Dale Reynolds Blog

In the course of my self development I find myself asking, “What makes a great leader in MLM?“  I believe a leader does the following:
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• * Teaches people where to find answers instead of always being the expert
• * Helps people succeed without fear they will do better than him/her
• * Builds relationships so they understand each person and can help them grow
• * Sets a good example by practicing what they preach

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1.  Some people feel the need to appear very smart (EGO) so they answer every question themselves.  After a corporate life where I was always trying to prove myself to get raises and bonuses, I must confess I was doing this at first in MLM too.  Now I understand that as a leader in MLM you need to develop your people so they can become self-sufficient.  That means you become a professional “pointer” and show them where to find the answers.  They will in turn teach this to the people they sponsor (duplication.)  Teach people to fish, rather than handing them the fish!
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2.  I was thinking (after the olympics) about athletes wanting to set new records.  They want to be the best, to prove to themselves and the world what can be done.  That is fine in sports.  If you are trying to be an MLM leader though, it’s not such a great idea.  If you are a heavy  hitter or sponsor monster you simply set the bar too high for 90% of your downline to duplicate.  They will get frustrated and quit.  You need to develop your people, and if you are working with more than 10 at a time you are probably spread too thin.  So if you directly sponsor people very fast I hope you are placing some of them under someone else with leadership potential and asking them to work with those people.  Michael Dlouhy, author of “Success In 10 Steps” currently has a goal to help 10 people in his downline to exceed his income (which will be incredible!)  Now THAT is leadership!  No EGO!
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3.  When you sponsor and move on without building relationships, two things happen.  First, your people are not loyal to you and will jump ship at the next “great” opportunity.  Second, you can’t really help them magnify their strengths and minimize or improve their weaknesses.  This takes work, which is why I suggested above you not work with too many people at once.  I was recently “advised” by someoone that I should never target people already in MLM because they will just quit eventually and take everyone with them.  Well, I am not targeting heavy hitters, I am targeting the people who believe in MLM but have been abandoned by those heavy hitters!  If this guy has people jumping ship, it is because he is sponsoring the wrong people, and/or too fast, in order to make a quick buck.  He is not bothering to build relationships and help his people, which builds trust and loyalty.  He may make more money than me in the short run, but how could you ever retire with confidence that you have real residual income when you are constantly afraid your people will leave?  In his scenario, even if he brings in people with no experience don’t they eventually get experience and become those people who readily jump ship?  Actually, no, because he never develops them!  So he has to keep sponsoring more to make money.  Either way he never retires with residual income, right?
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4.  This point may be obvious, but you cannot expect people to do what you are not willing to do yourself.  If you want them to be on calls, you need to be on them too or at least listen to the replays.  If you want them to go to the convention, you need to go too.  If you want them to become leaders and develop their people, you must have set that example with them first.  I had an upline forget about a 3-way call we had scheduled once.  What example did he set?
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I hope this gives you some ideas to work with.  The Mentoring For Free system definitely develops leaders!  If you would like to learn more, please click to the left to download “Success In 10 Steps” and I will be honored to work with you and serve you!  That’s what true leaders do, you know, they serve others without an EGO in the way!

