All In Due Time...

I have to say that it has been an awesome past week and a half. I have been having great devotions and listening to some great preaching as well as participating in some awesome training sessions. I love how everything seems to be falling into place. I am seeing how everything from my spiritual walk of life is translating into my business and how the principals carry over very well. What can I say, when you do things the right way, God blesses it.

I am excited and anxious at the same time. I am seeing more and more traffic in all my internet efforts. I am also getting more emails and more people checking out my marketing site. This is how it is, consistency is definitely a factor in the results I am seeing now. I must say that it may be slow at first, but when it gets going, there is no holding it back.

I am happy that the funded proposal is working well, as well as a good lead capture page- I must admit that I need to tweak mine a bit (my friends is doing much better). I am still dealing with growth and email spam filters. I have not found the right auto responder for me, but that is just a matter of time- in all honesty part of the problem is my lack of experience. I am always open for suggestion or comments.

Viral marketing works. Pure and simple. I started out answering questions about home businesses on Yahoo! Answers many months ago and I still get emails because of my responses. I haven't been on there in months! That is awesome that people are taking this serious enough to be looking at dated material like that. This is all a part of finding quality targeted traffic for free.

I am still working on MySpace. I am not a guru on personalizing the pages yet. A friend of mine is going to help me when he gets back from a business trip. When I do I will let you know what I have learned so you can use the knowledge too.

I have to go now. I am getting ready to get on a conference call. Have a good day and until next time, reach for your dreams!

Are You Throwing Life Lines or Are You Just Saying Lines?

Odd title, don't you think? The purpose of this blog is to help other moms to work from home. I want to see other Moms become leaders in their network marketing business, and to help them learn how to grow a strong team. The reasoning behind this is to help other families stop drowning in debt, living from paycheck to paycheck.

I try to share what I have learned and what can work in ANY network marketing business, because I want to help as many people as I can.

I want to use a little illustration to evaluate how successful we are in our network marketing business.

Imagine that you are on an island in the middle of the sea. The island is full of other business owners.

The sea is full of men, women, and families drowning in debt. They are trying so hard to stay afloat and they are yelling for help, trying to get out of the water.

You look at the other business owners, they are busy making their place look nice, great signs, web pages, making flyers, talking with other business owners. Sometimes you'll notice that they will throw flyers and business cards out to the people.

Every now and then the big business owners get into a boat and go out to talk to the people in the sea. They stand in their boats and shout out all the "lines" that their business has taught them. They look so good, the money that they have and the money they promise looks good. Sometimes someone from the sea climbed into the boat and made it back to shore. Too often they stumble back into the sea when they realize they don't have the money for the good clothes and the boat.

You have found a great company. It is changing your life, and you have been given the tools to help the people in the water. You have a lifeline for the people in the water. You know how to help them promote their business with little or no money. You don't even need a boat. You realize that if you throw the line into the water, people can grab it and be pulled to the shore. When you have more people helping you to pull the line, even more people can be pulled in.

Pretty soon the people in the water start scrambling to your line because they see that it is working. Now you have the money to buy as many boats as you want, but know what? I prefer to buy more ropes and to split the people on my rope into teams to start working on the other ropes. This is the principal of duplication and multiplication in network marketing.


So how are your rescue efforts? Are you too busy making things nice on the shore? Are you waiting for a boat? Or are you using your rope?

How to Become Successful In Network Marketing

I was sitting in the choir at church today, listening to DR. Jerry Thorpe talk about being a successful Christian. It was a very powerful message. I loved it. He preached from Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

He had 3 key points that I feel can be used to help our businesses as well as our walk with Jesus.

1. This one thing I do: You need to have a dream, a vision, or a goal. This is not a wish like I want to win the lottery or to be happy. Goals can be measured (pay off my credit cards, my car, my house, to the long term of being debt free).

Did you know that 80% of the population don't have any defined goals, in fact they only help other people reach their goals. 15% have not clearly defined their goals and have no clue how to reach them. The 5% that are left have clearly defined their goals and are the most successful people in the world. Their success is greater than the success of the others combined.

