Check This out!!

I am trying with every ounce of my being to not start making my business blog a political ranting blog, but man- with everything going on, it's hard!!

I belong to a grass roots movement called "Americans For Prosperity" and I often get emails which describe some the Shananigens (nice Irish word on the day after St. Patty's day) coming up on the horizon by our lovely, generous, president and congress in Washington. (I know I didn't capitalize congress or president. They don't deserve it!)
For anyone who is paying attention to how our liberties and freedoms are being stripped from us, and who care about it, below is the latest email I just received from the founder of "Americans for Prosperity". Please read it, reflect on it, and leave me a comment at the bottom of it. I really really realy want to know if I'm the only idiot that is deeply troubled about what is going on. If you are troubled like me, join this movement! It's time to let our weazle politicians who are supposed to be working for us, not enslaving us, know that we are MAD AS HELL!! AND THAT WERE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!


Dear Frank,

Washington , D.C. right now is like one of those old fashioned records that scratched and so it keeps playing the same tune over and over.
President Obama and Speaker Pelosi slam through a $787 billion “stimulus” bill to “save the economy.” Then, they pass a $410 billion omnibus spending bill with 8,500 earmarks even though Obama campaigned on a promise to end earmarks.
Let your Senator Know that a Trillion Dollar Tax Hike Deserves Proper Debate on the Senate Floor
Call the Senate Switch Board at 202-224-3121
or Click here to Send Your Senator a Direct Message
Working with 465,000 Americans who signed on through NoStimulus.com we fought them every step of the way and came within 1 vote of victory in the Senate. We said the “stimulus” bill had waste and abuses in it and we were right more than even we knew.
Did you see the latest outrage?
These $165 million in bonuses to the people who ran AIG into the ground and have now taken over $130 billion in taxpayer bailout money – turns out someone slipped into the 1,000 page “stimulus” bill a provision allowing these bonuses to be paid even after our taxpayer bailout money was given to the company.
That’s what happens when they pass a 1,000 page $787 billion wasteful spending bill…especially when they pass it with no oversight and little study under pressure of politicians like President Obama and Speaker Pelosi.
But now we need to make sure your Senator is aware that we will be paying attention to the truly dangerous $3.6 trillion 2010 Obama budget. Some quick numbers:
Raises taxes by a net of $1.35 TRILLION in next decade – big increases in income taxes and the death tax comes back.
Adds an estimated $1.7 TRILLION in new debt just this year – the actual budget deficit will be an estimated 12% of our total GDP (gross domestic product).
Federal Government spending will account for 27.7% of our total economy. Think about it – the federal government will be spending more than $1 in every $4 spent in the American economy under the Obama budget.
Institutes an Enery Tax on energy totaling over $1 trillion. Gasoline will go up by at least 50%. Home energy costs will skyrocket. Food costs and consumer product costs will rise. This Energy Tax is hidden in a scheme called “Cap and Trade.” This “Cap and Trade” scheme will have the government rationing energy and thus driving up the costs of energy to consumers.
For more information on Obama’s “Cap and Trade” scheme click here:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/022709-obamas-energy-tax
There’s more. President Obama is attempting to pass his “Cap and Trade” scheme with only 50 votes in the Senate instead of the 60 required for most legislation by using a Washington procedural trick called “reconciliation.” Click here for an article by Americans for Prosperity’s own Phil Kerpen that provides more details.
But the bottom line is simple. Unless we act now the Senate may very well use a procedural maneuver to pass this massive Energy Tax called “Cap and Trade” without proper debate and with only 50 votes instead of the 60 that should be required under Senate rules.
I’m asking you to call your Senator now at 202-224-3121 and demand that the Energy Tax vote on “Cap and Trade” be done without “reconciliation” – for a $1 trillion tax increase the Senate should have to have 60 votes instead of 50!
Click here to contact your Senator:
http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=12951421&type=CO

