My Grandchildren were in the newspaper

Yesterday I received a call that my grandchildren were in the newspaper. My last blog entry contains a picture of my two grandchildren which was taken last weekend when we took them bowling for the first time. Jaki (my daughter-in-law) sent the picture into a newspaper photo contest and the paper (Record-Journal) selected the photo to advertise the contest, which is entitled “Best Friends”.

If you would like to see the contest entry visit: http://record-journal.mycapture.com/mycapture/photos/Image.aspx?ImageID=238565&EventID=490407&CategoryID=36876&CollectionID=0&Sort=

While you are there please vote…

The great thing is they are really that close. Of course there is the normal sibling fighting but generally the two are inseparable.

A week for the record books

As a veteran of the network marketing business I have heard many horror stories from other distributors, who had been in their own businesses prior to joining our industry and why they closed their businesses to go full time in this business.

I have one to add to the story books. I received a call from an employee of one of my clients, the business manager who I worked with professionally several years, a little over a week ago telling me that she was falsely being accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from my client and she said she was calling me because they were questioning the value of my service as part of her termination interview. My service is a key part of their billing. I was confused and rather upset that they would be questioning me and my company after 2 years and a measurable reduction in their outstanding receivables. A few days later I was contacted by a partner in the company, told that the business manager was terminated and asked to bring in my invoices for the last 24 months. I was told that there was a discrepancy in the billing and they would appreciate if I would provide them with what I billed their account. When I arrived and we reviewed my invoices, I was told that on their books they had paid me 6 times the total invoices just last year. I was in shock and did not know what to say. I was told that my account was one of many in question. This was a first for me a client cutting checks with my name on them, somehow getting them cashed and keeping the money. The client is transferring their billing to an outside agency to avoid this type of future loss so I will be losing the account within the next month. For me clearly it is time to make a change. The fact that this is possible and a large portion of my income is dependent on contract services like this created a gut check moment for me that now is the time to really focus on one business that creates residual income.

The best part of the week!

The week wasn’t a total loss; we went bowling yesterday with the grandchildren. This was the first time they both had been bowling (Mark 5 and Kady 2). They had a blast. The bowling center, which just upgraded their lanes, automatically adjusts the lane for the children so when it is their turn to bowl gutter bumpers automatically come up so the adults and kids can all bowl together. It was a great time.

It is also getting closer to boating time. I visited the marina yesterday to check on the boat. Just a few weeks it will be in the water and I have to get the cover off and prep the boat for the water, can't wait for weekends away... I still have to paint the bottom and flush out the systems. The kids are already talking about taking the jet ski out and looking forward to the water. The river was at flood stages yesterday and the marina was watching the levels, expecting possible flooding today. It may be a good day for a drive to get some pictures. I am truly blessed to have the ability to get away like this with a boat and Jet Ski. I hope that I can help others also obtain these items or whatever their dreams are by helping them obtain them through the business.

Back to blogging

I have been out of the blogging loop for a while. I am resurrecting my blog and getting back to work. Not that I have stopped witting. I still write for a monthly publication (Common Interest) which is distributed mostly in my home state of Connecticut.

Today I started making contacts and building. I have an appointment tonight with an old distributor who is also getting back to work and we will be making a few contacts.

I had a great weekend with my oldest son and grandchildren (Kady 2 and Mark 5). We went to a place called club kidz on Friday evening, it is a place where they can get rid of their energy and have some fun. This place has all sorts of things for kids to do from go carts to a climbing wall. Saturday we went to the movies to see Horton hears a who. I was happy to be spending time with the family but at the same time wondering if I would enjoy this animated story, I knew as a child. But the story was interesting and the computer animation was excellent. Definitely a great movie. The two kids sat through it and surprisingly so did the 3 adults.

Unfortunately this blogger is going the way of everything else and I already had an issue with my blog being marked as spam. If that happens again I will transfer services and take this some place else or just program my own.

Here are the keys to your new space ship…

I run into a number of people that tried to start a direct sales business and failed and now ask "Why should I try that again, the business does not work." I find out through discussion that they failed because of two reasons, inexperienced leaders and no training. They caught the vision but just could not make it happen and could not figure out why.

My answer is simple:

"What if I just handed you the keys to a space ship and then told you to fly it home like you already had years of astronaut training. Chances are you would never get it off the ground or fail trying. Now think about how you got started in this business and you will understand why you either did not ever get it off the ground or failed trying. You can not buy a kit and a dream from someone and take off on your own and expect to be successful. You need support and training until you feel comfortable running it on your own."

