Is Your Kindness Your Weakness?

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Recently, I have had a few teammates ask me about this.  Is it possible you can be too nice or too kind when it comes to the business world?  Some people may think that kindness is actually a weakness in the business world. It is true that kindness may cause some people to enter a less than positive business relationship and to be too trusting, which can cause them to be taken advantage of. I have certainly experienced this a time or two!  However, if being kind, optimistic and warm-hearted is just who you are, then be ALL of that!   In the right context, these traits can be excellent superpowers. Want to know if your kindness is hurting your business? Check out what I have learned along the way.

Kindness is definitely not a weakness! And you cannot pretend to be something that you are not. That will not give you strength or make you successful. Don’t suppress any part of who you are (well, let’s say don’t suppress any “positive” parts of who you are….)  I see the future of our network marketing business as being more connected to humanity than less so. In such a business scenario, kindness and enthusiasm is definitely not considered a weakness. You just have to put yourself in the right environment that will give you a chance to thrive. Embrace your kindness and enthusiasm because they are both incredible strengths!

Of course, it is important to learn to set boundaries.  No one enjoys being treated like a doormat. There is a difference between being kind and letting others walk all over you. Some people just give so much that others take advantage of them. In that case, then kindness IS a weakness. However, it is possible to be generous with your time and resources while also setting healthy boundaries. I know I had to learn how to do this.  The bigger your team gets and the higher up you go, the bigger the need to set those boundaries for you, your health and your work/life balance.  Another thing we need to learn is that there is a big difference between giving to give and giving to get.   When we aren’t attached to the outcomes and give generously, better things happen for us than when we have that underlying criteria going on where it is really more about what we are going to get back.  This is usually followed by an attitude of resentment –where we think something like this: “I don’t know. I always give and get nothing in return. I guess I just expect too much of people.”

If you give too much and don’t set boundaries,  you may end up feeling like you are a victim and being taken advantage of. On the other hand, people who give to give, do so because they just want to. They want to help others and offer their resources, time, heart and love with little expectation of getting anything in return.  That may sound like an ideal but we can strive for it right?  What if you tried to do something purely out of the desire to connect with another human being?  Celebrate your kindness and generosity but if you don’t want your kindness to get you into trouble, then you will want to practice being deeply generous with your time and resources while ALSO learning to set boundaries and sometimes say no.  It really helped  me to ONLY say yes to the things that I was really happy to do. Don’t say yes because you want something in return, even gratitude. Say yes because you actually want to help and express love and caring for another human being.  The more of this you can do, the happier you will be and like attracts like. You will be blessed for those acts of kindness!

One last note on this: once you say yes to something, don’t feel upon when it comes time to do it. You said yes.  If you focus on what you can give rather than what you can get, you will be happier and more successful. Just remember, you can’t do this as a manipulation – you really have to give from a genuine place.

So embrace your kindness!  Cheers to your success!

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope my tips on kindness in the business world are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Deal With Negative People! You also may enjoy this additional training about Success Secrets From Top Team Builders from Ray Higdon.

How to Build Your Prospect List Like a Rockstar!

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Want your network marketing business to be super successful? Then you need to do whatever it takes to to build a solid prospect list. This is the backbone of mlm – without a solid team and a new stream of prospects, your business can stall before it gets off the ground. You can definitely find prospects online, but why would you leave out actually meeting people too?  We are in the relationship business and connecting with people in person can change your business fast!  Here are nine simple steps to focus on what will help build your prospect list like a rockstar.

1. First, understand that you can’t just sit there and wait for prospects to come to you. If you want to make more money, you are going to have to work smart to find and attract prospects.

2. To start, figure out who you want to help and how you help them. Who is your ideal customer?  What solution do you provide for their issues?  Then think about where those people hang out (both online and offline).

3. Next, go out and find them. Reach out to them and let them know that you are there to meet their needs! Perhaps your prospects are more likely to go to a certain event, conference, meetup group or class. Do not be afraid to go to those places, meet people and tell them about yourself. Network, network, network!  As daunting as it can be to put yourself out there sometimes, we always feel better when we do.  Step over those fears and go meet people.  I love online too AND I love meeting people and connecting best.

4. To help you network, set a goal for yourself, such as talking to three new people every day about your business and what you do.

