Excuse Busters
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Most of us have no problem coming up with perfectly valid reasons for not taking action. Our excuses may temporarily make us feel better, yet they do not bring any value to life. Excuses do not pay the bills, they do not solve problems, they just allow us to justify not taking action.
In this article we will look at a long list of excuses, of reasons not to take action, and turn them on their head. For every excuse, a compelling answer is offered to counteract it. The result is a list of powerful reasons for taking action now.
What would other people think?
Are you afraid of looking foolish for some reason? Why? You know what you need to do, and you're committed to doing it. Don't worry about looking foolish. What will really make you look foolish is if you just sit around making excuses. An honest effort is nothing to be ashamed of. What other people think is their problem, not yours. Let them think what they will. It doesn't matter. Do what needs to be done. Get on with it.
It's uncomfortable
Sure it is uncomfortable to take action. But what is so great about comfort?
Are you committed to comfort or to accomplishment? A cow grazing in a pasture is comfortable. You are capable of much more. You have possibilities to be explored, and to explore them you'll need to get your hands dirty. But a little discomfort right now is much less painful than the regret you'll eventually feel if you don't ever take action. Discomfort can eventually be overcome, but regret will never go away. Get up out of your comfort zone and start making a difference.
I'll never be as good as......(Randy Gage) The only person you should compare yourself against is yourself. Your obligation is to do your very best. Don't worry about how that compares to someone else. Just do it. Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own special contribution to make. You'll only discover yours by taking action. If you decide in advance that you'll never be as good as so-and-so, then you forgo the opportunity to find your own unique skills. Winners refuse to even acknowledge the competition, by blazing new trails. Comparing yourself to others will only bring you down. Set off in your own unique direction. Get into action make it happen.
It's too complicated
Often a new task can appear complicated because you're not familiar with it.
Once you dive in, once you get a little experience, you'll get the hang of it. Think of all the things you've learned in your life. You're good at learning, and the best way to learn is to start taking action. Whatever you see as too complicated, there's something about it that you can understand.
Use that as your starting point. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's how you learn. There's no reason to be ashamed about not knowing something. Everyone had to learn it at some point in time. Now is your time to learn. Dive right in, take on the challenge, take action, learn, grow and you'll accomplish things you never thought possible.
It will take too long
Then you better get started as soon as possible. It will take even longer if you sit around bemoaning the fact that it will take too long. Great accomplishments take time and effort. And the most fulfilling part of any accomplishment is not in finishing it, but in doing it. The journey is the reward, so be thankful that you'll be rewarded over a long period of time.
If the end result suddenly appeared out of thin air, with no effort on your part, of what value would it be? If it will take a long time, then it will be valuable and worthwhile. So by all means get started as soon as possible.
Start making it happen and enjoy the long, fulfilling journey.
No one will care whether I do it or not
That's not true. You will care, and you are someone. The world is not anxious to hand success to you on a silver platter. If no one cares about you, it is probably because you don't care enough about anyone else (or yourself for that matter) to do what it takes to make a life of accomplishment for yourself. If you start taking focused, directed action toward your goals, you can be sure that people will start to take notice.
The world is indeed indifferent to those who sit around and make excuses. If that's all you do, you're right-no one will care. But if you stand up, step forward and take action, you'll be amazed at how many people are waiting to cheer you on. What are you waiting for? Get busy and you'll get noticed.
I'm overwhelmed
Sometimes you're just so overwhelmed, you feel like throwing up your hands or crawling into a hole and curling up in the fetal position. WRONG! That's exactly what you must not do. When you're overwhelmed, that's all the more reason to start taking the actions that will rectify your situation. When you're overwhelmed is when you're the most frustrated and the most motivated. Now is your chance to really take action with dedication and commitment. Don't blow the opportunity. The frustration you feel is good, solid positive energy waiting to be released. If it is not released in a positive direction, there is a very big danger that it will become destructive energy. Use that frustration to your advantage. You're overwhelmed? GREAT! Do something about it right now. Quit complaining and start taking positive action. If you're overwhelmed it means that there are plenty of things which can be done, things which will most likely make a difference very quickly. Pick something and start doing it right now. As soon as you get busy your frustration will start pushing you forward.
