Are You Afraid Enough?

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.Anais Nin (1903-1977)Writer

What motivates us to change? Dissatisfaction? Maybe. Extreme fear? Maybe. Most likely, however the motivation is that we are so uncomfortable or so afraid in our current situation, that we will do anything, including change.

Change is difficult for almost all of us and sometimes it takes a lot to convince us that something should change. When we are looking at a business opportunity in multilevel marketing, particularly if we are thinking this could be our new full-time job, what makes us decide to take the chance?  How uncomfortable would you have to be to make a change? Maybe you have already started in a new business, things are not going well, and you know you need to change. How bad would things have to be before you decided to change?

Maybe you have put off participating in the training opportunities that might be available to you through your company. How many calls do you have to mess up before you get tired of messing up calls? How much money do you want to spend before you start really making money? How bad to things really have to get before you are willing to change? Wouldn’t participating in the training be a lot less painful than making all the mistakes?

Maybe you don’t want to pick up the phone. How much does your business have to falter before you get up the courage to actually pick up the phone and make a call? How dissatisfied are you with the way things are going? Maybe now is the time to make your move. Picking up the phone might be less painful that the stress you are going through thinking about it.

Why would you want to wait until things got so painful that you feel like you have no other choice? If you have waited that long, why not ease your pain and do what you need to do? Making the changes and doing what you need to do can’t be any more painful that what you are putting yourself through right now.

The business is there to make your life better. You started in the business to help you achieve some goal that you set when you first started in the business. Use your fear to make the changes you need to make and enjoy the success you are looking to achieve.

The Other Marketer

Whether you are in multi-level marketing in a small way or a big way, if you live with anyone else, there is another multi-level marketer in your business. They may not be officially in your business (although if you are a committed relationship they should be), but, like it or not, they are most definitely involved.

If you are involved in network marketing in a big way, you are spending large amounts of time on your business. If you have a family, a house, you need to eat, etc. then someone else is picking up those chores that you no longer have time to do. This rises exponentially if you have children. That other person is most likely your spouse or significant other. While most people that work in home based businesses recognize this fact, it is easy to discount the value of it (since there is usually no physical monetary reward). Those who continue to discount the value may find themselves having to pay for those same services when their spouse, feeling unappreciated, leaves! Even if you are only involved in a small way in network marketing or some other home-based business, you are spending time in the business.

The other person in the house is also often a passive listener. When you are spending hours a day on the phone, they can’t help but overhear many of the conversations. You spouse or significant other may have great insight when it comes to what is going on with your business. They also have a different perspective when it comes to the people that you are working with. Often you get so involved in your business that you can become blinded to certain problems that may be arising. The other people in your house saw it coming a mile away. Involving your spouse or significant other in conversations about specific things that are going on in the business will not only give you another perspective, but will help them understand what you are trying to do. Most of the time, they really want to know what you are doing, even if they are not actively participating in the business.

Even if your spouse or significant other doesn’t actively participate in the business, they have their own set of passive contacts. It is your job to make sure that they understand enough about the business to be able to explain in coherently to someone else. They don’t have to know every detail about every product or about the compensation plan, but they should at least be able to recognize the value of the products and that there is an opportunity to start a business. Your spouse or significant other should not be hesitant about letting people know what you do. They should also carry business cards at all time. You never know who might want to know more.

Your spouse or significant other can be a great asset in your business, even if they are not an active participant. Don’t sell them short and make sure they fell like they are an important part of your team.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Henry Ford

Are You Leaving Things Better Than You Found Them?

Starting with this quote today, it has touch my heart and changed my mindset forever.

Showing a profit means touching something and leaving it better than you found it.Jim Rohn

When you first read this quote, lots of things can come to mind. What comes to mind if you are business for yourself might be quite different than what comes to mind if you work for someone else. No matter what business you’re in, this quote should make you think about differently about the word profit.

To be successful in multilevel marketing, it takes great products, persistence, and teamwork. The ultimate goal is to make money, or a profit. If you are a follower of the “go-giver” philosophy it is to make a profit by helping others.  But does it really leave the people you come in contact better than when you found them? Can you really make sure that always happens?

Making sure that a person is better than when you found them is not always easy, but it can be accomplished. Remember, it does not always mean that you leave them better off financially. Some people start off in multilevel marketing and find they are just not cut out for it. But did they profit in some other way from being involved? If they were trained properly and had good interactions with their upline, the answer should be yes. Maybe they learned how to be more confident. Maybe they learned how to run a business. At a minimum they learned something about themselves—that they don’t want to be a network marketer.

In multilevel marketing is easy to get caught up in the process. It is also easy to overlook some individual needs, particularly as your team gets larger. By keeping this quote in mind when working throughout the day, it helps to bring you back to earth and remember that your ultimate purpose is to help people in some way. It will also help you remember that profit does not always mean money.

It is also important to know how to help people leave. Convincing someone to stay in a business when, in spite of everyone’s best effort, they are not being successful, is not helping anyone. In fact, severe damage can be done by trying to hang on too long. Leave them with something positive and something they can use later. Leave them with a positive feeling about the experience, about you, and about the company. After all, even if they are no longer selling products they certainly can be some of your best customers and everyone can profit!

Are You Staying Focused ?

Today I start with a quote. “Lay hold of today’s task and you will not depend so much upon tomorrow’s.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4B.C.–65A.D.) Roman philosopher and statesman

Spring is almost here. You can feel it in the air. With spring all kinds of reasons to put off working your business come to light. It is just too nice out to work is a particularly favorite among those of us who have been stuck inside for the last six months of this endless winter. My house is a mess is also a great one since most of us, in spite of our best efforts; now know what it is like to live on a beach with the unrelenting sand that seems to always be somewhere no matter how much we sweep.

Spring is also a good time to evaluate your business. The first quarter of the year is gone. Are you where you wanted to be by now? Why not? What can you change to make sure the second quarter is more effective? Maybe you did something really well. Did you pass on that information to your team? How about your team anyway? How are they all doing? What can you do differently to help them?

By staying focused and evaluating your business, you can reap the benefits. Remember the 90 day rule—the work that you put in now will take 90 days to come to full fruition. In 90 days, it will be summer and even more distractions. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take a family vacation that you earned by working hard now?

Growing a business and taking care of your team takes time and energy on a consistent basis. There are always distractions. The key is to have goals, have a plan, and have the discipline to do the work. No one is above getting distracted occasionally by a beautiful spring day, just don’t let the distractions become the norm and negatively affect your business. If you start to feel restless, plan a little distraction as a reward after you complete Remember that there is always someone depending on you—even if it is only you!

Are you ready to focus or will you continue to chase the brass ring that is just out of your reach?

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