Capitalise on Your Network Marketing Journey - We All Have a Story!

My first ever conference and car award - 6 months after starting my busIness I earned a car, A HOLIDAY TO TURKEY and a replacement wage income - 2012

When it comes to promoting your business, it will help you in moving forward by sharing your journey – no matter where you happen to be in that journey. Sharing your story with your prospects can help people relate to you and feel like they can do what you have done as well.

Think about it...what are some of your favourite success stories? They are likely the ones from people who had the same kinds of goals or struggles that you had. The ones where people were able to overcome those struggles to achieve their goals. We love these types of stories because they enable us to put ourselves into the story and imagine how it will feel when we achieve that type of success. This goes for product testimonials and business testimonials. We all root for the people who are like us in some way. We want to see them succeed because they give us hope that we can too.

Another great reason to share your journey is that great testimonials spread like wildfire. I bet you have seen some testimonials within your company that everyone knows about. Generally, people with those popular testimonials get shared a lot. Which means your name gets shared a lot. That, in itself, can bring you quite a bit of attention as people want to work with someone who has had success with the products or the company. In fact, I would view it as your journey being part of your brand. People buy the brands that they feel a connection to. I know this only too well myself, I had no experience in the industry, started, smashed levels quickly and everyone wanted to know how and were inspired to give this industry a go because they related to my own journey and story (this was also the start of building my own brand).

So how do you go about telling your direct sales and network marketing story? I think that there are at least 5 critical components to any network marketing journey:

1: Your Initial Introduction

The first thing that you want to do is let people know how you found out about the products and the company. Perhaps you had a problem that needed to be solved or a need that needed to be met. Perhaps you were invited to a home party. Perhaps a friend invited you to try the product or sign up. Perhaps you saw someone posting about it on Facebook. Let them know how you first became aware of the products and/or the opportunity and what made you look into it more.

various achievements including another car, laptop, speaking events and free iincentive trip holidays for bothe myself and husband.

2: Your Objections

Now is the time when you can block objections that people may have by bringing up the objections that YOU had (and we all have/had them). Maybe you thought the products wouldn’t work for you. Or that it was too much of an investment for you to make at the time. Maybe you were even one of the people who thought that network marketing/direct sales was a pyramid scheme and that you wanted nothing to do with it. Tell them what your objections were. You will likely get the attention of people here who are feeling the exact same way. When they hear that you had the same concerns that they do, they will want to hear about what, exactly, changed your mind.

You can read more on my post about objections about starting a perfume business - they are the same across many companies

3: Why You Took The Leap

After you have talked about how you were introduced to the products/opportunity and addressed any concerns that you had, tell your audience why you decided to take a chance on it. Was it a powerful testimony that pushed you over the edge? Was it the compensation plan that drew you in? Did you try the products and fall in love with them?

4:  How Your Life Has Changed

How has your life changed since you started your journey? How are the products impacting your daily life? How is the additional income making things easier? What about the other benefits, such as the new friendships, the flexibility, or the joy of being your own boss? Even if you aren’t making a lot of money yet, how is what you are making helping? Even if you still work another job, what are the benefits of having an additional source of income?

ANOTHER FREE HOLIDAY FOR US TO THE MALDIVES

5: The Future

Finally, what is the prospect for your future? What are your goals for your business? How do you imagine your life will be one year, five years, or ten years down the road? Will you have complete time and financial freedom? Will you be able to go on family holidays without counting the money at every payday to make sure you have enough or will it help pay for your child’s education? Will you be able to retire early and focus on enjoying a job-free freedom? Dream big and let everyone know that you have complete faith in being able to do this because you have seen it done by others in your company do the same.

Anything is truly possible with a network marketing & direct sales business, I know, I am living the results of having a dream, goal and taking action with them!

award for a free holiday for two to singapore… and the awards keep coming!!

Tell me a little bit about your journey. Why did you get started and what is your “why”?


If this post inspired you to take action and soar like an eagle, why not give it a pin to your Pinterest board and let’s share it with others in the world who need to share their journey too - PIN THE IMAGE BELOW

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No fluffing up working from home here - what some sponsors may forget to tell you!

This is a bullshit-free zone…

Thousands of blog posts are all over the internet about different network marketing companies. So what actually happens when someone starts looking up different network marketing companies? What makes one seem more appealing than another? When you are looking up direct sales and network marketing on the internet, consultants can go on and on and on about travelling and friendships and about how amazing it is but do we actually sit and think “wow, that sounds amazing, that could be me?”.

Well,  I actually didn’t. I thought to myself the exact opposite and often thought “That’ll never be me, I don’t know enough people, I don’t know what they know, you must need to fetch in big teams to reach the top levels.”

