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Launch Date: May 23, 2001
Last # of subscribers: 4137
Present # of subscribers: 4143
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Everybody knows good counsel except him that
has need of it."
- German Proverb
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Article: CATOR TO MEDIOCRITY OR INSPIRE GREATNESS... THAT IS THE QUESTION
Special For IMR's Subscribers (to lose weight)
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By Dale Calvert
In the early eighties I heard a MLM training cassette by Dr. Jeffery Morrison
that I will never forget. Dr. Morrison was speaking about the questions you
receive after an opportunity meeting. He talked about people who come up to you
with a very serious look and ask the question, "How much does the A V E R A
G E person make in your business?" Dr. Morrison's reply, "Nothing,
zero, not a dime, average people don’t make above average income!"
Never is that statement truer than in today's network marketing environment.
Let's face the facts! 1999 was probably the worst year over all for this
Industry since its conception!
However with great adversity comes great opportunity. The naive want to blame
the economy, or worse, their upline, company, products, marketing plan, or
leadership. The reality is it is not 1993 anymore! The market place has changed
drastically in the past few years. To not recognize that change and blame is ignorant, and offers
no solutions to the real problem.
What is the real problem? We will discuss that in a minute, but first lets look
at just a few of the reasons the market has changed. To produce in any market
you must first understand the market.
In the past five years the entire American/Canadian population has been
BOMBARDED with opportunities. Opportunities have become a dime a dozen.
Consider these facts:
Millions upon millions of people have been exposed to our industry in the
past 5 years. Virtually everyone has been involved in a network marketing
program or has a close friend or family member who has. Far too often they have
observe the predictable cycle.
Ignorance on Fire for 90 days or so followed by a garage full of something they
don't need and can't sell. Followed by the attitude of "If first I don't
succeed, fix the blame quick", and they badmouth the company, their sponsor
and everything to do with the industry.
Good people who have never joined this fabulous industry sit back and watch this
cycle occur with a few friends and love ones and make the decision that they don't
want to personally ever go through that. You really can’t blame them for having
those feelings. It takes a very skilled, value focused communicator to break
down those type of barriers, which leads my to my second point.
People don't communicate with each other. The world is becoming
quicker, we seem to be living at a faster and faster pace each year. The ability
to really care (value focused) about our fellow human beings seems to be
dwindling. The "what is in it for ME", attitude seems to be growing in
people daily. Most people today never communicate with their own neighbors, or
even know their names!
In network marketing you truly can have everything in life you want , if you
help enough other people get what they want. Helping others must be a true,
heart felt desire. It is not something you can fake. You either have it or you
don't. If you have it people are still skeptical, but it you don’t have it,
people feel it. Barriers can only be broken down when you truly care about
others. Unfortunately we are becoming a society more and more of people who are
only concerned about themselves. The pool of good, honest, hard working, caring
individuals is dwindling.
The Credibility Factor. Network marketing has always been built around
what we call a "Center of Influence" or "Mr. or Mrs. High
Credibility". People of influence within a community can explode any given
MLM program. After all leadership is influence.
Because or corporate relocations, and the fast pace of life, the number of
people within any given community with a high credibility factor diminishes each
year. There are a lot less Mr. & Mrs. Credibility within any given community than there were
five years ago.
Many of the people that do exist have already put their credibility on the line
and joined A MLM program. Unfortunately in many cases it was the WRONG COMPANY. The company went out of business, and they have made the conscious decision to
never try that again.
Cable TV Success Gurus aren't helping.
Only a few short years ago we received the big three networks piped into our
home and that was it. With the evolution of cable TV and the Satellite Dish,
came the evolution of the late night success gurus. Don Lapre, Brad Richdale,
Carlton Sheets, John Polk, Tony Robins, and the list goes on and on and on and
on.
