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Updates from March, 2008

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  Scheduling 2.0: Three New Approaches

  Partner 12:00 am on March 31, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  Team meetings conference calls and virtual appointments are standard fare these days. If any aspect of your job involves coordinating with others (and whose doesn’t) you know how tricky it can be to sync schedules. And if you’ve ever hit “reply all” to an e-mail to try and find a good meeting time, you’ve felt the pain.

  If everyone in your organization uses Outlook with the same exchange server, and makes calendars publicly viewable, you’re in luck. Simply do a compare calendar pull-down in Outlook and choose the best available opening. But for the rest of us, scheduling is time-consuming.

  The explosion of Web and communication technologies has meant growing availability expectations. Yet, the tools to facilitate scheduling have lagged behind. That’s now starting to change, and here are three new approaches involving free resources and tools being developed by Web 2.0 companies.

  1. Use a polling/voting application

  Several startups have launched tools which use polling to determine optimal meeting times. Examples of such services include MeetingWizard and ScheduleOnce.

  You choose a time zone and specify the dates and time frames during which you are available. Invitees rank whether the options are possible or preferred and then input a list of invitees for that meeting. Invitees receive a link leading to a landing page and after invitees have voted, the organizer sees the most popular option.

  The process of choosing the ideal time can be a lengthy one during which the calendaring availability of the organizer or other participants may have changed. But for those with complex coordination requirements, polling and voting mechanisms can definitely make scheduling easier.

  2. Make your calendar public

  In the last few months, two startups have quietly launched innovative services which allow users to publicly share calendars. TimeBridge allows you to post a personal availability link or badge online such as a blog, e-mail signature or social networking page. The availability link/badge points to a web-based calendar and the service also enables users to integrate their Google calendaring applications.

  MeetingStarter has a clever methodology for initiating the scheduling process. It combines some of the polling/voting functionality mentioned earlier with an interface in which users broadcast their scheduling availability to selected invitees for one or more events.

  Invitees click a link to a dedicated landing page specific to that organizer or meeting and can schedule themselves into the organizer’s calendar. These methods do require more work up-front for the organizer but can simplify the task of handling complex scheduling requirements.

  3. Use a light-weight collaboration tool

  Time spent on scheduling usually follows the 80/20 rule. Twenty percent of meetings are difficult to schedule and the calendaring/voting systems work well. But for the other eighty percent, a lighter-weight solution is preferable.

  Simply taking the scheduling process from e-mail and moving it to a commonly accessible web page is a major improvement. Services such as Evite built their entire businesses on the one insight that e-mails flying back-and-forth are an inefficient way to arrange large events. The same insight also applies to conference calls, a market segment not addressed by those services.

  One increasingly popular approach uses lightweight collaboration tools which enable an organizer to choose a conference call time and indicate whether the timing is negotiable. Invitees are invited to respond with their availability and comment on preferred alternatives. Crucially, this scheduling process occurs on a dedicated web page which is viewable by all participants rather than over a series of one-on-one emails.

  Andre D. Vanier is the CEO of Rondee, a free conference calling company that was first to market with a lightweight collaboration tool. Vanier speaks extensively on trends in communications and was an early co-founder of the free directory assistance industry.

   

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• 

  The 4th Lost Rule of Network Marketing Success

  Partner 12:00 am on March 31, 2008 | 1 Permalink | Reply
  

  Here is a common question heard from many network marketers a few months into their business.

  “What do I do when my warm market is gone?”

  Your business is not going to fail because your friends, family, or co-workers do not want to join you. Just accept this as normal, and that that they are not right for your opportunity at this time. In addition, although your warm market can be your best option for customers and business partners, sometimes it can be the most challenging.

  What else can you do to generate new prospects?

  Some people like to buy leads. There are several different types of leads. Some lead companies collect data from the web, while others do infomercials and direct mail campaigns to acquire the leads. Then they sell these home based business leads to people like you.

  If you are going to buy leads there are many options available one we can recommend is Cutting Edge Media. They have high quality leads, and some of the most qualified leads that we have seen.

  If you do not want to buy leads, and prefer to develop your own leads instead, then read on.

  Network Marketing is all about building relationships. There is an abundance of clubs, associations, and business mixers in your local area that you can join that will be terrifically beneficial for your business. In addition to learning new skills, you will learn about other people, and you will have the opportunity to build new relationships, with people outside your current circle. Don’t go into it expecting to recruit people into your business. Look at it as an opportunity to meet new people – and if the opportunity presents itself, and the timing is right – then tell them about your business.

  Some other ways to build more relationships are to join clubs, attend classes, or go to business mixers. The world around you is filled with organizations you can join to meet other people who have similar interests. Think about organizations you are currently involved in or ones you have been in the past.

  It can feel awkward to start building new relationships, what do you do with them, outside of the class or organization your part of together? Playing MLM The Game is one fun way to learn about new prospects and to open their eyes to network marketing.

  Go out this week and find a workshop on something you’ve always wanted to learn. Take a pottery class, sign up for martial arts, or join an adult sports league.

