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How to Use Doubts as ROCKET FUEL for Your Next Business Success

It is a fact of life – there are many people who will doubt you. I hate to say it, but it is true.  This isn’t necessarily unfortunate though! I actually believe that people expressing doubt in your abilities could be a gift. Let me explain.

I came across this Taraji P. Henson quote the other day in an article I was reading: “If you…allow people to project their fears onto you, you won’t live.” Pretty strong statement. Pretty serious consequences. 

There are countless entrepreneurial examples of people who have used the words of doubters as fuel to expand, grow, and accomplish bigger things. I think we can all learn from this, no matter the stage we are at in our businesses.  When I first started my business 11 years ago, I had my share of doubters and some of them were immediate family and very close friends.  I couldn’t let it stop me so instead I used that as pure motivation to succeed.

But who are YOUR doubters, and how can you deal with them successfully?

fam fight

Friends and Family:

Sometimes your doubters come in the form of loving friends and family.

Who here has heard the following:

“You want to start your own business? Selling what?”

“That’s going to be a ton of work, Can you really afford to spend time on it, and still be a good mom to the kids?”

“Nobody makes any money in those things.”

“Shouldn’t you get a real job?”

“You’ll never really be able to make a full time living from this.”

“Working for yourself is so hard. What about dental?”

These questions often come from a well-meaning, but fearful place. Fear is not a place that we, as entrepreneurs, can afford to run our lives from. So, take these questions for what they are – loving, and yes misdirected statements from people who are used to playing it safe— or at best just don’t understand what you are about.

Instead of letting these doubts stop us in our tracks, how about we use them as evidence that we’re doing something really exciting and innovative with our time? We are choosing to take a risk, but we’re smart, driven, and itching to try something new in life.

One reply that I like to use is: “Yes, it’s scary, but I’m so much happier living up to my full potential than I ever could be playing it safe.”

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Current Colleagues:

The people we work with and those who have spent their entire careers working for someone else, really are not the people we want to bring our entrepreneurial business plans to.

There is nothing wrong with working for someone else, but people without the entrepreneurial bug, are just that —people without the entrepreneurial bug. It will be hard for them to understand why you would want to take on the extra load of self-employment.

To combat these negative influences, write down your own very solid reasons for choosing to build your own business. Answer this question: Why is this path worth it for me?  It was so clear to me why this was worth it – I wanted to create time freedom and financial freedom.  I wanted to say when I worked, where I worked and with whom I worked.  And believe me, it has been worth every step of the way!

Your answers might even inspire some of your colleagues to think outside the box and bring a little something new to their current positions!

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Internet Noise:

There are so many wonderful resources online, but the internet can also be a fairly negative place. If you spend too much time reading online, or listen to the opinions of people who go online just to complain, then you are going to have a hard time finding the motivation to continue.

My advice is to find industry-specific experts and follow them. Don’t clutter your feed with too many differing opinions. Choose people who are really good at what they do, and who offer positive, constructive advice.

Also, remember that your path is unique, all the doubters in the world don’t have your combination of talents, abilities, and drive.

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Pessimistic Business Owners:

Sometimes we go to entrepreneurial meetups or local small business groups, and find that the attitude is less than stellar. This is unfortunate, but don’t feel like you have to listen to a negative-nelly just because they’ve been in business for a long time.

People get stuck in unproductive patterns, and it’s not a trap you have to follow. A positive mind, set on success is something you can cultivate and keep. These “seasoned business owners” who have a negative spin on everything are people who have forgotten their own power over the years.  Don’t ever let anyone take away your power or your dreams!

Instead, surround yourself with business owners who are real about their struggles, but always looking for a solution. Those are the people you can learn from.

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Doubt and Fear go hand-in-hand. But the antidotes are clear and simple:

  • Positivity
  • Good company
  • Solution-oriented thinking
  • Solid personal reasons for your chosen path

I love this passage by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

You are doing something great by moving ahead despite the fear, despite the doubters.  It is worth it!  It may be time to armor up. Next time a doubter comes knocking, flip it around as a powerful reason to continue building the business of your dreams. I am cheering for you!

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NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article helpful on Using Doubt As Rocket Fuel For Your Next Success. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How To Cultivate a Millionaire Mindset.

Are You Cultivating Your Millionaire Mindset?

I watched a video from Eric Worre the other day, and there was one thing he said that really hit me… “Mowing the lawn myself means losing $100 or even $500.00 an hour.”

What does that mean?

Well, while he’s outside mowing the lawn, he is trading his time for a $15.00/hour task… time that could be spent nurturing high-value offerings, growing his business, and contributing to his long-term financial, personal, and professional success.