Let me start by saying that not all talented MLM sponsors fit the description I am about to give.  But even some people who do not intend to hurt anyone, can do so by being in too much of a hurry to sponsor without responsibility.
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I am sure you know what “churn and burn” means in the financial industry.  This is where a financial advisor buys and sells constantly to earn commissions, without really being concerned about the long-term welfare of the client.  Many people have lost their entire life savings in this manner.
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In the MLM world there are certain people who are very talented at getting people to join their team.  These are the blue and red personality types (more on that in the “Success In 10 Steps” ebook.)  These people generally earn a bonus for each person they sponsor, so they can earn lots of money fast.  These bonuses are one-time only, and do not represent a residual income.  But they do get people excited!  So it’s easy to get distracted and forget that you have a responsibility to train the people you already have.  Did you promise them a great opportunity?  Then you are responsible to show them how to get it!
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Residual income is created if people stay on the products, as there is a commission on each order.  If you have lots of people in a downline ordering every month, even if they never sponsor anyone, the person who sponsored them earns money. 
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What the “sponsor monster” hopes is that they can find just enough people like themselves who are great at sponsoring, to allow them to advance through the company ranks and qualify for matching check or leadership bonuses, cruises, or whatever other perks the company offers.  They also hope that the people who can’t do that will keep ordering products every month to keep up the volume, or at least sponsor one person to replace themselves.  But do they ever stop to think about how all of those people, who make up the majority of their downline, actually feel about not making any money?
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From my own experience, I would say “NO!”  The sponsor monster doesn’t recognize and understand personality types.  They don’t have time for that!  So they assume that the people who are not making money are simply unmotivated and cannot be coached.  They keep on sponsoring (and collecting sponsorship bonuses) until they find more sponsor monsters just like them!  They don’t realize that by training everyone the same way, and telling everyone to do as they do, they are stealing people’s dreams and making them feel like failures.  
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That is exactly what happened to me, until I found Mentoring For Free.  Michael Dlouhy has shown me why it is not my fault that I failed before.  He has taught me how treating people like numbers, as sponsor monsters do, is unethical and will eventually cause your team to collapse.  He has given me hope!  He has shown me that if you build your team the right way, based on relationships, even people who are NOT sponsor monsters can build a large team and succeed!  You just need to take the time to build the relationship with each person you sponsor, recognize their strengths, and build on those.  Also you help them grow past (or at least deal with) their weaknesses.
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If you recognize that you’re not a sponsor monster, and until now you have failed and had your dreams stolen but you would love to get the same hope I did, please download “Success In 10 Steps” on the left and get started today!  Don’t let anyone steal your dreams! 
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Just what is a “bench warmer” in MLM?  This is a person who joined your downline as a distributor but now:
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• - They refuse to take your calls
• - They keep telling you what is going on that prevents them from working the   business
• - They complain about the products or the company (or you!) instead of working
• - They tell you they don’t know how to get started
• - They tell you they are uncomfortable with what you are suggesting they do

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These people actually fall into three groups.  They are:
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• - People who never really wanted to join in the first place
• - People who have fears, lack self-confidence, and live in negative emotions
• - People who can’t do what you do, based on their personality

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The first group shouldn’t even be in your business.  Go back to your prospecting techniques and figure out how you got them to join.  Did you drag them over the finish line?  Did you push or convince?  If so, you were wasting your time (and theirs!) and likely ruined a good relationship.  STOP IT!
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The second group needs self development.  Everyone does, really.  We should all be constantly improving ourselves.  But this group in particular needs to gain self-confidence, get rid of fears and negative emotions, and learn to live in positive emotions and in the present (but with big dreams for the future!)  They need to uncover their burning desire, develop the faith that it can be obtained, and get into action!
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The third group needs to understand their personality type, and so do you!  You cannot effectively mentor someone if you do not understand this!  Some types (together being 70% of the population) need to find targeted leads (they don’t deal with rejection well) and build relationships.  They can’t “close” people so don’t waste your time teaching them how to.  For others (the other 30%) this method will seem way too slow as they could sponsor a doughnut if they wanted!  Their only issue, though, is that they end up with lots of bench warmers!  Why?  Because they close the wrong people (ending up with the first group) and they teach everyone they mentor to approach anyone (including friends and family), cold call, buy leads, and close the deal!  Some may be able to do this, but only those with the personality that fits this method will succeed.
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If you want a truly successful long-term business, do NOT ignore your bench warmers and just keep replacing them by sponsoring more.  You’ll never retire!  Take the time to figure out which category they fall into and what their personality type is.  Then you can mentor them effectively, if they do indeed have the burning desire to succeed.
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For more information on this subject and to become a great mentor to your team, download the free “Success In 10 Steps” ebook (button on the left) and we can work together to rock your business!
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Your friend and mentor,
Dale