First of all let me say that I think the majority of these people are sincere,
honest, and believe in their products and services. I have personally purchased
all of the above programs and dozens more. I buy everything I see on late night
TV. I am always looking for one good idea or concept that I can implement into
the systems and programs that we teach. My point is not that these people
are crooks! My point is that in the last five years these infomercial gurus have
bombarded the public helping to perpetuate the mind set that "Opportunities
are a dime a dozen". Does that make sense? I hope I have communicated my
point well enough. The numbers have changed. Five years ago when you
handed someone a video or audiotape with information about a home based business
opportunity they would go home and watch video, or listen to the tape. They were
curious. In today's market place the average person has the attitude "what
MLM deal are you promoting?"
This is a very important fact.
To not understand or ignore this FACT is MLM suicide. With the market
penetration of "Dead Doctors Don't Lie" and many other recruiting
tapes that hit the market place in 1993 - 1997, this attitude is very prevalent
in today's market place. (If you would like to get a deep understanding of this
concept, you can order my cassette "Why you can’t Build a Network
Marketing Company Mailing Cassettes". This cassette is available here.)
The bottom line here is that it simply takes more numbers today to equal the
same results that you could expect in 1993-1995, which leads me back to
the real problem, (I prefer the word challenge) in today's marketplace. I told
you I would reveal the real problem so here it is:
RECRUITING IS DOWN in virtually every company within the entire network
marketing industry.
Why? Because we have not yet realized that the market place has changed. We are
trying to do the same number of exposures to the same number of prospects that
we did in 1993 & 1994 with the same results. The Marketplace has changed
making that impossible. I have watched this trend develop over the past three or
four years. We have done everything with in our power to help our organization
produce under these conditions. In the good old days all you needed was a good
videotape, a powerful opportunity meeting, desire and work ethic to build an
empire.
Targeted recruiting programs, implemented correctly can help you in today's
market place.
In the last three years we have introduced many new prospecting and recruiting
programs. Games, as we call them, to help our people get in front of specific,
targeted prospects. We have introduced recruiting programs designed specifically
for Work at Home Moms, Chiropractors, Small Business Owners, Ministers, and
Network Marketers. We had plans of introducing specific recruiting programs
designed at other target markets such as insurance sales people, real estate
professionals, truck drivers, and restaurant workers. Our philosophy is people
can identify better with their peers more than people they see on a generic
video. If I am a restaurant worker I would much rather hear the success stories
of other restaurant workers than I would of people with unrelated backgrounds.
We have proven that highly targeted and customized recruiting tools will
work IF you have field leadership who understands the tools, understands the
purpose of the tools, and will provide strong directional leadership to their
organization on how and when to implement the tools.
Without leadership doing their job, this philosophy WILL NOT WORK!
We have organizations that have prospered and progressed with these recruiting
tools, because of strong directional leadership from their uplines. We have
other organization that received no direction, or even wrong direction and it
hurt their business. If you decide to develop highly targeted recruiting
programs for your organization there are two important pitfalls that you and
your existing leadership must guard against.
(#1 Pitfall to Avoid) Never
leave the Basics
Human nature is when a new recruiting program or tool is introduced for
everyone to abandon what they are doing and focus on the new program. As a
leader, it is your responsibility to make certain that your people
always stay focused on the basics. That is one of the reasons that most
companies today have voice mail systems, which enable you to set up group codes.
This type of system enables you to provide specific direction and support to
your downline organizations on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis if necessary.
It is your responsibility to make sure your organization isn't running
around like a chicken with their head cut off. When was the last time your
organization heard from you?
As most of you know I am an advocate of warm market recruiting, and retailing to
recruit.
The process is simple: Retail a product; Provide good customer service &
develop a satisfied customer; Expose the business to the satisfied customer &
sponsor them. Lead guide and direct them step by step for at least the first 90
days. Help them expose (Blitz) their warm market using the proper tools. I am
warning you from experience. If you ever allow your organization to leave the
basics, then you must face the consequences for your lack of directional
leadership.
(#2 Pitfall to Avoid) Help your organization establish an Advertising Budget
and Stick to it!
We have all heard the saying, early to bed, early to rise, work like heck
and advertise. This business is no different. I believe as business people we
ALL need to have an advertising budget and STICK TO IT! Where should our
advertising budget come from? I have said many times "you spend your
profits from your retail sales to advertise your business, NOT YOUR GROCERY
MONEY!" This is one of the reasons that I feel having a hot
product that the average person can take to the market place, RETAIL, and create
cash profits, is so critical for the long term success of your business! (I talk
about this concept in depth on the audio cassette "The Secret to Network
Marketing Success", also available here.)