So I decided to share with you what I would have actually liked to find as far as information when I was looking at ways to make money from home (which I never even knew was actually called network marketing and direct sales). You see, even though I really wanted to be successful at something like my own business, you really have no idea what it entails. Most consultants say things like, “Anyone can do it.”, “The product sells itself”, “The company is amazing”, and go on and on and on with everything positive about the company and their support. But what about the negatives? What about all the hurdles I might face? What about the emotional roller coaster ride?

Because I know it will come and I’d better be prepared… 

I am a kind of “tell it how it is type of leader” and when someone inquires about joining my team, I ask qualifying questions. Why do they want to join? What is their goal? Why do they love this business? Asking these questions helps me figure out what they will need to be successful. It completely boggles my mind when a sponsor continues to send every single person to their website, has them sign up to join and doesn’t ask one thing as far as what the person’s expectations are and wonder why they never order and move their business forward.

We need to understand that people who join have different reasons and different goals. People who join our teams may not be just like us and are happy to just purchase for personal use and not even make money at it.

Some people join certain companies just for the starter kit and just for the discount. Yes, it is true. Now if, we as consultants do not embrace that idea and support those team members accordingly than we are either end up disappointed or spend far to much time in someone who has no intentions of ever going any further than buying a kit and purchasing products for themselves.

And so, I am asking YOU the person reading this...

“Why do you want to join the company?”
Was it…
A. For the discount
B. Part-time to earn a little extra cash come month-end
C. Full time to do as a full-time job at home and bring in a second income
D. BIG TIME to be the bread winner in the house and living your dreams on your terms.

Some people will join with one intention and then it changes. For this reason, I always reevaluate team members down the road to see what type of support they need from me.

I initially started in my own company for the discount and instant cash to help us out but a couple of months later I decided I wanted to take it more seriously, so focussed on building a team and coaching others how to make money just like I started with when I joined.

When you are looking for a home business, you really need to do some research and find the product that you are PASSIONATE about talking about with people and research the sponsor and training/support offered to you for the years to come.

Check out my own ‘DECISION GUIDE’ and find out what products would be perfect for you to promote.

I love the idea of people having their own home business and giving exceptional customer service. I love the idea of people working from home, being able to spend time with their families and watching their kids grow up. I love everything about home business but the truth is no matter what product or service you are selling, it is not easy.

I love the friendships I have made. I love the trips I have been awarded but guess what? I too was that person in the beginning that completed in the negative self-talk series and never truly believed my own journey would ever become anything more but my purse getting lighter because of my own love of the products, but how pleased I was to see that treating this as a business (and all the lows that came with it) and not a hobby, it changed everything!.

When a person comes to me and asks, “What does this business entail?” I tell them the truth. I am honest. I tell them this business will require some things:

• Organisation

• Using Social Media

• Public Speaking

• Leadership

• Self Motivation

• Self Starter

• Go-Getter

• Ability to handle rejection

• Doing things you never thought you could do

• Passion

• Need to help and support others

• Time to learn new skills

A person does not have to be strong in all these areas but these are the areas where I tell someone that they will need to focus on. Of course, telling a new person this may scare them but I always follow it up with, “the team and I will be there for you every step of the way and if some of these things scare you now…then that is telling me this is the company you should join.” You see going in the direction of fear is where we should be excited. Going in the direction of fear means with only 10 seconds of courage will magic happen.

I am not the same person I was 9 years ago. I have built up so many personal development skills, I am still shocked at how far I have come.  I am not concerned with people telling me they are not interested, it’s part of the job and it’s expected.

I am more concerned with telling as many people as I can about this opportunity so that I can change lives. Some will say yes, some will say no. Some will just fly and be superstars and some may never even open the kit, but my job as a leader is, to be honest when it comes to expectations.

No direct sales or network marketing business has a magic starter kit where a magical fairy floats out and books you parties with crazy sales or finds your new members lining up at your door to sign up, but when you find the right company like I did and you allow yourself to dream big, go for the no and believe you can be anything you want to be, magic DOES in fact happen. I am proof….and now, I want you to be that proof too.

You need to tell people all of the amazing things that your company will provide, but you also need to share with them what to expect the work that is involved. This may mean that they decide that your company is not for them, but better to have been honest and not wasted anyone’s time than to give a person less than accurate information to which you have to send out the search party for them after 90 days. My company is amazing. It is a consumable product, with an owner that communicates with consultants and who truly cares about us. She care’s about the morale of the company and she listens. and gives continuous recognition and she lets us know what is going on with the company.

But to be successful, consultants don’t just drop their debit card for £15 plus postage, open a Facebook page and then are suddenly sitting on the beach of Playa Del Carmen or suddenly transported on to a train ride with Mickey Mouse in Disney. You are truly a business owner.

