Just Because

What one word can get people to say “Yes”?

Noah J. Goldstein, PhD, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini, PhD write this in their book (Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive):

“But is it possible that just a single word from a requester could drastically increase the likelihood that you’d say, “Yes, go ahead”?

Yes–and the single word is because.  Behavioral scientist Ellen Langer and her colleagues decided to put the persuasive power of this word to the test.  In one study, Langer arranged fro a stranger to approach someone waiting in line to use a photocopier and simple ask, “Excuse me, I have five pages.  May I use the Xerox machine?”  Faced with this direct request to cut ahead in the line, 60 percent of the people were willing to agree to allow the stranger to go ahead of them.  However, when the stranger made the request with a reason (“May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”), almost everyone (94 percent) complied.  This kind of boost may not seem very surprising.  After all, providing a solid reason for the request justifies asking to jump ahead.

The Xerox study demonstrates the unique motivational influence of the word because.  The word gets its persuasive power from the continually reinforced association over the course of our lives between because and the good rationales that typically follow….”

It’s a powerful word so don’t forget to use it–just because I said so!

Tooting Your Own Horn

Third Party Credibility has much to do with Horn Tooting and eliminates sounding boastful by tooting our own horn.

A strong leader gives credibility (speaks life) to all those sponsored into Network Marketing (no matter their pin or skill level).

Noah J. Goldstein, PhD, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini, PhD write this in their book (Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive):

“One option is to get someone else to speak on your behalf.  This approach has been widely accepted by speakers, authors, performers, and other public communicators for many years…”

Research has shown how effective it is on phone introductions:  “Oh, rentals, you need to speak to Judy, who has over fifteen years’ experience renting properties in this neighborhood.  Let me put you through now.”

“I’m going to put you through to Sheldon, our head of sales.  Sheldon has twenty years of experience selling properties; in fact, he recently sold a property very similar to yours.”

Reciprocity is a two-way street so play close attention to the tactics used by your sponsor. Be sure and team up with a sponsor that “toots your horn.”

Strong Action Plan

Fear of loss should be accompanied by a strong action plan.

Most salespeople know that “Fear of Loss” is more effective than “Promise of Gain.” However, there is a problem if we don’t present our products as a strong solution to the problem.

Noah J. Goldstein, PhD, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini, PhD write this in their book (Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive):

“Health care professionals and public service communicators should also be aware of the implications of this research.  Physicians or nurses who wish to persuade an overweight patient to lose weight and exercise more often should focus that patient on the potential dangers of failing to lose weight, but only if they follow up that message with some clear, straightforward steps the patient can take to do so–perhaps in the form of a specific diet and a specific set of exercises.  Simply pointing out that he or she is at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes if no weight is lost might only serve to instill fear and denial in a patient.  In the case of public service officials, merely painting a gruesome picture of impact of dangerous behavior, such as smoking, having unprotected sex, and drunk driving, may also be ineffective–or even potentially backfire–if unaccompanied by a good plan of action.”

Medical Doctors that don’t understand nutrition drive our business.  Why?  Because they don’t have good solutions or action plans for patients.

I remember well the story of a lady that lost over (200) pounds being advised by her doctor that she was in a dire situation if she didn’t lose weight.  The only problem was that the MD couldn’t tell her how to lose the weight.  People in the nutrition field understand that medical doctors have few (if any) courses in nutrition.  If they can’t cut the problem out, or kill it with a strong drug, they don’t have solutions (that’s why they are at odds with preventive medicine and PhDs in nutrition).  Also, since diets don’t work, overweight people lose hope because they have tried everything they know to do.

Therefore, we paint our nutritional products as a solution (along with exercise and calorie reduction) because we do have a solution.  If the body receives high quality nutrition (not a diet) it will fill in the nutritional gaps and the “smart system” or body will do the rest.  Diets (skipping meals and not getting proper nutrition) don’t work because our metabolism slows down and the body retains fat when it is “being starved.”  Also, the body begins to cannibalize muscle–needs protein–to stay strong and not look flabby.  That’s just how the body works!

If you can’t give someone a simple plan of action you are probably wasting their time and yours!

Your Team

Get your senior team right

In the book 1000 CEOs, written by Andrew Davidson, these comments were written by Marjan Bolmeijer:

“CEOs must understand the need and have the skills to work on their senior team.  They must not take the attitude that their team is what it is, and cannot be improved upon; nor must they work on the team and then be too easily satisfied by a small amount of improvement.  Failing to work on the senior team often means that the CEO is left with a team that is far less efficient or productive than it could be:  they may compete against each other; rarely agree with all the elements of the strategic direction or plan; or be great at championing change but bad at changing themselves.  These issues make it much more difficult to get things done.  So it makes sense to take the time to focus on getting the senior team dynamic right, whether through training, internal resource allocation, replacements, or managing politics.  There are a lot of criteria that feed into the functional dynamic of the senior team and CEOs need to be sensitive to them all.  It is tough but it is worth it, as research suggests that a team that works well together, no matter how diverse its make-up, has a beneficial effect on operational performance.”