I don't deserve to succeed
You are just as good, just as worthy, just as valuable as anyone. No one can intimidate you, no matter what kind of car they drive, or what their business card says, or how big their house is, or how big their factory is.
No one is better than you. You are the best there is. Inside you is the potential to do, or be, or have anything you desire. No one has more than that. Some may have progressed farther down the path at this moment, but that doesn't make them any better than you. If you start to take action right now, you will be working your way down that same path. No matter what anyone says, or does, no matter what your situation-personal, financial, social or otherwise-you can choose to live your life in your own way. And there is no greater success than that. But you must be the one to achieve your success. Though no one can hold you back if you're determined enough, by the same token no one can do it for you. You've got to step up to the challenge, believe in yourself, and do what it takes. Right now is a great time to start. You deserve the best that life has to offer. Do whatever needs to be done to make it happen.
It's too hard
Anything worth having, or doing, or being, requires effort. What if you could have whatever you wanted, again and again, just by snapping your fingers? And what if everyone else could, as well? How much would you value and appreciate the things you had? What would you do with your life, if there was no need for effort? Where would you find meaning, what would give you satisfaction? The value of effort is not only in what it produces, but also in what it demands of you. The greatest opportunity in life is not for a free ride. The greatest opportunity is to be fully challenged, and to meet challenge with effective effort. The things we value are the things to which, and for which, we give of ourselves. There is no way around that.
Some of the hardest working people are those who are wealthy enough that they don't need the money. However, they do need the effort, and the accomplishment, and the challenge. We all do. Without it, life is shallow and empty. Make the effort. Do it now. Start today to meet the challenge.
I'm too tired
What are you tired of? Doing nothing can be just as tiring as taking action.
If you're physically tired, then go to bed and get a good night's rest. Then get up in the morning and get started. Whatever you do today, you'll be tired tonight. You can be tired after a day of effective effort and accomplishment, or you can be tired after a day of getting nowhere. The choice is yours. If you're going to be tired anyway, it makes sense to get something out of it. To put forth your best effort, to move in the direction of your goals, to make a difference, to make a life of excellence for yourself and the world around you. Take action toward an exciting goal, and instead of being tired you'll be exhilarated.
It won't matter anyway
What you do, matters. You can make a difference if you choose to do so. If there's something that needs to be done, doing it will make a difference.
You know that. Thinking that is won't matter is just a petty rationalization. Of course it matters. If it doesn't then find something else that does. You are a creative, effective person who is full of possibilities. The job at hand may not be the most important thing in the history of the world, but if it gets you into action, then it matters very much. Because no matter how small the effort or consequence, it is a start.
It revs up the momentum of the intelligent, creative, productive person that you are. And once you get going, there's no telling how much you can accomplish. It all starts with taking action. Don't hide behind the thinking that it won't matter. Jump in and get started. It does matter. Do it now.
It's no fun
How do you know if you haven't even started it yet? Most things are precisely as enjoyable as we make them. Is making excuses fun? Look at what you need to do, and realize that it is an exciting opportunity to make a difference. Sure, there are probably tedious parts to the job. But look beyond those. Look all the way to the end. Look at what you will be accomplishing. It will probably be a lot more fun than you imagine. Just get started and you'll see.
I'm afraid I would fail
You never fail-you always succeed in producing results. If you don't like the results you are producing, then you can learn from your mistakes and change your strategy. By taking action, you will not fail. In fact, the only way to fail is to not take action. By taking action you always achieve a result. The result could very well be the achievement of your goal, or it could be a learning experience that will eventually bring you to the goal you desire. But you never fail. After Thomas Edison had tried 9,999 times to perfect the light bulb, and had not succeeded, someone asked him if he was going to have 10,000 failures. Edison replied that he had not failed- that he had just discovered another way not to invent the electric light. Failure is simply not an option. Everything you do has a result and eventually those results will lead you to the achievement of whatever you desire.
I'm not committed to this
Then why are you even considering it? If it's something you know you need to do, then think about why. Find a reason that is meaningful and compelling to you, why you must take action. You may not be committed to this particular action, yet you need to do it because of something else to which you're committed. Remind yourself of what that is. Remind yourself of why it is important. Get committed and do it, or move on to something else right now.
