Is ‘fear’ Holding You Back?
When does fear get in the way of your direct sales business? Do you sit down to make phone calls, but never pick up the phone because you fear rejection? Do you not ask for the sale for fear of being pushy? Do you fear signing on recruits because you fear responsibility?
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Fear is a powerful emotion and most people don’t realize how fear controls their life. We let fear have power over us and tell us we can’t do it. Millions of reasons run through your mind confirming that you can’t do it. But, fear doesn’t truly exist – it is only living in your mind. Fear is a habit, and it is developed within you just as other habits are. The idea of fear is instilled in us at an early age and infects our perceptions throughout our lives. You see, your mind wants to protect you, so it creates fear, so you will NOT act. Your mind is protecting you against perceived dangers, such as failure, rejection and embarrassment by keeping your actions to a minimum.
Whenever you feel fear, your brain is over-analyzing the “possible” situation. For many of us, this leads to a negative, downward spiral of thoughts, which can validate your fear to the point where you become almost paralyzed.
The mind is like this overzealous soap opera writer deeply invested in churning out imagined melodramas. The point here is that they’re imagined. They’re not real. But the unfortunate reality is that we live our lives guided by these dramatic fear-based imaginings that hold us back from taking action and moving forward.
Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real
Fear exists when part of you wants to act and part of you wants to hold back. So, part of you wants to pick up the phone to make those phone calls, but part of you is holding back. Fear is also increased by the anticipation of physical and mental pain. The key word is ‘anticipation’. Again, it’s imagined. It’s in the future. It only exists in your mind. The key is to tame the mental chatter that gives rise to fear.
Chances are the fear won’t go away entirely, but you can slow down and see the mental chatter for what it is: just your mind on overdrive trying to protect you. This helps to strip the chatter of its power to influence you. The key is to act in spite of fear.
Think about the last time you were scared to do something, but you did it anyway. After you took action, how did it feel to act in spite of the fear? Chances are you felt powerful and strong, both mentally and physically.
Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear. ~ Cheri Huber
Finally, the next time you feel scared of doing something; first isolate what it is that you’re actually scared of. (Was it fear of failure? Was it fear of being judged?) Remind yourself that this is protective mind chatter. Just say to your mind “thanks for sharing.” Second, call on that feeling of strength you felt the last time you overcame your mind’s protective instinct and acted in spite of the fear. This feeling will help propel you towards action. The more you act in spite of fear, the easier it becomes.
Visualize yourself making the phone call. Visualize the response you want to receive. Remember, the mind cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. Fear’s main tactic is to make illusion seem real. So, as Nike says, “Just Do It!” Don’t take rejection personally. Have you ever said no to something? Was it because you disliked the person or because you just didn’t want the product or item? And…….what if you do bumble up what you are trying to say? Who cares? You’ll get it right next time! See what you can learn from it and improve next time. See the experience simply as feedback and success will come.
Successful people have fears, too – they’ve just learned to tame the chatter. They have an abundance mentality, assuming part of the “success pie” is for them and they are here to collect. If you change your way of thinking you can change your behavior, habits and your life.
Identifying Time Stealers
Time is our most important gift. Are you so busy that you don’t have time for the important things in your life? Is it possible that you could be both the cause and the solution of your time challenges? It’s time to re-evaluate! One way to ‘gain’ time is to eliminate time stealers.
TIME STEALERS
• Interruptions, such as the telephone or guests
The five deadliest words that rob your time are “Have you got a minute?”
The telephone can be our greatest communication tool can be our biggest enemy if you don’t know how to control its hold over you.
Knowing how to deal with interruptions is one of the best skills you can learn.
• Tasks you should have had someone else do for you
Learning to delegate will not only build your team’s moral, but also reduce your own workload.
The general rule is this; if someone can do it 80% as well as you can, then delegate it.
• Procrastination/Indecision
The biggest thief of time is not decision-making but decision avoidance. By reducing the amount of procrastinating you do, you can substantially increase the amount of active time available to you.