5. Keep in mind that when telling people about your business you want to hold their attention and not drive them away. Be able to tell your elevator synopsis about your business in 30 seconds or less in a way that makes sense.  (Elevator meaning that if you were in an elevator and only had a few seconds what would you say?)

prospect list

6.  Social media is a great marketing tool. It just has a long lead generation cycle and some people may follow you on Twitter or be friends with you on Facebook for months or even years before they decide to  buy something from you. Therefore, you need to be present on social networking sites. Be sure to always be available to answer questions, engage with people in your network and consistently share great, valuable and helpful content.  It is still about connecting with people. Just because it’s online, that doesn’t change.

7. As you meet more people, really listen to them. It is the client who is the best source of information about how you can improve your business and share the products or services you offer. Naturally, it is the client who can really help you find more prospects and make more money. So get out there, listen to what they want from you and sell it to them! You can then use that information to show prospects that you have the solution to their problem and that you offer multiple choices for them to engage with.

8. Always follow up! The fortune is in the follow up. Failing to follow up is one of the most common ways that business owners fail to close the deal and get another client. If you want to make more money and get more prospects, be sure to follow up.  Statistics show that we typically say no five times before we say yes.  How many times are you asking?  Do you hear one no and that is it?  Sometimes No means No but often it means not right now.  Circle back with people and have fun with it.  Set a recurring event to follow up with your prospect that you know would be great at this and ask with a smile on your face: “Is now a better time to take a look at this?  You know I am going to keep asking every month until you say yes.”

9. Finally figure out what tools and technology you need to get your new customers or distributors set up.  Many of us don’t actually enroll new people because we don’t know what to do with them once we have them.  If you don’t have a system in place (either yours, your uplines or your company’s system), then you will fall into that trap of not knowing what to do next and you will get overwhelmed.  Figure out how you will get a new person started so you will be ready.

If you are just getting into the MLM industry, print this list out and keep it by your computer. When times get tough, don’t give up. Just keep following these 9 steps. You’ve got this!  All the best, Kathleen

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope my tips on building your prospect list are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Stay Persistent and Reach Your Goals.

7 Steps to Help Deal With Life When It Throws You a Curveball

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curveball

Has life thrown you a curveball? Have you had one today?  Yesterday.  They happen all the time don’t they?  It is just life and they happen to everyone. One minute you may be going through the motions, meeting with team members or hanging out with friends when – whammo – something happens that ruins your day. I don’t mean a devastating, life changing event, but those small misfortunes that ruin your mood and waste your time.  I just spent the last day and a half doing paperwork for taxes, accounting, invoices…  My least favorite chore to do.  And sometimes piecing the financial puzzle together is daunting.  I hung in there though and made some progress!

What may come your way may be a minor problem, (especially when you think about the big things that could go wrong) but it still wastes your time and may make you mad or anxious. Here are seven steps to help deal with life when it throws you a curveball:

1. First of all, take time to acknowledge that whatever happened is no fun. Don’t be afraid to say, “This sucks!” You can even throw a temper tantrum! Work out all that negative energy: flail your arms and jump up and down (although if you are in public, I would advise finding a quiet and private place to do this!).

2. Next, take a few deep breaths and count backwards. You will feel your blood pressure jumping. Then take a few more. You can also visualize, meditate or listen to calming music.  Try to do something quickly to rest your body’s reaction to the stressful situation.

3. Then, ask yourself: Will this event kill you or anyone you love? Will it bankrupt you or forever change your life? No? Then it is just not that big a deal. You may be annoyed, but you will be fine. My family has experienced some terrible tragedies.  Life altering events.  Sometimes when I get upset about something, I remind myself – really, no one is in the hospital?  You can do this!  If you still feel anxious or upset, sit down and make a list of all the good things that happened in the last week or so. Then you will see that whatever happened is really just a minor issue.

Curveball 101

curveball

4. Don’t waste time sitting there and obsessing about it. To get your mind off things, go on a walk, get together with friends, read a book or watch your favorite television show. Just go out and do something that you enjoy! Obsessing does no good, so every time you catch yourself thinking about it, just redirect your mind. As time goes by, you will laugh about it!  Hard to imagine at the moment but it is true.  Sometimes I ask myself the question, is this going to matter a month from now?  How about a year from now?  It is almost always – No, it won’t matter.

