'SPREAD THE WORD' - THAT'S MLM

The Concept of MLM – A Synopsis

 

 

More often than not, the Network Marketing folks are found busy talking about everything that MLM is not, which is quite strange and perplexing to the neophytes of the trade. Paradoxical, isn’t it?

What exactly, then, MLM is?

It starts with a manufacturer who has a product line that it wishes to market to consumers. The main reason new companies choose to use MLM is that it usually costs millions of dollars/rupees of marketing expense to introduce a new product. And even then, the results may be disappointing because the competition for consumer dollars/rupees is so great.

Compared to conventional advertising and promotion, it costs a small fraction to introduce a product line through MLM. This means that start up costs are considerably reduced, and more money can be allocated to research and development. As a result, MLM products are generally, of excellent quality.

The concept is simple. An MLM company chooses a nucleus of enthusiastic people in key areas across the country to learn about the product and the business opportunity it represents. The company, then, depends on these people to literally “SPREAD THE WORD”. Of course, there has to be motivation for these original “Sponsors” to become disciples for the company and its product(s).
 

{The motivation is that it is a well known fact that the people who introduce an MLM company into an area, have a good chance of making a great deal of money- provided, of course, that the company is stable.}

The company provides you as an individual, an opportunity to build an organization (sometimes referred to as your “Downline”) by sponsoring four or five committed people who will also “reproduce” themselves by sponsoring another four or five equally committed people. This continues for four, five, six and even seven “levels” in some companies.

 

Sponsoring a person in your MLM organization means that you bring them into the organization as Distributors of the product. The key to making huge sums of money is that you collect commissions and bonuses for the products sold by everyone you bring into your organization plus the people they sponsor.

A little arithmetic will tell you that after five “levels” of four people each (as per basic plans), your organization, theoretically, can contain as many as 1,024 people at the fifth level itself, following the pattern of (4x4)- 16 people on the second level and (4x16)- 64 people on the third level etc.

 

By nature, people thrive and live in social groups. They follow a leader until they gain enough experience and confidence to challenge for leadership, themselves or start their own group. I could dump two tons of the greatest new Super Vitamin 2000 on your driveway, but unless you knew how to market it to the right people, you wouldn’t make a dime. The money is not in the product. It is in knowing how to market the product!

 

The entire point of building a network marketing business is to create well-educated distributors who can market and acquire a large base of happy product customers who have nothing to do with the business.

 

 

If you feel like tossing this aside as being ridiculous or impossible- don’t! I have personally met people earning $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 a month (Yes - I said MONTH) and even more! In many cases, they have been able to earn five figures monthly within one year of joining an MLM company. In INDIA, as well, I have, personally met people earning Crores of rupees from an MLM business. I don’t know of any other type of business that offers this potential. Do you?

 

MLM seems to be the great economic leveler. Some of the biggest earners are unsophisticated, non-business people. In fact, some of them never finished High School. In India, I’ve seen completely uneducated (“Angutha-Chhaap”, as it is called in Hindi) people earning more than 2-3 Lakhs rupees a month. Most of them had little or no money to start their businesses when they began in Multi Level Marketing, even in the West. Believe me, friends, I have really seen lives changing overnight, thanks to the revolutionary and miraculously powerful business of MLM.

 

Most Networkers are like home builders except when they fail to build their house; they go back to the tool store and try a new hammer. When that doesn’t work, they go do it again and again. (Like trying dozens of opportunities and lead companies…). If they would only realize that it is the skill and knowledge of the person swinging the hammer that mattered, and not the company or the comp plan.

 

“Take the attitude of a student; never be too big to ask questions, and never know too much to learn something new.” ~ Og Mandino

Where Do MLM Companies Pay the Distributors From?
 

The key to these earnings is the fact that MLM companies save the usual fifty or more percent of gross income that conventional firms continuously spend on marketing. This money is, therefore, available to pass on to Distributors in the form of commissions and bonuses. Very little or no advertising is done by the MLM companies, although individual distributors may advertise on their own for other distributors and/or retail customers. Distributor kits, sales aids and literature, product packing plus cost of traveling to the key areas for opening seminars and training programs are the major marketing expenses- and even these expenses are borne by the distributor network.

Inference:

The bottom-line of MLM is that it works.

The concept is so simple that many intelligent people find it difficult to accept and wind up considering it a fraud or scam. However, one of the truths about MLM is that it is simple, but NOT EASY. Your network of contacts is the name of the game. MLM is a people business.

