Actual for You - Internet and Businesses Online

Mortgage Broker Training Article: Mortgage Brokers, Who Are You?
Who are you? While this may sound like a rather simple, if not dumb question, I really want to know. What I mean by asking this, is do you really know how you come across to the agents you are marketing to? Here are a few quick stories that I was reminded of today while helping out a young mortgage broker on the phone who was reconsidering his current level of skills and training. Here it is:When I first set out to develop a core group of realtors to work with, I jumped right into it. I had no problem picking up the phone and scheduling appointments, but I couldn't help notice that my results were only mediocre. If I hammered the phones long enough, I could usually count on 2-3 appointments with realtors per week. The problem was, no matter how many agents I met with, I never seemed to get the referrals that I was promised. Oh sure, the agents would talk all day long about how we would do this together or that together, but it never seemed to come to fruition.I heard every excuse in the book. My favorite excuse was "I don't have any deals right now." I heard this often enough to know when I was being fed a "line." After a short while of working my butt off, with nothing to show for it, I decided to do some internal investigations. You know the kind, where you look inside your business to see what is going wrong.After a few false starts, I finally arrived at me. By this I mean my image, my approach, my appearance, everything. I took a long hard look at who I think I am versus who the agents think I am. In order to do this, I had to put "me" under the microscope. This involved a few things:1. Tape recorder2. Honest, trustworthy friend or associate3. Another friend who has no affiliation with my businessThe tape recorder was for my phone. Since the first impression is a lasting one as they say, I decided it was best for me to get a good idea of how I was being perceived on the phone. I made several calls to agents for a day, recorded the calls, and then played them back. As

ut having your own business?

For me, the main reason I wanted a home-based business was to be home with my two young boys. I also wanted to still be able to contribute to supporting the family financially, but I wanted to do that with the freedom and flexibility of having my own work schedule, without having to answer to a boss. Yes, one of my goals is to reach $20,000 per month, but my compass is set to time freedom, and a happy family. Knowing my true goals in life is what keeps me on course. Knowing whats really important to me keeps me going even when faced with adversity and challenges.

The jungle has lots of bugs. No question about that one. We’ve got to have some heavy duty insect repellant if we are going to enter the jungle.

In network marketing, bugs and insects represent the negative emotions that will without a doubt try to sting or bite you as you make your way through the jungle.

Many people come into direct sales with the impression that “You don’t have to sell” or that “My friends and family will support me 100%” or “I have such a great thing that everyone is going to sign up” or “Once I sign someone up, they are going to be excited as I am about this business because it is so great!”

The truth is, you will face much more rejection than you will face acceptance. You will have insects that will try to sting you and bite you every step of the way.

As you consider network marketing, your very own family and friends may tell you your crazy, its one of those pyramid things, you’ll never make any money… etc.

As you present your business opportunity and products to others, you will have people who will say they are interested so as not to hurt your feelings, and then go into the witness protection program.

As you bring people into your team, you will find that on average only about 20% will ever really move forward and do something with their business.

If you are not prepared to spray yourself with a good emotional repellant, you may very well end up overcome by the disease of inertia or depression.

The good news is that people that stay in the jungle for more than 3-5 years develop an immunity to the stings and bites. Usually about 95% of the veterans in this industry that survive the 5 year mark end up becoming millionaires. Over time, they come to accept the natural skepticism of others. We cannot eliminate the entire population of insects and bugs in the jungle. We wouldn’t want to - they are part of the natural balance of the jungle and have a purpose.

For us in the network marketing jungle, we must realize that rejection and attrition are part of the landscape and we must be prepared for it, and then learn to accept it and work with it. If it is so hard then, why would anyone want to stay in th