I'll do it as soon as I get back on my feet Taking positive action toward your goals is precisely what will GET you back on your feet. If you wait for conditions to be perfect, that time will never come. Even if you could somehow get things perfect before taking action, problems and obstacles would come along soon after you started anyway, so why bother waiting. If something needs to be done, waiting will only make your situation worse. Yes, there are problems to deal with. That's part of the challenge. Just step right in and start to work on the first problem.
When that's solved, get busy on the next problem. Suddenly you'll be making progress-infinitely more progress than if you waited for things to be perfect before starting. Stop waiting for things to be perfect. Start now.
Get going. It's the best thing you can do.
I'm too busy
What are you accomplishing with all that busy-ness? Simply being "busy" gets you nowhere. Stop being busy, evaluate your priorities, and start taking focused, directed action. Anyone can be busy, but so what? Accomplish requires more than just burning up time. Accomplishment demands action and results. Stop being busy and start doing something today.
I can't decide
If you are having trouble deciding on a course of action, then there's probably not all that much difference between the various choices. Evaluate them all objectively and sincerely. Project each choice into the future. If you still cannot decide which course of action would be best, just choose one. You can always make adjustments along the way. Going forward is much better than being paralyzed by the inability to make a decision. The optimal decision is the one that gets you where you want to go, and for that to happen you must pick one and make it work.
I can always do it later
Yes, that's right. You can always do it later. And when it's later, you'll probably say the same thing. Nothing gets done by putting it off until later. The fact is, you are alive and making decisions right now. Right now is the period of time over which you have control. Right now is the time that's available for you to take action. Action that is not taken now, doesn't get taken. As you're reading this, try to do something next week.
Really put out all the effort you can to get something done next week. Were you able to do it? Of course not. Because next week isn't here, and it never will be. It is always now, and now is the time to act. Do it now and it will get done.
I've already tried
Trying is not enough. The only way to accomplish something is to do it, to do whatever it takes, to keep making the effort until the goal is reached.
If at first you don't succeed, you've still learned something valuable about how to proceed. If you've already tried, that's fine. Keep going. Make use of that experience. You've got a valuable perspective on what works and what doesn't. Stop trying and start taking whatever action is necessary to reach the goal. Learn from the mistakes and disappointments. Keep going. Start right now to really make it happen.
I don't know where to start
There is always something you can do, some step that will start to move you in the direction of your goal. Envision the ultimate goal, and work backwards, step by step, until you arrive at something that can be done right now. Then do it. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take that step right now, and then the next one. Repeat until done.
Why not
Whatever you wish to accomplish, there's no reason why you cannot start right now. When you're truly committed to reaching your goal, there will always be something that can be done right away, to get started. Action will get you where you want to go. Excuses will hold you back. The choice is yours. What are you waiting for?
NOTE: There are absolutely no REASONS why anyone can't succeed in building a successful Agel business, only EXCUSES. The next time one of your prospects or Agel team members tells you why they can't succeed, hand them this list of Excuse Busters.
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Overcoming Objections (Part One) by Corey Augenstein
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This is probably one of the most important aspects of your prospecting/recruiting challenge. The fact is most people, even if interested, want to be sold and will throw as many obstacles in your path that you must overcome in order to sell them on what you have to offer be it product or opportunity. Handling objections effectively is a real art and there is a science to it. Hundreds of books and tapes have been written and recorded just on this subject alone and it does take time and experience to be able to effectively handle the objections you will run into. Please, don't be upset or depressed if you do not have initial success in overcoming the objections you run into. This will only come with time and experience.
The great news is after time dealing with objections you're going to have this huge database of perfect responses to almost every conceivable objection right there in your head. Now, it might take weeks or maybe months, but you're going to get better and better at it as you go along. Each time you hear an objection, you'll develop a response to it. And pretty soon you're going to start hearing the same kind of objections over and over. And you're right there and you're ready to go with a response. And, once you start getting to this point, you start having this kind of confidence, it almost becomes fun doing presentations because you just know that you can really handle almost anything that they come up with.
