Take On the "Small Stuff" and Conquer It.

One of my favorite books is "The Slight Edge", by Jeff Olson. Success arrives at your door step when you persistently do small tasks on a consistent basis, like the story about the "Tortoise and the Hare". You can scramble about doing "busy work", shuffling papers, hopping about from one task to another without focusing on the small tasks and get nowhere. However, by organizing your tasks, taking them on one at at time and doing them consistently, you WILL reach your goals. Reaching your goals brings about Greatness in your life.

Max Steingart shared the following:

SUCCESSFUL ACTION IS CUMULATIVE IN RESULTS.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

Many people take the first step and then stop.Yet, with every additional step you take, you enhance immensely the value of your first step.

All masters of success are chiefly distinguished by their power of adding a second, a third, and perhaps a forth step in a continuous line.

There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession is the rule of life.

That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.

Do not despise the bottom rings in your ascent to greatness.

Are You A Winner or a Whiner?

What is winning? Is it crossing the finish line first....ALWAYS? Or is winning persistence? Without persistence you simply cannot win. Winning is not LUCK.....it is generally the culmination of lots of hard work done on a consistent basis.

Here are some thoughts from Dennis Waitley about Winning.

Winning Is........

Winning is never whining.

Winning is coming in fourth, exhausted but excited, because you came in fifth last time.

Winning is being glad you're you.

Winning is feeling, there is no ceiling.

Winning is beginning, and by beginning, the game is half won.

Winning is all in the attitude!



Where do you want to be in your life? I want to be winning, even if it ISN'T first place everytime. It's doing my best, staying in the game and persisting.

Make Your Dreams Your Reality

by Max Steingart

You have the power and the opportunity to change your life.
You can make anything you want of it.
It's not difficult; it just takes some effort.

See things as you would have them to be instead of as they are.
Develop a personal plan that focuses on what you want, not on what you have.

Your imagination will show you how to turn possibility into reality.
Visualize your goals and your subconscious will work toward making those mental pictures come true.

When you picture yourself as vividly winning, that alone will contribute immeasurably to your success.

Knowing your destination is all you need to get there.

Have You Had Your Dose Of Laughter Today?

Being in a home based business for myself, and working out of my home sometimes feels a little lonely. When I start to feel isolated, I know it's time for a good dose of laughter. Laughter is one of the simple joys of life; and recent studies say we need 12 laughs a day just to stay healthy!

The following was taken from "Laughter is an Instant Vacation". It's contents will make you laugh out loud.

Here's a little sampling that I hope will make your day a little brighter!

If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel.
-Will Kommen

I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.
-Dean Martin

I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.
-Roseanne Barr

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
-Calvin Trillin

My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping.
-Rita Rudner

My husband wanted one of those big-screen TV's for his birthday. So I just moved his chair closer to the one we have already.
-Wendy Liebman

I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes - and six months later you have to start all over again.
-Joan Rivers

My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.
-Henny Youngman

Inside me there's a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes.
-Bob Thaves

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
-Ben Franklin

I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her.
-Rodney Dangerfield

My doctor is wonderful. Once, when I couldn't afford an operation, he touched up the x-rays.
-Joey Bishop

These made me laugh. I hope they do the same for you.

Are You In Network Marketing But Afraid to Tell Anyone About It?

Did you start out your Network Marketing business by making a list of all your family, friends, co-workers and anyone else you've known since Kindergarten? Then very excitedly told them about what a great product and business opportunity you had. What was their response? Probably not exactly what you expected. They didn't share your enthusiasm. What a downer. Now what? Crawl back into your cave and stay there until a customer or prospect miraculously drops out of the sky?

That's the thinking of someone who is broke and will probably stay there. The only way you are going to get your message, product, or opportunity out there is to promote yourself. Do you realize that wealthy people promote themselves all the time? How else did they get where they are? Can you imagine Donald Trump hiding in his office waiting for good opportunities to appear? He's a "make it happen" kinda guy. Who else can you think of that is famous and YES rich? Let's talk about Jack Canfield of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Do you know that he talked to 140 publishing companies before he was finally published? What if he had quit after the first rejection? Our world would NOT be a better place for it. Our world is a much better place with the Chicken Soup series.

Are you then depriving the world of the quality product or service you have to offer? First of all, I should back up a little; do you have a strong positive belief in your product or service? Is there a demand for it? Promoting yourself is all about belief in yourself and what you are offering. Have you done your research on the market for what you are selling? Where would you find the people who need your product or service? With a little bit of effort, i.e., research, you can find many people who would benefit from what you have to offer.

