There are a massive flurry of videos popping up in this “Shit People Say” video series.  Network Marketers are awesome.  We truly believe everything we say.

That fact doesn’t make it any less funny.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I came into the industry back in the early 90′s and everything was incredibly externally focused.  We did business in person…always.

We were taught to look the part, dress as well as we could afford (or go in debt for), never have change in our pockets (change is for poor people) and if we didn’t have a nice car we were told to park around the corner and walk to the meeting.

It was plastic.  It was fake.  It was inauthentic.

And I hated every minute of that part of the business.

When I finally got my feet under me in the industry and started making money, I vowed right then to not ever act that way again and never to teach anyone to build a business that way.

Once I grew up and started becoming clear about the kind of man I wanted to be in the world, I desired a business culture that reflected those values.

I want to help people, our industry and the world evolve, so I don’t use marketing tactics or business tactics that keep people small…even if they are effective.I am an idealist, therefore I believe wholeheartedly in many “best possible outcomes.”

For example, I want real relationships with my leaders, not this removed “untouchable” appearance.  I understand the psychology behind that strategy…but it’s not what I want.

It’s just my choice.  Turning 40 this year, I am clear that I am committed to REAL & AUTHENTIC…in everything I am a part of.

Besides, “fake it till you make it” was never intended to be about faking other people…it was always about reprogramming your subconscious.  Faking your own mind out into believing your were already successful so you can manifest what you want.

Now, as we move into 2012 and look back over the last few years, we have witnessed a whole new fake it till you make it that has emerged.

The last few years as personal branding, attraction marketing and the internet have found their way into the mainstream of network marketing…this concept has taken “fake it till you make it” to an entirely new level.

And I don’t like it.

Not one bit.

Apparently, as soon as you sign a distributor application and read a few courses, you are An Expert or a Coach…whether you have ever made a decent check or not.

Parking your car around the corner has been replaced by weaving an elaborate, inflated story about yourself online about how you struggled and struggled to make money in MLM until you found this magical system that now allows you to generated endless leads.

Reality Check

If you aren’t making a solid part time income from your network marketing company, you are NOT an Expert.

If you aren’t generating consistent traffic, leads and sales online, you are NOT an Expert.

What are you then?

• You are inauthentic.
• You are someone who has lost their way.
• You are someone who has failed to realize one of the most powerful relationships in network marketing.

The relationship of Prospect – New Guy – Upline Expert.

I have always taught people to hang on to that “New Guy/Girl” title as long as possible.

We think we need to know everything…we DON’T.

We think we need to be everything…we DON’T.

Branding yourself as something you are not is killing your business.

STOP IT!

Most people chasing these internet courses and systems have made this business so complicated.  They have educated themselves right out of a check.  They have created so much sophistication in their approach to marketing that no one can duplicate it.

Be real.  Master the BASICS.  Be the “new guy” for as long as you can milk it.

USE YOUR EXPERTS until you are one.

That is what this industry is built on.

You are hurting yourself.  You are hurting the industry.  Most importantly, you are hurting the new people getting started in your business.

Learn how to block and tackle before you start running flee flickers and double reverses.

And trust me…you’ll never need to call yourself an expert.  If you build it right, your team will do it for you.

P.S. Heads up next week for a new course I just completed called “Get Real & Get Paid.”  We will dig into this subject in much greater depth and teach all the core basics of building a successful and authentic business in this industry.

Hear all the dirt right here.  Full audio interview.

http://soundcloud.com/realsavvy/keithobrien

Thank you Kimber & Jodi…two amazing women entrepreneurs and industry champions!

Perspective impacts everything.

Change your Perspective, Change your Life.

From the home of one of my good friends, another Million Dollar Industry Leader, you will get a perspective worth working for!

What paid for her view?

Network Marketing…and her drive to build a life she loves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When you are done, take a minute and watch one of my favorite all time videos on the Power of Perspective by National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones.  This is just a clip…but you’ll get the point…big time.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dewitt’s Strategy?  Like most things, it’s really pretty simple.

1. Focus The Vision

2. Training Your Technique

3. Put Yourself In The Place Of Most Potential

4. Stay Open To Possibilities

This is the exact process I have used over the last 7 months in building my new team.  To learn about The Vision, Training, Potential and Possibilities that exist in our team for you…let’s talk now.

Lot’s of people have issues with MLM.

Some call the industry a scam.

You hear things like, “I got ripped off,” and “I lost money with _____ company.”

These statements have always been funny to me.

Most companies charge next to nothing to become a distributor. People’s money is spent on products…most of which are consumable. If you are getting something of value, how can you be ripped off?

If you don’t think the products are worth the money…you shouldn’t become a distributor.

