I sat in the audience yesterday of my daughters dance competition. Doing my mom thing! I watched dancers of all levels, ages. Some showed fear, and defeat before they even started. Some showed confidence, professionalism and smiles. The ones that stood out, showed the work that they put in before the show, They went the extra mile to push beyond, what ever it takes ( WIT)! They had a coach nearby with smiles and support. She was there to encourage and console, but the performance was not in her control. It was up to the individual dancers and the entire team to come across with a flawless dance and to get to their goal a platinum metal and First Place overall.
Look around your life is surrounded by organizations where we practice, perform and look forward to the reward and the recognition. Whether it is our job, school, women's charity groups, sports etc. Can I control how far my team gets...no. I can only control my performance. Since you are building your organization, you are the CEO, only you can control your outcome. Have you been doing the work to prepare, have you attended the events, training. If you don't know how to do something, have you asked your upline where to find it for yourself? Do you take this seriously, or is it a hobby.
Can you control what the prospect does...no not really. You are looking for the red jelly bean in a big jar of white beans. You are looking for someone who is open to finding out about your business. If they aren't don't invest your time, feelings or energy. Next...you may find a few pink ones, that may turn into red beans. Great. You may find a few red ones that for no apparent reason fall out... next. You can't control that. YOU CAN CONTROL what you do next... keep prospecting, keep finding new red jelly beans! All you need is a couple to really drive your business fast! I know because this happened to us! You can control how you prepare, the work you do, your attitude, your belief, go out there knowing you will get the
platinum metal, maybe today, maybe next time!
We will be there in the wings of the stage, smiling...wishing you all the success you are working hard to achieve!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Confession No:14 Nobody starts as an expert
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-Aristotle
Sometimes I think that when people first start, they think " I can't do that, I am not like them." I have a confession to make, I was really bad at this in the beginning. I am getting better now. I keep learning, I keep trying and above all I keep working. This process will never stop, in a couple of years when I am Master Coordinator, I can relax a bit, but I will still keep building to maintain my position.
I remember last year when I first started, it took an entire week to build up enough courage to make my first call. I told Daniel he had to leave the room. I had excitement and enthusiasm to make up for the overwhelmed, confused state I was in. The emails kept coming in, didn't know if they were from Starteam, or Corporate or if there was a difference. I was trying to keep up with the "30 days of Health", attending IC classes, calling a minimum of 20 calls a day. (meanwhile I was still working 6 days a week) I had a hard time remembering where the coupons were for the leads. I only had one autoship set up. I wanted to know everything right then, so that I could sound experienced on the phone. I had no validity in my eyes, why would any one want me for a leader. I even remember one guy, said he would only talk with the person that was a head of our team, OUCH!
My first check was only $50, but it made it real for me. It took me 6 months to understand the compensation plan. I knew I had to work hard to get to Director, when the time spent would start to even out with the money coming in. I did what Lou Ann Salmon and Zal Fink(my business leaders) suggested I do, I mirrored their actions. I attended all events, Shaklee-ized my home, set up my autoship, finished Inner Circle (our team webcast training), listened to OTJ training calls (again live webcasts), Dani Johnson (an expert trainer/mentor). When they started talking about Global Conference, I thought how can I afford to go...airfare, hotel etc. I was in a financial crisis at the time, this was my plan B, and our Shaklee checks were still small. Daniel didn't quite understand what the importance of going to St. Louis when we needed to save our home, our other business. He thought I was crazy, but he saw how hard I was working, he saw my determination and he helped us to the next goal.
This was my Ah Hah moment, it wasn't just the trip, it is what it meant. It meant that when Zal and Lou Ann said that a commitment was needed to truly succeed at your own business, it truly meant doing WIT! I took this business seriously, I am a professional in the Social Marketing Industry. I am the CEO of my own organization, it wouldn't be right to not go to your own Conference, (especially when 2 people in your downline were going). It is scary, because once you make that commitment it is out there for the world to see, (and scarier still for the world to judge). I didn't want to let myself down, or my family. But you know this push to that uncomfortable, new place is what propels you to grow.
