LIFE HAS KEY MOMENTS

Something you read, a comment you heard, people you’ve met who have influenced your outlook on life.


I’d like to share two of them.


'I have my life all mapped out, but I’ve done it in pencil'


This one is powerful to me, because it sums up my life in a few words. I left school and went to college to train to be an Interior Designer, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. My life was on track, I was going to live my dream. In the third of my fourth year I decided to travel home for the weekend on the back of my boyfriends motorbike. We never got there, at least not that night! A lorry came out of a side road and hit us side on, I lost my leg. I was 19, I had my whole future all planned out, and the lorry driver, who wasn’t looking, changed it all in an instant.


I was lucky, I should have been killed, instead I was in a position that altered my life plan.


For better or worse, it happened. I choose to think that it changed me for the better. I became a kinder person. It is amazing to be inside the body of a person with a disability and see how people treat you, the pity, the slight superiority. I dealt with it, I adopted the attitude that if you have a problem with my leg, it’s yours, not mine!


I also learned tolerance, compassion and an inner strength that has carried me through life.


So, my life changed. I dropped out of college, mainly due to the difficulties involved in physically attending, but I still loved my career choice. I built up a business from home, refurbishing houses and hotels, making soft furnishings and, despite the leg, balancing on ladders hanging curtains and pelmets.


I married and had a son, Neil, who is my complete pride and joy.


After 17 years my marriage ended, and I became a single mum and I had to make a better living than I had previously.


I became a sales designer, working for a national bathroom company, designing and selling bathrooms. I did well and I loved it. I moved to another company which did kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, more scope, and again I loved it and I did well, in an industry dominated by hard nosed salesmen, I stormed it. My first year there I was second in the company and won a trip to the Caribbean, as well as trips to Europe and lots of other incentives.


I was sorted, job for life.


Enter the recession, you’ve heard it all before, and again I rubbed out my plan and started again.


I sort of fell across an opportunity. I read an article from a guy from Newcastle, who in 18 months had gone from living in his mum’s spare room to living in a beach front apartment in the Caymen Islands, living his dream! I wanted to know more, I checked out all I could and it appealed to me, so out came the pencil – Internet Marketer! My experience of computers was basic, I could turn it on and off and send emails. It has been a revelation, so much to learn, so much to understand, but wow, what a trip.


I now mentor and coach others in life and business to become successful, sharing my experience and knowledge, and using a system that means that everyone, regardless of experience can be successful, if they have the will and determination to succeed, because in the end, that’s what life is all about.


It’s about being able to see the opportunities in life and take advantage of situations.


Which brings me back to my key moments.


After the accident I was in hospital, feeling very sorry for myself, a nurse said to me, ‘You have two choices, are you dying to live or are you living to die?’


I made my choice that day.


I’m dying to live and I’ll keep my pencil sharpened so that if things change I can just rub it out and start again.

HOW 'NOT' TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

Hi, whoever you are, I have this amazing business that would be great for you. Here’s my site address – check it out.

Duh – why would I?

You know nothing about me, what I want or need and I know nothing about you either. To be honest, with an introduction like that – I don’t want to know, not about your business or you!

With the introduction of Social Media – Facebook and Twitter are two of the worlds biggest meeting places. A lot of people are trying to promote their businesses but have missed the point completely – it’s a social site. It’s a place to meet people, to establish friendships, make contacts and share information.

If you walked into an electrical shop and the assistant came right over to you, grabbed your arm and led you to the ‘special offer’ washing machine that was half price today, would you buy it? Probably not, you came in to look at televisions, but he didn’t take the time to find out anything about you or what you wanted. If he’d asked about your needs, showed you the televisions, got the one that was right for you, right size, all the features you wanted and you decided to buy it, he would then have established a relationship with you, he’d have impressed you with his knowledge and his genuine efforts to meet your needs. He could then have mentioned the ‘special offer’. It may be that yours is making funny noises and there’s always a little puddle on the floor after every wash. They have a great financing scheme and you can afford both of them – done. Everyone’s happy, he's got the sale and you’ve got a television and a washing machine, one you wanted and one you didn’t know you wanted. You didn’t feel pressured, you made the decision to buy the washing machine, you decided that it was what you wanted.

People are all different. They have different wants and needs, but the one thing that is the same in every person is that they make decisions with their hearts and then justify it in their heads.

I’m the same – I dealt with the same garage for years, I liked the servicing dept people, they always helped me if I turned up unexpectedly, the salesman knew me and went out of his way to find me the right car. One day, I needed two new tyres and popped in to the garage, while I waited I got talking to the salesman, he asked how I liked my car ( a different model from the one I usually drove) I said it was ok, but I preferred my old car. He grinned at me and took me through to the car lot, 'We’ve just got this one in, it’s immaculate, the colour you like (ok – I’m a woman, colour is important!) and a really good price'. He knew me well. I bought it ! I went home and had to explain to my other half how I’d gone in to buy two tyres and come home with a new car. I justified it in my head all the way home – this one was more practical for me, it was a great price and the other one wasn’t comfortable on long drives, I had bought it with my heart and justified it later in my head.

