One of the biggest ‘selling points’ I keep reading and hearing from people regarding network marketing is the low start-up cost.  Yawn.  Seriously, who cares?  If a business is going to be successful and you have the proper guidance and leadership then the initial investment isn’t really relevant.  If all you are going to do is ‘try it out to see what happens’ (which is common in this industry because of the low start up) then low start up will seem appealing.  Entrepreneurs start a venture to make it work, knowing full well an opportunity or business doesn’t work itself just because a membership fee and autoship are being paid for.  Unless you are willing to put some skin in the game, make loads of mistakes, learn, and grow then stay well away from business ownership altogether, especially network marketing.  Sound harsh?  Well then it’s about time somebody gave you a reality check.

Why are you willing to start a business? What do you really want?  Why are willing to go through the overwhelm, confusion, doubt, discomfort, and uncertainty that comes with being an entrepreneur?  Do you have  a compelling need to push the latest vitamin, supplement, potion, or super-juice made from the magical who-gives-a-shit berry from the distant mountain of ‘irrelevant’, or are you searching for more time freedom so you can spend time with loved ones, watch your kids grow up, or lounge at the beach?

I’m deadly serious about this point, figure out why you are willing to make such a huge life change before you start throwing money at a business.  The most common and basic choice for people new to the industry is to choose a supplement or juice of some kind.  Egad!  Does the world really need another heavily over-priced juice or vitamin?  There are frickin’ TONS of them on the market so don’t be fooled by the ‘health and wellness is a gazillion dollar a year industry!’ motto before you look into just how much competition there is from all the different companies.  This level of competition totally splinters those gazillion dollars into tiny fractions.

If you’re new, you must find a mentor or leader, not a company.  If financial freedom and time freedom are what you’re after then I highly suggest you find someone who has created the results you’re after, is using techniques and strategies that you can see yourself doing and apply your strengths to, and then simply model after them.  It really is that simple.  Do everything in your power not to be swayed by comp plans, ingredients, discounts, or advantages.  A strong comp plan certainly matters, but be sure to make it secondary to finding a guide who has walked the path before you and can show you the way.

Remember, low start up cost adds up once you start adding autoship and monthly memberships, and it’s nearly irrelevant anyway, truth be told.   Get supreme clarity on why you want to start your own business before you start spending money…and then spend money on marketing education first before you choose a business.  GUIDANCE, GUIDANCE, GUIDANCE!! Be patient, find a strong, successful mentor to help your learning curve.

When you’re ready to apply to the premier coaching and education community in Internet marketing then follow the link below.

Top Internet Marketing Training Here!

Xango makes a very interesting and bold claim on their site which is: “XanGo stands as the poster child for modern MLM done right”. Hmmm, ‘modern’?  Okay, first of all, one of the main ‘strategies’ you will be taught is to share the product and since it is so darn incredible people will be compelled to pay for it and even become rabid distributors.  Problem: As a distributor, you will be the one paying for all this product to ‘share’ with people, meaning sooner than later you’ll have to start getting paying customers and team members or else go totally broke….very quickly.  This will add desperation to your efforts and desperation is indeed a stinky cologne that your prospects will be able to smell a mile away and be repelled.

You will be offered very pretty, flashy, ‘professional’ looking replicated sites that thousands of other distributors will also have.  Replicated is right!  If you prefer replicated over unique then this approach is for you.  If you prefer building a successful Xango biz then you will have to seek out professional training…unfortunately elsewhere, not within Xango’s replicated system.  It’s interesting to me that Xango claims MLM marketing superiority when they suffer the same lack of ability to teach new members how to generate qualified leads on an ongoing basis.  They still seem to subscribe to the ‘old skool’ methods of network marketing’s dinosaur age…3 foot rule, friends and family, hotel meetings, etc…sound familiar?  Please understand, I am not knocking Xango as a company, there products are incredibly awesome, and the income potential is definitely there, they simply lack the Internet marketing education and experience.

The reason I am so adamant about this point is because nobody really joins a business or an opportunity, they join people.  So promoting a replicated company site falls short when introducing you to your prospects.  Sure they allow some customization with name, photo, and videos, but you will not stand out from the crowd like you do when you promote yourself as a leader, using attraction marketing, before you ever even mention your opportunity.  Very few companies have any idea how to do this.

Also, when checking out any opportunity, be cautious of the ‘we have the BEST, most competitive, lucrative, magical, spectacular comp plan in the history of the world.  In fact, go out and try to find an opportunity which claims to have the most ‘mediocre’ comp plan ever!  Silliness really.  Honestly, who gives a crap what the comp plan is like if you can’t market the opportunity effectively enough to take advantage of it?

I want to stress once more the fact that Xango is a great opportunity with stellar products.  If you want to create truly radical success with it you will have to learn how to leverage the Internet to generate leads and grow your biz.  Websites, comp plans, groovy founders, flash videos, super-juices, and ingredients don’t really do anything on their own.  Get modern, get educated, get a system and leader and you will be able to ROCK your Xango business opportunity to tremendous success!  Beware of teams that claim proven ways to grow your biz which only include offline, belly-to-belly methods of operation.

