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MLM Woman Online Issue 45
This free monthly newsletter is made possible by our advertisers and customers. We thank them for their support!
From the Desk of the Editor
Welcome to the 45th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. This month we feature articles on:
How to survive when your MLM company goes out of business
Enjoy!
Linda Locke Editor MLM Woman
The Top 10 Reasons Why Working for Someone Else Is Dumb !!! By Linda Locke, Editor, MLM Woman Newsletter
Reason 10: You’ll spend 90,000 hours of your life working for someone else so you’ll get a gold watch and a really cool part-time job at Wal*Mart as a greeter.
Reason 9: Working about 40 hours a week, you’ll spend 2,000 hours a year working for your employer. In exchange you’ll get 80 hours of vacation time absolutely FREE!
Reason 8: It’s been a rough day. You’re home relaxing, watching America’s Most Wanted on TV and, to your horror, you realize the baby sitter you leave your precious children with every day is on the FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List!
Reason 7: You get up when you don’t want to. Drive someplace you don’t want to go and make a living working with people you really don’t like.
Reason 6: Would you be wearing something different if they didn’t tell you how to dress?
Reason 5: Your company may think it's really cool to let you go. Newsweek Magazine says firing people has gotten to be trendy in corporate America.
Reason 4: Asking for time off is too much like asking your parents for permission.
Reason 3: Good News. You’ve survived the downsizing. The bad news is that you have to go home and tell the family you’re being transferred to Bangladesh.
Reason 2: Elephants work for peanuts — why should you? Shouldn’t you be paid what you’re really worth?
Reason 1: Yes, the Number 1 reason why working for someone else is just plain dumb is that this is America and you don’t have to! Yes, American is still the land of great opportunity but it’s just not in the same place you’re used to looking. You know, people who work half as hard as you do are earning great part-time incomes, taking dream vacations and even making fistfuls of money. What’s your excuse for not building your own successful MLM business? What have you got to lose except a BOSS?
Observations on the Demise of an MLM Company By Viki Noe Chikow
Golden parachutes Severance Outplacement Unemployment compensation We've all heard these terms before, whenever a big corporation goes out of business or downsizes. They're all benefits that employees can be eligible for when they lose their jobs. But what happens when you're an independent distributor, and your company is shut down?
I was a network coordinator for Dorling Kindersley Family Learning, the direct selling division of DK Publishing. I had been with the company for 5 years, and although I had a small downline, I had a successful business selling to schools and libraries. I worked part-time, around my daughter's schedule; when she started full-day kindergarten last fall, I increased my hours. In November I was #4 in the company for monthly personal sales. I had loyal customers, and a growing self-confidence in my business. But I knew there was trouble in the DKFL world.
In 1999, DK had published several books in connection with "Star Wars: Episode I", and sales were way below projections. DK was awash in inventory and red ink. About that time, there was a change in management in the DKFL division, and for the next year, there were systemic breakdowns of biblical proportions.
Commission checks were incorrect or missing. Fax and electronic orders disappeared, or showed up as having shipped when they were never packed. Headquarters adopted a siege mentality: the less distributors were told, the better. We were blindsided by illogical changes in policy and given conflicting information from customer service and management.
Many distributors simply quit; some of us tried to make a go of it. But we spent an inordinate amount of time on the phone trying to appease customers and solve problems. The frustration level was high and constant.
Then, in June, DK was bought by Pearson, a large British publishing empire. This was highly touted as the cash infusion DK needed. Nothing was going to change. Well, I went through a corporate buy-out years ago, and the one thing you can depend on is that everything eventually changes.
Our annual conference, set for July, was "postponed." Staff at HQ dropped like flies; there was little continuity of service. But all the while, DKFL pushed signing up new distributors. I was not surprised that Pearson made a move on DKFL; after all, direct selling is not for everyone. I was only surprised by the speed and severity.
Luckily I had already started research on other direct selling companies (on the DSA website), and I am pleased to say that I am now with two companies, Usborne Books at Home and Providence House, which provide a level of service DKFL never attained. But the shock of the decision was felt across the country (indeed around the world).
Many in DKFL had built large downlines with hundreds, even thousands of distributors. Our business - our livelihood - would be over in 6 weeks, for that is how much notice we received. I was lucky to be able to make a smoother transition than most, because I emphasized service rather than recruiting. But I'd like to pass along some thoughts for all of us who make a living in direct selling.
