June 1999
Feature
Three Rules Leaders Know - Michael S. Clouse
Surveys have always fascinated me. Ask a few hundred people how they feel about this or that, and you can presumably understand the mindset of an entire nation! Indeed, polls are conducted daily to determine how we feel about politics, why we purchase certain products, and even what we watch-- or don't watch-- on TV. This sampling got me thinking one day about the Network Marketing business we're in. For example, if you were to survey those already in the business, what should you ask them? What insights could they provide? Would any of this gleaned information be valuable to you?
Consider the following, and you decide....
Years ago I discovered that those who are deemed to be Masters in this "Networking thing" understand three simple truths about the business. Although you might hear these expressed somewhat differently from leader to leader, the underlying facts remain the same. For purposes of our discussion, we'll refer to these truisms as Network Marketing's Three Rules of Three":
- Know The Business You're In
Network Marketing is about three things:
- Finding people to talk to-- Prospecting.
- Talking to the people you find-- Presentation.
- Teaching those who join how to do the same-- Duplication.
- Understand The Rules
Regardless of how you present your business...
- Some people decide to join-- Some will.
- Some people decide not to join-- Some won't.
- Some people decide not to decide-- So what.
- Get Better At The Game
Because everything in life is about who you become...
- Work more on yourself than you do on your business.
- Work more on yourself than you do on your business.
- Work more on yourself than you do on your business.
I share this with you because for years, leaders have been searching for a simple, highly duplicatable system that new distributors could use to more quickly achieve success. I now believe we've been overlooking the obvious for decades.
If it's true that in order to grow our organizations we need to contact, involve and teach; if it's true that "some will," some won't," and "so what" are all good things; and if we really need to be working on ourselves, our personal development, more than we work on the business... then what is this overlooked shortcut to success?
To find the answer, conduct your own personal poll.
Take a census of the top 25 successful leaders in your company. Call them, fax them, e-mail them, whatever it takes for you to get together long enough to ask three questions of each of them and see what you come up with:
- How were you introduced to the business-- audio tape, videotape, or through an event?
- How would you describe the skill set of the person who sponsored you?
- Once you were introduced to the company, how long did it take for you to decide you wanted to do this business?
Here's what I've discovered....
Question #1 could easily provide you with 25 different answers, especially if you ask which audiotape, videotape, or event they attended. Question #2, again, will probably provide a plethora of answers from talented to tolerable to terrible. Question #3, however, is the all-important key to your survey, because what you will learn is that those who make the most money in this industry-- regardless of how they were introduced, and regardless of by whom-- got in right away. Those who build the largest organizations-- same thing--got in right away. And best of all, those you have yet to meet-- those destined to become leaders-- they'll get in right away, too, if you will just present them with the business!
The beauty in this overlooked shortcut to success is that in the beginning, what you lack in skill you can make up in activity. Combine that belief with a proven system for contacting new prospects, and your company's next great "Triple Diamond Star Fleet Commander" could easily be sponsored by you-- regardless of your current level of expertise! The most important thing to do when you sign up is make a list of the best people you know and show them the business, because if they're going to get it, they'll get it. Don't wait until you think you "know everything," because you don't have to. Imagine that! Apparently, activity matters most....
Now, I'm not suggesting that you skip mastering Network Marketing's Three Rules of Three. On the contrary. Just because the movers and shakers "get in" right away is no reason to miss sponsoring the masses who want to know everything about everything before they're ready to begin. Therefore, if you truly desire to prosper long term in this business, weave a bountiful thread of activity into your tapestry of Network Marketing's Three Rules of Three, and not only will you sponsor that next mega superstar, you'll be able to keep them. I could give you story after story of how true this is, but this isn't about me, it's about you. What are you waiting for? Make another call....
MICHAEL S. CLOUSE is the Editor-in-Chief of Nexera e-News, and former Editor-in-Chief of Upline. Certified as a Network Marketing Professional by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Michael is the author of Future Choice, Business Is Booming!, Seven Prospecting Secrets, and Whose Dream Are You Building? Michael can be reached by e-mail: msc@nexera.com or by calling 1.888.Nexera.com. You may subscribe to Nexera e-News, a free online weekly newsletter for the Network Marketer, by visiting www.nexera.com.
Reprinted with permission from Upline, Clouse Feature - June 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
