Credo for Success

Success and failure are a result of action and not wealth. There are very successful people that died poor and very wealthy people that died failures. Learn from your failures and do not let them become road blocks to your success.

Forget your past and plan for your future. Focus your thoughts on where you are going and not on where you have been. The past is an unchangeable memory. The future is a yet unwritten book.

Being a leader is a matter of position not aptitude. People have been successfully led by those that never completed high school and lost their lives following the most educated in our society.

Excuses are the exchange of the poor and money is the exchange of the wealthy. Money can not buy happiness and neither can excuses.

Worry is nothing more than a repeat burglar. We do not like what is happening yet we keep the window open so it can continue to steel away our dreams and desires. Worry is a useless emotion that has no basis-in-fact so do not let it control your life.

Action invites growth, inactivity invites competition. Leaders spend 99% of their time moving forward and 1% of their time looking back. Many of the largest companies in history have been trampled by the competition because they stopped taking action. If you are not moving forward, you are falling behind.

Marketing is marketing regardless what you are marketing

Someone contacted me yesterday to tap into my years of experience in marketing as he wanted to start a business and wasn’t sure where to begin or if he should begin. He was looking to start a mobile detailing business. Although I have never been in the detailing business I know from experience the concepts are all the same and it is just a matter of applying the principles. I felt his concept was great because it would require very little investment and very little overhead. This could very easily be done right out of his home and it could even be done part time in the beginning.

Here is what I told him:

• Purchase the tools you need to get started. In our case follow the startup plan and purchase the product kit that meets your needs.
• Create flyers or business cards to introduce your business to prospects. I suggested a flyer with a special limited time offer. This keeps your flyer from being shoved to the bottom of the pile of papers because if they do not act now they will lose the deal.
• Dress for success. A neat and professional appearance when you are prospecting will make all the difference in your results.
• Identify your target market and take action. Many businesses will allow you to place your flyer in their establishments. Restaurants and walk-in businesses often usually have free magazines where people wait to be served. Check out our back office for all the different ways to meet new prospects.
• Be persistent and consistent. Success is based on continuous action. You can’t leave one set of flyers and expect immediate results. Keep track of the places that let you leave flyers and visit once a month or every other month until you start seeing results.
  Don’t take rejection personally. Stay positive when faced with negative people. There are nice people and there are rude people. Some people will want your service others will not. Handle rejection with a kind word and you will be successful. A simple “Thank you for your time” and move on works well.
• Make it easy for your customers to keep coming back. A thank you note or card goes a long way.
• Regardless of the result of your contact always ask for referrals. Also ask your customers to recommend you to their friends. Word of mouth is a great way to build.

These principles apply to every business regardless of the size. If you apply them consistently your business will continue to grow.

Tips for Making Contacts

Here are three quick tips for making contacts:

1. Persistence Pays. Do not call once and give up. Your prospect may have been out or busy when you tried to contact them.
2. Expect Objections and Excuses. Prospects have no idea what you are offering them and you are probably catching them off guard by your contact. Learn how to handle objections. Most people react with an and objection without knowing why they did it.
3. Do not try to present the business on your first contact. Plan a follow-up with your prospect on the first call. Give them a place to get more information and then set up an appointment. If the person is truly interested they will look at the information and be available for the follow-up. If they were not they won't show and you won't waste time on someone that was not interested.

Success in prospecting is about approaching it with the correct attitude. Here is my attitude on prospecting:

• Good Prospects are open minded, coachable, and follow through.
• If the prospect does not follow through on the first step they will not follow through on building the business and they are probably the wrong person.
• People that are going to be successful will follow the proven duplication model and focus on their personal success and the success of the team.
• Just because someone needs the business doesn't mean they will do the business. The reality is often the people that need the business the most are in that place because they do not feel they can succeed at anything. You may never be able to change that self defeating attitude.
• It is better to spend time with good prospects that follow through and build the business then bad prospects that do nothing.

