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I just received another call from someone offering me this wonderful biz op. I was told about a cure-all product that would magically make me lots of money. This person was truly excited about the income possibilities.
Well, I can relate to how they felt because that used to be me. Great products have enticed me in the past. After all, I just knew everyone else would feel the same way. Of course I was wrong. No one felt the same way. And so, very soon my bubble burst because of the difficulty in selling the product and/or selling the business opportunity.
That was before I got educated. Products no longer excite me. I fully understand without an excellent product, a company won't stay in business. But, I also fully understand having an excellent product is not enough to keep me in business.
Okay, back to this business opportunity. After I was offered this wonderful biz op I asked a simple question (well two questions actually but I'll discuss the second question at another time). The question was this: How many customers/affiliates will I need to earn a $10,000/mo income? The answer was this: You can earn $10,000/week with only 200 people. Well had I not been educated, had I not been able to do the math, I would have been excited about this. BUT, I am educated, I can do the math and I am a critical thinker. I knew there is no way (unless by magic) a product selling for only $60.00 with a 5% commission payout could possibly produce $10,000/week with 200 people. In fact, in doing the math, I calculated it would require over 3,000 people to produce a $10,000/mo income.
I mentioned I got educated. My education started with a free ebook. The fact is I had to get educated. I was tired of spinning my wheels. I was once in a company where I needed 5,000 people to earn a $10,000/mo income. I got involved because the product was exceptional. But, I soon realized it would be almost impossible to reach my income goal. Companies know this. They know all they have to do is provide a good product to suck you in, no matter how poor the compensation plan is. I call that cruel and unusual punishment.
So, if you have a great product, before you get excited about the income possibility, DO THE MATH on the front end. It will save you a lot of failure and frustration on the back end.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Three Powerful Principles of Success
Allow me to share parts of an article by Brian Tracy.
Mr. Tracy writes:
Be Clear About Your Goals
There are three principles of military strategy you can apply to your work every single day. The first idea from the military is called the Principle of Maneuver. The principle of maneuver says that you should be clear about the goal, but be flexible about the process of achieving it.
Be Open to Continuous Feedback
A key peak performance quality for you is to "accept feedback and self-correct." Peak performers are those who can take information from their environment and even if the information is contrary to all of their planning, they can accept the information, modify their plans, and continue moving forward. They are always open to new ideas and insights.
Learn What You Need to Know
The second military principle you can use is the Principle of Intelligence. This principle of intelligence means simply, "get the facts!"
The most important thing in business decision making is for you to get accurate information. Facts don't lie. It is important that you get the real facts, not the assumed facts or the apparent facts or the obvious facts, or the hoped for facts, but the real, provable facts.
Invest Your Resources Wisely
The third military principle applied to strategic planning is the Principle of Economy of Force. Economy of force means that you expend only the resources necessary to achieve the objective and not more. It also means that you commit sufficient resources to achieve the objective once you have decided upon it.
Action Exercises
Here are two ideas that you can apply immediately to be more strategic in your work and personal life.
First, remain flexible when you are working towards your goal. In times of rapid change, all of your best ideas can be contradicted by new information. Be willing to try different things. Be open to new inputs and ideas.
Second, get the facts! The more and better information you can acquire before you make a decision, the better your decision will be. The very best managers spend a good amount of time getting the real, provable facts before they take action.
End of Mr. Tracy's thoughts
My thoughts of the matter. :)
If you are clear about your goals, but are struggling because what you know to do is not working for you, perhaps it's time to apply the Principle of Maneuver and be flexible about the process of achieving them.
Secondly, it may also be time to apply the Principle of Intelligence. If your decision to join your company was based on the assumed facts, or the apparent facts or the obvious facts, or the hoped for facts, then consider obtaining the real, provable facts.
If you've reached a point in your business where you need to maneuver or get the facts before you continue investing your resources, click here to obtain real, provable facts. You have nothing to lose. Even if the information is contrary to all of your planning, accept the information, modify your plans, and continue moving forward.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Mr. Tracy writes:
Be Clear About Your Goals
There are three principles of military strategy you can apply to your work every single day. The first idea from the military is called the Principle of Maneuver. The principle of maneuver says that you should be clear about the goal, but be flexible about the process of achieving it.
Be Open to Continuous Feedback
A key peak performance quality for you is to "accept feedback and self-correct." Peak performers are those who can take information from their environment and even if the information is contrary to all of their planning, they can accept the information, modify their plans, and continue moving forward. They are always open to new ideas and insights.
Learn What You Need to Know
The second military principle you can use is the Principle of Intelligence. This principle of intelligence means simply, "get the facts!"
