Giving Birth To Ideas

OK, I know, I am a man and I have never experienced actual giving birth. Let's not go there ladys. But I have been through three with my wife.  I do know enough to recognize that bringing life to a new idea (for yourself or maybe the whole world) is somewhat like giving birth.  There are the initial labor pains that can start even weeks before and then they intensify and become more frequent and finally there is the very painful delivery.  I know.  After three kids, I told my wife, Joyce, I couldn't take it

5 Tips for Becoming a Great Mentor

And this one too! These are great tips for being a Sponsor (Mentor).

I think it's time to add Libby to My Favorite Blogs List

5 Tips for Becoming a Great Mentor

Are You A Limiter or a Liberator?

This is an awesome post by Libby Gill!

Every Sponsor should be asking themselves this question:

Are You A Limiter or a Liberator?

Roger on the Street

Wow! When the CEO of your company hits the street to meet people you know you have great leadership.

How do you do our business? Watch Roger.


Shaklee Videos: Roger on the Street

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It's Thursday Again!

I got laid off from my best paying job six months ago.  After 2 months of being unemployed I found another job that was the next worst/best job I ever had.  It is a nationally well known company.  It boiled down to working 14 hours/day, 60 hours/week for $30K.  That's $10/hr and absolutely no personal life!!!  The wonderful thing about my experience is that it reminded me how much I love helping people. I was also missing the freedom and flexibility of being self-employed/independent contractor.  Pain isn't always bad.  Pain causes us to change.  Pain helps us focus on what is really important.

Divine Serendipitous Event

What a mouthful! Have you ever believed God was leading you to do something and along the way you made a fortunate discovery of something else? That's a divine serendipitous event (DSE). I believe that for most of us, if we would just keep moving, open our eyes, and be open to new possibilities we will make fortunate discoveries. I would go as far as saying that God has promised to do that for us!

The real tragedy of failure, disappointment, and despair is that we no longer look for the hand of God in our lives. Yet in the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us. In the valley of the shadow of death we discover God's table prepared for us.

The Dilemma: Good News - Bad News

The Good News: We live in the greatest nation in the world and our economy creates opportunity for anyone with the courage to seize it. Anyone can have finacial freedom. But only about 5% of the population ever become finacially free.

The Bad News: The vast majority of those who have succeeded in creating a business that gives them financial freedom do so only after having failed many times. Why?

Shaklee Independent Distributor

Shaklee Independent Distributor

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We moved to Amarillo, TX

Over the past 4 months I worked for Schwan's Home Delivery Service.  It was quite an experience.  It was one of the hardest jobs I have ever worked.  I typically worked 60 hours per week.  Our days where from 8 am to 10 pm, Monday - Friday.  I worked out of the Pampa, TX depot and I drove back and forth from Amarillo everyday - 65 miles one way.

Schwan's didn't work out (Thank God!) and I quit.  I'm really excited about getting back into the insurance business and going to work for Aflac (the duck).

Dave

Cowboy Funeral

We live in a small town in the Texas panhandle. Last week a elderly gentleman passed away from cancer. He had lived his whole life in the area. Yesterday was his funeral. It was a Cowboy funeral.

There's no accounting equation for our business!

Ten years ago I was a Controller for a construction company. In accounting there is the "matching" principle where it is the accountants job to match the costs that generated revenue and that principle necessites using accrual accounting. The problem with the accrual system is accountants only accrue expenses and revenue for 1 year. So how does an accountant match a onetime expense that generates a lifetime income?

We need to stop doing the accounting on our efforts. We can't do it for our money, so why torture ourselves? Our business can not be accounted for. It can only be shared!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

We ask people the wrong question.

In our business we say that 'professionals' sort and 'amateurs' convince. We ask people the "sorting" question, 'Do you want to make extra money from home?' Yes or no. But that question really doesn't get at the heart of what our business is all about and we come across as a "salesperson".

Why we get hooked on facebook.

Facebook is an amazing thing. It works - it keeps us entertained. Why? If you're 65 or younger you have been conditioned to 30 second sound bites and short quips. Facebook is a way to use short little quips - what we've been conditioned to like - to stay in touch with people. Don't worry, short quip the world and be happy!

Here's a SQ to you!

Dave

Facebook is cool.

