Leadership Skills and Training

I am an advocate for training for developing leadership skills and for network marketing success.  But there is a time when we go into training overload.  We all have the best of intentions, but we need to keep some things in mind.

Think about all of the books, tapes, seminars, and webinars you have attended.  Some are great, and some are … well…. not so great.  Here’s the million dollar question of the day.  How much of the information that you learned did you apply?

You may have heard the saying, Knowledge is Power.  Well I prefer to think of it more as fuel for power.  In other words, you need to use the knowledge you have obtained and apply it.  This combined with focus will help you towards your goals.

Don Standard is a highly successful leader in Network Marketing.  If you are interested in reading his experiences with network marketing training, check out this link.  See if you can relate to his experiences!

http://cheryll.mentoringforfree.com/zSUCCESS_Standard.php

Partners in Success!

Cheryl

Now you may be thinking I have a typo of some sort, or maybe I am just trying to write a fancy headline to capture your attention (I confess the latter does have some truth).  But the reality is that great followership skills are needed for any successful team!  Want to have great Leadership skills? Learn to be a great follower!

The idea of being labeled a follower has a stigma attached to it.  For example – they are passive, weak people who only do what they are told.  This could not be further from the truth.  Followership is role, just like leadership is.  Both are critical to the success of a team. not everyone can lead at the same time.

Leadership is a fluid role.  When you think about it – everyone at some point in time is a follower.

The formal definition of Followership is the capacity or willingness to follow a leader (Merriam-Webster).  When you think about capacity to follow, it extends beyond following instructions or being able to follow what someone tells you to do.

A good follower brings to the table their integrity, ability to contribute and share ideas, their skills, knowledge and ability to work with others.  Hmmmmm very similar to a leader.

Good Followers are active and can think for themselves.  It’s not about doing what you are told to do.  It is about working with a team to accomplish success of a common goal / vision.

How does this all apply to Network Marketing?

• We all have an upline or a mentor to learn from and grow with.  We take on a followership role in this instance
• Having good followership skills helps us to keep ourselves open to new thoughts and ideas.  Sometimes when we lock ourselves into the “Expert” role, we are not as open to new and fresh ideas from those who may have less experience.  We narrow our vision and limit success in this manner
• We model for our team members success strategies
• It puts us in the position of working collaboratively and place focus on helping others.
  

Below is a great video “The Art of Followership: How Great Followers create great leaders & Organizations

The ability to follow is a indeed a necessary Leadership Skill including the network marketing industry.

If you would like more insight on how you can develop as a leader in network marketing, download Success in 10 steps.  It is free and exemplifies what is needed to have real network marketing success.

Partners in Success!

Cheryl

Dealing with criticism is an essential Leadership Skill. I have just read another brilliant post by John Maxwell regarding this subject –  “When you Get Kicked in the Rear, You Know You’re Out in Front”  Maxwell indicates that criticism is a part of leadership and good leaders must know how to handle it.

He covers 5 key areas for dealing effectively with criticism:

• Know yourself
• Know the criticism and the critics
• Stay Open to Change
• Accept Yourself
• Forget Yourself
  

I highly recommend reading this article.  You can easily access by Clicking Here.  Handling criticism is an important Leadership Skill.

John Maxwell is an amazing leader.  I appreciate his work and find great value in what he has to offer.  His work is a must for anyone wishing to improve their leadership abilities.

It has been a while since my last post.  Okay, It has been a long while since my last post!   I really took  time to take a step back and reflect on what I really want to accomplish.  During this process, It has been very clear to me the power of focus for your Network Marketing Success.

It is sooo easy to loose focus on what you want to accomplish.  If you are working on-line with any type of business, you know how easy it is to get distracted.

There’s the fun, social stuff (i.e on-line farming, on-line poker).  I think these are great things.  I have read posts from others stating that these are time wasters or that it is not the professional thing to do.  I have connected and made new friends – so to me it is worth it.  Everything in moderation.  I usually do these  things after I accomplish what I set out for the day.  Do what is right for you!

Then there are the launches, promotions, trainings etc.  It is so easy to get drawn into these offers.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of great information and training by some amazing people.  You just really need to be focused on what you want to accomplish and if the timing is right.  Believe me – I have been pulled through the marketing funnels and have been on information overload.  I have become much more selective in how I spend my money on training and where I focus my energy.  You can also find some amazing free training.

Focusing on one stream of income!  Okay, I know the big thing in Internet Network marketing is focusing on multiple streams of income.  I found myself getting more and more into affiliate marketing and internet marketing as opposed to network marketing!  I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with affiliate and internet marketing.  I do have one affiliate product on my website.  I also have some pretty amazing friends who are doing this and doing this quite well!  If I make a sale – that’s okay.  If I don’t – that’s okay too.  My focus is on building my MLM.

I have decided that my primary focus is on Network Marketing Success by first and foremost helping others to build their business.   This to me involves building relationships and providing free, high quality training and resources.

You will find ONE affiliate item on my site because I actually use the product and believe in it.  I do earn money from this product if you decide to purchase it, but you are welcome to buy it from any other resource!

To your success!

Technology is wonderful and can help many people build their network marketing business.  There are email auto-responders, blogs, social sites, search engine optimization, pay per click and more.  These are all effective marketing tools when used correctly.

One marketing tool that is often overlooked in this high tech world is a hand written note or card.  This method has been around a while but has been replaced with other technologically advanced systems.

There are many examples of successful business people who use this method. Some examples include Bob Burg, Harvey Mackay, and Joe Girard.