5. Always remember to think about it in terms of the big picture. Will this problem matter in the long run? I doubt it. It may take more time out of your day, but in a few months time, you probably won’t even remember what happened. Therefore, there is no point wasting time worrying about it now. When it comes down to it, you just have to let it go. Take time to relax and get a good night’s sleep and start fresh tomorrow.  Sometimes I ask myself the question, is this going to matter a month from now?  How about a year from now?  It is almost always – No, it won’t matter.

6. Be sure to take care of something else that needs to be accomplished. Even if it is minor, as long as you take care of it you won’t feel that the day was a total waste. It will also help you get your mind off it.  Exercise is key for me.  As long as I exercise, I feel a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day.  Do something on that list that will take your mind off the annoying thing and get that feeling of “I did something today” back.

7. Finally, think about what you can do to change the problem. Then do it! Stop wasting time worrying about what happened and simply move on. As the saying goes, there is no point crying over spilt milk. As long as you do all these steps and deal with the issues, you will be fine. If anything, the more you have to deal with curveballs, the stronger you will be. I read a great article the other day about changing the way we look at stress.  Instead of thinking it is hurting us, shift to thinking that some stress actually energizes us, inspires us, even excites us.  So stress can actually be a really good thing.  The article was written by a Doctor that had researched that just by thinking that stress was more positive, she noticed that peoples internal processes started working better.  It is all in our mind.  Pretty cool!  The truth is, there is so much power in experience and after you handle a few of these with efficiency and maturity, they won’t bother you so much in the future.  You will be saying – I’ve got this!

Next time life throws you that curveball, take a deep breath, chill and read these 7 tips. Cheers!

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope my tips on dealing with life when it throws you a curveball are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on 5 Tips For Actually Working From Home!

Network Marketing Tip: Create a Vision Board!

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Create a vision board!

Are you confused about what to do next in your personal life or business? A vision board is a great way to plan your future. A vision board can be an extremely powerful tool to manifest the goals you desire. You wouldn’t even believe some of the things that have come true that started out as an image on my vision board!  A vision board is made up of a variety of images, words and ideas. But it is much more than that! It also contains what excites and inspires you and sets out a blueprint for what you most desire in your future. In this post, I am going to dive deep into the power of the vision board and how it can help you become successful in business and life!  I remember the first vision board (I call them dream boards too!) I created years ago, I thought the exercise was fun but wasn’t sure I really believed or understood them.  I absolutely love my dream boards now and have created travel size versions so I can always take them with me.  Sitting with a cup of tea and reviewing my dream boards have become part of my almost daily ritual.  They quickly take me to my happy place!

The vision board’s power comes from the act of intentionally creating something to be a visual representation of everything you want to have or do in your life. If you hang the vision board on your wall or next to your computer or on your bathroom mirror, it will become a daily reminder to help you achieve your goals. By surrounding yourself with images of who you want to be, who you want to be with, what your house looks like, what your business is made up of and where you want to travel with – essentially, what you want your best life to look like.  You will find that by reviewing the dream boards regularly that your energy will change about your business goals and your lifestyle dreams.  Suddenly, you will find it easier to focus on those goals and truly achieve what you desire. The tactile process of creating your vision board – choosing images, cutting them out and gluing them on the board will cause your brain to work in a totally new way and spark your creativity.

my vision board

A vision board can be used for many things. It can be used to help you design what you want your business to look like. The vision board can be used to visualize the person you want to become to run a successful business. In summary, the vision board can be used to plan out your dream life. Are you interested in creating your own vision board now? Here is a step-by-step process to create a powerful vision board to support your dream business:

1. Define: First you have to decide if you want to create a vision board for every aspect of your life (business goals, brand goals, personal goals, travel goals, dream house, etc.) or just one aspect. Next, think about what you want to create. Do not be afraid to think about details. What would every aspect of your dream life look like? What would you wear? Where would you live? What would your office look like? Where would you work from?

2. Choose a base: Once you know what you truly want, you can start gathering the images together to create your vision board. First, gather up the base. I recommend using poster board, a cork board (if you use push pins you can continue to add, subtract and rearrange components or journals/sketchbooks. If you want to create a virtual board, you can use Pinterest.

