A couple of weeks ago, I went to Las Vegas for the M2 conference and Pro marketing day. They were fabulous events. Record attendance for both companies. Over four days, hundreds and hundreds of people from around the world had gathered together to learn how to manage their money, market their business, and to network with their peers.
And one of the things that struck me while I was there, was the frenzy around the top earners in the industry. It is quite extrordinary. People genuinely want to meet the successful people they see online, which is really lovely. But there is more to it than that, I am convinced.
I find that while I am away, I seem to spend a lot of time “training” people. Out in the hallways between sessions, at mealtimes, and even in the queue for the bathroom. And while I might be in the middle of recommending a resource we found useful or a strategy we used, freqently people interrupt and ask “That’s great, but what is your secret?” or “I have been in the business for twelve months, and I am not getting anywhere, and you made money so quickly”.
And this is where it becomes clear to me that many people (too many) have an enormous disconnect between expectation and the reality of running a successful business. There are many reasons why this is the case, to my mind at least.
Firstly, the reasons why people are attracted to this industry (primarily, no boss) are also the very factors that make this such a challenging business. It takes an extraordinary amount of self discipline to be self employed, but even more so to work from home. I mean, you don’t even have to get dressed before you go to work if you don’t feel like it. To a degree, I feel that a high level of self discipline is something that must be inherent before you get started. I have seen few people cultivate it through practice over time.
Second, people are led to understand (through the marketing) that this is an easy business. That has always been the case with MLM and Network Marketing at least. How many millions of people have been attracted to the “This business is so easy, virtually anyone can do it” or “This product is so good it sells itself” type of headline? Again, a reality check is in order here. There are few people who are successful in business of any kind, for a whole range of reasons. And having been in brick and mortar business before, I can say that this business is infinitely more difficult, because there is no immediate traffic for your business. And competition for traffic online is fierce.
Third, havent we all been seduced by the promise of the “Four Hour Work Week”? Brilliant book and concept, but once again, the promise does not match the way the world spins. Most of us coming into this business have to learn a whole new skill set (some more than others, depending on your background). And to master a new skill set requires time. And lots of it. I highly recommend “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, where he talks about the concept of 10,000 hours. There is a long held theory that it takes 10,000 hours of learning and execution to master a skill set. And I believe this to be true. There are no short cuts. Many people seem to spend 10,000 hours trying to figure out how to get out of doing the 10,000 hours, that they wear themselves out with the act of avoidance.
At the Pro marketing day, Michael Force (top earner in both companies) spoke very candidly about the success he has enjoyed in his business, and made one point crystal clear. He described himself as a Type A personality (meaning extremely highly driven and competetive). And he attributes this to his success. He described himself as a workaholic, and now that he has a young baby, he is re-training himself to get out of the office to spend time with her. I think this admission came as a real shock to many people. He makes it look so effortless, but the reality is the exact opposite.
When we see some of the top earner stories, we also need to know that there is always a story behind the story. For example, all of the top earners were high performers in their previous careers. Or perhaps they had a strong background in sales. Maybe they had been with another MLM and brought their entire downline with them. And I don’t say that to take away from their success. Without exception, these are people who have been dedicated, driven and diligent, and have worked extremely hard.
All of these people have also experienced the overwhelming tsunami of information we have to process and make sense of when we get started. They too have wandered aimlessly through the labyrinth of possibility, before deciding which direction to drive their business in, hoping that it would be a good decision. They also had many, many moments plagued with frustration when they hit a technology glitch. But what is common to all of them, is that they are not afraid to make mistakes, they understand that things will not be perfect first time around, and they know they have to fail fast, and fail forward in order to get down to the business of making money.
So two thoughts to leave you with today. Are your expectations realistic? Have you really put in focussed, high quality hours learning with a specific plan in mind, or have you spent a lot of time skating around online, trying to find the quickest, easiest way, only to wind up on You Tube blubbering at the sight of Susan Boyle singing “I have a dream”? (yes, that last example relates specifically to me, I confess:-).
Are you comparing yourself to others in the industry, and beating yourself up that they made $30,000 in their first 30 days, and you have been in for months and have not made a cent? If so, stop right now. Comparison is the thief of joy. If you have genuinely dedicated yourself to learning the business, celebrate the gains in knowledge you have made, and temper your expectations. In our brick and mortar business, we worked for an average of 70 hours per week, for 50 weeks of the year, for five years before we were even profitable. And that was a great result. It did not occur to us that it should have happened faster, because we had so much to learn.
Focus on your gains, fail fast and forward and make today a great one.
Cheers,
Tan