2. Forgetting those things which are behind: If you do not let go of your past it will cripple you and hold you back.

Forget your inadequacies: Fill in the blanks- I always wanted to_________but I__________
Stop making thinking this way, just get out there and do it! No excuses.

Forget the Skeptics in your life: They will always hold you back. Are you familiar with the story of Peter walking on water? (Matt 14:25-32) That was a significant event. Most people want to do something significant, but most are afraid. How do you walk on water?

• Get out of the boat- get out of your comfort zone. If you could do it without leaving the boat, why are you not successful yet?
• Forget the storm- there will always be difficulties and tough times. You need to keep on going despite the storm.
• Ignore the boat people- remember they only want to keep you in the boat. The boat is "safe". They are too scared to take the first step.

Peter started to sink, but Jesus reached out his hand and they walked back to the boat together. That is a successful walk on water, he did not drown. It got scary and he had the right Teacher to help him navigate the situation.

3. I press toward the mark: I will never quit!

Do you know why people lose? When things get hard and they fall, they stay down, they don't get back up.

Winners will get back up and keep on going toward the mark, reaching that goal.


When you sit and think about it. These are great for all areas of life, but can change your network marketing business forever. Remember, that the main characteristic that sets the successful network marketers apart from the failed ones, is that they never gave up.

Still making Improvements... On Myself

Today has been a blah day. I am exhausted, taking care of my sick boys and keeping up with my chores and the business is not always an easy task. So I took a nap. I know that it seems like a strange thing to do, but I figure the chores could wait another day and my Mother In Law seems to be feeling better. I kept on falling asleep at the computer, so I turned it off and took a nap.

It was great. I really needed it to finish the day out. I got my grocery shopping done and had time to go to a ladies Bible study group. Really awesome book that we are using, called "The Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, I highly recommend it. It even has a companion guide with daily exercises- very helpful to keep you accountable for daily devotions.

Tonight's discussion was laying the foundation for the whole study. It was very eye opening to how many negative influences we have in our lives. Women are especially vulnerable to deception. Many of the lies we believe shape the way we think and how we feel about ourselves- we are in bondage to the deception. All the negativity makes it awful hard for people to want to be around us. Think about it, do you want to hang out with happy people that seem to have everything going for them, or do you want to hang out with the "downers" that always have one problem or another?

So I have learned that there are change our way of thinking- to get out of bondage:

• We need to recognize the areas of bondage: this can only be done by being honest with yourself. There are so many forms of bondage: eating disorders, esteem issues, abusive relationships, smoking, drugs, anger,...
• We need to recognize the lies at the root of the bondage: being honest again. The lies that lead to bondage can be: I'm too fat, too skinny, not pretty enough, not good enough, not smart enough, not cool enough,...
• We need to replace the lies with the truth: You see you have patterns ingrained in your brain. They are called habits for a reason. You can't just quit and not replace those habits with something else. If you don't replace them with the truth and positive influences, you'll find other lies and negative influences to fill the void or just go back to the original problem.

I was not aware of how many lies we have fallen for and that we are constantly being deceived everywhere we go. Magazines, books, TV, movies, commercials, soap operas, radio shows, music how many have negative women role models, or stereo types. There are very few shows, movies, books, songs that have positive views of women.

When we make an effort to filter out the negative and start feeding our brains with positive information and influences a few things happen:

• You'll be amazed at how much time you have on your hands.
• You'll be in a better mood most of the time.
• When life starts throwing curve balls you are not flustered.
• More people will want to be around you.
• You'll notice more good things happening to you because you are not viewing the world with jaded eyes.

I am not saying that things will always be easy, but we will be able to handle the problems better. I hope that you find this insightful and useful in your life and your business.

Remember part of growing your business is to sell "you", not your product. This is a way of improving yourself, to benefit your personal life and your business. Have a Good Day!

Keep On Swimming...

Well I must admit it is a madhouse over here. All of my boys are sick and I have a touch of a cold. My mother in law is not having a good day and my husband had to go to a meeting all by himself. I must say that I often wished that I did not get out of bed today.