3. Collect images: Once you have chosen your base, you can start collecting images. The best way to start is to gather together some of your favorite magazines and start cutting out anything and everything that appeals to you. Don’t censor yourself or spend too much time questioning your desires. Just choose everything that appeals to you! You can also tear out pages of typography with words, quotes or phrases that speak to you. Do not be afraid to go beyond tangible items – search for images that represent more abstract goals like creativity, freedom and flow. You can also go beyond pictures and add jewelry, napkins, cards and anything else that strike your fancy.

create-a-vision-board

4. Curate: Once you have gathered together images and words, it is time to put them together on your vision board to make a cohesive vision. Start out by choosing those images, words or items that speak to you very clearly and eliminate what no longer seems to fit. Often times, we feel pressure to want certain things – a large home, a fancy come, a substantial income. The vision board is great because it helps us determine what we actually want, deep down. When choosing words, pull out those terms that describe the way you want to be in your business and your life.

5. Display: Once you have finished creating your vision board, make space so that you can easily see it. Part of the power of the vision board comes from viewing them regularly, both consciously and subconsciously. I keep my portable travel vision boards tucked inside my journal and before I start my spiritual practice, I spend a few minutes going over my dream boards.  Truly takes me to a happy and creative place right away!  I am not kidding when I say I LOVE my vision boards!

6. Review: Be sure to look at your vision board regularly.  Pay attention to what emotions come up for you. Is there anything that makes you feel some resistance? Are you afraid of any of the images that you chose? Is there anything there that feels like it is something you “should be doing” rather than what you truly desire? What do those feelings tell you about yourself, your life and your business?  You can always edit or make a new one.  This is not something that is done once.  I have done many vision boards now over the last 12 years.  I am looking forward to updating my business dream board in a week or so during my annual favorite week of the year trip to Mendocino.

To recap: Review and update your vision boards frequently. Constantly stay on the lookout for new images, better words, new inspiration, and more tangible representations of what you want. Although they may be just one aspect of your planning for your business and life, they can be a very important part of it energetically and creatively. The more specific and emotionally moving the board is for you, the more of an impact it will have on your life and your business!  I keep my past vision boards too because it is so fun to look back and see all the wonderful things that have come into my life that started as something I cut out from a magazine and then it took on a life of its own on one of my vision boards.  Someday I will share with you the pictures of the kids and the man I wanted to meet.  I had these great pictures on my vision boards for several years before I met Mark and the kids and guess what?  It all came true!  This is such a fun and creative process and it gives you a wonderful chance to truly put the law of attraction to work for you!

Have fun with this!  I would love to see your vision boards and your comments below.

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope my tips on creating a vision board are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Stay Persistent and Reach Your Goals.

The Ten Daily Disciplines that Lead to Network Marketing Success

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10 Daily Disciplines

Guess what:  There is NO shortcut to success. However, there are some ways to make life a little easier along the way. There are certain daily disciplines I follow everyday that have been a huge accelerator to my success. Now I am sharing them with you! Want to become a network marketing rock star? Then work to follow these ten daily disciplines and not only your business will be better, but your life will be better!

10 Daily Disciplines to Improve Your Life and Business

  1. Say/read affirmations and express gratitude daily. I express my gratitude daily in a journal, which I write in when I get up in the morning, but there are many great ways to do this.  I just had a friend of mine tell me that she says her affirmations in the shower.  Great way to multi-task!  Although it may seem otherwise at times, we always many things to be grateful for. Even if I have had a frustrating day, I can always find something positive that happened. Focusing on affirmations and gratitude can help you realize all the things you have in your life, as well as your potential. What I know for sure, is when we are grateful for what is here now, we will be able to receive more.  This activity will create feelings of contentment, help you live a happier life and make your thoughts more positive, which is great, because, positive thoughts are what lead to success. It is only from a positive place that you can focus on bringing your dreams into reality.  If you focus on lack, you will get more lack.  If you focus on moving forward and success, you will get more of that too!
  1. Continually review your goals. As I am writing in my journal to express gratitude, I also take time to review my goals. By setting goals, you give your life direction. It gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It also helps you organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most out of your life. By continually reviewing your goals, you can measure and take pride as you achieve them. It will also help you to see forward progress in what might have previously seemed a long and pointless grind.  Did you know that you have a MUCH GREATER chance of realizing your goals JUST because you wrote them down?  It is amazing when I review past goals how great it is to see the accomplishments.  Write them down and review regularly!  It works, trust me.