A noted leader in this industry once said: "I would rather work with a person that is running toward the finish line then one I have to drag across it. I only have two hands but I can work with a lot of people that are running on their own no matter how fast, but with my two hands I can only work with one or two people that are waiting for me to drag them across"

Being a leader

You are experiencing the dream of building your own business and being the boss. Then you realize you have little or no background in actually owning and running a company.

You may have had a piece of the pie but someone else may have been responsible for:

• Marketing and sales
• Recruiting
• Advertising
• Project management

All of these are now up to you as the leader of your business. Are you ready to take on all of these new steps as the leader of your business? One of the things that is great about direct sales is the business blueprint is already set in place by leaders of the company so it is just a matter of using the materials and prospecting tools. This makes it easier to bring people to the business either as a new representative or customer and more of your time can be focused on building instead of coming up with ways to build. When I opened my own businesses these were all up to me and I had to plan to introduce people to the business, create the materials and then somehow find the time to actually distribute the materials or I would have to pay other people to do it for me.

You may be reading this and now questioning if you even want to be a leader. Being a leader encompasses different tasks depending on where you are within your business. Being a leader relates more to taking action and setting an example. People you involve in your business will do what you do. If you are making contacts introducing people to your business and continuing to build you are setting a positive example your team will follow. If you are sitting back waiting for people to call you and you are only supporting your existing network your team will also follow that example and switch into support mode. They are looking to you to support them and set the pace.

Why direct sales is expanding and replacing traditional marketing models

If you have not noticed more products and services are being introduced to consumers by direct sales. Just a few years ago there was a hand full of products that were introduced by direct sales. The model was very effective for introducing products to consumers in competitive markets that offered a something different. This track record of bringing new products to consumers quickly for less money has captured the eyes of companies in almost every sector. Initially this model was very effective for introducing personal care and nutritional products. Recently this was expanded to include finance, telecom and technology.

Direct sales is truly a love hate industry but an industry that is quickly capturing the attention of companies struggling to compete in a world economy. Because many new products are being delivered by this model consumers are adjusting to the concept of being introduced to new products in this format almost without knowing its happening. I predict that over the next 5 years a significant portion of our spending habits will be dependant on direct sales and here is why.

Companies are adopting this model for three major reasons:

• Advertising is a significant expense to the bottom line. Companies spend millions of dollars each year promoting their products over traditional media outlets like TV, Radio, and in print. With the introduction of Internet they are directing some of their advertising dollars into this new format which includes lower cost pay-per-impression model and email advertising.
• Product competition from foreign markets is eating into profits. World markets are creating competing products in almost every industry and it is becoming difficult to compete. When products are placed back to back on the same shelf, brand recognition becomes more important. At the same time sales are lost to less expensive generic brands placed strategically next to traditional brands.
• Brand recognition sometimes makes it impossible to compete against higher end products. Years of advertising and brand recognition of products make it difficult to introduce a new product regardless how much better or different it is. Especially when it is placed on the shelf right next to the well known brand.

Direct sales provides companies the ability to deliver products with very little spent on advertising and the money paid to the distribution channel and retailer is then paid to the direct sales network in the form of commissions. This allows companies to quickly spread the story of their product and a shortened marketing timeline. Marketing teaches us that consumers need to hear and or see a product 20-30 times before they recognize the product or why they need it. Introduction by word of mouth advertising drastically reduces this lead time.

This is a win-win business model.

It is staggering how quickly a new product can be introduced by this business model. I have witnessed many product sales exceeding over 1 million dollars per month from inception to initial launch. Only huge distribution companies and channels can launch products that quickly and this is after spending millions on advertising and sampling.

Make no mistake about it, direct sales is here to stay and it will continue to expand into other industries over the next few years as more companies adopt the business model. The question is who will be smart enough to position themselves in front of this opportunity and who will wait until the industry is saturated to jump on board. The winners are the people that recognize an opportunity when it is fresh and new. The 5% that make things happen.

10 Simple Steps to Success

1. Recruit Yourself: The most important person you will ever recruit is YOU. Once you have that done, then you won't have a problem talking to, or recruiting ANYONE else! Set your goals, know WHY you are doing this business, and stay focused.