 

MLMers call it “sharing” the product and the opportunity. Another very appropriate name for MLM is Network Marketing because it is through one’s own business and personal network of people that an organization is built. If you know people who believe in you or in the company you represent, and the products it sells, and they are ready to commit themselves to becoming distributors for the sake of their own Financial Freedom, you could be on your way to a fortune. The key is to make absolutely sure that they are committed to buying the product and finding other good people to sponsor- which is exactly what you must do, On a Regular Basis…

 

“I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure.” ~ Thomas Edison

 

 

“There is a great deal of difference between the eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.” ~G. K. Chesterton

SANTOSH NAIR - My Motivator - FREE INDIA CONCEPTS

Suskan Consultants, Training, Personality Development, Sales, Management, Performance, in Kolkata, India, West Bengal, Corporate Training, Kanak Jain, Debasis Mukherjee, DM, Suskan, Ask Suskan, AskSuskan: "SANTOSH NAIR, a towering personality in the field of corporate training, inspirational coaching and motivational skill building. A strong believer in productive performance and implementation of knowledge, he has been continuously setting up milestones in the field of training and development not just through his powerful, energetic and vivacious personality but also through his ability to relate directly to the hearts of the masses, quite evidently because of his humble background."

An idol to many, he has a track record of constantly moving ahead in life with lightening speed, no matter what the situation and has achieved paramount success in all his endeavors, throughout his career of more than 2 decades. Over the years, Santosh Nair has brought about revolutionary changes in the minds of many a lives, through his power packed, thought provoking and highly inspirational training programmes, thus helping them build life skills, develop strong attitudes, motivating individuals to constantly enhance their knowledge wealth and also guiding people develop strong habits by training them in a variety of areas that has helped ordinary individuals achieve the extra ordinary.

AND MY DEAR FRIENDS,I am a huge fan of Mr. Santosh Nair having had the fortune of being with him through the training that he imparted for FREE INDIA CONCEPTS at Mumbai in Junew, 2003.Hat's off to him...

Attitude of Leaders in MLM

Hi, friends!
Here’s presenting you all with some basic policy which, in fact, is what keeps one succeeding on a roll, in the field of Multi Level Marketing. If followed to the T, this is what will, unquestionably, give you the desired results regardless of the company you are working with, the Plan you are working out, and the area/ territory you are focusing on.
Here I go…

ATTITUDE OF LEADERS

Be enthusiastic! You’ve got a lot to be excited about – and your enthusiasm and commitment often gives your business more credibility.

Be positive! Feed your mind with Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), books and tapes daily.

Be involved! Attend seminars and conventions, training sessions, and open meetings.

Be happy! This business of Network Marketing is a fun business. Smile. Enjoy it. Nobody wants another boring job.

Be successful! Think and talk as if the success you want were yours already. Success breeds success.

Keep maintaining these cardinal principles and I shall take you into the nitty-gritty of the further methods and procedures of the business of MLM, soon.

To your success,

Shrinath Vashishtha

How to Attract People to Your MLM Business...

AND I ENDORSE THE IDEA PRESENTED, HERE...

"EXCITEMENT WINS IN MLM!
Attracting top quality people it's a lot like hunting. When you go hunting, it's important to know something about the beast you're hunting. You need to know where they live, what and when they eat. You need to know something about how they live, their families, what they like and don't like. If you know these things you can figure out how to be more effective hunting them.

The same thing applies when you are hunting for new team members. It is very important to understand human nature. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People. This book is a very valuable tool in understanding human nature. People are emotional creatures. Almost every decision they make is an emotional one. At first I thought we were ruled by logic. What I found out is that people make their decisions based on emotion and they justify those decisions with logic. I also found out that when I approached people about joining forces with me, the more logical reasons I gave for the alliance, the more skeptical they became.

It was only after I became very emotional about what we were putting together did they begin to respond to me favorably. What I learned by this was, the more logically you approach someone, the more skeptical they become. And, the more emotionally you approach someone, the more excited they become. I also found that if you speak from your head, people will respond to you with their head and become skeptical. If you speak from your heart, it bypasses their skeptical brain and hits them straight in their emotional heart. Then they start to get excited about what you're doing and want to join you."

