3 Things You NEED To Know Before Attending Your MLM Company’s Live Event
It happens every time.
Soon after you join an MLM opportunity — ANY opportunity — you start hearing the clamor. It’s undeniable and it’s never understated.
Your sponsor will start mentioning it. The emails will start. And you’ll soon be invited on to “special calls” to discuss it….
Your MLM Company’s Live Event!
They will tell you that ANYONE who’s “Made It” attends every Live Event. How, if you’re serious about your business, you’ll get yourself there even if you have to take out a second mortgage on your house. See you first born if you have to… just get yourself to the Event.
I exaggerate, but not that much.
But is it REALLY necessary? Must you attend your MLM Company’s Live Event to succeed?
The answer, of course, is NO. But let’s explore it a little further….
3 Things You NEED To Know Before Attending
1. Most MLM Live Events are “Rah Rah” Sessions
The sad fact is that most of these Live Events are nothing more than cheerleading to the extreme. The “leaders” are brought on stage, the award winners display their trophies for all to see, and the inspiring stories are told for all to hear. The reality is that there is very little EDUCATIONAL benefit to most of these live events. That’s why I carefully researched my company’s live event before attending, and was thrilled to find out there was actually some solid marketing training involved.
2. You Will Be Strongly Urged to Buy Something
There are always special deals, gimmicks, and time-sensitive offers at these Live Events. ALWAYS. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons for holding your MLM Company’s Live Event — to make money for the company and the leaders. You will likely be given “attendee only” special deals to upgrade your membership or position yourself higher in the compensation plan. That’s just the way it is. Expect it and you won’t be shocked or feel pressured to make a decision.
3.. Your Upline will REALLY Want You To Attend, But Not For the Reasons They’ll Tell You
Sure, your sponsor wants to see you succeed, and sometimes its genuine. But many times, your sponsor wants you to attend Live Events because when you upgrade your membership, they get some sort of residual income. And that’s okay.. that’s what its all about. But let’s just be upfront about it. Meet them, share a meal, get to know one another, but understand that the main reason they pushed you to be there was for their own personal gain.
Having said all this, here is my Recommendation:
ATTEND YOUR MLM COMPANY LIVE EVENT
How can I say this, after all the things I’ve told you above. Because there is more to it than that. More than meets the eye, so to speak.
Networking
The very best reason for attending a Live Event is to meet people — NETWORK. That’s right, it’s “network” marketing, right? So it stands to reason that you should be doing some networking in your business. Most people believe this involves networking with people who may be interested in joining you , and that’s partly true. But the other side of Networking is to meet and befriend people in your business who can help you succeed.
Because make no mistake about it…. NO ONE SUCCEEDS ON THEIR OWN.
So use the coffee breaks and time between sessions to your greatest advantage. Get out and meet people. Don’t be a wall flower. The coffee breaks are the MOST important times of the meeting for most people. That’s when they make the connections that will help move them forward in the months ahead.
Positioning
Remember I mentioned above how your company will undoubtedly hit you with “special” upgrade deals at the Live Event? Although I presented it in a somewhat negative light, it doesn’t have to be — not if you are truly interested in positioning yourself higher in the company. Some of the best upgrade deals I’ve taken advantage of has been at my company’s live events. They are usually the best deals you will get, and if your MLM has an ounce of integrity, they will offer the Live Event Attendees the best deals around.
Nothing is more frustrating than taking advantage of a “special deal for attendees only”, and then seeing the same deal offered to people who didn’t attend the event. If this happens, voice your displeasure to your company leadership immediately. It shouldn’t be that way.
So for these 2 reasons — Networking and Positioning — I have yet to miss my Company’s live events.
Neither should you.
What’s been your experience?
Until next time,
Dr. Bob
5 Simple Steps To Achieving Any Goal in Life
I was masterminding with my great friend and mentor, Aaron Parkinson last night and he described simple, easy to follow steps for achieving any goal in life, and it just blew me away. I was so impressed by its simplicity — yet completeness — that I just couldn’t wait to pass it on to my loyal readers.
