Stinky, Rotten Business Really
Hi everyone!
My name is Laura, I’m an experienced wife, mother, pastor, network marketer… and this blog is about stinky, rotten business really! It’s also about how to avoid being IN it.
Now, I am talking to business NEWBIES here, so all you big-wigs, already-made-it-to-the-top, “my stuff is better than your stuff” braggers, do not pay attention to this! It just does not apply to you.
Ok, now that I’ve weeded out the “higher-ups” that be… to anyone, and I mean ANYONE else, who has just ventured into the “hey, I have an idea honey, I’ll quit my job and become SELF EMPLOYED” notion, you NEED and DESERVE to hear and consider (and hopefully apply) what I’m about to tell you! I am about to SPARE you from years of grief in home-based, network marketing, mlm business attempts! Here we go!..
Now, this comes from about 20 or more years of experience (at this point, I’ve lost count how many years). So, if you REALLY are serious about making this new business venture work, please listen, learn from my mistakes, and then and ONLY then, sign on that dotted line, pay your fee to join, etc.
Ok, ready?
1.) Investigate EVERYTHING about it.
That means “do the research, Sammy” Google the company, it’s leaders, it’s legal situations (does it have a law suit against it, for instance). It doesn’t matter much if they were voted #1 in WHO’S WHO OF AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS if they lack personal character and won’t be there to answer your questions when you have them. Trust me on this one. I know.
Nothin like feelin as though you are a “nuisance” to the big-boy manager! Be sure he is one who built his OWN business from the bottom up, also and that “daddy” didn’t GIVE him the buiz because he was the “favored son” Ugh…movin right along here…
2.) THIS IS A BIGGIE SO PAY ATTENTION CLOSELY!
Examine the PRODUCTS! Are they truly “competitive?” This means, when you decide to stop using your favorite brand of shampoo, will this new one that you buy from your company (oh, did I mention that, for a while, YOU will be your 1st customer, before anyone else will purchase FROM you?)…
When you put that “new business” shampoo on your curly locks and you lather, does it feel as luscious as the one you fell in love with from Wally World? If YOU would switch, chances are, so will your customers. If not, I’d be real careful about selling something even YOU can’t believe in!
Be careful about “ground-floor” opportunities too…no need to rush to be first, in a company nobody even knows about yet. Give em a couple years, see if they are still around, THEN Join. Why should YOU buy a ticket on the TItanic if you know that other ships like it, have sunk within the first couple years! Be careful, prayerful and WISE in your choosing! Remember, “Good things come to those who WAIT!”
3.) Check on pricing of your products. In one business I was in, I found the same machine my company sold for hundreds of dollars, over on a forum selling for at least 1/3 of the price. How’s THAT hit ya? Not a good thing to sell your house, your car, your first-born, to hop on the bandwagon and join! Right? (I hope your head nodded up n down on that one!)
Some extra tidbits of advice here:
a.) Make sure the company sells by RETAIL. If your company sells with retail AND wholesale prices, you’d better be the type of “business tycoon” who can plow through ANY sort of circumstance and “recruit recruit recruit!” In other words, those people I sort of “weeded out” at the beginning of this blog, be sure and let them know that this wholesale and retail set-up was tailor-made just for them! (Laura’s friend Michael says so and Laura agrees)
b.) Would the product sell without a business opportunity attached to it? If not, in the words of the Teletubbies “run away run away!” Chances are it’s an ILLEGAL SCAM! (more on that in future blogs)
c.) Must pay by CASH ONLY? it’s ILLEGAL! Don’t do it!
4.) Ok, what’s the conversion rate for your business? In layman’s terms (which is pretty much the language I like to speak most of the time), of the leads people get into their business, how many of them generally turn into customers and how long will that take?
What I am urging here, no INSISTING you do, is find a company where it’s actually “ok” to talk to the president of the company, the owner of the company, the head-honcho. This is so important because you can’t “learn from the chief eagle, if you can’t approach his nest!” (my little saying there)
So, how about your sponsor? Do you like his personality? What attracted you to him, enough to listen to his message about how “you must join” his company? Is he/she someone you can see yourself having weekly lunches with for the next 10 years at least? If not, why on EARTH are you signing that paper to be his “goonie”? Think HARD here. I made this mistake, BIG TIME too many times! Don’t do it. Do not “pass go” cause you WILL NOT get “$200!”
5.) Lastly, and this is also probably one of the biggest “business “booboos” I and others in business have EVER made! Ready? Hold on to your seats cause this is HUGE…
CAN YOU DO WHAT YOUR SPONSOR DOES TO GET THE SAME RESULTS AS HE/SHE IS?
