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Why do people make grand plans for a New Years Resolution and not again throughout the year?

The New Year always holds promise for a better, healthier, wealthier year. We all make our New Year’s Resolutions and vow that this year will be different than last. How often do we stick to our promises? Not often enough! The reason why so many of us fail to uphold those resolutions is because we shoot for the moon with no action plan of how to get there.

Small bite-size actions over a consistent period of time, turn over better results than one large “pie in the sky” pledge. What is your action plan to change your life for the better?

* what do you wish for?
* what can you do about it?
* take control.
* create a plan and stick to it!

Everything begins and ends with the Mind, Body & Spirit connection. They work together as one and should be the center of your crusade for change. Instead of a grand New Year’s Resolution, why don’t you make a monthly action plan for the following:

1. Steps to re-educate your mind
2. Steps to a healthier lifestyle
3. Steps to find your spiritual self
4. Steps to more rewarding relationships
5. Steps to seek money making opportunities

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result each time. You must make a change to reap the reward.

Misconception #1: MLM is a scam

Network marketing, MLM, direct sales, referral marketing, party planning, etc. are all businesses under the same umbrella. All legitimate companies are registered with the DSA – Direct Selling Association (www.dsa.com) If the company is selling a tangible product to an end-user then the business is a real business. If the company is encouraging its representatives to “recruit” instead of “sell” run the other way! Those who are pressured to recruit, recruit, recruit are some of the ones who give the good MLM’ers a bad name.

Misconception #2: MLM is a pyramid

Let’s compare the MLM business model to that of a real estate broker, insurance broker or mortgage broker. With all of the previous examples, there is someone at the top (e.g. Century 21) and that person benefits from everyone’s efforts (e.g. all Century 21 real estate agents). MLM is the same, except everyone has the chance to benefit from building their own sales team. Everyone on a MLM sales team can be the BROKER can create leverage from a sale steam! Why is that a bad thing?

Misconception #3: Now, MLM can be done 100% on-line.

Just to clear something up – even though GTMLM promotes online strategies and activity when someone is in “sales” he or she should always be working on their off-line skills. Even with the technology boom, our industry demands a “relationship” whether it is a client, business partner, prospect or referral. Google will never replace that aspect of business. So don’t be fooled by those who promise “no selling.” You will always be selling YOURSELF when you are in this industry.

Misconception #4:  MLM can make you rich with only part-time hours.

Yes, you CAN work a network marketing business with a part-time mind set but do not expect to rise to the top pay level of your company’s pay plan very fast. A part-time mindset will keep you at the level of maintaining a lower rank. MLM businesses build on momentum. Even though a representative is planting “one seed at a time” the more seeds she plants, the faster and more bountiful her garden will be. The more time you spend on productive activity, the faster & stronger your business will grow. Also, the more respect you will gain from your clients and your sales team when you treat your business like a full-time career. Ask anyone at the top of their company and ask how many hours they have invested into initially growing their MLM business…. if anyone says less than 40 hours a week I would call their bluff!

Misconception #5:  All MLM’ers are cheesy and misleading.

What would you say if a stranger asked you “what do you do for a living?” What you say will mark the first impression this stranger has of you and your business. If you are professional you will say, ” I am in sales and marketing for XYZ company. What do you do?”  Do not spew cheesy one-liners like “I help people like you realize their dreams and achieve financial freedom!” Seriously?

There is a reason network marketing is called NETWORK marketing…You must network in order to market your products and business opportunity. What?! Network? You mean I can’t just rely on my friends and family to support my business? Absolutely not. In fact, GTMLM coaches you to practice on friends and family and then move on. If you cannot figure out how to expand your professional network then you need to invest in some training and mentoring. Learn how to successfully build a client base and a sales team with quiet confidence. Enthusiasm is great, but too much will frighten people away.

Misconception #6:    If I work from home I can work anytime I please.

Even though you work from home, you still need a SYSTEM or you will not be effective. A small business owner has set hours, goals, a business plan, sales projections, a budget and is focused on the task of growing their small business through creative marketing and networking. MLM small business owners are not excused of these tasks.

