Karen's MLM Training

Are We There Yet?

Personal Growth is all about investing in yourself. But why invest in yourself? The answer is simple. To have more in your life you’ve got to be more. Does this mean you will have to work harder? NO! But it does mean that you will need to work smarter to maximize your resources while learning how to play the game.

All of our success is first created in the mind. That’s why I have a whole category called “Your Money Mind.” But then the actions needed to make the ‘spiritual creations’ a reality fall under personal growth. The difference between the ‘winners and losers’ in life, the ‘haves’ and the ‘have not’s’, those who remain ‘ordinary’ and those who ‘excel’ is simply the skills they have developed to make things happen.

Are We There Yet?

Anyone who has ever had kids has heard these four words on every car trip. Sometimes you’re barely out of the driveway when you hear, “Are we there yet?” Then, every few miles, echoing from the back seat “Are we there yet?”

That same question is asked by many adults who are trying to get out of the rat race or put together a financial plan for retirement. In spite of living in a multiple-income household for all of their working lives, most couples are struggling just to get by let alone think about saving anything. At the end of every month, there is just no money left over. In some cases, individuals have to borrow just to meet their monthly obligations, or to pay their taxes at the end of the year. How can this be? How can two hard working people, with two incomes, living in the wealthiest country in the world, just get by? This is how the majority of North Americans live. Welcome to the masses!

Well, there is a better way. That better way is to do something for YOURSELF. This is what personal growth is all about!

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“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.”
– Mark Caine
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The definition of ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over, hoping to get different results. Let me describe to you an insane life…

My husband spent over 20 years in the corporate world sweating for someone else, travelling all over the country and putting in an enormous amount of hours each week making THEM rich! Out of the blue the boss shows up at the door and says “The Company is going in a different direction and we don’t need you anymore.”Just like that he was out of a job! No thanks, no income AND no retirement. Now, that was pretty devastating for a loyal employee of over 20 years, but for the first time in his life he could now grasp the concept I’d been telling him all our married life… NEWS FLASH…You can never become financially independent relying on a job. Ouch, it did sting a bit!

Oh, by the way, J.O.B is an acronym for “Just Over Broke.” Not convinced? Take a look at the difference between your “Gross” pay and your “Net” pay on your paycheck stub. That’s what used to really frost me. My husband’s “Net” pay, or “take-home” pay, was what we got after the government gets their cut and all of the other deductions come off. Quite frankly it was disappointing. By the way, do you know why they call it “take-home” pay? Because these days, “home” is about the only place you can afford to go with it! For the first time after losing his job my husband realized that swapping hours for dollars was an insane thing to do-even though he loved his work. Now his workweek averages about 15 – 20 hours, he’s close to retirement AND being completely financially independent, and has lots of time for the grandkids and anything else he wants to do. This lifestyle is available to YOU RIGHT NOW! You don’t need a college degree; you don’t need any professional training or any business experience at all.

No longer do you have to subscribe to the 40-40-40 plan…working 40 hours per week for 40 years of your life to live on 40% less pay! Welcome to the world of Network Marketing!

Our website is dedicated to teaching you HOW the game is played-staying home and spending only a few hours a day helping people just like yourself become financially independent. In return for your efforts you see ca$h (yes, I said CA$H) arriving in your bank account every week!

What if, as you learned more, and you shared what you learned with others, (all from the comfort of your own home,) you would receive even MORE ca$h? You would also get to hang out each day with people who are dedicated to helping you achieve your goals and dreams. This truly is living the American Dream. Then, whenever your kids, or your partner asks you, “Are we there yet?” you can say, “Absolutely.”

NEXT BLOG: Inventing Your Professional Image

10 Things To Do For Greater Business Success

If you can run a household, you can run a business! To run my household I have a schedule. Let me share some examples, just to illustrate. On Monday and Thursday I do laundry. On Monday between loads of laundry I clean the bathrooms and take out the trash. On Thursday between loads I vacuum the house. I have specific days and times I go shopping, pay the bills etc. During the times I allocate for specific tasks I focus on the task at hand until it’s done, even though there may be other pressing things that seem as important. This is the way I keep my sanity and not feel overwhelmed.

Running a successful business is not ‘rocket science’, but rather a series of habits performed consistently with a specific end in mind–just like running a household. By following a consistent schedule is how I get things covered. I have found that tasks are best done in chunks of time for efficiency and focus. The ‘magic’ chunk of time for me is 90 minutes. For some projects I may allocate up to 120 minutes. There may be smaller chunks of time dedicated to more demanding tasks. For instance I am not a phone warrior! The maximum time I spend on the phone at any given time is 15 minutes. After each task I like to take a break-just a short break of 10 minutes to get my focus for the next project. For my lunch I usually take 45 to 60 minutes as I usually walk the dog during this break.

