FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES:
Hello Everybody,
As always, I hope you have all had a week for the record books. I know I have. Success and prosperity have followed me every step of the way and I am grateful for it all. Welcome back to our regulars and Welcome Home to our new readers. Always remember that if you are new and want to read back issues or if you just missed one, that you can go to either:
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links (bottom left corner of the page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
************************ ANNOUNCEMENTS *********************
Just wanted to touch base with all of you on a couple of things. First, don’t forget about our ongoing enrollment contest. Still waiting to see who is going to take the $500.00 from me. Also, don’t forget about the $50,000 ANNUAL INCOME GUARANTEE that Success University has put in place along with the Tuition Reimbursement Guarantee Challenge that I am personally sponsoring. Haven’t had any takers on that one yet. And lastly, I announced last week that I wanted to start doing a weekly spotlight on any of our readers that wanted to send me their information so that you can put yourself out their for all of us to get to know. I really want to attain a level of FAMILY amongst my readers. So, send in that information and I’ll give you your 15 SENTENCES OF FAME !!!
******************************************************************
Ok folks, I’m going to tell you a little story and then I’m going to make my point…..
“An established company and a group of entrepreneurs had a boat race. The established company won by a mile. The entrepreneurs hired analysts to figure out what went wrong. They reported that the established company had one person managing and seven rowing, while the entrepreneurs had seven managing and only one rowing. The entrepreneurs immediately restructured it’s team. Now, they had one senior manager, six management consultants and one rower. In the rematch, the established company won by two miles so the entrepreneurs FIRED THE ROWER !!!”
Now, the point behind that story is this. If you are new at something and somebody else is already good at it, it might be in your best interests to follow in their footsteps instead of trying to re-invent the wheel !!! The company you decided to become a part of is obviously already successful and has a system in place for you to use. I must have had five or more phone calls this week from people that wanted me to teach them how to run their business of Network Marketing WITHOUT HAVING TO TALK TO ANYBODY !!!
Folks, I’m not trying to be rude but if you are in Network Marketing and you don’t want to talk to anybody then YOU ARE IN THE WRONG BUSINESS !!! I understand that technology is great. I understand that there are easy ways and shortcuts to a lot of things today. I get it. But you have to understand that Network Marketing, by it’s very nature, is a PEOPLE BUSINESS. The whole concept is built around building relationships and establishing trust and respect for one another. Just because Nuclear Energy is a great new alternative fuel, I promise that if you put it in your lawnmower that it’s NOT GONNA RUN.
Using any and all outside resources you can to ENHANCE your business is great but you can’t completely get away from the root concept of the business if you plan on it sustaining itself. I know, you always hear about all these great programs that will BUILD YOUR DOWNLINE WHILE YOU SLEEP and get 10,000 PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR BUSINESS, etc. etc. etc……… But, you know what, you are going to have an attrition rate that is OUT OF THIS WORLD if you run your business on auto pilot and completely eliminate the HUMAN FACTOR.
When people are new to any business, ESPECIALLY Network Marketing, when they look behind them to ask a question or get help with something and nobody is there I can assure you that you won’t have them in your downline for very long. Now, if you have this phenomenal advertising budget and can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars building your business and a 75 to 80 % attrition rate doesn’t bother you then MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU but most people need their members to stay once they come aboard and the only way that is going to happen is if you primarily run your business the way it was designed to be ran.
Ok, with the understanding that most people that want to avoid talking to other people about their business is NOT that they are lazy but rather, that they feel they don’t have the ability to or knowledge of how to, I would like to share some tips with you on the subject……
The first thing is a little goodie I call “SHOPspecting”. Sales people are natural talkers and will APPROACH YOU. When they do, pick an item and use these three phrases.
1. “Tell me about this” They will give you their best sales pitch.
2. “Wow, what else can you tell me about this?” They will see you as a probable sale and continue.
3. “You would be great at my business!!! Take my card and call me when you get off work.”
Now, was that rocket science???
NOTE: If you are in Success University this would be a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to give away a copy of EMPOWER MAGAZINE !!!
