Are You a Midseason Quitter?

Do you know what you want?

If you haven’t made a list of what you want in life (what drives you) then how do you expect to get there?

Joe Montana In his book The Winning Spirit (2005) says about his (16) Timeless Principles That Drive Performance Excellence: “This first principle, knowing what we want, is the beginning of achieving performance excellence.  Some may say, ‘I’ve already gone through this process, and I know what I want.’  This is a great place to be.  But do not overlook the importance of repetition and review.  We should all regularly revisit our goals and dreams, which not only reinforces our desire but also inspires us to keep doing the work that we need to do.  Can you imagine a Carnegie Hall pianist saying, ‘I’ve already practiced those keys,’ or an NBA player saying, ‘I practiced shooting free throws yesterday.  Why should I practice them today?’  Such statements are inconceivable because true competitors know that repetition is crucial to improvement and success.

Even if we are clear on our goals today, we should expect curves in the road ahead. Ambitions and desires are given to shifts and changes.  Perhaps we have pursued something we realize we won’t attain, even though we’ve given it our best shot.  Not every college baseball player will play in the big leagues, and not every business major will run a company.  Hitting an occasional wall happens in life, so we need to make regular adjustments and additions to our personal ‘want list.’

…My dad got me into organized football at age eight with the local Pop Warner team, which he helped coach.  After two years, I was thinking of quitting football and joining the Cub Scouts, like my cousins.  I told my dad, and he said it was okay to give up the game if I wanted, but I couldn’t quit in midseason.  ‘I don’t want you to quit something you’ve started,’ he said. By the end of that season, I’d thrown some TD passes and forgotten all about Cub Scouts.

Not long after came that first Super Bowl victory in my backyard.  In my heart, I knew early on that sports were what I wanted to do.  Though I worked hard at school, I had and intense desire to succeed in sports–and to exceed everyone’s expectations.”

Which comes first (chicken or egg) the strong desire or “the activity” that drives each of us?

All successful people have a heart problem (it’s in their heart). However, most successful Network Marketer’s didn’t grow up thinking: “I want to be in Network Marketing.”

Plan A or plan B? What if Joe Montana had joined the Cub Scouts in midseason at age eight?  Don’t miss life on your terms by being a midseason quitter!

Geographical Momentum

The great thing about Network Marketing is “No Geographical Territory.”

Many new people will quickly find people in other parts of the country just because that’s how it works: “Word-of-Mouth.”

I’ve often been asked:  “What happened to a particular state or city?  They use to be such a strong power in the company.”  The answer is so obvious that you can’t quit figure out how they miss it.  The “driver” or leader (Distributor)  is missing in action.  He/she moved to another state and no longer support the momentum of the group.

While company support and meetings are great the only way to get the momentum “steaming” in an area is to have strong local leaders and structure!

Network Marketing is a Team Building sport!

A company can be in real trouble if their momentum is just in one geographical  area because people (depending on the economy) CAN’T afford to continue buying $1,000 (or more) trips to another area to attend meetings.  Of course, I’m not talking about the Distributor making a lot of  money I’m talking about their team.  Meeting structure (formal and informal) is the life blood of MLM (just like church).  Also, product distribution is expensive (strong distribution systems built Wal-Mart).

As a start-up company, if you can’t figure it out, you might as well move headquarters to the area of momentum.

“I know, there’s no place like home.”

How do you know if you have a strong leader?  People are following them–it’s that simple!

The people in that area of the country are riding the wave. And so, lose the leader and lose the group momentum!

Power Grab

What executives seek:  Control of resources (people and assets).

Many of us have observed or participated in power plays in corporations. For example, in some large capital-intensive companies the capital budget is the center of power.  Get the capital dollars and the people resources  go along with it.  I recall one VP of a large company in a capital budget meeting remark to the President (jokingly):  “I don’t want all the capital.  I just don’t want him to have it (pointing to his rival).”

Many of us have worked with executives where the size of the office, the quality of the carpet, the type of company car, access to the company jet(s), pay check and bonuses, etc. was THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS in the company AND IN THEIR LIFE! They made judgments about other people based upon perks (obviously, this shallow thinking may not be important to you or me–remember that actions speak).

I recall being in another capital budget meeting where the President of a Division had the “numbers” to justify a new jet in his budget and the CEO said:  “If there is anything I know about it’s corporate jets so I know you won’t be able to justify it by financial analysis.”  He sure did because his fleet of company planes looked like the air force of a small nation.  He said, “Since I’m the CEO I don’t have to justify my jets and you’re not getting the plane.  You can share one with another division.”  Why did he not want to share a jet? [ CONTROL] [POWER] [EGO]

Losing power (control), and being side tracked, is a common situation people encounter. Often people aren’t fired they are just relived of important duties or marginalized. Losing control of resources (human or capital) is not a good sign.  Words of commendation often do not follow (match) actions and decisions.  Always follow actions and not words.

Making people unhappy or uncomfortable is often used as a strategy to get people to leave the company.  Note:  This can be an intentional strategy that you don’t understand (even a personal versus company benefit strategy). It doesn’t have to be rational to you (a good business decision) just rational to them!  