  For example:

  Public Speaking is a skill that will most definitely propel your success. You can challenge yourself to become greater by joining a local Toast Masters group or any other public speaking workshop. Here you can practice your Why, get better at story telling, refine your language, and best of all get a non-biased critique back! Who knows, maybe you will also meet your next powerhouse of a leader!

  Your ability to consistently find new people to build quality relationships, will allow you to frequently open up a new network of people to share your business with.

  There are countless ways to meet new people that you may have not thought about. One of the best ways to do this is through the people you already know. Just think of the last boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or partner you had, for instance. How did you meet them? How did you meet the current love of your life?

  If you are like most people, then it was probably through the people you know. Furthermore, most people also often find the best jobs, clients, and friends through people they already know. Your business is no different.

  On a parallel note, here is something that is often overlooked; the network of people who are NOT interested in your business. What about them? After all, they also know people you don’t, and for this simple reason alone, you should be interested in them.

  Just because someone you approach isn’t interested in your business, does not mean that his or her friends or family will not be interested. When someone says “no” to your business, thank them for listening, let them know how committed you are to the business, and that you would have enjoyed working with them had they been interested. Then ask them if they know of anyone, a friend, a colleague, or a relative that might be interested in the opportunity. Be bold and ask their permission to contact their friends, family members, and associates. Ask them for a list of people that they think might be a good fit. You would be surprised how many prospects you can get out of a “no”. In fact, it may just make them change their own mind altogether!

  Another fantastic strategy is online searching. Network marketing in this day and age has been blessed with the power of the internet. Now, more than ever, people are developing relationships online, which quite often turn into relationships in person. Social networking online has created a revolution that network marketers like you MUST take advantage of. If you are not a member of online communities like Myspace, Pathconnect, Friendster, Ryze, Linkedin, etc., then sign up for one that interests you. There are many more, in fact too many to list, but these are the ones we have found to be some of the best for business.

  This phenomenon of modern technology has multiplied the concept of meeting new people, and meeting the friends of people your new acquaintances. This is perfect because it provides a presorted filter of people values goals and interests.

  Although we are advocates for avenues of networking such as this, we offer a few words to the wise about using social networking website to do business.

  There are TONS of people in network marketing already taking advantage of social networking websites and most of them are doing it wrong. So in a way, you have a tremendous advantage if you do it the right way. Don’t be like most amateur networkers and make the same mistakes they are making. There is an abundance of people making wild income claims that deface the value of network marketing because they simply are not true. Furthermore, most of them do not take the time to build the relationship before offering their opportunity.

  Just because you have the power of the internet at your fingertips, does not mean you don’t have to build rapport. In fact, it means you need to put MORE effort into doing so. As we all know, the internet can be a feeding frenzy for scam-artists and shady individuals alike. Lying or stealing innocent people’s hard-earned money is a common threat in today’s society, which is why we are teaching you how to distinguish yourself from inauthentic people who don’t take the time to build the relationship before offering their opportunity. If you take the honest approach we are teaching you, people will appreciate it, and be more open to doing business with you.

  Whether you are networking online, at a coffee shop, or even at a friends house. Use the skills we have taught you in building relationships, and your journey to success will be not only smoother, but hopefully an enjoyable process.

  Anders Gustavsson
  President
  Infinite Synergy Learning Systems

  The Infinite Synergy team developed MLM The Game, and has been involved helping home-business entrepreneurs build strong relationships and succeed faster through playing this game since 2003′. Please visit this mlm training website at mlmthegame.com for details.

   
• 

  The 8th Lost Rule of Network Marketing Success

  Partner 12:00 am on March 30, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  Give yourself and others positive and deserving recognition often.

  If you work in a traditional business or you know some one who does, ask this question:

  “When was the last time someone in leadership publicly recognized me or one of my co-workers for a job well done?”

  Although some businesses are learning, it is still common for most people that this has never happened. If you do remember a time recently, you are working for a great company. Think back to how that made you feel, or if it was someone else, notice the way they felt when appreciation was showed to them. Chances are they felt really good about it. Maybe they even blushed.

  Why do people blush when they get publicly recognized?

  The Howard Hughes Medical Institute suggests the following:

  “Most studies about blushing have been conducted by psychologists, and the findings so far suggest that blushing is a response to undesired social attention. Self-consciousness is the only feeling universally associated with blushing.”

  Why is this relevant to you and your business? We want to point out the fact that recognition is uncommon in our society. People are not used to being publicly praised, so they get embarrassed or uncomfortable when it happens. Fortunately, that feeling of embarrassment is short lived and ultimately leaves people feeling good about themselves. People get uncomfortable when they experience things they are not used to – but you can guarantee this: if you praise someone publicly, even though they may feel a little discomfort at first, they will most definitely feel good about it afterwards. Over time people really appreciate it, and you can bet that you’ll build better relationships. You may even notice others modeling your behavior, and showing you and their team members some recognition.

  The fact is that public and positive recognition is one of the best things you can do for anyone in your organization. Not only does it enhance their credibility in the eyes of others, but more importantly it boosts their self-confidence.

  We developed a fun board game for Network Marketing called MLM The Game. Before you begin playing MLM The Game you will set short term goals and write down your rewards for reaching those new positions in your “play company.” As you reach these goals you will be recognized and rewarded with the things that you previously wrote down. As you reach new virtual positions the players surrounding you also have an opportunity to recognize your efforts.