• Unclear objectives, priorities and communication
This is probably the biggest and most important time waster. It affects all we do both professionally and personally. Those who accomplish the most in a day know exactly what they want to accomplish beforehand, just ask Donald Trump. Unfortunately, too many of us view our goals as yearly and don’t incorporate them as daily considerations. This causes you to ‘major’ in the ‘minor’ things!
• Attempting too much/Lack of planning
Many people today feel that they have to accomplish everything yesterday and don’t give themselves enough time to do things properly. This leads only to half finished projects and no feeling of achievement as all things are done in a hurry and appear rushed to others.
• Inability to say “No”
Work: Generally, if people can dump their work or problems on to your shoulders they’ll do it.
Personal: Membership in community clubs can also become a burden of too many, and too many meetings. PTA, Junior League, Boy Scouts, etc And you don’t always have to be in a leadership position. Pick what is in line with your values and drop the others.
Most people fear saying ‘no’ because of what others will think of them. Refer back to your values and goals. If the request is in alignment – Great! If not, say ‘no’ and don’t feel guilty. (You can let them know that you don’t have time to give it the attention that it needs. Better for you to say No now, than commit and let them down.)
These time stealers can cause stress, anxiety, fatigue, worry, frustration, irritability, headaches and forgetfulness. Before you overload, take some time to determine your true values. Then, define your goals and incorporate time into each day to take steps towards your goals.
Choose 1 or 2 Time Stealers that you can eliminate today!
What are you Duplicating?
When I was about six or seven, I decided I wanted to smoke ~ my dad smoked and he was the smartest and most wonderful person in the world to me. Of course, this totally threw my mother (can you imagine the scolding my dad received later?) and gave her the ammunition she needed to convince my dad to finally kick the habit. You see, I wanted to be just like my dad in every possible facet. I tried to talk like him, copy his mannerisms, anything ~ because I related that to success.
In Direct Selling, you may hear folks say that you need to duplicate yourself. We are reminded to keep our systems simple, so it is easy for others to follow. As we grow our teams and become leaders, we try to teach our systems in booking, sales and recruiting.
But have you ever thought about what else you are teaching your team? To me, this is where we truly cut the Divas from the herd. Like it or not, you are replicating everything! Your team will adopt your behaviors, habits, and—if you have a strong personality— even your mannerisms.
This has powerful implications for leadership. Unconsciously, your people will mimic you. This means:
- If you are late to meetings, your people will be late to meetings.
- If you don’t take notes in meetings, your people won’t take notes in meetings.
- If you are angry and defensive when you get negative feedback, your people will be angry and defensive when they get negative feedback.
- If you make excuses, are lazy, blame others and procrastinate – they will too!
These behaviors don’t increase paychecks.
Conversely:
- If you are humble and grateful, your people will be humble and grateful.
- If you are warm and engaging, your people will be warm and engaging.
- If you are even-tempered and unflinching under fire, your people will be even-tempered and unflinching under fire.
Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I would add, “Be the change you want to see in your organization.” If you don’t like the culture of your downline, team or company, start by changing yourself. Set a new standard. This is the most powerful thing you can do to change your world.
The bottom line is that you are the prototype for your followers. Your actions speak louder than words. You must pay careful attention to your own behavior. You are a living example of what it takes to go to the next level. You will replicate yourself.
Consider: If your people imitated you in everything you do, would you be happy with their performance? What needs to change in your own behavior, so that you ensure that their behavior is congruent with your deepest values?
Action: Create a list of the behaviors you want your team to duplicate. Make sure you are walking the walk and not just talking the talk.
Are you Motivating Your Team?
As leaders, we want our team to produce. We even hear of classes being offered on how to recruit “leaders” or how to get a better quality recruit. What are we really looking for? Someone who is focused, effective and committed to their goals. Can you imagine how well your team would perform is everyone had these qualities? 
By providing effective motivation with a commitment to goals and a successful reward system, you can create just such a team!
Motivational techniques should bring out the best in people, focusing on their strengths instead of their weaknesses. Each team member will be motivated differently and you will need to focus on the individuality of each person. Not everyone is in this business for the same reason, so keep their goals in mind when considering personal motivation.
