Do Your Friends Treat Your Business As A Joke?  
By Caryn Gottlieb-FitzGerald

This topic is very close to my heart as I have seen so many people over the years fail in their businesses and become very discouraged. Why is this? It’s actually based on a very simple fact - many simply don’t treat their business as if it was important to them, so why should anyone else? 

Now this is not meant to put down those who have a business that does not succeed. This is meant to help those who find themselves in the never ending cycle of starting a business (normally becoming a direct sales company representative) and after just a few months they either join another company in addition to what they have going on or they drop the first company and switch over to the next company only to repeat the cycle again in a few months. Why? It is not the direct sales company that makes a person successful, it is the individual that either has the ability, finds the ability, or unfortunately fails to plan and therefore w/o a plan they will ultimately fail (”fail to plan, plan to fail”).

What does it take to be successful in direct sales? The reality is that it does not take all that much, no special skills are really required, no specific educational background or training is needed. What is necessary is HEART, DRIVE, DESIRE and most of all the ability to keep going even when adversity strikes. Guess what? Not every person you speak with will want to buy your products or join your company. And that’s okay, really it is! The key is that when someone says “no thankyou” move onto the next person. Direct sales is all a numbers game, it always has been and always will be. 

Now many people are adverse to direct sales and the methodology, but you know what? When was the last time a craft store paid YOU to buy their scrapbooking supplies? Or the drug store gave YOU a check when you bought vitamins or supplements? How about those card stores? Did they give YOU money when you bought birthday greetings or holiday cards to send out? I don’t think so….it’s never happened to me, but if you have had it happen to you - please post a comment and share!

The reason that direct sales is such a great way to earn an income is that it’s really pretty easy to do once you find the perfect vehicle to get you where you want to go. The income potential is unlimited, the pool of potential clients and business builders is practically endless and the work schedule is your own to set therefore giving you more free time. Where else can you start something part time, generate a full time income with moderate effort (come on, we both know you do have to do some work) and in just a few years earn more in residual income each month than many earn in a full-time career each year?

How does one succeed in direct sales or network marketing? Simple- find the right vehicle; ask a few basic questions “are the products safe and do they work?” “How much money can I earn?” “Is there training available to me?” I realize that I will probably spark a bunch of comments because I did not say to find out about the company, how long are they in business, what does their website look like, etc…. but the reality is when was the last time you did all of this investigation before buying a box of cookies off the shelf in the grocery store? We have all passed the displays where the lady is giving out samples - we taste, we look at the box to see how pretty it is and then we grab the coupon and buy. If we like the taste of the cookie we continue to buy week after week, sometimes never even looking at the calorie content or ingredient list. That’s what it’s all about - they taste good, they are priced right and overall we get a sense of enjoyment after eating a few. 

Find the direct sales company that works best for you in the same manner. If you feel pressured or hurried in having to make a decision to join… run! If they say it’s a family environment, that’s not always a bad thing. That’s direct sales talk for they have a lot of group calls, meetings and other people available to you. Go with your gut as that is our instinct telling us what is right for us. Follow it.

Remember to treat your business as a business so it will pay you like a business. If you treat it like a hobby it will cost you like a hobby. Your friends will not take you seriously unless YOU take yourself seriously first. Set your office hours; don’t be distracted by TV or household chores while during your business day. Make sure your friends know you have a business that requires your attention during your business hours. If at all possible set up an office phone and a home phone and don’t answer the home phone during office hours. Have kids? Give the school your office phone number as your daytime contact.

In order to be a success you first must see yourself as a success. Invest in yourself, enhancing your skills, be professional in your attitude and how you present yourself and your business. What you desire you will receive. Author's Bio 

CarynGottlieb-FitzGerald holds a Masters Degree in Profesional Studies andspent many years as a Licensed Professional Counselor, practicing as atherapist in the prison system. Caryn's first love has alway been thewritten word and she has been writing in front and behind the scenesfor over 25 years.
www.CarynFitzGerald.com