This is going to be a touchy subject for many of you reading this, especially the “greenies.” By the way, you know you’re a greenie when you don’t know what a greenie is. Anyway, you’re brand new in your opportunity and everything is wonderful and great. You love your upline and he/she has told you what you need to succeed, so you get started. You start having some quick success and before you know it, you’re headed to the company boot camp or convention or some regional event, where a multitude from your company get together to talk about what’s next for the company, training and recognition for those who’ve accomplished something.
It’s at these big events where the wheels come off many reps’ success trains. Ironically, this meetings are billed as “life changing” events and although that might be true in some cases, in general, they do more to confuse people then anything else. Now, just to be clear, this article is not about the “Big Event,” because the same thing applies to tapes, or CDs, DVDs, MP3s or whatever else can be used to get a message sent across on. It’s about what is being taught at these big events or audio/video products. Because here’s what causes people to lose their way – you’re told “follow your upline,” but you’re also introduced to a bunch of people, and many aren’t even on your team or line of sponsorship, who tell you how to build a business. The problem is each person gives you his/her system on how to be successful. After awhile, you’ve got 10-12 different systems swimming in your head and you don’t know what to do and fall victim to “analysis paralysis.”
What makes this process even worse is the fact that some people giving you their “testimony” at these big events might not even be true “leaders.” Many times a person will get recognized on stage for what they’re accomplished over the span of three months, and I think that’s awesome. Everyone should be recognized for their hard work, but if they had a poor track record before that three month run and a poor track record “after” the event is over , would you want to invest any of your time on someone’s “system” when it really isn’t working for them? So we have multiple systems floating around in our heads and now we have systems from people who may not even be true leaders . . . what the heck do we do?!!
What usually happens is the exact opposite of what was trying to be accomplished through these presentations. Instead of helping you in your process, they stifle growth . . . BUT, “only” if you weren’t trained to “read between the lines.” The key to all these messages, to all these talks, systems, presentations, boot camps and whatever else they throw at you – only follow that which resonates TRUTH with you. Sounds a little too mystical, doesn’t it? Maybe, but it’s true. There’s a caveat in here though, “don’t replace truth with fear.” Ok, now I’m going off the deep end, aren’t I? Let me quickly explain – Truth, will jump out at you when you hear it, see it or read it. It’ll jump out at you off the pages of the book you discover it in, it’ll hit you upside the head after the speaker on stage says it. You’ll hear it and you’ll know it’s something that will work or can work if you work up enough nerve to go out and do it.
The issue with this philosophy is that it’s very easy to fake yourself out. You can hear something that you know can work but you might be too afraid to do what the activity or the system entails. Maybe one guy says, “Go out and talk to 10 people today and give each one a 2-minute presentation and by the end of 30 days, you will have talked to 300 people. If you have a 10% success ratio, you will have had some results with about 30 of them. You have results with 30 people in one month and believe me, you’re off to the races!” If you listen to that and say to yourself, “That may work but I could never speak to 10 people.”
You just replaced truth with fear. What that speaker said is absolutely true and is but ONE way to get some activity going if you’re flat. The “truth” of the matter is that they are many other ways for you to get it going but his way IS one way, and for you to not do it, simply because you’re afraid, is a quick way to make sure you never accomplish much in your direct selling career.
So, in summary, there are going to be many teachers coming into your life in your new career. Make sure you’re “reading between the lines” by finding out how consistent their track record has been and whether or not what they’re saying rings true with you. If it doesn’t and you attempt to do it anyway, you’re never going to have any real results because subconsciously, you “know” it’s not going to work – and whatever you tell yourself, whether you’re right or wrong, is true . . . at least for you anyway. I know I’ve thrown a bunch at you today, take it all in, mull it over and see if anything I say here rings true or hollow, only you will know that.