The most important thing in business decision making is for you to get accurate information. Facts don't lie. It is important that you get the real facts, not the assumed facts or the apparent facts or the obvious facts, or the hoped for facts, but the real, provable facts.
Invest Your Resources Wisely
The third military principle applied to strategic planning is the Principle of Economy of Force. Economy of force means that you expend only the resources necessary to achieve the objective and not more. It also means that you commit sufficient resources to achieve the objective once you have decided upon it.
Action Exercises
Here are two ideas that you can apply immediately to be more strategic in your work and personal life.
First, remain flexible when you are working towards your goal. In times of rapid change, all of your best ideas can be contradicted by new information. Be willing to try different things. Be open to new inputs and ideas.
Second, get the facts! The more and better information you can acquire before you make a decision, the better your decision will be. The very best managers spend a good amount of time getting the real, provable facts before they take action.
End of Mr. Tracy's thoughts
My thoughts of the matter. :)
If you are clear about your goals, but are struggling because what you know to do is not working for you, perhaps it's time to apply the Principle of Maneuver and be flexible about the process of achieving them.
Secondly, it may also be time to apply the Principle of Intelligence. If your decision to join your company was based on the assumed facts, or the apparent facts or the obvious facts, or the hoped for facts, then consider obtaining the real, provable facts.
If you've reached a point in your business where you need to maneuver or get the facts before you continue investing your resources, click here to obtain real, provable facts. You have nothing to lose. Even if the information is contrary to all of your planning, accept the information, modify your plans, and continue moving forward.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Products are Great --- BUT!
I'd like to share with you an experience a friend of mine had. She found this company and their products are great.
What she did NOT know is that the payplan is a horrible fiasco at the expense of the hardworking and naive distributors who are never taught to look at the business aspect of a company they join. People joined because they liked a product a friend or neighbor introduced them to and they could get products cheaper by joining.
After the 9th pay plan change (cut) in 11 years, and the elimination of the car bonus program without replacing it with something else, her income from that company was suddenly slashed about 80%.
But at that time, she did not know how important it was to understand the business side and comp plan payout schedule and to search out the track record of the company owners and management - their integrity, business acumen and skill, and global experience.
That's when her REAL education about MLM began.
What she learned (and so have I) in addition to having a great product and the company owners having integrity, skill and global experience, there are three other things to consider when choosing a company which are these:
======> timing in the industry and timing in the company.
You never want to get in on a ground floor opportunity and you never want to get involved in new industry. Let the company work out the kinks for a couple of years. If it is a good opportunity, it will be after two years (if it survives.)
======> a fair compensation plan
A fair compensation plan is not one which pays the top 1% or only the full-time network marketers. A fair plan is not one which you can never earn more than your upline because of the way it's structured. A fair plan is not one which requires a balancing act or hoop jumping to qualify.
Okay, a fair compensation plan is one which allows the part-time distributor the same opportunity to earn money as the full-time distributor. A fair compensation plan is one which allows the newest distributor to earn as much as his/her upline. A fair compensation plan is one which does not require you to do a balancing act. In other words, you won't be required to have two balanced leg before you are paid.
======> a system for success
When you due your homework and find a company which meets the above criteria, you can almost guarantee your success if you have a system that you and your entire team can use. You need to have duplication going on. You don't want to be a sponsor monster because you will never be able to retire from building your business. You want everyone duplicating your efforts so they can get the same results.
Which brings me to this final point. Be sure to read your company's policies and procedures so you can be sure you can retire when you decide. If you see clauses which say you must have ongoing sales or ongoing recruiting -- BEWARE. You will never be able to retire. But then, that brings us right back to a company having integrity.
To guard yourself from having the same or similiar experience as my friend, click here to start your due diligence about network marketing.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
What she did NOT know is that the payplan is a horrible fiasco at the expense of the hardworking and naive distributors who are never taught to look at the business aspect of a company they join. People joined because they liked a product a friend or neighbor introduced them to and they could get products cheaper by joining.
After the 9th pay plan change (cut) in 11 years, and the elimination of the car bonus program without replacing it with something else, her income from that company was suddenly slashed about 80%.
But at that time, she did not know how important it was to understand the business side and comp plan payout schedule and to search out the track record of the company owners and management - their integrity, business acumen and skill, and global experience.
That's when her REAL education about MLM began.
What she learned (and so have I) in addition to having a great product and the company owners having integrity, skill and global experience, there are three other things to consider when choosing a company which are these:
======> timing in the industry and timing in the company.
You never want to get in on a ground floor opportunity and you never want to get involved in new industry. Let the company work out the kinks for a couple of years. If it is a good opportunity, it will be after two years (if it survives.)