Since we are in the business of network marketing and our main focus is trying to bring people into this business it only makes sense to try and deal and be prepared mainly with the kind of objections that may apply to our business. Of course many of the objections you will hear will be universal to almost anything someone may be pitched on. And some of these objections will pertain specifically to our business.
Generally, we are either prospecting outer circle people who are those without any network marketing experience or those with networking experience. Both have their own challenges and you should expect and be prepared for different objections from each with occasional objection overlapping.
Following are the most common objection you will run into from outer circle prospects:
a. Not enough money;
b. Not enough time;
c. Not enough understanding, education or business experience; d. Too much risk e. Wary of there being so many companies selling similar products and services; f. Concerned by an impression that network marketing is one of those get rich quick pyramid schemes;
And from those with previous networking experience:
a. They Don't like the comp plan;
b. They think your company is no different than 100's of others out there; c. They have been pitched by someone promising them the sky and claiming they can be making bizzillions of dollars in a week.etc...
Before we get started with specific techniques for overcoming the specific objections you will run into, it is of extreme importance to take the following points into consideration as they represent the winning protocol you will need before you even start with objections.
1. Be a great listener, be sincere, be patient and don't get angry or argumentative. Try and find out as much about the prospect as you can by asking probing yet tactful questions, which will allow you to know them and them you better. This will create a rapport and hopefully respect, trust and credibility.
However, keep in mind that not everyone will be so receptive to revealing things to you. Getting them to do this will also take time and patience but make a best effort to create this rapport and your job will be much easier. Try to find out about:
their family life;
aspirations;
dreams;
interests;
religion;
cars they drive;
housing situation;
and whatever other personal issues you feel important.
You get the idea. Most importantly listen to their answers.
People love to talk about themselves and they will invariably provide you with a wealth of information that can work very favorably into your presentation and then make it easier if not a guarantee to overcome their objections. I have been pitched numerous times about things that I had absolutely no interest in only to find out at the end that I had made a yes decision to what they were offering. Why, because they listened to me and then took me down a carefully executed path that had me overcoming my own objections based on what they had to offer and having me almost beg for what they were offering.
2. Champion their objections. In other words, agree with their objections. Whatever their objection is -- and you'll find this is very easy to do -- always try to get on their side first before you try to address the objection. See, it's just human nature that we don't like to be wrong.
So if you say to someone who objects about something, oh, that's wrong, that objection isn't valid and here's why; well, the first thing they're going to do is they're going to try to support their objection. They're going to say, well, no, no, no, you're wrong and I feel this way because. And then you just have an argument going and really nobody getting anywhere. So always try to start off by agreeing with them, kind of getting on their side, championing the objection.
Here is a brief example. Let's say you have a prospect that says, Your compensation plan is one of those binary deals. I don't like binaries. What you might want to say is I don't like them either and I know exactly why you don't like them. All because you have lopsided legs, you can have all this volume you don't get paid on, and I just start listing some things I don't like about binaries I know they don't like. And they go, yeah, you're right, you're right, you know, I agree. So now we're together. We agree.
But, of course, this is going to beg the question, well, then if you don't like them either, why are you in one? Well, see, here we do something different. because we do this and this and this.
And see, you've championed the objection first and then you've addressed the objection.
So you see the importance of championing the objection.
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Overcoming Objections (Part Two) by Corey Augenstein
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Okay lets get into the more common objections you will run into and some approaches you can use to overcome them. Remember that it is imperative that you have already created some rapport with your prospect. They are again...
a. Not enough money;
b. Not enough time;
c. Too much risk;
d. Not enough understanding, education or business experience; e. It's one of those get rich quick pyramid schemes.
I can't afford it right now!!!
Of course this business takes money like any other business proposition. However, it doesn't take a lot. Therefore, you might want to suggest to them that they can get started for very little money. In your opportunities case as little as ???? per month for products and maybe $50.00 - $100.00 for marketing expenses. But, this is not a given or requirement just logical business practice to build it. Reinforce that low start up costs are the beauty of this business. And that thousands of people have come into our business in financial straits only to become enormously wealthy from humble beginnings. Just as an example, you might want to say, I know, I know. It was kind of tough for me too in the beginning. I know exactly what you mean. You know, again, get behind the objection. But then talk about how they can start off by perhaps qualifying an autoship order around products that, you know, you would buy at the store anyway. I mean, that would keep the expense down because it's just stuff you would have spent anyway. Or stay within your warm market in the beginning because those leads are free. You know, you don't have to spend a lot of money for an advertising budge.