Pretty much everyone I know sets goals in one form or another. Yet very few actually meet their goals. And the big reason?
Most people are great at setting goals, but have no plan for accomplishing them.
So today I give you….
The 5 Simple Steps To Achieving ANY Goal In Life
Step 1: SET THE GOAL
Sounds simple, but remarkably many people are unclear about what they want. Think about it — what do you really, Really, REALLY want? What is that one thing that you burn for.. the one that you think about before you go to sleep and the one that is on your mind when you wake up. And when you’ve got it, WRITE IT DOWN somewhere where you’ll see it every single day, several times a day.
Having a strong, passionate goal is the very first step to achieving anything. And don’t skimp on the PASSION — it’s the most important part.
Step 2: GIVE YOUR GOAL A DATE
You must put a timeline on a goal. Otherwise, it simply becomes something that you’ll do “when you get time”. Make it realistic, but make it concrete.
Remember the saying,
A Goal without a Date is Simply a Wish….
Step 3: MAKE A DETAILED PLAN
So you’ve made your goal, you’ve put a time limit on it… now what? How are you going to accomplish this goal? To me, this is one of the most important parts of accomplishing goals — having a clear, DETAILED plan on reaching your desire.
Here’s an example from one of my specific goals: Making $10,000 in one month in my Marketing Business….
Goal: 10,000 in a 30 day period
Time Limit: 3 months
Plan -- in order to figure out how I will generate that kind of money, I needed to WORK BACKWARDS to figure out how many sales, applications, and leads I would need. I also needed to be realistic, so I took into consideration my conversion factors from leads to applications to sales, and did my calculations
In my business, I have 3 top tier financial products plus the money I get from marketing our accompanying Internet Marketing Education and Training curriculum.
Here is a breakdown of how I needed to accomplish my goal… check out how detailed it is, down to the dollar and down to the number of sales.
- One Sale of my Top Tier 2 Product - commission $4500
- Four Sales of my Top Tier 1 Product – commission 4 @ $900 each = $3600
- Ten Sales of my Internet Marketing Education Product – 10 @ $150 commission = $1500
- Twenty Seven Applications to Join Our Business – 27 @ $25 commission = $675
- TOTAL…. $10,275
Now, how many leads will I need to accomplish this? I know from my previous marketing and from our company averages that our leads/application ratio is about 5%. That means for every 100 leads, I should receive 5 applications. If I need 27 applications to achieve my goal, then I will need approximately 550 leads each month.
Now, that is a finite number to shoot for – 550 leads in one month.
See how this works? If you work backwards from your goal (monetary or otherwise) and break it down to its ultimate building blocks you can “get down to brass tacks” and truly understand EXACTLY what you’ll need to do to accomplish your goal.
Step 4: REVIEW, EVALUATE AND ADJUST
You need to periodically review your progress and make changes if something isn’t moving you towards your goal. In my case, if I found that my video marketing campaign was only generating a few leads per week, I would need to reevaluate this marketing method. My choices are to either make better videos and more of them, or move on to some other method of marketing. Evaluation and adjustment are crucial to achieving any goal.
Step 5: CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY
Celebrate every success along the way. If you generate your first lead, CELEBRATE… because you know that once you’ve learned how to generate one lead, you can generate 10, and then 100 and then as many as you wish. But celebrate every victory to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.
The 5 steps to achieving any goal — naming the specific goal, dating it, making a plan to accomplish the goal, evaluating your progress, and celebrating every success — is a simple formula that anyone can do.
To your success!
Dr. Bob Clarke
If No One’s Joining Your Business, Ask Yourself, “Why Should They”?
FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY…..
Network Marketers are finally starting to “get it.”
It seems they are finally starting to understand that NO ONE CARES about their business, or their success for that matter. What they’re concerned about is THEIR SUCCESS and how you can help them… or not.
And how do you help someone get to where they want to go? With your knowledge, your skills, and your experiences.