The Network Marketing business is just like any other business. It needs to be taken seriously. The secret I’ve discovered is to work a little every day on building your business. Remember that even though you are in business for yourself, you are not in business by yourself! Being in business is a learning curve and a leaning curve-leaning on your upline as much as possible! As a business person, you control your success by controlling your environment because you now have the flexibility, freedom and opportunity to fail or prosper. There is no “Boss” per se to keep you accountable, so you need to keep yourself accountable. In this business, unless products move, nobody gets paid.

10 Things To Do For Greater Business Success.

1. Schedule specific times during the week that you will work the business.

2. Outline your tasks to be done during those time slots.

3. Do all higher-prioritized tasks first.

4. Let the members of your household know that during this time you are not to be disturbed.

5. With younger kids, it might be beneficial to get a sitter for certain time slots or schedule time to work when they are at school etc.  Just remember it’s not professional to have screaming kids in the background when you’re on the phone!

6. Dedicate a specific part of the house as your focal point for working. You don’t need a large space, but one with some privacy works best. This could be a corner of a quieter room.

7. Get set for the day by getting dressed for success. It’s not productive to run your business while wearing pajamas.

8. Set goals for the week at the beginning of the week.

9. At the end of your work week critique yourself on what you did well and where you need improvement. Implement one new change at a time each week.

10. Preview the following weeks schedule on Sunday evening. Coordinate your schedule with your family calendar. (By the way having it on the fridge works great)

NEXT BLOG: The 5 Biggest Time Wasters That Hurt Your Home-Based Business!

5 Things To Do To Prepare Your Mind

Welcome to followmetomoney.com,  a 21^st century Business Training Center with a curriculum built on ’real-world’ business education, personal growth and character development. Our philosophy is the purest form of entrepreneurialism, rooted in the principle of duplication and in the power of leverage. We teach ordinary individuals how to become business-minded people, then we take business-minded people and inspire them to become wealth-minded money magnets. We will show you that in ‘real-world’ business it is necessary to integrate becoming a master network-builder with the power of the Internet to produce multiple streams of income.

It’s all in your head!

Just as your body’s ability to burn calories depends on its “set-point” or thermostat, so your ability to create wealth depends upon your “mental set-point”, or as T. Harv Eker puts it “your money blueprint“1. What is this “money blueprint?” Well, you have to position yourself to make money-a lot of money and that all begins in the mind. This is why I decided to dedicate this part of my blog to developing the mind as the foundation for personal growth. I can teach you a lot of great skills for success, but unless you’ve got the right “mental-set” you’ll end up sabbotaging yourself.

The philosophy of success started with a great book called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.  The book contains the money-making secret which has made fortunes for hundreds of exceedingly wealthy men. The key to success is understanding how ‘thoughts are things’ and ‘why you are the master of your fate’ and that “all achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea”2.

The 5 things you can do to prepare the mind?

1. Begin by eliminating all negativity in your life-negative thinking, negative self-talk, negative people and negative news reports. By doing so you will be able to start identifying your limiting beliefs.

2. Put positive ideas into your mind on a daily basis. Start reading material about success and autobiographies of successful people.

3. Be grateful for what you already have. “The riches within your grasp cannot always be measured in money. There are great riches in lasting friendships, harmonious family relationships, sympathy and understanding between business associates, and an inner harmony which brings peace of mind measurable only in spiritual valuers.”3 For me my health is my wealth.

4. Appreciate the wonders of nature. Take time to smell the roses, go for a walk or listen to the birds.

5. Daily meditation techniques help to calm the mind and shut out the limitless ‘chatter’ and worry of life. It is a great time to listen and be still.

How Do I Make My Business 100% Referral-Based?

This part of my blog focuses on killer marketing strategies and the tactics that will bring you the best prospects for your business. Remember the 80/20 rule: 20% of your customers bring you 80% of your business. The best way to build your business is through ‘word of mouth’ marketing. I bet that right now you are not maximizing your resources to make your business a referral-based enterprise.

“How do I make my business a 100% referral-based business?”

