The Voice Of Success
hat is the first thought that comes to your mind after you first look at this picture? It is important to say it to yourself before you read on.
That’s right. Trust. The sky diver on top has given his total trust to the skydiver who is carrying him on his back.
People often ask me why you do what you do and how you do it so well. My answer to them is always the same; I like to do things that are easy because I am not that smart to begin with. I am just an ordinary guy who took what appeared difficult at first and saw it’s potential reality as to how EASY it could be to become financially independent.
It is all a matter of “desire” because if we really want something we can pursue it until we get at least some sort of results especially if it is an alliance with a right group, a solid company with great products and of course top notch compensation.
When you have all that in front of you, financial independence is just a matter of time because it is there for the taking since this is an operation on complete auto-pilot system.” In my case all I did was take a little time to look at something differently and anybody can do that.
It makes a difference only if you have no desire for financial independence and you’d rather be working at a job for the rest of your life. Everybody has that right too.
I always say why make things difficult for ourselves when in reality they are not. We as human beings have been given a God given gift from birth to think, discover, discern and so if we fail to exercise those gifts freely it is inevitable that we will we suffer financially, and that’s not even necessary.
It really isn’t because the bottom line is; everything may appear difficult on the surface at first but when you get to view them from the proper perspective they are not difficult at all. So then what can we say about the correct perspective?
It’s all about attitude and I am not even a “guru” and that’s what gurus tell you all the time; “think positive, set goals, be a trusted adviser to people, believe you can do it and you will achieve your goals.” And they are right. You cannot know how easy financial independence is by staying on the sidelines.
Success is birthed with a strong decision to get involved in the game and if you delay this decision to become a player you can risk missing out on big financial gains and I think everyone in the direct sales industry can agree to that statement.
Back to the point why I got involved in affiliated marketing.
The reason I chose this business because the risk reward ratio was well within my means and it was approachable even though my income at the time was just enough to cover my necessary bills. I was living on half the paycheck I was used to before the financial tsunami hit and I really didn’t have the money to get started so I borrowed the start up cost.
But looking back I can say that it was a solid and profitable decision in my life even though at first it was a plunge into the unknown because all I had heard about network marketing in the past was that it was a pyramid scheme and that you needed to hustle and sell the products.
Looking back I see how that was a risk because the business was not what I was thinking to expect from it at the time. Sure like anything else, there was a learning process but it was a very slow start for me to the point that I was becoming disoriented and a feeling of hopelessness was overcoming me.
Until one day it just dawned on me that this business was not about “ME”, it was about “US.” If you can take anything away from this read it is this; this business is about “our union” and not just you and I but everyone reading “THE MESSAGE”. When you and I and everyone else reading this message grasps that, becoming a Diamond Director is just a matter of a couple of short years.
But if we don’t start now we are only DELAYING our glorious plans of self employment.
For my readers it is easier for you now because you have the blueprint to 6 figures spread out before you, something I did not OWN at the time, something I desperately needed that nobody gave me. I was terribly shy and I hated the idea of approaching people about my newly found way to riches.
Needless to say I struggled at first but who doesn’t in this game because it’s a learning process and you cannot learn if you don’t practice your sport. Nevertheless I think it is important for me to tell you about my start and then the tactics you can use. [people will charge good money for entire courses on this subject but I am going to give it away to you for free. I don't believe people should ask for money for information that is going to help people]
For me it was the worst of both worlds when I first started because nothing went right for me. I got in trouble with my employer at the time who issued a warning to me because I was pushing my opportunity at co-workers. And then it was my friends and families turn to take in my pitch.
As far as presenting the opportunity to my friends and family, well all I can tell you the only thing I excelled at was clearing the room whenever they would see me coming from a distance. One thing that helped me was that at least it solved the problem of my noisy neighbors because now they would try to hide every time they would see me.
Suddenly I had a big problem on my hands. I was not getting the sign ups. I could not make back my initial start up cost of $800 and was in to my third month of auto-ship that was draining my bank of account of $200 every month. This was money I did not have. But when I look back, here is what made the difference.
Even though it appeared that things were hopeless and that it was time to fold my hand and get out, somehow I decided not to do that and instead I opted to keep my head above water just to survive. So why did I do that? Why didn’t I throw in the towel?
Well I knew that in order to become a successful entrepreneur required a big change in my thinking. that is to say I had to think like one.
The first thought that came to my mind was “hey if these people (my upline) are doing it in a big way why can’t I?” Well the answer was obvious. Not everyone can be a good talker. Not everyone is an extrovert or bold to bring up the idea of a business opportunity to friends and acquaintances.
That just was not me! I also came to loath the idea of talking about the opportunity much anymore because after my initial rejections from people who knew me and respected me, I was now looked at differently as though I was a pest. In their eyes I was a changed man that needed to be avoided.
For some reason the leaders just don’t tell you the consequences that come with this business like losing friends and getting in trouble with your employer if you do this recklessly.
They just tell you to share this with everybody and anybody you can and master the art of inviting them to your home. And that’s just fine it’s just that by that time, I had alienated myself pretty well and had just about run out of people to invite to my one bedroom apartment.
