B00CLEM7J0 EBOK (13 page)

Jim Rohn also taught me to be a reader. No matter what you’re trying to learn, there is someone who has devoted their entire life to the subject and is offering it to you for pennies. Take them up on that offer.

In our electronics-focused, attention deficit society, fewer people seem to read books. That’s not true for leaders. Ask the top-earning distributors if they are readers. More importantly, ask them what they are reading. I wasn’t much of a reader before I became a Network Marketing professional. But since 1988, I’ve read an average of about four books a month. Those books have shaped my life and my career for the better. Commit to just 10 pages a day and you can read a 300-page book in a month. That’s a great start.

Video

Video is another source of great learning. Sometimes I like to watch a training program instead of just listening. It’s part of the reason I decided to use video as my main focus at NetworkMarketingPro.com. I found if I create a short video with interesting information every day, people receive tremendous value. If you’d like to check out the hundreds of videos, you can go to
http://networkmarketingpro.com
. It’s free.

Online

The Internet has changed the way we learn and gather information. You can take advantage of online tutorials, watch online videos, attend online webinars, or even watch events “live” with streaming technology.

Events

The best way I know to really internalize life-changing information is to attend live events. As I’ve already told you, most of my defining moments have come from events. On one side, there is always good information for a person who’s listening. On the other side, when you eliminate all of the other distractions in life and just focus, like you do at an event, you have a chance to really hear. Both sides are good.

Be Careful of Distractions

With all of the choices available to you in terms of studying your craft, now, more than ever, you must be careful about what you allow into your mind. People everywhere will try to distract you with their latest and greatest breakthrough and it can be very tempting to jump at all those opportunities. You should be focused on a very narrow range of skills: Finding prospects, inviting, presenting, following up, closing, getting people started right, and promoting events. Make sure you master THOSE skills first before adding anything else to your “to do” list.

Take Action

Almost all of the learning in MLM is in the doing. If you want to learn how to talk to people on the phone, then talk to more people on the phone. If you want to learn how to do a home presentation, then do more home presentations. You will certainly figure it out. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to seek knowledge on the skillsets for success in MLM, but it does mean you shouldn’t wait for complete knowledge before taking action.

Part of the reason people avoid taking action is they are afraid they’ll be embarrassed. If you want to be successful in Network Marketing, you must learn to set that fear aside. Here’s why: It’s very difficult to look good and get better at the same time. Instead of being afraid of how you look as you’re learning and growing, be afraid of not taking action and living a life at a fraction of your potential.

Let me give you a concept that has served me for over 20 years in the area of developing my skills. Back in the early 1990s, a friend and I were searching for a great Network Marketing product. We traveled the country and met with many interesting people. Our journey led us to an organization in Michigan called the High Scope Educational Research Foundation. They had a progressive and proven way to teach children how to learn more effectively.

High Scope has many components, but the one that struck me then is the one I’ve used to this day, called “plan-do-review.” Here’s how the company explains the process: “In the plan-do review process, children make plans, carry them out, and reflect on what they have done. In doing so, children learn to take initiative, solve problems, work with others, and accomplish their goals — their play becomes more purposeful and focused. By making plan-do-review a successful and integral part of your classroom’s daily routine, you’ll learn how you can promote learning and build on children’s interests and intrinsic motivation.”

While I heard what they were saying on how to use it as a teaching tool for children, the only thing that was rolling around in my mind was how I could use it for myself and for the people in my organization. While things didn’t work out for turning the High Scope product into a Network Marketing product, I’ll be forever grateful to their organization for helping me and hundreds of thousands of people all over the world to use this concept to build a better business.

Here’s how I’ve used and taught the concept for over 20 years now:

Choose a skill you want to develop.

1. Make a PLAN.
   
2. DO your plan.
   
3. REVIEW your results to see how you can do better next time.
   

Most people don’t make a plan, they just charge out and DO. Even more people never REVIEW their results to see how they could improve. Do you see how this connects with no good experiences and no bad experiences, only learning experiences?

1. Make a PLAN.
   
2. DO your plan.
   
3. REVIEW your results, good or bad, to see how you can do better next time.
   
4. Make a better PLAN.
   
5. DO that better plan.
   
6. REVIEW those results, good or bad, to see how you can do better next time.
   
7. Never stop applying plan-do-review and you’ll eventually become an expert through trial and error.
   

This little “secret” to learning in MLM is one of the most powerful I’ve shared. It’s become part of my DNA. I hope the same happens for you.

Teaching

Would it surprise you to know that teaching is one of the best ways to learn? It’s true. If you want to really master something, teach it to others. Teaching burns a groove in your brain like nothing else can.

Who do you think gets the most benefit from the daily video shows at NetworkMarketingPro.com? I do! I have to think about it, prepare, and present the message every day, so it helps keep me sharp and on top of my game. The lesson for each of you should be to find someone to teach, even if you just have one person in your group. Start there, and as your group grows, look for more and more opportunities to teach. You’ll get the most benefit.

