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.
The ONE Quality That Separates The Top Earners From The Also Rans
I attended a Wealth Conference last week in beautiful, sunny Marco Island, FL. At this conference, we received a lot of great financial information and investment tips, things that will change the way I invest and grow my money during these tough economic times.
At every Conference, you hope to pick up a few “gold nuggets” that will change your life positively in some way, either in marketing, finance, or some other phase of your life.
So I attended this Wealth Conference, figuring that the gold nuggets I received would be something in the area of investing or wealth creation. And true to form, I received many at this Conference.
But I also received a gold nugget for my marketing business, one that I was not expecting nor even looking for.
Rosemary and I went down to Marco Island a day early to enjoy the sun and warm weather (leaving behind the 20 degree deep freeze of New York City!). We decided to go for a stroll on the beach, and along the way we ran into Mr. Greg Davison.
Greg is a friend from our network marketing opportunity, and he is one of the top earners in our company. We started chatting with Greg about our business, and he graciously spent about 30 minutes dissecting our business with us: what we were doing, what we were not doing, how we went about this and that.
It’s a real eye opener when you actually describe what you do to someone else!
After a while, Greg got a really serious look on his face, told us that we were doing everything that top earners do to succeed in network marketing.
Except for one thing.
And it is this ONE THING that most people in network marketing and MLM miss.. and why they ultimately crash and burn.
Your ready?
Here is what Greg told me.
He said that we lacked POSTURE. Hmmmm…….
At first I thought maybe I was slouching or hunched over.
But he went on to explain that he was talking about POSITIONING, how you present yourself to others looking at your opportunity. In other words, PRESENCE.
It’s the one quality that all top earners have, and it’s probably the hardest to acquire.
Why?
Because it’s more of a mindset issue than simply a matter of studying a marketing technique.
It’s believing that you are a TRUE LEADER, and someone who can help almost ANYONE succeed in your business opportunity.
It’s about having that presence or posture that your time is valuable, you only work with people really serious about making money, and if that’s not you, step aside.
It’s not arrogance. It’s not meanness.
It’s a kind of cockiness (but in a good way), extreme self confidence that you are the leader this person has been looking for.
So how do you acquire PRESENCE?
As with most anything else in Network Marketing and life, for that matter…. it’s a PROCESS.
A process that starts with knowledge, continues with experience, and ends with the mindset of self assurance and leadership.
So as the Conference continued, I cornered several of the top earners in our company.
I asked them one simple question.
“Is there any material I can study to push me closer to attaining that PRESENCE or POSTURE? Some product out there that made a difference to you, a top earner as you made your way to the top?”
One product was mentioned by EVERY SINGLE PERSON I SPOKE WITH.
The Magnetic Sponsoring product, BLACKBELT RECRUITING, by Mike Dillard.
Each person specifically mentioned this product as being one of the reasons that they developed the presence they needed to get and stay at the top.
So I purchased Blackbelt Recruiting, it arrived today, and guess what I’LL be doing all weekend.
I can’t wait to dive into it.
I’ll let you know what I think.
Not sure if I will be putting it on my Recommended Resource list just yet.
We’ll see.
So don’t run out and buy it just yet. But you can get a FREE VIDEO from Mike DIllard about some of the things we’ve been discussing today.
Just go to this Blackbelt Recruiting page and click on the link for the FREE VIDEO.
They are terrific!
To your success!
Bob
This is the business that I make my wealth.
November 28, 2008; Cresskill, NJCompeting in Today’s World — Google Style
Talk with any of the most successful network marketers today and they will likely tell you that a strong component of their marketing strategy is getting their message out on Google. This can take 2 forms.
- Showing up in the Organic Search Listings (i.e. the middle column of the search page results)
- Advertising using Google Adwords (the right column of the search page results)
Today, I am going to focus on the second option: Google Adwords.
If you have never advertised with Google before, it can be a very scary proposition. And if you are an experienced Adwords user, it is even scarier in today’s society, because Google is changing.
How are they changing? Like everyone else, they are reacting to the plunging economy. But Google is a huge money making machine. Rather than laying people off or lowering salaries, they have reacted in a different way.