When I first started in the business I saw the business model and with my math background I quickly understood the compensation plan matrix, so I had my space ship fueled and ready to drive my business to Mars. But I did not have the tools or the training to make it happen. It took time working with the right people who did have the experience and when I worked with the tools that those leaders built and put in place, I was able to begin building successfully.

Building anything to a level of success takes training, patience, and hard work. If any one of the three things are missing it will be difficult to achieve success.

Why doesn’t everyone see it too?

Someone you know just got you started in what you see as a huge business opportunity. You are so excited that the first thing you do is tell your immediate friends and family. The excitement is so strong that you can barely get out the words and then you ask them to get involved too because after all why not help them become rich like you will be.

Then you find out that the first 4 or 5 people you talk to not only will not join you in the business but they do not even want your products. You instantly begin to ask yourself if you made the right decision. You wonder if they know something you do not. Then your excitement of starting something new turns into the fear of making a bad choice.

At this point many people just stop the business convinced they made a bad decision and they cut their losses. After all, who wants to be ridiculed by their friends and family? Would it be better to just to make it go away quickly?

Before you throw in your cards and just quit you should understand why they turned you down in the first place. Your close friends and family would like to see you succeed personally and financially but their first instinct is to protect you from yourself and the strangers that clearly talked you into doing something different. Subconsciously they are ensuring that you do not quit your job and throw away your life because you had a temporary lapse of sanity. The bottom line they truly believe they are protecting you and themselves from financial disaster.

But think about the process. Were they at the business meeting you attended? Did they see what you saw, hear about the market potential, and experience the products? No, they heard part of the story from you and then decided it would not work. They are making a decision on less than half the information you received. The second part of this is the fear of change. Everyone fears change, but when you experience something so compelling the risk of failure out weighs the fear of change and you take a chance. Remember they did not get the compelling story, just your excitement. Your excitement may be enough for a stranger, but it won’t be for your friends because they know you and where are both personally and financially. They can’t envision you being hugely successful at anything simply because you never were and what changed besides the fact that you started something new.

Let us imagine all of the people you spoke to about the business were in a fishing boat with you on the ocean. You can’t see land in any direction, it is a very hot day and you are looking for a way to cool off so you announce to everyone that you are going to jump into the water without a life vest for a cool swim. You are confident in your ability to stay a float, but people around you immediately start to speak out. One suggests that you put on a vest, another comments about what hungry predators may be swimming below you. Others are shaking their head agreeing with them. So do you jump in or stay in the boat? Let us say you jump in because it is just so hot that you have to cool off even though you know there are risks. Again you get a comment or two about the safety of your decision, but you stick it out and after a little while you are enjoying the cool water and nothing bad happens. Then someone else announces that they are going to join you. Then a third but this person wears their life vest. Why did they change their mind, after all they were agreeing that this was just too dangerous? The answer is simple, you took the risk and survived. Really the risk was all in perception.


When you think about it how much of a risk was there? Out of the millions of people that boat and swim in unprotected waters only a very few get killed each year by shark attacks. You had a 1000 times greater chance of getting killed during the car ride to the boat. Even if you were unable to stay a float there were several other people that could have at least tossed in a life vest or pulled you out of the water so there was very little risk of your drowning. So really these people were just protecting you from what might happen, if by chance something went wrong. You can’t fault your friends for being concerned and at the same time you can’t let them keep you from obtaining your dreams.

Now let us look at what happened at the end of the story. When you proved that the water was safe and it truly provided a welcomed relief from the hot sun a few joined you. Do you think the same would happen with your business?

Back to the beginning of our story, you started something new and different that was outside what the people in your social circle were use to. You saw it as a welcome relief from what you were currently doing to earn an income and took the risks associated with making the changes. You then shared it with your closest friends and family and they immediately turned you down to protect you from making a bad choice and throwing away your career and losing what you had built. Now let us say you listened to their advice and stuck with the business and in time built an income large enough that you could leave your job. Then your income increased to the point that you could buy a nicer home and a better car. At this point do you think you would get the same reaction from your friends and family? Probably not, at this point a few of the people that thought you were crazy for taking the risk will decide to join you, because you showed that the risk was worth the results. If you quit the business without giving it a try then you would have robbed them and yourself from the opportunity to make a change that benefited you both.

When someone tells me no I ask why not? The question why is very powerful and the answer tells me volumes. If it is for personal reasons like they do not have the time, money, or they are not interested in the product then I understand it has nothing to do with my decision. If they say these things don’t work or something ridiculous like it is a pyramid scam then I know they are just trying to protect me or themselves. If they say they took a good hard look at it and then come up with valid reasons why the marketing plan, the company, or the product will fail then I would take them seriously and at that point I would question my decision.

