I recently had a sponsor in a networking business tell me I was a loser, that I deserved to be poor, and that I would never make it. All this came about because I made the decision to not continue in his organization. I think my reasons might be obvious to you. Regardless, I was hurt and shocked by his comments. The true message he conveyed to me is that he didn't care about me; he cared about making money. If I couldn't make money for him, then I didn't matter to him.
In many people's opinion, myself included, those we sponsor need to know that we truly care about them as human beings, no matter what language they speak, what part of the world they come from, what customs they practice, what gender, or what age they are. If they do not feel like we really care about them, we may lose out on one of the biggest tests we will face. Not that we may not be successful in building a large, team. But, rather that we may lose out in being a caring human being. The cement that holds the people together in any solid, "healthy" organization is compassion and love. But wait, I will go a step further. Get ready for this statement: If we truly care, we cannot be concerned about the results of caring, the results of displaying compassion or genuine concern. Why? Because that would be deceptive and disingenuous. In plain words - "phony". A paradox? It depends on what is in your heart.
The man who told me I was a loser says he is highly successful in marketing and building organizations. And, I believe he is. His group now is the largest in the company. Is he successful? Yes...in building, in making money, in driving nice cars, and in vacationing in luxury resorts. If that is what you want, maybe you need to follow those who have that as their "WHY"--what drives them.
My sponsor in SFI recently told me something that is still rattling around in my brain. He said the most important thing for you to do in this business is to be yourself. And if you are lucky, every day you will demonstrate HONESTY, INTEGRITY, PERSISTENCE, AND LOVE. Will you build a large organization in SFI? I don't know. If you are like my former sponsor, one who passionately pursues success no matter whose toes he steps on or whose feelings he hurts along the way, will you be successful. Maybe. He thinks he is.
Perhaps, the real question to ask is, what success are you looking for? My mother was a kind, loving person who was loved by all. Was she a good business woman? No! Was she successful in helping others feel important and loved and needed? She was the best.
In the final analysis, perhaps we need to ask our affiliates what THEY WANT? What THEY NEED? Successful marketing is the art and science of helping others identify their needs and then positioning ourselves as one who can help solve their problems. So, perhaps that is where we need to begin. Perhaps we need to discover exactly what they need and start from there. If the affiliate just wants to earn money and build an organization, we put on our builders hat and give it to them straightforward and to the point. If what the affiliate needs is for us to understand them, communicate with them, get to know them, and care about them as humans, then we start there. Our task is to know the difference.
less