I don't have the time!!!!
Make a point that this business can be done on a very part-time basis. They don't have to work it 60 to 80 hour a week, seven days a week. It's maybe six to eight hours. Who knows. I mean, whatever spare time or part time they want to work it is fine.
Emphasize upline support. Let them know that, they're not working the business alone. They are in business for themselves but not by themselves. There are others upline and eventually downline from them that'll be working on their behalf while they comfortably work the business, at whatever amount of spare time that they have. Emphasize that, again, that's the advantage of network marketing; that they're not trading hours for dollars.
They're eventually going to get paid on other people's hours, not theirs.
I have never been in business for myself or I don't understand network marketing or I don't have any real business experience!!!
When someone says any of these thing just say, you know, there's a kind of business out there where the company handles all the key issues of doing the business. You don't need to have any business experience, education other than knowing how to balance your own check book and keeping track of any orders you sell. In a sense, it is your business but this company handles most everything. They'll pay your sales taxes to all 50 states, research and develop your product, do your inventorying, handle your payroll, do your shipping and they'll create all of your marketing material.
Not only that, there's more. They're a bunch of experts who have a lot of experience and success in this business who will work with you on a one-on-one basis, an unlimited amount of time for the entire life of your business, and they'll never charge you a dime. Free consulting.
And, of course, they're going to say, well, that sounds too good to be true. It's not real. Nevertheless, the door is now open and you can start discussing the nature of network marketing and more importantly your opportunity. Those consultants, of course, are the upline who have a vested interest in working with you because, you know, they earn commission off of you. And the company takes care of all that other stuff. And, actually, I don't even think our company right now is even charging an annual renewal fee. They're doing all that stuff for us for free.
Too much risk!!!
You will run into a bunch of prospects that feel our business has too much risk attached to it. They can't afford to quit their job as much security as that offered or didn't offer. They just couldn't afford to take that chance and start their own business because, you know, they had a mortgage to pay, family to feed, so forth. A lot of people have said that earlier in their lives, maybe they would have done it, but now because they have some responsibilities they've got to take care of. So it's too much risk.
The fact is, there's really no risk involved because they can keep their job while they do this business on the side. And there's not a whole lot of risk from the business standpoint because if they want to get out of the business, they can take all their sales aids and product in resalable condition and send it back and get a refund. That's a huge advantage and no other business offers this. Low cost entry, Low risk entry and exit.
The best of all worlds.
This is one of those get rich quick pyramid schemes!!!
Often you will run into a prospect that is extremely skeptical about network marketing. They will say I don't know about this network marketing deal but to me it's part of just a bunch of money games and get-rich-quick schemes and pyramids. You can say, you're absolutely right. You know, I know that there's a lot of that types of things out there. There's all kinds of pyramid schemes disguised as legitimate network marketing companies.
But, think about this. By published statistics there are about 800 companies out there, and in my opinion I think there's probably 30 or 40 good ones. That means there's a lot of ones that aren't very good. Now, of course, that means there's 29 or
39 more than you need to be successful. So you have plenty of good ones to choose from. But, you know, yeah, there's a lot of crummy programs out there that you have to look through to find a few good ones. So, you know, I'm agreeing with them.
You're championing the objection first, but then going to explain to them there's a big difference between illegal pyramids and legitimate network marketing companies from a legal standpoint and that's, you know this, and you explain the difference, assuming that's what they think this is.
You might want to throw out things like network marketing is a 55-year-old industry. Talk about the Amway-FTC decision in '79 so they know that there's a legal precedent and that these are legal companies. Talk about, MCI, Colgate, Palmolive, Gillette, the big companies that have embraced the concept. Do whatever you've got to do to defend the industry. But, again, most of the time you're not going to have to do that.