TRUTH OF MLM - A STORY

A true story – Student vs. Professor

Hi, friends! I’m back to you all from Car Nicobar after almost a couple of fortnights. Well, I’m tempted to share with you all a stirring bit of a true story that was narrated to me by one of my trainers when I was a novice I the field of business. Here it goes…

"A University professor at a distinguished institution of higher learning in Germany challenged his students with this question - ‘Did God create everything that exists?’
One of the students courageously replied, ‘Yes, he did!’
‘God created everything?’ the professor asked.
‘Yes sir, he unquestionably did,’ the student replied.
The professor answered, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil.'

The student became quiet and did not respond to the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, pretty pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that religious faith was a myth.

A second student raised his hand and said, ‘May I ask you a question, professor?’
‘Of course,' replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, ‘Professor, does cold exist?’
‘What sort of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never felt cold?’
The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, 'In fact, sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.’

The student continued, ‘Professor, does darkness exist?’
The professor responded, ‘Of course it does.’
The student replied, ‘Once again you are incorrect, Sir! Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality, the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.’

Finally, the young man asked the professor, ‘Sir, does evil exist?’
Now uncertain, the professor responded, ‘Of course, as I have already said, we see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing but evil.'
To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist, Sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold. It is a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love and enlightenment present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light.’

The professor sat down.

And my dear friends! The name of the second student was –

“ALBERT EINSTEIN”.

Similarly, my dear friends! It’s not that the gorgeous business of Multi Level Marketing (MLM) is formidable and that those who fall into its trap land up beguiled and haplessly unsuccessful but it’s just the lack of knowledge about the immense potential and scope of success it offers and the right methodology and simple but consistent approach that is required to carry it out successfully, which makes most of us conclude ineptly, “It’s not my cup of tea!”.

 Hence, here’s “yours truly” to help you fathom and execute the strategies and the most effective methodology for you to be able to reach the pinnacle of success in this enormously profitable field of Network Marketing. You just need to come forward and receive it here. So, get going and interact more and more with me about the serious but simple business. Cheers to your success in MLM!!!

HOW TO BUILD YOUR TEAM IN MLM

Dear friends,

It’s been a long month of Sundays since I could last write again due to my comprehensive involvement in the social sector interventions at Car Nicobar, the area that was the worst affected by the Tsunami of 26^th December, 2004 in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (India). Anyways, I’m happy to have been able to squeeze out some time out of the hectic schedule and get back to you, my beloved and valued readers. Hope, you’ve all been hale and hearty. 

Getting down to business, folks, today, let’s talk about one of the very basic aspects of succeeding in a Multi Level Marketing business which is often treated pretty casually and, hence, not paid due heed to and that is – How to build a winning TEAM for your organization. 

Different companies in this rapidly expanding field of Network Marketing advocate multifarious ways and methods of building a team from time to time due to increasing competition like generating leads with the help of lead-generating software and programs, using internet marketing & advertising for increasing recruitments etc, but the basics remain the same always. And my own experience in this field tells me that adherence to the basics is always the most successful policy that pays you greater dividends always in any given situation. 

Hence, here are the FOUR BASICS OF BUILDING A NETWORK of distributors in your organization:

I. Building a list of names

II. Contacting and inviting

III. Showing the plan.

IV. Follow-up and follow-through.

And this has to be a continuous process in a cycle.  

Building a List of Names 

Initial List of Names- 

1. MLM is a “People Business”:  

And that’s the reason why it is so very successful. If you put a number of people in front of the marketing plan, some will surely get in the business. Of those who get in, some will develop a small business and some will develop a big business.  

The number of times you will have to show the plan to carve a niche for yourself in the higher levels in your business is based upon a number of factors, such as the quality of the people you show and the period of time it takes to put prospects in front of the plan. 

2. To build a big business, you have to get people to see the Plan: 

To build a big business, the bottom line is that you have to consistently show the plan. You address this step for success by drafting an initial list of names of people you already know or have been acquainted with in the past. 

3. MAKE A LIST OF NAMES:  

Some people when they start their business of Network Marketing are very hesitant to put their list together. This is a mistake! There is nothing to fear in jus putting down names and phone numbers on a piece of paper. Some people say their list is in their head, their Rolodex, their address book.

Actually, they don’t have a real list. If you want to succeed at building a big MLM business, you have to take time, overcome your doubts and fears, and start a list of names that will be prospects for your Multi Level Marketing business.  

If you feel that you need help in putting your list together, ask your sponsor or upline to help you. Also, allow your sponsor to go through the “Free Association” exercise with you. You know more people than you think you do.  

