For Gen X, it's time to grow up and get a broker
Many say they have high debt, little ability to save for retirement
Usana Difference Author says they need the USANA opportunity
By Jennifer Alsever
MSNBC contributor
updated 5:52 p.m. CT, Thurs., Nov. 8, 2007
Generation X may have shed the slacker image over the past decade as its members moved beyond coffee shop jobs and into the suburbs, SUVs and corporate boardrooms. But when it comes to saving for retirement, the description still fits.
Most Gen Xers, the oldest of whom are heading into their 40s, are woefully behind in saving for retirement. Nearly half of the 5,000 Gen Xers surveyed by Charles Schwab this year said they are so saddled with debt or live on such tight budgets they can’t even think about saving.
“They’re not a saving generation — they’re spenders,” said Gio Van Remortel, a 36-year-old who studies her generation as a futurist at Social Technologies, a research and consulting firm in Washington.
Melanie Keller, 35, admits that fact. She worries about retirement because she only has $3,000 put away in a 401(k) plan and has no other investments. But instead of socking away money for retirement, the pharmaceutical saleswoman is trying to save $60,000 so she can buy a starter home where she lives in San Jose, Calif.
“I am worried, but I don’t feel like after I pay all the bills — with rent, car payment — I have enough money” for savings, she said.
Indeed, the expenses of a house, car and all the other possessions that go along with being an adult often leave Gen Xers very little to sock away in a 401(k) system that grows money incrementally, said Van Remortel. Even if they are not supersizing their lives and living beyond their means, she said, many Gen Xers — generally defined as those born from 1965 to 1980 — carry significant debt due to college alone. Once they have kids, they begin to worry about saving for their college educations, and retirement planning often drops in priority.
Recognizing those pressures, investment firms are offering new incentives tailored to get Gen Xers to invest. The Principal Financial Group, which runs 401(k) plans for 47,000 employers and their 3 million workers, offers free music downloads to people who boost their contributions to retirement accounts. The company also sends financial counselors to the offices of their clients to offer free advice on 401(k) planning.
Fact File | Generation X
— 62 percent say they live paycheck to paycheck.
— 56 percent have an outstanding credit-card balance of $3,000 or more.
— 62 percent of women say they have not bought any investment products.
— 45 percent of women would buy 30 pairs of shoes before saving $30,000 in retirement assets.
— 65 percent of women and 48 percent of men said they do not know how a mutual fund works.
— Nearly 65 percent did not know that when interest rates go up bond prices typically go down.
— 38 percent of women have not started saving for retirement.
Source: OppenheimerFunds
Broker Charles Schwab meanwhile has lowered its minimum balances to $100 for people opening new investment accounts and offers high-yield checking accounts linked to brokerage accounts. “If they can start with a checking account, they can invest easily over time,” said Jonathan Craig, a vice president at Schwab.
Still, Gen Xers may face bigger financial challenges than their parents and grandparents did. On top of the big mortgages, college loans and the rising child education costs, they face the fact that few employers offer traditional pensions anymore, meaning they take on more of the burden of retirement. Plus, the future of Social Security is more uncertain than ever. Unless Congress makes changes, the trust fund that helps pay for the federal entitlement is likely to be exhausted by 2040 — about the time most Gen Xers hit retirement.
Credit card debt, too, remains another big roadblock to many people. As many as 40 percent of Gen X women and 58 percent of men said they carried a credit card balance of $5,000 or more, according to a 2006 survey of 300 people by OppenheimerFunds. Nearly half of women interviewed said they would rather buy 30 pairs of shoes than save $30,000 for retirement.
Waiting to pay off that debt before saving for retirement could be a big mistake, said Doug Charney, president of the Charney Investment Group of Wachovia Securities in Harrisburg, Pa.
“Pay yourself first,” Charney said. He advises people to set aside at least 15 percent of their income into a retirement account. If that’s too much, people should start small with maybe 4 percent or 5 percent and gradually increase the contribution as they get pay raises.
“If you don’t save 10 percent of your income, you won’t be able to maintain the lifestyle you’re used to,” Charney said. For many people, that equates to saving about $2 million by retirement, after accounting for inflation. Those who haven’t put away enough money may have to work into their 70s. (Charney later sent an e-mail raising his target to 15 percent of income.)