I’ve discussed in previous posts that you need a strong burning desire and a compelling “Why” to succeed in MLM.  However, these must not be apparent to your prospects!  If they sense and agenda, it will set off their internal “salesman alarm.”
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When you speak with a prospect, your focus must be totally on THEM.  They need to feel that you care about their needs and desires.  It must be about THEIR WHY, not yours!  Remember that people will join your team when they know, like, and trust you.  So you must focus your conversation totally on them, find out why they are in MLM and what their struggles are, and offer help.  It is extremely useful if you first understand the different personality types described in the “Success In 10 Steps” ebook, since this will help you identify your prospect’s personality type and with it, their primary motivating factors.  This will make it easier to uncover their “why” and help them feel like you know them well, in very little time!
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It is crucial that you not come across as being desperate to sign-up the person, and that you not use their “why” to back them into a corner and close them!  This is exactly what many so-called “experts” in MLM training will tell you to do.  But it will backfire every time.  If the prospect doesn’t respect and trust you, and if they did not decide on their own that your opportunity was right for them, then they either won’t produce or they won’t stay.
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So, how does one harness that burning desire into a caring attitude, with no agenda?  It takes practice!  A few minutes of quiet meditation before calling someone helps.  You remove all thoughts from your mind, and fill your mind with an affirmation such as “I want to help this person overcome all obstacles to their success.”  As you work with someone, you may discover the biggest obstacle is that their “why” isn’t strong enough to motivate them.  Or their desire is quite strong, they just lack skills and don’t know what to do next.  Whatever their obstacle, with the right complete training and mentoring system, you can help them (and yourself!) succeed.
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I’ve tried several training systems and affiliate programs, and never had any degree of success until I read “Success In 10 Steps” and got involved with Michael Dlouhy’s Mentoring For Free program.  If you would like to save yourself some failure and frustration (and possibly also lots of money!) and get your business moving in the right direction, I invite you to click the button on the left to download the ebook and get started today!  We can help you learn to drop your agenda and harness your burning desire and your “why” into lifelong success!
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Your friend and mentor,
Dale Reynolds

When it comes to your MLM company, did you do any research?  Do you pay attention and view everything that happens with a critical eye?  Do you FACE the facts?
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Most people join a company because they know/like/trust their sponsor, and/or they had a great experience with the products.  The truth is, there is at least one nice person you could learn to trust in every company.  And nearly all MLM companies have really great products (if not they won’t last!)  Neither guarantees your SUCCESS!
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If you want your MLM opportunity to be a business that pays you for life, what you really need to do is research the company and continue to pay attention to what goes on.  And you need to view everything through a critical eye.  I have been amazed recently at how blind some people can be, and the fact that they actually WANT to stay that way!
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First, I was working with a person and I encouraged him to read his company’s policies and procedures (as I always do.)  He said he felt like I was just trying to make him unhappy with where he is.  My response?  The truth only hurts if it should!  If you own a car, and there is a recall because the gas pedal sticks sometimes, would you want to know about that BEFORE you get in an accident?  I wanted him to see that his company can terminate him at any time for any reason they decide to invent, because they decide in their “sole discretion” what is ethical behavior and what is not.  I am sure he would say, “they would never do that.”  And yet, it has happened to people!  Why else would the clause be in there, if they don’t need it as a safety net?  I also wanted him to see that he has “ongoing” responsibilities that will prevent him from being able to retire.  But incredibly, he doesn’t want to know.  He wants to keep his head in the sand!
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Second, there are a whole bunch of people not only remaining loyal to, but continuing to try and build a team with a company that has filed bankruptcy.  This company was telling their distributors that they were debt-free when in fact, they have something like $800 million in debt.  They LIED to their people.  And they encouraged the reps to use this lie when talking to prospects!  Now the company is trying to put a positive spin on the restructuring, saying how great things will be in the future, and these people actually believe them!  It is scary, incredible, and sad.  In addition, there are tons of this company’s products listed on ebay at less than the wholesale price, which indicates the products are overpriced and distributors can’t sell them.  With all of the opportunities out there, who in their right mind would EVER join this company?  Yet these distributors choose to keep their heads in the sand and keep trying to get people to sign up!
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If you were buying a car, or a house, or even a washing machine I bet you would do some research.  If you were hiking on a mountain and suddenly saw smoke coming out the top, I bet you would run!
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I prefer to be the giraffe, looking out over everything and knowing what’s going on.  How about you?  If you want to be the giraffe in MLM, I suggest you download and read the free ebook “Success In 10 Steps” from the button on the left.  Learn the TRUTH before you get burned!