Work with your sponsor on this. Dedicate some quality time toward making written list of everyone you know using the Who Do You Know Worksheet, which might be available with your upline. Since your mind stores names by categories, consider sources of people, not just names. Some easy categories of people to approach are: 

I. Primary Prospects: 

1. Friends and relatives.

2. Neighbors, past and present.

3. School friends.

4. Coworkers or business associates.

5. Acquaintances. 

II. Secondary Prospects: 

Make new friends and keep adding to your list. By far the biggest category of people is “friends you haven’t made yet!” You may be looking at a future Diamond. Learn to be a good listener. If you care enough to listen and ask interesting questions, people will give you the opening you need to introduce the business. Be relaxed and confident. Don’t forget the biggest source of people- strangers who you want to become your friends. 

1. Develop awareness of prospects everyday- make it a habit.

2. View people either as already involved with your business or that they would like to be.

3. Circulate and cultivate. By shopping the same place, frequenting the same restaurant etc. you will establish good rapport with certain individuals.

4. DON'T PREJUDGE OR LEAVE PEOPLE OFF YOUR LIST: 

Oftentimes we think certain people wouldn’t be interested in the business of Network Marketing (MLM) because it’s not their type of thing, we think that they are “doing well” already, or they intimidate us in some way.  

First, this business is for everyone- all types of people are succeeding in this business of Multi Level Marketing. 

Second- people who are doing well usually want to do better. Who can’t use more security, ongoing income, more free time etc.? The point is, let them see the plan and make up their own minds whether it is something they want to pursue, rather than prejudging them and deciding for them. Remember, if you don’t show them this business, sooner or later someone will. And you sure wouldn’t want to be the one losing. Would you?

IMPORTANCE OF DREAMS IN MLM

Hey friends!

Your “friendly neighborhood MLM fellow” is back with you all after a month-long break. In fact, I was on a comprehensive tour to the Tsunami affected Nicobar Group of Islands, here, in connection with the implementation of a Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness project assigned to me by an affiliate of the renowned NGO – “Save the Children”; and the internet connection is yet to be made available in those extensively restricted tribal areas. Hopefully, this scenario would stand altered in a couple of months’ time, as the agencies are working their guts out to ensure the availability of the net there.

(Those who are interested in learning more about the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the wonderful location that I am talking about may visit my other blog – “ANDAMAN & NICOBAR - THE HISTORIC INDIAN CORAL ISLANDS” .)

Well, let’s get on with our subject of the day, now---

Define Your Dream

Buddies! Your most fundamental task as you begin your journey in the business of network marketing is to firmly establish what you desire to accomplish through your efforts.

Why are you going to do this?

What do you hope to achieve?

What is your purpose?

What is your “why”?

What would you desire to change about your lifestyle?

Where do you want to be in 2 years?

What is your vision of the future for yourself and for those you love?

What is your target?

What are you objectives?

What will you be running for?

There will be inconveniences. Why will you go through them?

There will be sacrifices. Why will you make them?

There will be obstacles. Why will you fight to overcome them?

In a nutshell, WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

As you begin to create a picture of your future through your imagination, let’s agree on this principle: money cannot make you happy. Material goods will not bring fulfillment into your life. If you have a poor self-image, a Mercedes is not the solution. If you are selfish and friendless, a new boat is not what is missing in your life. On the other hand, you are not necessarily a more caring individual just because you cannot pay your bills. Being time or money poor doesn’t, in and of itself, make you a better person.

At the outset, let us agree you must establish priorities in your life. If the acquisition of “things” is your most important activity, you will never be at peace. But, if you develop your God-given talents, live a productive life, perform a vital service, order your priorities, contribute to the physical and spiritual prosperity of those with whom you come in contact and those in need, you will be at peace while you enjoy the result of your effort.

Let’s understand this, friends!

People are moved to action by the prospect of results.

What are the desired results that will move you?

What do you want?

This business of network marketing really works, but how will it benefit you?

People would like to create an additional income, a more substantial income, a more secure income, an income which can be ongoing. What do you want?

People want more time to be with the people they love, to do the things they enjoy most, to experience new places. What do you want?

People enjoy being recognized for their efforts, being a part of someone else’s success. People want less pressure, less regimentation, more freedom, more appreciation, less time on the job, work for themselves, more time for recreation and hobbies. What do you want?