Another area people go wrong in is trying to explain their whole business to a prospect. Just remember that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER but INFORMATION IS POISON. When you approach someone about you business you want to let the system your company has in place do it’s job. If you get all wrapped up in explaining ten thousand things to someone then you are only giving them ten thousand possible reasons to object ON THE SPOT and not even take a look at your business. You should always appear as a very busy person and that you will be happy to answer all their questions AFTER they have looked over your information. There is a saying in the business…. BE BRIEF, BE BRILLIANT AND BE GONE !!!
Then, finally, when you are following up with a person ask them what they LIKED about your business. This makes it necessary for them to make positive statements and have positive thoughts about it. Don’t ask them what they THOUGHT about it. That only serves as an open invitation to formulate objections. However, if they bring up any questions or concerns, this is the time to handle them. Then, after you have answered all their questions it’s time to ASK FOR THE COMMITMENT. You would be surprised how many people will take a prospect through the entire interview process then FREEZE UP at the end and just kind of lose steam. When you are confident that you have covered all their issues then simply say, “Ok Mr./Msr. Prospect, if we can get you started RIGHT NOW can you think of any reason why we shouldn’t?” They already told you what their questions and concerns were so they should be ready to go. Simple, right???
When it comes to prospecting in any type of marketing there are three simple ingredients for success:
1. Desire- Why do they want to be a part of your business? What’s in it for them?
2. Enthusiasm- Show people your passion about what you do. A fake has a very distinctive odor !!!
3. Simplicity- Keep it short and simple. Commitment decisions are made with emotion, not facts.
I hope that these little morsels helped some. But, seriously everybody, whether you are selling a product, a service or promoting a business opportunity…. The moment you eliminate the HUMAN FACTOR you have created your own struggle. You have put up your own fences. But when you embrace any business the way it was meant to be ran, it becomes a process instead of a problem. Just remember that when the business becomes a process it becomes a joy and when it becomes a joy you will never WORK another day of your life !!!
********************************************************************
“Enthusiasm is that secret and harmonious spirit which hovers over the production of genius.”
- Isaac Disraeli
********************************************************************
In just a little over thirty days it will be Thanksgiving. Most of us will probably be loading up in the car to go see our respective families, some many miles across the country. There will be parades, fancy dinners and an array of other forms or celebration but, amidst all that, I encourage you to make sure that you don’t lose sight of what Thanksgiving is all about.
It is a time when we should stop and reflect on all that we have and to show gratitude for it. Now, I don’t mean just material, superficial things like a new car or a big screen TV. I mean things like that new, healthy grandbaby. I mean things like the fact that your mom and dad are still here to celebrate with you. I mean things like the fact that when you hear a whistling sound it is most likely a bottle rocket and not an artillery round.
You see, when I grew up my family was just as guilty of not pushing the issue of Gratitude as many others are. I grew up thinking that it was just basically an excuse to gorge yourself with food and spend time with people that you hardly ever saw. Then, one year I was invited to a close friend of mine’s family Thanksgiving celebration and they did the most wonderful thing. After they said Grace over the dinner (which many people don’t do either) everybody had to take a turn and tell everyone else what they were thankful for. I had never encountered this before and it forever changed me inside. From that day on I have always embraced Thanksgiving with an entirely different attitude and mindset. I encourage each and every one of you, if you don’t already do it, to try that approach this year. It will change you too !!!
********************************************************************
“If it is a new thought to you that gratitude brings your whole mind into closer harmony with the creative energies of the Universe, consider it well, and you will see that it is true.”
- Wallace Wattles
********************************************************************
Well, it’s about that time again. It’s about time for me to start winding down my evening and begin planning for tomorrows activities. Remember, planning has a 10:1 productivity ratio over “Winging It !!!” So, I will close for now and go curl up on the couch with Shelby, my dog. She has been patiently waiting for me finish so I can pay some attention to her while I make out my schedule. It has been, as it always is, not only a pleasure but an honor to spend this time with all of you. Until next time, may God bless and keep you all, and remember…
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY !!!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
JeffreyHodges@thedreameffect.com
http://www.thedreameffect.com
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
615-644-5434
270-320-1324