Still, many people don’t understand how to invest or what is the best way to invest, and some are spending the retirement money they do save, according to surveys by financial institutions. As many as 40 percent of people cash out their 401(k) money when they leave a job rather than rolling the money over to grow in another retirement account, according to the Principal Financial Group.
Count Robert Betts as one of those people who made that decision. Burned out on his job at a Manhattan advertising agency, the 36-year-old Betts quit his job in 2005 and blew through $28,000 from his 401(k) plan while unemployed for 18 months. Now working for a Denver ad agency, he puts $500 a month into his 401(k) in an effort to catch up.
“When you see your 401(k) grow on top of what you put into it, it’s tough to swallow that you could have been doing that for 10 years,” said Betts. But he doesn’t regret using the retirement money to take time to clear his head.
“I could die poor in the gutter at 60, and I wouldn’t regret taking that money,” he said. “I’m much happier, and my career is on track.”
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
RESET Games Kick-off call on Wednesday, January 2
Join us for the RESET Games Kick-off call on Wednesday, January 2 to learn how you and your team can participate in the 2nd Annual RESET Games. Executive Vice President of Customer Relations Mark Wilson will host the call with special guests, Jennifer Azzi and Gina Hampton, RESET Games winners from last year!
Don’t miss it. This is the opportunity to jump start your business in 2008!
January 2
RESET Games: 12-Week Lifestyle Challenge Kick Off
Time: 6:00 p.m. MST (Not in a MST time zone? Click here to convert to your time zone)
Call-in Number: 641-594-7500
PIN: 641342
Live Meeting link:
(East) https://www106.livemeeting.com/cc/usana500/join?id=RESET08E&role=attend
(West) https://www106.livemeeting.com/cc/usana500/join?id=RESET08W&role=attend
For more information on the RESET Games, visit: http://products.usana.com/en/products/us/macros/reset
Don’t miss it. This is the opportunity to jump start your business in 2008!
January 2
RESET Games: 12-Week Lifestyle Challenge Kick Off
Time: 6:00 p.m. MST (Not in a MST time zone? Click here to convert to your time zone)
Call-in Number: 641-594-7500
PIN: 641342
Live Meeting link:
(East) https://www106.livemeeting.com/cc/usana500/join?id=RESET08E&role=attend
(West) https://www106.livemeeting.com/cc/usana500/join?id=RESET08W&role=attend
For more information on the RESET Games, visit: http://products.usana.com/en/products/us/macros/reset
GOAL SETTING AND ACTION PLANS
GOAL SETTING AND ACTION PLANS
By Pete Zdanis
I spend a lot of time working with new people in my group helping them develop their goals and action plans for their Usana business.
I always ask them to make the initial effort to put their goals and plans in writing, and then share them with me for review and suggestions. The main reason I do this is because, unless they develop their goals themselves, they will never take ownership of them and will likely not take the necessary actions to reach the goals.
What I usually discover in the first draft I receive from new distributors is one of two extremes:
o Very general and vague - "I want to earn $1,000.00 per week in Usana."
o Extremely detailed and mind-numbing "business plans" which would require a Harvard MBA to understand.
The first example is far too general, and doesn't provide any detail on what must be done to achieve the goal. At the end of every day, there would be no way to measure if you made any progress toward your goal.
The second example is far too detailed, and usually overwhelms people and causes "paralysis by analysis". It would be impractical to review an elaborate business plan daily to measure progress.
What's the solution?:
Start with one or two high level goals with a specific target date, and then "work backward" to develop more specific action plans to achieve the goal(s).
For example:
Primary Goal:
"Become a Gold Director in 12 months."
Good. That's a specific goal with a defined time frame.
Now, let's break that down into smaller, manageable actions steps that are needed to achieve the goal.
For example, we know that the average Gold Director has personally sponsored 30 to 40 new Distributors.
So, let's define an action step, or secondary goal, to reach the primary goal:
"Personally sponsor three new Distributors per month".
OK. That will certainly get us to our primary goal, but - How do we sponsor three new Distributors per month?
Well, let's break it down into even smaller steps................