Let me spell this one out for you, because if you can “get it” it’s going to save you a LOT of aggravation and a lot of bruises (from kicking your own booty)…
Here are the questions you want to ask yourself about this:
1.) My boss is HUGE on cold-calling. Can I see myself picking up the phone, talking to a stranger about this business, risking rejection?
2.) My manager keeps tons of leads on hand. Where will I get all those leads from? Can I AFFORD to pay what he does to have all those…how much of those leads will even be people who will get back in touch with me?
3.) My guru-guy is really into “meetings” Am I? Do I really want to commit weekly to hanging out with strangers in a high-hype atmosphere that leaves me feeling nautious from the combination of “super-juice” and overly-zealous entrepreneurs
If you answered NO to any of these questions, I’d give you A PRIZE, A MEDAL, AN AWARD if I had one! If you cannot DUPLICATE what your sponsor is doing, DO NOT JOIN THE BUSINESS
If, on the other hand, you strangely answered YES to any of these questions, please get in touch with me. We need to really have a talk. No, you didn’t do anything wrong, you aren’t messed up at all. You are just one of very FEW people who enjoy doing things the HARD WAY!
Now, all that being whatever it may (I’m hoping it “may” be that most of you answered NO)…Let me inform you that what I’ve just gone over with you are principles REQUIRED for your SUCCESS in ANY business you decide to do!!! That’s right ANY business.
Those 5 things were very loosely taken from a teaching on the FIVE PILLARS of Success, written by my friend and sponsor, Mr Michael Dlouhy. Of course, that was my own way of telling you about them. Either way, Michael or I, KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.
So, there you have it. Be sure to really consider what I shared here, before you jump into any business.
You want to check out, in a nutshell:
1.) Reputation and character of your leaders
2.) Product competitiveness
3.) Compensation Plan
4.) Duplicatable System
Ok there you have it, my first blog and some rather handy info to know before you go jumping into the business pool that HAS NO WATER IN IT! Think. Pray. Consider. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP into arms that fall to the sides of your sponsor (as he walks away with YOUR hard-earned money)
Till next time remember I am always here to help you, answer your questions and I even have free training on my website that will educate you or give you insight into this industry.
email: yahssis@juno.com
website: www.FutureHopeNow.com
~there is ALWAYS hope for YOUR future!
~Laura
Lazies, Crazies, Hazies, Daisies on your online business team. How do you recognize each one in your business and where should you place them?
As I was waking up this morning, I was pondering about the people on an online business team. I came up with 4 basic types of people that I’ve worked with and coached. I’ll call them the Lazies, Crazies, Hazies, and Daisies. Each term is based on their individual business motivation or lack thereof. Every person has strengths and weaknesses, yet each one is so important to the team.
Lazies would be the “yellow” or phlegmatic types. These people are laid back, easygoing, sometimes slow, but very nurturing and caring. They are great to place with those in your team, who struggle with occasional “low” moments of wanting to give up, stand still, do nothing and lose hope. These yellow folks, are the “Mr Rogers” of business. Put them in charge of people who are great at the behind-the-scenes things, but just are unmotivated as far as face-to-face meetings or anything more confrontive.
Crazies, or blues or sanguines, should be, in my opinion, at the top of the leadership ladder, except for one crucial factor…they tend to be very disorganized, not seeing a reason to have a whole lot of structure in what they do. These people are the entertainers and can provide tremendous business motivation, while sporting a wide grin, a lot of joking and a cheerful image. Place them as far away from the serious business builders as possible. Let these people make the videos, the audios, chat on the phone (DO give them a script to learn though, or they will be making friends and forgetting they are in business to attain financial freedom too). Make business a game for these people, telling them step by step what to do and what the “Fun” reward will be when the task is completed.
Hazies, the green or melancholies, have the most awesome business skills of all! These people are born to organize and file everything in sight! If you are missing a paper, chances are, the hazy person has already found the “perfect” place “out of the way” for that paper. With people, the hazy will want to dig for details and try and figure out exactly what is what, so they can be sure their customer has all the info needed to make a wise, calculated decision. Business motivation for this type of person…well, first they have to be convinced in and of themselves, after much research and pondering, that it’s even anything that they want to attempt. If there is any that even seems amiss, you won’t see them hopping into your team, period. Place these people, if you were fortunate enough to have them with you, in charge of paperwork, bookwork, finances. They will take good care of those things for you!