That is just a glimpse of what can unexpectedly go worn when you own a home based business. Thank God the internet never closes and I don't have to write the whole day off as a loss. I just put my boys down to bed not long ago and now I have a little peace and quiet to write my emails and blog for a bit. I am not getting everything done that I wanted, but I am at least getting something done. Remember, consistency will build the relationship. Also it helps to have everything worked out so you can get the bare minimum done to maintain your business.

Well I have some good news, I have more materials to go over and test out some new methods. I will let you know what I learned and what I have found to work. I may not be able to get to the stuff for a few days, but I hope to start checking the stuff out tomorrow. I will keep you posted.

Fronted Proposals Can Save Your Network Marketing Business!

Funded proposals are a way of generating income while you build your business. This enables you to grow your business to the point of duplication and building the long term residual income. A funded proposal makes you immune to failure from the 2 main causes: running out of money and running out of leads.

You can do anything from affiliate programs, blogging with adsense, and/or selling informational products (yours or others). This is a one time sale, people are more likely to make a one time purchase than buy a business. This helps you to generate quick income that you can invest it back into your business. This gives you the time to learn how to effectively grow your business, thus enabling you to start enjoying some residual income.

You need to create an audience that is interested in what you have to say. Make an informational product, and sell it. Do follow up emails. Give them something that they need and want. Use it to create a following. This is what you use to get people wanting to join you.

Remember that whatever you do, you need to be consistent, don't do it only a few times and "see what happens". Keep on doing it and let the momentum build. You also need to keep track of what you are doing and the results (#of conversions) you receive. This will help you to learn what is working and what needs to be tweaked.

I have to get going, its storming outside and its time to put the boys to bed. So start thinking about what you have to offer and how you can use it to fund your business.

Are You a Winner Or a Whiner?

Talk about loaded questions, but really, you need to know in order to succeed in your network marketing business.

In all honesty, I have to admit that there are times that I am a whiner. I feel that it is very easy to be the whiner and I have to stop listening to my "feelings" and make the mental decision to change my attitude and outlook. I have 3 young boys, that I home school. They are very active boys with very different personalities. Just taking care of them and our home is trying, never mind running a business too. It is not easy, but it can be done. So even though there are times that I want and feel like being a whiner, I choose to be a winner.

Let's look at a few differences between whiners and winners.

A whiner complains about not succeeding. She will place the blame on life, work, her family- basically anyone but herself.

A winner will sit and evaluate why she is not succeeding, come up with solutions and put them into place.

A whiner will demand help and act as if everyone "owes" it to her. She is not a team player.

A winner is a team player, she may ask for help, but she learns from it and shares that with others.

A whiner says"I can't... it's impossible"

A winner says "I will... or I'll find a way"

Now if you realize that you have been a whiner, then its not too late. The first step is making the decision to stop it and be a winner. Winners constantly surround themselves with positive influences. Negativity will only add to your negative feelings and thoughts. Take the time to feed your mind with positive and uplifting materials. There are a lot of good books and great music to listen to. Try to avoid negative people and activities. Replace them with positive influences and activities. Don't get hung up on all the problems and start working on the solutions. You'll find that the road to success is not as difficult if you have the right attitude.

Retention 101- How To Keep People On Your Team...

Here are a few things that you can do to improve your retention rate in your network marketing
business...

Communication- We are in the age of technology, use it to keep your team informed.  Email them
your successes regularly.  Get them excited, your excitement  is contagious, and your team will
naturally take on a new life.   Conduct multi media training.  Even if your company provides training,
conduct your own.  This sets you apart as a leader that is willing to personally invest time in your
team's success.  This helps to build a trusting relationship with your downline.


Develop a team guide- take your experience and put it into print.  Tell them how to succeed and
what to avoid.  As new people join, give this guide to them. This is yet another way of giving a sense
of knowing that they are participating in a proven system.  It looks professional and it takes the
pressure off your team of having to teach each person everything. This is called duplication.

Start a team advertising Co-op- This is what gets everyone involved financially. Many will be
scared to go out start their own marketing, but when you give them a boost by getting them some
traffic for contributing to the advertising fund, the dream becomes more real to them-they start to
believe, understand, and get excited about getting their own traffic while they anticipate the traffic
from your co-op. This is yet another opportunity to show your leadership skills.