While your company may offer a nice incentive package, as mentioned before, not everyone is motivated the same way. Your company is looking at the big picture and will not have the individual relationship that you will have with your team. Corporate Offices usually have a “one size fits all” incentive program, so to help your team succeed, you will need to focus on their individual preferences. Some motivators to consider are: money, recognition, competition and acknowledgement.
It is also important to also consider “when” you motivate. Celebrating successes along the way is very important as it reinforces the positive behavior and creates a positive connection with the activity. This is especially important with members within their first 90 days. Basically, the concept here is not to “withhold” celebration until a larger goal is met, reward the smaller achievements with recognition and enthusiasm.
Rewards and incentives can also be a key motivator. You can run different contests for your group, have a Super Starter program where you have pre-set goals for all new team members and they receive gifts for benchmarks within their first 90 days. Many options are available that don’t require a large investment on your part, but weigh the different goals to see where you need larger prizes. Great resources for recognition items are SWJ Southwest and Glitz et al. Another option is to offer nice looking cocktail rings – they’ll love when they receive compliments and proudly advertise the gift was received from their company! (Great sponsoring lead-in) When offering the rings, call them Summer Diamonds because some are real and some are not!
Do you have an incentive program in place for your team? If not, create time to develop and implement your first program! (And track the results)
Already using incentives? Share with us what you use and the success you’ve seen with your program.
Direct Sellers – Challenge Yourself!
Challenge Yourself!
• Challenge yourself to do two more shows than you have ever done in one month!
• Challenge yourself to call every hostess lead with 24 hours.
• Challenge yourself to make 10 hostess packets and recruit packets at a time so you won’t waste time or be unprepared!
• Challenge yourself to attend every sales meeting for one year.
• Challenge yourself to hostess coach your way to a $50 higher show average than you currently have!
• Challenge yourself to stop looking for excuses when things don’t go your way and start looking for solutions!
• Challenge yourself to stay challenged!
Habits for Life
45% of what we do is made up of our daily habits. Basically, many of the things we did today are the same things we did yesterday and most other days of our lives. Habits define who we are. Creating good habits is essential to success. So, where do we start?
Decide on 4 habits you would like to create this year ~ that’s one per quarter. Some common ones people start with are: Begin exercising 3 times per week-30 min/day. Read 30 minutes each night with a focus on personal development. Start being on time.
Next, think of 4 habits that are not serving you. Such as: Stop being critical. Give up 30 minutes of TV each night. Stop smoking. You get the idea.
Habits are formed with an associated memory attached. Therefore, you’ll need to replace your trigger related to the habit you want to change with something new. Old habits are hard to break, so you might need to take smaller steps in the beginning.
Focus on one change for 30 days. Psychologists have taught us that we can change a habit in 30 days. Continue your concentration for the next 60 days. If you mess up, don’t quit – just begin again. Keep in mind, there are 3 sets of 30 days in a quarter. If you really want to make these changes and you are commited to the results, you will definitely be able to make the change.
Remember, if you create 4 good habits per year, then in 5 years you will have 20 new habits! Imagine how you will feel and how successful you will be!
First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they’ll eventually conquer you.
Action Step: Pick 3 habits you will commit to eliminating this year. Implement a strategy to succeed.
Prospect Psychology 101
Have you ever thought that you may be the reason that you have a mediocre team? With the latest focus on the Law of Attraction, we have also learned some important lessons relative to language and the power of our words. Sometimes, without even realizing it, we can be “cutting our nose off, despite our face.” Most of the time, we teach others the way that we were taught. We provide our prospects answers, based upon the way this was modeled to us.
One thing that I noticed about my team was that when we discussed challenges or goals with each other, we were always referring to the “least” number. I would hear ladies prospect by saying, “You should join our company. We have so much fun and you only have to do $200 per month and that is so easy!” This type of prospecting doesn’t usually produce a team of leaders. So, how can we change our language to come more from a place of prosperity, rather than lack, and still have our prospect’s best interest at heart? Here is an example of what I mean:
For example, when you are interviewing a potential recruit, many times they will ask, “What is the minimum I have to do each month?” This question comes from a place of fear. They are actually thinking, ‘What if I invest this money and then can’t do it? What if I fail? Then, I’ll be stuck with all of this product and my husband will be so mad at me!’ Sound familiar?