Now, the Daisy…the reason I called the red or choleric person a daisy, is because they are the “flowers” of the bunch when it comes to leadership in business. These people will lead with an iron fist, much of the time, so keep the gentler folk away from them. The Daisy was created to sell, recruit, convince, connive people into business. They do not tolerate slackers or anything that appears to be a form of “ignorance” in their co-workers. They have no problem telling you exactly what they think about you, your endeavors, your way of running your business. Usually these people are at the top in any business plan and they tend to be in charge wherever they go, simply because leadership comes naturally to them. Place these people out in “the field” recruiting, talking, canvassing the entire area…but send another person with them who can keep them a bit tempered so they don’t crush the potential customer with their confrontive nature. Welcome independent leadership in this person, because they are not real adept at being placed in a position of submission. They need to feel and be in charge.
So there they are…4 types of people I have run across. It’s kind of a joke I have with a friend of mine…I tell her, “I’ve met a lot of people I’d NEVER want to try to initiate teamwork with, so now I know exactly what to look for in those who join me…the opposite of that!
To join a winning team, check this out: winning team
Temperaments Explored in Business: Is a Sanguine Really Better at Sales than a Melancholy and Other Ponderings
The Sanguine temperament (also spelled Sanguin) is, by nature, very friendly and outgoing. These types of people are known to be “born for” sales. Never having met a stranger, means they are lacking in timidity or self-consciouness; therefore, these folks will pretty much say anything to anybody, throwing caution to the wind.
If you have ever met a Sanguine type of salesperson, you will know him or her, by the fact that they are just chock-full of information, and will rarely take a breath in between sentences.
On a diagnostic chart, these rather flamboyant creatures, are known as “class clowns,” “jokers,” and “dare-devils.” They will take the somewhat foolish risks and chances that the other personalities would never dream of even thinking about.
Many people realize that the Sanguines are the ones who will totally step out of the comfort-zone to try and sell the “lady in the red hat” the latest brand of fish oil, but what some might not realize, is the reason why a Melancholy will NOT be as likely to act in that manner.
I did a bit of keirsey studying in College, that examined more of the diagnostic traits, and I will venture to say that, for a Melancholy, one of the biggest needs, even as a business person, is for familiarity and a reliable, predictable schedule of some kind. The Melancholy sort will not meander up to a stranger, simply because she/he does not know them. She/he will also not start spouting off about a product they offer, because they are not sure how the listener will respond to them. One of their main fears is, being rejected, so a direct sales approach is not the favored or comfortable way for the Melancholy temperament at all.
My suggestion, if you have a Melancholy woman or man on your team, your best bet is to let them be in charge of keeping all the files in order. They are great organizers to boot, as they lean very strongly toward perfectionism. Do not thrust them into the world of the “unknown” or you will have a really quick drop-out rate among them in your business. Let them also do the research that you need done. They will keep very accurate charts and graphs and will make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed on any documents you have them work on.
For the Sanguines, give them a script and a phone or lend them the company car with a sales pitch attached to the visor, and let them go at it! They will astound you with how many people they can talk to. The only thing is, since these types are always talking and making friends, they are not very good closers. Send Mr or Mrs Choleric along with them to do the job of getting people to “sign on the dotted line.”
Put your individual temperaments in the right places and you will soon have a business that ROCKS!
~Laura
Do MLM and Melancholy Mix?
Can someone who is melancholy really make it in MLM? Let’s discuss the melancholy definition to determine the answer to that.
First of all, I want to give credit to a very dear associate of mine, who happens to be a melancholy phlegmatic personality, and therefore was invaluable in the insights I’m about to share with you. My comrade, herself, is a brilliant writer, dancer and banner maker, who has no interest in MLM at all.
Now, to explore our question…when it comes to the multi-level marketing team, a melancholy person can be an asset and yet a liability at the same time. By nature, these types of people, will bend over backwards to try to please the head mentor, while at the same time, feeling very overwhelmed and downtrodden, even resentful at the person they are assisting.
You see, this creative personality, is not very people-oriented and tends to be overly sensitive to even the most fair of critiques by her manager. If the boss says she messed up, she can become very distraught and depressed for long periods of time, not wanting to even try anymore at the business. This can result in the business slowing down or sometimes, the melancholy will even lose her job.
She is so focused on earning peoples’ approval, that she will often deliberate too long about projects and tasks, resulting in over-tiredness and “messups” in her position in the company. She’d much rather analyze things than actually put them into action, so she will often delegate the more challenging jobs to the “go-getters” in the group.
If a new associate comes into the company, this “melancholy princess“, who feels she has obvious seniority, may be overly cautious and unlikely to greet the newcomer for a while, until she is sure that the newbie meets her specifications.
You could call this somewhat “moody” person, a “suspicious observer.”
These were the drawbacks of the melancholy personality, but there are some definite benefits of having this person join your team too, provided they felt like it was worth their while to team up with you in the first place.
