The Grass May Be Greener on the Other Side
It's human nature to want to be the best at anything we do. As kids, we wanted to run the fastest, jump the highest, and get the best grades. When a competitor rained on our parade and did better than we did, feelings of envy and jealousy developed, but we also wanted to know their formula for success.
I remember jumping into the multi-level marketing business in 2004. Our latest and greatest products included an air purifier with a sticker-shock price of $850, and a product that would allow you to wash your clothes without soap for a hefty $550.00. If you've ever been involved in multi-level marketing, you know the drill. You are placed under Joe on a team, and if Joe sells ten purifiers, you get a percentage, and then someone is placed under you, and they get a percentage of what you sell. Teams can become very large, and if everyone is selling up a storm, you can make a nice profit, and if they're not, you'll need to sign up for E-bay, and sell your stock off at a loss.
Creating a good income with one of these wonder products in a down economy involved some major arm twisting, and there were a lot of requests for money back. Some of us were seriously going broke, but one man was doing so well, everyone wanted to know his secrets. Joe was a pastor and he and his wife worked the business together. They had 5 kids that were referred to by the competition as €the Wonder bread and mayonnaise kids,€ because they were always well dressed, and scrubbed behind the ears. Joe's wife would pack the kids into the car, drive to the nearest town, and go from shop to shop asking to demonstrate the wonders of the purifier. Surprisingly, a lot of business owners said yes, and she ended up making a lot of sales. Joe and his wife built a very successful downline, and are now millionaires. They earned a bonus car every year for 12 years, and the competition fumed as they zipped through town in their shiny new vehicles.
What is my point in telling this story? My point is that the grass is sometimes greener on the other side, and competitors may be doing much better than you are. This doesn't mean that you'll never hit the big time, but you may create a good income at a slower pace. If you can learn something from your competition that helps your business, take advantage of it, but don't lose your individuality in the process. Develop your own style, and stick to it.
I remember jumping into the multi-level marketing business in 2004. Our latest and greatest products included an air purifier with a sticker-shock price of $850, and a product that would allow you to wash your clothes without soap for a hefty $550.00. If you've ever been involved in multi-level marketing, you know the drill. You are placed under Joe on a team, and if Joe sells ten purifiers, you get a percentage, and then someone is placed under you, and they get a percentage of what you sell. Teams can become very large, and if everyone is selling up a storm, you can make a nice profit, and if they're not, you'll need to sign up for E-bay, and sell your stock off at a loss.
Creating a good income with one of these wonder products in a down economy involved some major arm twisting, and there were a lot of requests for money back. Some of us were seriously going broke, but one man was doing so well, everyone wanted to know his secrets. Joe was a pastor and he and his wife worked the business together. They had 5 kids that were referred to by the competition as €the Wonder bread and mayonnaise kids,€ because they were always well dressed, and scrubbed behind the ears. Joe's wife would pack the kids into the car, drive to the nearest town, and go from shop to shop asking to demonstrate the wonders of the purifier. Surprisingly, a lot of business owners said yes, and she ended up making a lot of sales. Joe and his wife built a very successful downline, and are now millionaires. They earned a bonus car every year for 12 years, and the competition fumed as they zipped through town in their shiny new vehicles.
What is my point in telling this story? My point is that the grass is sometimes greener on the other side, and competitors may be doing much better than you are. This doesn't mean that you'll never hit the big time, but you may create a good income at a slower pace. If you can learn something from your competition that helps your business, take advantage of it, but don't lose your individuality in the process. Develop your own style, and stick to it.