Doing these three things will increase your retention and duplication rates as well as develop and
display your leadership skills.

Can You Run 2, or 3 (or More) Network Marketing Businesses at Once?

Seems like a silly question right? Many people see how network marketing on the internet is exploding and want to dip their fingers into many pots. I can understand how temping that this can be. I mean, once you get into the groove of things and work out all the kinks, network marketing on the internet can almost be automated. Almost. It is so tempting to get into a lot of different companies or programs. But is it worth it?

You see in business you can't be a jack of all trades and succeed in network marketing. You know what they say, "a Jack of all trades- master of none". When you are involved in multiple businesses you do not have time to focus on anyone. Your business is not about a product, it is about people. If you want to build a strong team of leaders (that's right, you are not going to do everything for your team), you need to invest time into mentoring them. It's better to focus on building a strong team with high retention rates, than to quickly build large teams in different businesses with extremely low retention rates.

You see when you have your fingers in many pots, you can only dedicate a small amount of time to each (there are only 24 hours in a day). When you focus on only one company you will build better relationships, and build stronger teams of leaders. It takes time to build the relationships but in the long run you'll have a more stable source of income, a little bit of hard work now, will enable you sit back and enjoy the residual income later.

Making Your List Grow...

Given my recent increase in my list it has caused some people to ask me how I did it. It is a valid question only if you know why you are growing your list.

You see most people think that having huge lists means that you are making lots of money in network marketing. WRONG! If it was that simple, then everybody would already be rich. There are services out there that will sell you lists- its just like buying leads for cold calling. When you buy lists and leads, they are only as good as what you pay for them. Most of the time, you lose money in the process, so why bother? But if size mattered, buying lists is the fastest way to get a big one.

Personally, I would much rather have a smaller highly targeted list that knows me and trusts me. It is much easier to handle a small list, less headaches from spam filters and less complaints. As long as they want to continue to learn from me I am happy.

Most people forget to ask WHY in building their list. You see you need to be thinking about the reason why people want to be and continue to want to be on your list. So before you start to build your list you need to figure out who you are and what will attract people that want to know more.

When you stop and think about it, you'll realize when it comes to list building that size really does not matter. What matters is that you build a highly targeted list, which in turn will produce more profit for you than buying leads and lists ever will.

Growing Pains In Network Marketing

I didn't think that anyone would have any problems or complaints having massive growth almost over night. I have had steady growth since I have started implementing my new strategies. I have been able to keep up with the demands of the growth until yesterday. The massive growth has raised the red flags for several email systems.

I guess that I have made it big, my emails are being blocked by most email systems and I am having difficulty maintaining a line of communication with my list. I am currently working on correcting the problem and if we can't get it worked out, I will look at different system for handling my lists.

Having growing pains can be nerve wracking, I know that I am worried that I might lose people, but it is a good thing. It means that you are having growth which should be translating into profit.

As long as you remain proactive on correcting the problems that arise and find a reasonable solution you should be able to ride out the hiccups during your growth.

I want to thank everyone who has made this experience happen to me, I apologize for the interruption in my normal emails, and I hope to have things back to normal soon.

Amy Collins

Becomming Unstoppable In Network Marketing...

As a mentor and friend, I try to help people reach for their dreams. This is no easy task. Honestly, not everyone is going to make it in Network Marketing, and I really want everyone to be successful.

I want to talk about why this happens. We all know people like this...they go through the motions. Attend meetings, participate in training and even respond to emails. They have all the outward appearances of someone who wants to make it work, they still love the company and the products, so why can't they seem to get it together?

They are letting something hold them back. Something is stopping them dead in their tracks. Of course the next logical question is- why?

Sadly most people know that they are stuck but they don't know what to do, some don't even know what has them stuck.

When I have a problem, I have to find a way to get through it. Really, problems are not going to go away if you ignore them. You need to face them. Learning how to break through the problems will benefit your personal life as well as your Network Marketing business.