Ideally, this is something a new representative should do at the beginning of his/her new venture into MLM. But it is understandable that a new consultant is overwhelmed with learning product knowledge, presentation techniques and company lingo and can feel scattered quickly.

Setting hours, setting goals, creating a business plan, making sales projections, creating a budget and creative marketing and networking are ALL skills that can be LEARNED… but take time or effort. Would you jump into the dark ocean without learning how to use your scuba diving equipment? Those who choose not to learn the appropriate skills for success are the same ones who jump from business to business, pester friends and family and then wonder why they are never successful.

Misconception #7:  People quit MLM because it doesn’t work.

The #1 reason why people quit their MLM businesses is because of unrealistic expectations that they set or the upline sets. There is no get-rich-quick plan. Let me repeat…. there is no get-rich-quick plan. I think that phrase deserves to be repeated one more time – there is no get-rich-quick plan. None, nada, it doesn’t exist!

If a person picks a company that makes sense, with a product that makes sense, with a business system that makes sense then the business will work if the representative does.

Misconception #8:  MLM companies push too much personal development fluff.

If you are not growing, you are dying. Personal development is something schools should be teaching starting in kindergarten. One of the worst traits we have as humans is self-doubt. Personal development helps to re-write bad self-talk and reprogram the mind to think positive thoughts and get focused on what you want out of this short life we live. Personal development helps the individual visualize their PERSONAL reason for positive change.

When the reason why is powerful enough, you find the strength to get the job done. When the reason why is clear enough, you develop discipline required to reach the goal. When the reason why is meaningful enough, you gain access to the resources you need to make it happen. If you believe in yourself and what you are doing, you won’t throw in the towel the first time your business gets hard, disappointing and frustrating.

As a trainer for many years, I am still surprised that people cannot see that they have a choice to make everyday…we can choose to be miserable or happy. We cannot always choose our circumstances but we can choose how we react. If a person learns how to make positive choices, his or her life will be transformed – guaranteed.

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM 

One of the BEST resources for studying the natural process of building solid relationship is Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. It is an oldie but a goody! Even if you have read this years ago – it is one to read over and over. Plus, it is a great present to buy a new business partner. It is a bit awkward to tell someone they are not good at relationships – just give them the book instead.

Another great speaker who trains on establishing strong relationships and is specific to MLM is Jim Rohn; he is another favorite – funny too. Unfortunately, he just recently passed away, but his practical advice lives on. I can give both of these men credit for some of my success in my personal MLM business.

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM 

Naturally, I’ll start with some inspiration…

“Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe,
nothing seems to me more surprising that the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof. Take that Poppy seed, for instance: it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter, hardly visible, a speck, a pin’s point in bulk, but within it is imprisoned a spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break its bonds and emerge from the dark ground and blossom in a splendor so dazzling as to baffle all powers of description.”
– Celia Thaxter

The Natural Sales Process

There is a natural process to everything in life.
For instance; the flowers know when to bloom, caterpillars know when to spin their cocoon, the bumblebees do their duty day in and day out. If you plant a little, bitty, tiny poppy seed – and give it the right environment – it knows what to do! Amazing when you really think about it!

Does your network marketing business have a natural process too? I believe 100% that it does. Sales in particular has a natural system because you are building professional relationships that require a series of “natural happenings”. Let me give you an example that relates to this “natural human relationship process”:

You are asked out on a date by a man who has caught your eye at the coffee shop. It goes something like this… After exchanging a few glances, he gives you a small smile and a nod. As he gets up from his table and crosses the room, he deliberately squeezes through the cramped tables to walk past you. Just before he passes, you look up and say hi. He stops, you two chat, you giggle and smile. He asks if you would like to meet there for coffee the next morning. You say, “Sure, that sounds nice.”

OK, let’s stop there for just a second. So far, the human relationship process has been clear cut. He planted a small seed through subtle body language and small talk that he is interested in you. And you are interested enough to meet him the next day. Actually you are a bit excited and call a few of your friends on the way home. You could say the excitement is the right environment for that little seed.