First, there is no severance pay. As an independent distributor you are on your own. Unless you create it yourself, there is no financial safety net.
As with any loss, there are classic stages of grief. While I think we've all gotten past the denial stage, many are still grappling with anger. The people who are having the hardest time are the ones who did not deal with their business in a business-like way. They look at the corporate decision to shut down DKFL as a personal insult - something that was "done to them." It was not. It was a bottom line decision that affected 20,000 people. Allow yourself to feel all of these emotions, or you won't be able to go on with a clear head and a realistic plan.
The best defense is a good offense. Like I said, I started researching companies on the DSA website for several weeks before the ax fell. I had one criteria for finding a match. I wanted to keep serving my school customers with a quality product. Of course, in direct selling, that narrowed the possibilities pretty quickly! Usborne and Providence House were the top candidates, and I had many conversations with management and distributors at both companies before I committed. Research is key, not just to finding a product you believe in, but a corporate culture that is a good fit for you.
I wanted to help my downline. There has been a lot of aggressive, unethical recruiting of DKFL reps taking place in the past two months. Some by other companies, some by DKFL reps who have started new direct selling companies. It's ugly, but no unexpected: we had a good reputation for selling and building downlines, so others wanted us.
But friendships have been destroyed over some of the tactics. I decided right away that I was going to gather as much information as I could find for my downline. I sent them flyers on companies that had made special offers for DKFL reps, established companies and new ones. I didn't push anything. Many are taking a "wait and see" attitude, for various reasons. One is signing up with me; two are not, but will be customers.
Take care of your customers. It was very difficult notifying customers that not only would I not be selling DKFL anymore, but I had no reliable information about how long the DK titles would be available to them from any source (Pearson has already shut down the multimedia division, too). and I have to admit to crying as I read emails from my librarians - "I want to keep working with you, whatever you're selling."
It helped tremendously to have reinforced for me the idea that personal relationships are what direct selling is all about.
Take care of yourself. Do not, under any circumstances, underestimate the impact (financial, social, emotional, personal, professional) of your direct selling company shutting down. And because of the relationships you've built up - with downlines, other reps and customers - you will feel it deeply. Scream, cry, eat Haagen Daz. Then sit down and take the time to really assess your future work life.
My summer was far from relaxing - I spent half of it winding down one business, researching, and learning two new ones. But I feel incredibly optimistic. I am valued by my new companies for my experience, although I haven't done much for them yet. I am valued by my customers, who are excited by the new products, and relieved that I am still working with them. I know I'll still feel the loss for a while.
I had a good run with DKFL, and met some of the most wonderful, generous people in the organization. But we'll keep in touch, and life will go on.
About the Author
Viki Noe Chikow is now with Usborne Books at Home and Providence House and can be reached at vnoechikow@email.msn.com
Is There Life After Leaving? By Lisa Kneller
After an exciting career as an Account Executive in one of Arizona’s biggest Ad Agencies, I found it difficult to leave my job to become a full-time mother. I had no idea what lay ahead. Change can be difficult, sometimes scary, sometimes exciting.
It was tough at first, but eventually, I adjusted. It didn’t take long. I just got into a new routine, evaluated my situation and was thankful to have all those blessed hours with my newborn, toddler, pre-schooler, kindergartner, and…my second child.
Somewhere in my domestic engineering career, I fell in love with network marketing. It gave me a new challenge, new friends, new hope, new knowledge, and I grew and blossomed like never before. But in my training and learning, I kept hearing, "Never quit! Only quitters fail! Don’t leave your great company. The grass isn’t greener over there. It’s a numbers game. Stick with it. Stick and stay til you get your pay! Winners never quit, and quitters never win." No wonder so many people are afraid to try something new.
I often used to say that if this program doesn’t work for me, I’m never doing network marketing again. Who wants to start over?
It’s always such a shock to some reps when they hear that someone in the top echelon of their company leaves. They just can’t believe it. By hearing some responses, you'd think that person had lost her mind! The mentality of never leaving a company no matter what smacks of drinking the Kool Aid, if you know what I mean.
What I have learned is that it has little to do with the company, and mostly to do with the individual and her own personal situation.