I definitely see a shift in the industry…and it’s a bit of a throwback…and it’s a good one.

The shift is where flash is giving way to substance and people, more so than ever before, are being drawn to companies that focus on superior products and services.  People are searching for companies that they can really build into that is sustainable so they don’t have to be on the opportunity merry-go-round…rebuilding every few years.

Think about it.

If you want to produce 100,000 points a month in volume in your team (which would mean anywhere from $5k/mo to $8k/mo in commissions, which do you think is easier?

1. Build a team of 2,000 people at $50/mo autoship?
2. Build a team of 1,000 people at $100/mo autoship
3. Or a team of 100 people who build to $1,000/mo in autoship + retail customers.

I’ll take #3 any day of the week for 3 main reasons.

First, anyone can be taught to share quality products.  The product experience IS the marketing.  It’s simple.

Second, building a team of 100 is much easier.  It’s easier to build and it’s easier to manage.

Third, the stability of creating a retail customer base is phenomenal.  When distributors leave the business, they often drop autoship.

Happy customers don’t leave.  They stick.

I was moved to start this discussion based on the article that came out a few days ago stating that the Grand Daddy of all MLM’s, Amway, hit a billion in sales…in the month of June.

Yes, the MONTH OF JUNE.

I know people who have been buying Amway product for 25 years.  Do you think that is a stable residual for the upline?  Ah…yeah.

Here is the full article:

http://www.businessforhome.org/2011/07/amway-1billion-in-sales-in-june-2011/

Personally, I wouldn’t join Amway to build a business today for any amount of money.  It’s just not for me (well, strike that, there is probably a number that would motivate me)…but their success speaks to this “shift” that I see happening.

People are tired of hype.  They are tired of flash.  They are tired of doing business without meaning.

People want quality, authenticity and substance…and they deserve it.

In my little opinion…this shift is going to last for quite some time.

Stability is the new Sexy.

Charlie is at it again, but this time the stakes are clearly higher than before. Once all this craziness started, I was bored after the first interview when the authorities took his kids away. I thought it was always easy to see Charlie was making a play for some big launch/deal of some kind.

For the most part, Sheen has been fairly reluctant to give the media any face time…now, he’s addicted. Shocker, good ‘ol Chuck got addicted to something else.

I don’t care whether you think he is an idiotic, drug-induced, misogynist A-hole, if you take a look at everything unemotionally, there are HUGE marketing lessons to garner from observing how he is rolling out this media frenzy.

Here are a few I believe are worth mentioning. Each of these, done correctly and with enough “oomph” can set your business on fire.

• Go All In – Although it’s easy to have doubts about lots of things Charlie Sheen is doing, it’s virtually impossible to doubt his commitment to this campaign.  He has pushed all his chips in the middle.  Charlie has, as Napoleon Hill says in Think & Grow Rich, “burned his ships behind him.”This all out commitment is essential for the success of any endeavor.  People wonder how other people build massive businesses in relatively short periods of time.This is how.  They totally, without hesitation, GO FOR IT.

• Create Massive Exposure – Charlie baby is everywhere.  He’s on the news, he’s in the paper, he’s everywhere online, he started a Twitter account, he started a U-stream broadcast…the guy is everywhere in just 10 days.  He has created the buzz and is now in the process of advancing the story.  Like him or loathe him…he’s pulled people in.Quality exposures are the keys to building your business.  Simple.If you want the magic pill…that is it.You want to enroll more people?  Get in front of more people.You want to help your group enroll more people?  Get in front of more of their people.

• Build Your Inner Circle – Sheen clearly got a few early adopters on board before going to the masses.  His publicist, agent, the “goddesses” and a few key sponsors all know exactly what is happening, what the vision is and what their role is.Getting a key, core team of leaders together to partner with you on your journey is vital.  This inner circle is huge.  This team, done correctly, can turn into thousands.  These people are taking a stand with you to build something significant.  They are people you can trust and can trust you.  This is also a group that provides council and the opportunity to mastermind.This group may change some over time…but this initial one gets the ball rolling.

• Make “Crazy” The New Normal – Honestly it was today that I just learned about “Tiger Blood.”  Today was the first day I heard the phrase “bi-winning.”  This is great stuff.”Are you bi-polar?” the reporter asks.”I’m bi-winning!” Sheen replies.Brilliant, really.There are people you will talk to that think working 10-15 hours a week on “some deal” is crazy.  There are some who think MLM is crazy.  There are some who think personal development is crazy.

  To me, not owning your own business is crazy…not working on yourself constantly is crazy…not believing you can live a bigger, incredibly fulfilling life is crazy.  Make “crazy” the new normal.