People want to get out of debt, pay off their credit cards, their cars, their home. They want to be able to send their children to any school they would like to attend. What do you want? People want to travel throughout the country and world with their family and friends. People want to be free. What do you want? And more importantly, what will you give up to get what you want?

It seems the older we get, the harder it is for us to create a positive vision for our future. When we were younger, it seemed much easier for us to THINK BIG, to expect the best. Nothing could stop us. Has there been a change? Have we listened too long to those who have given up on what they could become? Have we become accustomed to just getting by?

Has it been a while since we have been truly challenged? Are we just a little afraid to reach out for what may appear to be beyond our grasp? Do we argue more for our limitations than we do for our possibilities? Have we lost faith in our ability to be more productive? Has the fear of failure become something very real in our lives? Are we far too concerned about what others might think? Have we become more complacent?

Well, the best selling book in history says that a man or woman without vision will perish. To remain stationary is to lose ground. The minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years that are wasted in our lives are those spent with no purpose. The time we spend running in place in our lives bears no fruit. If success can be defined as the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal or dream, what is your dream?

Define “WHY” you are building your business of MLM. Be specific. Project yourself five years into the future.

How will your life be different because you decided to experience a few inconveniences in the present to build your future?

Where will you be living?

What will be the size of your house?

Will it be on the lake?

Will it have a pool?

Where will you be going on vacation?

What kind of car will you be driving?

How much will you be donating to your church or favorite charity?

Would you like to have a second home? Where will it be?

Would you like to learn how to fly?

What will you be doing with your time now that you don’t work for anyone else?

Would you enjoy shopping in your favorite mall or, may be, New York without having to worry about how much you spend?

Can you imagine having no bills that you can’t pay?

How would it feel to achieve your financial goals and dreams?

How would it feel to be free? How would it feel to know that you helped some friends gain their economic freedom?

How would it feel if you never had to worry about money again?

How would it feel to know that your life has really made a difference?

How would it feel to realize that there is no way you can repay all the love that you have received?

How would it feel to be free?

These, my friends, are only a few of the possibilities. What do you want? Take it rank seriously. If you take a dwarfish attitude towards your business, you can’t expect big returns. If the large rewards are beyond your imagination at this time, then focus on whatever you can believe in for you. As you attain some of your smaller objectives, your confidence in your own abilities to achieve will grow and you will begin to aim higher, gradually.

THE ACHIEVEMENT PROCESS IN MLM - A SUMMARY

THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN MLM

Ok! So, today let’s summarize the Basic Achievement Process in the field of Network Marketing that we have learnt so far.

The Five Stages

The process of our achievements in life normally moves through the following stages: (1) Desires and Dreams (2) Goals (3) Planning (4) Belief; and (5) Action.

Desires and Dreams:

One of life’s greatest mysteries is, “Why do some people succeed while others do not?” Achievers possess a number of qualities, but perhaps the most important is that they are dreamers. Their desires in life are constantly manifested in their dreams. Nothing is achieved that isn’t first conceived as an idea – a dream in someone’s mind. We all have some dreams that we feel passionate about. Dreams are visions of the future. Achievers have dreams of life as it can be… a hope for a better future… something to anticipate… and then they do whatever it takes to make those dreams a reality. Their dreams evolve and crystallize as their desire becomes stronger.

Desire is the motivation and the necessary launching pad to accomplish any dream. Your desires cause you to dream; as you dream you develop mental pictures of life as you would like it to be. People’s dreams are often referred to as their “WHY” or “Purpose”. The “HOW” of achievement doesn’t matter without a strong “WHY”. Trying to build the Network Marketing business without an intense burning desire, a clear specific dream or “WHY”, would be like trying to drive a car with the parking brake on.

GOALS:

Your goals develop from your mental pictures. Goals are desires and dreams with a date put on achieving them. Through the repetitive thought process of desire, hazy dreams can become specific goals. Achievers are goal-setters. They regularly set and reset short and long-term goals, establish specific timetables for their accomplishment, write their goals down, keep them in front of them all the time (pictures, dates on mirrors, refrigerators etc.), regularly envision the accomplishment of their goals in their mind’s eye, etc.