Most of us have been taught to answer with the correct corporate policy answer. If your company policy is, say, $100 every month and you tell her $100 every month, what is she now thinking about? When you say it, what are you thinking about? What do you see in your head? Our brain works off pictures, so you just created a picture of $100 in her head.
More than likely, as you are conducting your interview, you have already gained information such as her “why”, her emotional “why”, how much time she intends to invest each week and her initial goals. Utilize this information to comfort her fears. So that the next time you find yourself faced with this question,
“What is the minimum I have to do each month?”
You can reply with something similar to,
“Based upon what we have discussed, as long as you are committed to these plans, your goals far exceed our corporate minimums. The minimums don’t really apply for leaders like you that intend to create an income. They are mostly set up for those that join just to get a discount on product for their own personal use.”
Then, refocus her to what her goals and intentions are and what she plans to do to achieve these goals. Help her get to a place of growth and excitement about her future, rather than coming from a place of fear.
If her goal is $1000 per month and the company minimum is $100 per month, it is better to tell her, “Your goal is ten times higher than the minimum.” Or “The minimum is 1/10 of your goal.” She can do the math, but you are keeping her focused on her goal, rather than the minimum.
Action step: Consider your prospecting dialogue and see where you might incorporate some transformational language.
7 Christmas Tips for a Phenomenal New Year
Everyone is busy, busy in December, but are you making the best use of your time? Many times we don’t have as many shows scheduled; but, that doesn’t mean we are lacking in sales! Keep working your business to make the most of your holiday season. There are plenty of folks that LOVE your products – it’s just a matter of connecting with them!
What else could you be doing? As always, make sure you focus on income producing activities first! That means having your January booked SOLID! I’m a big believer in planning, so remember…..if you want to have 10 shows per month – you need to schedule 12 just in case you have cancellations!
Get your new 2010 calendar and start marking all the dates you have things planned. If you want parties on certain nights of the week – highlight those nights. Mark off for school holidays so you can make plans with your family. Make sure that you schedule your meetings or teleconferences – however you communicate your training/education. Meetings are a MUST – whether they are Live-in person, tele-classes or webinars. Whatever is offered by your company and upline – you should attend. My school of thought on this is: if you don’t need the meeting, then the meeting needs you!
Next, rethink your goals! Have you set aside time to evaluate your goals for 2010? It sounds simple, easy – even silly, but less than 5% of the world sets goals – and they are the wealthiest. Obviously, that’s not an accident. So, if your goal is to make money – you definitely need to work on this. The facts don’t lie and besides, don’t you want to be one of the top 5% of people in America?
Go ahead and get your tax information together for your accountant. Since you have your own business, you have a little more to do than just turn in some W-2’s. You’ll want to get your mileage together, expenses in order, etc. What if you didn’t go a good job of keeping up with these things in 2009? Create a better system for 2010 while you have it on your mind. Every little bit helps!
Do you have a Recruiting Album? I know – it’s the digital age and most folks don’t print out pictures anymore, but it still creates a lot of conversation during your show when you can show them pictures of your journey with your business. Showcase the trips you’ve taken with your company. Show how much fun you have with your team! That appeals to folks and will spark their interest in your business.
Don’t forget to Hostess Coach during the holidays! Many forget this as they feel the pressure of the holiday season. Remember, they will be seeing many friends and family during the holidays which offers opportunities to obtain extra orders, but they won’t remember unless you remind them! That’s your job, so keep in touch and remind them how to be successful! They will love you for it!
One more thing……..remember to take advantage of those after Christmas sales! Buy Christmas cards to send to your hostesses next year– they will love it! And, think about it – how many other direct sellers do this? I’ve gotten emails, but never an actual Christmas card! It sets you apart and your hostesses will feel special.
These are the things that winners do. Is that you? Do you want to grow your business into a full-time income? The goal is to work smart and enjoy your business. Have fun and enjoy what you are creating!