That’s the message in a nutshell.
It’s hard to believe the assault our economic freedoms are under. In fact, it can get down right maddening.
But as Americans we can and must respond the way we do to every serious challenge to our freedom and prosperity – by standing up and fighting.
At Americans for Prosperity, that’s exactly what we are doing.
Tim
PS Again, I urge you to contact your Senators now and tell them that the vote on the $1 trillion Energy Tax called “Cap and Trade” must be made without “reconciliation” because the Senate should follow its rules and require 60 votes, not 50, for such a huge tax increase.
Contact your Senator by clicking here:
http://capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=12951421&type=CO

If You Don't Stand For Anything, You'll Fall For Everything

I like others, have been conned into a business opportunity or two. Like most of my pod casts, and blog entries, I try to provide the new or prospective Network Marketer with information they should consider on business opportunities or ways to market products or recruit new associates. Network Marketing business opportunities like every thing else in this world come in many shapes, sizes, and with many different price tags attached.

Another thing about Network Marketing opportunities that have a lot of different flavors are all the different ways available to generate business for your new venture. This fact alone was just as attractive to me when I started in Network Marketing as the potential for financial independence.

That being said, there is a lot of confusion being created by all the different network marketers out there suggesting to new distributors where to spend their marketing time and sometimes money. This can lead to marketing information overload. I hope to clear up some of this confusion here.

Does marketing on Facebook or My Space work? Yeagh it does.
Does creating You Tube videos that lead to a blog, or website help to generate business? Yep.
Does placing free ads online work? Yes
Does Twitter marketing work? Yes.
Do lead capture pages lead to sign ups? Yes.
Does cold calling work? Yes.
Does working your warm market made up of your friends and family work? Yes.
Does door to door selling work? Yes.

Here's the deal sports fans:
Everyone of these methods work. If they didn't, you wouldn't hear about them anymore. Your upline wouldn't be telling you to go out and do them. If you don't make money in Network Marketing, neither does your sponsor, or their sponsor, and so on and so..,

Just as importantly as doing your homework before signing up with a business, you must sit down and take an inventory of your likes and dislikes to figure out where you should be investing the majority of your marketing time. For example, do you enjoy spending a lot of time on the computer chatting with different people? if so you might want to work FB or My Space for marketing. Are you a people person? If you are, you might choose to hold lunches to show people your business or cold call.
You get the point. Gear your marketing efforts as closely with your personality. Do what you like to do, and do it well. Too many people run around in circles and listen to the last person they heard and follow that marketing advice, and end up accomplishing very little or nothing.

The bottom line is all these methods work. Do some work better or quicker than others? Possibly. But more importantly, The results you get will ultimately be determined by the time and dedication you put into the methods you choose. Persistence is key. Find what you like to do and stick with it. Decide how much time everyday you have to dedicate to your marketing efforts and just do it. If you do the things today that others won't, you'll have tomorrow what others don't. Stand for something, or risk falling for everything.

Happy Birthday Lance Brown

I was going to take the day off today and soak in the beautiful East Coast weather we've been blessed with today, but I felt compelled to do a little something for a very dear friend of mine who I have had the good fortune to know on a deep level not only professionally, but spiritually. Today is the birthday of my very good friend and mentor Lance Brown. If you have not had the privilege to meet Lance, I suggest you add him as a friend immediately.

Every once in a blue moon, opportunity knocks at our door. Often our success in life can be measured by how many times we had the wisdom to be able to identify those opportunities and embrace them as our own. Opportunities also come in many categories. Not just monetary. They can come by way of people, places and things. For me, the most special are the people we meet and what we can learn from them. When I met Lance, I ceased an opportunity which has already paid dividends for me. I hope he feels the same way. Lance has a lot of knowledge of our industry. Better still, he as a willingness to share it with whoever asks! Lance you are a rare gem my brother. I wish you another year of success, health and happiness in all you do! Happy Birthday man!