I have to admit that Facebook is cool. It is amazing what you can do.

IF I COULD ONLY LEARN HOW TO USE IT!!

Most People Have Great Sales Resistance Skills

Have you ever heard the expression, "It's a battle field I don't want to die on."?

Well, for me - selling something is a battle field that I would certainly die on.

If I'm going to build a business how do you not "die on that battlefield"?  Don't be a salesman!  Don't make it into a battlefield!


3 things to think about:

"Just let the tools do the selling."

Boy, if there ever was a sales pitch it is this;

Prospective new Distributor: "I'm not interested because I don't like sales and I don't want to do any selling."

Recruiter: "I know exactly how you feel, I've felt the same way, but I found that in our company you don't have to be a sales person. All you have to do is pass out "tools". Just let the tools do the selling. You can do that, right?"

Prospective new Distributor: "I guess I can. I was really impressed with the DVD I watched. It hope it really works that way. I need to find a way to get more time and money freedom. OK. I'll sign-up."

Telling new Distributors that all they have to do hand out "tools" is like ordering an Infantry charge against a machine gun position. It is going to get really bloody - really fast! 98% will not survive.

If you don't want to be a sales person - then don't!

Boy, growing up in a salesman's home left me scarred for life. I understand all about sales. It is an honorable profession - and it is a profession! Part-timers, wannabe's, and network marketers give selling a bad name.

So how do you not be a salesman while building a network business? Just don't be one. Sales people do three things that everyone's sales resistance antennae instantly pick-up. So, stop doing these 3 things.

Everyone is sales resistant!

Did you know that there are two kinds of sales resistance?

First is the kind you feel on the back of your neck when you walk into a place that has commissioned sales people and they ask you, 'Can I help you?' How else can you tell? In a store with non-commissioned sales people, they run from you when they see you coming. Commissioned sales people become your shadow.

The second kind of sales resistance is not wanting to be a sales person! Let me guess, the opportunity that you are currently in swears that you don't have to be a sales person, right? But what are the skills they teach?

1. Benefits & Features of their products.
2. Benefits & Features of their compensation plan.
3. Benefits & Features of their company.

So, why do you need to know the benefits & features of anything? So that you can ask closing questions that default to your prospect saying "Yes" and buying. THAT'S WHAT WE HATE ABOUT SELLING!

Most opportunity's idea about not having to be a salesman is that you don't have to be a professional! But that makes it worse! The pros are usually so good you don't even know you're being sold (or you don't care that you're being sold).

It amazes me to watch a shy little lady who personally loathes selling, become the most tenacious sales person in the world who will not quit and you have to buy just to get her out of your face!

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SO REVOLTING AS A TERRIBLE SALES PERSON AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT MOST DISTRIBUTORS BECOME!!! AND THAT IS ALSO WHY 98% OF THEM QUIT AND FAIL TO BUILD A BUSINESS.

That leaves us with two alternatives.

First alternative: we must train our recruits to be professional sales people. If you want to do that then you're in the wrong business.

Second alternative: we must give people skills that "un-train" them to be a sales person. Don't laugh. Terrible sales skills come naturally to everyone.

It's time to quit selling.

Stay tuned for part two.

Psalm 23

If ever there has been written more comforting words for the human condition it is Psalm 23. Maybe the greatest fear we face is being in need and want and David declared that it is God who is his shepherd. What does a shepherd do? He leads his flock to where they will flourish. And because David knows the nature of his God he declares boldly - I have everything I need.

Imagine for a moment that you're a grass feeding sheep. David declares that his Shepherd lets him rest in green meadows (pastures). Everything we need is all around us. Our rest is a place of trusting God to meet our needs and "fatten us up". Wow!

Homostasis

Even real good decisions meet massive resistance to change - from every quarter. But mostly we resist ourselves. As sponsors we mis-read our new distributor's struggle. They don't need our helpful criticism. They need to know that we are excited about them now! The need a friend who is glad to talk to them. They don't need a checklist checkup. They quit when they sense we quit on them. Homostasis is not a sign of failure. It is a sign that given a little time progress will begin to appear.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Getting Laid Off Sucks!

I just got laid off from my job in the Oil Field.  It was the best paying job I've ever had.  I was on pace to make $120,000/year.  Oh well.  When this kind of thing happens it makes me ask - what did I learn from it?