The lesson? To uplevel and truly cultivate a millionaire mindset, we must weed out non-essential tasks, and make sure we’re spending the majority of our time where it counts.  For many of us, this means we can hire someone to do the things we don’t like to do anyway!  I just treated us to our first housekeeper at our BC home.  It felt great!

Let me be clear about one thing – the millionaire mindset applies to financial goals, of course, but it encompasses far more than that. It means defining what wealth is in all areas of our lives – personal, professional, and spiritual.  How do I want to spend my days now and in the future?  I love to cook so I will never hire someone to do that for me, but lots of people don’t love to cook and there are services that deliver almost prepared meals to your door now.  My niece loves that!  

You should KNOW what your time is worth, and be focused on high-level activities that truly move your life and business forward. Don’t be worried about life becoming all work and no play – when you’re tapped into your true power there is a certain sweetness and enjoyment to life that is worth the sacrifice!  When we are lucky, work doesn’t actually feel like work.  That is the goal for me!  

What kinds of activities help us to cultivate a millionaire mindset?

Here are 4 categories you should be aware of…

Oct.01

What You Read: 

Reading should be #1 on your list if you plan to develop a millionaire mindset.  When we read, we expand what is possible – literally allowing ourselves to picture futures we didn’t even know were available. That’s a gift we don’t want to waste.  I keep a basket of books in my living room that inspire me and any given day, I can pick one of them up and even spending 10 minutes reading makes a difference.  I feel calmer, balanced and inspired all at the same time.  

So, when was the last time you picked up a book and finished it? If you feel strapped for time, commit to reading 1 book a month. This can be accomplished in just 10 minutes a day!

Here are some of my personal favorites to get you started:

Money – Master The Game – By Tony Robbins

Start With Why – Simon Sinek

The Four Hour Workweek – Tim Ferris

Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert

Go Pro – Seven Steps To Becoming a Network Marketing Professional – Eric Worre

The War of Art – Steven Pressfield 

Oct.02

Who We Spend Time With: 

We are the sum total of the 5 people we spend our time with  –  who are your 5?

I encourage you to actually write this down. Consciously acknowledge who you allow to have the most influence over your life.  Sometimes we need to think more about who we are spending all our time with.  Are they inspiring and going somewhere in their life?  If not, it doesn’t mean you don’t still love them but maybe you need to add someone that is.  Our friends are the family we choose.  

We need positive, growth-oriented, loving, and constantly-evolving relationships in our lives, and we need people who will challenge us to be our best.  That doesn’t mean you cut good friends and family out, it just may mean it’s time to widen your circle of influence.

Oct04

Choose Daily Affirmations: 

Our thoughts can be our biggest influencer. Using daily affirmations will help to align your heart and mind with your most important goals. It will give you laser-sharp focus.  I say mine out loud in the shower.  (multi-tasker that I am…)

What affirmations would you like to use on a daily basis? Write them down now.
If you can’t think of any, just spend a few minutes searching “affirmations” on Pinterest or Google. You’ll find plenty of gold.  You can also purchase affirmation decks, and simply consider a positive thought every morning during breakfast.  

Click here for a page of my favorite affirmations. 

Oct05

Invest In Ongoing Education: 

Growth is challenging, and we all need good teachers. I recommend making educational goals for your year, just like you do for your financial goals. Set aside time and money to invest into yourself.  Plan to attend conferences, speaking events, author events… anything that is high-value and aligned with your ultimate financial, spiritual and life goal.

The more you learn, the more effective you will be at capturing dreams in the real world.

For instance, there is still time to get a ticket to the Go Pro event next month.  If you want the chance to learn from the likes of Tony Robbins and Eric Worre, and many, many more, there’s still time.  Click here for more info.

Remember, your mindset is like a muscle – if you develop it, it expands.  If you don’t, it weakens.  Affirmations, reading and listening, learning, who we spend time with  – all these things help us develop an authentic millionaire mindset. 

When our mindset is aligned with our goals, and our goals are aligned with high-impact activities, then MASSIVE achievement is RIGHT around the corner.  That’s a promise ;).  I know from first-hand experience.  Never EVER underestimate the power of your mind.

 

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NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article helpful on Cultivating Your Millionaire Mindset. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Avoiding 4th Quarter Overwhelm.

How To Avoid 4th Quarter Overwhelm And Finish Your Year Strong

The calendar year is coming to a close in less than 4 short months (September is almost done!), and with that, so is the final quarter of 2017 for our businesses. I don’t know about you, but with the launch of Jeunesse in India, my final quarter for 2017 is adventurous and packed FULL of travel. In other words, crazy busy.  Despite that, I really believe that a last-minute wrapping job on an otherwise fantastic gift of year can ruin your outlook on your achievements and leave you scrambling to get it all done before the holidays.

