Secure Your Financial Future

Today's Headline: Retirement accounts have lost $2 trillion — so far

Are you relying on the 401k, retirement account, or Social Security to take care of you in your old age? Forget about it! Take control of your financial future with a network marketing business.

First, network marketing businesses are a lot more fun than just sticking money into an account.
Second, network marketing businesses have a much greater potential for return.
Third, network marketing businesses give you the opportunity to help others too.
Fourth, network marketing businesses provide you with much better tax benefits.
Fifth, network marketing businesses create opportunities for your to travel and meet new people.

There are five great reasons to utilize a network marketing business to secure your retirement.

Let me tell you a sad story. A number of years ago I met a man who had worked for the same company for 30 years and socked away a large sum of money into the company retirement account. He was 2 years away from retirement when the company went bankrupt. He lost everything and was devastated. "What could I do in 2 years that would enable me to recreate my retirement fund," he asked me and I told him there was only one thing - network marketing. I then helped him research the industry to find the right company for him and 2 years later he had built a business that generated far more than his retirement account would have.

Think about it this way. If you have a network marketing business that generates a $100,000 a year income, you have the equivalent of $1,000,000 in an investment that yields 10%. How long would it take you to accumulate $1,000,000 doing what you are doing? Whereas there are many people who work part-time and within 2 to 5 years have a network marketing business that generates a residual income of $100,000 or more (much more). Beyond the financial side, a successful network marketing business will give you free time to enjoy life, opportunities to travel and make new friends, lot's of cool contests and awards, and amazing tax benefits. So, if you have a network marketing business, get busy and secure your financial future. If you're looking for a business and would like to work with a proven leader, e-mail me by clicking HERE.

Recession Proof Business

Today's Headline: Stocks decline amid global worries credit crisis is spreading; Dow falls below 10,000.

With banks and other major financial institutions failing around the world, we are clearly heading into a major economic crisis. Whether it is a recession or depression, the key is to be self-employed and one of the most recession-proof businesses is network marketing. Why? Because when times get tough, people look for ways to make money and network marketing offers the idea business. It doesn't cost much to get started; you don't need any employees or leased office or warehouse space; and it's a simple business that anyone can do from home.

Even in the great depression, there were still people who had money, but they were the smart entrepreneurs of their day. Now is the time to get smart and build a network marketing business. If you already have a network marketing business, then build it fast and hard so that you are prepared for the coming economic crisis. If you are either looking for a business or are not completely happy with your current company, e-mail me at Rod@RodNichols.com and ask about my #1 rated company. In either case, quit messing around, get busy and build. As things get worse, you will be a shining light on a hill that people will flock to.

The Vulcan Mind Meld

Growing up, one of my favorite shows was the original Star Trek and my favorite character was Spock. He was logical and unemotional . . . like me (at the time). I loved it when he would place his hands on a person’s head and do the Vulcan mind meld. It was a combining of thoughts, experiences, knowledge, and memories. It was also a melding of two different cultures.

As I was contemplating this month’s theme: Old School versus New School, I immediately thought of the mind meld and realized that in order for us to be successful in network marketing we can’t be either old or new school, but a melding of both.

Back in 1979, when I joined the network marketing industry, we didn’t have computers, the internet, web sites, autoresponders, web conferences, e-mail, instant messaging, VOIP telephone, voice mail, cell phones, PDA’s, DVD’s, CD’s, or teleconferences. All we had was a pad, pen, and our personality. We met face-to-face, belly-to-belly and drew circles. We showed the plan, showed the plan, and showed the plan. It was a different culture than what we see today and yet it worked and continues to work.

In 1995 I started with a new company and decided to build on the internet. We developed a team image web site, offered a free book for those who were interested and would provide us with their contact information. We created the tag-team system of e-mailing, where a new prospect would receive 3 to 5 e-mails from our group, showing them a real team approach. We conducted weekly opportunity teleconferences for our network to use and did training conferences for our downline at least once a month. This was truly a “new school” business and it worked. We built a large international network that is still in place today and even though I’ve been semi-retired since 2001, it still generates a full-time residual income.

I learned a valuable lesson in that “new school” business – technology is great for sifting and sorting, but people still want to know that there is a live body behind all the technology. At first we were striving to build a completely self-contained system that would take a prospect from start to finish without human involvement. Although we built the system, it didn’t work.

We found the answer in John Naisbitt’s best seller, Megatrends. Although the book was published in 1988, it had great prophetic insight into the 21st century. Naisbitt spoke of the need for high touch with the high tech. Ah, the melding of two cultures. The old school mixed with the new school. As we began to apply this principle to our high tech system, it worked. We used the technology to sift through the lookers and find those who were serious. We engaged them in e-mail conversation and as trust was built, they would agree to a phone conversation. Once we reached that point, our average close ratio was over 75%. True high tech and high touch . . . new school and old school working together.

I love all the technology we have available to us in network marketing today. It makes building a business so much easier. However, I never want to forget that we are dealing with people and people need high touch. They want to hear our voice or see our face. They still like the personal interaction. The old school and new school must meld together into something better. Something more productive. Something that really works.

Four Steps to Big Money in Network Marketing

Network marketing (MLM) is a very simple business. It's a wonder to me why everyone doesn't make big money. Here are the four steps necessary for you to be successful:

1. Learn your business - study the company materials. Learn the company story - who? what? when? why? where? how? Study the products/services and the competition. Get statistics on the industry. Research the other network marketing companies that you compete with and determine your strengths and weaknesses. Talk with other successful distributors about how they have built their business. Get on the company e-mail distribution list and voice mail system (if your company has one), so that you can stay current. Buy all the training programs, CD’s, DVD’s, manuals, brochures, books, etc., so that you can have a better understanding of everything about your business. Listen to CD’s on your business whenever you are in the car. Tune in to the company teleconferences or web conferences. Attend all company and distributor sponsored meetings.

2. Do the business - get started right away, even while you are doing the research for number 1. You will learn more about your business by doing it then you will by researching it. Get out there and start talking to people. When they ask you something you don't know, say, "that's a good question and I don't know the answer, but I'll find out and get back with you." Go get the answer and call them back. Start making phone calls, meeting with people in person, conducting your own opportunity meetings, do your own teleconferences or web conferences, and have regular trainings for you downline. Ask your sponsor or another qualified upline leader to help with 3-way calls and meetings. Develop a duplicatable system that works.

3. Teach the business - when you sponsor a new distributor, you are responsible to that person to help them get started and send them down the path toward success. Teach them partially through what you say and mostly by what you do.
They will follow your lead. Show them how to prospect by doing it. Show them how to sponsor by doing it. Show them how to retail by doing it. Show them how to train by doing it. Provide them with the tools to be successful. During the first 30 days stay in touch daily. Offer to mail or e-mail information to prospects until they are up to speed. Suggest doing some 3-way calls and an in-home business briefing (which you will conduct, so they can see how to do a briefing). Encourage them to attend all the meetings, conferences, and conventions. Help them set goals and a plan to reach those goals. Keep your new distributors heading in the right direction.

4. Teach them to teach the business - when you uncover leaders who begin to develop their own downline team, teach them how to teach the business to their downline. Teach about the power of example. Give them tools they can use to teach their downline how to sponsor, retail and train.

That's it. It's just that simple. If you will follow these 4 steps, you will achieve huge success in network marketing.