Why are you in MLM?
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You may have been told to write down your “why”, and you may have been told that it needs to make you cry.

In the classic “Think And Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill talks about having a “burning desire“.  He also talks about how you need to combine positive emotion into your thoughts and visualizations because it makes them so much more powerful in attracting the things you desire.
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Many people associate crying with sadness, which is a negative emotion.  So how do we go from a “why that makes you cry” to a visualization with positive emotions?
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First we need to find your REAL “why” by peeling the onion (which makes you cry, right?)  When most people are asked why they want to be in MLM their first answer is superficial.  It’s something like “I want financial freedom” or “I want residual income” or “I want time freedom to be with my family”.  But let’s peel the onion and see what we get.  What does financial freedom mean to you; what will you do as a result?  Stop being enslaved in a 9-5 job that you despise?  What will you do with ongoing residual income? Will you travel the world or will you buy acreage or a farm or a mansion on a golf course?  What will you do with your family, and where will you go, if you have more time together?
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Following this process, you should be able to develop a detailed visualization of where you want to be in the future.  Add colors, sounds, and smells to your sights.  Make a mental movie of the life you desire to create.  And attach all of the positive emotions you can.  What will this life FEEL like?  If you peel the onion deep enough you will visualize a life of your dreams.  Will the dream make you cry?  Or is it the gap between where you are now and that dream?  Maybe both.
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If your burning desire to attain that life is strong enough, you will not quit until you get there.  Obstacles and setbacks WILL occur!  This is hard work and a 2-5 year plan, not an overnight get-rich-quick scheme.  Money that comes fast doesn’t keep coming week after week.  A business that delivers ongoing income has to be built.  So your desire must be strong enough to get you over the bumps.  It must also be strong enough that you are willing to make some sacrifices to get it, knowing that the end result will be totally worth the price.
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Napoleon Hill outlines the whole process for achieving your desired life but it all starts with that burning desire.  You can add dream boards and affirmations and all sorts of reinforcing elements but without a strong desire to achieve a very specific outcome you’ll go nowhere.  It is simply the Law Of Attraction at work; you attract what you focus on so you need to define what to focus on!
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In the past couple of months, I have learned how powerful it is to study these principles with a group.  If you have lacked the motivation to get your business going in the past, and you are ready to find it and get going now, please download the free ebook “Success In 10 Steps” on the left and you’ll hear from me soon!

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In a training seminar over a year ago, I heard a successful MLMer refer to having “laser focus.”  At the time I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I believe I now understand.
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In the classic book “Think And Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill teaches that success always comes with a price tag.  You must be willing to sacrifice something to get what you desire.  If your desire is not strong enough, you will not pay the price.  Looking back on previous MLM opportunities I was involved in, I realize I never did sacrifice anything.  Now that my desire, my “WHY”, is stronger, I am making those sacrifices!
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I am not giving up essentials (eating,sleeping,exercise) because of course that would weaken me and make me unable to pursue anything.  Nor am I giving up all leisure activities, because we all need some down time to keep our sanity!  But I have begun to look at all of my activities with a more critical eye, asking if or how each one will bring me closer to my desire.  I believe that paying the price by sacrificing some of the “fluff” in my life is what laser focus entails.
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Instead of reading magazines, I now read self-improvement books (like “Think And Grow Rich”) and listen to audio trainings and training calls.  I examine what I am doing in light of what I am learning, and consciously improve over time.  I am willing to work in the evenings and on the weekends to get what I want.  I realize that by investing the time now, I can earn what I desire and enjoy my life much more in the future.  It just isn’t possible to get where I want to be without focusing my attention on my desire, excluding some other things.
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I must also point out that, although everyone needs a mentor and a mastermind group (also discussed by Napoleon Hill) you must also do activities that are mainly comfortable to you.  If your upline or mentor suggests things that feel too aggressive, dishonest, or just “fake” then find another way (maybe you need a new mentor!)  If you are insincere, people will see right through you!  That is where the free ebook “Success In 10 Steps” really helped me.  I realized why certain things did not work for me, why my past failure was not my fault, and how to get moving on the right track.  You can download this helpful book from on the left of this page.
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The Law Of Attraction teaches us that what we focus on expands.  So focus on your business and watch what happens!

