Treat Your Business Like a Business

The first rule of being in business for yourself is to go to work every day as if it were a job. Whether you are new to being an entrepreneur or you have primarily or exclusively worked for someone else, this way of planning for your workday will help you transition into being a profitable business owner. The sooner you take your business seriously, the happier and more prosperous you will be in your venture. The second rule is to get in the game and stay in the game. You must remain active over time in order to prosper and to develop yourself into a competent and seasoned professional. MAKE A PLAN Create a game plan so that you can lift your business off the ground as soon as possible. The details of this plan will depend entirely on your goals, your level of ambition, how much time you are able and willing to allocate to your business, and whether or not your network marketing income is going to be your primary or secondary source of revenue. This should be discussed openly with your sponsor from the beginning. It can become an on-going dialogue as you, your vision, and your business evolve. Madeline is one of the top earners of a network marketing company. Madeline started her business fourteen years ago with the goal to get her products paid for. At the time, she had four small children and only worked a few hours per week. Her customer base grew gradually as she shared the products with people she knew. She never became aggressive in her sales attempts. For years she never ventured outside of her circle of friends and acquaintances, enrolling a few friends and helping them enroll a few people whom they knew. What Madeline realizes now, but did not see then, is that her efforts were building to something far more significant than her initial goal. If she had it all to do again, she said she would have been grateful for those few hours per week she was able to devote to her enterprise, instead of always telling herself that she was not doing enough. She did not foresee herself achieving her current status with her company and influencing as many people as she has over the years. If you want to make ten thousand dollars per month in one year, and you have only five hours per week, you will need to adjust either your goal or your activities. Ideally your sponsor will help you figure out how much time and effort is necessary for you to achieve your goals and what you can realistically expect from the time you can allocate to your business. Discussing your goals with your sponsor will help you steer through this initial start-up phase. With an understanding and appreciation of the fact that you will need to put time into your business before you see significant results, you will be better prepared to defer gratification as you give your business time to stabilize. songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute songmute PEOPLE WHO NEED PEOPLE It is important that you start your names list shortly after you complete your application. This list is the basis for identifying people whom you might like to work with and who might be interested in your products. No names list, no business. Your names list is as important a tool for you as a hammer is to a carpenter. Who will you contact and how will you find people? Some distributors prefer to do all of their marketing on-line, with leads, virtual ad campaigns, and social media. However, keep in mind that most people get introduced to this business by someone they already know, or someone they meet personally. Even if you meet someone in a chat room or from an Internet lead, you must focus on establishing a relationship with that person. You need to develop your ability to deepen your connections and build rapport with the people who are considering your business and your products. You must connect with people before either party decides to work with the other. Since nobody you speak with must become your next associate or your next customer, you can relax. If you think that someone could be the next superstar in your organization, keep your expectations in check. The only person who has the potential of being a big contributor and strong leader on your team is someone who is willing to make building his business a priority and take this seriously. Discuss goals openly with all of your prospective business partners. Separate your needs from these conversations with people and you will exert less pressure and feel more at ease. You will also be better prepared to listen to what someone wants to achieve if you suspend what you want during the discussion. The mantra is: Make it about the other person. Serve more people if you want to sell more products and enroll more associates into your organization. RESOLVING YOUR CONCERNS If you are unsure about network marketing, it will be difficult to encourage others to believe in what you are doing. If you have not experienced your company's products, it is unlikely you will market them successfully. Educate yourself about your company and the industry so you can speak reliably about both. Become your own best customer and product user. You want to stand tall and firm in your secure knowledge of the value of what you are offering. Your unshakable belief is what you relay when you speak with people. The stronger your belief, the more people you will influence. When your belief is strong no matter what anyone says, you will not get knocked to the ground and your journey will be much smoother. If you encounter "dream stealers"-people who want to talk you out of your new business-you remain steady and confident. This is posture and it comes with practice. Gradually, the final and most important belief kicks in: belief in you. It cannot happen overnight, so try to stay grounded and focused as you build up this cornerstone of your business. You may have been blessed with high achievement and expertise in another field, perhaps the one you were involved in when you started your network marketing business. Even if you have already done well elsewhere in your life, it is your belief in your ability in this, your networking business, that is essential for you to build a thriving and sustaining organization Believing in yourself and feeling confident in your new venture may come in fits and starts, but come it will as long as you are continuously practicing and improving