I used to feel like I was lucky, but now I believe that the harder you work, often times the luckier you get!
Sometimes I think that when people first start, they think " I can't do that, I am not like them." I have a confession to make, I was really bad at this in the beginning. I am getting better now. I keep learning, I keep trying and above all I keep working. This process will never stop, in a couple of years when I am Master Coordinator, I can relax a bit, but I will still keep building to maintain my position.
I remember last year when I first started, it took an entire week to build up enough courage to make my first call. I told Daniel he had to leave the room. I had excitement and enthusiasm to make up for the overwhelmed, confused state I was in. The emails kept coming in, didn't know if they were from Starteam, or Corporate or if there was a difference. I was trying to keep up with the "30 days of Health", attending IC classes, calling a minimum of 20 calls a day. (meanwhile I was still working 6 days a week) I had a hard time remembering where the coupons were for the leads. I only had one autoship set up. I wanted to know everything right then, so that I could sound experienced on the phone. I had no validity in my eyes, why would any one want me for a leader. I even remember one guy, said he would only talk with the person that was a head of our team, OUCH!
My first check was only $50, but it made it real for me. It took me 6 months to understand the compensation plan. I knew I had to work hard to get to Director, when the time spent would start to even out with the money coming in. I did what Lou Ann Salmon and Zal Fink(my business leaders) suggested I do, I mirrored their actions. I attended all events, Shaklee-ized my home, set up my autoship, finished Inner Circle (our team webcast training), listened to OTJ training calls (again live webcasts), Dani Johnson (an expert trainer/mentor). When they started talking about Global Conference, I thought how can I afford to go...airfare, hotel etc. I was in a financial crisis at the time, this was my plan B, and our Shaklee checks were still small. Daniel didn't quite understand what the importance of going to St. Louis when we needed to save our home, our other business. He thought I was crazy, but he saw how hard I was working, he saw my determination and he helped us to the next goal.
This was my Ah Hah moment, it wasn't just the trip, it is what it meant. It meant that when Zal and Lou Ann said that a commitment was needed to truly succeed at your own business, it truly meant doing WIT! I took this business seriously, I am a professional in the Social Marketing Industry. I am the CEO of my own organization, it wouldn't be right to not go to your own Conference, (especially when 2 people in your downline were going). It is scary, because once you make that commitment it is out there for the world to see, (and scarier still for the world to judge). I didn't want to let myself down, or my family. But you know this push to that uncomfortable, new place is what propels you to grow.
I used to feel like I was lucky, but now I believe that the harder you work, often times the luckier you get!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Confession No:13 Relationships!
Yesterday we clicked on some mentor on the internet, it was a concept worth reinforcing. Many just starting, myself included, started making calls with enthusiasm, sent out an email and then with the magic of a click of a button we wait for them to push the I am ready to get started button. After a year and a half and and nearly 6,000 calls, only three people have come on to our team like that.
It does happen, but don't expect to build very fast waiting for those people who get it at first contact. We were nearly ready, but just needed a call with Lou Ann to go through the demo with us and ask a few questions like how much for the websites, what I mean to say the even people that are ready need to talk to a real person to make sure this is real.
That leads me to something that Dani Johnson covers, in the forming process. I expand this to a more personalized approach. You need to not just only form your contact but to form a relationship. Let me ask you, if you were looking to find a marriage partner, would you marry the first person that walked up to you, introduced themselves and after a brief overview of their qualities? No, they know nothing about you, what you want, need and what your fears are. To be successful we need to develop relationships. It is through relationships we can achieve long term sustainability.
The internet is being flooded with experts, mentors, pitching how they achieved greatness, you can get free ebooks, CD's, DVD's, and books. There are scams pitching hugh sums of moneys without doing anything. One contact told me he got suckered in with a survey that promised him a new I PAD! I told him our company doesn't incentivise our leads, because we are professionals offering a real business.