“Being powerful is like being a lady.  If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”  Margaret Thatcher

In Network Marketing you have to have recruits (head count). You have to have sales volume to win.

“If you can’t control resources then don’t expect a place at the table.”

“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” Matt. 25:29

“Build your company within a company.”

Course Corrections

Andy Andrews (author and speaker) gave a talk Saturday in Fort Worth, TX about perspective.  He vividly brought out how the “little things” matter in life.  We can be off just one degree on the compass and over a distance of time and space that equates to being many miles off on a trip.  It may be difficult to reach our destination when we are off just one degree.  That is a little thing.

What really matters when it comes to building a strong team or a strong company in Network Marketing? What are the little things?  What are the course corrections?

Motivational speakers will tell you to associate with (10’s), recruit up, and acquire a strong mentor.  Don’t waste time on those in the middle because you need to be around millionaires and billionaires.  Put the focus on the Diamonds in the company.  This shortens the time it will take you to get to Diamond.

Wow, let’s look at applying their advise. You speak to a Diamond and they won’t give you the time of day because they are very busy.  You beg and cajole those in the know to tell you the “secret.” Actually, using this strategy may work great for a Diamond.  It puts them and their people in the company magazine and builds their check.  It may be great for the motivational speaker selling books or videos.  Note:  We are talking about “course corrections” because everyone needs a mentor even if our mentor does not realize they are our mentor.  Parents are mentors by association.

What’s the real secret? The secret is the person setting beside you on your team.   Put your focus on that “little person” and build them up.  That’s the secret.  The fact is:  “God doesn’t build little people.”  Humble yourself if you want to be exalted.  Don’t be played by the rich (they’ve already arrived).  The magic is in the little people.

Raise up a team of powerful “little people” and someday you will be a Diamond and you will be followed.

“Lift People Up!”

The Culting of Brands

I heard a comment on CNN this morning that was a little ridiculous:  “We’re all in this together.”

Do you feel like you’re part of the reason for the economic crisis and were you consulted?  Do you feel like you should suffer the pain because of your individual decisions?  Do you feel like:  “We’re all in this together?”  Perhaps you feel just a little more like a woman that has just been raped?

Rob Walker, in his book Buying In, has a chapter called:  “The straw man in the gray flannel suit” that talks about the death of  The Organization Man.

I agree with this marketing book that social groups and branding are still strong and built around reciprocity and trustworthiness (cults if you will).  Are we seeing the “Culting of American?”

The chapter talks about loners that developed the skateboard culture:  “They had their skateboards, and they were the only ones who would say, ‘What’s up?’ And the next thing you know, I’m a punker, out of nowhere.”

“Consider, for example, the Red Hat Society, notable for bright costumes, exuberant group behavior, and the fact that it is made up of women age fifty and over.  Here the subculture motive is to challenge the way that society expects older women to behave.  ‘It’s a very genuine feeling–You need to get off the stage now and go sit somewhere in the back,’  Sue Ellen Cooper, the sixty-year old ‘founder and Queen Mother’ of the society, told me.  ‘Well, no.  I’ll tell you when I’m ready to do that.’ This is not exactly the same as punk’s generalized middle finger to society, but there is an element of refusal to go along with mainstream values–a bit of an ‘up yours’ to assigned social roles.

Founded in 1998, the society had within seven years signed up about 850,000 members worldwide.  It also operated a three-thousand-square-foot retail shop, had twenty-six licensing deals, and sold hundreds of products through department and specialty stores as well as its website, including at least thirty varieties of actual red hats.  …What these women do when they meet is, basically, goof off.  Fred Cohen of the film production company Creative Presentations has, while working on a Red Hat documentary, recorded Red Hatters engaged in everything from drum circles to fashion shows to dance parties to huge conventions where they gather in the thousands.”

Could you start a business that has 850,000 customers worldwide?

Perhaps the days of someone telling us:  “We’re all in this together” are long over.  Perhaps we’ll tell them when we’re in it together and when we’ll get off the stage while others take over?  Some look at CNN, NBC, Fox, (MSM) long-term like they look at the 1949 play Death of a Salesman (Willy Loman).

You may not start a movement as a business.  However, business always comes out of group activities doesn’t it?

WIFFY Triggers

According to Jerry Weissman in his book PRESENTING TO WIN, The Art of Telling Your Story (2003), every element in your presentation should be linked to a WIFFY (What’s In It For You) trigger:

1. This is important to you because…? (The presenter fills in the blank)
2. What does this mean to you? (The presenter explains)
3. Why am I telling you this? (The presenter explains)
4. So what? (Here’s what…)
5. And…? (Here’s the WIFFY…)

This keeps the focus on benefits rather than features.

Problems with presentations:

• No clear point
• No audience benefit
• No clear flow
• Too detailed
• Too long

“For most businesspeople, when a situation arises in which they must sell their business story, their intense involvement in the minutia often proves a hindrance.  They mistakenly think that for the audience to understand anything, they have to be told everything.  That’s like being asked the time and responding with complete instructions for building a clock.“

Particularly in the promotion of health and wellness products we observe new recruits learning all they can about the product and ingredients. Is this important? Sure. But it’s not important when promoting the products or opportunity. What are the benefits (WIFFY)?