If they think that your opportunity just looks like another one of those get-rich-quick schemes, you might want to say, there are a lot of these kind that look that way, and a lot of distributors will tell you that about their company because that's what they think you want to hear. But here at (your
company) it really isn't. You know, this is more of a serious business, and it takes a long time to build. And then you start explaining why it's not a get-rich-quick scheme. Also mention the fact that your opportunity has been in business since ????
and without any legal problems and we are actually considered at the top of the stability chart as to companies involved in network marketing
But agree with them first. You know, there's a lot of those out there. I understand why you feel that way. You're right to be concerned about that. But here's what we do different.
This pretty much takes care of what you might run into with outer circle prospects. Of course there are many more but most are variations of what has been discussed and you will be able to deal with those as they come up using many of the aforementioned techniques as well as honing your own.
Let's take a look at a much more difficult prospect to try and sponsor in and deal with objectives with. These represent prospects that have been in our business before. I say more difficult only directed to those of you not having much experience in this business yourself. Many of these network marketing prospects have experience, understanding of the business principles, compensation plans and inner workings of network marketing or worse yet think they do!!!! Many will not have the knowledge base but try and impress upon you that they do. Many will have ingrained bad habits, ideas, and opinions and will make your task of overcoming their objections all the more difficult. Of course you must still champion their objections and let them do the talking. Also remember that you have people in your upline with the experience to deal with these folks and you might want to consider three-waying your prospect into them.
This can be a great learning experience for you.
Another important thing you might want to do is educate yourself on our business by having an understanding of how different compensation plans work and who your competition may be out there. At any one time there will be a dozen or so companies that these prospects may be looking at. Be aware that if you are using our co-op leads, most of them are generated from network marketing magazines we advertise in. There is a 100% probability that these prospects are calling on many of the advertisers in these publications!!! Therefore you should get subscriptions to these publications and see whom your competition is. Then spend some time getting to know these companies so you have the ammunition to deal with any arguments your prospect may bring up about why they think these other companies may be a better program for them. All network-marketing companies have negatives and/or weaknesses and if you know what they are you can reinforce how much better your opportunity is.
a. Don't like the comp plan;
b. Your company is no different than 100's of others out there;
They don't like the comp plan
The chances are neither you are them understand comp plans to the degree you can argue one against the other.
We touched on this earlier. Some people don't like a particular compensation plan for whatever reason but generally this is because of false impressions or lack of understanding. Some plans are pay-out front weighted, some are middle and some are back. Very few offer all three benefits evenly across the board.
Do yourself a favor and look at some plans out there and you will immediately see how they are structured and where the pay weight is located. Once armed with this understanding you will be able to effectively discuss plans and close down this particular objection. Of course you will want to listen to see what kind of plan a prospect might lean towards. Our companies plan happens to be a very evenly distributed plan. Probably the best in the business. You can discuss all the ways you get paid with your opportunity
Your company is just another pill, potion and lotion company!!!
This can be a fairly common objection but one with an easy response. You might say something like; I know there are so many nutritional-and-skin-and-hair-care-type products out there.
You're right. I mean they all just kind of look the same. They all claim they have the greatest products in the world. I understand why you think that. You know, I know exactly how you feel, but, you know, this is what's different about our products.
Then you get into the Unique Selling Proposition that makes our products unique and sets them apart from all the other companies.
When they say that there are just to many nutritional and personal care companies out there you can invoke the immortal words of the great Yogi Berra who once said, you know, nobody ever goes to that restaurant anymore because it's always so crowded.
All kidding aside, agree with them and say, you're right. You know, out of 800 companies, about 700 of them are probably selling something nutritional. There's so many of them out there. You're absolutely right. You agree with them. But then you say, but there's a reason for that: Because that's what works. You know, for half a century all the largest most successful companies are all selling lotions and potions. All the richest most successful distributors, guess what they're selling? Nutritional products, skin-care-home-care products, home-care products, tangible, consumable products. So let's duplicate what works. You know, that's why there's so many of these companies out there because that's what works; that's what creates sales volume and keeps it moving. So champion the objection first and explain why this situation's different.
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The Truth About Network Marketing
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Q. Can Network Marketing be done successfully part-time?