There are many, many different ways and methods to sponsor new distributors - warm market, classified ads, purchased leads, etc., etc. The various methods, combined with the individual Distributor's belief, confidence and experience level, make it difficult to determine specifically, at least initially, how many presentations a particular Distributor would have to make to sponsor one new Distributor
For the sake of this exercise, let simply, assume that they would sponsor one out of every ten people they make a presentation to. Note: By "presentation", I am referring to an H&F Meeting, a one-on-one H&F Presentation in person, an information pack sent by snail mail or e-mail, or a telephone presentation using the H&F Presentation, Fast Facts, etc. Therefore, we would need to make thirty presentations in one month in order to sponsor three new Distributors in a month.
So, our next level goal or action step would be:
"Make 30 presentations per month."
OK - Hang in there, we're almost done.............
Not everyone we talk to is interested in learning more about becoming involved in Usana. So, we're obviously going to need to contact more than 30 people in order to schedule 30 presentations. Again, the ratio of contacts to presentations varies widely based on many variables, similar to those listed above. But, for the sake of example, let's assume that half of the people we contact would be interested in learning more about Usana, i.e., would be willing to view / attend / listen to a presentation.
So, our next level goal or action step would be:
"Make 60 contacts per month." (Or an average of two per day)
NOW we have something to grab on to. We now know that, in order to become a Gold Director in one year, (Primary Goal) you would need to make an average of two contacts per day (Single Daily Action Plan – SDA).
Now, at the end of every day, you can look back at your activities for the day, ask yourself if you took needed action to reach your primary goal, provide an answer, and rate yourself:
o Zero Contacts - "F" - failed for the day.
o One Contact - "C" - did okay, but need to do better tomorrow.
o Two Contacts - "A" - achieved my goal, and am on track to reach my primary goal.
o More than two Contacts - "A+" - I may reach my primary goal faster than my target date.
CAUTION: Don't get all hung up about the numbers in the above examples. They are simply that - examples. As you gain in experience and knowledge, you may find that more than half of the people you contact would be willing to learn more about Usana, and that more than 10% of the presentations you make will result in a signup. In fact, I KNOW that will be the case.
Best of success!
Pete Zdanis
By Pete Zdanis
I spend a lot of time working with new people in my group helping them develop their goals and action plans for their Usana business.
I always ask them to make the initial effort to put their goals and plans in writing, and then share them with me for review and suggestions. The main reason I do this is because, unless they develop their goals themselves, they will never take ownership of them and will likely not take the necessary actions to reach the goals.
What I usually discover in the first draft I receive from new distributors is one of two extremes:
o Very general and vague - "I want to earn $1,000.00 per week in Usana."
o Extremely detailed and mind-numbing "business plans" which would require a Harvard MBA to understand.
The first example is far too general, and doesn't provide any detail on what must be done to achieve the goal. At the end of every day, there would be no way to measure if you made any progress toward your goal.
The second example is far too detailed, and usually overwhelms people and causes "paralysis by analysis". It would be impractical to review an elaborate business plan daily to measure progress.
What's the solution?:
Start with one or two high level goals with a specific target date, and then "work backward" to develop more specific action plans to achieve the goal(s).
For example:
Primary Goal:
"Become a Gold Director in 12 months."
Good. That's a specific goal with a defined time frame.
Now, let's break that down into smaller, manageable actions steps that are needed to achieve the goal.
For example, we know that the average Gold Director has personally sponsored 30 to 40 new Distributors.
So, let's define an action step, or secondary goal, to reach the primary goal:
"Personally sponsor three new Distributors per month".
OK. That will certainly get us to our primary goal, but - How do we sponsor three new Distributors per month?
Well, let's break it down into even smaller steps................
There are many, many different ways and methods to sponsor new distributors - warm market, classified ads, purchased leads, etc., etc. The various methods, combined with the individual Distributor's belief, confidence and experience level, make it difficult to determine specifically, at least initially, how many presentations a particular Distributor would have to make to sponsor one new Distributor
For the sake of this exercise, let simply, assume that they would sponsor one out of every ten people they make a presentation to. Note: By "presentation", I am referring to an H&F Meeting, a one-on-one H&F Presentation in person, an information pack sent by snail mail or e-mail, or a telephone presentation using the H&F Presentation, Fast Facts, etc. Therefore, we would need to make thirty presentations in one month in order to sponsor three new Distributors in a month.
