Network Marketing Profession

This is a great sermon on Unlocking your Success presented by my pastor at Alive Church in  Tucson, Arizona.

Unlocking your Success

I am an avid reader in constant search of little jewels of information that result in BIG epiphonies.  My most recent read is Goal Setting: 13 Secrets of World Class Achievers by Vic Johnson.  For those of you who do not read at all, or those that do not generally read books about self-improvement let me offer some advice.  First, if you don’t read you need to start.  I believe that a sharp mind is like a sponge constantly soaking up important information.  Second, if you don’t read books about self-improvement you need to start; however, there are some considerations when taking this advice.

• Most every self-improvement book says the same thing as every other self-improvement book.  The latest and greatest author has just developed a new, exciting and dynamic way of expressing it…and that’s ok.  Repetition is the key to changing behavior.  The more you hear something (even if it is said in a slightly different way) it will eventually sink in and become accepted by your self-conscious.  I liken this process to a positive brain washing.  
• If you want to experience career success you have to do what other successful people do.  Reading self-imporovement books is like unfolding a map to your destination.  You get to see the path others have followed in the past and follow that same course.  This path is generally the shortest route to your desired destination.
• The latest book may express the information you have been searching for in a way that has been previously unclear to you.  This understanding may result in that “aha” moment for you. 

My epipony came with an understanding of how the brain works…and why we are programmed in a way that makes wild success difficult.  Human beings are built to fear change, even positive change,  because change brings potential danger.  The Amygdala is a part of your brain that is constantly telling you to “be careful”.  People who don’t face danger or “risk” tend to live long but uneventful lives.  Conversely, those that are willing to take chances always risk harm.  This leaves you with a decision.  Will you stay ”safe”, or will you take the scary path, the risky path, the path that will make you different than the common man.  Wildly successful people do not reach that pinnacle by keeping the training wheels on.  They accept the possibility that things will not always go right; but ultimately that acceptance is the only thing that can allow them to reach their goals.  When it comes to achieving network marketing success you need to learn to say, ” Mr. Amygdala, you need to shut up.”

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other peopl won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This quote is attributed to a Marianne Williamson; however, I must admit that I first heard it watching the movie Akeelah and the Bee (an excellent movie bythe way).  The intent of the quote is to teach all of us that we fear success as much, if not more, than we fear failure.  We understand that as Spiderman once said, “With great power comes great responsibility“ (Voltaire actually should get the nod for those words). 

The point is this.  In our subconscious minds we believe that once we demonstrate ability, talent and skill that we will be held to a higher standard.  It is flattering when we are recognized, but it can be stressful and frightening as well.  The Bible states “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly percieved, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”  It essentially means that we are held responsible for what we know, and that once it is known it cannot be denied.  The same is true in any arena of success, whether it occur in academia, business or on the playing field.  it is a thought that everyone should embrace…not fear.  We are to set the example and raise the bar for those that seek the same level of success we have achieved.     

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“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”   Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison

Excerpts from my most recent ezinearticles.com submission

Not to wax poetic…but I do remember a time in my life (not that long ago) when this country looked at a wealth, achievement and personal success with admiration and respect; regardless of how that success manifested itself. Just like a parent who would tell their son or daughter that they too could grow up to be President of the United States, we also looked at those people who achieved greatness and financial success and hoped that for our children. We hoped this for ourselves as well without any trepidation or guilt about our aspirations. Somehow we have lost our way. Our priorities have become skewed because of the mistakes and missteps of a few and the judgment by those who never aspired for anything truly great in their own lives. I do not believe this paradigm shift happened overnight, but I do believe that general acceptance of this view has occurred very recently.

Over the course of the last several years and decades we have placed a greater emphasis on the “feelings” of our children. We became more concerned with those parts of their psyche’s which dictated how they “felt” about themselves, instead of how they “acted” in society. A child’s “self-esteem” became the focus of parents and schools instead of focusing on the trait that should have superseded all others; the trait that truly determined whether or not they had the capacity to experience wild and unbridled success in their lives; the trait that determined whether or not they grew into quality citizens. I am speaking about a strong, moral character.

We have somehow reached the point where great wealth is associated with great evil. One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible deals with this very topic. How many times have you heard someone say that “…money is the root of all evil.” In reality, the proper verse is, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (NIV I Timothy 6:10).” The verse speaks in general terms about wealth, but refers to any love that separates us from a focus on God. We are not to be the repositories for wealth; rather we are to be the conduits for it. If we follow this path, how can any of us find fault if someone has a million…or a billion dollars as long as they serve a greater purpose with their blessings?

I do not believe that we have forgotten who we “were”. I don’t think that understanding left us that long ago, and viewing the problem from this perspective would separate us too far from our potential. Instead, I believe we have forgotten who we “are”. We are experiencing a short term memory loss which is preventing us from the success we had previously assumed.

To read my other articles on businss, success and related topics you can go to ezinearticles.com.