Presentation Pitfalls Series: Top 10 Content Mangement Mistakes
Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be the Top 10 most common mistakes presenters make when organizing and preparing their content:10) Not setting the stage.An introduction should be more than just "Hello. Today we'll be discussing _____." If you just jump into the content without setting up the presentation, it can get you off to a jumpy, disjointed start. An introduction should give the audience a sense of who you are, what you're there to do, and what's in it for them to listen.9) Using ineffective notes.It's almost always wise to have some notes handy to make sure you don't forget anything important, but if your notes are hard to follow or are distracting for the audience, they defeat the purpose. Trying to read from a crowded page of word-for-word narrative is a killer because you look down and have trouble looking up for fear that you'll never find your place again. Disorganized papers or cards can be cumbersome and messy. Keep clear, concise, key-word-or-key-phrase-only notes handy to simply jog your memory, not serve as an unnecessary crutch.8) Using jargon or acronyms that leave the audience bewildered.When a listener hears a word or phrase he/she is not familiar with it causes what I call a "cerebral derailment". The listener's mind is chugging along happily with you until he/she hears an unfamiliar term and suddenly the mind jumps the tracks to wonder, "What does that mean?" Always define acronyms (even if you're sure they know what the letters stand for) and, when in doubt, define any terms that could possibly be unfamiliar.7) Planning backwards.Many people begin to prepare a presentation by thinking, "What do I have that's cool?" (meaning visual aids, support points, stories, examples, etc.) Then they ask themselves, "How can I work it in?" This is backwards. Decide on what you want to accomplish and then ask "What do I have in the way of support that would help me meet that objective?" If you plan backwards you may very well end up wit

How long have you been in the network marketing jungle?

Are you currently practicing Law of Attraction in your network marketing business?

The reason I ask is that if you are new (less than a year or so) your level of frustration, if it is anything like mine when I got in a few years ago, is probably pretty high. If you are a veteran, than you most likely have figured out a way to manage your emotions, or you wouldn’t still be in!

The one thing that helped me make it through the jungle of direct sales is - Law of Attraction.

The fact that I am so passionate about Law of Attraction stems from my experience in direct sales, where I began to really apply it daily in my life.

As an accountant of 17 years in the corporate world of logic and numbers, I rarely found people in my workplace with the time or interest in practicing Law of Attraction.

Now in my own home business, I get to practice it every day and surround myself with people that encourage and support me in developing myself with Law of Attraction methodology.

I found over time that to be successful in network marketing, I naturally applied law of attraction methods into my activities. Here is a brief explanation as to how this works:

You are shown something at first that sounds too good to be true
You are trained to first believe before you can experience true success
You can measure your belief by the amount of good that manifests around you
Your belief is based on faith and the personal success stories of others
You are asked to be grateful for and focus on others first and help them to be successful before you see it come back to you
You must regulate your emotional tone on a daily basis to the ups and downs of sales and rejection
You are usually asked to first write down or visualize your reasons for doing a network marketing business
You must stay focused on your goals and dreams, even though people and circumstances around you at first don’t match what you are trying to accomplish
You must develop an unwavering belief in yourself and your products and services before people will follow you
The more you focus on helping others and providing value to others, the more successful you are
You build a team that exponentially grows as you build it. You can literally see how the seeds you plant take root and grow over a period of time into the world

Here were my challenges with network marketing when I first got started:

When I first started my travel-related network marketing business, I was full of excitement, enthusiastic about my new lifestyle and earning potential. I started making some serious cash right away - $23,000 in my first 90 days, which continued in the years ahead.

It wasn’t till I was in about 6 months though, as I continued to sponsor new team members, that I noticed something strange. People didn’t seem to want to work like I did at their businesses. It was just amazing! I would have people send me a check for $11,000 and a month later decide to drop out! I was making money, but my team wasn’t duplicating.

That was difficult for me to accept. How can people invest so much of their time and money and then just walk away? I wasn’t prepared for the tremendous amount of emotional energy it would require of me to make it work in network marketing at the 6-9 month mark. I saw people drop like flies around me and took it very personally, feeling as though I was a failure because I couldn’t get anyone to duplicate.

The other challenging aspect of direct sales starting out for me was prospecting. In my business, because our profits are so high ($1,000 to $3,200 to $9,700 profits per sale), I mostly work cold mlm leads from lead generation companies because the price point makes sense.

With cold mlm leads, most of the people we talk to, even though they’ve requested information, do not have a serious interest, don’t have the money, the time, or even the skill sets to make it work. In my business, we are like oyster shuckers – shucking the oysters to get to the pearls.

Emotionally, I found it challenging to keep my own excitement and enthusiasm up while surrounded by so many people that sadly are too entrenched in their low vibrations and poor beliefs about money to take the step to financially freedom.

