Eight Hidden Values of Network Marketing – Part Two

Eight Hidden Values of Network Marketing and part two of my synopsis.  As I mentioned before,  I am expanding on Kiyosaki’s eight values with my observations and experiences.

Value#5: The Value of Living Your Dreams (Your Vision for Your Future)

Dreams are too vague for me, I prefer to focus on the power of vision. One of my passions in life is to help people discover their vision for their future.  It’s all over my business cards, and websites.  I created SuccessMentor® over ten years ago and trademarked it a couple of years ago.   My brand involves mentoring people and helping them find their vision and their personal success.

One of the most important values of a network marketing business is a chance to pursue your vision.  Those things you’re specific about achieving create an anchor for the future.  I created the video on the top right of this page almost a year and a half ago — take a moment and watch it if you haven’t already. You have a part in creating and directing your future, but you must write it down. Create a specific “WHY” for your business.  DO IT NOW!

Your vision might be spending more time with your family and with your children.  Your vision may be to bring your spouse home from work as I did back in 1995.  My wife, Diane hobbled to the car after her last day of work in retail cosmetics in May of 1995 after standing on her feet day after day in a noisy department store for almost twenty years.  She never looked back.

Your vision should transcend material and monetary goals. Time and quality of life is equally important.   When all is say and done, quality of life is more important than monetary gain. Write down your VISION and pursue it!

Value#6: What is the Value of a Network?

Successful people in the business world connect to and network with others.  I’ve said many times over the years, that our “net worth will be determined by our network.”

A networking business grows exponentially because of multiplication, not addition.  American oil industrialist, J Paul Getty was quoted, as saying: “I’d rather have 1% of the effort of 100 men than 100% of my own effort.”   Getty also said, “Money is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells!”   The latter quote is extremely important! The more we give away, the more comes back to us.

Robert Metcalfe co-invented the Ethernet in 1973 and is credited for defining Metcalfe’s Law in 1980.  Metcalfe’s Law is defined as a Network’s Economic Value = Number of Users, squared.

For example, Facebook, YouTube, Linked In, and other social networking sites are only useful when more than one member joins. The more that people participate, the more potential for value.  Like Network Marketing, people join through the viral nature of sharing.  Facebook, for instance consistently provides recommendations to connect with friends of friends.  This shows how one’s efforts can be exponentially multiplied with growth potential far beyond your own ability, in essence, the power of leverage. Here’s a great definition of leverage.

Leverage is the ability to influence a system, or an environment, in a way that multiplies the outcome of one’s efforts without a corresponding increase in the consumption of resources. In other words, leverage is an advantageous condition of having a relatively small amount of cost yield a relatively high level of returns. Thus, “doing a lot with a little.”  Source – the Business Dictionary

Network marketing is one of the best business models for developing your network and increasing your business. Even traditional businesses in this information and communication age are capitalizing on the power of building networks through associating their products and services with others.  With the right product and business model, network marketing has unlimited potential for exponential growth.

Value#7: How Your Values Determine Your Reality

Core values determine how we view the world.  Robert Kiyosaki says: “If  a person values Job Security, they will feel comfortable in the ‘E’ Quadrant, as an Employee.”  If a person values personal freedom to make final decisions and is their own boss they would most likely find themselves in the ‘S’ or Self-employed Quadrant.

If you believe that launching out into a network business is risky and dangerous you might focus on the 95% who fail in small businesses in their first five years. However, if your core value is to accept risk and focus on the 5% success rate, then you’re living a different reality.  Sure you might fail over and over again, but who’s counting?   Here are a few notable failures:

Jerry Seinfeld: The first time the young comedian walked on stage at a comedy club, he froze and was jeered and booed off of the stage. Seinfeld went back the next night, completed his set to laughter and applause, and the rest is history.

Michael Jordan: Jordan was actually cut from the high school basketball team. Jordan stated after becoming a Pro, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I’ve been entrusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Babe Ruth: Babe Ruth held the home run record (714 during his career), but no one talks about the 1,330 strikeouts.  In fact, for decades he held the record for strikeouts. When asked about this he simply said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

There are thousands of success stories that have gone before us, people like you and me.  They didn’t give up, counting their failures as stepping stones to learn from.  They learn from mistakes, adjust their approach, and immediately get back in the game.  Success leaves clues.  The bottom line is, if you’re not striking out, you’re not in-game. Most choose to react, some to respond, and only the minority choose to take action and initiate.  For them, it’s critical to adjust and initiate changes necessary to overcome obstacles.  Merely reacting emotionally as the victim of circumstance does not change anything.  Responding to a challenge in order to cope with the situation and make adjustments, is the strategy of a winner. Effective leaders don’t just let things happen to them, they anticipate change, even when everything is going great.

Anticipation and initiation are important ingredients for ongoing success in any business or venture.  Leaders access the situation and take action immediately.   Leaders view challenges as opportunities.  It’s the classic “glass half empty or half full” scenario.  Be different than the majority, embrace change and make something happen!   ” A Pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill

Be a leader, be willing to be part of the 95% who don’t make it, in order to become part of the 5% who do.  Realize that building this business takes time. It’s a learning process — Stay in the game!

Value#8: The Value of Leadership Robert Kiyosaki quotes his  Rich Dad, saying: “Money always flows to the leader. If you want more money, simply become more of a leader.”  But we all know our vision transcends money, it’s how money can be used as a tool to create opportunity for us, our families, and the people we care about. One of the most important values you can receive from a network marketing business is leadership training. Leadership is necessary for your success in the ‘B’ quadrant.

As written, Kiyosaki’s value #1, “Life-Changing Education” is one of the most important values for being involved in network marketing, regardless of the financial rewards. Reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad’s The Business School – For People Who Like Helping People should be part of your education.

Leaders are learners.   The late Jim Rohn said,“I now have one of the better libraries. I admit that I haven’t read everything in my library, but I feel smarter just walking in it.” He also said: “Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.” I have a few shelves of books, video cassettes, audio cassettes, and DVDs relating to personal development. I’ve personally never wasted much time reading materials that don’t relate to helping me advance my vision.

We live in the age of information and communication. How-too and self-development tools are merely a Google search away.  A couple of great leadership books are John Maxwell’s,  Develop the Leader within You and the Leaders Around You. Maxwell’s table of contents for Developing the Leader Within You outlines our objective for becoming great leaders, including:

Influence, knowing your priorities, having Integrity, Creating positive Change, Problem-solving, Your Attitude, Establishing your Vision, Self Discipline, and Understanding your most Appreciable, people.

The bottom line is people are the most important ingredient to our success in this business.  It takes people and relationships to cultivate a strong, thriving network.     Sure there are sprints along the way but understand that our success journey takes time and patience.