======> a fair compensation plan
A fair compensation plan is not one which pays the top 1% or only the full-time network marketers. A fair plan is not one which you can never earn more than your upline because of the way it's structured. A fair plan is not one which requires a balancing act or hoop jumping to qualify.
Okay, a fair compensation plan is one which allows the part-time distributor the same opportunity to earn money as the full-time distributor. A fair compensation plan is one which allows the newest distributor to earn as much as his/her upline. A fair compensation plan is one which does not require you to do a balancing act. In other words, you won't be required to have two balanced leg before you are paid.
======> a system for success
When you due your homework and find a company which meets the above criteria, you can almost guarantee your success if you have a system that you and your entire team can use. You need to have duplication going on. You don't want to be a sponsor monster because you will never be able to retire from building your business. You want everyone duplicating your efforts so they can get the same results.
Which brings me to this final point. Be sure to read your company's policies and procedures so you can be sure you can retire when you decide. If you see clauses which say you must have ongoing sales or ongoing recruiting -- BEWARE. You will never be able to retire. But then, that brings us right back to a company having integrity.
To guard yourself from having the same or similiar experience as my friend, click here to start your due diligence about network marketing.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
'Secrets of a Trainer' - 2 Key Factors
I just received an email from Joey Atlas, a fitness specialist entitled 'Secrets of a Trainer' - 2 Key Factors for Lower Body Improvements
Okay, I admit, I need some lower body improvements -- you know -- issues women have. But this is not about lower body improvements. But, the two factors he mentioned can be applied to any area, even building a home business. So, wherever he mentions improving your body, substitute it with 'building a business.'
Any way, Joey said "The first key factor that has led most, if not all, of my clients to success with improving their lower bodies is this:
"consistency" --> sticking with their program..."
People start & stop all the time - & those people are always the first to complain "I can never get myself into shape & look good." (or build my business and get financially free).
Factor number two is this:
"being on the right program...."
You can be consistent and faithful for months and months - and see no results if you are not on a good program. This can be disheartening and lead to what I call 'fitness failure' (99% of the time this is not your fault - it's the ineffectiveness of the program you were following).
So, if you already have a good program - be consistent with it. If you don't have a good lower body exercise program (or business building program) - GET ONE! and get moving.
End of Joey's email.
---------
My thoughts: Be consistent with the activities you need to do to build your home business. Being consistent is working the slight edge principle -- doing the seemingly insignificant things which are easy to do over and over and over. It will not happen overnight but with a good program which has already been proven to work for thousands of others, it will happen. Just as failure is not the fault of those attempting to become physically fit but use the wrong program, it's not your fault either if you use the wrong program. So, if you don't have an effective business building program, you can GET ONE HERE.
One more thought: The seemingly insignificant things which are easy to do are just as easy not to do -- so, JUST DO IT!
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
What Questions Are You Asking?
Have you ever had a situation where you asked yourself or someone else a question? Once you got the answer, how did you feel? Were you encouraged or discouraged?
Here's what happens when you ask a question. The mind starts to think of answers to your question. It doesn't matter if you pose the question to yourself or someone else, the brain will go to work to find the answer. So, it is important to ask the right question. How you ask a question will determine if the creative juices will be shut down or activated. For instance, when you ask a question in a negative manner such as "Why can't I do this?" your mind will come up with answers like "because you don't have the right education, or you don't know the right people." But, if you turn the question around to the positive such as "What can I do to make this work?" this positive question will have your mind looking for answers. It will go to work to find the solutions and give you suggestions. For instance, if you are in business, you will start thinking of ways to market and promote. You will think of people to call who can help.
Another example of asking the right question would be "How can I attract more people with money who see the the big picture and want to have financial freedom just like me?" as opposed to "How come everyone I talk to has no money to join me in business?" As mentioned, the mind will find the answer for any question presented.
One final example of a positive question would be “How can I increase the retention and reorder rate of my customers?” Stated this way you will start finding creative ways to keep your customers. This question stated negatively would go something like “Why don't my customers re-order?” And, of course, you will get answers that will have you feeling it is your fault they are not.
Can you feel the difference between these questions? The questions are basically the same, but the question stated positively is empowering and creative whereas the question stated negatively is disempowering and usually accusatory. So take notice of how you ask your questions and start asking empowering questions.
This may seem insignificant, but it is lack of this type of knowledge which sometimes hinders progress in building a home business. The negative, disempowering, accusatory question can discourage and make you want to quit. On the other hand, the positive question will give you the energy to sustain your efforts and, of course, help you find the answer.