So, our next level goal or action step would be:
"Make 30 presentations per month."
OK - Hang in there, we're almost done.............
Not everyone we talk to is interested in learning more about becoming involved in Usana. So, we're obviously going to need to contact more than 30 people in order to schedule 30 presentations. Again, the ratio of contacts to presentations varies widely based on many variables, similar to those listed above. But, for the sake of example, let's assume that half of the people we contact would be interested in learning more about Usana, i.e., would be willing to view / attend / listen to a presentation.
So, our next level goal or action step would be:
"Make 60 contacts per month." (Or an average of two per day)
NOW we have something to grab on to. We now know that, in order to become a Gold Director in one year, (Primary Goal) you would need to make an average of two contacts per day (Single Daily Action Plan – SDA).
Now, at the end of every day, you can look back at your activities for the day, ask yourself if you took needed action to reach your primary goal, provide an answer, and rate yourself:
o Zero Contacts - "F" - failed for the day.
o One Contact - "C" - did okay, but need to do better tomorrow.
o Two Contacts - "A" - achieved my goal, and am on track to reach my primary goal.
o More than two Contacts - "A+" - I may reach my primary goal faster than my target date.
CAUTION: Don't get all hung up about the numbers in the above examples. They are simply that - examples. As you gain in experience and knowledge, you may find that more than half of the people you contact would be willing to learn more about Usana, and that more than 10% of the presentations you make will result in a signup. In fact, I KNOW that will be the case.
Best of success!
Pete Zdanis
The One and Only Right Way...
The One and Only Right Way...
The idea of duplication has taken on considerable status in the theories of Network Marketing business-building. Some "success systems," however, take this idea too far--to the detriment of many distributors with unique skills and connections, says Tom Schreiter. Here's what the seasoned Networker has to say about the myth and reality of duplication...
by Tom (Big Al) Schreiter
I LIKE THINGS TO BE BLACK AND WHITE, RIGHT OR WRONG WITH no ambiguity. Don't you? Knowing how to do it right saves me from thinking.
So, wouldn't it be nice if there was only one right way to do Network Marketing?
Sure... would be nice. But I certainly haven't found the way. And, I'm not sure why there should be only one way to do Network Marketing right.
I see many ways of doing our business that work. Every day, people succeed in our business, each doing the business a little or a lot differently.
For example: I hate using the telephone. I'm extremely uncomfortable whenever I'm in a phone conversation longer than 30 seconds. So, what would happen if my sponsor told me, "The only way to be successful in Network Marketing is to use the telephone."?
Well, maybe I could force myself to suffer for a month or two, but after a period of continued suffering, I'd look for another way of doing the business that was more comfortable for me--unless I'd already found a way out of the business.
I've sponsored leaders who have built their entire business over the telephone.
The process works. I just choose to do it in a more enjoyable way for me.
My favorite method is to sponsor someone across the kitchen table. Maybe it's my preoccupation with food--I don't know--but that method works great for me.
But what about my leaders who build their business by phone? They'd quickly return to using the telephone if I forced them to do the business in my "table-top" way.
Some leaders build their business through opportunity meetings, product parties, person-to-person cold calls, direct mail, advertising, referrals... many different ways. I respect all these methods. I don't use them all myself, but I respect them. And, as a leader, I try to learn as much as I can about each method, so I can help new distributors who choose one of these alternate ways of building their business.
Network Marketing should be fun. We should enjoy our business. So why would you want to ruin your fun by using a business-building method you hate?
HOW MANY DIFFERENT METHODS are there to build your Network Marketing business?
Lots. I've written five books on recruiting and each book is filled with different methods and techniques.
The biggest service we can render to new distributors is to help them find what method works for them. Then, let's help them use that method to build their business successfully.
Egos and Hero Worship
Here is where the different methods make people uncomfortable: imagine you are a leader and have built your group by running radio ads for opportunity meetings.
Great! It works for you.
However, being human, you decide that you've found the one and only secret to success. In fact, you insist that everyone in your group uses the exact same method (and worships you as the founder of the ultimate Networking success truth, too).
Then what happens?
Soon the radio is full of similar ads. Listeners turn off their attention as soon as they hear the ads run again. Some of your distributors run their own ads that don't work. People with hearing disabilities will never hear of your opportunity. Some communities in the valley don't get good radio reception. Some people are watching TV.