As leaders, it is our responsibility to make certain that our people don’t
leave the basics, and get so excited about a new recruiting program that they
forget their advertising budget and pull out their credit card with visions of
instant success. This is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately some upline
leadership choose to not warn their distributors of this pitfall. Who knows why?
Lack of understanding, greed, desire for personal gain, I don't really Know! As
upline leaders it is our responsibility to insure that our people establish an
advertising budget and STICK TO IT! Never, never, never, under any circumstances
should we encourage them to use their credit card for more advertising. Their
advertising budget can increase only when their retail sales, and override
checks increase, period. You don't build this business by throwing money at it.
ONE FINAL WORD OF WARNING. If you decide to implement targeted recruiting
tools to your organization, you must make sure that you have competent, value
focused leadership within your organization to implement the programs and guard
their organization against the pitfalls. If you don't, people will leave the
basics, spend too much money, and in trying to help many people, a few will end
up getting hurt. Unfortunately your leadership won't blame themselves, YOU WILL
GET THE BLAME! I have said all of that to simply say this: THE TREND TOWARD
MEDIOCRITY IS ALIVE AND WELL WITHIN THIS INDUSTRY. EVEN IN COMPANIES AND
DISTRIBUTOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD NO BETTER!
When you quit inspiring people to grow, learn, develop and become all they can
become, and start catering your marketing plan, systems, and advertising efforts
to the mediocrity of people you can guarantee lack of growth. In today's market
place recruiting is difficult enough. Creating an expectance of mediocrity is
certainly not the answer! You see this trend more today in MLM advertising
campaigns than ever before. The "you sit back, do nothing , get rich, and
we will do all the work for you message" is everywhere!
You have many leaders all over this industry, in every single company,
that have seen their checks drop by a few thousand dollars per month over the
past couple of years. However with in each one of the companies you also have a
small number of leaders who have seen their income increase. Same company, same
marketing plan, same products, what is the difference?
Leaders with growth have recognized that the market place has changed, and have
realized that they had to take responsibility and learn how to be productive
within the new marketplace. Unfortunately most distributors leaders are still
working with a 1993/94 mindset. The days of throwing mud on the wall and see
what sticks are basically over. It takes a lot more mud, and must of us don't
drive dump trucks!
Until people understand that their job doesn't end after they have sponsored a
new distributor, it is only just beginning, there will continue to be
frustrations. We have to become very good at blitzing warm markets and working
hand in hand with that new distributor. It goes back to being value focused and
understanding that people don't care how much we know until they know how much
we care! It is taking responsibility for the success of a new distributor the
first 90 days and doing everything you possibly can to get them off to a quick
start. In today's market place the value of a new distributor has increased 500%
we must recognize this and treat them accordingly. Many leaders are setting back
looking at their organizations. They are thinking about all the distributors
that they have had over the past three or four years that have come and gone.
They have their calculators out, punching in numbers and trying to figure out
how much money they could be making if all those people hadn't quit. They
then try to figure out ways to change the marketing plans, products, or company
tools and literature so they can hold on to what they have. (Survival Focused,
Not Value Focused) This is ridiculous, we are not living in some dream world. It
has recently come quite apparent to me that it is hard for survival focused
people to make value focused decisions.
YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THIS REALITY! According to all the documentation I
have ever seen, 90% of the people who join a network marketing organization
don't last 1 year! Over 50% don't last 90 days!
Dale if this is true, then why would anybody attempt to build an organization?
Because one person can turn into thousands of distributors and tens of thousands
dollars in monthly income! Reality, most of the heavy hitters in this industry
make 90% of their income from three lines or less!
THIS NEXT REALITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT YOU WILL READ IN THIS
NEWSLETTER.
