First, a question….
Do you know what they call the person who graduates last from medical school?
The answer: Doctor.

On paper, the one who graduates first is the same as the one who graduates last. But, I suspect, you can tell the difference. One is good enough to earn the title; the other is good enough to command a different level of respect and earning power.

When making decisions about your company, do you decide to be good enough or do you decide to try to be the best?

Too often, companies simply try to be better than they are now. Continue Reading »

Almost every day someone asks about “the secret” to someone else’s success — you know, the ONE THING that makes the company so successful. Most of the information about a company’s plan for growth is readily available. It’s information that is shared with the IBOs, the prospects, the customers, etc. If you can’t find it, sign up and become an IBO. The company will SEND you the information and they will even have someone follow up with you to make sure you understand it. For some reason, it seems that “the secret” must be something done behind closed doors. Surely, it cannot be what is being explained to the IBOs. Continue Reading »

Here’s the scenario… A company executive tells me they have a “GREAT rep.” He is killing it. Making lots of money and bringing lots of people into the organization. Then, in the next sentence, the exec tells me the company just isn’t growing as they would like or have expected, and they can’t figure out why. OK, I’m no genius, but something doesn’t seem connected between those two things. Almost always, the reason for slow or no growth when there is a top rep who is “doing great” is that the rep is doing something that is not repeatable. He is making great money because of hard work and lots of selling. Continue Reading »

I attended a conference a few weeks ago with several business thought leaders who provided insights on a variety of topics. I believe we all need to be students…. Pick a topic. Just continue learning. In a day and half, I took about 20 pages of notes. At some point, I may dig some of it out and share it. For now, one person really grabbed my attention—and it wasn’t the one I expected. Youngme Moon, author and professor at Harvard Business School, provided great insight and a couple of case studies on what it means to “be different” in marketing. Her key point was that we often create a product or business with the idea that “we are different,” when in reality we’re trying to be better at something that has already been created. Continue Reading »

A couple of weeks ago, a large client hosted their annual convention. As a direct selling executive, you KNOW how big this is. The effort that goes into an event is all-consuming. Every detail is analyzed. The scripts are tweaked and re-tweaked right up until it’s time to go onstage. Every new video is critiqued. The event crew is on edge, convincing you that “everything will be OK.” Your staff thinks you’re a crazy person. With deadlines looming, it feels almost impossible to make it all happen. You know the deal… This client had several thousand people gathering and it seemed like everything was in place for a successful event. Continue Reading »

Success is great. If you’re not trying to succeed, why are you doing what you are doing? Of course, success is defined by the individual. What I think of as “successful” may be a simple steppingstone for someone else. Surely, Donald Trump wouldn’t think I’m successful. But my family and I do. That’s good enough for me. A funny thing happens on the way to success for some people. They start believing their own press. They start thinking they achieved success all by themselves. They start thinking they are the ONLY reason they are where they are. Instead of celebrating the success of a team, they are toasting themselves for all they have achieved. Continue Reading »

We talk a lot about how all direct selling companies are unique. While many companies may look “the same” on the outside, there is something special about every company (leadership, product, compensation, etc.) that sets it apart from the competition. However, all successful direct selling companies have ONE THING in common. ONE THING they do that is similar to their competition. And, although similar, this is the ONE THING that keeps people attached to their company of choice and makes them willing to work hard and continue to strive to be better and better. Of course, that ONE THING is recognition. Continue Reading »

The next great opportunity pops up. You know… the new product that is supposed to revolutionize the health industry. And, because you’re “who you are”, you have the inside track to it. According to your sources, it’s THE product and your company, because of your great field sales force, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on it. It doesn’t seem to matter that you sell a service and don’t currently offer nutritional products at all. You’re IT — the chosen one. All you have to do is say “yes” and your field “will take off”. O…M…G! Sounds crazy! But, it happens all the time in our industry. Continue Reading »

Ok, that may sound a bit harsh. The “stupid” part is a reminder to me – — not an insult to anyone reading it. This is not a new topic but it is a crucial one. We talk to companies every day that believe they have the next great idea, product, comp plan… something… that will vault their business into unforeseen heights of success. And, they spend tons of time and money creating a variety of communication tools that will help them with this quest. But, all too often, the idea of creating a systematic approach to building the business is never considered. And, usually, the results they hoped to achieve are never reached. Continue Reading »

As crazy as it sounds, some people really believe there are secrets to success in direct selling. The truth is, this industry is the most open, caring and willing-to-share group of people that I’ve ever been associated with. Generally, the seasoned executives are more than willing to share everything they know about succeeding in direct selling…even with their competition. Ok, they may not share upcoming promotions, product launches, etc. but, the basics of how to succeed in direct selling are shared freely – even with “newbies” to the industry. Think about it, what other industry REALLY wants to share “how to” information with people that are considered competitors? Why are so many “competitors” willing to talk about their hard-earned successes? My theory — I think the most experienced and successful executives in the industry are as adamant about helping THE INDUSTRY succeed as they are about making their own company successful. Continue Reading »