Well, you get the point. This one ultimate truth isn't so ultimate, i.e., it won't work for everybody.
The Duplication Myth
I'm not sure who started the rumor that everything you must do in MLM must be duplicatable for your entire downline. Maybe an escapee from a mental institute? A communist insurgent? A government official? I see no need to insist on duplication of your activities--other than to get your ego massaged.
It's okay to use different activities and methods to achieve the results you want. Just because your sponsor doesn't do opportunity meetings, doesn't mean that you are banned from using this proven activity to build your business.
Some people have natural strengths and talents and should take advantage of them to build their Network Marketing organizations.
One of my friends has a 10,000 mailing list of customers who know and trust him. What am I going to say to him?
"Don't mail or contact your customers. Sure, lots of them would love to join and be in your business, but it's not duplicatable! No one else has 10,000 customers. Don't do it. You're setting a bad example."
I don't think I could tell my friend that. It's ludicrous. I'd encourage my friend to contact his natural market even though few people could duplicate his method.
What about someone who is a great speaker who motivates crowds to his cause? If your system insists that all activities be conducted one-on-one, across the kitchen table, aren't you doing your speaker-distributor a disservice by not allowing him to use his natural talents to build his business?
The Key Difference
Here is what we really need to duplicate--Results!
What results are we looking for in Network Marketing? We want to sponsor distributors and make them successful--right?
If we focus on results, we can allow people the freedom to achieve those results in many different ways.
Some will achieve results contacting prospects by mail. Some by giving product parties. Some by wearing three-piece suits and conducting opportunity meetings. And even some will achieve these results in Bermuda shorts at the beach.
The bottom line is: Don't worry about duplicating activities. Focus on duplicating results.
Why Techniques and Rigid Systems Don't Matter
In the end, it's not so much what you do? it's who you are.
Have you ever seen a new distributor excited about your opportunity? Your new distributor makes all kinds of mistakes and still sponsors lots of people.
Why?
Enthusiasm. Trust. Personal belief. These things show through your new distributor's presentation so loudly that the prospect doesn't care about the business details. Prospects join because of who you are!
They don't join because your marketing plan pays 4% on level three in the alternate months, or because your product explanation took only 2.3 minutes with a magic Columbo close.
Prospects buy you--not your company.
How Do You Learn the Sponsoring Technique That's Right For You?
I learned from personal trial and error.
It's a great way to learn. Unfortunately it has two drawbacks:
It takes a long time to try and test different techniques. It could take years of trial and error and you may end up with scars all over your body (heart and mind). If you have a lot of time and can wait a few years to get your business started, then you are one of the fortunate few. Most of us want results a bit faster.
It's expensive to fund all your trial and error campaigns. Very expensive. If you have money to burn, or just enjoy being poor--abused by credit card collectors, then it's not so bad. However, most of us hate to waste money.
Those are the only two things I have against the trial and error method of finding a good sponsoring technique that works for you.
There's a better way.
Read some books. Attend seminars. Consult with your sponsor. And listen to some tapes of people who have gone before you (check to see if they have scar tissue). Why beat yourself up and spend lots of money when you can read or listen to the results of the different methods you are considering?
Capitalize on the experience of others.
I think that's why many Network Marketing distributors enjoy the Big Al books. They know that I've been out there in the trenches, continue to be in the trenches, and the techniques I write about are from experience. I leave out the hype. I don't tell distributors what techniques to use, I just report them. Adults are smart enough to pick out the techniques they enjoy.
As my good friend Tom Paredes says, "Even if you go to work at McDonald's flipping hamburgers, they still make you go through their training program." With our business, so much more complicated than flipping hamburgers, don't you think it makes sense to learn how to do it?
What Is The Ultimate Secret To Network Marketing Success?
The real secret?
It's to build leaders and make them successful.
Distributors come and go. It's the leaders who count. You want to develop a few good loyal leaders and then, if you choose, you can retire.
If I had my entire career to do all over again, I'd concentrate on building and developing one leader each year.
We talk about the cumulative effect of our efforts in Network Marketing. Well, only leaders accumulate. That's why you should focus your effort into developing leaders.
I have a friend who started with me in Network Marketing 24 years ago. We lost touch until about four years ago. During those 20 years we both worked hard in Network Marketing.