Sure, the Law of Attraction is real. However, the Law of Attraction without the use of the Law of Action doesn't get you very far. YUK!! You mean I have to take ACTION? Does that mean stepping out of my comfort zone? YES! Are you supposed to be comfortable with every action you take? No!! No one is comfortable with every new endeavor they embark upon. But what separates the rich from the not so rich (broke) is action. They move forward even though it might be uncomfortable. Rich people take action; broke people make excuses.

The only way to get comfortable with a new undertaking is to do it. Have you ever heard of the "Ready, Shoot, Aim" principle? Contrary to what we are taught, "Ready, Aim, Shoot", life is a series of small readjustments. When driving a car, we are constantly making tiny adjustments with the steering wheel to stay in our lane, ultimately getting to our destination. We are off-course more than we are on-course. However, we don't get in our car, aim for our destination and just drive without making adjustments. Your Network Marketing (MLM) business is like that. You prepare yourself (Ready), but not "analysis paralysis", by gaining knowledge of your product, service and company. Then you take action (Shoot), by letting people know what you have to offer – promoting. As you are taking action, you constantly adjust what you are saying or doing as you get better with your presentation (Aim). Competency comes with practice.

If your goal is to become wealthy, you must take action. You must promote yourself and your product or service. Don't be shy about it. There are many tools out there to help you promote yourself. I belong to an organization that is dedicated to just that…getting yourself heard in a low rejection environment. Without that, I was just as scared and shy as you might be feeling. A good marketing system builds confidence. Systems are duplicatable; people are not. We can teach you to find no-cost or low-cost leads. I would be happy to help you TAKE ACTION.

"If I Weren't Afraid"....

In response to a question I was asked,i.e., "If I Weren't Afraid..." what would I do, I wrote the following poem. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing and thinking about the topic.

I am a professional Network Marketer. Therefore, as part of my personal development, I must face my fears daily and overcome them to be successful. Anything worth having requires work. But working smart is the real answer and charging ahead without fear are the real keys to success.


IF I WEREN'T AFRAID


If I Weren't Afraid...
I'd write a children's book
And, have it published
So everyone could look...

Through rose colored glasses
At a world without worry.
A world slowed down
No one in a hurry.

If I Weren't Afraid...
I would own my life,
Without trivial concerns
Far from stress and strife....

I would fear nothing.
I'd kick up my heels.
I'd dance with the moon
From no one to conceal.

How happy I'd be,
As free as the wind.
New adventures pursued
The fun would never end.

If I Weren't Afraid...
I'd fly high and free,
Skipping across rainbows
New worlds would I see.

So I say to myself,
What's stopping you,
From reaching up high,
Grabbing new things to do?

Only the darkness of fear
Keeps me from obtaining my dreams.
No real obsticles in the way,
Just my own limits it seems.

So, from this moment on,
I will fear no more.
My dreams I'll pursue,
Adventures behind every door.

Come fly with me,
Grab tightly my hand.
We'll glide smoothly along,
Like the motion of hourglass and sand.

Do not fear anything,
Fate has wrtten your play.
All you must do now,
Is discover the day.

Do You Think Like Your Prospects?

How long has it been since you were a Prospect? I can't remember back that far. Especially since I have been in several different companies and failed at every one until I found the company I am currently with and its duplicatable system.

Can you still think like a Prospect after being in the Network Marketing profession for a while? Or have you forgotten what is important? What motivates someone to join you in your business? For that fact, what motivates ANYONE to join you in ANY activity?

Is it because you are "Too Sexy for Your Shirt"? So wealthy you have a fan club? Have a fantastic car, or mansion? Probably none of the above. Here is a short quiz that might shed some light on what is important to a Prospect.

This quiz is taken from the Ebook "Success in 10 Steps" by Michael Dlouhy.

Get your pen. Here's the list:

1. Company literature shown
2. Marketing plan and potential earnings
3. Training provided
4. Who gave the presentation
5. Product line
6. Company management experience
7. Up-line support
8. Company image
9. Sales kit provided
10. Being first in your area

List the above items in the order you believe a Prospect would be most interested in, in order to join you in your business.

Remember, you are thinking like a Prospect. Try not to look at the answers before you finish your quiz.

One of my mentors, Tom “Big Al” Schreiter, has traveled the world promoting his MLM business. He's discovered what prospects consider most important in deciding on a company.

The answers to the quiz are the following:

#1 won hands down.

1. Who gave the presentation?

"People join people, they don't join companies." Michael Dlouhy, "Success in 10 Steps". The Prospect is interested in YOU, the presenter. Do you meet their criteria as a leader? Will you be there for them as they build their business? This business is about people, not about products or services. When you care about someone, it shows. The Prospect will develop trust in you.