When you’re ready to get the best online marketing training possible and take your Xango business up, up, and away, then check out our community of leaders and trainers below.

Best Darn Internet Marketing Training Ever!

Direct Selling Opportunities seem to be getting quite the buzz lately.  Although not particularly new (think Mary Kay, Avon, Tupperware), thanks to the lovely and wonderful Internet we are seeing a truck load of info seeping into our consciousness.  As usual, it is always easier to find negative info than actual helpful information.  For what it’s worth, here’s my brief opinion on this fine industry: it’s ideal for home business owners (especially women), you can easily and quickly leverage the Internet, but most importantly, a company is just a company and not a magic bullet so find guidance.

I adore direct selling opportunities mainly because they are so ideal for home business owners.  Keen on firing your boss?  Do you long to spend more time with the kids and stop missing out on school performances, martial arts tournaments, and other sporting events?  With the right company and particularly the right mentor, team, and/or system, you can accomplish this freedom faster than you may think.

You will have to work! ‘Get rich quick’ is such a juvenile and pathetic pursuit (one I’m not eager to say, I chased at one point!) that is plaguing humanity in the Internet age.  The most advanced and well-built companies will leverage the awesome power of the Internet to tap into today’s Global marketplace and empower you to build wealth quickly when you dedicate yourself, learn the necessary skills, and take MASSIVE ACTION.  Simply becoming a distributor, paying your initial startup investment, and getting a replicated site will not cut it, my friend.

Long gone are the days of hosting home parties as one of the most effective ways to build a successful direct sales opportunity.  If you’re not promoting your business online you are being left in the dust by your more savvy marketers, and not only that…you are leaving HEAPS of cash on the table for others to easily gobble up.  I’ll be blunt now (no really? YOU, Garfield…blunt?): When you get over yourself and what you think you know (which BTW, just isn’t so…) that is the moment your true business potential will be unleashed, and not a moment sooner.

Here is a point I can NOT stress enough: unless you are already an experienced marketer no company in the world is going to give you fast results.  You MUST seek out a team, mentor, leader with a proven, duplicable system that can streamline and automate your business efforts.  Someone who has walked the path before you and can simply shine a light to show you the way.

I believe direct selling opportunities kick major butt because they are perfect for home business owners, leverage the awesome reach of the Internet, and can be heavily automated.  Most importantly though, find a leader, mentor, or guide! Someone who has the success you’re after which you can model.

Network marketing companies are going to dig your grave… unless you know what to look for before you choose one.

There are thousands of network marketing companies out there, and so many of them never make it big and are quickly forgotten. This will be your fate if you choose the wrong network marketing company.

Or maybe, it’s not even the network marketing company that matters…

Visit http://www.GarfieldHerriot.com/free to get my FREE 7 day Mastermind Marketing Bootcamp (a $97 value) which will show you the exact blueprint that industry top earners are using to make a 6 figure, even 7 figure income, with network marketing and their computer…

Network Marketing Internet Basics are brutally overlooked.  That’s okay, people just don’t know any better, I didn’t know any better either when I started in the industry….how could we?

This video will get you or someone you know off to a rockin’ good start.

And always remember, this is just MY opinion and I can only come from my own experience.  Of course I only make 5 figure incomes in one week in network marketing….so what would I know, eh?

Last time, we talked about the beauty of small – small goals, that is.  Today we’ll talk about SMART goals.

SMART goals extend the idea of small goals; they turn your goals into precise, actionable tasks that you can pick up and do the moment you look at them.

Let’s go back to that 6-figure income we were looking at yesterday.  Aaaah, the 7-bathroom mansion with the big pool and the bar in the rec room with the surround-sound stereo … Only right now you’re in a basement suite with an evil landlady and more bills to pay than you can throw a stick at.

You can keep daydreaming or you can try something … hey, why not try something?  Wasn’t there someone you talked to at a networking event who wanted to know more about what you do?  He sounded interested, seemed like a nice guy, and most of all he had some really interesting contacts.

Right!  Here’s a goal!  Go and have coffee with … uh, well, that guy.

Wrong.

“Have coffee with that guy” is not an actionable task.  First of all, what’s his name?  What’s his email address, telephone number or twitter name?  Also, when you contact him, do you know what to say to him?

You see what I’m getting at, don’t you?

S

First of all, ask yourself, what SPECIFICALLY is the first step.  Something  you can get up and do right this moment.  That’s the S part of SMART.  Something like

“Find the green business card with the gold lettering.”

M

M stands for measurable.  “Measurable” tells you whether you’ve accomplished the task.  In the “S” above, it was pretty easy: you find it, you’re done.  But let’s imagine you found the business card.  Right!  His name was Frank!  The next step is to get a hold of him.  He’s super busy.  How long, how often are you going to try to get in touch with him?

“Call Frank three times a week for three weeks.”