1. Get clear about the business you are in. What is the perception that you would like others to know about your company. Before you ask for referrals you have to let your contacts know what you do! Draft up a brief ‘core story’ about your company. Remember ‘facts tell and stories sell’. Include passion and excitement about why you got involved in this business.

2. Identify the 20% of your top clients who give you 80% of your business. This is a good place to start asking for referrals. You may even include other people who you know would go to bat for you. We’ll call this your ‘A-team’.

3. Call up the individuals on your ‘A-team’. Tell them you need their help and ask if you can meet briefly for 15 minutes.

4. Set up the appointment.

5. After brief pleasantries, give them an overview of your company and what you’re trying to achieve. Tell them specifically how they can help you.

6. See if they have any questions to clarify what you’re looking for.

7. Ask them if they could give you 5 names of individuals as referrals.

8. Get permission from them to use their name with each referral. Ask them who would be their first pick of the list.

9. If possible see if they will call the first pick of the list right then on your behalf. At best you might get an appointment right then or at worst they’ll give that person a heads up that you’ll be contacting them.

10. Thank them for their time and ask if there’s anything you can do to reciprocate their kindness.

This technique takes a little practice, but it’s a great way to grow your business in leaps and bounds. Remember that you are in the business of building relationships. Make it fun and enjoy the interaction with all the great people that you meet.

NEXT BLOG: Creating Your Core Story

10 Steps to Starting Your Online Business

Network Marketing vs Direct sales

This section of my blog is dedicated to helping you harness the power of  the Network Marketing concept. This method of doing business is not new and has been around for about 50 years, but I find that only a few people who are involved in the industry really understand it., hence only a few in this industry are really successful. We’re looking to change all of that.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the “Rich Dad” Series describes Network Marketing as ‘The Business of the 21st Century”. In his book, by the same name, he says, “These may be economic hard times for the majority, but for many entrepreneurs, these are times teeming with economic potential. Not only is now the time to have your own business, but there has never been a better time than right now!”

If you want to have your own business, there are only a few options to choose from:

1. Buy a franchise: ‘Hamburger School” business concept

2. Start your own business: Retail Sales,  Mail Order (Catalog Company), Online Business, Direct Sales or Multi-level Marketing

3. Inherit a business

Many people are confused about what Multi-level Marketing (MLM) or Network Marketing is and what it isn’t. MLM is often confused with Direct Sales because most reputable MLM companies are members of the Direct Sales Association. The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. Approximately 200 companies are members of the association, including many well-known brand names. DSA operates from its D.C. headquarters which it shares with the Direct Selling Education Foundation and the secretariat of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations. DSA provides educational opportunities for direct selling professionals and works with Congress, numerous government agencies, consumer protection organizations and others on behalf of its member companies.

What is MLM?

Multi-level marketing (MLM), Network Marketing, Relationship Selling or Referral-based Marketing is a method of distrbution or a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they recruit, creating a ‘downline’ or team of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation. It differs from direct selling in many ways:

• It is uses a warm market to build a downline or a ‘network’.
• It is based on the philosophy that a few people do a little to build the team.
• It uses a process that can be duplicated.
• The network has the capacity to produce repetitive, residual income.
• There are different structures of networks or compensation plans, 10% of which use a binary system.

What is Direct Sales?

Direct selling is the sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location, marketed through independent sales representatives who are sometimes also referred to as consultants, distributors or other titles. Direct selling should not be confused with other types of sales that take place away from a fixed retail location such as magazine sales, home repair services, telemarketing, wholesaling, real estate sales, or “work-from-home” businesses such as envelope stuffing or product assembly. It is a method of distribution that differs from MLM in many ways:

• Direct sellers are independent contractors or distributors who market and sell the products or services of a company in return for a commission on those sales.
• It is a single-level selling strategy. They are compensated only for the sales they personally generate.
• Home shopping parties are the most widely recognized sales method, where friends, family or acquaintances get together for a few hours to learn about or sample a range of products or services.
• The majority (about 70%) of the direct selling industry’s sales actually occur using a one-to-one approach where one seller may present the products or services to a single consumer.
• Direct sales does not focus on building a network.
• Direct sales often sells to a ‘cold market’ or Retail Customers.
• Direct sellers do not build repetitive, residual income.

I’m going to let you in on a HUGE secret that most MLMers don’t get…the whole purpose of using the MLM business concept as part of your overall strategy is to build a hub locally. This is the tangible part of your circle of influence. Everything flows out from the hub. It’s like the ripple effect. This balances the virtual part of your business.

NEXT BLOG: The 5 Strategies For Building Your MLM Business.