PLANNING:

The first two stages, dreams and goals, are necessary prerequisites to stage three – Planning. To merely dream and have no plan is just wishful thinking; as I have mentioned in my earlier posts, as well. A goal cannot be concrete without a plan of action. Determining a course of action and establishing a timetable for achievement are essential ingredients in planning. People don’t fail because they plan to fail; they fail because they fail to plan. Experts say that most of us spend more time planning a vacation than we do planning our future. Planning is a vital step in achievement – no trip was ever taken without knowing where you want to go – that’s why goals precede planning. We have heard spiritual leaders say that prayerful requests should be requests for the methods, ideas, energy and skills to help ourselves, not requests for quick and easy tailor-made solutions.

1. Short –range goals:

(a) Exactly what do you want to be, do or have?

(b) How much will it cost?

(c) How soon do you want it?

(d) Whatever your immediate goals are, make them

tangible by:

• Touching them, driving them, seeing them, shopping for them.

• Getting pictures and putting them where you can see them.

2. Medium and long-range goals:

(a) Think BIG – Financial flexibility, career options,

freedom, and self-determined income.

(b) Why do you want this medium or long-range goal?

(c) How will it feel when you get there?

(d) Are you serious? How serious?

3. Don’t let anybody steal your dream!

BELIEF:

It has been said that “the most difficult part of succeeding is believing you can succeed.” If you don’t believe you can do something, you won’t give a committed effort. Belief is a catalyst: belief in yourself and belief in others. Dr. David Schwartz says in The Magic of Thinking Big, “Every human being wants success… Some of the most practical success-building wisdom is found in that Biblical quotation stating that faith can move mountains… you can move a mountain with belief. You can will success by believing you can succeed. Strong belief triggers the mind to figure ways and means and how-to. Believing you can succeed makes others place confidence in you… Belief in success is one of the basic, indispensable ingredients in successful people.”

In the words of Rich DeVos, President of the Amway Corporation, in his book Believe, “Those people whose aim is generally low generally hit what they shoot at – nothing. Life need not be lived that way. I believe that one of the most powerful forces after the things he wants from life… I can! It is a powerful sentence… the gap between what a man thinks he can achieve, and what is actually possible for him is very, very small. But first he must believe that he can.” Action never occurs until you believe you can do it. Believe and succeed.

ACTION:

All desires, dreams, goals, plans, prayers and belief may be lost without the fifth stage of the process of achievement – Action. Effort is progress. Every potential achiever has to answer the question - “Am I serious enough about my dreams and goals to take action?” consistent and persistent effort causes the results you desire. You have seen the plan of your MLM business opportunity that works, a plan that can enable you to accomplish your dreams and goals. You must decide… are you serious enough about your “Why” to take the necessary action? If you answer affirmatively, continue to read on. I’m going to supply you with information on the recommended action or the “How”.

Make some commitments

Nothing worthwhile in life is obtained without commitments!

A. Determine your time commitment and take action. Plans change, decisions don’t. Experience is the best teacher. Consistency is very important. Decide how many times a week you will Show the Plan and then follow through on that commitment consistently. Sporadic activity may undermine your success.

B. Use the education system available. Applied knowledge is power. The “System” consists of educational, motivational, and inspirational business support materials, services, meetings, and business conventions/seminars. Consult your upline for recommendations.

1. Learn from the experts on audio and video cassettes and CDs.

2. Read books to learn success principles and develop a Positive Mental Attitude.

3. Use the printed materials and supplies available, such as the Business Kit, marker board etc.

4. Attend seminars and business conventions on a regular basis. Associate and interact with and learn from successful people in the trade.

C. Use your own products and services. This does give you loads and loads of confidence on the products and services that you are selling and want your downlines or new prospects also to book, buy and sell. Commit to product loyalty, especially the core products.

D. Explore opportunities for merchandising.

To generate immediate income, strategize with your upline concerning products that can be easily sold to friends and family. (Here, I take it for granted that you would, obviously, be joining the Network Marketing business opportunity of a company that is reliable in terms of its Business Plan, product quality and management expertise and capabilities, as I have already illustrated in my earlier posts.)

"BILL GATES' SON-IN-LAW" - DIRECT MARKETING & ADVERTISEMENT POLICY

“Bill Gates’ Son-in-Law”

Father: “I want you to marry a girl of my choice.”

Son: “I will choose my own bride!”

Father: “But the girl is Bill Gates’ daughter.”

Son: “Well, in that case……… Ok.”

Next- Father approaches Bill Gates.

Father: “I have a husband for your daughter.”

Bill Gates: “But my daughter is too young to marry!”

Father: “But this young man is a Vice President of the World Bank.”