The true answer here is to set the pace and take the leadership position you planned to when you started the new business. Your friends will have a higher opinion of you if you stand behind your decision and make it work. At the same time you will be doing yourself and them a favor by making the opportunity work for you both. In reality you are only risking a few dollars and a few hours each week for relief. Do not let their perceptions of failure detour you from your goals of becoming successful.

Developing your Million-Dollar Mentality

Developing your Million-Dollar Mentality by Todd Falcone

So…you want to be a millionaire, do you? Say YES! It is a great place to be.

In order to be a millionaire, you need to think like one. There is no such thing as thinking like average and earning exceptional income. It simply doesn’t work that way. And…if and when it does (very rarely), it never lasts long.

In order for you to accumulate wealth and create a massive income, you first have to change your way of THINKING and ACTING.

Let me give you some idea of where your mind and actions need to be in order to create a massive organization that pays you hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Ready? You sure? Here’s a little sample:

A million-dollar mindset person sees the possibilities.
An average person focuses on reasons why it isn’t possible.

A million-dollar mindset person makes it happen.
An average person makes excuses why they didn’t or couldn’t make it happen.

A million-dollar mindset person sees beyond an obstacle or roadblock.
An average person only sees the obstacle or roadblock.

A million-dollar mindset person brings out the best in others.
An average person looks for faults in others.

A million-dollar mindset person doesn’t have a work day.
An average person can’t wait until their work day is over.

A million-dollar mindset person learns from their mistakes.
An average person gets lacks the discipline to learn from their mistakes.

A million-dollar mindset person lives in the present with a focus on the long-term future.
An average person lives in the past with a focus on their current situation.

A million-dollar mindset person pays themselves before they pay anything else.
An average person pays the bills and never saves anything for themselves.

A million-dollar mindset person thrives on playing the game.
An average person sits on the sidelines and watches others win the game.

A million-dollar mindset person will do anything it takes to make it happen.
An average person simply won’t do the things to make it happen.

A million-dollar mindset person can always see the light at the end of the tunnel.
An average person gets lost in the tunnel until the train runs them over.

A million-dollar mindset person looks fear square in the eye and says “move aside.”
An average person runs from their fear back into their comfort zone of mediocrity.

A million-dollar mindset person focuses on establishing nourishing relationships.
An average person allows themselves to be guided by toxic relationships.

A million-dollar mindset person fails their way to success.
An average person never even tries.

A million-dollar mindset person knows that a little faith goes an infinite way.
An average person says “show me first and then I’ll make my way.”

These are just a few thoughts to put into your mind as you go about the rest of your week to see how successful people think.

As I heard a quote recently from legendary motivational speaker Les Brown, “I refuse to live an unlived life!”

Sounds to me like a great way to live. In fact, they only way to really live!
Todd Falcone, www.toddfalcone.com, has been a successful field leader for over a decade. He is also a public speaker, trainer and personal coach to several top producing network marketers. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Carla, and son, Gianni.

Spinning wheat into gold

For centuries individuals searched for a way to side step the process and become rich. It was and still is an urban legend that if you could obtain fast money you would become rich and all your problems would be solved. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen and even when someone becomes rich that never was rich they do not know what to do with the money and within a short period of time they are poor again.

My parents and grandparents were taught how to become an employee and their employers dangled a carrot before them claiming that some day they could be the boss if we work hard and were loyal to the company. Of course those positions were few and far between so most people worked 20-30 years for the same company and retired with little or nothing to show for that effort.

In today’s society we are still taught to be an employee but our employers offer little or no vision of the future. In fact they upsize and downsize employees at a whim and treat their employees like they were a box of fries at a drive thru window. At what point did it become fashionable to treat people like they should be fortunate to be able to earn a living?

The true issue isn’t how employers treat their employees, it is that we are taught that a job is the only way to earn an income and everything else is simply a dream if you are not already rich. However, this is beginning to change. As the U.S. job market shrinks, incomes shrink, and more people are bounced from job to job views are changing and desperate individuals are looking for alternate ways to earn an income. This will be magnified as gas prices and interest rates continue climb. Normal people will be locked out and will be forced to look for alternatives.

