“Do not let your chances like sunbeams pass you by, For you never miss the water till the well runs dry.”
Rowland Howard
No matter what the pitfalls or setbacks, it is important for you to maintain your excitement about the opportunity. Your attitude is under scrutiny, and the slightest blip in your behavior will be cracked open and dissected by prospects and members of your downline. Never forget that people are looking to you for guidance. It’s tough being a leader, but success demands effective leadership.
So, how do you keep positive day in and day out? Remind yourself of the rewards. Yes, start each day by reminding yourself why you try. Remind yourself of the rewards due those who persevere and conquer the marketplace--the vacations, the perks, the lifestyle, the new car, the gift for your spouse, and even the new home for your mother. A goal worth achieving is a goal worth working for. Truthfully though, the network marketing business is fraught with frustrations, like those listed below:
RejectionHave you ever analyzed those things that upset you and attempted to resolve them? Or, are you more comfortable worrying about them, and luxuriating in self-pity? Have you ever sat down with your sponsor and discussed with her the things that are bothering you? If the daily grind of working the business is getting you down, can you expect to entice others to join you?
Eliminate or resolve those issues that get you down, and accept the things you cannot change. If you can, the daily involvement in your network marketing opportunity will be much more enjoyable. Eliminate the frustrations in your business, and enjoy the journey.
Newbie Trap: Dwelling on the negatives. Keep a positive attitude. Nobody wants to join an organization full of grumpy, depressed people.“The secret of success is constancy of purpose.”
--Benjamin Disraeli
The Apostle Paul was known for saying, “this one thing I do.” The strength in that statement is immense if you can apply it to your business, because it represents the singleness of purpose and pinpoint targeting of your efforts necessary to succeed in network marketing.
Have you ever heard the expression “jack of all trades, but master of none?” To build an organization that will propel you towards your goals requires an expertise above and beyond the level of mediocrity. You must be great at what you do. And you can be. But, you must focus your efforts.
Limit your activities outside your business. This is difficult to do because you must support your family in their activities, and it’s important to maintain ties with your civic groups and clubs. The point is you need to find a balance in your life.
• How many hours per week are you willing to dedicate to building your network marketing business?
• How serious are you?
• Would you be willing to give up a couple hours of T.V. each day?
• Would you be willing to attend a sales training seminar this weekend, rather than going fishing?
• What activities can you fit into your schedule and still stays on track with your milepost deadlines?
No obstacle can withstand your focused,
concentrated efforts to achieve success.
Network marketing takes sacrifice, but it doesn’t mean you have to lead the life of a monk. What’s the use? Remember, the true joy in life is the journey. If you can keep yourself on the correct path towards your ultimate objective, then have at it. But, temper that thought with this analogy. A broad beam of light will light a room, but a focused beam of light becomes a laser, capable of cutting through steel. Your focused efforts are like that laser beam--unstoppable.
You hear it over and over, “keep a positive mental attitude.” But, what’s the value of a positive mental attitude?Several years ago my neighbor approached me and said, “Your problem is, you’re an optimist.”
“You’re right,” I answered. “I like to think positive.’
The neighbor laughed at my apparent naiveté. “I’m a pessimist,” he proudly proclaimed. “When something works out to the good, I’m pleasantly surprised. When things turn out poorly, it’s basically what I expected. Now an optimist is a different story,” he continued. “When things turn out poorly, you’re devastated, and when they turn out good, you think ‘oh well, that’s what I expected.’”
The pessimist is correct in the sense that optimists set themselves up for disappointment. But, it’s hard to imagine a negative person making the effort to dream of a better future or improve himself in any way. The network marketer cannot afford to be negative. To succeed in this business requires a truckload of positive attitude. Here is just a brief list of the things a positive attitude can do for you:
• Excites those around you, particularly prospects.
• Helps you to see the rewards of tomorrow, which makes today’s trials and tribulations worthwhile.
• Enables you to ignore the downsides of operating a business and focus on the rewards of success instead.
• Allows you to enjoy a higher level of health and satisfaction in life.
• Energizes you to present the opportunity in way that catches the imagination, hopes, and dreams of the people taking time out from their schedule to attend your meetings.