The beauty of being an individual is that you can march to the beat of your own drum. Thank God I was introduced to such fine reading material as Upline Magazine and Network Marketing Lifestyles. And books such as "On This Rock I Stand – And World You Will Adjust," by Peggy Long, or "The Greatest Opportunity in the History of the World," by John Kalench and many, many others.
It was from those resources I learned that other people in other companies were making things happen. In fact, I learned that many of the most successful leaders in network marketing had been in not one, but several different companies before finding the one that clicked for them. This is not a bad thing!
In my personal experience, I was struggling like nobody’s business. I had poured my heart and soul into one company for over 5 years only to earn a pittance of what I set out to earn. My husband hated it. He started to hate me. I spent hours at meetings and trainings, networking, making phone calls, doing three-way calls and attending conferences. No one could ever say I didn’t give it 100%.
True, much of that time was spent in fear, trying new things and learning new skills, but still I wondered…where’s the money? Where’s the glory in this? It’s not working, it’s just not working. Well, I didn’t want to be a quitter, so I kept going. I called the top people in the company to get advice. I even got in touch with an Upline master who mentored me and helped me get focused. Nothing was happening. Was it me? Was it my company or opportunity? What?
And then, it hit me. My best friend (who I met in the business) called to tell me she was leaving our company. I wasn’t even upset. I said, "why?" and she gave me her answer. I was relieved. I left shortly afterward, and then here’s what happened:
I mourned the loss of my business. I didn’t even say good-bye to the many people I loved seeing at the meetings. I felt sad that I wouldn’t see most of them again. I wondered if I had made a mistake. I wondered if my family and friends had mentally labeled me a failure – a solid reason why network marketing doesn’t work. I wondered what would become of me. And then, here’s what happened.
I stayed in touch with the people whose friendships I truly value. I’m now building another business. That’s right! I’m starting over – from scratch! Through research and due diligence and establishing criteria, I found another company. And guess what? I got excited again. I found a new challenge; I’ve made new friends; I’ve got new hope, I’ve got new knowledge, and I have a renewed passion for network marketing that is keeping me up at night again! (It’s 1:00 a.m.) And yes, my downline is growing!
I’m doing things a bit differently this time. I’m home more, and my husband is happy about that. My time is more expensive now, after years of experience and getting beat up. I have a new attitude.
The point is, your business is yours. It’s an extension of you – not who you are. It’s your life. Each person has to evaluate what’s best for her. The truth is, if you are not happy and producing income with your company, you have every right to look for something more fulfilling. You owe it to yourself!
I’m not encouraging you to quit if the going gets tough – far from it. If something isn’t working, change it. Get help; get some serious coaching. But be yourself. Go with your gut. Make sure your pride doesn’t get in the way of doing what is best for you and your family. Keep to your highest values. Be prepared to do something different. And know that if you do get to a point that your current company is not meeting your expectations, know this…you are not alone, you will be okay, and there is definitely life after leaving.
Lisa Kneller is a veteran home based business owner and teaches people how to create multiple income streams from home using the the internet as primary marketing tool. She is a Marketing Executive with FreeLife International and can be reached at lisa@thewealthinstructor.com
Throw Away Your Script! By Mike and Diane Hickey
I know, I know. You've worked long and hard developing and memorizing a great script so you can successfully present your MLM business to prospects. You've worked on it with your upline. You've practiced it in your car. You've role-played with others in your organization. You've even taped it on the mirror so you can read it while you're getting ready to leave the house.
Now, I am not going to tell you your script doesn't work. But I am going to tell you that there is a much simpler and remarkably more effective way of making your presentation.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a presentation that was so obviously canned that it was offensive to you? Have you ever listened to a presentation that was just too slick to be trusted? Have you ever seen a presenter look suddenly stricken because he can't remember what comes next?
Now, I know that none of you would ever make such mistakes. Knowingly. But I assure you that if you have memorized your presentation from a prepared script, it will come through that way to your prospects.
By the way, do you really know what your presentation sounds like? Or are you relying on what others in your organization or family tell you? They may be telling you that you sound great because they think that is what you want to hear, or because they love you or maybe even because they don't want to have to listen to that speech one more time! Or, worse, maybe you're relying solely on how you think you sound. Take it from me, you probably don't sound as good as you think you do. No one ever does.
There is another way. A better way. An effortless way. This will not unlock the secrets of the universe for you, but it will make you a more successful, and less stressed, network marketer.