Google is tightening up on the relevency of the advertisements they display. In other words, Google is redoubling their efforts to be extra sure that, when you put in your search term, you will get results that will satisfy you. If you, the customer, are not satisfied, Google loses.
And Google NEVER loses.
What does this mean to the people, like me who advertise on Google? It means we had better have ads that are relevent and that give the Google customer what they are looking for. If not, Google will cut you off at the pass. You will never have a chance.
What do I mean by this? I mean having compelling ad headlines and ad copy that will draw people to your advertisement. But more importantly, it means that your landing page must DELIVER exactly what you promise in your ad.
If someone clicks on your ad but is sent to a landing page that doesn’t deliver the promise of the ad, they will click off in seconds. Google can track that. Google knows EVERYTHING.
And Google will punish you for it. How?
By giving you less traffic, or more likely, less of the prime traffic you are looking for.
Google will NOT be forgiving here, guys. It is their reputation and their bottom line.
Overwhelmed?
No worries. I am training with a person who I consider to be one of the top 3 experts in the world in Google. She has been giving training sessions for about a year with Carbon Copy PRO, although she is not a member. I also saw her present her unique Google methods at both Live Carbon Copy PRO LIVE Marketing Events over the past year.
My wife Rosemary and I decided we wanted more.
We started specialized training with Cherie Yvette, The Urban Cowgirl about 6 months ago, and our business profits jumped 100%. She will show you how to construct top quality campaigns that will allow you to compete with the big guys on Google.
Or, if you prefer, she will build campaigns for you and teach you how to optimize them for peak performance.
She is a tireless teacher who will do what it takes, for as long as it takes, to make you successful on Google. I cannot recommend her services highly enough.
Visit The Urban Cowgirl Website for more information.
I do not get paid one penny for recommending Cherie. This is not an affiliate link.
This is just one VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER who wants to pass this quality resource on to his loyal readers.
To your success,
Bob
November 7, 2008; Cresskill, NJMake Money, Not Excuses
“You can make money or you can make excuses, but you can’t make both.”
These words were written recently in a blog by Karl Bessey, co-founder of a Texas-based finanical education and wealth creation company called Wealth Masters International.
I have been in this industry for more than a couple of years now, and I couldn’t agree with this more.
As I have said on this blog before, 97% of all home-based business owners fail. I take this to mean that 97% of all people who start a home-based business do not make enough money, and most probably spend more money than they make.
What that also tells me is that 97% of these people MAKE EXCUSES.
I have heard a lot of excuses in this business, some rather unique. But most center on the theme of NO MONEY, NO TIME, NO SUPPORT. OK, OK, and OK.
So what? You want to know how many of the 3% of people who make money in this industry had NO MONEY when they first started? Probably 95% of them.
You want to know how many of these people had time issues? Most of them.
You want to know how many had little to no support, and had to find their own way? Probably ALL of them.
That’s right, guys. It’s time to lay down the excuses and start making money.
Don’t let ANYTHING get in your way.
I am changing my mindset on this issue of EXCUSES.
Here are my new edicts:
- You have money problems? So does everybody. You will find the money if you really want it.
- You have time issues? Too bad. Stay up later or get up earlier.
- Your sponsor leave the company? So what, it happens all the time. Find the support you need elsewhere.
- Your spouse giving you crap about spending money? Work it out. Make money.
- You have too many expenses? Life getting in the way? That’s life — work it out (Rosemary and I have 2 kids in college, 1 going next year, and 1 more the year after… make it work anyway you can).
I know this may sound hard ass to many, but I’ve found in building my business with Carbon Copy PRO and WMI that it’s the only way you’ll make money.
No Excuses, Make Money. $$$
Great advice from someone who has “made it” in the Direct Sales industry. Karl Bessey is someone I really have come to respect. His story is compelling…. coal miner turned entrepreneur. So when he speaks, I listen.
And on this one, he is right on the money!
To your prosperity,
Bob
October 24, 2008, Cresskill, NJWhat business am I involved in?
MLM Success: Make the Effort to Attend a Live Event
I’ve heard it stated that those people who attend their MLM or direct sales company’s live events have a significantly higher chance at succeeding than those that don’t attend.
Why would this be true?