Knowing all this, we have to make sure we don't sound like any of them, saying the same rhetoric that is so prevalent in the industry. We need to become more transparent, more genuine, more like business consultants than trying to sell our business. If you evade questions, sometimes this can backfire on you and support their distrust they had before they talked to you. Tell them you will give them all the information they need, but first they should see if they can get excited about our company and then you will spend the time answering any question or concern. We are calling them back with the information THEY requested, but they do not know us or trust us. If they are busy and can't talk be empathetic, if you hear kids in the back ground, tell them you understand, maybe a quick line about your kids, and them that kids come first. Anything to get them to let down the defensive guard. If they have been flooded with phone calls, because they filled out several surveys, laugh it off and say you are sorry you didn't want to be the 101 person to call you. I put the power back in their hands, and tell them when they are ready to look at it they can call you back. I try very hard not to talk about the business. You need to first get them to relax enough to talk about themselves. I talk about the weather, restaurants in their town, the kids, maybe the story behind the crazy email they have. I know I have had a good call when I barely have said a thing. I probably got an earful and know what they want, need and sometimes if I am lucky a hot button, something that is their dream, or passion. It is not about me, it is about them and what they need!
Daniel,my husband, put a big sticky note in front of me, find a hole and fill it!
Of course, there will be the calls where you keep hitting a stone cold wall, they are not open anyway, probably wouldn't be a strong candidate for your team anyway. I remember, I was just happy to get a warm living human to join when I first started. As you build you will be able to discern which have a better chance for success and you will concentrate on those RELATIONSHIPS!
It does happen, but don't expect to build very fast waiting for those people who get it at first contact. We were nearly ready, but just needed a call with Lou Ann to go through the demo with us and ask a few questions like how much for the websites, what I mean to say the even people that are ready need to talk to a real person to make sure this is real.
That leads me to something that Dani Johnson covers, in the forming process. I expand this to a more personalized approach. You need to not just only form your contact but to form a relationship. Let me ask you, if you were looking to find a marriage partner, would you marry the first person that walked up to you, introduced themselves and after a brief overview of their qualities? No, they know nothing about you, what you want, need and what your fears are. To be successful we need to develop relationships. It is through relationships we can achieve long term sustainability.
The internet is being flooded with experts, mentors, pitching how they achieved greatness, you can get free ebooks, CD's, DVD's, and books. There are scams pitching hugh sums of moneys without doing anything. One contact told me he got suckered in with a survey that promised him a new I PAD! I told him our company doesn't incentivise our leads, because we are professionals offering a real business.
Knowing all this, we have to make sure we don't sound like any of them, saying the same rhetoric that is so prevalent in the industry. We need to become more transparent, more genuine, more like business consultants than trying to sell our business. If you evade questions, sometimes this can backfire on you and support their distrust they had before they talked to you. Tell them you will give them all the information they need, but first they should see if they can get excited about our company and then you will spend the time answering any question or concern. We are calling them back with the information THEY requested, but they do not know us or trust us. If they are busy and can't talk be empathetic, if you hear kids in the back ground, tell them you understand, maybe a quick line about your kids, and them that kids come first. Anything to get them to let down the defensive guard. If they have been flooded with phone calls, because they filled out several surveys, laugh it off and say you are sorry you didn't want to be the 101 person to call you. I put the power back in their hands, and tell them when they are ready to look at it they can call you back. I try very hard not to talk about the business. You need to first get them to relax enough to talk about themselves. I talk about the weather, restaurants in their town, the kids, maybe the story behind the crazy email they have. I know I have had a good call when I barely have said a thing. I probably got an earful and know what they want, need and sometimes if I am lucky a hot button, something that is their dream, or passion. It is not about me, it is about them and what they need!
Daniel,my husband, put a big sticky note in front of me, find a hole and fill it!
Of course, there will be the calls where you keep hitting a stone cold wall, they are not open anyway, probably wouldn't be a strong candidate for your team anyway. I remember, I was just happy to get a warm living human to join when I first started. As you build you will be able to discern which have a better chance for success and you will concentrate on those RELATIONSHIPS!
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