It was time for a complete new strategy and approach. I spent a whole month just doing nothing except thinking. I was thinking in the shower, thinking in the dinning room, thinking in the car, thinking in the bedroom. I became a regular Aristotle thinking maniac!
First thought obviously was that this was not as easy as I had thought.
So what came as a result of all that thinking?
I learned that people are not even remotely interested in a business opportunity that would give them the income they desired, they only fantasized about it. So it hit me right there. I immediately knew what the problem was that needed to be solved.
The first problem was that I recognized how I was forcing this business on a big sector of a population who had no desire for financial independence anyway. They would rather fantasize rather than actually DO something about their financial independence. Obviously this was a big problem.
The second problem was my approach to people and how I did not need one to begin with. I knew immediately that I had to turn the tables on them by becoming their prospect instead of them being mine. In other words those people who I was seeking to join me had to seek me out first before they could even think of joining me.
So why? And how do you do that?
Well the reason that they have to seek you out first is because they need to qualify themselves first before you spend time and money qualifying them. If people want financial independence for themselves and they are serious about it, they need to have come from a certain low place to a little “higher” place where they can see for themselves that somehow there is a possibility for that happening. When they are at that stage, they WILL reach out to you and inquire about your opportunity.
So now how do you do that?
I am sure most of you have heard of the tactic called “attraction marketing” or what in traditional marketing is called; “scarcity marketing.” The idea is workable but like anything else it has its pros and cons because you can either use it as a weapon or use it mildly.
If you use it very mildly then it works but if you are aggressive with it, then it can become ugly. There are some rules you need to follow to make it workable in your marketing campaigns.
The whole premise behind attraction marketing [and by the way there are a whole lot about it that I strongly disagree with] is; “hey, my time is much more valuable than yours,” why? Because I got what you need, as if to say; “I hold the keys to your financial independence right here in my hand and you must make the first move or else…”
What this approach is saying is that I KNOW MORE THAN YOU so there take it for what it’s worth.
The approach is obviously obnoxious because you are using this marketing tactic as a weapon against the people you are suppose to care about.
However, if you can put to work the fundamentals of attraction marketing subtly and mildly it will pay off in a BIG way.
Some examples of aggressive attraction marketing is this; instead of becoming personal with your prospects and try to make friends with them, you show your self for an arrogant big shot who everyone is supposed to worship because you have it all and they don’t. It is now all about YOU instead of THEM.
These people go through the numbers until they find someone with the same mindset who agrees with them that aggressive marketing is the correct way to win and influence people. They never follow up with their prospects. They never call them and send them holiday cards or compassionate emails saying hey “I was just thinking about you today, how are things going for you? How can I help you today? I’ll be here for you if you need me.”
Attraction marketing works if you dumb it down…A LOT! Meaning you don’t push your business opportunity and you rarely ever talk about it with people. You never hand out business cards without being asked for it first. You never talk about the business opportunity you just tell them “I’ll send you something.” You talk about it BRIEFLY when you are asked about it and in the initial contact you just don’t bring it up at all! The sales tools will do all that for you.
Your job is to establish a connection that will lead to a friendship and deep trust so people will see that you have a commitment to their success.
Network or affiliated marketing is not about a business opportunity because no one cares about your business opportunity. They care about YOU as a person and who you will become to THEM especially if an opportunity seeker came through as a “LEAD.”
This is what you have to prove to your prospects; that they see your intentions as honest and caring. Only then can they become attracted to you. Simple!
People will not be attracted to you if you continue to ignore them and not be the source of inspiration and information to them. The good thing is that the business is easy to get started and it doesn’t need a big investment and has very reasonable and reachable operation costs and has top notch training. Anyone can get started fast.
These companies have professional marketing departments that put out excellent presentation tools for you that lay out in detail everything about the business opportunity. You NEVER sell the business or the products. People don’t need your products or services, they get bombarded with that stuff by Madison Avenue every single day. Your sole job is to establish rapport and build relationships until you can nail down the trust factor.
People NEED “trusted consolation.” They don’t need a salesman to pitch them a business opportunity.
They need your trust as a financial adviser that can be counted on. Now that’s not easy but it is something that works wonders if you practice it every day and put it to use effectively. Trust me it’s not that hard to make friends as long as you don’t come across as a salesman people will then flock to you because they now know they can get value from a trusted source.
It is not hard. People will get that impression immediately in your first initial contact and your introductory and follow up emails that you are there to help solve their problem and not sell them. People WILL BUY if everything is presented to them in a soft, friendly approach.
Also, you should never take a NO or a delay in a No decision PERSONALLY either but look at them as opportunities for future business alliances. You must tell them that you understand their hesitation and that you had to do the same when you first got started and that you will be there for them when decision time comes around.
Meantime send them good content and inspiring messages because in time they will join you. It might be a month or a year, it’s their decision we can only give them reasons why they need to act soon and how that helps their financial circumstance.
Here are some every day tactics that WORK
If you are engaged in a conversation with someone face to face never mention what you do for a living let them ask you first. Then tell them you are in business for yourself and when they ask you what business you are in tell them you are in the affiliate marketing business straight up.