Let’s look at the flip side…

Everything that this CEO is evaluating his senior team on (according to CEO coach Marjan Bolmeijer) should be the same criteria to evaluate him or her.  Have you ever taken a job you just didn’t feel right about?  How long is it going to take you to correct that mistake?  Are you really going to go up in an organization where the CEO is a poor fit for you! Are you really going to change who you are? Are you going to be in the inner circle?

If not, please don’t make the mistake of joining that organization.  It’s not wise to bet that a poor quality CEO will leave before you do and if he does then what?  A new CEO will want their own team–so go find a good fit fast.

On a leadership call today Andy Andrews was talking about Bill Polian the President of the Indianapolis Colts (the person that had the wisdom to pick Peyton Manning).  Polian has a long history of taking unsuccessful teams and making them very successful.  Were the players, coaches (senior management) bad?  No, there needed to be a CEO change and Bill Polian was that change.  Who’s in the “drivers seat?”

You are the CEO of your own company.

I am the Decider

Getting tired of authority figures?

If you like to read a lot you pick up a book that appears authoritative enough (has an interesting title, PhD credentials, great endorsers, etc.) and half way through the book you are asking yourself:  “Why am I reading this book?”

Many of us realize that people often publish in order to gain credibility in their chosen career (not to make money on a book).  The credibility is that they wrote this book–I’m an authority figure.  Unfortunately, we may not be getting any real benefit from their book.  I often read completely through a book to at least get that “one idea” that makes the book worthwhile.  What a let down when we can hardly even find one thing that makes the book valuable (picked another winner).

Listen to some so-called journalist in the news media belittling the information online.  You can’t trust it.  It doesn’t adhere to journalistic standards and so on (while they read their script from a teleprompter with no idea about the validity of their material).  It’s probably a pack of lies.

We hear the same tired lines, opinions, etc. over and over again.  People actually believe this stuff! Go online and find an author that enjoys their work, enjoys their subject, and has enthusiasm (perhaps even a strong opinion or so) and enjoy.  If we learn anything in life it is that everyone has an opinion (right or wrong) and authority figures don’t make those opinions “truth.”

In fact, I’m becoming cynical enough I’m starting to believe that a lot of so-called historical facts are really fiction and were fabricated by the author (no matter their credentials) or those in power–the authorities.

Live your own life in your own world because it’s much more fun and interesting that way and question everything!

Be Nice

Do you remember your mom telling you as a child:  “Be Nice!”

There’s a good reason to be nice to people and one of them is the comment we hear from people all the time:  “It’s a small world.”  At some point it’s payback time.

That statement applies to the Health Insurance Industry, Wall Street Banks, and Politicians.  At some level, people don’t forget and they do get even.

When it comes to doing business with people would you like to be in the spotlight like health insurance companies are now?  The fact that people feel you purposefully kill your customers and their family members.  I know that’s true of me because I fully blame them for my sister’s death from cancer.  The way they did business with her, and delayed necessary treatment and so on, caused her death in the opinion of my family.  While we may forgive do you think my family will forget?  Multiply my family by thousands of families.

I think that in many respects the politicians have brought about change.  What’s the change?  The transparency of lobbyist on K-Street has been in the spotlight and the fact that we have a one party system (the “good old boy” system).  Isn’t it high time to vote out of office “all incumbents” that have been around for decades and have had time to make positive changes?  Don’t think they haven’t been getting emails for years. Will people forget the politicians that have put their interest over the people?  I don’t think so because the spotlight has been too illuminating and transparent  to the average person.

Chris Brogan and Julien Smith write this in their book Trust Agents:

“… social capital is different from other kinds of capital.  When people come together and share a meal, they not only end up fed, they also become tighter as a group.  The mere act of gathering means that they will exchange things–stories, favors, and laughs–and will grow richer as a result.  It may sound touchy-feely, but these things have real value.  And we don’t just mean that they keep you warm on a cold winter night, either; we mean they have real value, as in ‘you can take it to the bank’ value.  But how?

It’s simple:  Jokes aren’t the only form of social capital; favors are, too.  Buying somebody a cup of coffee is a real exchange of value, and it can at some point be repaid.  You can never truly be sure how, but the fact that it can be repaid is unquestionable:  You can ask for that cup of coffee back one day.  Just think of your favorite television cop drama and how often the phrase ‘you owe me a favor’ is uttered.  These things are real.”

I think they’ve used up a lot of their capital don’t you?

“The best thing about telling the truth is you never have to think about what to say.” Mark Twain

Refiner of Silver, Gold, and Platinum

What are we really like on the inside?

One of the main things I like about Network Marketing is the refinery or trial by fire that brings out the best or the worst.  We quickly find out who are real friends are and we even find out who we are.  We may have perceptions about our self and others that are totally inaccurate.

What are people really all about?