SO how do you become unstoppable? I will share with you some tips that I have learned:

1. Admit that you have a problem- make list of the problems that are keeping you from advancing in your network marketing business. I don't care how stupid and little the problem seems, write it down and then walk away from the list for several hours.
   
2. Evaluate the problem- look at your list and start brainstorming, be creative, think of all the ways you can overcome each problem. You may even want to ask a friend or two to help you come up with some solutions.
3. Implement a plan of attack- you know what your problems are, and have solutions to the problems, so now you need to take action. Without taking action, the problems will stay, or worse yet- get bigger.

Once you have done all this, you will find several things happen:

• More problems will surface- but that's okay, you know what steps to take to overcome them.
• You take ownership of your network marketing business.
• You take the first steps of being an entrepreneur (someone profits from solving a problem)

So while you are brainstorming think of ways to make a profit every step of the way.

Mastering all of this will make you unstoppable, with tons of people hunting you down, wanting to know how you did it.

So What's The Big "Secret" to Success In Network Marekting?

Okay, so I am sure that many of you have seen or heard something about the book and movie called "the Secret". It was featured on Oprah and is touted by many mentors in the MLM and Network Marketing Industry.

I am not saying that you do not need to see them. You may find them very aspiring. To me it was a mix of stuff that I had learned on my own growing up, science (the law of attraction), and church. It wasn't anything "new" for me, it didn't rock my world, but it is an important phenomenon, and is worth talking about.

"The Secret" is all about the "law of attraction"- it basically says that you are what you think (yes I oversimplified the explanation). You see many people walk away with, if I think it, it will happen. If I write it down on paper and look at it every day it will happen. Well it doesn't work that way. We don't have genies in the bottle waiting to grant our every wish and desire at the nod of a head.

We need to do more than wish for our dreams to happen. We need to be willing to learn and change in order to reach our dreams. Keeping our eyes on the prize will help us to get there, but the prize won't magically drop into your lap. You'll need to step out and reach for it. That's the Big "Secret" behind the secret.

This works in all areas of life and business. Remember when you are full of negative thoughts and emotion, you will only draw negativity towards you, but, when you are filled of positive thoughts and emotions you are a beacon towards positive things.

I am a positive person, and try to keep negativity from hindering my success in Network Marketing. I have seen others' teams explode overnight and others have no growth at all. I have been somewhere in the middle- happily trucking along, knowing that my time will come. I have been working on my consistency and learning new skills in order to have an "edge". It started slow, but in the last 12 hours I have watched my email list grow by more than 400%. It is awesome to see it all happen.

It is also a humbling experience. I am far from reaching my goals, but well on my way and I have to thank everyone that has followed my blogs and emails. Thank you, because with out your support, I would not be here right now.

Working From Home Is NOT Easy For Moms

Now I don't want you to be misguided. Working From Home is not easy. It never will be. There are things that you can do to make things less hectic for you.

I think that it is important to take a little time and evaluate yourself and your situation. You need to know why you want to work from home. Are you forced into the situation (single parent with kids and can't afford child care) or is it because you want to have more freedom and flexibility than a traditional job allows?

For whatever reason you are toying with the idea, and some of you have already made the decision (welcome to the fire, do you miss the frying pan yet?). You need to know that you can't just jump into working at home and gain instant success (yes, some do but many struggle for quite a while).

Find support from other moms. Find local Moms groups specifically for WAHM's (Work At Home Moms)- check with local churches, libraries, community centers to see if they have any groups for you to check out. Also look for forums and groups online. If you don't find what you like, then start your own forum. It is vital to have support from others who are struggling with the same issues you do as a WAHM.