  Try this: The next time you notice someone doing something good, big or small, in your business or personal life, take note of it. In the next opportunity you have, let them and others around you know how impressed you are, and how you admire that persons performance. It may seem uncomfortable at first but that’s only because you are not used to it. If you make this a common habit, you will also naturally find others recognizing your efforts as well. Just notice how this will create a magnetic force drawing quality people around you.

  With consistent practice giving and receiving recognition will come naturally. When genuine positive recognition takes place, straight from the heart, it leaves everyone feeling good, so why not do it more often? Try it, and see what happens!

  Anders Gustavsson
  President
  Infinite Synergy Learning Systems

  The Infinite Synergy team developed MLM The Game, and has been involved helping home-business entrepreneurs build strong relationships and succeed faster through playing this game since 2003′. Please visit this network marketing tools website at mlmthegame.com for details.

   
• 

  Three Top Tips On How You Can Build A Successful Downline

  Partner 12:00 am on March 30, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  Today, multilevel marketing, also known as MLM or network marketing, has become a very different animal from years previous because of the Internet. However, many still struggle with knowing how to be successful multilevel marketers. How can you recruit people for MLM in the best way? If you’re having a lack of success, you’re not alone. There are three tips on how you, too, can help build a successful downline.

  Tip number one: Change the way you think. People fail for many reasons, but one of the chief reasons is that they simply think they’re going to. Be comfortable with thinking outside of your “comfort zone,” and be prepared for some discomfort as you adjust to a new business. Just because you’re struggling when you start doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for MLM. Many people who struggle to begin with became successful multilevel marketers.

  Most people think that MLM is all about sales. It’s true that sales are part of it, but you also have to keep in mind that you have to keep recommending and promoting products to a potential downline as well, so that others come on board under you.

  One of the best ways to become a successful MLM person is to mentor and coach your downline. To build your downline, you are going to have to help the people under you be successful. You have to be as interested in their success as you are in your own, because their success actually means your success will happen to a greater degree.

  Tip number two: Generate your own leads. Many people who engage in MLM buy leads, but this isn’t the best way to build your business or your downline. Many leads lists are sold to many different companies, so that a particularly hot prospect to you might already have gotten a lot of other calls from other companies and either be burned out on the idea or have gone with someone else.

  When you recruit for MLM, you can’t duplicate the system and use it over and over. You can’t pay $100 a lead (which, yes, some people are doing) and expect to make a return on that investment a fair amount of the time, much less even most of the time. It’s simply not worth the investment.

  When you generate your own leads, not only do you know the people you’re speaking to have not been approached again and again by other companies, but you have a vested interest in talking with them about this opportunity. This makes you much more interesting to talk to because you’re not just trying to sell them on something (and if you are, stop it right now, since this will only make future prospects run away), but you really want to give them a chance to jump in on a good opportunity.

  Tip number three: If you’ve seen your company’s main building, have a good look at it. How big is it? If the building itself is quite large with a lot of staff, the company has to be doing quite well to pay the bills and upkeep. However, there’s another caveat to this, which is that this type of upkeep might take away from the company’s compensation for its MLMers. Therefore, it’s good to know that the company itself is somewhat established (since it’s got a large building it houses the business headquarters in), but you also want to take care that you as an independent associate are not being shortchanged because of costs and upkeep.

  Bottom line, make sure you and the people under you in your downline are putting time and effort into a company with a good strong work ethic and reputation. You need to make sure that your compensation and that of those under you is adequate and can truly lead you to success.

  By following these few tips and keeping your eyes open so that you will learn as much as you can, you should be able to be successful in MLM, as so many before you have been.

  Discover Kevin Sinclair’s system for making profits regardless of whether anyone joins your network marketing business.

   
• 

  Craigslist Has Mass Appeal To Online Classified Users

  Partner 12:00 am on March 30, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  On the visual appeal scale, the craigslist website is mediocre at best. But in terms of sheer mass usability it’s off the scale. craigslist is an extremely powerful classified advertising tool used by millions of visitors each year. Like the wayward traveler tuning into a cities radio stations for news, It tunes in to the classified happenings of cities around the globe.

  Craigslist was founded in San Francisco by Craig Newmark inthe mid 1990’s. A small and personal organization, craiigslist operates with a relatively tiny staff reminiscent of a small town newspaper. From this small cadre of dedicated individuals, it provides a classified service for people around the globe. Since its beginnings, it has dedicated it’s self to being a gate way of community information serving a grass roots following.

  Craigslist has a simple approach to advertising, bridge the gap between the haves and the have not’s. The no nonsense approach has endeared craigslist to users of all walks of life. Its classified reach is huge, stretching around the globe touching people in countries from Argentina to Vietnam. Wherever you are, chances are you can find a catergory that will help you find a job, a car, a place to live and maybe even someone to live there with you.

  At first, the site seems cluttered and unfriendly to use, but the standard interface is quick to learn. In seconds its users find them selves surfing for local community information effortlessly. The standardized interface is the key to the usability. A list of links always directs users to the same categories of classified advertising.