In other words, these things are your VALUE…. and how successful you are as a Network Marketer (or anything in life) will depend on how VALUABLE you are to others.
Watch the video below:
To your success!
Dr. Bob Clarke
It Ain’t About How Hard You Hit
I came across this clip from one of the old Rocky movies. It deals with the reality of life, the hits that everyone experiences, and your ability to get up after those hits that will determine your success.
This is a direct quote from this clip:
“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place… and I don´t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently, if you let it. You, me or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life. But ain’t about how hard you hit… It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward… how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That´s how winning is done.
Rocky Balboa
Here’s the entire video… 46 seconds of PURE GOLD.
This is true in anything in life. It is expecially true when you are starting a home based business or any business. The hits keep coming, fast and furious. It’s easy to give up. It’s easy to quit. That’s why 97% of people DO quit.
But the ones who take the hits, the ones who get up time after time and try again…. the ones who refuse to quit?
Another name for these folks?
Millionaires
Here’s to GETTING OFF THE MAT, TIME AND AGAIN!
Income Claims in Network Marketing — Are They Real and Should We Care?
THE INCOME CLAIM
If you’ve done any searching on the Internet for home based businesses or a Network Marketing company, you’ve undoubtedly seen them with headlines shouting, “See the Proof”, “Check Out My Bottom Line” or variations on the theme.
The question is…..
Should be care?
On the surface, it seems logical enough. Search out someone who is having the success you covet and do what they do. But there are a number of problems associated with income claims as proof of success in network marketing, or anything else for that matter.
- Are these income claims real? Maybe I’m overly skeptical, but there are scammers out there who can make ANYTHING look real. I’ve seen videos of bank accounts, company commission statements, you name it. But it’s not that difficult for someone with programming experience to create dummy sites that look just like your bank company site, for example. In today’s age, seeing is NOT believing.
- What does this income represent? Even if the income claims are real, what do they really mean? Most business owners, when trying to influence others to make a decision based on results, will only show you the shiny side. It’s not different with income. The figures you see out there on the Internet almost always represent Gross Income, and do not take into account such costs as marketing and business operations. It’s one thing to say that you are earning $10,000 per m0nth with your online business. It’s quite another thing when you find out that it took them $12,000 to get those results. All of a sudden, the income claims don’t look so inviting! If someone isn’t talking about ROI (Return on Investment), I don’t even listen to it.
- Can you assume that this person can TEACH you how they are getting their results? I’ve seen several top earners in this industry who simply do not have the ability, the means, or (unfortunately) the desire to teach others to duplicate their success. Just because they are making that kind of money online, that doesn’t mean that you will. Simply joining someones team, regardless how successful they are, in no way means that you’ll come close to achieving the same results. There are several reasons for this, which I’ll cover in a separate post, but suffice it to say that NOT EVERYONE CAN TEACH and NOT EVERY RESULT IS REPRODUCIBLE.
The bottom line? Know what you’re really looking at when you see ads or websites with income claims. If you decide to pursue things further with this person, ask about their ROI, and don’t be “wowed” by gross income. And ask them how successful their team members have been in reproducing these kind of results.
To your success!
The Real Secret To Success In Network Marketing
So you’re either just starting a home based network marketing business, or you’ve been at it for the while and success is eluding you…. you are looking for the REAL SECRET to success in Network Marketing
I’ve been in this business quite a while now, and I’ve come to realize 2 things:
- The vast majority of people in network marketing fail to make decent money.
- There is really only ONE reason why #1 is true.
I will reveal this in a moment, but first let me get a little personal….
My son Henry recently graduated from college and is eagerly looking for his first job. He recently got a tentative offer from the US Governemnt, and is now being asked to provide more information to be confirmed as an employee.
- We are talking an unbelievable number of forms, reams of paper, in triplicate.
- We are talking about having to go to a website and complete an extensive information packet, as a supplement to the paperwork.
- We are talking about having to go for a video interview.
- We are talking about submitting transcripts (even though he already did this) and fingerprints (in triplicate, of course).