Here are the keys to an effective presentation:
1. Know your business inside and out.
2. Passionately believe that you have the best MLM business on the planet, with the best products and services and the best pay plan.
If you do both of the above, you won't need a script, and several very important changes will take place in how you make your presentation:
1. You will be able to listen to your prospect instead of thinking about what you should say next.
2. You will respond unhesitatingly to your prospect's questions and be able to return to your presentation without worrying about where you were when you digressed. And, most importantly,
3. You will speak authentically. It will be obvious to everyone that you sincerely believe in what you are doing and will make you appear to be a very attractive person to be associated with.
That's it. It's that simple. So: learn your business, speak authentically and be relaxed on your way to success!
About the Authors
Mike and Diane Hickey have been successfully involved in sales, sales training, network marketing and writing for many years. They help people achieve optimum health and financial wellness in their MLM business. www.shaklee.net/NaturesHarmony NaturesHarmony2K@aol.com
How To Create Successful Advertising Copy By Bob Leduc Copyright 2000
Writing effective copy for ads, web pages, sales letters and other marketing communications isn't difficult when you know what works. After many years of trial and error I developed a checklist of 7 "rules" I follow to create successful advertising copy. These rules apply to writing copy for any type of marketing communication.
1. DEFINE THE GOAL OF YOUR MESSAGE
Define what you want your message to accomplish before you begin writing. Do you want to generate inquiries (leads)? Do you want to get orders? What action do you want readers to take? How do you want them to respond? Put your goal in writing and refer to it often as you develop your message. Everything you write should directly support this goal. Get rid of anything that doesn't.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND WHAT THEY WANT
Maybe everybody CAN use what you sell. But one targeted group WILL be most likely to buy it. You can discover that group by defining the characteristics of your best customers. Once you know your audience and what they want you can personalize your writing to appeal to their specific interests.
TIP: Advertising copy produces the biggest response when each reader can believe the message was written specifically for them. As you write, visualize your writing to one person instead of to a large group of people. This will help you write in a less formal and more personal style.
3. APPEAL TO THEIR SELF-INTEREST, NOT YOURS
Customers don't care about you, your product, your company, or your professional qualifications. They only care about the benefit they get from buying your product or service. The only thing a customer wants to know about your 1/2 inch drill is that it's guaranteed to give them a 1/2 inch hole. Keep your ad copy focused on the benefits you provide.
4. MAKE AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL, NOT A LOGICAL ONE
Your ad copy should dramatize the feeling your customers get while enjoying the benefits provided by your product or service. Get them emotionally involved so they want to start enjoying those benefits immediately. Use word pictures and real life stories to draw readers into your message.
5. DON'T GIVE THEM ANY CHOICES
You may spend a lot of time writing your sales message and getting it "just right". Unfortunately, your prospects will rush through it and make a fast decision. Don't slow them down with any choices. They'll be afraid of making the wrong choice and will protect themselves by making none. You'll lose sales. EXCEPTION: Offer many different ways to respond to your ad or sales message. Customers already know whether phone, fax, online, etc. is more convenient for them. They're more likely to act immediately when their favorite way to respond is available.
6. MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER
The offer is the "deal" you're promoting (free information, special price, free bonus with order, etc.). It's the only reason people respond to your advertising copy. The stronger your offer the greater the response you'll get. Always include the best offer you can afford and a reason to act fast.
7. SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING
Simple, clear copy is easy to read and understand. It propels your customer to the decision point with no hesitation. After you've written your copy, edit it for simplicity and clarity. Use lots of 1 and 2 syllable words. Shorten sentences and paragraphs. This is especially important for your web site where relief is just a click away.
Follow these 7 rules the next time you write new advertising copy. Use them as a checklist to evaluate your existing ads, web pages and sales letters. They're a proven formula you can use to maximize the response you get from all your marketing communications.
Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards" and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information... Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards". Phone: (702) 658-1707 (After 10 AM Pacific time) Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box 33628, Las Vegas, NV 89133
Old Dogs and New Tricks by Gary Lockwood
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
How many times have you heard this old saying as an excuse for not trying something new or avoiding a fresh approach?
The expert animal trainers say that a dog of almost any age can learn new tricks. It's the human animal that makes choices regarding when and how much to learn.
I'm constantly amazed at how frequently I hear one of my clients say, "I'm too old to change."