Secondly a little planning, organizing, and preparation will go a long way. Some very useful things to do ahead of time (or ASAP for the ones in the fire like me):

• Routines- If you and the kids know what to expect next, your day will be a little less hectic. I am not talking about a rigid schedule, your kids may not take to change well and it will ruin the whole day for you when you have to adjust times. Keep it loose, I have breakfast routines, mid morning snack, lunch then nap for the baby, and school time for the older boys. After school and nap we have a snack and watch a movie or children's shows. When Daddy calls to say he's on his way home, we clean their room. They know the order of the day, I can adjust times as needed to fit around meetings and special classes.
• Work Spaces- That's right plural. You need at least one for you and one for the kids. I have an older computer that my boys get to play games on while I am working in my office. Even having a small work area with crayons, coloring books, paper and maybe a few puzzles can fit the bill. This lets your kids know that you still love them and want to be with them, even when you are working. If you have the luxury of a laptop with wi-fi, it can be a godsend. I can supervise the boys in the pool while working in a lounge chair on the back porch.
• Wireless Phones- Can be anywhere in the house and still get the phone. If you have the laptop with you, no need to move from the lounge chair to get information. Get a second phone line. One purely for business/ work purposes. It will have a separate bill for tax purposes but it also lets you know that it is not a social call. You can also not answer after business hours with out feeling guilty.
• Cleaning Routine- Let's face it, every one will expect your house to look perfect, because "You're home all day aren't you?" You need help to keep the house clean. Your spouse/ significant other and kids will need to chip in. If you periodically walk thru the house maintaining cleanliness (15 to 20 minute sessions 3 or 4 times a day), you will only need to have a good deep cleaning session 1 time a week (it takes me a few hours on a Friday afternoon, or Saturday morning).
• Dedication and Perseverance- Its not easy to work from home. It is a huge adjustment for you and your family. If things don't magically start working right away, don't quit. Evaluate the situation and try new strategies. There is no magic formula, what works for one person may fail miserably for another. That's why it's important to stay flexible and to be willing to learn and try new way.

Hopefully these tips will help to keep you from pulling your hair out in frustration. Until next time, Reach For Your Dreams!

Amy Collins

The MLM Networking Mom

Some Excellent Resources For MLM and Network Marketing....

Here are some excellent resources for your MLM and Network Marketing Business. I want to share them with you. It is not mandatory that you buy them and use them, but knowledge is power. Having a good understanding of the basics will enable you to produce positive results a lot faster. Some of the books can be borrowed from the local library, so your current financial situation does not need to keep from advancing your knowledge and ultimately your business.

Here are some great CD's available at www.brilliantexchange.com:

The Perfect Business? By Robert Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad" books and other titles have sold over 26 million copies worldwide. In this CD "The Perfect Business", Robert applies his "Rich Dad" formula to show your prospects why Network Marketing could really be the perfect business for them.

"The Answer" by Brian Tracy

In "The Answer", your prospects will be enthralled and swayed as they listen to one of the greatest communicators of our time, Brian Tracy, give a logical, enthusiastic defense of the Network Marketing Industry.

"Start Smart, Finish Rich" by David Bach

In this CD, Financial Guru David Bach recommends strongly that people look into the Direct Selling Industry as a legitimate way to make money outside their day-jobs. This CD is devoted to overcoming the same objections that David Bach himself had at one time about the industry.

Here are some great books:

How to Make Big Money in Multi Level Marketing by David Roller

This book covers Network Marketing from top to bottom. How to Make Big Money in Network Marketing by David Roller has the best overview of Multilevel Marketing or Network Marketing of any book available.

MLM Nuts $ Bolts by Jan Ruhe

The number one selling how to book in Network Marketing. A must have for all Network Marketers around the world. It solid advice on how to run a MLM business based on the Author's personal experience.

Future Choice : Why Network Marketing May Be Your Best Career Move
by Michael S. Clouse, Kathie J. Anderson, Scott DeGarmo

Are you interested in presenting your Network Marketing business as a legitimate, smart career choice in a style that will interest all your prospects? Then Future Choice is the book you need to explain Network Marketing.

Rich Dad Poor Dad : What the Rich Teach Their ...by Robert T Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter

Argues that a good education and a secure job are not guarantees for financial success, and describes six guidelines for making money work for you.

Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men - One Message by Donald Trump, Robert T. Kiyosaki -

The two moguls explain why they feel that America is becoming a two-class society--part rich, part poor--and offer practical advice and strategies to help readers achieve financial security and success, with tips on real estate, starting a business, investing to win, what to do at different stages of life and experience, and more.

Are You On The Road To Success?