Here are 5 urban legends that affect our ability to be successful:

1. Only people born into money or are lucky become successful. It is luck and not drive that makes people successful.
2. Without a degree the only way to earn enough to support my family is through a first or second job. Even with a degree the best way to earn a consistent living and retirement is with a job.
3. All business opportunities are scams and only unscrupulous people make money doing them by praying on the weak.
4. I can get rich starting my own small business and hire employees to work for me. As the boss, my employees will make me money. As the employee the boss makes all the money.
5. If I hit the lottery I would be rich and never have to work again.
   

In direct sales we see emerging countries create huge success early on when a new country is opened and several times I have been asked why this is? There are three answers:

• Need. All emerging countries contain people that struggled for decades to survive. Anyone offering them an opportunity to be successful will be taken seriously.
• Education. Most of these countries are taught on a different level. The main difference is the level of Math that is taught. When you present a matrix based compensation plan they can see and understand how it works almost immediately. To this day I do not completely understand the compensation plan of my company, I just know it works.
• Society. In the U.S. our first response to someone approaching us about a business, any business is that it will never work. In these countries no one is telling people that it can’t be done.
  

When you live in a land of plenty and you are receiving an income regardless of the level, it is difficult to see a time when it will come to an end and you will be struggling to eat let alone pay your bills.

What this all boils down to is those who are proactive and plan will survive in the world economy. Those who continue to let their future be directed by others will find out when it is too late that most people only do things that are in their best interest and do not care about their neighbor.

Planning for change

Change is inevitable and it can catch you by surprise or you can plan for it. When change affects your income, especially in today’s financial environment, it is best to plan for it and hedge off disaster.

Even the largest and what appear to be the most financially stable companies are eventually subject to change. Look at IBM, GM, and MCI all fortune 100 companies that lost major market share and all had to shed thousands of employees and close facilities to stay in business. I fell pray to this many years ago when Aetna Insurance merged with US Healthcare. My department was considered no longer part of the corporate strategy and that change in philosophy resulted in thousands of jobs being eliminated including mine. In the years following the Aetna US Healthcare merger allowed both companies to shed thousands of employees and actually almost put the new company out of business. All changes that effected my live and they were completely outside of my control and totally unexpected. Even back then I had a backup plan and I had a separate business outside of my primary source of income so I had a secondary income source.

Planning for change should start today. If you do not have a savings and multiple streams of income then you are at risk regardless of the size or financial status of your company or employer. Wisely investing little as $10 a day, about what we spend on lunch, will compound into close to 1 million dollars over 20 years. This is money that can be used to back up your income and will make for a more comfortable retirement.

If you do not have a part time business this is a good time to re-evaluate why not. This is also a place to obtain the extra income you need to save for your future. Remember as little as $10 a day will provide for your retirement. Do you think you could generate $300 per month part time? Of course you can. This way you can continue to live on your primary income and invest all or part of your secondary income. People ask why someone with my background and experience I got involved in Network Marketing, here is the answer:

• It cost very little to get started so there was a limited down side. It also allowed me to work part time right out of my home without impacting my primary income.
• It is a great way to get experience in starting and running your own business and “Become your own boss” and I was in the position to help others because of my experience.
• I did not have to stock anything or even come up with new products to replace aging ones I could simply focus on building the business.
• I did not have to be a sales person. I could sell without pressure and at the same time build a business helping others do the same.

Think about the many reasons you should get started in your own business and hedge your future, then take action.

Remain in control

Without realizing it almost everyone you encounter and form a relationship with tests your confidence and leadership. They do it by questioning your ideas, plans, and goals. The way you respond to those challenges demonstrate your leadership ability, determination, and resolve. The reason we do this is to determine if we should be directing (leading) this person to do what we wish, we should be following them to do what they want, or avoiding this person because their beliefs differ from ours. If we encounter a person we like, but they are wishy-washy and do not have direction we will naturally provide that direction. If we encounter someone that is confident and setting the pace, we will naturally allow them to provide that direction. This is instinctive in our nature and if you understand this you can use it to control your direction and who you associate with.

Now let us apply a few principles to our daily life:

• Become confident that what you are doing is in your best interest. If you are questioning your decisions then any challenge will probably result in your backing down. Do what ever it takes to become confident that your path is the correct path for you. Let your friends set their own direction.
• Set the pace that works for you and take action. Only action creates results. If you are standing round watching things happen you are not setting direction and you are not going to achieve results. If you want people to take you seriously be serious.
• Learn to recognize challenges. When your decision is challenged with a question or a rejection remain confident and in control. If you find yourself backing down on a regular basis it is time to take a look at your decisions, direction, and most importantly the people that are challenging you. Ask yourself if these people are also heading in the same direction or just keeping you from following your path.