Nonsense! This is simply an excuse to sidestep the effort required to learn or experiment.
When you try something new, you often feel uneasy about it, and frequently pull back. The security feels good. You are in your "comfort zone."
Your personal "comfort zone" is where you are comfortable in what you are doing in your job, your life and your experiences. It is when you have no feelings of risk or anxiety. Some would call it "being comfortable". You could also call it "a rut".
The downside of always staying in your comfort zone is that it can be very limiting.
Why is this significant?
The past few decades have seen enormous and accelerating changes in technology and social structure, in geopolitics and especially in the organizations in which we work. The pace of change is staggering and daunting. The mass of information available to humankind is doubling every 20 months.
The world passes us by as we stand still. Complacency, in our fast-paced competitive world, can be fatal to business and severely limit personal and professional growth. If you are not learning, trying new things and growing, your job or business may be deteriorating.
Having a positive attitude toward learning and changing may be one of the most important characteristics of successful people. In my years as a Business Coach, I have observed many successful CEOs and entrepreneurs. With very few exceptions, those who are successful and happy have developed and maintained a positive outlook about change and continuous improvement.
This positive attitude is not accidental. Successful business people know how to create a positive attitude and positive motivation for themselves. They don't just wait for it to happen. They purposely create positive change. All change implies learning and vice versa. They are inseparable, one impossible without the other. If you learn, you change.
Effective learning must be conscious vs. unconscious, active vs. reactive. It must be something you seek, not just “let it happen”. If learning is not conscious, it can’t be improved. It just becomes “another task” without effective application to the circumstances in your business (and personal) life.
Learning in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment can’t be left to chance. Make a conscious effort to capture your experiences and learn from them or be doomed to repeat your mistakes. Worse yet, you may habitually keep doing those things that are working for you, while your competition is actively seeking new ideas, innovation and growth.
The competitive advantage of the future is your adaptability to learning and change.
"There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." - John F Kennedy
"There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."
- John F Kennedy
How do you learn new tricks and <-- e x p a n d --> your personal comfort zone?
Before you just throw all caution to the wind, try simple things.
Drive home a different route.
Shop at a different grocery store.
Order something from the menu you've never tried before.
Sleep on the other side of the bed.
Make a conscious effort to experiment.
Let yourself feel the adrenaline level rise a bit. Allow your anxiety level to increase. Feel your heart rate and breathing going faster.
The adrenaline is your body's natural drug that, in moderation, makes you sharp, creative, and quick. It creates the feeling of excitement and exhilaration that comes from trying something new. Recognize that it also can be scary and stressful. Some stress is useful. Too much can be harmful. Some stress provides energy. Too much stress causes distress and can lead to burnout if done to extreme.
Why would you want to give yourself the stress of stepping outside your comfort zone?
Because that's where growth takes place.
Just like a muscle gets stronger when you exercise it outside its normal range of use, you get stronger when you get out of your rut. And just like your muscles, once you stretch beyond your current capabilities, you don't ever go back to your original dimensions.
As you try new things, you gain confidence. Confidence makes you feel powerful and good. And when you are confident that you can survive new ideas, you allow yourself to try even more new things.
What's the limit?
Obviously, you need to be realistic in your risk management. Most successful people think through the possible outcomes of taking a risk. Then they prepare for how they would deal with each potential outcome. Successful people take risks, but they are not foolhardy or stupid.
What are some higher level activities that could add to your personal and professional growth?
Here's my challenge to you.
Make a list of 50 things that, if you really were successful in doing them, you would be a better person or a better company. Consider a few new tricks such as:
Give a speech Write and publish an article Start an exercise program Meditate daily Teach a class Feed a homeless person Volunteer Climb a mountain Learn to play a new musical instrument Sign up for a dance class Try for that promotion
Then choose one or two that you are willing to do within the next 90 days. Schedule those new activities, then go for it. Afterward, choose one or two more and do it again.
Make personal and professional growth a lifelong habit. You will not become an old dog as long as you keep learning new tricks.
© Copyright 2000 BizSuccess All rights reserved. No duplication
Gary Lockwood is Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the Lives of CEOs, business owners and professionals. Get the Free BizSuccess newsletter by sending any blank email to mailto:subscribe@BizSuccess.com Email: mailto:Gary@BizSuccess.com Web: http://www.BizSuccess.com
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