Being bold starts as an individual decision.
There is a lot of internal negotiation. How much do I really want it? What is the price I will pay?
Is this goal more important than my fear? Is the goal and motivation strong enough to keep me going when I meet inevitable setbacks and disappointments?
And the journey begins.
But being bold is not a onetime decision.
You will be tested again and again.
Should you persist you will have another possible obstacle.
Especially in network marketing.
Probably the first person you need to enroll, after boldly deciding this profession is for you, is your spouse.
Maybe they don’t share the same dream as you. Boldness is different for each person.
Remember, you had to negotiate with yourself to take bold action.
Well, now you need to listen to your spouse.
If you want to be effective, you will listen to your spouse the same way you would listen to a potential prospect.
Don’t try to talk them out of their concerns, fears or anxieties.
Hear them out.
Stay curious. Ask good questions. Recap what you hear.
Tell them why you want and need their support.
Validate that they too will pay a price to support you
If you have been lax in expressing spousal appreciation, validation, and encouragement, you are going to have a tougher sell. This might be a wake-up call to be more expressive about communicating how you love, value, appreciate and respect your spouse. Being more expressive of these qualities sets the stage for becoming a stronger marital team. Which increases the odds for success as a network marketer.
Initially, you will be subtracting energy from your marriage and your family.
Don’t downplay this aspect. Paradoxically by acknowledging it, your spouse will know that you see both sides of this new venture and that can be reassuring.
Please keep in mind, bold may be different for your spouse than it is for you. Your listening and negotiating skills may be tested.
A lot of potentially successful marketers failed because of lack of support on the home front.
Being bold together, being encouraging together and being stronger together makes your journey a lot more satisfying.
Peter Pearson
Peter Pearson. Ph.D. is a psychologist who has specialized in working with couples for 35 years. He has been a distributor and trainer of network marketers. He has been interviewed in major national media of television, newspapers, magazines, and radio about building strong marriages.