Then if they ask you what that is then you say, “I’d love to tell you more about it but I need to be somewhere, I can send you something if you like or we can meet for some coffee.” Say that looking in to their eyes until they make the first move. If they are hesitant then this is what you do; don’t ever ask them but TELL them to write down their email and home address for you. This is very important because you want to send them holiday cards. Don’t even hand over your business card either unless they ask for it.
The whole idea is that these people need to take “tiny” action steps for themselves until they can see later why it was necessary and important for them to do that. The idea is always that you need to take these tiny action steps first to prepare yourself in order to be able to walk up to the big step confidently which is signing up and activating your auto-ships.
Can you do this online? You bet. When you capture leads or buy them use the mild attraction marketing approach.
Never call more than once and that call has to be brief and to the point. If it’s an answering machine just say; “hi my name is so and so and you requested information from me for a business opportunity. Call me with your address and email so that I can send you the information you need that will help you out.” That’s it not a single word more.
The idea is to sift through the tire kicker and the serious minded future business owner. Now when they call you here is a bit of discernment. Always think in your mind that you are the king and that are you are NEEDED by THEM otherwise they’ll think that you need them and that will blow it. You never want to corner yourself in to a box where you feel that you need them. No they need YOU.
And do not talk about the opportunity over the phone. When they ask you just say politely; “everything you need will be in the package.” That’s it. Then say “after you review it we can connect. Well it was nice talking to you. Have a great day.” Just make sure that you are in control of the conversation and don’t be nervous. How do you do that?
Talk briefly about anything BUT the business opportunity. This is a great chance to change the subject and this is critical because it diverts the person’s suspicions that you are trying to sell. [which you are not only that they think it instinctively] Turn their attention away from that by talking about the weather or the night life or what happened with your girl friend last night. This is the area you must master. This small talk to diverting the conversation from the business opportunity is critical.
Now when they start asking questions you never answer directly like for instance when they ask you how much this start up costs are you say; “start up cost is not the issue right now we have to know if you have the passion to become a business owner first. Then you qualify them with questions like these;
“Have you been a business owner before? Why do you want to go in to business? Are you working right now if not why not? Do you have income right now, if not how are you making it?” [It is important that you lead with these questions first so that it will not get to that point where they are asking about the price of the start up. Just think of yourself as an employer who is interviewing a job applicant.]
You can know a lot about a person from these few questions. These are sharp questions that will be defensive to them and we want to do that on purpose because we want to know if this person has the resources and the drive to take such a big step.
If not we want to go to the next person who is not a “tire kicker.” And I say that not to be mean but only because this group is coming from way out on the left field with no passion and no drive and no vision.
If that is the case we need to politely cut the conversation short and just keep them on the email list until they can see that they first need the VISION to become financially independent before them asking us “how much is this going to cost me.”
Now if the prospect calls you after reviewing the information you use the same strategy of being cool and calm to the point of being care free. The idea is that you don’t want to come across to your prospect that you are desperate for them taking action because they need to know that this action is necessary for “themselves” more than anybody else. We are the trusted source for them to do that but they need to feel it coming from you that you care without pushing them to take action. That’s easy to do.
Our job is to slowly take their hand and lead then to the edge of the diving cliff until they feel confident enough that they can jump. If that person is still terrified then we have to push them over the edge and that’s easy because they are already at the edge. How do you do that? Again with questions.
“So do you see what this business is about? Do you see how this can solve your financial problems? Do you see how this is the best business in the world and why anybody can learn it quickly and then operate it profitably? You have come far from our initial conversation. Your have seen everything and you have all the tools to get you started and now I see no reason for you not to take action unless of course you have a reason. You must see for yourself why this action is necessary for you to realize your financial dreams.
Be silent until they speak. If there is hesitation then close the conversation with this;
So my question to you now [name] is this; “do you find yourself in that place right now where you can confidently say to yourself ‘yes, I CAN become financially independent with this opportunity?’
Do not speak. If they say yes then congratulate them and continue with the process of the sign up. If there answer is no here’s what you say;
“Why? Why doubt now? You have come so far even to the edge of that cliff where you need to take that plunge. I mean can you see yourself up there cause I sure can? Can’t you see that this jump is critical to take RIGHT now, not tomorrow or the next day or next month. What better time than right now to make that strong decision for yourself? If you want financial independence it is sitting here for you just for the taking, all you have to do is say, yes I want it. You can see that I have done my job. Is there anything else I can do to help you with that decision?”
Silence. If the answer is still NO say” It’s all right [name of the person]. I just want you to know that when that time comes that you see yourself at the edge of that point and you want to jump, I will be there for you. You can reach out to me at anytime. More than ANYTHING I want to see you at the top. I want to see you as a man who can provide for his family in a Big way. And if I had anything to do with that, that would be my reward. Don’t be a stranger friend. Take care.
So now we have done a magnificent job where we have led our potential business partner from the lowest grounds to the highest point to the edge of the cliff where they are facing the most important decision to take in their life. A decision that will change the course of their financial destiny. Even when they say NO we know that we did out part to try to help them and that is a lot.