This is just an example of the free skills trainings provided by Mentoring For Free. We offer training on all the skills you will need for success in network marketing. We show you step by step how to find and attract the right prospects for your business -- even down to asking the right questions.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Here's what happens when you ask a question. The mind starts to think of answers to your question. It doesn't matter if you pose the question to yourself or someone else, the brain will go to work to find the answer. So, it is important to ask the right question. How you ask a question will determine if the creative juices will be shut down or activated. For instance, when you ask a question in a negative manner such as "Why can't I do this?" your mind will come up with answers like "because you don't have the right education, or you don't know the right people." But, if you turn the question around to the positive such as "What can I do to make this work?" this positive question will have your mind looking for answers. It will go to work to find the solutions and give you suggestions. For instance, if you are in business, you will start thinking of ways to market and promote. You will think of people to call who can help.
Another example of asking the right question would be "How can I attract more people with money who see the the big picture and want to have financial freedom just like me?" as opposed to "How come everyone I talk to has no money to join me in business?" As mentioned, the mind will find the answer for any question presented.
One final example of a positive question would be “How can I increase the retention and reorder rate of my customers?” Stated this way you will start finding creative ways to keep your customers. This question stated negatively would go something like “Why don't my customers re-order?” And, of course, you will get answers that will have you feeling it is your fault they are not.
Can you feel the difference between these questions? The questions are basically the same, but the question stated positively is empowering and creative whereas the question stated negatively is disempowering and usually accusatory. So take notice of how you ask your questions and start asking empowering questions.
This may seem insignificant, but it is lack of this type of knowledge which sometimes hinders progress in building a home business. The negative, disempowering, accusatory question can discourage and make you want to quit. On the other hand, the positive question will give you the energy to sustain your efforts and, of course, help you find the answer.
This is just an example of the free skills trainings provided by Mentoring For Free. We offer training on all the skills you will need for success in network marketing. We show you step by step how to find and attract the right prospects for your business -- even down to asking the right questions.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
You Wrote a Great Article -- Now What?
Okay, so you wrote a great article. Now what? Is that the final step? Or is it only the first step?
Well, if you want a page ranking on a search engine, it's neither. You see, before you even start writing you need to do a keyword research. Then, you can begin to write your article based on the keywords people are searching for. You can also get keyword ideas by doing things like looking through forums and community sites to see what issues people frequently discuss. However, look for a search term you have a chance to get to the first page of the search engine. For instance, if you simply use the term "network marketing" or "accounting service" or "virtual assistant", you have very little chance to make it to the top. But, if you use http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/, you can probably find keywords that will get you a first page ranking (on the left side where it is free). Once you find the right keywords you can do a google search to see how many other sites have used those keywords. The fewer the sites, the better your chances provided you have keywords people are truly searching for.
Now you're ready to write your article (or edit it using those great keywords). Use those keywords in your title and/or first sentence of your article as well as intermittently throughout the article and in your tags. This is not the final step, however. If the purpose of your article is to direct someone to another site via a link you now want to bookmark your articles to create more backlinks which can also help your search engine ranking. Backlinks are incoming links to a website or web page. At http://socialposter.com/ you can register for almost 80 sites. Once registered, you can upload your article creating those backlinks. I must admit, it often takes more time to bookmark than it does to write the article but it is certainly well worth the effort because you will have created an internet presence in places where people visit.
If you found this article helpful, click here to tap into more free network marketing skills training, mentoring and coaching.
Okay, gotta run. It's time to start bookmarking.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
Well, if you want a page ranking on a search engine, it's neither. You see, before you even start writing you need to do a keyword research. Then, you can begin to write your article based on the keywords people are searching for. You can also get keyword ideas by doing things like looking through forums and community sites to see what issues people frequently discuss. However, look for a search term you have a chance to get to the first page of the search engine. For instance, if you simply use the term "network marketing" or "accounting service" or "virtual assistant", you have very little chance to make it to the top. But, if you use http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/, you can probably find keywords that will get you a first page ranking (on the left side where it is free). Once you find the right keywords you can do a google search to see how many other sites have used those keywords. The fewer the sites, the better your chances provided you have keywords people are truly searching for.
Now you're ready to write your article (or edit it using those great keywords). Use those keywords in your title and/or first sentence of your article as well as intermittently throughout the article and in your tags. This is not the final step, however. If the purpose of your article is to direct someone to another site via a link you now want to bookmark your articles to create more backlinks which can also help your search engine ranking. Backlinks are incoming links to a website or web page. At http://socialposter.com/ you can register for almost 80 sites. Once registered, you can upload your article creating those backlinks. I must admit, it often takes more time to bookmark than it does to write the article but it is certainly well worth the effort because you will have created an internet presence in places where people visit.
If you found this article helpful, click here to tap into more free network marketing skills training, mentoring and coaching.
Okay, gotta run. It's time to start bookmarking.
Be empowered to prosper!
Irma White
A Mentor with a Servant's Heart
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