When we finally met, I had a self-sustaining, large and profitable organization. He was starting all over again.
The difference?
I had developed some leaders during my 20 years of hard work. He had sponsored distributors during his 20 years of hard work. We both worked hard. Today, he has no organization. He is still starting over.
THERE IS A "RIGHT WAY" to build your Network Marketing business: Help your new distributors find what method works for them. Then, help them become leaders doing what they do best.
The idea of duplication has taken on considerable status in the theories of Network Marketing business-building. Some "success systems," however, take this idea too far--to the detriment of many distributors with unique skills and connections, says Tom Schreiter. Here's what the seasoned Networker has to say about the myth and reality of duplication...
by Tom (Big Al) Schreiter
I LIKE THINGS TO BE BLACK AND WHITE, RIGHT OR WRONG WITH no ambiguity. Don't you? Knowing how to do it right saves me from thinking.
So, wouldn't it be nice if there was only one right way to do Network Marketing?
Sure... would be nice. But I certainly haven't found the way. And, I'm not sure why there should be only one way to do Network Marketing right.
I see many ways of doing our business that work. Every day, people succeed in our business, each doing the business a little or a lot differently.
For example: I hate using the telephone. I'm extremely uncomfortable whenever I'm in a phone conversation longer than 30 seconds. So, what would happen if my sponsor told me, "The only way to be successful in Network Marketing is to use the telephone."?
Well, maybe I could force myself to suffer for a month or two, but after a period of continued suffering, I'd look for another way of doing the business that was more comfortable for me--unless I'd already found a way out of the business.
I've sponsored leaders who have built their entire business over the telephone.
The process works. I just choose to do it in a more enjoyable way for me.
My favorite method is to sponsor someone across the kitchen table. Maybe it's my preoccupation with food--I don't know--but that method works great for me.
But what about my leaders who build their business by phone? They'd quickly return to using the telephone if I forced them to do the business in my "table-top" way.
Some leaders build their business through opportunity meetings, product parties, person-to-person cold calls, direct mail, advertising, referrals... many different ways. I respect all these methods. I don't use them all myself, but I respect them. And, as a leader, I try to learn as much as I can about each method, so I can help new distributors who choose one of these alternate ways of building their business.
Network Marketing should be fun. We should enjoy our business. So why would you want to ruin your fun by using a business-building method you hate?
HOW MANY DIFFERENT METHODS are there to build your Network Marketing business?
Lots. I've written five books on recruiting and each book is filled with different methods and techniques.
The biggest service we can render to new distributors is to help them find what method works for them. Then, let's help them use that method to build their business successfully.
Egos and Hero Worship
Here is where the different methods make people uncomfortable: imagine you are a leader and have built your group by running radio ads for opportunity meetings.
Great! It works for you.
However, being human, you decide that you've found the one and only secret to success. In fact, you insist that everyone in your group uses the exact same method (and worships you as the founder of the ultimate Networking success truth, too).
Then what happens?
Soon the radio is full of similar ads. Listeners turn off their attention as soon as they hear the ads run again. Some of your distributors run their own ads that don't work. People with hearing disabilities will never hear of your opportunity. Some communities in the valley don't get good radio reception. Some people are watching TV.
Well, you get the point. This one ultimate truth isn't so ultimate, i.e., it won't work for everybody.
The Duplication Myth
I'm not sure who started the rumor that everything you must do in MLM must be duplicatable for your entire downline. Maybe an escapee from a mental institute? A communist insurgent? A government official? I see no need to insist on duplication of your activities--other than to get your ego massaged.
It's okay to use different activities and methods to achieve the results you want. Just because your sponsor doesn't do opportunity meetings, doesn't mean that you are banned from using this proven activity to build your business.
Some people have natural strengths and talents and should take advantage of them to build their Network Marketing organizations.
One of my friends has a 10,000 mailing list of customers who know and trust him. What am I going to say to him?
"Don't mail or contact your customers. Sure, lots of them would love to join and be in your business, but it's not duplicatable! No one else has 10,000 customers. Don't do it. You're setting a bad example."
I don't think I could tell my friend that. It's ludicrous. I'd encourage my friend to contact his natural market even though few people could duplicate his method.