10-daily-disciplines-that-lead-to-success

  1. Read or listen to a personal development book or podcast for 15 minutes a day. I listen to different personal development books on my walk each morning.  It helps me to feel motivated to start the day and have confidence in myself. Some of my favorite personal development books are: “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardey, “Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want” by Brian Tracey and “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect” by John Maxwell.
  1. Be sure to walk/ and or exercise daily. I could devote an entire blog post to the benefits of exercise. In addition to keeping you fit and healthy, making exercise part of your daily schedule will give you more energy and keep you happier. I make sure to take a 30-minute walk several times per week (I am making team calls while I walk.  Sometimes I have to mute myself because of the sound of the gravel.)  I also love yoga and lifting weights.   This is a new found love as last year I worked too much and sat at the computer way too much.  My physical fitness paid a price so a huge priority for me this year is to take better care of myself and move everyday.  It feels great!
  1.  Be sure to prospect to new people daily. Take time to call or send a text to 2-10 new prospects/Facebook connects. You talking to new people is the ONLY way you will expand your business. It will be easier if you schedule time and simply do it. Just be sure not to allow yourself to be distracted by “false work” while reaching out to clients. Also don’t just send generic emails or generic Facebook messages – take the time to send purposeful and personal messages by thinking about them and what is the message you want to convey.
  1. Make follow up calls and schedule one-on-one appointments. That is even more important than the initial email or call. To have success in your business, you must have a clear follow up system for all leads from every source. Put each lead into the system and methodically follow up with it. Make sure you provide value on every interaction to keep your relationship in momentum. Do things like sharing ideas and insight and continuing to educate your clients.  Have fun with follow up calls.  The more you follow up, the more you will stand out as someone that has it going on.  Set up a recurring event or a recurring toodledo activity that once a month you call this person and when you call them, with a smile on your face say “You ready for your call with me?  You ready to get started with me.  I know you are going to want to say yes sooner or later…”  People will appreciate the humor and the confidence and especially the follow up.  So very few people put themselves to hear no again after the first time.  The marketing gurus tell us most of us say no 5 times before we say yes.  The fortune is in the follow up!
  1. Attend weekly team training and meetings. Meetings are a great way to keep both yourself and your team members on track and to boost your morale. They also provide a great venue to build relationships and share success stories with each other, including the tips outlined in this blog!  Events fill you up!  The most important person you sign up every day is YOU and events always re-inspire you.
  1. Also remember to network have fun! Host a home party or attend a home party to meet new people and build relationships. Remember to smile and have fun and give yourself permission to learn! No matter what happens, just roll with it and make friends! Everyone at the party is a potential client or team member.  You know way more than they do.  Don’t sweat what you don’t know.  Best way to do this is to jump in and get the first one behind you.  You may not want to do a home party every  night of the week but could you commit to one or two nights a week?  Even in the online world we live in, home parties are still the BEST way to get a specific area going.

Daily Disciplines for Success

  1. Be sure to post positive and inspirational messages on social Media. Follow an 80:20 rule: 80% personal or inspiring and 20% business.  It is important to remember that your posts do not always have to be about network marketing or your business.  What are you interested in?  What do you love?  I  love baking and traveling so I include pictures about that.  Remember though, while social media can amplify your message and grow your business, it is also about listening and building relationships. Be sure to regularly engage with people on social media – you never know who you will meet.  Whether we meet online or face to face, we still have to relate to people and make connections.
  1. Promote the next event using the phone, texts, email and social media. I think Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have the most to offer when it comes to getting the word out and connecting with prospective attendees. Use social media to curate the content around the event by including blog posts, pictures, infographics, conversations and videos to build traffic and engage your audience.  It is completely true that the more people you bring to an event the more your business grows and faster too!  We are in the tools and events driven business – if you aren’t taking advantage of the leverage events provide you and your teams, you will miss out!

Hope these daily disciplines help.  Time to go for my walk and to yoga class.  🙂  Want to share this list with your team? Click here to access the handy checklist I created. Now start with the first one and work your way down 😉  All the best to you!

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope my tips on daily disciplines are of value to you. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Stay Persistent and Reach Your Goals.