  Between geographic locations, the only perceptible difference you see in craigslist is the location banner showing what city the site is “tuned” to. Simply select a city of interest and it provides connections to people looking to sell, rent or buy or what other activities the user may be interested in for that specific area.

  Because of It’s content rich approach to supplying information to the masses, it enjoys one of the most visited sites around the globe for classified advertising. It has become a de-facto standard in communications between users and consumers of community style goods. A visit to craigslist is like opening up the Sunday papers classified advertisement section in any part of the world. For any community you have a need in, there is a craigslist to bridge the gap between what you need and who has it.

  Additionally, online marketers have utilized the forum-based website to generate large incomes for themselves. This occurs by taking advantage of the high traffic volumes on the website as well as taking advantage of the great customer resource tools for guaranteed success. This free to use website has helped many individuals make a fortune off of studying and using a website created to bring people together.

  Craig Bradburn specializes in teaching Real people how to start a
  Profitable Work at
  Home Internet businesses.
  Get instant access to all his most
  sustaining marketing campaigns, strategies, tools and resources. Official Home Based Businesses Online Website.

  Office: 866-617-8631 (toll free)
  Mobile: 734-395-7161

   
• 

  The Top 10 Coffee Franchises

  Partner 12:00 am on March 29, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  When you have made the decision to start your own coffee shop business and you have already done all your research, you now need to decide what coffee franchise you want to go with. This may take some time to figure out because you want to explore all your options before making your decision. There is a lot to consider when you start to look into all your options.

  There are also hundreds of coffee franchises so you will need to narrow your search down to the top 10 coffee franchises so you can make your decision based on the demand of the coffee drinkers. Here is a list of the top 10 coffee franchises that you may want to consider and a little about what they offer.

  #10: Sonoma Coffee Cafe
  With a Sonoma Coffee Cafe you will serve your customers great tasting coffee but you will also offer chocolates, donuts, bagels, even breakfast sandwiches.

  #9: Gourmet Cup
  It’s not just coffee at the Gourmet Cup. You can also enjoy a variety of tea as well. Your customers will come back time and again to enjoy the rich aroma of the coffee you offer.

  #8: Coffee Heaven
  Coffee is the only thing you will find in Coffee Heaven. The name speaks for itself. There is no mistaking what this name is about.

  #7: Kelly’s Coffee & Fudge Factory
  Coffee goes with everything including chocolate. Your customers may have a choice of baked pastries, salads, sandwiches, and home-style fudge. They will also receive a variety of flavored coffee, teas, or smoothies.

  #6: Jo to Go Drive through Expresso
  The best thing about the Jo to Go is the fact that it also caters to kids, which is usually in the vehicle with mom or dad in the mornings too. You can serve your customers all the latest flavors in coffee, smoothies, fresh bakery goods and kids stuff too.

  #5: The Coffee Beanery
  This global franchise has a lot to offer you and your customers.

  #4: Hawaii’s Java Kai
  You can serve both hot and cold drinks to your customer. Keep them coming back with fruit smoothies and baked goods.

  #3: Cafe Ala Carte
  This is a great concept and you can control the number of customers you have. This cafe travels to all the exciting outings including open houses, weddings, family reunions, grand openings and more. Plus you can have a regular schedule for dedicated customers.

  #2: Its a Grind
  Featuring a blues and jazz theme for their coffee houses, it offers good espresso, iced blended coffee drinks, bagels, muffins, scones and other baked goodies. It is one of the fastest growing coffee franchises.

  #1: Maui Wowi
  There is something special about Maui Wowi. You can offer your customers fruit smoothies, Hawaiian Coffee, Smoothie Rip Sticks, Hawaiian Springs Water, Low Carb smoothies and more.

  We hope the above information serves as a good starting point to evaluate your possible picks for a coffee franchise. Keep in mind that with each franchise, there are different franchise fees, royalties, initial investment amount, advertising fees, and renewal fees. Every persons business desires, needs and goals are different as are each of the franchise opportunities previously mentioned above. Your best bet for some advice on narrowing your list of choices to the best coffee franchise for you would be with an experienced franchise consultant.

  Stewart Baker writes for JavaBeanReview.com where you can check out some of the top 10 coffee franchises which currently have opportunities for coffee entrepreneurs. Information about Maui Wowi franchise and Its a Grind are available among the many offerings.

   
• 

  Not Invented Here is Not an Option for The Large Beverage Companies

  Partner 12:00 am on March 29, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  As an investment banking firm, we regularly dialogue with the top executives in the beverage industry. We have to chuckle when we reach a decision maker with a large beverage company and he says, “We have a corporate policy that we organically develop all of our own beverage concepts.” Does this guy read the industry publications? Did he miss the surge in beverage start-ups caused by the success of Red Bull, Hansens, Vitamin Water, and others? It seems like the major source of innovation in the beverage industry is coming from these new rule makers that defy the odds and launch successful new brands and even new categories.

  This surge of innovative activity is fun. What energy. It reminds us of the old Internet days – lots of money, talent, ideas, hope, energy, and potential successful businesses. This is the innovation environment in the beverage industry and any large company that feels it can keep pace with this force through internal development efforts alone is headed down the path of extinction.

  Almost everyone will agree that the new drivers of innovation in the beverage industry are entrepreneurial small companies that launch their products on a shoe string and defy the odds to reach a critical mass with very little outside funding. There is, however, a huge barrier in this market. The institutional buyers often make the cost of entry on to the shelves of their stores prohibitively expensive. This often prevents the expected innovation and commercial success that should naturally follow the effort and passion of these innovators.

  These entrepreneurs respond to a market need and achieve encouraging initial success from the early adopters. They soon hit the wall and are not able to “cross the chasm” from a small group of early adaptors to general market distribution within the large retailers. There is little economic value created when promising concepts are in the control of an under funded start-up company and the brand never reaches broad acceptance.

  Most of the blockbuster new products are the result of an entrepreneurial effort from an early stage company bootstrapping its growth in a very cost conscious lean environment. Think of some of the new developments from companies mentioned above. The big companies, with all their seeming advantages have a very high internal cost structure for new product introductions and the losses resulting from those failures are substantial. Don’t get me wrong, there were hundreds of failures from the start-ups as well. However, the failure for the edgy little start-up resulted in losses in the $1 – $5 million range. The same result from an industry giant was often in the $100 million to $250 million range.

  For every Red Bull and Vitamin Water there are literally hundreds of companies that either flame out or never reach a critical mass beyond a loyal early adapter market. It seems like the mentality of these smaller business owners is, using the example of the popular TV show, Deal or No Deal, to hold out for the $1 million briefcase. What about that logical contestant that objectively weighs the facts and the odds and cashes out for $280,000?

  As we contemplated the dynamics of this market, we were drawn to a merger and acquisition model that is used in the networking technology market by Cisco Systems. We believe that model could also be applied to great advantage in the new era beverage industry. The giant networking company, is a serial acquirer of companies. They do a tremendous amount of R&D and organic product development. They recognize, however, that they cannot possibly capture all the new developments in this rapidly changing field through internal development alone.

  Cisco seeks out investments in promising, small, technology companies and this approach has been a key element in their market dominance. They bring what we refer to as smart equity to the high tech entrepreneur. They purchase a minority stake in the early stage company with a call option on acquiring the remainder at a later date with an agreed-upon valuation multiple. This structure is a brilliantly elegant method to dramatically enhance the risk reward profile of new product introduction. Here is why:

  For the Entrepreneur:

  1. The involvement of the large beverage industry investor – resources, market presence, brand, distribution capability is a self fulfilling prophecy to your product’s success. The halo of the big secure company helps you cross the chasm to the conservative majority institutional customer.

  2. For the same level of dilution that an entrepreneur would get from a VC, angel investor or private equity group, the entrepreneur gets the performance leverage of “smart equity.” See #1.

  3. The entrepreneur gets to grow his business with Large Beverage Company Investor’s support at a far more rapid pace than he could alone. He is more likely to establish the critical mass needed for market leadership within his industry’s brief window of opportunity.

  4. He gets an exit strategy with an established valuation metric while the buyer/investor helps him make his exit much more lucrative.

  5. As an old Wharton professor used to ask, “What would you rather have, all of a grape or part of a watermelon?” That sums it up pretty well. The involvement of Large Beverage Industry Investor gives the product a much better probability of growing significantly. The entrepreneur will own a meaningful portion of a far bigger asset.

  For the Large Beverage Industry Investor:

  1. Create access to a large funnel of developing technology and products.

  2. Creates a very nimble, market sensitive, product development or R&D arm.

  3. Minor resource allocation to the autonomous operator during his “skunk works” market proving development stage.

  4. Diversify their product development portfolio – because this approach provides for a relatively small investment in a greater number of opportunities fueled by the entrepreneurial spirit, they greatly improve the probability of creating a winner.

  5. By investing early and getting an equity position in a small company and favorable valuation metrics on the call option, they pay a fraction of the market price to what they would have to pay if they acquired the company once the product had proven successful.

  This hybrid merger and acquisition model is a collaborative effort drawing on both Investment Banking experience combined with 25 years of beverage industry experience. Both the small entrepreneurial firm looking for the “smart equity” investment with the appropriate growth partner or the large industry player looking to enhance their new product strategy can benefit from this creative approach. This model has successfully served the technology industry through periods of outstanding growth and market value creation. Many of the same dynamics are present in the beverage industry and these same transaction structures can be similarly employed to create value.

  Dave Kauppi is an investment banker and President of MidMarket Capital. We help business owners with all aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions.

   
• 

  The 6th Lost Rule of Network Marketing Success

  Partner 12:00 am on March 29, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  If you have not already experienced the infamous emotional roller coaster of network marketing, you will sooner or later and we are going to advise you how to handle it.

  Don’t be a drama queen! Seriously…

  Let’s step into the world of Bob Networker for a moment, shall we?

  Bob is ecstatic and he should be, he just got started with one of the fastest growing network marketing companies on the planet. Bob just got his business kit, he has a group of wonderful and supportive upline leaders, he has his list squared away, and he is ready to have his first meeting. Bob is so excited that he does not take time to evaluate why he joined the business; he just knows he’s going to make a lot of money!

  Bob talks to over 85 people his first week in the business. He gets 43 confirmed to come over to a home meeting where the top regional director in his area is coming to present. Bob is jumping off the walls. He goes to the store, buys refreshments, rearranges his furniture, cleans his house, puts the dogs out and sets up his home PERFECTLY for his guest speaker.

  When the meeting begins only 9 people have shown up from the 43 confirmed, and afterwards, 4 people sign up in the business. When everyone leaves Bob begins to get very upset. “I called 85 people, I did all the right things, and I even gave them refreshments, and only 4 people signed up. This business is really tough!”

  The following day one of his friends who he signed up calls him up, and says he will have to cancel because he has too many current commitments. Bob then gets even more frustrated than before, and calls his upline for support. His upline calms him down, and is able to get energy and hope restored.

  Later Joe who also signed up, calls and he tells Bob he has 20 people coming to the regional business meeting tomorrow night. Bob shrugs off the other stuff, and jumps for joy…”We are going to be rich!” Bob goes out that night and buys a new suit for the meeting. When he arrives the following night at the meeting, none of his new distributors show up and neither do any of their prospects.

  At this point Bob starts to get full of angst and begins to wonder if this business really is for him. That week Bob gets very committed and works on customer acquisition, and is able to do an incredible job. Customers are acquired, and his hope is fully restored!

  Not a moment later his upline Jerry calls his cell phone. Jerry informs Bob that there is a leadership call at 7:30 and he ought to be on because the Vice President of Sales has an important message. Bob dials up to hear what the fuss is all about.

  The VP of Sales delivers a powerful message and shares an increase in the comp plan. After the call, Bob’s confidence is now fully redeemed. Due to his new excitement he decides to make a few calls, one of the phone calls is to a former boss. Bob follows the company system and the following week Bob’s former boss gets started and brings in half of his staff. A few days later each of his staff brings in a few friends. Before he knows it Bob has 65 people in his downline each with a few customers. The next month Bob receives a check for $3,000.

  “Maybe this does work”, Bob thinks as he cashes his first check.

  The following week Bob’s former boss (his most influential downline leader) decides to put more time into his other company and quits the business. This causes 75% of Bob’s team to also quit.

  Bob struggles with his emotions once again, but this time he also quits the business.

  The moral of the story is: you will have similar experiences as Bob, but you do not have to react the way Bob did. The fact is, you are going to have struggles and you are going to have successes, most of which you may have no control over.

  What you do have control over is the way you react to your successes and struggles and what you do everyday to better yourself. You can make the most out of your struggles by looking at them as learning experiences. Celebrate your successes, but don’t get over zealous and gloat. The key to this business is to stay even keel. Remember that not everyone will be in this for the long term like you, and remember that not everyone does what they say they are going to do.

  Teaching people to prepare for the unavoidable emotional experiences is important but challenging because who wants to scare their downline or slow down momentum? One great way to do it is through paying games. While playing MLM The Game everyone will experience the emotional roller coaster, you may lose 10 business partners one day, or your entire list with all your new prospects may be lost! In the game it is fun, it is real in life, click here to buy MLM The Game today.

  Your perceptions of your everyday moments are creating your reality. The Law of Attraction is not a “New Age Myth”, but a real timeless principle governed by the most powerful forces of life. Every thought, emotion, and word that comes from you projects outward into the world to attract something similar. Whether it is negative or positive, intentional or by accident makes no difference. Your are consistently communicating with the world around you. What we are talking about here is being conscious of your communication with yourself and the world – and project only that which you wish to come to fruition.

  Begin to experience positive situations with tremendous gratitude and appreciation, and adversities as learning experiences and blessings.

  “One cannot get through life without pain…what we can do is choose how to use the pain life presents to us.”
  - Bernie Siegel

  Every good thing that will happen to you in your business will help make you money, and every negative event that will happen will make you stronger. Don’t get too excited, and don’t get upset. Don’t let your emotions run your life. The end goal, YOUR WHY, is worth the battle you sometimes will need to muscle through. The strength and clarity of your Why will ultimately be the deciding factor in the scale of your success.

  Anders Gustavsson
  President
  Infinite Synergy Learning Systems

  Infinite Synergy developed MLM The Game, and has been involved helping home-business entrepreneurs build strong relationships and succeed faster through playing this game since 2003′. Please visit this network marketing training tools website at mlmthegame.com for details.

   
• 

  The 5th Lost Rule of Network Marketing Success

  Partner 12:00 am on March 29, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  First of all, you must be very clear about your intentions in the conversation. As you begin talking to more people, you’ll find very quickly that most people LOVE to talk about themselves. If you are anything like most novice network marketers, your intentions are to try to recruit them as quickly as possible. This means you are most likely thinking about what to say next in your head, and not paying close enough attention to what your potential prospect is saying.

  This is a very big mistake.

  Here is where LISTENING will come to your aid. If you have difficulty listening to people, then you will also notice it is hard to build relationships.

  NETWORK MARKETING IS ALL ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS!

  The most important part of any conversation you have with someone regarding your business is what THEY have to say. Listen to their needs. Then you can decide how and where their lifestyle could benefit from an opportunity like the one you hope to offer. But not before you hear what they have to say.

  Your intention should be to offer them an opportunity that is going to get them excited about solving a problem in their life. So you need to pay attention to them so you can find out what that is.

  It is important that you learn how to customize your approach to each person, because everyone has different needs.

  We have created a fun network marketing board game called MLM The Game. While playing MLM The Game you will be able to practice your listening skills. You will also be opened up to new ways to recruit and teach new distributors about network marketing.

  While speaking to your prospects, the most important thing is that you get them talking about themselves, and that you are listening and genuinely interested in what they are saying. The more closely you listen to what people have to say, the more you will find out what is on their mind, and what is most important in their lives. There are 3 basic steps you ought to stick to when approaching a prospect:

  Step 1) The initial layered conversation
  Step 2) Piquing interest (specific open-ended question)
  Step 3) The elevator speech

  Step 1, The layered conversation, consists of getting to know what is important in a person’s life. Then, piquing their interest involves a more specific open-ended question that leads them to ask you what you are referring to. And lastly, your elevator speech is WHAT your business is, and what it has to offer them, stated in about 15-20 seconds.

  Here is an example. Let’s say Bob has been talking to Mary for a few minutes and the conversation naturally leads to the following:

  MARY:
  “I have been so busy at the office, running the kids back and forth to day care… I barely have enough time for myself to relax, much less sleep. Things are generally good; it’s just hard with the kids and all, you know? That is, with not having their father around. I really just want to spend more quality time with them, but I’ve got to pay those bills, if you know what I mean?”

  Bob is brand new to this business so he says something like this:

  BOB:
  “Yeah I do know what you mean Mary. Are you open to making some extra money, part time around your schedule, if it didn’t interfere with anything you are currently doing?”

  Now, let’s break this down a little bit to clarify what just happened and why a better approach will increase the likelihood of Mary seeing the benefits of getting involved in Bob’s opportunity. Mary just told him that she barely has enough to time to herself, much less time to sleep. What on earth makes him think she could just “fit this around her schedule?” She has no room in her schedule! Sure, she wants to make more money, but that is not what she REALLY wants. If Bob had been listening, he would have noticed that she said “I really just want to spend more quality time with my kids.” THAT is HER Why.

  She just gave Bob a key to understanding who she is and what is important to her. Bob might say “Tell me more about your kids.” Then she’ll most likely lovingly talk about the most important people in her life and be focused on that positive emotion.

  Get it? Let’s give Bob another chance with a better approach.

  After a few more layering questions Bob is ready for Step 2, and can now customize his approach to something similar to the following:

  BOB:
  “Yes Mary, I do know what you mean. That sounds tough, being away from your kids all the time, especially with their father not around. Mary, I know this might sound a little crazy right now with your busy schedule and all, and this may or may not be for you, but if there was a way that you could spend more time with your kids, still pay the bills, and possibly match or surpass your current income, how interested would you be in learning about it?”

  At this point Mary is most likely not going to just say “No” and if she does, Bob probably doesn’t want to continue pursuing her anyway. She has a whole other set of dialogue to address. He basically just described to her the most ideal situation she could hope for. At this point, Mary is likely open to hearing Bob’s take on how she can accomplish this.

  If she is a good prospect, she may say something like this:

  “Well sure, very interested! That would be wonderful, what did you have in mind?”

  This is the magical place you want all of your prospects to be in; an open and hopeful mind towards what you have to say next.

  Bob can now proceed to Step 3, The elevator speech.

  Bob:
  “Well Mary, I have recently teamed up with some people who are leading the expansion of a very successful company in this area, and they have excellent training available, with a very flexible schedule. Like I said before, this may or may not be for you, but when you described to me how busy you are and how you need more time with your kids, I felt obligated to tell you that there are many people with your similar situation having tremendous success in this business. What would be your interest in learning more?”

  Thereafter, it is important not to share too much more. Keep it very short, describe the products benefits, and your Why. Bob is most likely going to get much better results with this approach.

  Be sure to craft your elevator speech so it fits your personality. Be genuine with your elevator speech, don’t just copy someone else’s. You’ll notice this one is customized for what Mary has told Bob, and more generic in nature than what yours will be.

  If Mary has any interest in changing her situation, then she will respond positively.

  At this point in the recruiting process, your company should have tools for the next stage of this interaction. Many companies have informational DVD’s, some like to do recorded phone calls, or maybe you can refer your prospect to the website. Whatever tools you use, make sure they are exposed to this information as soon as possible. People’s lives are busy, and they will lose interest unless you act quickly. From this point on it is all about getting your prospect exposed to the presentation.

  Anders Gustavsson
  President
  Infinite Synergy Learning Systems

  The Infinite Synergy team developed MLM The Game, and has been involved helping home-business entrepreneurs build strong relationships and succeed faster through playing this game since 2003′. Please visit this mlm training website at mlmthegame.com for details.

   
• 

  The 2nd Lost Rule of Network Marketing Success

  Partner 12:00 am on March 29, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  After getting clear on your “Why”, you want to begin to build your Contact List.

  If you have heard this before, there’s no need to roll your eyes, because we are going to teach you something that 99% of others do not teach or write about.

  A common practice someone may have told you to do is to “make a list of everyone you know,” and “it doesn’t matter who they are, just write them down, because you will contact them eventually”.

  Then, you were probably instructed to call all of these people with a tremendous amount of excitement telling them that you just found out about this exciting new business, and they just have to hear about it. After that they will wonder what all the excitement is about and be curious what you are doing, and then you “edify your upline” who recruits them for you and everyone is happy. Right?

  WRONG!

  This strategy rarely works, and it is trained throughout the entire industry. This is mostly why the general public dislikes MLM (or at least thinks they do).

  The very thought of having this type of conversation may have induced a deep feeling of anxiety in your gut. Most likely, you don’t want to be that guy or girl who’s always trying to sell your friends on the new vitamin product, new telephone plan, or fantastic new gizmo.

  You are not alone.

  Many others experience the same amount of anxiety over the very thought of approaching their friends, family and business associates in this manner. It’s uncomfortable, it’s not natural, and more importantly, often times it doesn’t work.

  Now pay attention closely.

  The truth is that the average life-span of a new person’s MLM career is very short. This is mainly because the most common ways of teaching and promoting MLM is to start selling immediately without gaining the foundation to build a successful business. This often causes immediate rejection, which makes most people quit right away.

  These methods are simply outdated strategies that do not work in today’s world. They produce a 95%+ failure rate and it is time for change.

  Begin to build your list of people you know. Make it a goal to list at least 150 people, and if you find yourself stuck and running out of people to list, search Google for a “prospect memory jogger”, and you can use that to come up with many people you never thought of before.

  Now comes the part where what we teach is different than what you may have learned before.

  Never forget that your list is your personal goldmine. You need people to grow your business.

  As you know, your list is composed of a lot of people from all different walks of life. Some you have known since childhood, since high school, previous jobs, people who attended your wedding, people you work with, you get the point.

  Your list consists of potential customers or business partners. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you must be able to relate to all these people, if you want them to work with you or be your customer now or in the future.

  There are two reasons for making this list: The first is obviously to establish just how many prospects you have, and the second, most important reason, is to get you in the habit of keeping a list. People are creatures of habit. Keeping a list of your current and future prospects is not only a good habit, it is fundamental to your success.

  While you play our board game MLM The Game certain questions are designed to work as memory joggers, and it is very possible that you will think of new people for your business during game play. The most important thing is that you will build better relationships with your team through playing MLM The Game.

  Simply contacting people on your list with great enthusiasm will not create the success you are hoping for. Enthusiasm is good, but it’s certainly not the only ingredient in the recipe for success.

  We urge you not to begin by sharing your opportunity with friends and family, until you are comfortable with your “Why”, your company’s products, and how these products benefit you and others using them.

  Don’t spoil what could possibly be a very good opportunity for others with a weak and uneducated approach. Remember, your list is your goldmine, so give these people some respect!

  Do not, call the people on your list yelling with excitement about how great your opportunity is, and how they just have to see it! Doing this will kill all credibility you may have with them.

  We know, because have all done it once, and seen others do it, and fail.

  By now you must be wondering, “Well, what do I do with this list then?”

  Here’s what you do…

  Go through your new list and contact the people you have not talked to for quite a while, and get caught up with them. Ask them questions about their life, ask them how they are doing, ask them how their kids or their wife or their family is doing. Ask them what they have been up to, outside of work, etc. You get the point.

  This may seem like the most obvious thing to do, but most people overlook this step in the initial process and then wonder why they aren’t getting results!

  Understand, this may not get them to join your business. You are Networking. Remember, this is Network Marketing. Your job is to contact people and ask them questions about how their life is going to see if your product and/or opportunity will fit into their life.

  Your first or second call will usually never include any recruiting. Be interested versus trying to sound interesting. Make a note of the ones that may be a good fit, and make a note of those that are definitely not a good fit. If it does not seem like a fit for them, move on. Do not waste your time trying to convince people, if you have to convince them, they later think they have to convince their prospects, this is a sure fire way to kill that leg.

  The key to successfully doing business with people is building strong and long lasting relationships with them. This is especially true in Network Marketing. If you call someone you have not spoken with in two years and spend a little time catching up with them, finding out how they have been and what has happened in their lives since you last spoke (and you are genuinely interested), chances are they are going to feel good about your conversation. However, if you call them up, give a little small talk, and then try and sell them on your business like we told you not to, the result will be much different. It’s pretty simple logic.

  You will need to get to know them again simply because you will be looking and listening for how and where their lifestyle could benefit from an opportunity like the one you hope to offer them. You are also pre-qualifying them to see if you actually want to offer them this opportunity. Some people will not have the values you are looking for, so don’t waste your time.

  If you practice the goal of simply reconnecting with people, you can expect them to be naturally interested in your life too. But do not overly “sell” them, your only goal is to share a little snippet about your business with them. If done right, which we’ll get to later, your words alone will pique their interest, and you will be well on your way to having a stronger relationship with them.

  Anders Gustavsson
  President
  Infinite Synergy Learning Systems

  The Infinite Synergy team developed MLM The Game, and has been involved helping home-business entrepreneurs build strong relationships and succeed faster through playing this game since 2003′. Please visit this network marketing training website at mlmthegame.com for details.