Now, let me show how the process can be disrupted and literally incinerate that little seed within seconds. The next morning you meet for coffee, exchange pleasantries and sit down at a quiet table in the back of the room. You simply ask, “What did you do last night?” He smiles and says, “Well I booked the wedding chapel, called the minister, mailed out all the invitations, baked a cake with white icing and decided on our first dance song…oh yeah, I also decided that if our first born is a girl, Mary would be a good name and of course we will name our son after me.”

After your laughter dies down, you realize that he is serious. You are now looking for the quickest escape route and planning to file a restraining order on your way home instead of calling any friends. The coffee shop guy skipped MANY steps of the PROCESS. Because he skipped these important steps your seed will never be more than a hard shell that must stay at least 50 yards away from you at all times.

The natural process of building relationships is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can learn in the network marketing business. Just because your product is good, your company reputable & your compensation plan solid, it won’t mean a thing if you can’t follow the natural process of building clients and a sales team. You will fail 100% of the time. Just like planting a seed and skipping the watering step of the process – it will fail to grow 100% of the time. The Natural Sales Process takes patience, persistence and passion. People need to “buy” you before they buy a product or opportunity.

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM 

Naturally, I’ll start with some inspiration…
“When you look at a peony, you first see the whole flower, its color and shape. As you keep looking, you see the petals and veins and stamens and pistils. When you look more closely still, you see the segments and shading in the petals, until you begin to feel the vastness of those details. To see the vastness by looking at one thing in its details is to see its sacred connection to space and to all other things.”

- Jeremy Haywood, A Guide to the Sacred World of Shamabhala Warriorship

Success is in the Details

A main reason MLM gets a bad rap is because of pushy people.
When you begin your network marketing business, chance are you will start with your warm market and that is OK as long as you don’t pester your friends and family. Some pestering factors are but not limited to: begging your aunt to host a party at every family gathering, showing up unannounced at your father’s office and handing order forms to all of his employees, slipping sample packs into your cousin’s wedding programs and the biggest of them all – offending your family’s and friends’ referrals because you acted like a pushy Patsy.

Please don’t call people and ask them to join your business unless you are such good friends with them that you can pick food out of THEIR teeth. Now that is a good friend, right? It is only that type of friend you can call and say “OMG, you HAVE to do this business with me!” because she will either say yes or no and then you will continue being good friends.

You cannot take this type of approach with most unless you want people to start avoiding you like the poka dotted plague. To tweak your selling style, a fantastic read is The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy and for the more seasoned consultant Advanced Selling Techniques by Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy is an astounding trainer! He gives simple insight that is easy to implement and will improve your selling techniques immediately.

Your warm market (friends & family) are there for 3 reasons:

1. They are guinea pigs. You need to practice your presentations in front of someone, sooooooo who better than your mom and your sister? You KNOW they will give you some honest feedback even if you don’t ask for it.

2. You want your friends and family to try your products so they can give you personal testimonials. Do not pressure them to buy from you. If you pressure them, they will assume you will pressure their referrals too. DO NOT depend on friends and family to float your business. If you know that little secret upfront there is less chance you will get discouraged when your grandmother insists on buying competitor’s products instead of yours.

3. After your warm market has heard your presentation and they have tried AND LIKED your products then you ask them to give you 5 referrals to call. Tell them what you are going to say to their friends and explain what you are going to do. It is important that you personally make the phone calls; do not depend on your Cousin Lulu to call her friends first. She will be making a pity-call and she will WARN them of your impending call. Cousin Lulu may have the best intentions but you need to take control of your message. Your referrals need to establish a professional relationship with you from the beginning with no bias from cousin Lulu.

Let’s go beyond that 100 name list… Do not call your referrals with a surprise 3-way call with your up line.

Here is a better example:

“Hi Susan, this is Sarah Wood calling do you have a quick second?
I understand you are a good friend of my Aunt Carolyn’s.
I’m not sure if she mentioned it to you but I have started my own home-based business
in order to send our kids to private school. (whatever your reason is)

Aunt Carolyn says you have really good taste & that you would be
the perfect person to give me an opinion of my new product line.
Obviously Aunt Carolyn values your opinion and
I would love to have your personal testimonial to help get my business off the ground.