- And finally, submitting a urine specimen for a drug test.
All of this, and then they will decide IF he can be hired.
UGH… its no wonder there are job openings in the Federal Government.
I firmly believe that most people get tired of jumping through all the hoops and never submit the required information. (Oh, and by the way, it all has to be done within 10 days or your application is automatically deleted).
The same things is true with Network Marketing.
It’s not hard, but most people fail…. but why?
Network Marketing is not brain surgery. It’s not that complicated.
But most people fail anyway.
Why?
Because its EASIER TO QUIT.
That’s right… that’s the big reason why most people fail at Network Marketing.
Because it’s easier to quit than to put in the time, learn how to market, learn how to effectively talk to people, and learn how to support your new team. In fact, most people quit before they even HAVE a team.
Because it’s easier to quit than to do the required work to succeed.
Just as in Henry’s position, it would be easier for him to throw up his hands and give into the temptation to quit filling out the required information for his job, and wait for the next easier position to come along.
Waiting for the next best thing, the better job, the better Network Marketing opportunity.
See where I’m going with this?
Bottom Line: If you want to be a Nework Marketing Success Story, then you have to be willing to PUT IN THE TIME. Nothing happens in a day. Success takes time… and work, with anything in life.
I have seen many people on my team quit just before they would start seeing results from their efforts. It’s always the same thing.
They all all gung-ho to get started. They work feverishly to set up their account and start to market.
They throw up some ads on the Internet and get few, if any leads.
They try again, with similar results.
They go back to our Training Modules and study some more… learn new tricks, try new things.
They go back and try again, and get better results, but still nothing earth shattering.
And then they give up. Because it was EASIER to give up than to keep trying.
That’s it folks. That is the KEY to SUCCESS in Network Marketing….
Staying in the game long enough to increase your knowledge, implement what you’ve learned, and waiting for the successful outcome.
This can take weeks or even many months depending on your starting point, your previous experience, your marketing knowledge, and how much capital you are willing (or able) to invest into your business.
Most people don’t wait long enough to see their success happen.
And that’s a shame…
Til next time,
Where Do You Rank as a Network Marketing Leader?
Over the past years, I’ve had the opportunity to observe leadership, particularly as it pertains to the Network Marketing industry. And the more I observed these people, those who are a cut above the rest, those 3 Percenters that I so often talk about on this blog, several characteristics or “methods of doing business” have stood out.
What do guys like Mike Dillard, Jay Kubassek, Aaron Parkinson, and Mark Weiser all have in common? Besides being pretty damn wealthy, I mean! 
Today I would like to share some of the leadership traits that I find particularly important.
As you’re reading through this list, compare yourself and where you are in your life and your business.
How do you measure up?
I would venture to say that the more traits you share with the top leaders in the industry, the closer you are to becoming the LEADER that others will follow.
After all, it’s not about who is selling the best products or which company has the most lucarative compensation plan… it’s ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP.
People join leaders in Network Marketing, not companies.
Without further adieu,
These are the Top 10 Leadership Traits Commonly Found in Those That Dominate Network Marketing:
- Leaders hold themselves ACCOUNTABLE. They set daily, weekly, and monthly goals and hold themselves accountable to these goals. They do not require others to keep them on task. Leaders are SELF-MOTIVATED
- Leaders are SELF-DISCIPLINED. Almost all leaders I have ever met have a “daily method of operation” and are disciplined about completing each task.
- Leaders are VISIONARY. Leaders have a clear vision of why their business enterprise is important to them. Possibly even more importantly, leaders see possibilities that others may not. They are extremely open to exploring new ideas.
- Leaders are RISK TAKERS. They are not afraid to risk a lot to potentially gain even more. They are courageous in their dreams.
- Leaders do NOT RECOGNIZE FAILURE. Rather, they see each “failure” as important information for their next attempt, which they’re sure will be successful.
- Leaders OVERCOME OBSTACLES. They do not let setbacks stop them, but move around them and find alternative ways to achieve their goals.