You have found a great company, with great benefits, a great marketing site, and a great product/ service. That's great! So you started to make big money overnight right?

No? Why not?

Many network marketers expect instant success, they find a company that has all the right ingredients and don't understand why they aren't filthy rich overnight.

I often wonder why that is. Many of them are quick to start pointing fingers. I hear excuses all the time, often accusing the company or their sponsor of not helping them or that they were lied to. Honestly, I am tired of hearing the excuses.

So let's get a few things straight. We are in Net"WORK" Marketing. It is not Net"DO NOTHING" Marketing. You are not going to get anywhere by doing nothing. You can't jump in a car, set the cruise control, and take a nap. You need to keep your eyes on the road. There are bumps, curves, potholes, pedestrians and other drivers for you to look out for.

So let's talk about some of things that we need or that we can do to keep our car on the road to success.

• Your WHY- This is the reason you are in network marketing. My husband is my why. I know that my husband's job is killing him, and if I don't get him out of there he's going to have serious health issues. My children are also my why, I want them to grow up having a dad. Your WHY is your main motivation to keep going.
  
• Destination- This is vital to your success. This is your goal. You should have some short term goals (less than a year) and at least one long term goal (more than a year away). Think of your short term goals as your mile markers and your long term goal as your destination. IMPORTANT: as you achieve your goals you need to set new ones. This is what will keep you from stalling on your journey down the road of success. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW WHEN YOU GET THERE?
  
• Vehicle- This is the system you are (or are not) using to propel your business down the road to success. Just like a real car, you need to do maintenance. You need to look at the dash board and when you notice that something isn't working right, fix it. And if fixing it still doesn't get you anywhere down the road, its time to start looking for a new one. NOTICE the vehicle is not your business. It is just the system you are using to work your business. There is a difference.
• GPS System- Its like a map and a compass all in one. I like it because you can use it to see where you are and where you want to be. You can see the most direct road or path to get to your destination. If you start to veer off the road a bit, it can tell you so you can make minor adjustments to your course. If you completely drive off the road to success, you can find where you are and where you want to be, and find the new most direct path to your destination.
• Driver- This is YOU. You are the one that has to drive the car (its not your sponsor or the company). You are in control of how slow or fast you drive down the road. If you are an alert and cautious driver, you will quickly recognize the signs of the car not working properly and signs that you are "off course", you can react quickly and your adjustments should be minor. If you are blindly driving down the road at high speeds, or you fall asleep with the cruise control on, you will not notice signs of problems quickly and your adjustments will have to be more sever.

Just remember that the road to success may change, but the destination does not. As long as you keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to your surroundings, you should be able to easily navigate your way down the road to success.

Happy Trails!

Marketing Yourself In Order to Build Your Network Marketing Team

So you are trying to make a name for yourself in the MLM and Network Marketing Industry on a shoe string budget. The great news is that you can generate some pretty good buzz for FREE. That's right, you can start making a name for yourself for free, and I am going to tell you how.

Hopefully you have figured out what your gimmick or niche is. What is going to set you apart from the other network marketers online. Having this is what will attract people to you. That's right, we are going to let people that are already looking find you. How?

1. Search Engines: Okay, this is where blogging and article submissions is going to work for you. Learning how to maximize your blogs and articles to be on the first page of a search engine results page is key. Most people won't look beyond the first page of results. Choose your key words wisely and remember the more relevant your key words are, the higher the ranking.
2. My Space: It's a social networking website. This is awesome. You can put your story into your profile and start making friends with high profile members. Really wow people with your profile page- make it look really awesome. Have links to your other stuff: opt in pages, blogs, articles, marketing and sales sites. Put your name out there and start making friends. You will be amazed at how many people will reach out to you and how many will want to know more about what you are doing.
3. You Tube: Video Marketing. If you have the ability to make videos and post them on the internet, go for it. There is a huge following for You Tube so take advantage of it. Remember, we are selling YOU, not the business. People love to see and hear the person that is mentoring them. Make entertaining and informational videos to draw people in. Give out your opt in page information or your blog information, so they can find you.

There are people looking for help in their business, or to get into the network marketing business and the more places your name pops up, the more likely they will look at you. SO what are you waiting for, go out there and sell yourself!