Bill Gates: “Ah, in that case……. Ok.”

Finally Father goes to see the President of the World Bank.

Father: “I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president.”

President: “But I already have more vice-presidents than I need!”

Father: “But this young man is Bill Gates’ son-in-law.”

President: “Ah, in that case…….. Ok.”

This is how business is done!

Well, this is one of the most amusing jokes that I often use as an effective example of smartness in business while speaking in my Seminars/business meetings. A businessman, especially a Multi Level Marketing (MLM) Networker/Distributor has a very basic lesson to learn from this joke.

It’s very important for a businessman to understand the demand for various products in the market. What people want? What are their requirements? What’s in and what’s out? What’s the latest talk of the town? One has to keep abreast of the changing tastes and the changing lifestyles of the people, as well.

The next point to ponder over is how you can relate your product to these demands/requirements. In a nutshell, it’s all about dynamic, shrewd, innovative and smart way of marketing and advertising your product in the market. You would be able to sell your product like hot cakes without qualms, once you have mastered the art of innovative and aggressive marketing.

This joke also reminds me of a rather unorthodox doctrine often practiced and preached by one of my highly respected seniors in Direct Marketing – Mr. Satyajit Mukherji, who was the Senior Divisional Sales Manager at Eureka Forbes Ltd at Kolkata (then, Calcutta) in the year 1990, where I was selling ‘Euro Air’ Air Purifiers, door-to-door. And that is – THE THREE ‘C’s IN MARKETING – “CONVINCE, CONFUSE AND CORRUPT”, that can be used to one’s advantage while marketing a product to a customer, though not necessarily in that order always. And believe me; it works, like it worked fantastically for the Father in the joke.

MOTIVATION ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

When a person attends a motivational session or seminar, his performance, after the initial high, often falls back again to lower levels. Companies also wonder why many such efforts to motivate employees don’t work.

Some people confuse the effort itself with the goal and assume that motivation alone is enough.

The mother of a rather dull youngster was somewhat disturbed at his below par performance. She wanted to see him succeed, but wasn’t quite sure what could keep him interested and motivated. Finally, she decided to enroll him for a series of motivational sessions. As the sessions progressed, the fond mother explained, “Soon we’ll know what you will be happiest doing when you grow up.” “Oh Mother, I already know that,” the boy replied. “I want to keep attending these motivational sessions. I just love them.”

The means becomes an end in itself. We keep moving in circles. We travel to reach nowhere.

People do need motivation, but they need something more than that, something that can ensure tangible results.

When we are under the spell of motivation, we feel all fired up to perform. At that moment nothing seems impossible. But as reality sinks in, we become gloomy and start doubting our competence.

Motivation has effects similar to the energy boost one feels after consuming sugar. After sometime, the energy level dips back again. The problem lies with the undue expectations that we build without grasping reality.

We all build our dream castles in the air, but we forget to put foundations under them. Like gas balloons, we let our imaginations fly high. After a while, when the gas is exhausted, the balloon of our aspirations falls back to the hard ground of reality.

Our life is highly stressed due to increased pace and complexity. Illusive goals set under an external superfluous influence put us on a roller-coaster ride with sharp highs and lows.

Suppose a person has reached a considerably appreciable level in performance at a given point of time. He gets a shot of motivation and immediately starts feeling euphoric. He perceives that his performance has risen to a much higher level of a superlative degree.

However, he often realizes that no matter how hard he tries, there is no material change in his actual performance, because his success depends on the environment too, which may not always react favorably.

After sometime, this person starts feeling like a dwarf and his self-esteem falls. He becomes depressed and assumes that his performance has deteriorated to a level much lower than the actual one. Just as the system didn’t allow much increase in his performance level while he was in a euphoric state of mind, in the same manner, the system didn’t allow his performance level to go much below his average performance level. Gradually, he gets back to normalcy.

External motivation and force may not generate a performance level that is required for excellent results. For these reasons, people, who are forced into careers by parents or by circumstances, often turn out to be failures.

External motivation can work if the performance level needs to be raised for a short span of time. However, during this phase, if you set some goals that require a consistently high performance level over a long time horizon, you might face disappointment unless motivation gets transformed into inspiration.

Feelings and emotions can exist in the unrealistic world of imagination. Action happens only in reality.

People often confuse intent with action. They judge themselves with what they intend to do and others with what others do or achieve.