- Leaders are CONFIDENT and SELF-ASSURED. They do not seek nor do they need the approval of others. Leaders are confident of their skills and their ability to help others attain a high level of success.
- Leaders DO NOT WORK HARD, they WORK SMART. Leaders understand the 80/20 rule — that 80% of their results will come from 20% of their efforts (income producing activities), and they adjust their work emphasis accordingly. Leaders are not afraid to OUTSOURCE or DELEGATE less important activities.
- Leaders continually STRIVE TO LEARN new things. They are always striving to improve their lives in any way possible through knowledge. Leaders never stop learning.
- Leaders are HUMBLE. True leaders never forget what is was like when they were not initially successful. Leaders are GRACIOUS for their success and THANKFUL for the opportunity to truly help others.
How do you stack up? Give yourself 1 point for each other the above traits that you feel you display.
Most people probably rank about a 2-3 on this scale if they’re very honest with themselves. I think if you rank 5 or above, you are well on your way to becoming the leader others will follow.
Rank an 8-9?
Give me a call so we can work together.
To your success!
Step Away From Your Electronic Device…. and Pick Up the Phone
I have a 16 year old daughter — 16 going on 30.
She lives with her mom, some 4 hours from me. Although I see her as much as possible, we rely on phones and emails to communicate daily. We used to speak on the phone almost every day, just checking in to see how her world was going.
Then a funny thing happened.
Caitlin discovered text messaging.
Now, I’m not against texting, and I think it has its value in certain circumstances. But what is happening with us, and with the world at large, is that we are replacing human connection with electronics.
Rather than having a nice, warm phone converstion, I am now faced with a barage of text messages every morning, always starting out with:
“hi”
“how r u?”
“whats new”
“btw, i got my hair cut”
“gtg my bus is here.”
Not only are we failing to connect on a basic human level, but my 16 year old is also forgetting how to spell 
So why do I bring this up?
Because I see the same thing happening in the world of Network Marketing. The Network in Network Marketing means connecting with people. It means human connection. Not electronic.
I have no problem with using texting or autoresponder emails to help drive your business. They definitely have their place.
But if you really want to make you business explode, if you really want to begin seeing the kind of results that will help you justify the capital you put into your business, then by all means….
Step away from your computer…. and pick up a phone.
There is nothing like talking to a person… one on one.. that can create an instant connection with your prospect. Only in actually hearing each others voices can you get a real feel for what a person is like, how they would fit into your business, and whether or not they have what it takes to be your next leader.
It may in their voice inflection. It may be the WAY they say something, not actually what they say. It may be their tone, upbeat or downcast, that gives you the clue you need.
All of this is lost in a text message or email.
You need to pick up the phone and establish actual human contact.
And for your prospect… let them hear your voice, your confidence, your excitement in what you are doing. None of that can be transmitted electronically. Let them hear the empathy in your voice as you listen to their problems.
Only then will they really know that you are on their side, and you can help them.
I watch in amazement as so many new network marketers depend almost solely on their computers or PDAs to run their business.
They would rather send 100 emails or text messages rather than pick up the phone and have one conversation.
It has become easier (preferable?) to rely on electronics and less on human interaction.
While it may be easier, in most cases the results will NOT follow.
You see, networking is about connecting with people. And the best way I know of to connect with someone is to look them in the eye and talk to them. And if you can’t look them in the eye because of distance, then they absolutely NEED to hear your voice to convince them that you are the person that can help them achieve their wildest dreams.
If you’re wondering why your business is floundering, listless, and not moving forward, then shut off the computer, pick up your phone, and start making connections with your prospects.
Chances are very high that your results will pick up, and you’ll actually make some friends and feel better about the world in the process.
Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed In Network Marketing?
Congratulations! You started a home business, and you are officially a Network Marketer.
Now the question is, do you have what it takes to succeed?
From my experience, I believe that your ultimate success will come down to what I call the 3 P’s:
Patience, Persistence, and Positioning.