I just returned from the Second Live Marketing Event in Dallas, Texas sponsored by Carbon Copy PRO Marketing. I’ve already reviewed the event in a recent post, but today I’d like to get more into the mindset of attending live events.
What do you get at a Live Event that you can’t get sitting behind your computer?
- Informational trainings and company updates
- The ability to put faces to names of those you have become familiar with in your company
- The chance to form friendships and brainstorm with people in your company
- Many times there will be promotional discounts on company materials
- Time away from the drudgery of every day life and, usually a renewed drive to work your business.
These are all great advantages to attending a live event, but I’m not sure they can explain why people who attend these events go on to success at higher rates than those that do not.
I believe that it is not the attendance at the Live Event per se that subsequently drives a person’s success in their business, but rather something far more basic.
I believe it has more to do with a person’s mindset and drive.
This is a person who understands the importance of self improvement, education, and training in building their business empire.
This is a person who understands that no man (or woman) is an island, that we need to work with others to really make our business thrive.
This is a person who does not hesitate to spend money to advance their business.
For all the above reasons, I believe it is not the attendance at the live event that makes the difference between successful and unsuccessful home business owners.
It is the intent and willingness, the mindset if you will, of the person to take their business to the next level by attending an event that really matters.
The event might be fantastic, with exceptional training and full of “golden nuggets” of information to take home, like the Carbon Copy PRO Marketing Event I just attended.
Or the live event might be lacking in substance, a little boring even….. it matters little.
What truly matters is the EFFORT you took to attend.
This is what distinguishes those that succeed and those that don’t in the MLM and Direct Sales business arena.
MLM Success: No Experience Necessary?
If you spend any time on Google or the other search engines, you’ve undoubtedly seen ads for home businesses where it is boldly stated…..
NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!!!
Well, I guess it is true that you need not have any prior experience in sales, marketing, or business ownership to START your home business. But SUCCEEDING as a home business?
Well, that’s another story.
I consider myself a fairly smart guy. Ph.D. in physiology at the age of 26, postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor at Cornell University Medical College.
But when it came time to start a home business with my wife, Rosemary…… I was MYSTIFIED.
I mean, this was a whole new world!
I had never sold anything, never marketed online or offline…. but I was told that there was NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY to start a home business, so I dove right in.
What did I find? What everyone other network marketing newbie finds…
Confusion, Frustration, and Bewilderment.
Listen up guys… NO matter what anyone tells you….
THERE IS A LEARNING CURVE when you start anything new…. including Network Marketing.
How big is this learning curve? That depends.
- It depends on how much time you’re willing to spend learning your new craft.
- It depends on your level of experience when you start your business. Obviously, the more experience you’ve had, the farther up on the learning curve you will be.
- It depends on the business opportunity and how much in-house training they offer, and the quality of that training.
The last one was the reason we chose our current business, because they offered online training and education above and beyond anything we had seen (or have seen since) in the industry (the business is Carbon Copy PRO, and this isn’t a plug, just the truth).
But it still took TIME.
No getting around it… it just does.
Are you willing to invest in YOU, to get the training and experience you need, and be patient for the results?
I hear so many stories of people quitting their home business opportunity just before they are ready to reap the profits of their hard work. They become inpatient and disillusioned.
YOU CAN BE A SUCCESS IN NETWORK MARKETING.
IT MAY JUST TAKE A WHILE.
To your patience and dedication,
Dr. Bob Clarke
October 6, 2008; Cresskill, NJ
MLM Success Secrets: Can I Make Fast Money?
The quick answer to this question is: NOT USUALLY.
You’d be surprised how many people I talk with who really want to start a home business, or so they think. But when I really start asking the tough questions about their motives for wanting to be a home business owner, things often get a little dicey.
My first 3 questions are always the same:
- Do you have any prior sales/marketing/home business experience?
- How much capital are you willing to spend to get your business started and positioned in the compensation plan?
- What is your monthly income goal and how quickly are you looking to attain this goal?
By the time I get to the 3rd question, you can just see the eyes starting to glaze over. It’s about this time that they realize that a home business is going to mean HARD WORK and some MONEY to get it going and maintain it until a profit is seen.
It’s also at this point that I lose alot of prospects, but that’s okay with me. I’d rather find out now than to invest a lot of time in training and mentoring, just to have them drift away from disillusionment.