• Don’t Care What Other People Think – Sure Sheen has left a trail of hookers, pills, empty bottles and failed relationships…and no, I am in NO WAY condoning his behavior.  However warped, there is something to be gleaned from his completely self satisfying lifestyle.I don’t think anyone would disagree that Charlie Sheen doesn’t give a rat’s ass about what anyone thinks.In order to develop any kind of success, thick skin is an absolute necessity.  I have many amazing friends in this industry who are wonderful trainers with huge hearts and in my opinion, consistently do right by people.Guess what?  People still say mean stuff about them.  People still complain.Some people are never going to be happy and they get in your way at every turn.  You HAVE to believe in your vision more than you believe in their opinions.  You HAVE to want to build your life more than you want their approval.

We can learn something from everything.  There are success clues all around us…all the time.  Honestly, if you simply put these 5 lessons in place for your business for the next 6 months…you would be Bi-Winning too.

Whatever that means.

Please pass this around…there is enough crap-filled garbage info about him going on…we may as well help people learn something.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Directly from the EvolvHealth website)

XOWii is joining the EvolvHealth team to kick start the Decade of H.O.P.E – Helping Other People Evolv.

DALLAS, February 3, 2011 – EvolvHealth LLC today announced that XOWii is joining the Evolv family. XOWii, one of the fastest-growing direct sales companies in 2010 with operations in the United States, Peru and Chile is currently ranked in the top ten for momentum. XOWii has a passionate field and experienced management team that will blend perfectly with EvolvHealth’s strategic direction and further complements Evolv’s executive team.

EvolvHealth said that the planned transaction is consistent with its previously stated strategy to explore strategic opportunities that complement its Evolv Life Plan™ business model. Along with over 20,000 passionate XOWii distributors, XOWii brings a fantastic line of products that support and partner well with Evolv’s Health Target System™ and ground breaking science of Archaea Active™.

In line with this, EvolvHealth LLC said that it expects 2011 to generate exponential growth by reaching new consumers and sales representatives with a diverse health product offering. The company added that XOWii products will be available for all existing EvolvHealth Members and Customers and likewise XOWii distributors and customers will have full access and benefits to the EvolvHealth line of Archaea Active™ products.

Trey White, EvolvHealth’s Chairman said, “We look forward to welcoming Richard Kelly, James Christiansen, Josh Higginbotham, and all the amazing XOWii distributors to the Evolv family. XOWii and Evolv have run on almost parallel tracks and this coming together provides a stronger platform for everyone involved. Our goal was to expand our health offering in 2011 and XOWii had exactly what we were looking for, and much more. This new partnership is an exciting opportunity to reach new consumers and representatives and to generate significant growth for 2011 and beyond.”

Founded in 2009, opening for business just 16 days before EvolvHealth LLC, XOWii generated revenues of approximately $15 million with a base of over 20,000 distributors and customers. XOWii’s current growth is linked to the launch of their 90 Day Challenge program which will be introduced to all distributors of the combined company. XOWii’s CEO, Mr. James Christiansen said, “With the combined corporate and field leadership model, international growth plans, and vision, we are excited for the poised growth in 2011.”

EvolvHealth’s CEO, Mr. Brent Hicks said, “With XOWii’s products and leadership, combined with our flagship ground breaking technology, Archaea Active™, we believe this partnership represents an outstanding addition to our Evolv vision and portfolio. It also represents an excellent opportunity to our new field partners, in the XOWii distributors, as they will be available to expand business into Canada, Mexico and soon Colombia.”

ABOUT EVOLVHEALTH, LLC

EvolvHealth is a consumer health products company helping people improve their family’s physical and financial well-being through science-driven products and entrepreneurial opportunities. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its flagship product is Evolv, an enhanced beverage that has been in development for more than 15 years and which has been shown to have multiple health benefits. The product was released in the Fall of 2009 and is now marketed through a network of independent business owners in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Peru. For more information visit www.evolvhealth.com.

ABOUT XOWii, LLC

Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, XOWii sells its Health and Nutritional products through distribution networks across the Unites States, Peru and Chile. XOWii’s quickly developing a reputation as an industry leader for innovative products and opportunities as its products are sold through direct sales networks.

====

What this will mean to distributors of both companies will remain to be seen and why this merger took place will likely come out in the wash soon enough.  Either way, distributors of both companies have a place to call home, quality products to market and paychecks that will still clear the bank!

You just enrolled in your MLM.  You’re excited.  You have visions of what you are going to do with the extra income.

Pictures of sleeping until 10am, working from your underwear and going to your mailbox to find massive checks dance through your head as if you are a 6-year-old waiting to see Santa on Christmas Eve.

Then it hits you.

You have absolutely NO IDEA what to do.