Again it is natural for people to question your decisions and challenge your direction. You do not have to lead others to be a leader and set a direction and follow that course of action. Once you have a direction and start to follow that course people interested in traveling on that same path will automatically join your team. Some will be a head of you and some will follow, but at least you will all be going in the same direction. But it all starts by taking control of your actions and not wavering in your commitment.

Could you imagine a pilot flying the plane based on the choices of everyone on the flight? The plane would either never take off or it would never land and should he achieve flight he would never be at the correct altitude and he would need a team of people nearly equal to the number of passangers adjusting the temperature, air quality, meal selections, and dealing with the seating arrangement. The pilot through experience and confidence takes a leadership position and controls the flight to completion. Because we are all following the same path we naturally follow his lead. Many of us will not agree with his decisions throughout the flight but we naturally allow him to control our direction and set the pace. Become the pilot of your future.

If everyone got it, it would not be this big.

It is amazing what you get as a response when contacting people. Some people get it and some people do not. I love to hear and read the responses to my contacts from people that do not know me, my background, or my successes. They tell me that helping other people reach their personal goals is wrong or immoral. This is probably because their self-esteem is so low they can not think of anything that would make them a better person. The reality is if everyone understood what was really happening and jump on board the ability to be successful would be very limited and the competition would be intense. My biggest fear is that over the next 3 years while we building this new division that will happen and everyone will be signing up and the company will no longer need to pay us the big money. We know that won’t happen, but it makes a point.

As soon as the words pyramid and scam come up I know they do not get it and they know little or nothing about the industry or our company. The next questions are “Can they be educated?” and “Is it worth the time to try?”

I was taught early on not to pre-judge anyone because the people you least expect to be successful are. At the same time we only have a limited amount of time to spend on people and I like to spend that time on people that are open minded and ready to take action.

It takes time and experience to separate someone that really does not get it from someone that is just giving you a quick excuse. There are two ways to get that experience: One make contacts and experience these people; second, do not just move on when you hear an excuse. Address it and see what the reaction is. Here are a few easy answers to quick responses:

E: I am not interested.
A: How could you be, you have not seen what any of this is about?

E: I do not have time for anything
A: This is the reason most people get started in my business so they will have more time.

E: I do not have any money
A: Does it not make sense to take a look at starting a business so you will have money?

E: Is this a scam or pyramid?
A: This Company has been in business for over 22 years, if it was a scam or pyramid it would have been shut down years ago. But please do not believe me; check it out for yourself before you make a decision.

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.”

A lesson from science class

Science teaches us that it is harder to get something started than it is to keep it moving once it is rolling.

"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force." Newton’s First Law of Motion.

The same is true with our actions. Once we get home and hit the couch, turn on the TV and rest it is difficult to get rolling again. This is like pushing a bolder up a hill. It is difficult to get the bolder up to the peak, an up hill battle. Once the bolder hits the peak it starts rolling down hill pretty much on its own but you have to continue to give it a push here and direct it to keep it rolling past the obstacles like trees and other stones. It is much easier to keep it rolling at that point with just a little effort on your part.

The same is true with your business. It seems like an uphill battle getting a business rolling. It takes time, patience, and persistence to get things rolling. Then it seems like out of no where the business starts growing on its own with a lot less effort on your part.

Many businesses fail because it can take 1 to 3 years before a business just grows on its own. There is a higher failure rate in direct sales and network marketing because there is little cash outlay to get started and it does not hurt as much if you just quit. Typically people that purchase less than the large starter kit will probably quit within the first two weeks. Someone that spends over $1,000 will give it an effort because they do not want to lose that start up investment.

The sad thing is once momentum takes over you are looking around and trying to figure where the money is coming from. At this point it is important to keep active and keep building even though it seems you can step back and watch it grow. During this period you will be able to continue to grow the business with much less effort. This isn’t a product of greed; it is planning for the reality that something outside your control will affect your business and the larger it is the less effect this unplanned event will have on your growth. Products become obsolete, competition may grab some of your market share, or any number of things can affect your growth. If you stay in the game and stay active you will be able to prepare for this change and adjust as needed.

Remember that it takes a lot more effort to start something new then it does to keep doing what you are doing. Once you start something new continue to be committed to making it successful and never quit. A persistent effort will keep your business on a positive track, even on days it may seem impossible. Once you get over the last hurtle the business will seem to be unstoppable. Just continue your efforts as your business grows and you will be an unstoppable force.

The only time you fail is when you stop trying.