It was at about the 12 month mark when I came to a critical realization. I realized that there is truly a serious epidemic of fear, lack and negativity in the world. I came to understand my purpose – to be the shining light for others to follow to their own light, dreams, and desired reality.

I finally understood that even though it was challenging, I MUST deny the fear, lack and limitations of others and see beyond that for people to reach their true potential. I realized that I MUST set the example of leadership and dreams in action.

The good news is that I did make it through the jungle.

I now DO see people duplicating and I DO see people coming into my business who are as committed as I am. I used Law of Attraction at a very granular level to make the shift for myself. When I did that, I created a powerful attraction force that weeded out the tire kickers and grew my top producers.

So here are my suggested Law of Attraction techniques for those of you in the network marketing jungle.

Get a Map
Get your Gear
Enjoy the adventure

Get a Map

If you are considering starting or are fairly new to a network marketing business, then understand that you MUST have a map of where you are going.

Whenever we set out on a journey, we either already know where we are going and we can visualize the destination, or, we don’t, and we have a map that shows us the way.

Life is no different. Until we have the destination firmly planted in our minds, we must review our map and compare it to exactly where we are so that we know we are on the right road.

Having a map for your network marketing business helps you to determine…

Where you are going (your goals)
What roads to take (the skill sets you must develop to be successful)
How long the route will take (your commitment to the number of hours you will work your network marketing business)
The local attractions (the people you wish to attract into your business, either up or downline)

Treasure Mapping is a wonderful way to develop your network marketing map. This Law of Attraction technique is effective because it paints the picture for you and your brain to have in front of you on a daily basis as you are working your business, making your calls, and yes, when you are experiencing rejection.

Take the time to create a treasure-map for your network marketing business. You will be amazed at what happens when you feed your brain visual images that affirm your goals and dreams.

First write down 20 goals or reasons for doing your network marketing business. Then seek out images and pictures that represent the achievement and expression of those goals in your life.

Time and time again I hear people who do this exercise and see results so fast it even can be scary!

I challenge you, if you haven’t yet done a treasure-map for your network marketing business, DO THIS NOW.

Get Your Gear

If you are going to set out into the jungle of network marketing, you must ensure you have the right gear. You need…

An experienced tour guide (Your upline director and support tools)
The right clothing (Create an image of success)
A good compass (Internal guidance)
Good insect repellant (Ward off negative emotions)

The jungle is an intimidating place. Once in the jungle, it is easy to get lost. There are lots of strange noises and animals. You need a good tour guide that has been through it, knows the lay of the land, and can show you the way.

In network marketing, one of the biggest reasons why people fail is that they don’t have a good upline director or team. Many people become “orphaned” or left to fend for themselves in the jungle because of attrition.

When you are considering network marketing, be sure that you align yourself with the right director and team. It’s o.k. if you start your business with someone new, as we all have to start there… However, be sure that your upline, if new, has someone above him or her that has experience in your company for at least a year, is committed to growing their business, and is accessible to you.

Be sure too that the organization has a strong support network outside of your director – good training materials, live conference calls, live training and networking events, so that if your director were to ever leave the business, you are not stranded in the middle of the jungle. If you have a map (see the first tip in this topic) you will still be able to find your way through, but its a lot easier with the right tour guide.

In the jungle, it is important that you wear appropriate clothing for the environment. You want to have a good protective hat, long pants, lots of pockets to put your gear in, gloves, etc.

In network marketing, how you dress makes a big difference in your tour through the jungle. The dress code for network marketing means how you successful and confident you appear to yourself and other people. Once you’ve been through the jungle with an experienced tour guide, you will become the tour guide.

So, you must develop a positive self image of yourself and be able to project that out to others. You must become a person of enthusiasm, confidence, and commitment.

The key to understand in network marketing is that while we all have great products to sell, we are not really selling our products.

We are selling ourselves, we our selling our services as a tour guide, and the inspiration we create by setting the example of success. People want to follow people who are going places. People want a good tour guide that knows the territory and will take them safely through the jungle and away from pitfalls. If you don’t create an image of success, your network marketing business will never survive long term.

