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Military, Leadership, and the MLM Million Dollar Question
By Jeff Neil
The million dollar question in MLM is "How do you make a million dollars in MLM?". Or "How do you build a huge downline?". Or "How do you.....?".
You can fill in the blank as it fits you.
So how do you find the answer? Research.
By learning from and studying the people who have accomplished what you want to. People like Tom "Big Al" Shreiter, David Ledoux, John Milton Fogg, and many others.
Do that and you`ll learn many different ways to accomplish the same results. "There`s more than one way to skin a cat" is so true when it comes to earning money it`s down right scary.
So what is the common denominator? What one thing do all these people have or do that has made them famous?
Are they all super motivated? Yeah, but there`s more to it. Lots of people are motivated.
Are they successful because they are so friendly? Nope, lots of friendly people are flat broke.
So what is it that has made them leaders in the MLM industry?
There are several things that they do have in common. But the one thing that really sets them apart from the crowd is they are leaders. People leaders.
After twelve years in the U.S. Army, I have learned a little about being a leader. And the most important thing I learned is leaders are not found.
Leaders are developed. Great leaders are taught to be great leaders by great leaders. And these great leaders teach others to be great leaders.
Does that sound like MLM?
U.S. Army Field Manual FM 22-100, "Military Leadership" defines leadership as the process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and motivation.
Provide Purpose:
Purpose gives your downline a reason why they should do difficult things in order to accomplish the mission. The mission? Succeed.
Provide Direction:
Direction gives your downline an idea of the tasks they need to do to accomplish the mission. Training will give them the confidence in themselves, and you, needed for success.
Provide Motivation:
Motivation gives your downline the will to do everything they are capable of to succeed. Motivate your downline by caring for them. Challenging them. And rewarding them for success.
There are four major factors to being a great leader.The led, the leader, the situation, and communication.They are always present and should affect your actions while building your downline.
The Led:
That`s your downline. You have to deal with different people differently. A new member of your organization needs to be "inspected" more closely. A new member requires more help and more of your time until they gain the experience they need.
A person with lower self confidence needs more encouragement and support. A member that does what has to be done should be rewarded and recognized publicly within your group.
A member that does nothing.... ( You have them ) needs to be reminded to TAKE ACTION. And leave it at that. Lead those who want to be led.
The Leader:
Hey, that`s you. You have to have an honest understanding of who you are. Know your strengths and your weaknesses.
Knowing your downlines strengths and weaknesses is usually much easier than knowing your own. Ask your upline. Ask peers. But don`t put anyone on the spot. Give them some time to think about it and set up a time to talk about where you can improve.
The Situation:
All situations are different. The people you deal with. The tools you use. Here on the Internet the situation changes almost daily. You`ll have to make decisions. If you`re not sure what to do ask your upline. Get ideas from trusted downline members and peers.
What if you make the wrong decision? We all make mistakes. Just take corrective action and learn from it.
As "The Eagles" said in their hit song... Get over it!
Communication:
Effective communication is required. Information must flow upline as well as downline. You can not just take their money, sign them up, give them a website and leave it at that.
As a leader you need to know how your downline is doing. Do they have the skills they need? Are they having problems that are interfering with their business? Are they actively seeking training to improve themselves and their business? You should know.
Does your upline know about you? Keep your upline informed of your progress. Of your problems and weaknesses. Your upline can not help you if they do not know.
So what`s the MLM Million Dollar Question? "How".
How? Be a leader, that`s how.
* To be continued...
2002, Jeff Neil, All Rights Reserved.
You may publish this article in your ezine and/or web site as long as this resource box is left intact.
Jeff Neil is editor of Always Marketing and Editor`s Column. Ezine and mlm newsletters for people that are serious about a home based business. Jeff specializes in the combination of the Internet, network marketing, personal success and home business tax tips for those who will never create their own product. Visit at: http://www.alwaysmarketing.com Subscribe: mailto:always_marketing@infogeneratorpro.com