In order to achieve long-term success, in a business that pays only by commission and our ability to build-up others, we get down to the traits and core values that achieve success or failure.  It may be similar to the process that people with money go through if they lose their money.  As long as they have money they have friends.  If they were dirt poor who would be around them?  We all know people who we wouldn’t give the time of day if they didn’t have some money and power.  People that are bullies, rude, loud and obnoxious, self-centered, etc.  Without money they have to start developing people skills and treat people right if they want to be successful.  Also, it’s treating people right 360º (not just our superiors).

When we start the process of Network Marketing we begin to see some impurities coming to the surface in our life.  Is this really me?  Yes, but I didn’t realize it.  Then we begin to drift away from relatives and friends that are really not on our side and never were.  Perhaps we suspected as much before we joined Network Marketing but somehow it is more apparent now.  We develop new friends that we find more in line with our values.  People we like and are more comfortable being with.  We all know that even religious people preach their religion instead of live it.

If Network Marketing doesn’t make us a better person at least it makes us much more aware of reality.  If you don’t believe me just try it.

“Open the eyes of my heart!”

MLM Stages

Understand what stage you are in when it comes to MLM.

There are different stages of MLM development and different strategies for each stage.  Here are two basic stages:

• Development stage
• Momentum stage

Initially, upline team or company momentum makes up the “wave” we are riding in the development stage.  We are always riding a momentum wave but the nature of the wave changes over time.  At some point, we are “advancing momentum.” I’ve always been amazed at people who become jealous or at odds with upline or company leadership.  Folks, we are riding “their wave” of momentum!

In the development stage, we are building a full-time income based upon limited time investment or effort. We may have a job and cannot devote full-time effort. We are building our legs (base) deep. While we will always have the relational mindset to build our legs deep there comes a point when we massively recruit and go as wide as we can as fast as we can (group momentum).  Why do we do this?  Because that’s the way the compensation plan is designed.  Override requirements to obtain leadership pay are less in the lower pin levels.  In order to reach Diamond, or the top pin level, we have to go massively wide to overcome override requirements.  A minimum of $4,000 per pay period in our case (twice the previous pin level).  We do this because a Diamond in our company earns approximately 70% of their pay in leadership bonuses.  It’s just the way the “numbers” work.  Find out how the compensation plan works.

Why do we avoid management traps?

Mark Yarnell states it plainly in his book Your First Year In Network Marketing:

• “If we want to change others, we begin by changing ourselves, and alterations in their behavior will naturally follow.”
• “Those frontline recruits who demand the least attention are usually the ones who become the most successful.”
• “Those recruits who need us the most usually succeed the least, and those who prosper self-sufficiently deserve all the credit.”
• “The last thing a winner needs is a manager or a savior.”
• “Success defies all logic…so quit trying to figure it out.  Just do the numbers!”
• “Recruiting is the only viable way to offset the inevitability of attrition.”

Those we think will won’t and those we think won’t will!

We need to keep the business simple and duplicable by using the success system.  Part of that system is understanding the compensation plan.

Value is Vision

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.

The very astute business person Lynda Resnick, in her book Rubies in the Orchard, writes about buying the $25.00 string of fake pearls worn by Jackie Kennedy (Jackie wore them everywhere).

“At $211,000, the pearls turned out to be a phenomenal bargain.  We sold more that 130,000 copies at $200 a strand–for a gross of $26 million.  Owning the original pearls gave us the credibility to sell the copies; it certified and rewarded our collectors’ faith that they were getting as close to the real deal as anyone could.  By wearing those iconic pearls, women everywhere could channel a bit of Jackie.”

“Value is real, even when the product is 100 percent fake.”

Some people wouldn’t be caught dead driving a good pickup truck even though it will get them comfortably from point A to point B.  Others love their truck.  Some people would be concerned about the make and model of their Lexus.  Is it top of the line and is it expensive enough?

Don’t replace the “Customer Vision” with “Your Vision.”  What turns them on?  Do they see “Value?”  What are people really buying?

Caring and Compassion

Are we paying attention to people or just ignoring them?

Buzz McCoy says this in his book Living Into Leadership:  “As scientific research was applied to the study of work, with time and motion studies and the famous Westinghouse studies, investigators found that their mere presence on the jobsite, no matter how they altered work conditions, created higher rates of productivity.  This was so even when they deliberately made the working conditions inferior.  When debriefing the workers themselves, they were advised that productivity went up because the workers suddenly felt someone was taking an interest in them and in their work.  This made them feel important and empowered. Such were the beginnings of modern management theories of self-motivated teams, open structures, and flexible work hours as expressed by virtually all business writers starting with Peters and Waterman in the book In Search of Excellence.  Perhaps no one has portrayed this better than Tracy Kidder in The Soul of a New Machine, which depicts a runaway project team at Data General inventing an unauthorized new computer after ‘working hours.’”

Isn’t it amazing how just recognizing the existence of other people does wonders for their attitude about you.  Sometimes people go the extra mile just for a little recognition.

Ignoring people may not only lose the customer it may create an unmotivated team in Network Marketing.

“We get what we give:  Smiles or Butt Cracks.”

“The fire of adversity will melt you like butter, or temper you like steel. The choice is yours.”