A. Absolutely....it's very common in fact. You can start your Network Marketing business on a part-time basis without giving up your current source of income until your Network Marketing business is generating the income you require. And the best part is that you can continue to operate indefinitely on a part-time basis. What would you do if you were financially independent and most of your time was free to do with as you pleased? This is why so many people are flocking to Network Marketing. And that's why we say that Network Marketing puts the freedom back in free enterprise!
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Q. Do I have to sell products door-to-door or hold parties or meetings?
A. No. One of the greatest features of Network Marketing is that success can be achieved using a wide variety of methods. You choose the methods that YOU are comfortable with; whether that means direct mail, distributing catalogs, telemarketing, meetings, one-on-one, in-home parties, via fundraisers, commercial accounts, and so on.
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Q. Isn't Network Marketing one of those pyramid schemes?
A. Definitely not. Though Network Marketing and pyramid schemes do share some similarities, there's a very important difference that makes the latter illegal. You see, in pyramid schemes, income is generated solely on the process of recruiting others into the pyramid. Sometimes a product or service of questionable value is involved (that is never retailed to the general public by the way), but generally what you're buying is the right to recruit others into the scheme. This is illegal. Also, in pyramid schemes, those who get in first and who are at the top win, while everybody else loses. In a legitimate Network Marketing company, on the other hand, distributors are paid only on product movement; not on recruiting. Both at wholesale and retail. There's also compensation based on the training and managing of your marketing team. And unlike illegal pyramids, in Network Marketing, no matter where you're positioned or when you join, you can advance to the very highest income levels and even make more money than those above you in the network.
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Q. I'm not a salesperson, so this probably isn't for me.
A. Actually, studies have shown that people with no sales experience do great in Network Marketing. In fact, the studies show that they often do better than those with previous sales experience. This is because Network Marketing isn't about selling; at least not in the way most people think of selling. There's no place for arm-twisting or high-pressure techniques in Network Marketing. Rather, Network Marketing is simply about sharing the concepts and products of your Network Marketing company that you use and you're excited about.
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Q. How much money can I make?
A. The bottom line is you'll get out of it what you put into it. It works...if you do. But that's the beauty of it, too; you are in control; it's up to you how far you take it. And don't forget, the income you create in Network Marketing is residual. This basically means that for the work you do just today, you have the potential to earn money not only for today but for years to come.
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Q. Do I have to sponsor a lot of people to be successful?
A. No, if you can sponsor just one person every month or two, you can do great in Network Marketing.
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Q. What's so important about sponsoring in this business anyway?
A. It's like this: it doesn't matter how intelligent, rich, energetic, or dynamic you are; we are all limited to the same 24 hours a day. By sponsoring, however, you can overcome this limitation. By sponsoring, you can virtually clone yourself and have dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people all working indirectly on your behalf on their time -- and receive a cut of everything they do.
Sponsoring also builds your security in this business. Why? In most traditional businesses, what happens if you become ill or disabled and are unable to service your customers? Or perhaps you just want to take a nice long vacation? Whatever the case, you could lose most if not all of your income overnight because it relies on you being there. That's not owning your own life and that's certainly not financial freedom.
Through the process of sponsoring and building a downline in Network Marketing, however, you can create total financial freedom for yourself. With a downline of independent business people working for you, you no longer have all your eggs in one basket. On the contrary, because each person in your downline has a vested interest in continuing and building their own businesses, you create an income that is non-dependent upon you -- an income that can continue, even grow, indefinitely with or WITHOUT you.
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Q. Do I have to stock and deliver products?
A. Most Network Marketing companies today allow its distributors (and often even retail customers) to order direct from the company. The company simultaneously tracks your commissions, credits your account, and automatically sends you a check for the total amount due.
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Q. Isn't Network Marketing just another "get-rich-quick" scheme?
A. No, "get-rich-quick" is a fairy tale. It just doesn't happen in the real world. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but they're extremely rare.
In fact, if overnight riches is your dream, your odds are probably better playing your state lottery than doing it in business -- any business.
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Q. I couldn't get involved in Network Marketing. It's not a "real"
business.