What about someone who is a great speaker who motivates crowds to his cause? If your system insists that all activities be conducted one-on-one, across the kitchen table, aren't you doing your speaker-distributor a disservice by not allowing him to use his natural talents to build his business?
The Key Difference
Here is what we really need to duplicate--Results!
What results are we looking for in Network Marketing? We want to sponsor distributors and make them successful--right?
If we focus on results, we can allow people the freedom to achieve those results in many different ways.
Some will achieve results contacting prospects by mail. Some by giving product parties. Some by wearing three-piece suits and conducting opportunity meetings. And even some will achieve these results in Bermuda shorts at the beach.
The bottom line is: Don't worry about duplicating activities. Focus on duplicating results.
Why Techniques and Rigid Systems Don't Matter
In the end, it's not so much what you do? it's who you are.
Have you ever seen a new distributor excited about your opportunity? Your new distributor makes all kinds of mistakes and still sponsors lots of people.
Why?
Enthusiasm. Trust. Personal belief. These things show through your new distributor's presentation so loudly that the prospect doesn't care about the business details. Prospects join because of who you are!
They don't join because your marketing plan pays 4% on level three in the alternate months, or because your product explanation took only 2.3 minutes with a magic Columbo close.
Prospects buy you--not your company.
How Do You Learn the Sponsoring Technique That's Right For You?
I learned from personal trial and error.
It's a great way to learn. Unfortunately it has two drawbacks:
It takes a long time to try and test different techniques. It could take years of trial and error and you may end up with scars all over your body (heart and mind). If you have a lot of time and can wait a few years to get your business started, then you are one of the fortunate few. Most of us want results a bit faster.
It's expensive to fund all your trial and error campaigns. Very expensive. If you have money to burn, or just enjoy being poor--abused by credit card collectors, then it's not so bad. However, most of us hate to waste money.
Those are the only two things I have against the trial and error method of finding a good sponsoring technique that works for you.
There's a better way.
Read some books. Attend seminars. Consult with your sponsor. And listen to some tapes of people who have gone before you (check to see if they have scar tissue). Why beat yourself up and spend lots of money when you can read or listen to the results of the different methods you are considering?
Capitalize on the experience of others.
I think that's why many Network Marketing distributors enjoy the Big Al books. They know that I've been out there in the trenches, continue to be in the trenches, and the techniques I write about are from experience. I leave out the hype. I don't tell distributors what techniques to use, I just report them. Adults are smart enough to pick out the techniques they enjoy.
As my good friend Tom Paredes says, "Even if you go to work at McDonald's flipping hamburgers, they still make you go through their training program." With our business, so much more complicated than flipping hamburgers, don't you think it makes sense to learn how to do it?
What Is The Ultimate Secret To Network Marketing Success?
The real secret?
It's to build leaders and make them successful.
Distributors come and go. It's the leaders who count. You want to develop a few good loyal leaders and then, if you choose, you can retire.
If I had my entire career to do all over again, I'd concentrate on building and developing one leader each year.
We talk about the cumulative effect of our efforts in Network Marketing. Well, only leaders accumulate. That's why you should focus your effort into developing leaders.
I have a friend who started with me in Network Marketing 24 years ago. We lost touch until about four years ago. During those 20 years we both worked hard in Network Marketing.
When we finally met, I had a self-sustaining, large and profitable organization. He was starting all over again.
The difference?
I had developed some leaders during my 20 years of hard work. He had sponsored distributors during his 20 years of hard work. We both worked hard. Today, he has no organization. He is still starting over.
THERE IS A "RIGHT WAY" to build your Network Marketing business: Help your new distributors find what method works for them. Then, help them become leaders doing what they do best.
Beginning of a new year
With the beginning of a new year, many people are interested in improving their fitness and health. However, exercising can be a daunting task if a person has been sedentary. Also, it is often the belief that to get benefit one must employ the slogan, "no pain, no gain." This frequently results in frustration and failure to exercise consistently. Fortunately, though, research has shown that mild to moderate exercise does provide significant health and fitness benefits, especially in those who are overweight and sedentary.