Why Sending a Handwritten Note an Effective Marketing Tool

• It shows your customers and prospects that you care and are thinking of them
• Thank You notes show you really appreciate your customers’ time and business
• It will get more immediate attention than email (think of how quickly you can delete an email)
• Your customers or prospects will have something tangible to look at and appreciate.  They will appreciate the time you took to send them the note.
• It will help you stand out from your competitors
• Your customers and prospects will think positively of you and be more likely to send you more referrals.

When sending a personalized card or note, refrain from making it a sales pitch or an attempt to get more business.  Instead, thank them for their business and / or time.  During holidays, you may simply want to send them well wishes.  The point is that your card should be heart felt with no ulterior motives.

How to Develop your own Card Sending Marketing Tool:

1. Determine what type of cards you will use.  You can go to a store and purchase several different cards.  You can also make cards with your computer or use a computerized greeting card system that will allow you to create and send a card on-line.
2. Send a card to your customers or prospects on a routine basis.  Make sure they are sincere and not pitching a product or service.  Some even send quick hand written notes out monthly.
3. If you have something to offer that meets your customers or prospects’ needs without trying to sell them on what you have, include it in your card.  For example, if you know that one of your customers is interested in a particular sports team, you may send them a copy of an interesting article you read about that team.
4. Make the time to follow through with this task on a routine basis.  It will be well worth your efforts.

Stand out from the others and use hand written cards as a way to connect with your customers and prospects. Try this effective marketing tool and watch your business grow!

How much time do you spend on perfecting your presentation?  How about overcoming objections and closing the sale?  I am about to suggest a shift in where you focus your attention!  A key leadership skill for network marketing or any other business for that matter is listening!

There is not better way to learn about what your customer or potential team member wants than by listening to what they have to say.  Focus your attention on their wants, needs, challenges and desires.  Do this NOT to manipulate the other person to buy a product or join your team, but rather to learn if what you have to offer can truly benefit them.

The following are a few tips to enhance your listening skills:

• Give your undivided attention: It’s obvious – no email, phone calls, and other distractions when you either call or meet with someone!

• Focus on what the other is communicating: Focus on what they are saying and the meaning behind it.  Don’t worry about trying to figure out how your product/opportunity will help them.  Focus on learning about the person.

• Listen without judgment:Many times in our fast paced world we listen to bits and pieces and formulate judgments without really hearing what someone has to say! Also, your judgments may interfere with learning about the other person.

• Restate: Restate or communicate back what you have heard from the other person.  This shows you are truly listening and can help clarify any misunderstandings about what the other person is saying.

When you make the shift to focus on listening, you begin to develop a positive relationship with others.  Even if your product or opportunity is not appropriate to meet the other person’s needs, they may end up making referrals to you because of how you treated them.

I am an advocate of the attraction model of network marketing.  I believe it is the most effective method to day.  As a leader, we need to keep current with what works.  A great way to do this is through Mike Klingler and Ann Sieg.  Renegade Professionals is a comprehensive training on using the Internet to build your business.  This will give network marketing leaders an opportunity to learn and sharpen important attraction marketing skills.  This will also give leaders information and tools for their distributors.  I try to avoid being “Pitchy” at this site, but this is a training I am passionate about.  It all started with Ann Sieg’s Renegade Network Marketer.  Renegade professional was developed by Mike Klingler so that people could learn the skills needed to apply what Ann has taught.

I am a student of Renegade Professionals.  When I joined, I thought the only way to make money on the Internet was to set up a website and sell stuff!  This training opened my eyes to an overwhelming amount of opportunities.  If I had to find any fault with the training, it is that it can be a little overwhelming at first.  I believe Mike solved this by including initial training on how to customize the training based on your experience.  This was the missing piece.  Mike did an excellent job with this and it really put me on the right track.  Another great aspect of this training is that the content is not stagnant.  Mike and his team continue to add relevant content as the need arises.  If there is a new way to use the Internet to build a business, I am confident that it will show up at the training site!

Whether or not you choose to join the training, I encourage you to educate yourself on effective methods.  It does not have to be any that I review or have posted on the site.  There is actually one free report available called the Attraction Marketing Manifesto.  Even if you never purchase anything from Ann Sieg or Mike Klingler, this report will really help provide some solutions to challenges network marketers are facing today.

I will be reviewing different trainings, programs and books a long the way.  I welcome feedback on any of the reviews.

To Your Success!

Cheryl

Please note:  I receive compensation from Links to free videos and / or ebook materials only if viewer decides to purchase any affilate products associated with these materials.

We’ve all heard the saying  “Knowledge is Power” or “knowledge is Potential Power (you must also take action)” I believe that these statements are true.  I am taking a slightly different angle with this right now.  I also believe that knowledge is powerful if you are willing to share it.  So what exactly does this mean?  I just read Ann Sieg’s latest piece of work, “The Attraction Marketer’s Manifesto“.  She highlights a very important fact, people are looking for information.  People will often go to the internet to look for  a solution of some sort.    A strong leader in the network marketing industry focuses on providing solutions and providing high quality information.  If you want to become successful in this industry, you need to think about what type of  knowledge you can share with others.  You need to start thinking about what types of problems they encounter and how you can be a solution provider.   Just a friendly reminder – your opportunity is not the solution!  You may have knowledge about how to use Facebook to connect with others on-line, or maybe you are an expert at blogging.  Think about the problems and challenges others may face and focus on being a solution provider.  You can provide the information in a variety of ways.  There are blogs, ezine articles, YouTube Videos, Social Networking sites, article marketing, and so much more.  You may decide to create your own e book and either give it away in exchange for contact information, or sell it.  Whatever you choose to do, remember the key is to provide value and over-deliver.  By doing this, you will help to position yourself as a leader and begin attracting people to you.

Please note: The Attraction Marketer’s Manifesto is a free E-Book and affiliate product.  There is a potential for me to receive commisions on any associated products sold through this link.