A. It's very real. Network Marketing is now a multi-billion dollar industry involving millions of independent business people and major U.S.
corporations like Colgate-Palmolive, Gillette, Sprint, and MCI, just to name a few. And it's a rapidly-growing international force, too, with thousands of Network Marketing companies already in operation in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Basin.
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Q. If Network Marketing is so great, why aren't more people involved?
A. That can be summed up in one word: misconceptions. The general public just doesn't understand what Network Marketing is or its potential. But that's finally starting to change. Right now it's estimated that only about 2% of the U.S. population is involved in Network Marketing. But industry experts predict that that number could climb to 10% by the end of this decade. You can position yourself to take advantage of this trend by getting started in Network Marketing now. The timing is great for getting involved!
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Q. What are the costs involved in starting and operating this kind of business?
A. Virtually all Network Marketing companies require you to first purchase some kind of "Starter Kit." This is a one-time cost, and is usually less than $100. In addition, of course, you'll have monthly expenses for office supplies, postage, advertising, etc. A total of $50-$150 dollars per month is probably a realistic expenditure to expect.
Anyone can afford this amount of money without jeopardizing their current lifestyle while they're trying to build a better one. And here's some more good news -- most, if not all of that, is tax deductible.
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Q. What if I can't afford to buy extra products.
A. You're not supposed to. Network Marketing companies just want you to replace those products you now buy elsewhere with the equivalent-but-higher- quality products your Network Marketing company manufactures. By doing so, you'll likely save money since you now get to buy at wholesale. Plus, it only makes sense to buy from yourself -- to buy from "your own store."
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Q. I've tried Network Marketing before and it didn't work for me.
A. Let's say you've just moved into a new city and you decided to go out to eat that evening. Unfortunately, the food at the restaurant you picked turned out to be horrible. But just because of this one bad experience, you surely wouldn't swear off eating at all the other restaurants in the city, would you? Of course not! Network Marketing is no different. There are fair Network Marketing companies, great Network Marketing companies, and, yes, even some bad Network Marketing companies. But Network Marketing works! You just need to link up with the right company.
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Q. I don't have the cash right now to get involved in Network Marketing.
A. Get it! If a brand new $60,000 Mercedes were offered to you for $1000, would you find the money somehow to buy it? Go and get the money because your own Network Marketing business could be worth a lot more than that Mercedes.
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Q. I can see how others have become successful, but I don't think I could do it.
A. People of every age, every background, from every walk of life are making it in Network Marketing today. If you have the desire, you can succeed in Network Marketing.
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Q. If I would happen to be sponsored by someone half way across the country, how do I get questions answered? And what about training?
A. Free consultation and assistance from your sponsor, other upline associates (and often the corporate staff of your Network Marketing
company) is a phone call away. Faxes, E-Mail, Voice Mail, and other new technologies also provide fast and efficient communications between upline and downline...no matter where they're located. As for long-distance training, this is easily handled through video training tapes, audio tape seminars, books, online computer and telephone conferences, etc.
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Q. I just don't have the time to start a Network Marketing business. I've got too many irons in the fire already.
A. That's precisely why you should consider Network Marketing.
Besides creating financial freedom, Network Marketing is specifically designed to create personal freedom for you so that you can do all the things in life you really want to do that you don't have the time for now.
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Q. Don't you have to get in at the beginning to make any real money?
Doesn't saturation eventually occur?
A. That's another big misconception that's been perpetuated by the media for years. The fact is, there has never been any evidence produced that "saturation" occurs in Network Marketing. This very topic was debated in U.S. courts at one time and that was the conclusion by the courts.
Secondly, realize that because Network Marketing is still a very young industry, there are hundreds of millions of prospects worldwide who have never even heard of Network Marketing. It will take years to even make a dent in that.
But here's the main reason why "saturation" is a myth: Timing. In the U.S. alone, there are tens of thousands of brand new prospects "hatched"
every year. Part of that figure is young adults who have only just reached the stage in their lives where they'd consider (and could afford) to start a business. Then there are the thousands who have just experienced a major shift in the direction of their lives because of changes at work, at home, etc. These same people, who just months before could in no way, shape, or form be considered prospects for Network Marketing, NOW are suddenly very open to the proposition. And this is happening constantly. Bottom line: The market is wide open and the potential is enormous.