That’s not how I want to feel, and that’s not how I want anyone else to feel either!

I’ve found that 4 simple, yet powerful steps help me walk through my last quarter in a positive state of mind, full of gratitude for what’s happened, and excitement for what’s next. Forget empty new year’s resolutions – let’s get a concrete hold on our future successes.

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Create An Accomplishments List. This is something that spills over from the professional realm and into the personal. You probably already know that I love the physical act of writing down my wins from the year in all areas of life.

This is something that you can include the entire family in too! Everyone can add to the “Wins List”. Keep it on the refrigerator for the remainder of the year, and add to it as you think of additional awesome things you and your loved ones were able to conquer together.

It keeps spirits so HIGH throughout the year-end bustle.

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Organize Your Physical Environment. This doesn’t have to be a chore. This can be a joy. Especially when I consider all the hours that I spend in my workspace. A clean, inspiring, and functional home office is a gift that just keeps on giving. When I’m able to work un-interrupted with water and snacks nearby, it changes everything!  Maybe organizing your space includes a fresh coat of paint on the walls? Investing in that standing desk? The possibilities are endless.

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Set Up New Systems & Replace Outdated Organizational Tactics. There are lots of things in our lives that sit around, neglected and under-utilized. But it really doesn’t take much to clear the deck, and create systems that work for you, not against you.

Is your bookkeeping software still working for you?

Do you have an inbox that makes you slightly nauseous?

How long has it been since you had a look at your finances?

Do you still have a filing cabinet (physically or virtually) full of who-knows-what?

These tasks probably fall under the “swallowing a frog” category, but if you block off time to accomplish them before beginning the new year, the mental and emotional burden is lifted, and your self-confidence will be too.

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Define Your Forward Momentum. Defining your unique vision is the key to all accomplishment, in my opinion. And by define – I don’t mean loosely color in – I want you to set SMART goals for 2018, and spend the time to chunk those goals down and divvy them up over the next 4 quarters of the year. Doing this early, (and then reviewing quarterly) is the absolute best way I know of to keep my productivity soaring, and to avoid busy-work.

This is also where you can ask and answer some FUN and CRUCIAL questions. Things like…Is it time to uplevel? Can I afford to hire some help come the new year? Am I at the point in my business where a virtual assistant makes sense? What new money goal do I want to set for myself? If you’re clear that these things are apart of your vision for 2018, you can wrap up your last quarter proactively.

 

This grab bag of practical end-of-year tips ensures that I have the help/systems/headspace needed to lead myself, my team, and my family into the new year happily, and highly motivated. I hope it does the same for you!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article helpful on Avoiding 4th Quarter Overwhelm. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Getting Back Into a Routine After Vacation.

Why Network Marketing Now?

Why Network Marketing Now

If you’ve ever considered joining the world of network marketing, ask yourself the question: what has prevented you from doing so? Now might be a great time to make that commitment. Starting your own network marketing business can be one of the BEST uses of your time and money. The most successful members of networking marketing are the ones that know exactly why they’ve joined. Network marketing can have rough patches (like everything else in life!) if you don’t put forth the time and energy required to really build a business. You may be content with where you currently are, so what will your “why” be? Here are 11 reasons why joining a network marketing business can be the best decision you could make. Choose a couple of them to really wonder about and ask yourself the question if I keep doing what I am doing today, how will my life be different in 5 years?

 

financial freedom

Financial Freedom: A big reason for joining network marketing is the potential for financial freedom for yourself. You have an opportunity to earn money part-time on the side of what you are already doing. And you will get paid wherever you are in the world. Sometimes that will be working your business, sometimes it will be when you are on vacation. In traditional business, once you leave the office, you don’t continue to make money. Network marketing allows you to work anywhere in the world and from home during the time you choose. And network marketing works 27/7 so you can take those vacations and still get paid.

wealth building

Create Wealth for Yourself: There’s a good chance that where you’re working now, that there is a ceiling on what you can earn. And often it is the big boys making the big money. One of the things I love about network marketing is there is no glass ceiling. There may be a cap on your companies compensation plan but it is usually very, very high. As employees, we are working 40+ hours per week and really we are helping to build up someone else’s wealth. Being a part of network marketing allows you to build, and keep, the wealth for yourself. It is YOUR business.

Increase your income

Increase Your Income Annually: Unless you’re a pro athlete, it can be quite difficult for someone to double their income at their job. In 2016, the average pay raise in the United States was 2.9%. With network marketing, YOU own the business and it can be a lot easier for you to double your customers leading to you doubling your income. Another thing I love about our industry is no two days, weeks or years are the same. It is never boring! And there is always the excitement of who or what is going to happen next. Let’s talk about Job Security: Most people stay at their current jobs for the job security it brings but with more mergers and automations, some jobs are becoming expendable, eliminating the job security many seek. Network marketing can be that extra security you may be looking for.

