I want to wish all my friends the best Independence Day ever. Before I move on to the topic of network marketing and working from home, I want to remind everyone why we celebrate this day, so bear with me for a small demonstration of my love for the good old . . . → Read More: Happy 4th of July!]]>

Celebrate The Reason For The Day

I want to wish all my friends the best Independence Day ever. Before I move on to the topic of network marketing and working from home, I want to remind everyone why we celebrate this day, so bear with me for a small demonstration of my love for the good old USA.

The Declaration of Independence

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. …”

Thus began the grand experiment in self governance that is the United States of America.

Begin Your Own Grand Experiment

Network marketing can provide you your own personal declaration of independence. Lest you jump into network marketing thinking you’re going to get wealthy overnight, let me  remind you that there was a long road to hoe between the Declaration of Independence and actual independence. This little thing called the Revolutionary War, or the War for Independence, came before actual independence, and so did the intra-colony squabbling over what type of government we should have. There were many heartbreaks, heartaches, losses and setbacks between the Declaration and the reality of Independence.

Do you think you’re going to go from where ever you are right now to where you want to be overnight? The odds are against you. But, are you willing to suffer through your own war for independence? Are you willing to suffer the slings and arrows of loved ones who don’t believe in you? Are you willing to search for the right mentors who will help you learn what you need to learn to achieve your independence?

Do you know what independence means to you? What type of freedom are you looking for? The Declaration was a statement of where we wanted to go as a country. Have you stated where you want to go with your independence? What  do you want independence from? Independence from the 9 to 5? Independence from having a boss? Independence from a job you hate? From a job that you think makes no difference in the larger scope of things?

Are you willing to fight for your independence? Are you willing to work and learn and fail and work and learn and work some more to make your dreams come true?

Your Why

You may have noticed from all my questions in the previous section that being willing to start on your path to independence and success, and stick with it till you reach it has a lot to do with your why. Why do you want what you want? Is it strong enough to keep you motivated through whatever self-imposed barriers you’ve created or the doubts of others, or the rejections you might get. To help you figure out your why and locate what will drive you to success, see my earlier blog “Why, Oh Why.”

Once I Know Why, What’s Next?

Once you know why you’re going into business, you have to figure out what you’re going to do and who you’re going to do it with. In other words what home business or opportunity are you going to go to work with. You should find a company to work with or a business to do that aligns well with your why for doing it and thus increase or maximize your chances for success.

To get assistance on this, go now and sign up for the free newsletter 7 Days – 7 Insider Secrets newsletter. It gives you some tips on things to look for and think about before jumping in with a company on your road to independence. Good luck and may the force be with you!

Quote

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  – from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson ©1992

You may wonder what a corny line from an old cops and robbers show is doing in a blog about network marketing. (If you’re younger than 40, you may wonder what a cops and robbers show is.)

Network marketing, contrary to popular belief, does not have to be a . . . → Read More: Be Simple – Be Yourself – Pass It On]]>

Do What I Say and No One Gets Hurt

You may wonder what a corny line from an old cops and robbers show is doing in a blog about network marketing. (If you’re younger than 40, you may wonder what a cops and robbers show is.)

Network marketing, contrary to popular belief, does not have to be a sequence of bad experiences, broken promises, over-hyped products and dreams that you’ve given up on. While that may have been your results, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Know before you go, do your due diligence and learn what you’re getting into. To know what to look for, go to www.AlansMLMTips.com and sign up for the free newsletter. In other words, do what I say and no one gets hurt.

Responsibility

John M. Fogg, author of The Greatest Networker in the World, says that there is a front and a back to everything. In network marketing, this means that along with the front side of the freedom offered, comes the back side of responsibility.

If you want to have time and money freedom, you have to be responsible for your time and money, for those around you, your company, your sponsor, the business partners you recruit to work with you, how you present your business, product or service, and how your business partners present your business and product/service.

Through duplication and leverage, the responsibility that you take for those around you turns into freedom. Freedom of who to work with, freedom of when to work, freedom of not having a boss to dictate your schedule, freedom of being in charge of your income, the freedom to fit your business into your life instead of fitting your life into your work or business.

Growth

You would be hard pressed to pick up any book on network marketing by any author and not find some mention of personal growth or personal development.

We all come to the start of our career in network marketing with certain skills already learned and others that we haven’t learned. In order to grow our business, we have to grow our skills and our attitude. This was as true in my brick and mortar business as it is in my network marketing business.

Part of responsibility and part of duplication and leverage is helping our business partners grow into what they want to become in this business. To help them grow, we have to keep growing ourselves so that we become the leader that can help them become who they need to become.

”You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”  – Zig Ziglar

Be Simple

If you’re just getting started in network marketing, you probably think I’m off my rocker. BE SIMPLE, what the hell’s he talking about? I have to learn all about the products we sell, I have to learn the do’s and don’ts of this company and this industry, I have to be familiar with what I can and can’t say, I have to know all 42 objection handlings (42 is a made-up number, your company may have more or less), I have to know when to close the deal, there’s 40 gajillion things I have to know to do this business, how can you say “be simple.”

You’ve probably heard the old saying, KISS – keep it simple, stupid. It’s an old saying because it’s got some truth to it. There really is power in simplicity.

In order to utilize leverage, you have to have duplication – duplication of the successful factors of a business – promote, get others to promote; sell, get others to sell; recruit, get others to recruit; lead, get others to lead. What’s the best way to get others to duplicate the success factors? Keep it simple.

Be Yourself

If you have an awesome sponsor, you’re going to be sorely tempted to imitate him or her and do exactly what they’re doing. There’s nothing wrong with that when you’re getting started, you have to start somewhere, and you will learn a ton from them. But don’t become them, you are not that awesome sponsor; you are yourself, a unique and amazing individual.

In this business, we have the freedom to develop and discover who we are and how to present our product, service or opportunity in the way that feels right and true to our own selves. Be true to yourself and people will listen to you.

Pass It On

Just to hit on the last part of my title. To succeed in network marketing, you have to pass it on. If you’re being yourself, and keeping it simple, when you pass it along, people will listen and some will act – those are the ones you’re looking for.

Not everyone is going to “get it,” not everyone’s going to act, but the more you pass it on, the more will say yes and the more your business will grow.

Set A Good Example

Follow like you’d like to be followed.

Lead like you’d want to be led.

Talk to others the way you’d want to be talked to.

Do unto others the way you would want others to do unto you.

Help others find their path to success.

Never give up on anyone unless they tell you to.

Where Does The Simplicity Start?

Good question, some people would say it starts with being a great recruiter or an amazing salesperson or having a great story. I think it starts before you sign the agreement with the company you’re going to work with.

Do you think people would be more likely to sign up for a business or a product if you’re uncertain about your facts and where the company’s been or where it’s going? Or if you had certainty that your company is awesome and the product is a proven winner? Obviously, if you had that certainty, people would be more likely to trust you and want to do business with you.

How do you get that certainty? Know your company, know your product, know what to look for.

The best way I’ve found to know what to look for is the email series called “7 Days, 7 Insider Secrets” email newsletter. Go to www.AlansMLMTips.com and sign up for this free email series.

HUMOR

Great Truths That Little Children Have Learned:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8 ) You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap.