The Enlightened Networker » Home-Based Business

Are You Sabotaging Your Own Network Marketing Success?

Ilka Flood — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:25:24 +0000

Success in Network Marketing

Success in network marketing starts (and ends) with YOU. Have you ever heard that?

If that is news to you, listen up.

Can you relate to this scenario?

You are doing everything your upline sponsor tells you to do. You are using the tools he or she recommends. You attend all company meetings and listen to every single conference call. Yet, … for some reason you don’t see the network marketing success you would like to have.

What’s wrong?

One important ingredient is missing. Actually, the most important ingredient is missing.

Neither systems , tools and conference calls nor company meetings are building your success. They do help considerably and are very important, don’t get me wrong, but unless you add the most important ingredient you will never see the success in network marketing you could have.

This one missing ingredient is … YOU!

Plain and simple!

It’s YOU and what you are THINKING.

Do you have doubts about your products? The comp plan? The company? Doubts about your own ability to succeed? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Maybe you are afraid of your own courage?

If you have a case of “Stinkin’ Thinkin,” get rid of it. Stop sabotaging your own network marketing success!

I am just re-reading “Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and in the book he states …

“Both Poverty and Riches are the Offspring of Thought”

Think about this for a minute. That’s very a powerful statement!

If this is true, than that would mean that you can think yourself into poverty or you can think yourself into riches. Which would you choose?

Well, I know which way I would go.

In chapter 3, Napoleon Hill talks about “The Law of Autosuggestion.”

“The subconscious mind makes no distinction between constructive and destructive thought impulses. It works with the material we feed it, through our thought impulses. The subconscious mind will translate into reality a thought driven by fear just as readily as it will translate into reality a thought driven by courage or faith.

…If you fill your mind with fear, doubt and unbelief in your ability to connect with and use the forces of Infinite Intelligence, the law of autosuggestion will take this spirit of unbelief and use it as a pattern by which your subconscious mind will translate it into its physical equivalent.“

Wow! Pretty scary stuff, huh? So, be very careful what you think.

I would like to close with a poem that describes the law of autosuggestion very well…

“If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

“If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will—
It’s all in the state of mind.

“If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

“Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”

Napoleon Hill, “Think & Grow Rich

Think POSITIVE!

Success in network marketing can be yours if you can adjust your thinking. When you get a case of “stinkin’ thinkin”, which we all do at times, get rid of it immediately and change your negative thoughts into positive ones. You do have a choice.

When I get down and negative thoughts creep into my mind, I get away from it all. I do something fun and uplifting. Sometimes I go for a walk. Doodle a while in PhotoShop or listen to upbeat music. Or I read a few pages in a book. (Hint: Think & Grow Rich is a great one.) Or I take a shower and wash those negative thoughts right out of my mind.

To your Network Marketing Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. Share with us what you like to do to get rid of “stinkin’ thinkin’.” And if you found value in this post, please share it. Thank you!

What’s “The Business of the 21st Century” And Why Should You Get Involved In It?

Ilka Flood — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:50:55 +0000

Business of the 21st Century

I’m sure you are familiar with best-selling author Robert Kiyosaki of “Rich Dad – Poor Dad.” If you haven’t read the book I highly recommend it. I also recommend his newest book “The Business of the 21^st Century.” (Read the First Chapter of “The Business of the 21^st Century here.)

Have your parents ever told you this …

“Go to school get good grades, get a high-paying job, live below your means and save money?”

Has it gotten you anywhere? Has it gotten you to where you want to be?

The sad truth is, that for a lot of us, this plan doesn’t work.

You’ll never get rich working for someone else. That’s a fact!

Instead you should be in business for yourself. I don’t mean being self-employed or a small business owner.

In the short video below, Robert Kiyosaki will explain what “The Business of the 21^st Century” is and why it makes perfect sense.

I love the way he said: “Always remember, it’s not money that makes you rich, it’s business skills.”

I totally believe that, because money comes and goes, but the skills you acquire (in network marketing or direct selling) will always stay with you. And that’s why network marketing is the perfect business.

“The number one asset a person can build is build a business. That’s the smartest thing you can do.” _Robert Kiyosaki.

I truly believe this, as from my own experience I know that “Plan A” doesn’t work. Our family had to find out what it meant to go from a paycheck to zero from one day to the next. There is no such thing as “Job Security” and there hasn’t been for a very long time.

So, are you leaving your future and that of your family’s in the hands of someone else? Or is it time for a change? Is it time for you to take a closer look at “The Business of the 21^st Century? It’s your choice!

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The EnlightenedNetworker

The “Rinse and Repeat” Formula for A Successful Network Marketing Business

Ilka Flood — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:22:26 +0000

"Rinse and Repeat" Formula for a Successful Network Marketing Business

So, just what is this formula for a successful network marketing business?

It’s been said, that our habits predict our future. I believe that to be true. How about you?

Have you ever noticed that the more you do something the better you get at doing it? You can take anything in life and you will see that there is actually some truth to it.

Remember when you first learned to ride a bike?

You were wobbly. You knuckles turned white because you were holding on to those handle bars for dear life. You prayed that your dad (or mom, or whoever was holding on to the bike to keep you stable and give you support) wouldn’t let go.

You practiced every day and every day you got better. And then came the day when you were practicing again, and you turned around and there was nobody holding on to you anymore. You were riding that bike all by yourself.

At first that scared you and may have caused you into ‘wobbling mode’ for just a few seconds. But then you regained your confidence and you were enjoying the ride. A proud feeling of accomplishment came over you. You did it!

Now when you get on a bike you don’t even think about what you are doing. It’s just automatic.

It can be the same in your network marketing business.

You may be totally overwhelmed, pulled into different directions. Everybody and their brother telling you what to do and how to do it. (You’re in wobbling mode.)

But when you get really down to it, it’s quite simple. Just like riding a bike. Focus on the basics.

There are certain tasks that you must accomplish every day in order to reach your goal of running a successful network marketing business. Some of them may be new to you and may require a certain amount of practice. But by practicing them every day, you will get better.

“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” ~ Zig Ziglar

So what’s the formula for a successful network marketing business?

Identify the tasks you absolutely have to do every day in order to move your business forward.
Do them in order of priority. (Life happens, so do the most important tasks first, just in case.)
Practice those tasks that need perfecting.
Rinse and repeat

Stick to that formula no matter what. Put your blinders on if you have to in order to keep from getting distracted. I know there are many distractions out there. All I have to do is open my email inbox and there are tons of them…But…

Repeating important activities that move your business forward on a daily basis is the key to a successful network marketing business.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.

I don’t know how they came up with 21 days but it seems to work. So write down what you need to do every day. Do it for 21 days and see what happens. (Of course keep going after that.) There is power in positive habits.

Just keep your focus right on your target and you will get there.

Bye for now, I’ve got to go do some rinsing and repeating.

To your successful network marketing business,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you found this article helpful please share it with your friends. Thank you!

Don’t Assume Anything About Your Prospect – Ask Questions Instead

Ilka Flood — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:10:46 +0000

Don't Assume Anything About Your Propect

Have you ever totally ‘messed up’ a meeting or conversation with a prospect? I mean, it seemed so promising. And then you got into your car to drive home (or you hung up the phone) and you thought to yourself, “man, I totally messed this one up”. What the heck happened?”

Could it have been that you have been “assuming” things about your prospect?

Someone once gave me the definition of “assume” and it’s not the one found in the dictionary or Wikipedia. It goes like this …

ASS-U-ME = When you assume something you are making an ASS out of U and ME.

Yes, it’s a bit strong language and I normally don’t talk that way but … it hits the point spot on. Don’t assume things about people. Especially those you don’t know or have just met.

When we assume something about our prospects we come to false conclusions which can lead to misunderstandings, non-understanding and mis-communication. And that messes everything up.

Also, how often do we say to people, “I know exactly what you’re thinking?”

How can we know what someone is thinking? We only know what we ourselves are thinking. We could assume (there’s that word again) what someone may be thinking based on certain circumstances or our own experiences, but then again, that would get us exactly to what I mentioned above.

So the best thing to do when meeting a prospect for the first time, either in person or on the phone is to ASK QUESTIONS. Ask lots of questions.

The more questions we ask the better we get to know our prospect and the better we can assess what his or her needs are.

That’s what we’re there for. That’s our job. To find out what our prospects problems are and then find a solution to fix them. We can’t do that by assuming but only by asking questions.

So do yourself a favor, don’t assume anything.

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. You don’t have to share this on Twitter, Facebook or Digg, but if you do, I surely appreciate it. Thank you!

7 Reasons Why Women Make Natural Network Marketers

Ilka Flood — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:06:44 +0000

What Advantages Do Women in Network Marketing Have?

Why are there so many women in network marketing?

Good question! According to the Direct Selling Association about 82% of network marketers are women.

Is that surprising? No, not really. When you really think about it then it actually makes a lot of sense. Why is that?

Are women just better networkers?

Well, they do have some advantages over their male counterparts.

Here are just 7 advantages women have over men in network marketing. I’m sure there are quite a few more…

1) Women want to stay home with their kids

This is probably the number one reason why there are so many women in network marketing. Moms want to stay home with their kids. They don’t want them to be raised by nannies or grow up in day care. They don’t want to miss out on those all important ‘firsts’ in their children’s lives. At the same time, stay-at-home moms want to contribute to the family finances.

2) Nurturing instinct

Women are natural nurturers. They want the best for their families. They make the purchasing decisions in their household and know quality whey they see it. They are also very community oriented.

3) Better Networkers

Network marketing is a people business. It’s based on building strong customer relationships. Women know the importance of relationship building in business. They are great listeners and have a natural ability to relate to other women’s situations which helps them to understand and meet their customers’ needs.

4) Better Communicators

Women share information all the time. Think about it? What group of population talks more to each other. There are school get-togethers, kids sporting events, scout meetings, birthday parties, luncheons. There’s always an opportunity to talk and build new business relationships.

5) Equal Playing Field

Network marketing offers and equal playing field for men and women. Equal pay for equal work and no glass ceiling. It’s not like that in the corporate world. Women are still at a disadvantage in the corporate world. They are neither treated the same nor is there equal pay for men and women .

6) Multi-Tasking

Women are great multi-taskers. They have the ability to focus on more than one task which is a great skill to have running a busy network marketing business.

7) Security

Women want security for their families. There has been no such thing as job security for quite some time now and women are usually the first to lose their jobs. Network marketing offers a “Plan B”, a security blanket for if the unthinkable should happen. A home business can be started part-time while still being employed.

So, there you have them, the 7 advantages women in network marketing have over men.

If you can think of any more, please share them with us below in the comment box.

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. Go ahead, I dare you to share this post on Twitter, Facebook or Digg it! And if you do, I sure appreciate it. Thank you!

Blogging For Business? | Always Put Out Quality Content

Ilka Flood — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:56:44 +0000

Always Put Out Quality Content!

If you are a business blogger you may find some value in the little story I would like to share with you today.

It’s a little story or anecdote about Henry Kissinger. If you don’t know whom I’m talking about, Dr. Henry Alfred Kissinger, a German-born American served as United States National Security Adviser under President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.

Well, let me start with the story and then I tell you how this relates to your network marketing business. Or any business for that matter.

The Kissinger Report

Henry Kissinger asked one of his aides to write a report. After he finished it, the aide presented the report to him for approval but Kissinger told him, “you can do better,” and handed it right back to him.

So the aide went off and rewrote the report and then again handed it to Kissinger for approval.

Once again Kissinger told him, “you can do better.”

And once again the aid worked on the report to improve it.

When he handed Kissinger the report for approval the 3rd time, Kissinger said, …”thank you, now I will read it.”

Listening to that story – by the way, my husband told it to me – I realized two things.

1) Dr. Kissinger was German-born as I am as well. We Germans are very meticulous. Everything has to be just so.

2) He knew that the first, or even the second draft his aide handed him had room for improvement.

So how does this relate to you as network marketer or as a business blogger in particular.

You always want to put out your very best work. If you blog for business, whatever content you put out directly reflects back to you. So you want to make sure you give out valuable content and you want to be consistent at it as well.

Before you push the “Publish” button, read over your content one last time and make sure, that your content is well written and free of any spelling errors. Well, at least not too many.

Like Mark Twain says: “I don’t give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.”

To your success,

Ilka Flood

P.S. You don’t have to share this story with your friends on Twitter or Facebook. But if you do, I sure will appreciate it. Thank you very much!

Do You Have The Patience It Takes To Be Successful in MLM?

Ilka Flood — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:48:29 +0000

Patience is an essential business skill every network marketer needs to be successful.

Unfortunately, it is something I personally was not blessed with at birth. I do have to work very hard on it. The good news is, it can be learned.

Wouldn’t you agree with me that anglers would make great network marketers?

They definitely would have the patience for it. Just think about it. They sit there for hours on end with their fishing poles in the water and wait for a nibble. Sometimes they catch something. Sometimes they don’t. And sometimes they get lucky and catch “the big one”. But they never get upset if they don’t.

Network marketing – especially prospecting – is pretty much the same as fishing, isn’t it?

We sit there with our fishing poles in the water, that juicy bait attached to the hook and we wait for that nibble.

Some of us are not patient enough to wait for that nibble. So we keep checking the bait on the hook or even get so frustrated that we change the bait all together.

Sometimes we get a nibble and then JANK that fishing pole out of the water … and by doing so lose the fish on the hook.

(In other words … We had an interested prospect and then totally threw up on him or her. Or we bombarded them with phone calls and emails pushing our business opportunity on them.)

Sound familiar?

Fishing takes patience and so does prospecting.

Once our prospects take the bait we want to be really careful and gently reel them in.

That’s where ‘Follow Up’ comes in to play.

Make sure you have a good follow up system in place …(give value)….so you can keep in touch with your prospects. Because, very seldom will your prospects buy or join with you on the first bite.

“All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.” – Bob Burg

I would like to add one more … REMEMBER

People need to REMEMBER you.

And the only way they will is if you keep yourself on the top of their mind.

They say “the money is in the follow up”.

That is really true. Remember, I said earlier, very seldom will people buy or join with you on the first bite. (Or after the very first contact.) It can take weeks, months or sometimes even years before a prospect is ready to join you.

So, go ahead … put that fishing pole back into the water. And when you get that nibble, reel that fish in ever so carefully.

Happy fishing! …uhm prospecting!

Ilka Flood

P.S. Have any fish tales you would like to share with us in the comments below?

P.P.S. If you liked this post and would like your peers to reel in some big kahunas … tweet this post and/or share it on Twitter or Digg it. Thanks!

Words of Wisdom to Live By and Apply to Your Business

Ilka Flood — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:17:28 +0000

The following 30 Words of Wisdom don’t just apply to life itself, but can also be used in building your network marketing business. Or any business for that matter.

(Feel welcome to add as many of your own words of wisdom in the comments below.)

Words of Wisdom to Live By

1. Nobody can ruin your day without YOUR permission.

2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.

3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.

4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.

5. Success stops when you do.

6. When your ship comes in…. make sure you are willing to unload it.

7. You will never “have it all together.”

8. Life is a journey…not a destination. Enjoy the trip!

9. The biggest lie on the planet: “When I get what I want I will be happy.”

10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.

11. I’ve learned that ultimately ‘takers’ lose and ‘givers’ win.

12. Life’s precious moments don’t have value, unless they are shared.

13. If you don’t start, it’s certain you won’t arrive.

14. We often fear the thing we want the most.

15. Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you have to say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say!

16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.

17. Look for opportunities…not guarantees.

18. Life is what’s coming….not what was.

19. Success is getting up one more time.

20. Now is the most interesting time of all.

21. When things go wrong…..don’t go with them.

22. Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.

23. God can mend all broken hearts. You just have to give him all the pieces.

24. A person who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes, but a person who doesn’t ask, is a fool forever…

25. A best friend is like a four leaf clover… hard to find, and lucky to have.

26. A friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart.

27. A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.

28. You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to.

29. Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace… and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.

30. Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.

I don’t know who wrote these “30 Words of Wisdom” up originally, but I’m sure glad they did and I thought they were very well worth sharing with you all.

Let us know which ones are your favorites. I actually love all of them, but my absolute favorites would be #s 1,9,15, and19.

I also love #22. Honestly, how many times has that happened in online marketing? A program comes out that promises the moon and every fool on the planet falls for it. A couple of months later you read that the program has been shut down.

Online marketers beware!!

So, which ones do you like best? Share them with us in the comment box below.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

P.S If you want your friends to get a piece of wisdom, please share this post on Twitter and Facebook.

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Failure Is Not An Option? – It Better Be If You Want To Become A Network Marketing Pro

Ilka Flood — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:28:52 +0000

Just think about it … If failure wasn’t an option we would never have heard of any of the following individuals. They all failed. Some of them miserably before they reached success. For all of them failure WAS an option!

Walt Disney …. Was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked originality and had no imagination.”

Lucille Ball … had been dismissed from Drama School with a note that said, … “Wasting her time. She’s too shy to put her best foot forward.”

Harrison Ford … was fired from Columbia Pictures and told he “was never going to make it in the business.”

Michael Jordan … was cut from his high school team saying he “wasn’t good enough.”

The Beatles … were turned down by Decca Records saying, …”we don’t like your sound and guitar music is on the way out.”

Abraham Lincoln … failed in business twice, had a nervous breakdown, his fiancé died and he was defeated in eight elections.

Thomas Edison … was told that his inventions were of “no practical use.”

I could keep going but I think you get the point.

All these people failed. But they never gave up trying. And because of that, all of them eventually succeeded.

Think back to when you were a baby…

When you first started walking, did you give up after falling on your butt a few times? No, of course you didn’t. You got right back up and tried again to the cheers of everyone around you.

What has changed?

So alright, maybe nobody is cheering you on anymore. (But maybe you’re wrong about that one. Your peers are watching and they want you to have success. Especially if you are part of the “Better Bunch.”)

Maybe FEAR has set in. Fear of Failure!

But think about what F.E.A.R really means … False Evidence Appearing Real. Do you think FEAR of failure stopped any of those people above? They were not even thinking about that. Not for a split second. They failed and they pushed on.

So, is failing in Network Marketing an option?

Absolutely! It better be! But only if you let failure stop you from trying again have you really failed.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” _ Henry Ford

Maybe you have heard of the failure rate in network marketing being 97%. That’s 97% of the people who join network marketing who give up because they failed at one time or another and didn’t push on. They quit. And that made them fail permanently.

So, are the 3% that made it just lucky? No, luck has nothing to do with it. They succeeded because they didn’t let failure stop them. They used it as stepping stone, pushed on and never quit.

What would have happened if Thomas Edison just would have given up in his efforts to find a stable filament to make his electric light bulb invention work? He tried thousands of different versions and none of them worked. His comment: “I have not failed. I’ve simply discovered ten thousand ways that don’t work.”

So go ahead, embrace failure!

Because, for one, it’s going to happen anyway. Unless you stop trying all together. And two, it’s the only way for you to get to where you want to be. And if you persevere then you will write your own network marketing success story someday and people will know your name too.

There is no success without failure. The only time you have really failed is … if you quit. Then failure becomes permanent.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

P.S. Let’s make some noise and share this post on Twitter, Facebook or Digg. Thanks!

The Importance of Qualifying Your MLM Prospects | Network Marketing Tips For Beginners

Ilka Flood — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:23:03 +0000

Are you barking up the wrong tree in your MLM prospecting?

If you are still fairly new to network marketing the following scenarios may sound painfully familiar to you. But don’t feel too bad. Most of us network marketers have experienced them or something similar. As time goes on and you get better, none of this will be an issue anymore. So, here’s my question …

Has any of this ever happened to you?

1) You just drove over an hour to meet with a prospect. When you got there they were a no-show.

2) You gave what in your opinion was the best network marketing presentation of your life and your prospect tells you they are not interested.

3) You got over your fear of picking up the phone, called your prospect, gave an excellent presentation for your network marketing business and as soon as you were finished they started pitching THEIR business to you.

4) You know someone would just absolutely be perfect for your program or service, but when you approach them they’re giving you the cold shoulder.

5) You made several appointments with a prospect to get feedback on the DVD you send him/her, but they keep coming up with excuses why they haven’t watched it yet.

In all the scenarios above you have been just wasting your precious time.

I should know, because all of them happened to me.

Not only that, they all delivered a big blow to my self-confidence. I felt like a complete idiot. A total failure!

And I could have prevented all of them from happening … If I had pre-qualified my MLM prospects.

But at the time, I didn’t know any better. I just followed what my upline told me to do.

Network marketing today is a bit different from when I first started.

You can google just about anything and find the answers to your most pressing questions.

Or you can hang with the right people … Like “The Better Bunch” and learn from them. Don’t know who the Better Bunch are? Read “The Story Behind The Better Bunch” by Dwayne Huggins. I highly recommend you read his article and find out. It could shave years off of your network marketing learning curve. And YES, there is one!

Sorry, I got a bit off track.

So, how do you qualify your MLM prospects?

By asking questions like…

“If I can show you a way how you can add additional income to your monthly paycheck and you feel completely comfortable with it, would you be ready to do business?

“If I can show you a way how you can get a pay raise without going to your boss, when would you have 30 minutes to have a closer look?”

“If I could show you how you can take advantage of tax benefits like the rich people do, would it be worth your time to spend 30 minutes with me? And when would be a better time for you, Monday at 7:00PM or Wednesday at 6:30PM?

Notice that these questions nail your prospect down to either give you a simple yes or no answer or a commitment to meet with you.

No more wasting your time on lookiloos or tire-kickers. Your time is way to precious.

Hope this helps you separate the good prospects from the bad ones.

If you would like to share your own personal experiences or you have more tips on qualifying mlm prospects, please share them with us in the comments below.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

P.S As always if you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook or Digg it. It’s much appreciated. Thank you!