In his book The Success System That Never Fails, W. Clement Stone asserts, “Do what you are afraid to do…go where you are afraid to go.  When you run away because you are afraid to do something, you pass opportunity by.”  This quote identifies one of the primary, if not the most significant roadblock to network success.  Just like many of you have a fear of speaking in a public forum, you may also have a similar fear when it comes to speaking with strangers.  Without overcoming this fear it is difficult to succeed in a business that is built on convincing new friends to share your beliefs (and in the end, invest in your business). 

The key to conquering your fear of stranger interaction involves an understanding of certain principles that can define your own success system:

1. As a general rule everyone hopes that they will learn something new each day (everyone wants to be a little smarter).  Just be the person that teaches them something.
2. If you take the leap and engage with a complete stranger only to fail, you have lost nothing.  Many of you will stare at a potential customer or business partner and think to yourself, “what if I screw it up and this person walks away?”  Whether they walk away from you, or you never speak to them at all the outcome is the same…so go for it!
3. Every time you speak with someone only to have them walk away you have achieved another success.  You have learned one more way how to NOT do your job.  If you do that enough times you may learn all the ways to fail, but you will also find that you have discovered some ways to succeed as well. 
4. If you have real passion for your product or service you are NOT bugging someone with a sales pitch; rather, you are letting them in on a wonderful and amazing secret.  Now who wouldn’t want to have that information? 
5. As Mr. Stone said, “…good decisions must be followed through with action (The Success System That Never Fails).”  You can look at a stranger and say, “my goodness, I need to talk to that person!”  But that revelation is useless unless there is follow-through.  Take the chance…you really lose nothing in failure and have everything to gain!

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“To be dissatisfied, you must want something.  And if you want something badly enough, you’ll do something.  You’ll try to get it.”  W. Clement Stone, The Success System That Never Fails

When my wife first started to dabble as a marketing networker she experienced unexpected and perplexing success.  If you asked her about her marketing concept she might have stared at you with a confused look and stated “I just talk to people”, or “I just tell people how this company has changed my life”.  She really wasn’t trying to sell anybody anything; rather, she wanted as many people as possible to know about their own potential to be healthy, wealthy and wise based upon her own experiences.  I believe she would have told people about our MLM business products and services regardless of whether or not we made a dime. 

My involvement in the business wasn’t immediate, but it eventually came in a form that fit my own personal skills, abilities and talents.  I am a writer, so it made sense that my contribution would be in the form of web-site creation, blogging, article writing and the like.  

Everyone makes mistakes in any business.  The cause of  our network marketing troubles remained unidentified for quite some time.  We continued to make money and experience success; however, our initial flash in the pan started to dim and became a source of nothing but frustration.  I started down a path of introspection to determined what we changed that would have made our business shrink rather than grow.  The answer was truly revelatory and, I believe, of assistance to anyone looking to delve into network marketing.  We had become arrogant with our success and assumed that our marketing niche would be whatever we decided instead of focusing and expanding upon the niche group that made us successful in the first place.  In our own personal circumstances we thought that if we were successful with soccer moms and parents of school age kids, we could also be successful with doctors, real estate agents, chiropractors, and massage therapists.  The problem with this assumption was that we did not reach more potential partners and product users.  We were so intent on reaching everyone, that we did not have time to find anyone.

The lesson was simple.  Remain true to what you know.  Unless your marketing niche is extremely small, there are hundreds of millions of people living in this country, and billions of people living in the world that can meet your criteria and help you to achieve business success.  Define your niche group and determine the best ways to reach them and speak to their needs and desires.  

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I believe that success in an endeavor is based largely upon a persons willingness to seek knowledge and learning from any potential source.  I see value in virtually everyone I am exposed to, whether they be good or bad, educated or not.  Even in ignorance a

Business Know How

person can teach me something.  Therefore, I never dismiss a conversation, book, magazine article, etc. as being unworthy.  I am constantly searching for the diamond in the rough…the one bit of information that just might change my life and make me a better person.  As a result I am a constant reader. 

I used to be a reader of fiction, but as I got older I found myself drawn more to history and self-actualization.  Many of the blog posts you will find here come from tidbits derived from my most recent reads.  Today I am well into two different books.  One of them is new, and one of them was written quite some time ago.  I find that some of the old books by their very nature contain information that is enduring and capable of translation into anytime.  Books such as Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich are valuable to anyone seeking success.

Today’s little tidbit comes from a book called The Success System Never Fails, written by W. Clement Stone.  Essentially, success in business, and especially in sales (in our case multi-level marketing),  requires intimate knowledge and understanding of three concepts:

1. Inspiration to Action–You have to want to achieve your end more than most anything in the world.  You have to be willing to invest whole heartedly into that which you believe will improve your life and the life of those you care about.  Without this inspiration to action you are doomed to failure.  You must find the appropriate motivating words that will push you towards your financial independance. 
2. Know-How–You have to know how to get there.  Essentially you have to read books, blogs, articles and resources.  You have to talk to anyone who will give you the time.  You have to seek out those that have the knowledge that will make you successful and do whatever they tell you to.  You have to maximize your business knowledge. 
3. Activity Knowledge–You have to apply your acquired business know how and determine what works for you and what doesn’t.  Your particular station in life, as well  as your base of knowledge will determine the course of your business succss.

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