Why My Network Marketing Business Almost Failed...

Many people have made and are making fortunes in network marketing and MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) businesses. Usually only a small number of people make the big money, while 95% fail to achieve any measurable level of success! But why?

Network Marketing IS simple. It does not take rocket science to achieve success. It's just NOT easy to do.

Let me show you why it is so easy for so many to fail (this is my opinion of course)

The simplest explanation is usually the right one (a rough translation of Occam's Razor). I am going to use this theory to explain why more than 95% or more network marketers fail.

Are you ready?

What was the first thing that you were told to do? Go out and tell people. (I was told to tell 40 people within my first 2 weeks- did you have to fill out a list too?). Guess what, that FAILS 95% of the time.

Raise of hands, how many have heard that if you tell 100, at least 5 will join your business? My hand is up too.

Guess what? It didn't work for me.

Now, I'm not going to say this doesn't work, but I will say is that after six months of talking to people for hours every day this just didn't work for me.

Honestly, unless you're a natural born, confident, and charismatic sales leader going into the network marketing industry you'll probably have these same results.

Don't get me wrong some people are very good at talking to people and getting new clients, customers, and team members: BUT most aren't.

What about scripts? I tried that too. I used ones with a 20% conversion rate, and I still couldn't get a single one to join. Honestly, when you have 3 young boys wanting attention while you are talking to people on the phone, how can you NOT make it sound like you are reading from a script?

So what happens to most people after they've spent time and thousands of dollars on leads and advertising with no or very little success?

They get discouraged, they run out of money, they get tired of hearing NO and then...

They give up.

Hey, hearing NO all the time is bad for your self esteem, it gives you a lot of doubts about yourself and your network marketing company.

As I said before, most network marketer give up, and not surprisingly within the first 9 months.

The network marketer's perception of their business goes from one of opportunity to one of complete doubt and negativity.

Hey, what you think is what you are, so when the network marketer thinks that they and their network marketing business is a complete failure, a total waste of time, and a dead end, this becomes a reality to them.

Well, let me tell you. I did not want to be a statistic. I was and still am determined to make my network marketing business work. I believe in myself and in my network marketing business.

So something had to change. I changed my tactics. I am using a proven system, that can be used in ANY network marketing or MLM business. I have found a way to expose my business to more people in one day, than I can meet in a month. I have leads calling me, I make money even when people don't join my business.

I took control and I took action.

So what are YOU going to do?

What Network Marketing Business Is For Me?

Wow talk about a loaded question. There are so many Network Marketing and MLM businesses out there, its can be very hard to choose. Its hard to tell what ones are for real and which ones are fly by night operations (scams or poor planning). This is where you will have to do your homework. There are some KEY things that you want in a Network Marketing Business.

1) Residual Income (also called Passive Income) is income earned on an ongoing basis for effort done once in the past. Some examples include:

• An insurance agent that gets commission when a customer renews their policy
• A network marketing or direct sales rep's income from her direct customers when they reorder product every month.
• A marketing consultant who creates a workbook and sells it in e-book format on the Internet

2)Leveraged Residual Income is the work of other people creating an income for you. Some examples of leveraged residual income include:

• An e-book author selling her e-book through affiliates who promote the product
• A network marketer who builds a downline and receives commissions on the sales made by people in his downline

3) Product/Service In Demand That People Are Willing To Pay For is what separates a lot of scams (Pyramid Schemes) from the good opportunities out there. If the company does not have a product or service that is in demand and that people are willing to pay for, then they are just taking you for a ride. Run away from these companies. Don't even give them the time of day.

4) Good Marketing And Sales Sites that will sell your product/service and that will sell your business opportunity for you. All that you need to do is send people to your sites and that should win them over for you. Remember, by the time people figure out what company or business you have, they have already "bought" you by opting into your list or lists. You have already cultivated a trusted relationship with them.

Just remember that you need to really believe in the business you're in. Passion and enthusiasm go a long way in the industry. Let people see how much you love what you are doing, they'll want to learn more.

Until next time,

Reach For Your Dreams

Amy