Online Advertising

Capitalize with the Internet: The internet changed the world and continues to change the world. Are you utilizing everything the internet has to offer? The internet has simplified network marketing by connecting you to a truly global audience. It has never been easier to reach so many people and you may regret not taking advantage of it. This is a great way for the “average person” to get to take advantage of what the internet has to offer. It has truly leveled the playing field for what is possible.

Population Places

Population Increase = Income Increase: The world’s population is growing and it’s growing quite quickly. There are currently 7.4 billion people on the planet with project growth hitting 9.9 billion by 2050. This boom in population will create issues for traditional businesses but it’s a great opportunity for network marketing.

Rewards Recognition

Recognition for Your Efforts: Unfortunately, recognition and appreciation for your efforts may pass you by at your job. Network marketing creates a community full of people that not only want you to succeed, as it benefits them, but they also encourage it. We have great cheerleading skills in this business! You will get and can expect regular appreciation for the effort you put in.

Calendar Time Employment Career

How Long Do You Want to Work?: This may seem like a simple answer. Some people will graduate from university with thousands of dollars of debt and then move towards obtaining employment, earn a living and retire in 35 to 40 years. An alternate route to take is by building your own business through network marketing and giving you the opportunity to retire much sooner. It is possible!

Team Teammates Downline

The Company You Keep: Like attracts like and network marketing has the ability to attract the best people they need and as you surround yourself with the best, this new work environment will influence how you operate. People love the community they find with their NM business.

Personal Development Rewards Milestones

A Rewarding Life: Network marketing provides the opportunity for your own personal development. This actually is the very best part of all of it. You will step into new and bigger shoes as you develop your business. Your business will grow as you do. It is that simple. To be successful, you will need to help those around you and your team be successful. It is a rewarding experience to see other people grow themselves and become better people.

Niche Market

Smaller Job Markets: As technology keeps making things easier for companies to downsize and e-commerce eliminating the need for things that used to be standard (ie. office space), the number of available jobs actually begins to get smaller. And with the population increases mention earlier, it won’t get any easier so why not create your job and no longer be afraid of being downsized? Network marketing makes a great plan B!

Savings Banking Taxes Money

The Tax Benefits: If you have a business that you operate from your home, you can be entitled to all sorts of tax deductible expenses. Your office space, car, cell phone, and meals for business are great tax write-offs. As a network marketer, you will be able to utilize some of the same tax breaks that typically the affluent get to enjoy. (Do check with your accountant for what you can deduct and what records you need to keep. You are a business owner now so you have to follow the rules.)

These are just some of the many ways that Network Marketing can be beneficial to your career path. If you were on the fence before, hopefully, this will help you to join the networking marketing business that works for you. Best of luck to you on your new journey!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article insightful on Why Network Marketing Now? If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How To Make Money With Network Marketing Companies.

Lessons We Learn The Hard Way

Happy January 2017!  I hope 2017 has gotten off to a great start for you! Today, I am sharing a blog post that really hit me with some great nuggets when I read it.  All about lessons learned the hard way.  Some of us like to learn the hard way and some of us (please let me be one of them…) like to learn from others.  I think you will enjoy this short article by Susie Moore containing some great words of wisdom from Arianna Huffington, James Altucher, and Gabrielle Bernstein.

http://greatist.com/live/life-lessons-i-learned-the-hard-way

It will help you put things in perspective for the new year and help you focus on the things that truly matter to you.  Indeed, our resumes are not our eulogies and money is never the point and Queens rule with authentic power.  Check out their great words of wisdom.  I am glad I did.  If you need to learn about not overworking yourself, or letting money not be your main motivation and to stop letting outside influences control your life, read on.

I hope you enjoy the article and be sure to leave comments on how the article changes your perspectives.  I am working on getting more sleep in the New Year!  Have a great day.

 

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NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article useful on welcoming 2017. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Having Fun with your Network Marketing Business.

How Blending a Family is like Building a Network Marketing Business

How Blending A Family is Like Building a Network Marketing Business

In today’s world, many of us find ourselves blending families together. In fact, approximately 1 out of every 3 Americans are either a step-parent, a step-child or belong to some form of a blended family meaning over 100 million people.

In network marketing, there are over 100 million people worldwide involved so there must be some overlap between the two.  If you’re involved in this cross section then this blog post is for you! It’s also for anyone who wants to build a bigger business and still have fun interacting with their families and teams.

Blending families, or building your team, is not always easy but it can be one of the best things that you’ve ever done.  I know it was for me! So, I was thinking about how many of the personality traits that are needed to blend a family are similar, and handy, for building our business and I thought I would share these.