In the next few blog posts I will examine each of these factors in more detail, but in general, here’s the truth in making money with a home-based business:
- You’ll make money faster if you’ve had prior experience in sales and marketing, or if you’ve owned a business before.
- You’ll make money faster if you buy into the opportunity at a higher level in the compensation plan (consider this your capital investment).
- You’ll make money faster if you have a marketing budget that will allow you to get the word out. In general, the more you can spend in marketing, the more extensively your product will be in front of people, and the more sales you will make.
We’ll discuss these more in future posts, and how you can shorten your learning curve if you are lacking the experience that will put you in the winners circle.
To your prosperity!
Dr. Bob Clarke
October 4, 2008; Cresskill, NJ
Free MLM Home Business Opportunities?
My parents always told me that nothing is for free. Nothing comes without a price.
How right they were, especially when talking about MLM home business opportunties.
This blog is about TRUTHS, so here’s one for you:
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH!
How does this relate to Network Marketing and MLM? Plenty.
I hear from those “interested” in starting a home business all the time….
When will I start making money. I need to make XX dollars in a month right away. Oh, and by the way, I have no money to start and advertise.
Well, here’s what I have to say to that — PLAY THE LOTTERY OR SELL A KIDNEY.
Nothing is for free in Network Marketing.
What people don’t understand is that in just about every opportunity I have ever researched, there is a baseline entry price, the lowest price you can pay to get into the business, but to make the REAL money, you need to “buy up”.
In other words, you need to put down more money to get to a higher compensation level so that you can get the higher payouts when you make a sale.
This is how the BIG MONEY is made in MLM and direct sales.
So, sure you can start your business with as little as $100 in some companies, but you won’t make much money at that level. What they don’t tell you is that you need to shell out another $1000-2000 to get to the next compensation level.
And that’s fair — but people act surprised.
It takes money to make money. Or something as valuable as money.
Take the case of free leads in advertising. Is there such a thing?
Well, it’s true you can get free leads by putting up videos on YouTube, writing Squidoo lenses or HubPages, or authoring articles. But unless you know what you’re doing, you won’t get many leads.
Why? Because you need to have the training to do these things well. How do you get the proper training?
Not the training you get on YouTube. I’m talking about learning from people who have had real success using these Web 2.0 marketing methods.
You get that kind of training with money. Nothing free about that.
Rosemary and I learned how to generate our own FREE LEADS by training with the brilliant Dennis Karganilla and Jimmy Davis of MLM Goldmine. I mean, these guys could make your head spin with their knowledge of Web 2.0.
We payed out money gladly, because we knew that it would pay for itself several times over. And it will.
But the point I’m making is that it costs money to get the training we wanted to become really proficient at generating our own free leads.
Nothing is for free.
Don’t expect it, and you won’t be disappointed.
This is the truth.
Until next time,
Dr. Bob Clarke
September 25, 2008; Cresskill, NJ
Partner with a top direct sales network marketing company…..
QUESTION: What would make a health care professional making a yearly 6 figure income, partner with….. a top direct sales network marketing company?
Two words: Burnout and Freedom.
I found myself 45 years old, divorced, working 60-70 hr weeks and little life outside of work.
I was 50 pounds overweight with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and various other health issues.
I needed something to change. The stress and pressure was literally killing me.
Flash forward 5 years. I’ve lost those 50 lbs, am taking very little medication, met and married the woman of my dreams, and am living the life of my dreams.
I’m working less, and only because I enjoy it (and have 2 kids approaching college!). I have learned network marketing from the bottom up, learning as I go.
It’s been an amazing journey, going from a marketing novice who hardly knew what Google was (not to mention Google Adwords) to a person that many consider an up and coming leader in the industry.
I offer this blog to those in the industry, or those considering starting a Network Marketing company, as a place to find cutting edge information, resources, and marketing techniques without a constant sales pitch.
As the name of my blog indicates, I will offer you “The Truth”, even when it hurts.
There is so much HYPE out there…..
People need a place to come in and get out of the rain, a place they can trust as being truthful and direct.
A place where they can find the information that they need.
To people out there who are sick of all the HYPE, I say “Welcome Home.”
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