If you want people to buy into your business, your service, your product, firstly you have to build a relationship with them. They have to like you, trust you. They need to know that you have their best interest at heart, that you are offering them this product, service or business because you believe it is the best thing for them, not just that you want the commission on another sale. I’m not being stupid, of course you want the sale, but if you do it properly the buyer will tell their friends, they’ll spread the word and your credibility will increase and so will your business.

On Facebook it is so easy to build relationships, people are open to chatting, sharing and a lot are looking to either show you their business or are looking for an opportunity. The secret is to find out about them as people – look at their business, it may or may not be for you, or maybe it will work the other way and they’ll look at your business and decide that this, like the ‘special offer’ washing machine, is what they didn’t know they wanted.

The one thing to remember is that if you push your business in everyone’s face without making any attempt to find out if it’s what they want, they’ll just press the delete button.

WHAT GIVES A COMPANY THE 'X' FACTOR?

In every industry there are good companies and bad ones.


What makes a good company?


It’s not one single thing, it’s a whole combination of factors, from how the company is run, the service they provide, the way the employees are trained and treated, to the level of customer satisfaction.


If the first three are great, the fourth one will follow naturally.


Take the hospitality industry – what makes the difference between a 2 star and a 5 star hotel?


How many of us have stayed at a hotel where the staff were sullen and rude, the food was poor, the room was shabby and dirty and the service was desperately lacking? Customer satisfaction ‘0’


I’m guessing it was a 2 star?


A 5 star hotel ensures that staff are helpful, friendly and caring, nothing is too much trouble, the food is delicious and the room is immaculate, ensuring the customer is satisfied and happy to come again. Good business and good business sense.


In order for a 5 star hotel to run as it does takes a lot of behind the scenes organization. Good management and company protocol ensure smooth running and satisfied staff and happy customers.


An internet business works on the same principles.


Joe Bloggs decides to set up an MLM company, he sees it as a get rich quick scheme. He knows lots about computers and has the knowledge to get all the systems in place, he can see the mugs, sorry, distributors paying their subscriptions into his bank account and waiting hopefully for the promised fortunes to roll their way. Due to bad organization and poor management, the distributors don’t know how to build their downlines, they get no training apart from being encouraged to ‘get all your friends and family to join up’ the downlines that do sign up aren’t properly allocated, they can’t get hold of anyone at the company to answer their questions and the hopeful distributor’s dream of untold wealth fails to materialize. Joe Bloggs, however, has pocketed a tidy sum, finds that it’s not as easy as he first thought, bails out and disappears into cyberspace, never to be heard from again.


2 star MLM?


A good MLM company has all same attributes as a 5 star hotel. Good management, systems in place that work efficiently and the distributors have access to the company training scheme and their uplines for help and advice. They have a product that appeals to prospective distributors and a marketing campaign that gives the company the visibility needed to attract new business. With all these things in place, the distributors are happy, they’re earning, they’re learning and are comfortable recommending their business. This means that anyone looking for an an online business is reassured that it’s a genuine opportunity, the company will prosper and everyone wins.


Find this company and join them – they have the ‘X’ factor.

INTERNET MARKETING BUSINESSES–WHO SHOULD YOU ASK FOR ADVICE ?


So, here you are, you’ve seen loads of ads and info on Internet businesses, one in particular seems really great and you’re excited and curious ?

Could it work for me ?

You are unwilling to just jump in and want to ask for a second opinion – who should you ask ?

Well, who you do actually talk to about it could mean the beginning of a whole new venture or it will kill any thoughts of ever trying.

You start to ask about and come across someone who has ‘knows all about’it. KNOWS ALL ABOUT – never actually tried, never succeeded or failed, just passing on information from a third person. His opinions are based on what someone else has told him, and that could be anyone – his barber who knew someone who tried it and it didn’t work for them !

You enthusiasm wobbles a bit.

You go online and do some research and come across an article from someone who failed miserably in an online business, the article is full of doom and gloom and loads of reasons why it all went wrong. Think about it - of course that’s what a failure would say. Why would someone who’s failed at something be positive and admit it didn’t work because they didn’t work hard enough or weren’t prepared to give the commitment and dedication that it took to be successful.

By this time you’re about to just forget the whole thing.

I have to say if you let a couple of people put you off you’re probably doing the right thing.

To succeed takes the ability to be single minded and determined that you CAN and WILL.

So keep looking – find someone who is at the top of an online business and listen to what they have to say, find out how they started, listen to their story, it may well be similar to yours. A lot of successful people came from ordinary backgrounds, they learned to rise above the challenges they faced, to turn their lives around by believing in themselves and ignoring the people who told them it was a waste of time and it would never work.

If something in this persons story touches you, you can associate with what they’re saying and you think you can do the same then you can. It takes hard work, dedication and commitment. The ability to see problems as challenges then solve them and most of all the will to go the extra mile – when you get to a dead end you find a way to jump the wall and carry on.

So, if you want to know about Internet Marketing, don’t believe in someone who knows nothing about it – why would you? Would you follow advice from the barman about your heart condition?