Once in the jungle, it is easy to lose a sense of direction when surrounded by so much plant life that seems to stretch over our heads. There may be lots of paths, but which one do we take?

When we have a compass, and we know the direction we are headed, then even if we get of course, we can use our compass to steer us back on track.

In network marketing, your compass is your internal guidance system. It represents your reasons for doing the business – your personal definition of success. With the right map and gear, we will be in a good position to move forward, however, our compass continually lets us know if the paths we choose to take are the right ones.

Why do you wish to start a network marketing business? What drives, excites and motivates you about having your own business?

The jungle has lots of bugs. No question about that one. We’ve got to have some heavy duty insect repellant if we are going to enter the jungle.

In network marketing, bugs and insects represent the negative emotions that will without a doubt try to sting or bite you as you make your way through the jungle.

The truth is, you will face much more rejection than you will face acceptance. You will have insects that will try to sting you and bite you every step of the way.

As you consider network marketing, your very own family and friends may tell you your crazy, its one of those pyramid things, you’ll never make any money… etc.

As you bring people into your team, you will find that on average only about 20% will ever really move forward and do something with their business.

If you are not prepared to spray yourself with a good emotional repellant, you may very well end up overcome by the disease of inertia or depression.

Getting a Wheelchair Lift on Ebay
The Internet has given people the opportunity to communicate with others and share information. It has also started something called electronic commerce making it easy for someone to buy or sell things in cyberspace.The first site that ever came up with the idea of auctioning is Ebay. This company is more than 10 years old and anyone can post an item for buying or selling.If people find buying a wheelchair lift in stores or even in websites expensive, a cheaper one that is slightly used may be found by doing a search in Ebay.All the person has to do is log onto Ebay.com and wait for the web page to appear. When it is there, the user should type “wheelchair lift” as the keyword then click on search. Within a few seconds, these will all appear and the individual will just scan through what is available to find one that is available.Most of the wheelchair lifts have already been integrated into the van. This means a customer who needs one get to buy the vehicle and the machine.If a lift has been found, it is best to read on the specifications and ask the seller certain questions about the product. This can include the mileage and if the vehicle is in good condition or not.This is very similar to buying a pre-owned automobile off the dealer’s lot and since this could be from someone in another state, the person will just have to rely on the word of the seller about it.People who have never been to an auction before should know that the product goes to the highest bidder. If the starting bid is $300, it is advisable to put a higher amount. There is a time frame for each of these items to end. The individual will just have to wait and see who gets it in the end.If the person is unable to get it, there are other vans that still come with a wheelchair lift. It will be a good idea then to bid on not only one, which is like nesting all the eggs in one basket.Those who are serious of doing business on Ebay should be ready to pay using paypal, credit cards or personal c

ahead.

The good news is that I did make it through the jungle.

So here are my suggested Law of Attraction techniques for those of you in the network marketing jungle.

Get a Map
Get your Gear
Enjoy the adventure

Get a Map

If you are considering starting or are fairly new to a network marketing business, then understand that you MUST have a map of where you are going.

Whenever we set out on a journey, we either already know where we are going and we can visualize the destination, or, we don’t, and we have a map that shows us the way.

Life is no different. Until we have the destination firmly planted in our minds, we must review our map and compare it to exactly where we are so that we know we are on the right road.

Having a map for your network marketing business helps you to determine…

Where you are going (your goals)
What roads to take (the skill sets you must develop to be successful)
How long the route will take (your commitment to the number of hours you will work your network marketing business)
The local attractions (the people you wish to attract into your business, either up or downline)

Take the time to create a treasure-map for your network marketing business. You will be amazed at what happens when you feed your brain visual images that affirm your goals and dreams.

First write down 20 goals or reasons for doing your network marketing business. Then seek out images and pictures that represent the achievement and expression of those goals in your life.

Time and time again I hear people who do this exercise and see results so fast it even can be scary!

I challenge you, if you haven’t yet done a treasure-map for your network marketing business, DO THIS NOW.

Get Your Gear

If you are going to set out into the jungle of network marketing, you must ensure you have the right gear. You need…

An experienced tour guide (Your upline director and support tools)
The right clothing (Create an image of success)
A good compass (Internal guidance)
Good insect repellant (Ward off negative emotions)