well. Everyday many people go to work and “get beat with a stick.”

So how did the monk past the test? When his teacher came into the room he quickly jumped up and grabbed the stick. That’s what we all need to do–take control of the stick!

Network Marketing was designed in a way the average individual can take control. You may have to spend some money but it should never be a lot of money. You may have to work hard but you can do it on your terms.

Do you want your boss, or some other authority figure, to control the stick the rest of your life? Always remember to grab the stick as soon as you can!

Leadership Royalty Example

You are a Champion!

This is an example of why it is important to work a multi-level compensation plan “as designed:“

Net Sales %		Legs	Pin Level	$60,000 Month	Total Change
7.0%		3	3 Star Gold	$4,200
9.0%		3	Ruby	$5,400	$1,200
11.0%		6	6 Star Ruby	$6,600	$2,400
13.0%		6	Emerald	$7,800	$3,600
15.0%		9	9 Star Emerald	$9,000	$4,800
19.0%		12	Diamond	$11,400	$7,200

This is a “typical” pay scale example of a breakaway plan and covers only leadership pay (this particular company pay plan pays five different ways). Leadership pay is designed to grow sales volume for the Network Marketing Company as well as your company within a company by promoting “leadership.” In this example, there are Pin Levels below the 3 Star Gold Pin Level. However, we have started our table at the 3 Star Gold level because a person can (on average) make a good full time income working on a part-time basis (according to company disclosure statements).

“Legs” are individual business builders who have met minimum volume requirements. The company will only pay the leadership percentage once (breakaway) or they would go broke. The company financial statements will show royalties and commissions at a planned (plan design) percentage of Net Sales. In this example, the $60,000 per month business volume can be reasonably achieved by those working the business hard. What most people who “play” with the business don’t know is this:

Much of this leadership percentage (cumulative change) isn’t blocked by another Distributor because most Distributors haven’t achieved even the 3 Star Gold Pin level (based on actual sales volume). Below this pin level is a large percentage of the company business volume!

This fact allows companies to pay overrides to certain multi-levels, bonuses, and trips (Wholesale commissions are deducted from “Gross Sales” not “Net Sales”).

See why qualifying Legs are so important? If you have the minimum qualifying legs (below the 3 Star Gold Pin Level) equal to 12 legs instead of 3 legs on the $60,000 per month net sales volume you will earn $11,400 in leadership versus $4,200 in leadership ($7,200 or 171% more). Therefore, why would you have the $60,000 sales volume in people who don’t qualify as legs?

Work the pay plan the way it was designed! That’s why leadership pays for building strong legs and recruiting new legs.

Commitment

You are a Champion!

There is nothing like asking for a commitment to find out where people stand. You may “ask” them what they think about the business or what they want to do with the business and you may not get a clear answer. Ask them for some kind of commitment and you will be able to tell in an instance.

A big part of learning to do Network Marketing is continual follow-up and asking for commitment. You don’t have to judge people or their intentions if you just ask for a commitment. It doesn’t have to be big commitments and can be a bunch of small commitments to test the relationship.

Come and follow me! Is that a strong enough statement to get your attention and commitment? Yes!

Why do we incorporate asking for commitment in our business? We avoid wasting time on people who really don’t want to do the business. This doesn’t mean you write people off and only means that right now the timing is not right for them.

This releases you to go on and find someone committed.

Hitching Post

You are a Champion!

Are you hitching your Network Marketing Horse to a post?

One thing you see over and over in this business relates to improperly judging people and markets. Because of a lack of pure knowledge, never burn bridges with people or leave someone without their dignity. Never give up on anyone who has the desire to do the business!

If you have been in the business long enough you will see people make it big that you never thought would even make it in the business. You will see the people who you thought would make it big (or have made it big in the past) become a disappointment. There are “lots” of reasons for this dynamic in the business and here are just a few:

1. The number one reason is that the compensation plan is multi-level and this gives everyone the opportunity to grow and win. If you are working the compensation plan correctly you are working “down” through the warm markets of other people with influence. People often do find fireballs (people with influence). Your direct recruit may not be one (in your imperfect estimation) but they may be able to find someone. People have been in the business “years” before this happened.
2. Markets are dynamic. The timing for the historical fireball may have been just right and the products fit their market. For example, low dose ephedra mixed with caffeine was eliminated from the weight loss market even though it was a powerful market. Just another example where government got out of control because several scientific studies show certain products to be safe and very effective. Even so, people were riding the ephedra wave. If they were early in the wave they built large organizations before the negative actions were taken. They may never return to that level again because of politics and capitalist socialism (K Street).
3. Some people have physically moved from communities where they had friends and influence to a cold market community. In that regard, they are often starting their business from scratch.
4. Some people don’t maintain good relations and have burned upline and downline bridges. They may be individually strong, as a business person, but they have churned too much of their market. They too are starting from scratch in their business.
5. Some leaders are just ancient history in the business. They have long ago lost their desire to do the business. New recruits think: “If I could just sign up under this millionaire” without realizing that they would really be hitching their horse to a post. These people haven’t done the business for years–you just don’t realize it.
6. Some people have been riding a strong leader wave and the real leader is no longer working hard in the business. It’s time for those people to go to work because their wave has passed them by.
7. Some companies have changed their compensation plan. A Rexall Supplement Distributor I know quit building a distributor business because Rexall cut their compensation. I talk to this person occasionally that was a successful Distributor for this company. She use to be sold on the company and now she tells me what a “zero” they are. Word-of-mouth drives network marketing and I would never join this company because of her word-of-mouth. People won’t build and organization over time when they feel the can’t trust the company.

Network Marketing is a very dynamic business so it pays not to hitch your horse to a post. Be observant because markets will change. Trust but verify!

You will be able to make residual income but never get complacent and never stop working the business hard if you love what you are doing.