You do this, you’ve achieved your goal (which is also Specific, by the way).   You have no control over whether he’ll respond, but you do have control over what YOU do.  A clear way of measuring your goal avoids disappointments.

A

Is this ACHIEVABLE?  Usually this means, do you have all the resources in place?  Let’s say you’ve reached Frank and he asked you to fax you a bio within the hour.  If you don’t have a fax machine, you can’t do it. But …

“Print out the bio for Frank and walk over to Susan’s to fax it.”

Ok.  Specific, Measurable and Achievable.

R

That stands for realistic.   It’s my favourite because that’s where things tend to get dicey.  Realistic means, your goal is not only achievable (i.e. you CAN attain it) but you also WILL do it.  What if Frank asked you to meet him at 12 midnight and you’re usually in bed by 9:30?  Of course you could go, and you probably would if your life depended on it, but it doesn’t, so chances are, last minute you’ll find an excuse not to go.  Why set yourself up for that?  For “R”, you need to think about your personal circumstances and decide how likely it is this will actually happen.  Here’s what not to do:

“Agree to meet with Frank at 12:00 midnight to go for a 1-hour jog through Downtown back alleys”

T

“T” means timeline.  When are you going to do this?  This brings in clarity and commitment.

“June 10 before noon:  Email and call Frank to remind him of our appointment at Blenz (6185 Smith Street) on Friday, June 11, at 10:30am.”

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.  Pretty hard NOT to do, is it?

Have you used Small and/or SMART goals before?  How did it work for you?  What Small and SMART goal can you set for yourself right now?

Isabella Mori has coached and counselled people for over 18 years.  She enjoys helping people make a better life for themselves, so that they can turn around and give a hand up to others.  Isabella blogs about psychology, creativity, spirituality and social justice at change therapy

Thank you, Garfield, for inviting me to write about goal setting – a fascinating and big topic.  In 2006, two researchers, Latham and Locke, found that over 1,000 research papers have been written about it!  So let’s pare it down a bit and discuss two areas: The size of the goal, and a method for specifying and tightening your goals so that they are within easier reach.  Let’s start with the first one.

Where do you want to be in five years?  Make a six-figure income?  Overcome your fear of heights and climb Mount Kilimanjaro?   Seriously reduce homelessness in your city?

Those are big goals, and important ones.  But you know what, somehow I find it better to refer to them as “Vision”.  For most people, that’s exactly what it is: They see something in their mind’s eye that represents these wonderful things.  For example, there may be an image of a fancy house with a pool, or a picture of someone climbing through the clouds on a high mountain.

Most people, however, when they think of the word “goal” have an image from a sport that involves balls – a golf hole, a basketball hoop, something like that.  Here’s the problem – where’s that tiny little golf hole in that far away 5-year vision?  Hard to see, isn’t it?

It’s so easy to lose a goal.

That’s why focusing on small things can be so helpful.

One of my dreams is to be host to a strong, big, supportive online community.  To be honest, I still don’t have a clue how it will happen, and it’s all very fuzzy yet.  But it is a dream that doesn’t seem to go away, so clearly it’s important, and I’m not going to disregard it.  What can I do to foster that dream, that vision?

That’s where small goals come in.  They have so much going for them.

Small goals are not just attainable; they are ridiculously easy to attain.  You want to meditate but just can’t get yourself to sit down for 20-30 minutes a day?  Ok – start with one minute!

Small goals don’t take a lot of time.  Often we don’t do things because we’re actually quite busy, there’s so much to do.  How can I write this blog post if I have to pick up my daughter in 15 minutes?  May as well not even start.  Interestingly enough, using small goals is exactly what helped me start this post.  I had about 5 minutes between two major tasks, so I simply told myself I’d write down three points I’d like to discuss in this post in my little note book.  Simply doing that helped me sit down later, when I had an hour, to flesh out my ideas.

The best thing : Small goals get the ball rolling.  Let’s say you want to overcome the fear of cold-calling (if you’re a small business owner, that probably sounds familiar to you).  You CAN set yourself a goal of calling 5 new people a day.  It’s clearly doable – how long does a phone call take, after all?  1 minute minimum, 15 minutes max – but if you’re afraid, they’re about as appealing as jumping off an airplane right into the Mojave desert with those barrel cacti all over the place.  But if you set yourself the goal of calling ONE person to ask them only ONE question, guess what happens?  Chances are your question turns into an answer, in return you say something, then the other person asks you something, and bang, you’re in a conversation.  All you needed to do was pick up the phone, dial, and ask one question.

Let’s recap, then:

Set small goals – the smaller, the better

1. Small goals are attainable – there’s no excuse not to accomplish them
2. Small goals can be attained by even the busiest people
3. Small goals get the ball rolling

Next time we’ll look at a method for writing your goals that will make it even easier to accomplish them.

Isabella Mori has coached and counselled people for over 18 years.  She enjoys helping people make a better life for themselves, so that they can turn around and give a hand up to others.  Isabella blogs about psychology, creativity, spirituality and social justice at change therapy