• Makes you more pleasant to be around.
How to remain positive in a negative world is an intriguing subject, and many authors have addressed this issue by suggesting that you limit your exposure to the naysayers of the world. But, the biggest naysayer in the world, is one you cannot avoid, it’s yourself.
How would you characterize the internal dialogue you conduct within your mind? Is it positive or negative? Constructive or destructive? Supportive or cynical? Although we may spend about eight hours per day interacting with other people, our internal dialogue runs constantly; therefore, becoming a major influence in our attitudes and our lives. If your mind rattles on non-stop in a self-deprecating manner, you need to shut it up.
Unfortunately, the human mind does not like silence (try to think nothing for five seconds), so you’re left with only one option: re-directing your internal dialogue.
Tom Hopkins calls this technique “self-instructions,” and Anthony Robbins terms it “Neuro-Linguistic Programming.” Whatever its name, the point is to focus your internal dialogue on positive affirmations about yourself, rather than negative ones. The following are some examples of negative affirmations
• I don’t feel so well.
• I’m always behind on my bills.
• I don’t have the time to call prospects.
• I can’t make this business work.
• People aren’t interested in my company.
• This product doesn’t sell.
• What a life, I’ve been cheated.
• I’m healthy and will stay that way.
• I am in control of my finances.
• I call at least three prospects per day.
• I am a success.
• People want to join my organization.
• I have a great product to market.
• What a life. I’m so excited I can barely sleep at night. Attitude does matter. Make it a point to be positive and stay positive. Write seven positive affirmations on index cards and carry them in your pocket at all times. Review them at least three times each day until you are confident they are a part of your permanent thinking processes.
Earlier, we discussed how it is important to maintain a positive attitude and how your internal dialogue influences your attitude. But, is a positive attitude essential to success? You see successful people in your upline that have positive attitudes, but you wonder, which came first, the attitude or success? And, how can you have a positive attitude when you have little, if any, successes to hang an attitude on?
A positive attitude is not an essential prerequisite to the enjoyment of success, however, it can help you get there quicker. Consider this: You want to succeed in network marketing, a business that requires convincing other people to join your ranks and fight along side of you. Now, if you appear to this prospect as a doom and gloom prophet from the land of Never Never, how will the prospect perceive your opportunity?
Create an atmosphere responsive to people’s need for pleasure.
People tolerate drudgery and boredom at work. If that’s all you have to
offer with your opportunity, forget it.People invariably want to have a good time--even in business. Their perception of you as a negative person, whether accurate or not, will scare them away. Nobody wants to join a bunch of naysayers out to prove the world is cruel and unfair to beginning entrepreneurs. Be positive. Be enthusiastic. Let your laugh and sprightly walk shout: “I love what I’m doing. Join me.”
So, which came first? Who cares? For you, a positive mental attitude is the only way to go. From the day you join a network marketing team, expect success, and nothing less. Your expectations for success will keep you positive.
Negative dead heads are everywhere. Unfortunately, many of them are the people who love you the most. People don’t consciously destroy other people’s dreams, but if you’re not careful, all the good Samaritans around you will convince you that failure is imminent.
Turn a deaf ear to the
negative programming around you.
In Richard Bach’s story Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Jonathan is ostracized for attempting to do things that normal seagulls shouldn’t do. His attempts to get ahead and prosper are scorned by the other seagulls until he is banned from the flock. Flying alone, he discovers the joys of life outside the realm of rotten fish and crowded beaches.
The story is a metaphor for man. Are you struggling to rise above the crowd? To separate yourself from mediocrity and failure? The harder you try, the more people will tell you it’s impossible. Misery loves company, and the last thing people want is to see you rise above them.
Your job is to ignore the negative dead heads and remain focused on your goals. If you let the negative programming of friends, relatives, teachers, and the media rule your thoughts, then you are destined to spend your life within their ranks.
Action Statement: Within the week, I will read Jonathan Livingston Seagull.Newbie Trap: Failing to take decisive action to improve yourself.
Richest Man in Babylon, by George Clason
Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino
Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley & William Danko
As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
List one lesson you learned from each of these books:
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5. Discuss the results of your analysis of these books with your sponsor.