I learned that I am worth $120,000 per year!  But the question is, who will pay me what I'm worth?

Answer:  Life will pay us what we ask of it!  It is a mistake to look to others for our value.

Here goes the next journey - looking for a way to get paid what I'm worth.

Dave

What a journey!

Trying to start (re-start) a home-based business is probably harder than actually doing the business. Over the past few months I've found different pieces that I wanted but finding them all in the same place has been difficult.

I'll not get preachy tonight. There are three things you need, like a three-legged stool.

First, you need a reputable company that has been around awhile and they have a clear vision of what they want to do - like help their distributors succeed.

Second, you need products that people really want and need.

Third, you need a marketing system that works.

The tragedy of MLM is that often you don't know you're missing one of the legs until you have many months and many dollars invested.

I've learned to cut my losses quickly - get out - do something else.

I've finally found an opportunity that has everything I'm looking for. More about that later.

The purpose of having a blog is to blog. I'm going to blog more. I promise.

On Right Track - More Work To Do

Yesterday I spent 2.5 hours on a webinar put on by Chet Holmes team. It cost $199. The info was great but ultimately it was a pitch for $3,000 DVD set of Chet Holmes Seminar. The presentation sucked. We were interrupted by about 100 callers thinking they were calling into a Tony Robbins recorded call. What a mess.

Oh well - great learning experience. I love webinars that are good! Most I've seen are not so hot.

Bottom line - the info that was sent to me prior to the webinar was just as helpful as the webinar itself. I'm on the right track!! I've been kicking myself for not "starting" but you can't start if you're not ready.

I'm excited about the ideas I came up with and the new "revelations" about what I'm doing.

More to come soon - back to writing my business strategic plan.

Starting Something New

Today is the last day of January 2009! I started working on my emarketing plan almost two months ago. It has been hard. It is hard when you are actually inventing the wheel. Notice I didn't say I was re-inventing the wheel.

PPL is traditionally sold via traditional network marketing. That means selling to your friends, family, and neighbors. It also means going to weekly meetings. I have a problem. I'm 180 miles from the nearest meeting and I've already sold PPL to all of my friends and family. So what do you do when you're out of prospects and you're in a place where the "system" wont work for you?

You have to create a new system. I've been around long enough to know better than trying to re-invent the wheel. But there are times when it needs to be re-invented!

I know the new system will work. The new system is actually just using new tools to do the same old job. You have to talk to lots of people. Some will - most wont!

What really has me excited is that the Internet has totally changed everything. There are literally ten's of thousands of people looking for our business opportunity. We have a tremendous product - great price - wide open market. The future looks great.

I'm ready to get started. Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday - I'll wait and get started on Monday.

Grand kids have been here for the weekend and we have had a great time. Today has been a success.

Go Cardinals!

The Dream

If you had a choice between taking $1 million dollars or penny and having it doubled everyday for 30 days which one would you choose?

Value of a Penny Doubled Everyday For 30 Days

Day 5 = $0.32
Day 10 = $10.24
Day 15 = $327.68
Day 20 = $10,485.76
Day 25 = $335,544.32

Day 27 = $1,342,177.28
(Exceeds $1 million!)

Day 30 = $10,737,418.24

Did you notice that in the last 3 days the value of the penny grew from more than $1 million to ten times that amount?

In MLM it takes time before you can see anything happening. But given enough time there will be wealth. A very successful friend of mine recently told me that in MLM you get rich by doing the business badly and never quitting.

Isn't that just the opposite of what most of us do? We focus on being perfect, but then we'll listen to someone and get discouraged and then we quit. I know I've quit MLM at least 10 times.

Hello world!

This blog is a journey. But at the heart of this journey is a dream. It is a real dream and there are those who have achieved this dream. The dream is building a MLM business. There are 100 people who will tell you it is impossible for every 1 person who will never give up on their dream.

The secret - don't listen to the 100 dream thieves! Be the 1 who never quits.

I hope your journey will be "A Moveable Feast" and that you will never quit. Ironically, Ernest Hemmingway, did the ultimate quit - he blew his brains out. He cared too much about what the world might think of him. Ernest Hemmingway was a coward. Cowardice will always cost you your life.