It means you have to set up shop, open your doors and most importantly open your mouth.

You have to work your business, be your business and be proud of the products and opportunity you are sharing. That is the reason, it is so important you choose the right company. Do your research, ask the right questions and if you are sponsor, give the right answers. When you qualify people to determine exactly what they want out of a home-based business and you give people the right information, you have a list of go-getter team members whose goals include living their dreams just like you.

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If you are still looking at starting a home-based business, why not download the guide below? It will break down who you are and what you love and will help you find the perfect company for you.

Stick with it, don’t flip flop from business to business, you have to give 100% effort to your main company for at least 12-months and then you can see what needs changing up - maybe it’s you and your skills, so then you would go out, skill up find a mentor and make working from home the best thing ever!
Follow your passion and stay focused on YOUR goals, not anyone else’s.

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20 Habits of a Successful Network Marketer

When it comes to direct sales and network marketing, there is no secret success formula but after being in this industry for over 9 years, I definitely can identify many similarities when it comes to watching and interviewing those consultants that reach success, their habits are all the same…

Habits are important (and that’s the keyword - habit). Habits and being consistent can literally decide whether you will succeed through hard times and facing adversity or if you are ready to quit at every bump in the road.

Take a look at some of the habits I have written down and collected after watching some of the best in the business conquer their goals year after year.

Why not listen and watch the post below on my YouTube channel.

1. Get Up Early – I have always dreamed of being a morning person. I truly love the way I feel when I do get up early but still love my bed more.  However, there is a reason I love it. So a quick tip, If you are not a morning person, its time to learn how to become one. Getting up that little bit earlier allows you to get the things done you need to and then set up your day for success. No more working in the early hours or into your nights off (that you should still be scheduling in). Go to bed early and wake up refreshed with the rest of the successful men & women out there. Need some help getting this habit under control? Read Miracle Morning from Hal Elrod (audible, kindle or paper back). This is one of my favourite books and truly changed my business.

2. Meditate – Now I found meditation so annoying when everyone kept suggesting it but when you take a look at some of the most successful business owners in the world, even they meditate.  Yeah, people like Tony Robbins and Oprah. So with those names, I started to take it a little more seriously. Clearing your mind and taking time to breathe when days can get away from you is one of the best ways to stay focused and accomplish what you need to. There are tons of great meditation videos on YouTube. Type it in and pick the best one for you.

3. Set Goals and Write Them Down – Things that are measured are improved. In order to accomplish your goals, you need to be clear about what they are. I was never a “write your goal down” type of business owner. Most people aren’t but once I started doing this and creating vision boards, there is something inside a person that makes us want to cross action steps off a list. Take time to set your daily, weekly, monthly and even long term goals. This is one of the most important steps in your business.  WRITE THESE GOALS DOWN or create a vision board for your future (or solely on business) When you do this, what you want to achieve becomes something real instead of just a thought in your head.
Why not join my online vision board workshop, or catch my free goal-setting workshop. It will really help you plan those goals.

4. Inspire Yourself – Personal development and inspiration is a must. Whether you choose to read, exercise and listen to podcasts, watch videos or find a coach, you must find an outside resource that inspires you. When you are inspired, you can create and keep your business moving forward.

5. ABC – Always Be Learning! There is no explanation here. Training, courses, webinars, books. Always be learning something new daily, learn your craft and be ready to pass those skills downline to your team or share them online in blog posts or live streams!

6. Read – Anything and everything. Articles. Books. Anything you can find. Read it. I try to read 10 pages a night in a book of my choice.

7. Know Your Numbers – You must know where you are, know where you were last year and know where you want to be. If you don’t know where you are in your business when it comes to income, expenses and profit, you can’t possibly manage your business. If your company has a back office, access it daily. Write down your daily numbers and compare them to last year. On top of that, have a budget. Know what you are spending on and record everything. I have diaries going back to the day I first started team building so I can compare monthly/annually to that same month and see how much my team has grown. You must move forwards and not backward’s. Tracking your month lets you adjust in the areas that need the most work. Try it.

8. Journal – I could never keep up with journaling until I listened to Oprah one day and she said, “keep it simple. If you can’t write down your complete thoughts, at least log your THANK YOU items.” This has made a huge difference in my mindset. Capturing what I am thankful for on a daily basis keeps the positivity in and the negativity out. What we focus on, we create. Focusing on gratitude has really started bringing amazing things and people into my life.

9. Practice Gratitude – Beyond putting gratitude in your journal once a day, simply practice being grateful for everything in your life. Think about daily what you are grateful for. When you get in the habit or thinking about gratitude, you open your mind for so much more abundance to enter. What are you grateful for today? Let me know in the comments, it’s time to start to give daily thanks.

