Monte Schumacher

Well…I just won’t do it.

I have no interest in trying to drag people across the finish line.  I will work with my team members by matching their efforts. I make a move, they make a move, then I make another one.  I don’t do two or three moves in a row.

I want to get down in depth and work with developing leaders, causing excitement to work its way up the group.  But the key word there is “developing.”

I won’t chase people because they have potential any longer as it is a complete waste of time.  The beaches of the world are littered with the bones of MLMers that tried to succeed by chasing after people with potential.  Potential is only meaningful if it is matched by a willingness to work.

People have to show me they want it and are willing to take action.  Otherwise I would rather move on and discover the next person with a dream.

8 questions and a why.

Who are you trying to please?

What are you promising?

How much money are you trying to make?

How much freedom are you willing to trade for opportunity?

What are you trying to change?

Today I read a random survey of active network marketers. They were asked the question, “What do you dislike about network marketing?” Most of the answers did not surprise me and a few were worth passing on.

Here they are:

I think the thing that puts me off about MLM (in general) is all the meetings. The best time I had with a product was when I was totally ignorant and just told people what the product did for me. People would ask me if I could pick some up for them when I ordered again and I grew a decent customer base and began to make money. The uplines tend to take the “fun” out of it.

I know that retailing isn’t the same as business building, but I hate the emphasis on recruiting. You know, before you even get into the door yourself they (upline) want lists and three-ways, etc. Can’t a person just get used to the retailing before we start bringing in others to train and teach?

The challenge between following the company’s success plan, and my own personal plan. They sometimes conflict, especially if it comes to recruiting for the business on the first call.

My philosophy for the last 24 years in Nu Skin has been one of inclusion.  As a leader it is important for me to support all of the ways in which my team members want to build a business.

The way to be a more supportive leader is to ask new distributors: What would you like to do first - recruit or create customers? Don’t pressure them to buy 5 kits and recruit if they want to build a customer base first. And don’t pressure them to turn every customer into a distributor. You’ll likely lose the customer as well.

Really, upline, do you care what they do to make money as long as they stay in Nu Skin? You’ll risk losing them because you pressure them too much and take the fun out of it.

So can you relate? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Whenever there is a discussion about joining a network marketing company vs working at regular job, someone will defend the boring 9-5 job by saying, “There is more to life than money”. These people are, of course, right. There is plenty of evidence that happiness is only loosely correlated with wealth. People seem to derive a much greater sense of satisfaction from good relationships, and having a sense of purpose and meaning in their life. Money matters too, but not as much once the basic need for food and shelter are addressed, and those aren’t big issues for most people deciding between joining a network marketing company or a traditional company.

Furthermore, most people who do join network marketing companies will never experience a huge payday. Nu Skin Enterprises has distributed nearly $7 billion in commissions to thousands of distributors around the world, but that is truly exceptional. Even most moderately successful network marketing companies will only make a small group of people rich. And if all you care about is money, I doubt that joining a network marketing company is the right way to go. You’ll probably make a lot more at a hedge fund, or by becoming a lawyer, or something like that.

Maybe it now seems like I’m defending the boring 9-5 job, but it’s actually just the opposite. Those 8-10 hour/days are a huge chunk of your waking life, and don’t forget that you’ll probably also spend a few hours preparing, commuting, and “unwinding”. Even worse, bad or boring jobs can sap our energy, so that at the end of the day all we feel like doing is sitting in front of the TV. That’s no way to live, if you can help it. Why surrender such a huge chunk of your life just to get some money? For some people, that’s the only option, but for those fortunate enough to be smart and educated, there’s a better way. Instead of throwing away your “working hours”, why not make every minute count? Why not find work that you can actually enjoy, work that’s fun and meaningful? Of course that’s easier said than done, but it’s not impossible.

For reasons that will have to be left for another post, the structure and systems in traditional companies tend to make work meaningless and life unpleasant. Of course smaller companies can be awful too, but they have a greater potential to be good. If your job isn’t working for you, if it isn’t making you happy and energized, then why are you still there? I can’t guarantee that you’ll find something better with Nu Skin, but perhaps you should at least try something new. Don’t just give up on life. I truly enjoy network marketing. I love selling new products. I like seeing users get great results and finding ways to solve their financial problems. I like this game. I like helping people.

Of course there is always some amount of unpleasant work that must be done, but that can be contained (my rule is that work should be no more than 10% awful). That’s why, even though I don’t financially need to work, I choose to work (and end up staying up until 2 am communicating with distributors around the world). Of course I’d also like to earn a lot more money in Nu Skin. And I do plan to make all of our dedicated distributors very successful along the way, but that’s more like a bonus.

There’s more to life than money.

Today Google launched one of the most amazing and profound applications I have ever seen.

It’s called Google SideWiki and it is not only going to change Nu Skin but every other company in the world that has a website.

Google SideWiki enables users who have installed Google Toolbar to contribute information alongside any page on the web, inside of a simple sidebar UI.

