Tom Melvin

With the new Presidential administration only 6 months in, there is already talk of what will happen when “the honeymoon ends.”  The fact is, in today’s information world, with instant access to world events, in real time, things that used to take a year, now happen in a month.  So, it got me thinking – if a new “superstar” like our new president can only be “the next great thing” for 8 or 9 months, what does that say about you and me.  More specifically, what does it say about how people see us in our business of networking and how we see ourselves.

It seems to me that if you’ve been in the networking industry for at least a year or two, and still remain, you’ve probably already realized that what got you into the business originally, probably is not what is keeping you there now.  Somewhere along the way, what you thought the business was going to be is not what it turned out to be – the honeymoon is over.  But fear not…this is the way it’s supposed to be.

You see, when you first started, what probably kept you going was inspiration and motivation from others – most likely, from people who came before you who were having great success in your company.  You fed off of their passion and their belief.  In essence, you borrowed it.  And, during the first phase of your business, this worked pretty well.  You were excited and passionate, and those you approached, at least some of them, fed off of your passion, and decided to join you – great!

But, then, something happened – the excitement started to wear off – after 2 years of the same weekly meetings, the same quarterly events, the same weekly training calls, etc. , your passion begin to fade.  Those successful people, who you now got to know personally, didn’t have the same effect on you any longer.  All of sudden, your passion and belief started to wane, and so did your business.  So now what?  Is it over?  Do you quit?

My answer to you is this – absolutely not!  You are going through a natural process – a necessary one.  Is it over? – no, it’s just beginning.  So where do you go from here? – you get educated.  Like the great Jim Rohn says, “Life change does not start with inspiration, it starts with education.” You can no longer sustain your business on motivation alone.  Rohn says, “If someone is an idiot, and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.”

So, your job is start Phase 2 of your career – take the classes, read the books, listen to the CD’s, go to the seminars, read the blogs, buy the products, watch the videos – become a serious student of the industry.  Immerse yourself in as much information as you can find – the information is out there.  If you need help, find a mentor – someone ahead of you in the process who is willing to help you.  Stay focused and disciplined to learn your trade, because getting educated is preparing you for the next phase – the phase that takes you from amateur to professional.  To become a professional in network marketing, you must shift your focus away from your company and their products – you must focus on branding yourself and then helping others do the same.

Phase 3 of your career is sharing your knowledge and all that you have learned with others.  You can do this through personal training, social networking, blogging, etc.  What you will learn in this process is what others before you have known for some time – “teaching sells.”  You see, the old model of networking involved “pitching” and chasing prospects.  The true professional now uses what is called “attraction marketing”, which is to give value and thereby “attract” others to you.  What is so nice about this approach is that it changes the whole dynamic of your business – you become the “hunted” instead of the “hunter.”  You are the expert, and people are now coming to you for help.  This is a massive paradigm shift away from the way you were taught originally.  After you make this shift, however, you will never go back.

So, those of you out there who have experienced or are currently experiencing the “end of the honeymoon” in your network marketing career – congratulations!  You are moving to the next phase in your career and are well on your way to success.  Get your education, find a mentor, and start giving value to others.   Is it possible to make 100 times what you’re making now?– absolutely! – become 100 times more valuable to others.

If you’d like to find out more about making your transition a smooth one into the real of attraction marketing, your are always welcome to contact me, and I’ll be happy to get you started in the right direction.

Keep your head up, smile, and stay strong.