The Ultimate Direct Seller

I've been spending an incredible amount of time the last couple of weeks with my Granddaughter. Since suffering a job elimination, it seems I have quickly become the designated Hailey baby sitter. It was like "Hey Dad, really sorry about your job. But hey- since you'll be home tomorrow anyway now, can you watch Hailey?" That was 2 weeks ago and probably 5 days of watching Hailey since. Of course I don't mind a bit.

I spend my days now watching "Ariel's Beginning", "Cars", "The Little Mermaid", "Sleeping Beauty", "Elmo" and "Ratatouille". As one of these movie's are on in the family room, I sneak into the dining room to make follow up calls.

Promptly at noon, I take Hailey up for her nap but not before having to read her about 3 books. The cool thing is some of her favorite books are mine too from back when I used to go through this same process with my son back when he was Hailey's age.

As I was reading "Green Eggs and Ham" (1 of our favorites) to Hailey today, The hidden meaning of the book hit me dead in the face like a 2 ton heavy thing!!! It was a true revelation! I must have read that book about 5000 times in my life. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. Just like The Beatles "White Album", or The Eagles "Hotel California" or any other example of media creation that exhibits an underlying meaning behind the obvious first layer, I believe Dr. Seuss has been trying to secretly communicate with, and guide children for as long as this time tested master piece has been around. Unlike some of the darker aforementioned examples of hidden messages, I think Dr. Seuss was secretly communicating for good. Are you ready to hear my theory? Read on:

When I opened my eyes to the truth today, and I mean really opened my eyes,
it became obviously clear that "The Cat in the Hat" was written to be used as a guide to children who just might pursue a career in MLM.

The story starts out (for those of you who grew up under a rock somewhere in the desert of Tierra Del Fuego, and are unfamiliar with this master piece) with "Sam I Am" holding up a sign identifying his name to his new prospect. Very quickly into the novel, Sam makes the first MLM mistake. He leads with his product.

I can picture Sam sitting in a business briefing for "The Acme Company" on the night he signed up as a distributor, being told how he will earn a 15% commission for every plate of green eggs and ham he's able to sell, and how he will get a 10% override for every new recruit he brings into the business. He is brewing with enthusiasm at the thought of financial independence! He will be free to just run around and do all the crazy things children's book characters do without ever having to worry about getting a job again. He was told by his upline leadership to go out and talk to as many of his creepy looking Dr. Seuss character friends that he can about the business opportunity. He was ready. He was dripping with ignorance on fire!! He figures he will start his prospecting with the dude in the book that has no name but looks a little like The Grinch who stole Christmas. I think they might be brothers.

Let me back up for one second. The first thing he did was run home, log onto his cartoon PC, open up a Face Book account, and barf on every one's wall he could find about green eggs and ham. Believe me I know. I just deleted him as a friend this afternoon.

Anyway, he did try very hard to market his product and for that he needs to be respected. He tried some benefit visualization strategies on the guy like asking him if he would like them here or there, he asked him if he would like them in a house, or with a mouse. He he even asked the guy if he would eat them in a box or with a fox. In my opnion, he should have never tried that last one without doing a 3 way call with his upline leadership.

His prospect was very adamant about not being interested in Sam's product. It wasn't until Sam, his prospect, a mouse, a fox and a goat, who were in a car riding on top of a train went off of a cliff and landed in the ocean on a boat that Sam was finally able to get his man. What a stud of an associate to have in your downline!!! The End

Before I finish this post, lets just quickly summarize some Do's and Dont's that the great Dr. Seuss was trying to teach all of us in the MLM business:

1- When looking for a business to join, DO find one where you really believe in the products or services. This will create conviction in your very being that people will easily feel which will create trust in you and your business.

2- Don't lead with your business. This cannot be emphasized enough. It sucks. Don't do it!

3- Be persistent. No doesn't mean no. No never means no. No means maybe, and maybe means yes. Therefore, the answer is never no. If you think in these terms when doing your marketing and prospecting, you will never have a problem with rejection again.

Stay tuned for my next post- The Subliminal Messages Behind "The Cat In The Hat"

Just kidding :)