Do you look at the ingredients when you buy a box of corn flakes? Well, perhaps some people do but when you concentrate on high tech expect a low check. Also, expect customers to attribute every thing that happens to them (sour stomach) to the high tech products you are selling.  If you are selling quality products from a quality company there should be nothing in the products that people should worry about.  If you encounter a lot of those issues you are probably too much into the details.

I don’t know about that but what I do know…BENEFITS!

Get The Appointment

Meeting people (getting to know them) is important in earning trust and rapport so we can meet their needs.

Sometimes it is more difficult when people want to know about our products and company over the phone and we really don’t get the opportunity to progress because they are asking questions and we are answering questions.

Admittedly, that’s why it is much easier to work through third parties and work down through our downline!

We don’t get appointments by talking about the products or opportunity, by disagreeing with the prospect, talking down a competitor, and arguing over price.  We get appointments by asking for appointments!

We might get the appointment by asking questions like:  “What do you do to stay healthy and feel good?  What do you take to maintain a high energy level and keep from dragging during the day?”  Answer:  “Well, I try to eat right and drink a lot of coffee for energy.”

Or, “What’s your income plan B for these tough economic times if you lose your job?”  Wait for the answer!

Reply:  “That’s what I was doing too (Or, I know a lot of people that are doing the same thing).  That’s interesting.  That’s why we should get together–would you be available next Tuesday at 2:00?”

Answer:  “Why don’t you just send me some information?”

Reply:  “We really should get together and talk about this!”

If they won’t give you an appointment you gave it your best try.

Making a Clean Break?

Trying to make a clean break from your past?

Even Michael Phelps, the Olympic gold-medalist, is finding that actions have consequences. You may not be in the same situation as Phelps (actually he has support you probably couldn’t begin to have) after trying drugs.

Consider going into a legitimate business for yourself.

You’ve probably noticed U.S. jails are full of kids involved with drugs. And so, why struggle with a resume or job application.

Sign a distributorship agreement with a Direct Sales Company and begin to get your life straightened out. There are good options and looking for a job may not be one of them.  You are not on a par with a CEO or Politician that sticks millions in their pockets and then goes on a tax payer paid junket.

Above all else, remember that you are a person of great worth and deserve the chance to have life on your terms!

The Mouth

Why are people in Network Marketing looking for a “wave?”

Because riding a wave makes the business easier and even more fun. Someone has to create momentum and often just a few leaders have what it takes to create a wave to ride. Admittedly, a lot of people can ride a wave (large group momentum) but they can’t create their own.

Whatever you may think of Rush Limbaugh he is a conservative wave. I even know a Doctor that listens to him religiously.  People cannot refute the fact that he has a large audience.

Do you suppose that Rush has a lot of enemies?  I do!  The question for me and you has to be:  “If he has a lot of enemies (people that think he’s an idiot) why is he so successful?” In my opinion, it’s because he has a message (he’s a voice).  He’s certainly not good looking, he’s not young, and he’s crass.

People with the guts to be a voice can make a difference.

I’ve notice this phenomenon and it is fascinating to me.  Rush is not an overnight phenomenon.  He has paid his dues.  He doesn’t back down from opposition and let people run over him.  He doesn’t go hide in his big house and fear to face his enemies because he knows that he’s a voice.  People will follow him (leader by definition).

We’ve all noticed instances where “lesser men or women” have taken the message over because they knew their more talented opposition would back down and not fight (even destroying a wave in Network Marketing).  Why did the more talented and gifted voice back off?

If you are a strong voice don’t back off and keep your wave!

Finding a Partner

When we look at the nuts and bolts of MLM what do we have?

What we don’t have are products that compete with discount store products (offline or online).  Be careful if the products could “make it” on store shelves (whether they have so far or not). Yes, the products need to be consumable (so we can build an ongoing customer base) but they also need to be very effective and unique, and make room for the Network Marketer.  Quality in the products has to go above and beyond, and several layers of distribution have been eliminated to pay for the Network Marketer.  When we look at the products they would be difficult to put on a shelf and compete with established brands because of their “quality.”  Make the products and opportunity Win/Win.

“Always” review the people behind the products and the makeup of the Scientific/Medical Advisory Board.  They need to be outstanding in their credentials and accomplishments.

If we look at an MLM company, and they don’t have quality experts behind their products, be careful because long-term we are looking for residual income.  We are not looking for products that compete with mass marketers.

Next, we are looking for Business Partners or Business Builders. Prospects are often looking at MLM products as a cost instead of their needed inventory.  Because we have been doing the business for such a long time we often lose sight of that fact.  The products we have on the shelf (besides those products we personally consume) will make us a profit!

We’re looking for people that can see the big picture. They see the income without a cap and they see themselves earning those incomes (commissions and royalties).

Some people like to focus (listen to how they talk) on why MLM won’t work for them and you don’t want them in your business (plain and simple).