2. Up-line Support.

We're back to people again. You will be their support. They want to know if you will help them. How about YOUR Upline? Will they be available to the Prospect also? One of the first questions your Prospect will have is whether or not they can do the business. So you and your up-line will have to portray integrity and trustworthiness. They won't join someone they don't like and trust. After all, they will be working closely with you and none of us want to work with someone they don't like and trust.

3. Training Provided

So far they haven't asked about the money yet. Surprised? Isn't that why we work? Actually, the motivation for setting up a Network Marketing business begins with the people we will be working with. Again, we're back to like and trust. You have to show them you will be helping them succeed. So many Network Marketing companies have the philosophy of recruit and run. The Prospect is left holding the bag all alone. No wonder there is such a high attrition rate in Network Marketing.

How are you going to provide training? Do you offer interactive conference calls? How about marketing and leads generation training? Then, there is product training. What do you have to offer them? Does the company offer training? What if this is their first time working in Network Marketing? Starting any new business is scary. But take McDonalds as an example. They have a strong duplicatable system that is used throughout their franchises. You can walk into any McDonalds and expect similar menus and identical work processes. They are, for the most part, run very efficiently. Can you offer a training system to your Prospect that will allow THEM to train their Prospects? It's all about know, like and trust. Training is critical to their success.

4. Marketing Plan and Potential Earnings.

Nearly halfway through the Prospect's list of what is important to them, and we're finally getting to compensation. They are wondering if they can do this. Can they really make some money? However, they are back to wondering if you can provide the necessary training to help them be successful. How much money isn't as big an issue as "Can I really do this AND make some money"? What are you going to provide in the way of training and support? You don't really need to go into great detail about the compensation plan because they are thinking about so many different things at this point; they won't retain all the specifics.

5. Product Line

Now come questions about the product or service they will be selling. This is not the time to go into secret ingredients of your wonder product, or to tell them about how many bauds per second their Internet service will provide. A basic overview will suffice at this point. People don't really want to know all about the product, they just want to know if it is something they can use. They are going to want to know if YOU use the products and what results you have had.

6. Being first in the area

Have they asked about the company yet? Nope. People want to know there is room for growth. They don't want to be in a saturated market, but neither do they want to be the only ones selling this product or service. They want the assurance that the product or service is saleable.

7. Company Literature Shown

Many Network Marketers focus on company literature, audios, videos, etc. But in the long run, that is NOT what is going to create a desire for someone to join you in your business. We're back to Network Marketing being a relationship building business. People want to join YOU, not your video.

8. Company Image

Will your Prospect be impressed by an elaborate office building and huge warehouse in an exclusive area of town? I know that didn't impress me. However, after I joined the business, I WAS impressed by the streamlined structure of my company and how much MORE money they were paying their distributors as a result.

Mainly your Prospect wants to be assured that this is a legitimate business and not some offshore corporation with a mailbox for an address. Will they get a check for their hard work, and will the company be there for the long haul? In other businesses, such as Insurance or Investments, the company image is very important. But in Network Marketing, we are back to relationship building.

9. Is The Sales Kit Provided?

Now the Prospect wants to know what their marketing tools will be. Is there good literature? Are there well-produced videos or tapes?

Most presentations start out with information on the company, then the sales kit is presented. However, this is 9th on the list of the most important presentation activities on the Prospect's mind. Who is doing the presentation is still the most important thing for your Prospect. They are still wondering if you will be there to help them. Will your Upline be there? Can they make some money? What will you do to help them be successful?

And, finally…

10. Company Management Experience

Lastly, the Prospect wants to know about the company management. Is the "President a family man, and he's got four or five families to prove it"? From "Success in 10 Steps", Michael Dlouhy. The Prospect really doesn't care. They are still focused on you, the presenter, and how you will help THEM.

Have you convinced them they can do it? Do they like you? Do they believe and trust in you, if not, nothing else matters.


Now it's time to score your quiz.

Again, this is from "Success in 10 Steps", Michael Dlouhy.

Take the difference between what you had and the correct answer. (E.g., if you had #10 Company Management Experience ranked #1, you’d have a difference of 9.)

Do that with every item. Add them up. Now you’ll see how YOU are thinking, compared to how the prospect is thinking.

When I first took the Quiz, I did not do very well. I scored a very high number. My guess is that MANY Network Marketers get these 10 activities backwards, hence, the difficulty in talking with a Prospect and having them join you in your business.

All that matters is what your Prospect is thinking, not what you think they should know.

Learn to think like a Prospect and your entire business will turn around.

To get your free copy of the Ebook "Success in 10 Steps" just click on the name.