Mild exercise
Mild exercise increases fitness and cuts cardiovascular risk A study conducted at Duke University and published in the journal Chest compared the effects of three different exercise regimens on fitness improvements in overweight men and women who were at risk for heart disease. Broken into four groups, the volunteers either did not exercise, walked briskly for 12 miles a week at a moderate intensity, walked briskly or jogged slowly 12 miles a week at a vigorous intensity, or jogged 20 miles a week at a vigorous intensity. Two measurements of fitness - time-to-exhaustion and oxygen consumption - were measured before and after 7 to 9 months of training. All exercise groups saw fitness improvements compared to baseline. Results indicated that two to three hours of mild exercise a week at a moderate intensity is sufficient to increase aerobic fitness and cut the risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing either the intensity or the amount of exercise provided additional improvements in fitness. Although more vigorous exercise should still be encouraged for maximum benefit, this study demonstrates that it is appropriate to recommend mild exercise to improve fitness levels and reduce cardiovascular disease risk, especially in those who are overweight and sedentary. Chest.
2005;128:2788-2793.
2005;128:2788-2793.
Food For Thought January 2008
Food For Thought January 2008
Grains are energy foods
Grains are a key source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the fuel the body needs for energy.
Simple Carbohydrates- like white sugar and white flour are sources of empty carbs. They burn up fast and have little to no nutritional value.
Complex Carbohydrates- like in whole grains provide a complete complement of necessary nutrients for the body.This steady balanced digestion, is the opposite of the rush, then the crash that spikes sugar levels experienced from highly refined, nutrient-deficient grain.
Whole Grains are complete and contain: Complex Carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals in ideal proportions for the need of the human body. They are also an excellent source of fiber, B-complex, vitamin E, and phosphorus. Minerals, Vitamins, and Energy!
*Grains are seeds from the grass family. The seed is also called the kernel. The kernel is made up of three major parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Whole grains are grains that are eaten intake.
*There are many different kinds of grains. The most common include whole wheat, whole oats, whole corn, brown rice, whole rye, barley, wild rice, and buckwheat.
Small Changes- More than 40 percent of U.S. adults say they eat no whole grains at all. White to wheat, instant to whole. An analogy that I like to use is from sailing. If you change your course by only a few degrees over the duration of a journey your destination can change dramatically.
Brown Rice is a great start for introducing the healthy benefits of whole grains into your body. Brown rice helps lower the risk of clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. The fiber and other nutrients may help lower cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as improve blood vessel functioning and reduce inflammation in the circulatory system. Try some seasonal short grain rice today.
1 cup - Rice 2 cups- Water &Pinch of Sea Salt
Wash rice and drain into strainer. Put rice and water into a pot. Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid. Reduce heat to simmer cook for 50-60 minutes. Fluff the rice then enjoy!
Grains are energy foods
Grains are a key source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the fuel the body needs for energy.
Simple Carbohydrates- like white sugar and white flour are sources of empty carbs. They burn up fast and have little to no nutritional value.
Complex Carbohydrates- like in whole grains provide a complete complement of necessary nutrients for the body.This steady balanced digestion, is the opposite of the rush, then the crash that spikes sugar levels experienced from highly refined, nutrient-deficient grain.
Whole Grains are complete and contain: Complex Carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals in ideal proportions for the need of the human body. They are also an excellent source of fiber, B-complex, vitamin E, and phosphorus. Minerals, Vitamins, and Energy!
*Grains are seeds from the grass family. The seed is also called the kernel. The kernel is made up of three major parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Whole grains are grains that are eaten intake.
*There are many different kinds of grains. The most common include whole wheat, whole oats, whole corn, brown rice, whole rye, barley, wild rice, and buckwheat.
Small Changes- More than 40 percent of U.S. adults say they eat no whole grains at all. White to wheat, instant to whole. An analogy that I like to use is from sailing. If you change your course by only a few degrees over the duration of a journey your destination can change dramatically.
Brown Rice is a great start for introducing the healthy benefits of whole grains into your body. Brown rice helps lower the risk of clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. The fiber and other nutrients may help lower cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as improve blood vessel functioning and reduce inflammation in the circulatory system. Try some seasonal short grain rice today.
1 cup - Rice 2 cups- Water &Pinch of Sea Salt
Wash rice and drain into strainer. Put rice and water into a pot. Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid. Reduce heat to simmer cook for 50-60 minutes. Fluff the rice then enjoy!
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