This information, which can include text entries, links, and embedded videos, will be ranked by quality and community ratings. For instance, on a site about a specific beach town, a user could add a relevant YouTube video showing local attractions. Once users opt in to the feature, theyll be able to view annotations contributed by other users within a browser sidebar, and can choose to hide the sidebar at any time. Google Sidewiki also wont change the appearance of any webpage ” all Sidewiki entries will be displayed only in the sidebar.

You can share your comments with your Facebook or Twitter accounts, and can post a link to a blog item discussing that Web page with a snippet of the text.

Watch this Google video to see how this works. And once you have installed it check out www.NuSkin.com and see the comments I have already left and be one of the first to leave your own comments on any website or website page.

DOWNLOAD HERE. http://www.google.com/sidewiki/intl/en/index.html

If the title of this post left you scratching your head, you’re not alone. But if you’re a Nu Skin distributor it’s time to stop wondering and start participating in Twitter.

Twitter may not deserve all the hype it’s getting, and it’s not going to make or break your network marketing business, but when the only cost is your time, why not use it to communicate with other distributors, follow us for updates and try to attract some new prospects/customers?

1. First things first – go to Twitter.com, set up an account, load up a background and image and select your colors. Remember, this is the voice of your Nu Skin business and should reflect who you are. If your Twitter page looks generic, how will people connect it with you? You might want to consider hiring a graphic designer to design a custom background and image, and set up your account.

2. Here’s the hardest part (and it’s actually really easy). Post updates, I recommend at least one a day, which are 140 characters or less. What do you post about? As a general rule, post things that are relevant to your business and who you are, but don’t keep it too dry. Talk about new products you’ve tried and liked, and those you haven’t liked. Post some usage tips, share a funny story or a happy one. Lot’s of potential new customers/prospects are already on Twitter, and you should be connecting with them.

3. Twitter is not about throwing your tweets out there and ignoring the rest of the Twitter world. Give timely responses to direct messages sent to you, with questions or comments about your Nu Skin business. Twitter is about participation, and when you participate in the community its residents certainly take notice and appreciate the effort.

Hopefully this article got your creative juices flowing about what you could be tweeting about for your Nu Skin business. Your customers/prospects are out there on Twitter, so start tweeting and connect with them!

Follow us on Twitter at:

www.Twitter.com/nuleadership

www.Twitter.com/mynusystem

Get connected!

Well, what can I say. I am humbled by your acceptance of my blog and all those around the world that have become subscribers. Many of you have told me that you would like to read more business building information in future blog posts. So be it.

Today I had the chance to observe an eagle flying effortlessly in place as it hunted for food just above my home in Oregon. The eagle was not flapping its wings but merely taking advantage of existing air currents moving through the valley. Every so often the eagle would make subtle corrections in its position in order to survey the ground below looking for any movement that could mean food.

Over the last few years our company has “flapped” its wings and exerted a lot of energy in an attempt to find just the right position in the industry. They made many attempts some successful and some not so successful. But today as you look at what Nu Skin has to offer you will see that they have found the right “air current” and they are gliding effortlessly into the future. All we need to do is look at where they are and move into position to take advantage of all of their hard work.

With a new training website being launched this month by Craig Bryson , Nu Skin’s #1 distributor, and exclusive new marketing tools, I can honestly say that today represents the best chance anyone has ever had to achieve their goals. 24 years ago I could only have even dreamed of all the wonderful technologies and tools we have at our disposal. I would submit that we actually are a little spoiled. What other company in the direct sales industry offers what Nu Skin provides? If you are not using all the tools we have developed you really are like the eagle flapping its wings trying to find that air current. Much of your energy will be spent doing things that waste time. Not to mention the example you create for those that follow you. Take advantage of all Nu Skin and Craig Bryson has to offer and soar to new heights with your business.

I can tell you that the view is spectacular!

P.S. We will be launching an all new online marketing system later this month. It’s called My Nu System and it’s the best marketing system ever created for Nu Skin Distributors.

For you sales types does that sound familiar?

Recent statistics are showing that in a recession it can take as many as 16 contacts.

The best way to sell during a recession is to stay calm and focus on solutions.

One of the worst mistakes a network marketer can make during a recession is act panicked as in the crazy “mad” dash rush that some leaders try to put their teams through at the end of every month. Network Marketers who act too aggressive or too hungry in order to sign someone up will scare off most of their best prospects. Instead of hysteria, offer calm, focused solutions during the course of the entire month. Hard sell “scripted” sales tactics will ruin some of your best prospects. If you don’t believe me try it some time…but don’t say I did not warn you.

Let me know what you think! Leave your comments below.

Kodachroooome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away.

After 74 years Kodak stops production of Kodak film.

There are parallels in the network marking industry. The industry continues to change and evolve. I know of leaders who refuse to believe anything has changed in the way we build our businesses. Sadly, those leaders will end up in the dust bins of network marketing history.