Average people come and go in this industry continuously. It is like a revolving
door. It is just THE WAY IT IS! You have groups of people joining, and groups of
people quitting every month! Some people never even get started, they peak when
they sign the application. The secret is keeping people in for 90 days, and YOU HELPING
THEM be productive. From the people coming and going there will be a small
number of good honest, hard working, ethical people who have a true work ethic,
desire, and are teachable. Those are the people you will build your business
with. Not the average Joe's or what I call the 70%ers. The average Joe's will
join your organization, hang around for awhile, and hopefully lead you to some
one good before they quit.
(A side note, but very important. The majority of heavy hitters who have been
sponsored into this industry were sponsored by people who are no longer within
this industry!) The average Joe's serve their purpose. We need to love these
people, respect these people as fellow human beings.
DON'T BE NAIVE ENOUGH TO THINK THEY ARE GOING TO HANG AROUND EVERY MONTH AND
ORDER PRODUCT JUST SO Y O U CAN BUILD Y O U R PAYCHECK!
REALITY: Most people at age 65 in this country end up with a minis net worth!
You, network marketing, or me IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT! My mentor, Jim Burke
taught me many years ago, "The name of the game is sorting through
people." It always has been and it always will be! We have to go through
enough numbers to find our two or three key people each year that we can build
an organization around. Ladies and gentleman, like it or not, that is just the
way it is! THE PROBLEM IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS
THAT BECAUSE THE MARKET PLACE HAS CHANGED, WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE LEAVING THE BACK
DOOR THAN ENTERING THE FRONT DOOR!
Therefore we have less people to sort through to find our two good leaders for
the year! When organizations and individual leaders figure out how to cost
effectively go through more numbers, to recruit more people, to find
their two good leaders for the year, then long term stable growth will occur.
Until that happens, any change in product lines, marketing plans, etc is only a
short term solution at best!
The fundamental problem within this industry right now is simply this. The
competent, well trained distributor must be able to go to the marketplace work
consistently and cost effectively enough to recruit 4-8 new distributors each
month, and then have the ability to lead guide and direct those new distributors
for the first 90 days they are in the program! The organizations, distributors,
and companies who recognize this and learn to master recruiting in the new
market place will thrive over the next five years. Those who don't, who stay
stuck in the mindset of 1993/94 are going to have a tough road ahead of them. I
truly believe that you will see more significant change in our industry over the
next five years than the previous 50 years combined. I for one am extremely
excited about the future of this industry. The entire industry is in
transition right now, which means major opportunity in the future. I am
trying to prepare for the future, while learning from the past.
I believe that the Internet will play a very significant role in the future of
this industry. That is one reason that later this month I am attending the
"Billion Dollar Internet Strategy Summit" in Los Angeles. I am going
to spend 5 days with 12 people who have created multi-million dollar businesses
on the Internet in the past couple of years. When it is all said and done this
trip will cost about $10,000 out of my pocket. The seminar alone is $7,000. Somebody ask me the other day why I would spend so much cash on something like this. I learned along time ago "That a wise man learns from
his own mistakes, but a really wise man learns from the mistakes of
others." I am going to learn from their mistakes, and besides, "You
never ask what it cost, you always ask what is it worth?"
I am preparing for an exciting future and I hope each one of you are doing the
same.
Dale Calvert
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Other resources from Dale Calvert ...
Where The MLM Pros Are Going (primary program)
http://pros.bourget-marketing-international.com
MLM Training Club (support program)
http://club.bourget-marketing-international.com
Web Cash Leads (support program)
http://wcl.bourget-marketing-international.com
The Website your Upline hopes you never find!
http://mlmbombshell.bourget-marketing-international.com
1% of MLM associates are getting Rich. Learn how!
http://shotatsuccess.bourget-marketing-international.com
The Success Principle the Internet has Stolen
http://stolensuccess.bourget-marketing-international.com
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While you're thinking about it, look in your address book and forward this issue now to 2 or 3 of your friends. They will thank you for it and so will I.
Was this issue forwarded to you? To subscribe and get this newsletter sent
directly to your inbox, just
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Stéphan
Bourget, IMReporter's Editor
http://cc.bourget-marketing-international.com