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First, there’s patience.  Patience with your extended new family and with your new distributors.  Our daughter asked me recently how I stay so calm. I’ve been through a lot in my life and have learned that the little things, and most things, are just not big enough or worth stressing or fighting over.  I’ve also learned to think before speaking and that sometimes not saying anything is best.  Then there are those occasions that call for a simple count to ten and exhale.  1, 2, 3, 4,…

Meet people where they are. This doesn’t necessarily mean physically but meet them where they are in their life and lessons.  This can happen in two ways:

  • Don’t set an agenda for who people should be or where they need to be.  See them for where they are right now.
  • Don’t sacrifice or adapt yourself in order to accommodate others.

By meeting people where they stand, and being authentic, it will pave the way for honest conversations and true connections.

Teamwork Understanding Meeting of the minds

Celebrate people’s strengths and downplay their weaknesses.  Children need to know that you understand and like them.  It doesn’t do any good if you’re always asking them to clean their rooms or empty the dishwasher.  You have to focus on what is working and what is positive too.  I can’t stand feeling like a nag and nobody likes to be on the receiving end of that either.  This is the same for your teams.  Focus on what people are doing well and look for those wins.  A simple “good job” or “nice work” or “we appreciate you” can go a long way.

Consistency. Be consistent with your actions when you’re either talking to your teenager about cleaning up the family room or speaking with prospects about the products or opportunity: consistency is key. When things are inconsistent, people can find situations difficult to predict and have a sense of lack of control. When you’re consistent in your behavior with people, this will create trust with them.

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Last, but certainly not least, if you care about a person, let them know how much. Whether it’s your kids, your mom, your prospects, or your team.  People don’t care how much you know until they know how much it is you care and now during the holidays is a perfect time to take a little extra time to let people know they matter to you.   I wish you all the best during the holiday month!

 

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NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article useful on how blending a family is like building a network marketing business. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to Stay Focused During the Holidays.

Top Qualities To Look For In A Prospect

Top Qualities to Look for in a Prospect

As you begin to build your MLM business,  you will not be able to avoid the task of recruiting new prospects.  Sometimes you may want to, but it won’t work…:)  So how can you best maximize your time to focus on those that have the potential to be great MLM leaders?  Over the last ten years, I have figured out there are a few key traits that you should be aware of as you go through your recruiting techniques.

Entrepreneurs MLM Leaders

Previous Success: The chances of you being able to convince a fairly successful prospect to leave their current MLM network to join yours is highly unlikely.  However,  people who have success in another field are exactly the kind of prospect you should pursue.  I was that prospect.  10 years ago I was brand new to network marketing but I brought with me my previous success in business and real estate.  Any prospect who has some success in a previous field could be classified as a greater fit for MLM than someone who has dropped out of school and hasn’t had great employment history.  We aren’t looking for the couch potatoes…Working hard and the desire to obtain goals are traits your  MLM prospects must have.

Ambition: Successful people tend to share this common trait. We are hungry, driven, and are just plain looking for more out of life.  The status quo just won’t do and we tend to be visionaries, looking for the next steps to making a better life and how to achieve it.  The prospects that possess this trait are a hot commodity so try to add as many people with ambition as you can.  I have always been driven to succeed whether it was UC Berkeley, IBM, cooking school or investing in real estate.  Look for people who have that drive.  It will be so much more fun for you to work with them.  And if you aren’t that ambitious person yet, then really think about what your vision for your life is and make a decision to go for it.

Learning Training

Willingness to Learn: Regardless of where the prospect may be starting from, there’s a decent chance that there will be things that they’ll need to learn and be coached through so they have the tools to be successful.  The prospect’s willingness to be coached and taught is a crucial element.  As you discuss the opportunity with your prospect, are they cutting you off during the conversation?  Do they seem to know everything there is to know about MLM? Keep in the back of your mind “Are they coachable?”.  If they aren’t willing to learn anything or take your advice, then chances are they may not be the great prospect you were looking for.  Keep that in mind for yourself too – none of us have all the answers and the more open we are to learning, the faster we and our businesses will grow.

Entrepreneurial Mindset: As you first begin to interact with a prospect is when you should start to assess them and figure out what their motivations are.  The important part is determining their mindset about finances and money.  Do they think that making money is about having a job and getting paid or is it reflected more in an investment and profits sort of way? Don’t get me wrong.  Wage earners play an important role in society but the hourly earning approach may not necessarily make them into the MLM leaders of tomorrow.  It might but it might not.  A person who has knowledge about owning a business or investments may be more likely to possess entrepreneurial qualities and have a better understanding of the startup costs that are required to begin and know that building a business doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes time and the entrepreneur knows that and is willing to put the time in.  If you have limited time for prospecting, then focus on small business owners.  It is the best use of your time!

