Dear Uncle Russ:
I am trying to start my own business but can not get out of my comfort zone. Any tips or advice?
Thank you so much!
Amanda ___ Irvine, CA
Dear Amanda:
I often ask myself; Where did this notion that becoming successful and being comfortable must be mutually exclusive, come from?
My dear friend and colleague, one of the great speakers, authors, and trainers in the Direct and Network Marketing space, Stacey Hall, has a wonderful best-selling book titled “Selling From Your Comfort Zone” and I would highly recommend you grab a copy. But it’s not just “selling” that makes people a little “queasy” in their notions of what it’s going to take for this type of business to work for them. Thinking that they have to talk to strangers while hiding an MLM agenda; “What do I say about the ‘pyramid deal’ question?” or even “How do I go about this if I’ve never done it or been successful at it before?” Do any of these sound like you, Amanda?
Here’s the good news. Nearly all of these fears are based on a false premise.
It’s LISTENING, not talking that makes you powerful AND interesting. BE YOURSELF, and get out of your own head.
Make “saying no” or declining, alright for a potential customer to do…REALLY all right!!
If the “flag you are flying” sounds like: “I’ve got this great opportunity but it’s going to be hard and make you uncomfortable as hell before you succeed” There are not a whole lot of people who are going to salute it when you run it up the flagpole!
This business, when it’s done properly and effectively can not only feel comfortable, it can be, dare I say… FUN?!
Dear Uncle Russ:
What is the purpose of autoship and why do so many companies make you do it?
“Garage Full”____ Tucson, AZ
Dear “Garage”:
The true and original purpose of “auto-ship,” “subscribe and save,” or any company’s continuity program is to ensure volume and repeat sales. Generally, they have a minimum price or point criteria and sometimes are “loosely” attached to qualifying for commissions. I say loosely because technically a company cannot require you to buy products in order to earn commissions.
Back in the days of “Front Loading” or large volumes that people would purchase for the purpose of “advancing” in the comp plan and earning a higher percentage of commission; often people would work their tails off or pony up big sums of money, only to have little to show for it the following month. Also, autoship was established to always have people be “active” to earn commissions and be sure they “didn’t run out of their favorite products. What it has become today, though, is more of a convenience and most companies have alternative ways of qualifying OTHER than autoship.
With this being said, there is a relatively easy way to make the automatic order serve you and become an important business-building tool: consumption and promotion. Select products that you and your family already use or love. Decide what product or products, if any, you can sample or promote in order to find customers. If your order is entirely used for promotion to gain sales, it becomes a tax-deductible business expense. If auto-orders and products are building up in your kitchen, living room, or garage…your business model isn’t working.
Dear Uncle Russ:
I’m so frustrated right now, and I know I should just let it go but I can’t. Please send your words of wisdom! Here’s what got me…I reached out to this girl that I had gone to several times for facials and also tanning, about my company. I didn’t ask her to join the business, I was just wanting to share about the products I am loving. My team was doing a Zoom overview of our shop club and I just reached out to see if she’d like to check it out. THIS is the response I got… “Thanks, Gina but I don’t get involved with MLMs. Best of luck to you though. Just be careful.” And then she sends me some “Bossbabe” article about how it’s a pyramid scheme! 😡 I mean seriously, why would you rather support big box stores, big corporations, and other countries instead of a friend’s business?!
____Gina Troy, NY
Dear Gina:
The first place I would look is: what it was that I said that caused this reaction… Normally if we are jazzed about a wonderful product we don’t invite people to a meeting/ call/ webinar to hear more about it. This brings up “MLMs” for people. The funny thing is, True illegal pyramids are openly sketchy and NOT something people are generally proud of…so their insinuation is that you’re either stupid or at best, naive….and clearly they’re implying they’re NOT. LOL!
Anyway …don’t get sucked into the “this versus that” conversation. It’s always a loser. Just “shake it off.” There are so many well-meaning but TACKY people in the world. Personally, I have no time for ignorance and to my dismay, no cure for it, either.
Love and Best,
Uncle Russ
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Russ is the Founder and President of Success by Design Global, LLC and a contributing editor to The Network Marketing Magazine
His own sales organizations have set records and standards for the MLM Industry. Mr. DeVan is the author of state-of-the-art training methodologies and concepts used by thousands of network marketing professionals worldwide.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE RUSS AS A KEY MEMBER OF OUR TEACHING CONTRIBUTING EDITORS.
The thing that I want you to know about Russ is, for years, I have admired the book, The Greatest Networker In The World. The “greatest networker,” that John Milton Fogg created the character from, in this classic story, was Russ DeVan! You know that you will be getting incredible wisdom for yourself and your business. I am honored to be working with The Greatest Networker!
Welcome aboard Russ!
George Madiou
CEO & Publisher of
TheNetworkingMagazine.com
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