Don’t listen to someone who’s failed, they’ll only show you how to fail just like them.

Look for someone who is successful, who’s been there, done it and if you believe you can be like them, you’re halfway there.

Now all you need to do is find a great business and become one of the success stories you read about.

WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL AT MLM

I’m sure you’ve seen loads of articles, reports and blogs on this subject.


I could change the title and just say WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL, because the reasons that most people fail at MLM are the same as they fail at anything else in life – dieting, learning to play the piano, marriage – you name it, if you have the determination to make something work, you will, if you don’t, it won’t.


Having said that, even if you have the determination, that in itself is not enough.


For instance, dieting – you decide you need to lose weight, so you stop eating – sure, you’ll lose weight, you’ll also die !!!


Not really an effective method, but if you find a good weight loss program and follow it properly you will lose weight. If you cheat and have sneaky snacks when noone’s looking, finish the scraps on the kids plates and don’t do the necessary exercise, you won’t.


It’s that simple.


Follow the programme, don’t skip things and take the necessary actions and you’ll lose weight.


If you do follow all the steps and don’t lose weight, it may be that the programme you’re following may be flawed, but that doesn’t mean that every programme in the weight loss industry is.


MLM is the same.


People who fail at MLM fall into two categories.


They chose the wrong MLM company– there are literally hundreds of thousands of ‘get rich quick’ schemes out there. Some are mass marketed, put your name in the box and the money will roll in, schemes. Oh, if only it was that simple, we would all be millionaires. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy and we’re not !


They chose the right MLM company but didn’t follow the programme – there are some really great companies out there, ethical, organized, professional and successful. These companies care about their distributors, they have great products, great training and support and great compensation plans. To make them work you have to be willing to put in the work and follow the training programme.


The people who fail with a good MLM company weren’t willing to make it work, just like the dieters who failed to lose weight.


So, people who fail blame everyone else but themselves.


They don’t take responsibility and are not willing to put in the effort in order to be successful.


In MLM, in business, in life it takes commitment and hard work to do well.


So, next time you hear someone say these schemes don’t work, ask yourself, “Is it the scheme that doesn’t work, or the person?”

Asking the question

 
I've been thinking about all the lessons my old mentor taught me when I was in Sales and realise what he was teaching me were really life skills.

My buddy Barbara says I should write some of them down.

One of the most obvious is 'ask the question'.

That may seem stupid, but when I first started as a sales designer, I used to design drop dead kitchens, everyone loved them and I would walk away feeling very proud of myself. Then, the customers would take my design and, using everything I'd worked out with them, would buy from the next salesman who 'asked for the order' If I had just said, 'So, we've got everything right for you? Yes? Brilliant, let’s get the paperwork done and we'll get your new kitchen fitted in the next couple of weeks.'

So, I started to ask, because I was told to, and as my mentor used to say to me, don't think, just do it, they can only say Yes or No.

What I found was that, the asking of the question, 'Do you want this?' focuses the mind and if they do want it, they'll say Yes.

If they say No, it may be because there's a reason, one that you can address, and then they'll say Yes, but if you don't ask, you'll never know!

This is a sales scenario, but it applies to everything.

The young boy who would really love to ask the girl down the road out, he smiles at her, he watches her from afar, but he never asks.

She likes him too and wishes he would, if he did, she would say Yes.

Or she doesn't, and she would have said No.

We'll never know, because he never asked !

If he had he would have started to learn how to ask, because every time he tried he would have been more confident and if you ask nicely, lots of people say yes.

The more you ask, the more chance you have of someone saying yes.

If you never ask there's no chance at all !

The main reason most people won’t ask is because they have a fear of people saying no to them, the fear of rejection. I was scared, but what I found was that the more you ask, the easier it gets.

Keep it simple.

How many opportunities are lost for the sake of 'asking the question'?

Is this your best price?
Would you come out to dinner with me?
Do you want to join my team?
Would you love to be successful/wealthy?

These are all direct questions, yes or no answers.

If the answer is yes - result, if it’s no - what have you lost for the sake of asking?

A MONTH LATER

Wow, what a crazy, busy few weeks !

Everything is coming together and all the things I've worked hard to master are now making sense - who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks ?

Remember the first day you walked into a new school classroom and you just edged round the side of the wall and then sat down quietly and listened? Everyone else seemed so much more experienced, confident and you never thought you would ever be part of the group. Then, as the days go by, you start to relax, you make friends, you start to feel comfortable and that you belong.

That's where I am now.

I was in awe of all these successful people in the beginning, I just sat quietly on the side, listened and learned. I had to because, at that point, I didn't know that I was the same as them.  Now I do, thanks to the help, support and encouragement I've been given. I know I can be the mentor and coach that they have been, and help others step into this huge classroom that is the training ground to being a successful marketer.

I am now building my team, showing them the ropes and trying to make the learning easier by sharing what I went through, and helping them find the answers to the many questions that arise.

It's so exciting and rewarding, being able to grow a team, and building a business by helping make others successful.

What could be better?