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Upbeat Attitude: You won’t like being around or be willing to coach prospects with a negative attitude.  It can be difficult to be around people that have a constant pessimistic outlook on life.  Our MLM business works so much better with people that are upbeat and positive.  Those negative people will need to have a huge change in their mindset in order to make it work.  Make sure to pursue the prospects that possess that positive outlook already because it’s those people that will potentially have an easier time prospecting themselves and won’t be discouraged at the first signs of difficulty.  And if you have a debbie downer attitude, get to work on seeing the cup is half full instead of half empty.  At least half full.

Self Starter: These are the type of people who will go out there and get things done.  Having people that are self-motivated as part of your team will prove to be a great asset as they are capable of identifying their own strengths and weaknesses.  Self-starters aren’t waiting to be told by anyone on what their next steps should be.  They recognize what paths are needed to be taken and take action.  These prospects will typically show the most enthusiasm.  I was a self-starter in this business 10 years ago.  I didn’t know what I was doing but I didn’t wait for someone else to tell me.  I figured it out.  If you have a great upline and training system to tap into, then by all means that is a great place to start but don’t tell yourself you won’t make it if you don’t.  It is amazing what we can achieve when we decide to.  I am so glad I decided!

Communication

Communication Skills: Prospects that have the ability to communicate clearly are a bonus to any downline.  Communication is more than being able to relay the messages they’re trying to convey but listening as well.  We want to listen twice as much as we talk.  Ask great questions.  Draw people out.  Show interest in what they are saying and being able to effectively express your own thoughts through verbal and non-verbal cues is a skill that can help grow any MLM business.  Look for people who are good at talking to people and care about communicating in a positive way.

These are what I consider the most important traits to look for during your prospecting time. Keeping them in mind as you speak with people will steer your efforts and time towards those who can help you get where you want to go faster and with more fun!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my article useful on the Top Qualities to Look for in a Prospect. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on How to be a Better Sponsor.

Why Being The Worst Person In The Band Is A Good Idea

Were you ever in a band with someone that was a much better musician than you?  Or played tennis with someone that was a much better tennis player?  My Father was a tennis teacher and my brother is a tennis pro.  When I played tennis with them, it was amazing how much better I was.   I wasn’t in a band but the same principle applies.  When we surround ourselves with people that are more successful than we are in the very thing we want to be successful in, then we improve too!  This is true for everything – tennis, music, cooking, relationships, and network marketing too.  We all know that one of the best ways to learn is by experience.  Whether it’s a good experience or a bad experience, it will help teach us either way. However, as beneficial as it is to learn from what you have experienced, it can be far more efficient to learn from the experiences of others.

Personal experiences are a great learning tool but learning from others is faster and can save us a few headaches.  Lots of people have traveled down the same road you’re about to go down and, although it may not be exactly the same road, there’s a good chance that they’ve already experienced the same problems you’re facing and their knowledge is a fantastic resource for either solving them or avoiding them.

Figuring things out on your own does have its merits but ignoring the experiences of others can waste time and what you may experience may be unnecessary frustration. We learn from those with prior knowledge and discoveries when we attend school but as we get older, we tend to attempt to figure things out by ourselves.  Anybody relate to that?  Remember, there are lots of ways that we are able to learn from another’s experience.

 

Reading

 

The first place to start is by reading. The internet and books are great resources for researching others experiences. Biographies are a great way to see how people you admire or wish to be, have handled certain scenarios that they’ve faced. In our business, you can read network marketing leaders blog posts.  And there are lots of free training videos available on youtube.  Here are some of my favorite books on our profession.  (If using the internet as your primary resource, be sure the information is provided from a reliable source since some of it can be inaccurate.)

 

Network Marketing Mentor

 

Search for a mentor within your company.  Reach up to your sponsor and upline and make sure they know who you are.   Your relationships with your upline and leaders within your company and our profession are worth their weight in gold.  There are two ways to build our business – fast and fun or slow and painful.  If you want more of the former, seek out a mentor to help you learn what you need to know faster!

 

Networking Events

 

Be sure to attend your company functions.   This is a great place to meet and introduce yourself to the leaders and to start the process of connecting with the people that can make a difference in what you learn and how fast you learn it.  After my first few conferences, I really began to understand how important they were to my success.  Build friendships with your mentors.  Not in a self-serving way but in a genuine, caring and reciprocal way.  The old saying that “people don’t care what you know till they know how much you care.”  Be sure to ask questions and attend as many functions as possible to continuously expand your own knowledge and network.  Don’t worry about being the “worst person in the band”.  I completely believe we really are the sum total of the 5 people we spend the most time with.  Be sure that your five are helping you to get what you want in life.