Melancholies work well with charts, graphs, and schedules. They will work overtime, complete what they start, are neat and tidy, and if they see problems they will find creative solutions to them. They are great with budgeting and economics.
Your business, should you have this temperament in it, will be run with a fine-toothed comb in the most creative ways imaginable. This incredible person is usually into anything that takes some deep thought; she brings an attitude of “poetry” and “delight” into your office and business, making each day full of new, interesting information and extroardinary innovation!
Melancholies can mix well with MLM, as long as you place them in charge of the secretarial tasks and in the position of administrator. Just be sure that your Mel workers really want to be part of your company, because if it wasn’t their idea to join you, they will become fast enemies. If they explored the company, asked tons of questions and finally settled with the fact that it was “for them,” you have a friend and business partner for life!
Phlegmatics in Business
Phlegmatics were actually named this because of the word their label is made up of…phlegm…slow moving, sluggish, thick.
By definition, these people seem deliberate and stubborn. They are resistant to using their energy or their talents, so they usually live quiet, calm lives as much as they possibly can.
Phlegs prefer to sleep late into the afternoon, work alone and keep to themselves. Sleep is the only thing that can really energize this temperament, and often, even sleep doesn’t work, as they have very limited energy.
In business, a Phlegmatic personality is great at work that requires a lot of attention to detail. They should be placed in a position of data processor, accountant, web designer or computer programmer.
Generally, this person enjoys observing the relationships of others, feeling that they know what everyone else is doing in the relationship, and whether it’s right or not.
Phlegmatics tend to work in a quiet, efficient manner, meaning they generally are very balanced with their time when they are utilizing it to do their job.
As people, they want close relationships with a few, have a need to be liked and get along wtih others much more than anything else. They are sensitive and compassionate, and hate conflict or competition.
The look for authenticity and meaning in relationships and are nurturing and empathic toward others.
In your network marketing company, these folks are wonderful at encouraging others, promoting growth and wonderful at spurring personal development in your team and downline.
The one thing to remember when a person with this type of temperament joins your business venture, is that they will move at their own pace. If forced to take action, they will stubbornly sit there and do NOTHING.
Save Your Marriage Free Report
Do you find yourself feeling anxiety, depression, or hopelessness over your marriage or relationship? You are not alone at all. Due to all the people I know and even some parts of my own marriage, I decided it was time to offer some free and paid help to struggling couples. Today, the pressure is really on when it comes to economic struggles as well as unfaithfulness and frustration in the marriage union. There are marital “agreements” coming forth which allow an “out” to people who decide they “just can’t take it anymore” in their relationship. Maybe this is a good thing and maybe not.
My point is, it’s very easy for someone to advise you to stay or leave your relationship; after all, they aren’t the ones in it. After years of struggle, I have done some research and am still doing some, that offers humorous and yet practical insight into how the other person thinks, perceives, and reacts to various situations.
I’ve taken the information I’ve learned, and compiled some of the most crucial parts of it into a free report. The title is catchy but also definitely promising to couples who are ready to call it “quits” on matrimony and give up hope of ever having any “bliss” come from their partnership.
Whether you are newlyweds or long-time strugglers, this information will give you a new avenue to consider in your relationship, will save you nights of restlessness, and probably help you prevent the “D” word from happening.
Sound like it might be a last chance of hope for you to reclaim what you once had or achieve what you now want? Hey, it was worth doing at one point…isn’t it worth saving? Let me know if this interests you.
our new site is up and also still under construction, but you can visit for your free report. Use or pass it on: http://rlformholtz.com
hubby &I are announcing our brand new website rlformholtz.com. We’re in this as a team and hope to serve you all very very soon!info coming
I’m at my foster mom’s house now and just relaxing…unfortunately, this computer is not letting me into some programs, including my school website, so I might need to take a trip to the library tomorrow to use theirs
i’m having a stress test at 10:45. I do not like needles but I also do not like heart attacks or heart disease, so just stand in agreement with the prophetic words I got for a GOOD report! TY all
after you download www.paltalk.com, add my name to your buddy list: Vessel of Hope, and double click my name to send me a message. I will invite you to our room on there.
I will be teaching today about a revelation regarding “Love” that God gave me recently. Hope to see you there! Download: www.paltalk.com
Here is the first of the videos that I have to say, 2nd to Jesus, are my reason for being on this earth. In the words of God and Hillsong…People get FREE! check it out and feel free to comment, critique, suggestion, question, etc. This is what I LOVE to do…helping people break free from control and abuse and live lives of Hope and VICTORY! http://ping.fm/Jb7cD