2. Be Coachable: Even though you may have been very successful in another profession, you are starting with a new product, team, and business model. Follow the steps outlined and do not try to reinvent it.

3. Make a List: Start out by making a list of as many people as possible, we recommend 200 friends, family, or associates. Think about everyone you know - even those you only know a little. Once completed, put a "*" by your top 30 contacts - those who not only would most likely be interested, but those who can become leaders in your organization.

4. Start IMMEDIATELY to call your Top "Executive" Prospects: Start with your top 30 contacts first - your "chicken" list. Ask them what they are doing with their photographs. After they tell you, ask them how that plan is working for them so far. Then introduce them to a PhotoMax presentation, show them your own Movie Magic DVD, and get them on a 3-way call with your business coach. Do not try to present the business over the phone, use the presentations.

5. Keep your prospect list full: Follow BusinessMax Keep your contact pipeline full of prospects, who are at some stage in the recruiting process. BusinessMax will teach you how to fast track to Executive by committing to the right activities.

6. Always Know Your Next Step: Continually look to the next step for you in building the business, for your customers in getting hooked on PhotoMax, and for your business prospects joining you in the PhotoMax business opportunity.

7. Stay Informed and Trained Participate in weekly training calls: Be familiar with the most current sales aids via the internet, phone recordings, and print media. Regularly visit "My Office" on the corporate website to get up-to-date information.

8. Get Your Own PhotoMax Testimonial and Use it to Gather Customers: Ask people, "What are you doing with your photographs?" You'll find it is so easy to get people to talk about their photos. Then ask them how that plan is working for them. Tell them about PhotoMax and give them your testimonial or show them your Movie Magic DVD.

9. Build to the Weekly Meeting, Next Event, or Conference: The excitement and credibility that come from attending a Corporate, Regional, or even Local Event is something you cannot re-create on your own. Use these events to set deadlines for yourself and exponentially multiply your business. Never attend alone. Learn the “Art of Inviting” and get a minimum of 5 to 10 guests to attend with you.

10. Be a Great Leader - Duplication is the Key This is YOUR business: Take responsibility for your own CONSISTENCY and for the MOMENTUM in your group. Train each person you sponsor to follow these guiding principles and commit them to training each person they sponsor, and so on. Duplication is the Key

It All Begins with You!

The Art of Inviting

The 4-C’s of Inviting - Each of these principles is important in the inviting process. Don’t leave any of these steps out. If you do, your success will be compromised! Master each and every step:

Compliment with Confidence - Always open with a sincere compliment, and tie that to why you thought of them:-“John, I’ve always admired what you do, and your success, which is why I thought of you…”-“Jane, I’ve always loved your outgoing personality and I thought of you when I found this new tech…”-“Jim, your success is followed by your incredible drive and I thought of you when I saw this new tech….”If you can’t be sincere, don’t give them a compliment, or you will lose credibility with your prospect!

Create Curiosity with Confidence - Your job of inviting is to create enough curiosity to make them WANT to know more information. “What are you doing with your photographs?... Have you gone digital?... What are you doing with your digital pictures? How is that plan working for you? I can show you a plan that is easy, fun, and is also a great business opportunity. You can learn all about this at my home on Thursday night. Will you be there?” Once you have peaked their interest, don’t say anything else!

Control Yourself with Confidence - Control Yourself, Control Yourself! Make them show up for more information. You only want to create curiosity. Once you have done your job, SAY NO MORE! Because you have created curiosity, they WILL ask questions. Do not answer any questions! If you answer their questions, they will think they know, and they won’t show up! Just tell them you would rather they see “The Big Picture” before you answer any questions. This call should only be three minutes long, max. IF YOU SATISFY THEIR CURIOSITY, THEY WONT COME!