10. Delegate – This can be a tough one for people. We some times think that no one can do things as well as we can. But truth is, when we try to take on everything, we end up accomplishing a lot less than we could have. We can’t do it all. Whether it be automated as many tasks as you can or simply asking for help, we need to realise we can’t do it all. When business owners try, they usually fail. Surround yourself with people who are willing to help and find tools to make your daily tasks easier. I use a ton of tools and systems to help me do this when you have a team of over 2,500 consultants - you need to have systems!

11. Be a Good Listener –  This is a huge one. Because so many of us run our businesses online, we tend to not read things thoroughly or we just don’t pay attention. When in-person, we are already thinking about what we want to say rather than listening. Whether it is your customers, your team, your upline, head office or your downline, listen to what is being said or written. Validate what the other person is saying. Take ideas and concerns and show them that they are important to you. Other people and their suggestions could be one of the most valuable things in growing your business.

12. Have a Hobby – STOP! Yes something besides your network marketing or direct sales business, no matter how much you say you love it.  You need to step away sometimes. Find something that makes you smile even for an hour a day. Exercising, dancing, swimming, gardening, crafting, organising. Whatever it is, step away and relax. This will help you be more focused and come up with even better innovative ideas for your business. I learned the hard way a couple of years ago and got ‘burn-out’ because I never stepped away from my business and continued to do things I needn’t have been doing! Step away and have a break (see below point)

13. Take Time For Yourself – Schedule some YOU time! I often sit outside in the garden without my phone, just with my dogs and simply reflect on the day. These days we are soooo connected, its good for you and business to disconnect.

14. Follow a Schedule – If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist.. Get into the habit of putting everything on your schedule so you don’t get overwhelmed. I use my google calendar for everything. One of my favorite apps is Fantastical. It syncs with google calendar and I just love how user friendly it is on my phone.

15. Be Organised – I love to be organised. I know many struggle with this and they often say, “but I know where everything is.” However, if you want to be taken seriously, the first step is having a place to go where your systems are in order. Create a place for everything to go and if you haven’t used something in 6 months, throw it out. You will find you will jump out of bed to work knowing you have an organised workspace ready for you.

16. Develop a Routine – This is an essential habit you should have if you want to be successful. Create a schedule of what you need to do every day and follow it. Know what time you get up, what is on your to-do list (specifically your top 3 things to accomplish) numbers, what time you have team meetings or Facebook parties. Know what days you do what. It only takes 21 days to develop a habit. I wake up at 7, have coffee, review my calendar and to-do list, check-in on my social accounts then go walk the dogs or get to my 9 am body-pump class or go for a bike-ride. Home, clean up, shower, grab another coffee then it’s off to my desk. Once you develop a routine, what you accomplish everyday increase by a mile.

17. Inbox Zero – Don’t fall pray to email hell. Do not let email control you. Use tools like Unroll.me 

18. Ask For Help – Reach out to those you trust when you need help... People can’t help you if they don’t know you need it, so don’t be too proud to ask for help.  Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed.

19. Have a Mentor or Coach – This is a habit you can’t skip. I am not talking about your sponsor or your upline. I am sure they are great but you need someone that is going to push you out of your comfort zone and motivating you when you need it. Think about joining a monthly mastermind as I did, I am part of Ray Higdon’s ‘RankMakers’ group and it is a super affordable coaching group with daily challenges to help push you further and the daily lives help you with new ideas and get that kick up the ass talking we all need. I also have an Instagram coach Holly Barras (where we go into things much deeper - like business planning). Grab 30 free days into her Queendom HERE. You won’t find a single successful business owner that didn’t have a mentor or a coach either in a monthly mastermind group or who has one with one to one sessions to help them get where they are. Don’t skip out here, you can’t afford to not have a coach, make that investment.

20. Be Positive – Last but not least, be positive!  When you constantly work your business as a victim and your cup always being half empty, you will project this attitude onto your customers and your team members. What you think about, you bring about. Keep that in mind always and pay close attention to your thoughts on a daily basis. You choose how successful you want your business specifically with how positive you are.

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There you have 20 habits for highly successful network marketers and direct sales consultants. Print this article and use it as a checklist or save the post to a board on Pinterest. Put all of them into action and watch how you and your business transform. I’d love to help you get started. Check out some info on how I can help you start your very own business using social media and you can finally determine where your future can take you.

Save these tips!

Be sure to save these network marketing success tips for future reference. Simply pin the image above to Pinterest. I hope you’ll follow Sharon Howat - Building a business online while you’re at it!

And why not join this secret entry to my monthly VIP membership - doors are flung open wide to the public once a month, but I decided to hide a secret back door pass right here for you!

Do you have any questions or other tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!

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