I encourage you to try something new every day. By increasing your experiences, you will gain a great amount of knowledge that you will be able to apply in the future.  What we want is just outside our comfort zone and by continuously trying new things and doing the things that make us nervous, the faster we will get where we want to go.  The more you surround yourself with great mentors and leaders, the faster you will be able to find your greatness. The only way that all the new knowledge you learn will be effective is by using it daily.   You know you are on to something, when as your experiences grow, others will come to you for advice and how to handle the very same scenarios that you once faced.  Move forward every day, even if it seems like just a bit!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my tips useful on why being the worst is not such a bad thing. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on 7 Steps to Help Deal with Life when it Throws You a Curveball.

How You Can Start Recruiting Before You’ve Achieved Success

How You Can Start Recruiting Before You've Achieved Success

I know that recruiting can be a rewarding AND frustrating experience.  Trying to expand your team takes a tremendous amount of effort and you may not be seeing the results you expected or think you deserve.  You may find that you are doing some of these things below.  If it sounds familiar or if the advice makes sense to you, now is the time to correct.  Correcting and adjusting will go a long way to turn your recruiting success around.

shaking-hands

Partner Up: If you have a smaller team, you should look at partnering with a member and help motivate each other.  Don’t go it alone.  Once you get going, just keep talking with people.  Network Marketing is a sift and sort business.  You will encounter a lot of people that will be attracted to what you and your products have to offer.  From these people, pursue the ones that have great people skills and connect with others easily.  As the process gains momentum, keep adding people to your motivational pack.  Keep your foot on the gas.  Imagine a group of like-minded people all pushing, all enthusiastic, and all supportive together.  You may have to talk to 200 people to enroll 40 people. When you sponsor 40 to 60 people,  the way the law of averages usually works, you will have your first handful to run with.  You can change your lives and many others with that very handful of partners.

bullhorn

Overeagerness: Seeing an opportunity is great but it’s your approach to the opportunity that will set the tone.  Recruiting is like hosting job interviews.  Think how it shifts for you when you read that.  Read it again.  You don’t necessarily want to work with everyone.  You have the golden ticket.  People need what you have to offer them.  Being too eager and offering too much too soon may make some people hesitant and uncomfortable.  Be sure to ask your prospects questions to get familiar with them and a chance for them to get familiar with you.  Take it slow.  They don’t need to know everything all at once.  Let them ask questions too.

knowledge

Learning a New Language: Recruiting can be similar to learning a language. The best way to learn a new language is to jump in and immerse yourself and don’t worry about taking any test.  There’s one thing that I see a lot of people do and it’s attempt to learn everything possible and study before going out and speaking with people.  It is kind of like getting ready to get ready.  You can stay in that position way too long.  It’s perfectly acceptable to start talking to people just minutes after learning about it yourself.  That is what happened to me – my sponsor 10 years ago didn’t know anything either.  We just got excited together and went for it.  One approach is to say to the person, “I just came across this and I am really excited about this. Are you open to learning about it?”  And then point them to that tool that tells the story that you may not even know yet.

speaking

Saying Too Much: If you’re speaking with a fair amount of prospects but the recruiting results just aren’t there, this may be the reason.  You want to extend an invitation to join your team.  You may run into over talking if you’re attempting to explain, or worse, try to convince people.  If you feel the conversation gearing towards explanations and convincing, you may want to ask a few questions to get them speaking more and gear the talk towards their inquiries.  Find out what they are looking for and let that help you move the conversation to providing a solution for what they need or want in their life.

smiley_face_happy_smile-lucky-256

Stance: Your own stance on Network Marketing may be an indicator for why your recruitment activities result in successes or failures.  If the recruitment attempt turns into a defense of what our industry does and the person you are talking to thinks “that it doesn’t work”,  then your conversion rate will be low.  You need to believe in what you’re doing and not be deterred or get defensive.  Don’t try to convince someone or bully them into thinking the way you do.  Sometimes taking something away from people and saying “You’re right.  This probably isn’t for you.  Glad it is for me though.”  Build up your confidence by surrounding yourself with others that have had success and do attend networking events.  This is a work in progress.  You will always get better.  We were all terrible at our first home parties or presentations.  Some funny memories of those first ones!  But you know what, our guests didn’t know any better and we knew more than they did.  Which wasn’t much!

calendar-256

Consistency: Being consistent is key.  Attempt to work consistently for at least 5 to 10 hours each week.  Picture the employee that you would want; are you the employee you would give a raise to or are you the employee you think you should let go?  Would you hire yourself? Going in and out of your business is a terrible and painful way to get this going.  Do you want to build steady and have fun?  Then be consistent!