Commit with Confidence - Commit, Commit, Commit! You need to really get a strong commitment that they will attend. Your confidence will make a huge difference in their desire to actually come.-“John, I only have 10 seats for this meeting. I need to know if you are 100% there or I have to give your seat to someone else” (no one wants to lose their seat) Only 50% of those who totally commit will actually show so don’t be surprised.. The percentage only drops with those who are weak on their commitment: “I will try to come”: 25% chance. “I will probably come”: 35% chance. “I will definitely be there”: 50% chance! If they don’t show, don’t be wimpy - let them know they missed out, but that you will give them one more chance to check out PhotoMax.

Overcoming Fear and why people just quit

After a number of years in business you develop a sense of who will quit before they get started. There are a lot of reasons why people quit, but most common reason is fear. The fear of starting something new and different overcomes them and they begin questioning their reasons. Then there is the initial contact of new prospects and the fear of saying something wrong or the fear of rejection. Fear is a very powerful emotion that can easily control our lives if we let it.

I was in the car with my 14 year old yesterday when he let me know he is interested in trying sky diving. We discussed the thrill of risk and the potential dangers of jumping. He is a very bright 14 and he announced “It is more dangerous driving on the highway right now then it would be for me to jump out of a plane, right?” I chucked a little and agreed with him. He has never been a fan of flying so I was a little surprised when he announced this. But he is maturing and overcoming his childhood fears and I always try to avoid pointing out the negative and suppressing his dreams.

It is funny what comes out of the mouth of our young and how we often miss the connection with other things in life. Driving is without question one of the most dangerous things we do, yet we think nothing of jumping in the car for almost no reason and risking our lives. The same people that will risk their lives and their very expensive vehicle racing down the road are often the first to avoid the risk of making changes in other areas of their lives where the only risk is rejection or failure.

If you to listen to self improvement recordings one of the things you will learn is that most people fear change or they fear rejection. You also learn that fear is natural but we have to learn to feel the fear and work past it if we are ever going to make changes.

So why do people fear change where there is no risk of injury and seem to have no fear of doing things which has a huge risk of injury? The answer: necessity. If we can not drive it creates a hardship. The necessity that we drive forces us to overcome the fear of injury.

The same relates to our source of income and every other aspect of our life. The fear of being hungry or living in the street forces us to find a way to generate income. Without the demand there is no need and we start to question our motives.

My first mentor in this business taught me to find my “WHY”. Why was I starting this business and write down a list. Then form that list into goals and put them in order from things I needed right away to things I wanted in the next 3 to 5 years. Then let that list drive my need to succeed.

If you are making changes out of necessity, chances are your drive to succeed will force you to act beyond your fears of failure and rejection. Sit down today and put together a list of reasons why you need to improve your life. Whatever the reason put it down and then prioritize that list in order of importance and put a time frame next to each item. If you need to get pictures of the things you want if it is a home, vacation or car get a brochure and clip out pictures. Keep reminding yourself why you are trying to make changes. It is amazing how when something becomes important we can make it happen.

Missed Opportunities

When people I have involved in my business come back and tell me that they can not get customers or they can not find people to get started I always asked this question:

“How many opportunities did you miss this week?”

We all miss opportunities to share our story, our company and our products to others. Just yesterday I missed a perfect opportunity to capture some business. I happened to be in a super WalMart with my family and there were two people standing in front of a self service station trying to print photographs. What seemed like an easy system to me was a very complicated stressful situation for the person trying to get their prints and the person behind them waiting. I looked over interested that Kodak was able to sell prints for 28 cents per print on a self service machine when we sell the same print for 14 cents and that people actually stand in line and get frustrated instead of doing them from home. I was busy trying to get checked out and keep my grandson entertained that I never thought about the opportunity right in front of me. I left the store and kicked myself for not at least giving them my business card. It was a missed opportunity to meet two new people and share my business.

If you are feeling that your business is not building fast enough then start to recognize opportunities. For example I look for anyone that is talking about or showing a photograph. If someone pulls out a picture it is a perfect time to share a story about my business. Once you start to recognize opportunities you will begin to recognize opportunities you have missed and you will be unconsciously training yourself. Then you will be better at recognizing opportunities as they are occurring so they are not missed.

Remember “Opportunities are never lost they are taken by others.”