Motivation can be called effective not on the basis of what gets started, but on what gets finished.

The need for motivation arises only if a person doesn’t love what he is doing. This happens when a person is forced to achieve a goal he doesn’t identify with. A SELF-MOTIVATED person loves what he does. For this reason, excellent leaders and good marketers focus on fuelling the passions and desires of people instead of preaching them.

Motivation cannot work if people don’t feel a SENSE OF OWNERSHIP towards the goal.

There once lived two tribes whose enmity was legendary. While one tribe lived in the mountains, the other lived below in the valley. One day, the people from the mountains invaded the valley people and kidnapped one of their babies. The valley people sent some of their strongest men to track down the baby and to bring it home. These men didn’t know how to climb the steep slope of the mountain and had no knowledge exactly where the mountain people lived. Still, they kept trying for some days, but could not climb more than a few hundred feet. Disappointed and exhausted, one day they decided to return to their village. While they were packing for the return journey, suddenly they saw the mother of the baby coming down from the very mountain they had failed to climb. As the woman came closer, they could see the baby safely strapped to her back. They greeted the woman and one of them said, “We are very happy to see your baby. But we fail to understand how was it possible for you to climb this mountain which we, the strongest of men from the village, could not. Will you please, explain? The mother looked fondly at her baby and said in a low voice, “It wasn’t your baby.”

What we see here is the difference between internalized goals and superimposed goals. Most efforts by an organization to motivate its employees fail because they are not aligned to the dreams and aspirations of the employees.

Organizations view motivation like a sprinkling of holy water that is expected to cure the employees. Since many leaders and motivators fail to appeal to the emotions of employees, the employees don’t develop a belief in the organizational goals. The entire exercise goes waste.

Through this blog of mine, we are going to discuss various aspects of human behavior and psychology that affect the performance of the people not only in the field of Multi Level Marketing, but also in almost all the activities and situations in life, thus creating a platform for development of strategies based on a proper understanding of the human nature, including the negative side.

THE WHEELS OF THE WORLD

At 16, leaves family to work in machine shops. At 28, becomes an engineer. 5 years later, completes his first automobile, the Quadricycle. At 40, incorporates the Ford Motor Company. In 1908, introduces the legendary Model T. In 1913, introduces first moving assembly line. To meet increasing worldwide demand. By 1918, half of all cars in America are Model Ts. Makes Ford the world’s largest automobile manufacturer. In 1926, focuses on air transportation. Develops the Tri-Motor Airplane. In 1932, builds first V8 Ford car. And brings luxury to the common man. ●●● Henry Ford ●●● Innovator. Visionary. Philanthropist. Gives a generation its freedom. A nation, its economy. And the world, its wheels.

"COMPETITION" - AN ANALYSIS

COMPETITION

A competitive world has two possibilities for you. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.

- Lester C Thurow

In the globalized world, big and small coexist, but the smaller one always lives in the fear of being gobbled up by the big. But can the mighty ones take their survival for granted?

The intensity of competition has increased so much that no matter who we are, all of us are under constant threat. For every success, there are ‘n’ numbers of aspirants who constantly work to displace the leaders.

Most people treat competition as a threat. We tend to forget that sometimes the threat posed by competition is a necessity to bring us out of our complacency and to hone up our survival instincts. Until the eighties, Bajaj Auto had only one brand in the two-wheeler segment: Chetak. However in the last decade, it has introduced more than six original designs and brands in the motorcycle segment alone, and has again started doing exceedingly well, so much so that, now it is one of the strongest contenders for the top place in the Indian two wheeler industry. Hero Honda is the world’s largest producer of motorcycles and TVS group is renowned world over for quality products and services. India’s two wheeler industry has come of age and is competing with even the best in the world. Nobody is complaining.

However, someone has rightly said, “Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people.”

Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” suggests that man is basically selfish. He wants everything for himself first, and will go to any extreme to fulfill his selfish interests. As resources like food, land, career opportunities are limited, human beings inevitably see other human beings as threats and enemies. The results are war, hatred and jealousy.

We live in a competitive world. It doesn’t mean that for us to succeed, others need to fail. It is also wrong to treat life always as a Zero-sum* game.

EVERY MORNING in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle- When the sun comes up, you’d better be running. - inspirational sign on an office wall

* In a zero-sum game, win for one necessarily means loss for another and the sum of all wins and losses is zero. When two people gamble with each other, it has to be a zero-sum game.