phone

Follow Up: The saying is the fortune is in the follow up.  It is so true!  This will make or break your Network Marketing success. You will be speaking with a lot of people while attempting to recruit new members but don’t forget to follow up with the people you have already spoken with.  Allow time each day for follow up and follow through.  Follow up immediately but also keep in mind to follow up down the road as well.  A lot of people say no meaning not right now but you won’t know that if you don’t call them back numerous times.  Have fun with it.  When you call them back say with a smile on your face “It’s your  monthly call from me – anything changed yet?”   Today, take a look at some of the leads you have talked to over the last six months and call them to tell them about a success story or a great personal experience with your products.  Keep your follow up organized.  If it is a mess and all over the place, you are much less likely to make the calls.   And it could be that one call to that one person that makes all the difference!

I truly love the lifestyle of network marketing. In the corporate world, we are trained to leave our personal life at home. In this industry the more personal and genuine we are, the more successful we will be. Last tip here:  Bring your unique and shining personality to your network marketing business!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my tips useful on how you can start recruiting before achieving your own success. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on is Your Kindness A Weakness?.

How To Have A Rockstar Mindset

How to Have A Rockstar Mindset

Have you noticed that everyone has endured ups and down in their careers? Myself included.  It is difficult during those down swings but, as I discovered, what seems to make them “low points” was my mindset.  It was how I looked at it.  And we really do choose that from moment to moment.  I would like to share with you my best tips on how to keep your mindset in a good place and keep you heading towards success.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Thinking Results
Believe in Yourself

There’s only one thing that can create your entrepreneurial success: YOU!  There are many business owners that have overcome their own sets of obstacles or challengers but have still reached success.  I am sure you have heard it before – fail your way to success.  Or Thomas Edison “failed” 1000 times before he succeeded.  The person who fails the most often succeeds the most too.  It is all about how we think!  Our attitude really is everything.

Believe in Your Abilities

I feel that the right mindset involves taking responsibility and to tell yourself that, regardless of the obstacles or lack of support you may face, you will still be able to achieve success.  It’s likely that you may have coaches and mentors to assist you; however, you will also have people that may not support you.  (Family anyone?) Regardless of where people in your life may lay, THEY won’t determine the success you have.  If you use phrases like “…if only I had more money” or “…if only someone would teach me”, then maybe try telling yourself “I will create opportunities to earn more money” or “I can find training and teach myself”.   You have to take control of your destiny and believe in your abilities and yourself.  A mentor said to me years ago:  If it is to be, then it is up to me!

Take control of your Destiny

Don’t Compare Your Journey To Others

Another way to help change your mindset is to focus on yourself.  Don’t compare yourself to others.  They have their journey and you have yours.  You have the ability to create your own wins and comparing yourself to others will only sidetrack you.  I have encountered people that have had more success than me and they’ve done it faster than me.  There will ALWAYS be people that have faster success than you.  Their success has nothing to do with you.  Celebrate your own wins.  That first sale, first lead, first blog, first tweet, first video or presentation and then get ready to celebrate what’s next.  There will be plenty of reasons for you to celebrate your own milestones and you don’t need to not worry about what others are doing.  If there is one thing to take away from this, it’s that comparing yourself to others will hinder your own success because it’s a lot of wasted time and energy.

 

Always Keep Learning

Keep Your Mind Open to Continuous Learning

Lastly, be sure to stay humble and always keep learning.  When you forget to be humble, the success you’ve had will begin to tarnish.  If you want to stay humble, then stay in learning mode.  We never know it all and we are never “done”.  This is always a work in progress.  I love to learn and I love to put myself in new situations so I can figure it out.  One thing I have learned is if you do that, you will appreciate the successes you’ve had, and will have, even more.  There isn’t anything more humbling than learning.  When you learn, it lets you know that you don’t know everything.  Be sure to read books, watch videos, read blogs on topics ranging from entrepreneurial guides to meditation and every topic in between.  I have been doing this for a while and I’m still constantly learning and placing another piece in my knowledge puzzle.  One thing I have been doing lately is listening to podcasts while I walk.  It is a great way to get some reading/listening/learning in AND I am out in the fresh air and getting some exercise all at the same time.

Remember, there’s no shame in not knowing something, it’s how you react when you don’t know something that helps define you.  It is whether you give up or if you seek out the answers that matter most. You can always improve and if today wasn’t a great day, tomorrow morning wake up and say Today is going to be a good day!  Good luck, and I know you can do it!

 

kathleen-deggelman-blog

NETWORK-MARKETING-ROCKSTAR

P.S. I hope you found my tips useful on having a rockstar mindset. If you liked this blog post, I think you will love my blog post on Money Mindset and how it will make a difference in your Network Marketing Business.