Could I drop off a catalog and a few product samples and then
schedule a 15 minute follow-up appointment with you?
Great! You are the best and this will be so helpful.
Can I stop by tomorrow to give you the information?”

You must be yourself. You must be genuine. You must have their best interest at heart. Your call should be polite, professional and to the point.

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM

There are so many wacky sites in the cyber world that sell products relating to “The Secret”. If you never heard of the movie “The Secret” you must have been serving on a mission to Mars for the last 3 years. Personally I enjoyed the movie, but really didn’t grasp the idea until I came across an author named Louise Hay.

Click here for her Book & Expanded Movie.

Love Love Love this woman! And recommend her to EVERYONE!

She has a book and movie called “You Can Heal Your Life” – get both!  The Expanded version of the movie features profound interviews on the second disk and well worth the little extra cost! These 2 resources will guide you through some of toughest times in your business. I don’t know where I would be without Louise Hay. Everyone who has learned from her would agree!

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM

Naturally, GTMLM will start with some inspiration…

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself.

- William Blake, 1799, The Letters

How do you Visualize Your Life?
Do you know what the definition of insanity is? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. If you want an opposite result you must do something completely opposite than your actions in the past. As simple as this sounds, very few people can actually make this change because they cannot visualize their life any different than they way it is now.

Visualizing…. What does it have to do with your home based business? EVERYTHING! As long as I have been training women in network marketing, I know that if she does not have a strong vision she will struggle understanding even the basic business principles, much less performing. People are used to being in an environment where they have little choice. Go to work, report to a boss, be told what to do for 9 hours, come home and veg out in front of the TV. The typical corporate environment is not ideal for growing and expanding dreams and goals. Most people lose any hope of changing their lives because they feel stuck and controlled. As in nature, a palm tree will not grow in the arctic. Unfortunately, many lost souls imagine winning the lottery as their only chance for change! Guess what ladies? It ain’t gonna happen! Take control now!

The Network Marketing industry is the perfect environment to nurture dreams. You should congratulate yourself for choosing this industry. Now you can dream big because you are a part of an industry that you control. You cultivate your own garden! Network marketing is an environment where hopes and dreams can be nurtured into reality.

Visualization means 100 different things to 100 different people.
But the only meaning that should be clear to you, is YOURS. Almost all people who are attracted to network marketing have a similar trait: they have a BIG vision. Actually, let me rephrase… SUCCESSFUL network marketers have a big vision.If you have a weak vision, or have no vision what so ever, you will burn out with the everyday frustrations and challenges that MLM brings your way. Before you can move your business to the next level, you have to be able to do three things: create your future in your mind, tell others about your vision and act as if it is absolutely possible.

Close your eyes and imagine a large movie screen. What do you want to see play out? You are the director of your own movie. How can you imagine your life changing for the better? Who do you want to help, inspire or influence? These are deep questions that are extremely personal to the individual.

One way I encourage my down line to grow their personal vision is to study the following seven factors:

* The Family Factor
* The Friend Factor
* The Faith Factor
* The Financial Factor
* The Fun Factor
* The Fund Raising Factor
* The Future Factor

So much of network marketing has to do with the correct mind-set. Take some quiet time and write down where you see yourself in the present and where you see yourself in 1 year, then 3 years, then 5 years. Use your imagination! There are no limits to what you can visualize.

Now comes the hard part…you must share your vision with those you love. The more you communicate and focus on these words, the more intention you place behind your thoughts. Not only will this give you a sense of accountability, you will have support from those who love you. And if anyone doesn’t support you, well… I put them in my “I’ll show you” pocket. Do not let those dream stealers take away your power!

Lastly, you must act as if your vision will absolutely come true – not one bit of doubt! A suggestion is to keep a dream board – something that you look at every morning when you wake up and the last thing you look at before you go to sleep. Your brain registers images as “real”, so on the days that you are struggling to keep your faith – talk to a supportive friend, look at your dream board and say some simple affirmations.

A vision in your head is your daydream.
A vision communicated to other people is your goal.
A vision acted upon is your destiny.

Clear cut goals, crystal clear vision and the knowledge to execute professional sales & sponsoring skills is the receipt for success.

Here’s to your success!

Sarah Wood

Founder – GTMLM