Probably the biggest obstacle I hear about building an MLM business is a lack of leads.  My friends, this really translates to a lack of training!  You would think that since your upline is more successful if YOU succeed, they should be training you.  Here is why that doesn’t always happen:
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1. 1.  They are good at recruiting but not so good at follow-up so they hope you’ll figure the business out on your own.
2. 2.  They are trying to get you to use methods you find uncomfortable (calling friends and family) or methods you cannot afford (buying leads.)
3. 3.  The compensation plan pays better for recruiting than it does for ongoing sales so they are trying to earn that “up front” money (a definite sign of weakness in the comp plan if you ever want to retire!)

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If you need more leads, you need more training on how to get them.  You also need to be able to get training to everyone you sign up, so they can get leads too.
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I know there are tons of affiliate programs out there promising to help you find leads while earning money too.  Have you tried them?  My experience is that they mainly just want your money, and not once but MANY times over!  They never tried to build a real relationship with me either.
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I would like to offer you FREE help, with no agenda in mind.  I will connect you to a system of free training on how to get leads for your business.  It starts with a bit of education.  If you want to learn more, please download the “Success In 10 Steps” ebook from the sidebar and get started today!  It will save you years of failure and frustration!

Are you in a big hurry to be successful in MLM?  Do you want a prospecting system that brings you 50-100 leads per day, and have those people sign up automatically without you lifting a finger? Do you want a dynamic downline builder on auto-pilot?
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WAKE UP!!
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If that is what you think a “dream” home business really is, let me ask you a few questions.
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1. Have you quit your day job yet?  Most MLM folks are actually part-time, at least to start.  If you still have a job, do you really have time to coach and mentor even 25 new people a day?
2. Do you want to have a team that you do NOT coach and mentor? (Remember the golden rule here!  How do YOU want to be treated by your sponsor?)
3. Do you want, as business partners, people who would sign up without ever talking to you?
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Every really successful entrepreneur I have met started with the motto, “I will do today what others WILL NOT do, so I can do tomorrow what others CAN NOT.” In other words, to be successful you must keep the “work” in network marketing!  You MUST EARN success!  That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun too.  In fact, if you are not having fun while being productive, you are doing something wrong and I would love to help you!!
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We all know in our hearts that the “quick fix” is never the answer and the hard won victories are always the best.  Do not rush your home business; BUILD IT!  And build it BIG, over time. For a great start on how to build it to last and have fun doing it, please download the free ebook “Success In 10 Steps” from the left sidebar.  Then we can do it together.
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Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare!  I hope we’re at the finish line together!

Did you have a disappointing 2009?  Was there failure and frustration in your MLM business?  If so, I have a thought for you.
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“The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain’t so.”
                                               -Mark Twain
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Maybe you know everything about how to do network marketing right.  Or you THINK you do.  If so I want to ask you the now-famous Dr. Phil question, “How’s that workin’ for ya?” 
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If you have been taught by someone (in your upline, or a coaching company) who is extremely successful, yet you are not, you might assume there is something wrong with YOU.  There isn’t.  I’d be willing to bet, instead, that you were taught to do things which do not work for your personality type.
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I have a couple of favorite sayings.  “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”  Another way to say it: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”  If you called 100 people and read the same script the same way, and you got 100 “Nos”, why in the world would you believe it when someone tells you that this puts you closer to a “Yes”??  Whether it is the script, or your intonation, how enthusiastic you sound, it doesn’t matter. It is NOT working!
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Why not do yourself a favor and learn something new?  Learn why past MLM failure is not your fault.  End your MLM frustration, and catapult yourself into MLM success!  It all starts with the “Success In 10 Steps” ebook which you can download for free by clicking the icon on the left!

Let’s have a great 2010 together!