Then you fall upon the one single idea that most brand new people forget as fast as they learn it.

“I just have to get people to the ____________ (website, webinar, live meeting or whatever your team/company system is.)

It’s almost as if you subconsciously complicate it immediately.  Your brain says…”there HAS to be more to it.  That is too simple.”

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

The truth is, there are many, many other aspects to building a big network marketing organization, however when you first are getting started, it really is as simple as:

1.     Quality Exposures

2.     Quality Follow up

3.     Quality Training For New People

You don’t have any responsibility for training, hosting events, creating marketing campaigns or anything else.

You have 1 job.

Enroll new people.

And more specifically…invite new people to listen to the story of your products/company and follow up.

That’s it.

But our funny little minds tend to try and defocus us, confuse us and scatter our attention.

Remember, in this industry we get paid for sales volume…period.

Product knowledge doesn’t pay the mortgage.  Knowing where the President is from doesn’t get you any closer to leaving your job. Understanding all the nuances and functionality of your virtual office doesn’t put your kids in private school.

I am being a bit extreme here to make a point.

Is it important to learn these things?  Sure it is…eventually.

But what so many people do is fill up all their prime contact time with busy work.  They fill it with activities that don’t directly result in any new income…and never will.

Trust me, you will learn all of those things as you go.

And, if you don’t get to work on income producing activities, you won’t make a check.  If you don’t make a check, you have striped the magic away from the industry.

Most people think it’s the guy/woman who tells the story about making $20,000 a month that gets people to enroll.

Well, that is true sometimes.

But more times than not, it’s the story of the BRAND NEW person who is only working 8 hours a week and makes $500 in his second month that moves new prospects into action.

EVERYONE can see themselves working 8 hours a week.

EVERYONE can see how an extra $500 a month will impact their current life.

You see, the first story requires them to envision substantial change (change of schedule, effort, skills, lifestyle, friends, etc.).

The second story, which is why it is the real magic of our industry, doesn’t require the new prospect to change anything really.

Anyone can carve out 8 hrs a week.  Anyone can simply invite people to check out the __________.

It’s simple.  They can see themselves doing it.

That is why you got started.

Then your mind takes over and screws everything up.

This is what happens.

You make a decision to join a company based on whatever knowledge you have at the time.

Then you dig into all the material, websites, literature the company puts out and you start learning stuff.

And your mind says, “well, someone needs to know ___________ before they will join.”

It tricks you.

Because it just isn’t true.

You didn’t need to know all of that stuff, and for the most part, either do your prospects.

You know what you needed to know?  It’s probably a variation of these statements.

1.     Can I do this?

2.     Do I have time to do this?

3.     Do I want to do this?

4.     Can I trust the people I am going to do this with?

But man do we like to complicate things.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
~ Leonardo Da Vinci

If I had 8 hours a week to get my business started, this is what I would do.

1.     1-2 hours a week – learning about product/company/systems

2.     1 hour a week – training on personal development, marketing, MLM or success related

3.     5-6 hours a week – contacting, exposing and following up with prospects & new team members.

If you stay focused on the activities that MAKE YOU MONEY, you will seamlessly pick up the other stuff as you go.

Your mind will try and pull you in different directions.

Be bigger than that.

Your mind will try and distract you.

Focus on simple, income producing tasks.

It’s time to put the magic to work.

Dream big.  Start small.  Do it now.

Jodi Black Stott…this is all about YOU!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Get Jiggy With It!

Everyone here knows I write a lot about Facebook. I do that because I generate a pretty substantial amount of my new business through this massive social networking platform.

If you have been paying attention at all over the last few months, you will have noticed those little ads down the right side of your profile. All of these ads are showing up based on information you have put in your profile.

They are all targeted to you based on your interests.

This is very similar to the sponsored Google ads that show up when you search for something.

If you market anything online or have any sort of a business to promote…this is something you should check out.

Why?

Because you can generate high quality, targeted leads for your business/product for very, very reasonable rate.

A colleague of mine, Jonathan Budd, is an online genius. Style-wise, we are very different, but he is as good as they come online and he has created some phenomenal products.

This is one you need to check out:

Get Traffic 3.0

This is A to Z on Facebook Advertising.

Facebook is quickly becoming the largest search engine in the world and you want to know these strategies in order to capitalize on this platform.

Honestly, I have made a little money with Facebook advertising…but I found it really difficult to get the ads I wanted approved.

You need to know the in’s and out’s to save time and money.

Jonathan’s course is that and so much more.

Get Traffic 3.0

Go check it out now…I am anxiously awaiting the launch.

Game on!

This is a product you also want your top leaders to have…if you want them to increase their leads.
Get Traffic 3.0