Your Associations

This is another important lesson from Jim Rohn. He taught me the Law of Association that says you’ll become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You’ll think how they think, act how they act, talk how they talk, and earn how they earn. Let me tell you something. This law is real. You can’t fight it.

I’ve done three things over the course of my career when it comes to my associations.

First, I’ve disassociated with the people who were toxic to my life. This isn’t an easy decision, but it’s an important one. Some people will keep you down permanently.

Second, I’ve limited my associations with negative people or people who weren’t helping me grow in the direction of my dreams. I’ve just learned to spend less time with those people and more time on positive influences.

And third, I’ve worked to expand my associations with people who can help me become a better person and a better professional. If you’re trying to learn to become an expert in the Network Marketing Profession, doesn’t it make sense to find a way to spend more time with the people who have the skills you’re looking for?

If this is a little too stressful to think about when you’re looking at the five people you’re spending your time with right now, here’s a little tip: About every six months, one of the people in your five will change. They’ll move, get a new job, start a relationship, end a relationship—something will happen. The secret is, when that happens, choose very wisely when you’re thinking about who’s going to take their place. Most people don’t think about this at all. They just let the next person fall into that place. That’s a big mistake. Find someone who will push you. Find someone who will inspire you.

I hope these suggestions on the learning process of becoming a professional have been helpful to you. It’s okay to dream big, but you also have to be patient. Anything of value takes time. Continue to develop your skills. Become a permanent student. Those skills will make a place for you for the rest of your life.

There’s one more concept you need to understand. I’ve analyzed the top earners in Network Marketing. I’ve interviewed them and we’ve become friends. Do you know what they all have in common? They work HARD. Don’t get me wrong, they have a great lifestyle and they love what they do, but they work their butts off. If you want big success in MLM, you’re going to have to do the same.

Network Marketing isn’t about luck, timing, positioning, or signing that magic person who will make you rich. Freedom is possible, but it isn’t free. It will take hard work to stay consistent when the world tries to distract you. It will take hard work to learn the skills required for long-term success. It will take hard work to become the leader you were meant to be.

Some people in Network Marketing become unhappy when they realize work is involved. Most of them join for some sort of free ride. When they experience growing pains, they run for the hills. Be different. It might be hard work but it’s good work and it’s the best way I know for the average person to enjoy true freedom.

CHAPTER TWELVE

It’s All Worth It

Network Marketing can be challenging. It is an emotional experience. The ups and downs can be dramatic. But in the end, for so many reasons, it’s all worth it.

The Career You Will Create

If you decide to become a Network Marketing Professional, you will not only create an income for yourself, you’ll create a career. I think about this a lot. Consider the skills required to be a doctor, a lawyer, a big company CEO, or even a world-class musician. You’re talking about a high level of skill, and a fairly high level of income.

Now consider the skills necessary to become a Network Marketing Professional. They are TINY in comparison! And yet many Network Marketing Professionals enjoy a higher level of income and most certainly a higher degree of freedom.

If you look at any career, there is a barrier of entry (how hard it is to get in) and a long-term benefit (what you get if you do get in). For example, a doctor might have 12 years of school plus an internship. That takes intelligence some of us don’t have, money some of us don’t have, or even possibly contacts some of us don’t have. At the end, they get to enjoy a long-term benefit (although many of them would say the benefit wasn’t worth the investment).

There’s always a ratio between the barrier of entry and the long-term benefit. There is no question in my mind that of all professions in the world, the profession of Network Marketing has the best ratio when you compare the low barrier of entry with the high long-term return.

One of the best decisions in my life was making a career out of Network Marketing instead of just messing around. Becoming a professional made all the difference, and now it’s great fun to spend a good portion of my time helping other people do the same thing.

The Freedom You Will Enjoy

Freedom is an interesting word. When it comes to work, I think we understand the concept, but not the entire meaning. For me, freedom means having choices. It means living the life I want to live instead of the life other people want me to live.

Do you remember the imagination you had as a child? Imagine your life without limits.

 

• You wake up when you’re done sleeping.
  
 

 

• You’re doing work that is fulfilling and makes you happy.
  
 

 

• You get to work with people you enjoy.
  
 

 

• You don’t have to compromise all the time.
  
 

 

• You work when you feel like working but you also play when you feel like playing.
  
 

 

• You get to spend tons of time with the people who are important to you.
  
 

 

• You are living a big life and not wasting away in a box.
  
 

When you get a clear picture of what freedom is all about, you’ll find the price you’ll need to pay to achieve it in Network Marketing is very low. Facing your fears and living a life that’s free is easy. Spending the rest of your days living half a life is hard.

The Lives You Will Touch