- Patience — when everyone first starts their new home business, visions of dollars flowing into their back account cloud what is truly the reality of any business, from the internet to brick and mortar: success in any business is seen over time. You might be surprised how many people start in network marketing all gung-go, ready to light their business on fire, only to quit within a few months. They failed to understand that success requires patience while the components of your business are being put into place: your mindset, your marketing and your mission (Hint: Go watch your Inside Out DVD again until you get this).
- Persistence – your business will not thrive without constant attention, taking action regularly to start seeing the results you want to see. Another word for this might be consistency. Consistent effort is a key to the success of your business. Being persistent means moving forward ESPECIALLY when things are NOT going so well. Persist in your marketing. Persist in your personal development. Persist in gaining the knowledge to become valuable to your prospects.
- Positioning — you will never reach your ultimate level of success in your business until you are positioned so that you are not leaving money on the table. For those in Carbon Copy PRO, that means positioning yourself at the M3 level. I know, most of you are saying that $20,000 is way too much to even consider. You just don’t have that kind of money. Fine, I can accept that. But what is your plan? How do you plan to get to this level? You need to have a realistic plan to get to the M1, M2, and M3 levels BEFORE you lose patience that you are not seeing the results you imagined.
That’s it….. Patience, Persistence, and Positioning. The 3 Pillars to Success for your New Business.
Be Patient in Your Expectations
Be Persistent in Your Efforts
Get Positioning to Maximize your Income
When you’ve solved these, you will become your company’s next star and leader!
To your success!
Global Internet Business Coach and Mentor
What Is Luck Anyway (and How Do I Get MORE)?
As many of you know, in addition to being a global internet business coach, I am also a scientist in New York City, where I work in a laboratory that specializes in infertility.
When I was first getting started in that line of work, back in the early 90’s, I was “lucky” enough to land a job as a Laboratory Director at one of the most prominant Infertility Programs in Boston.
It was my first real break, and many of my colleagues thought I was lucky.
You see, at the time I worked in another laboratory in an adjacent building, and had come to know many of the doctors in the Infertility Unit over the course of a couple of years. I was working as a Postdoctoral Fellow doing research at Harvard Medical School. I was preparing for my future.
As my Postdoctoral Fellowship was coming to an end, this particular position as Laboratory Director just happened to open up.
Luck, right?
I don’t think so, although it depends on your definition of luck.
Roy D. Chaplin, Jr, former CEO of American Motors, once said it best…
Luck is the Time When Preparation and Opportunity Meet
What a perfect definition. I was not “lucky” in the classic sense to have landed that job. I was preparing for that job for many years, doing research, learning skills, meeting people (networking), and “paying my dues”.
Then the opportunity came. Was I fortunate to be at the right place, just as I was looking for a job? Absolutely.
Was I lucky? Well, I was prepared when the opportunity presented itself.
There are 2 key components here.
First is preparation. In Network Marketing, that means learning your craft, honing your skills, and learning new and better ways to do things. Things like marketing, networking, closing sales, and phone skills. These skill all need to be developed and improved for success to occur.
Second is OPPORTUNITY. Knowing a good opportunity when it presents itself, and MOVING ON IT. I’ve seen so many qualified people come and go through the network marketing industry because they were unable to or unwilling to take advantage of an opportunity when it came about.
There is nothing more frustrating to watch.
I see it in people looking for a better way of life, looking to stop the madness of trading time for dollars with no freedom and no savings.
These are people that I KNOW could succeed in Network Marketing, yet they don’t move on an opportunity because they are paralyzed by either fear or procrastination.
You must be able to ACT on an opportunity. If you can’t act, then it doesn’t matter how prepared you are.
I was “lucky” to get that first Laboratory Director job back in the 90’s. And I am again “lucky” to be a successful Internet Marketer today.
And both times, luck came for the same reason.
Preparation met Opportunity, and I took advantage.
That, my friends, is the key to success in life.
To YOUR success!
Dr. Bob Clarke
Global Internet Business Coach
Cresskill, NJ; February 21, 2009
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