Internet Leads for MLM

Just yesterday I was talking to a new friend and internet marketing colleague about how business is going. I was having “one of those days”- you know, when you are unsure of what you’re doing, wondering if you’ll ever be a success, feeling unconfident and a little lost, overwhelmed and blue.

My focus was shot and anxiety crept in.

While this feeling is certainly not a nice one to have it is a part of the process or journey all humans have at some time or another.

This also holds true for our business lives.

And it’s more prominent than ever when we take on new challenges or projects or start learning new skills.

If you are in Network Marketing and you’ve moved across to using the internet as a core tool to grow your business, you’ve probably felt like this at some stage!

Chances are you might have many days that these “negative feelings” make their unwelcome visits.The question is, what do you do with them? You have a choice:

1.      1.  Decline into a state of apathy and wallow in a pool of self pity.

2.      2.   Be the hero, deny your feelings and push yourself harder to achieve what you set out to do.

3.      3. Sit within the feelings for a while, acknowledging them and gaining insight into what they are telling you and how they make you feel.

My recommendation is to try no 3. I have certainly done all three and so I understand how each choice affects me and my business.

What does it mean to “sit within the feelings”-? It means to not escape them, rather to acknowledge them.

It means you detach from them, observing them, attuned to them and naming them- but not becoming swept away or over powered by them. “Know thyself” as the famous Socrates injunction states- and I would add “regulate yourself”.

When you are aware of your own feelings as they occur you increase your emotional intelligence.

You send a message to yourself that you are loved.

You build your self- awareness when you are open to your own emotions. And the more open you are to your own emotions, the more skilled you will be at reading feelings. If you have no idea how you feel yourself, you will be at a complete loss when it comes to knowing what anyone else around you is feeling.

The capacity of empathy-the ability to know how another person feels- comes into play in a vast array of life arenas, from romance, to parenting, to compassion and political action and to sales and management.

Our business, at the end of the day, is a people business.

No matter how many leads you are getting coming in, or how brilliant your funded proposal system is, you still need to work with people- your fellow marketers, master mind group, your mentor, your students, your coaching clients and your downline.

You need to acquire knowledge and share it. That’s what builds your team.

So the point I am getting to is this: Those feelings of overwhelm, frustration, anxiety, insecurity and fear, vulnerability and doubt that you sometimes feel- are normal.

As you deal with your own trial and error learning curve, take them as learning experiences and you’ll be able to teach your team exactly how to overcome them. You’ll be closer to being a leader and you’ll be able to help othes on the same journey.

I strongly believe we need to become technical experts in our fields (marketing and the internet) but also be someone people can trust with their frustrations , fears, vulnerabilities and doubts.

Next time you have a blue day- stop, feel, become aware and detach, acknowledge your feelings and remember there’s a gold nugget of wisdom to share in the experience.

Overcoming Overwhelm during your Internet Attraction Marketing Training

Tips- from Tania's Couch

Learning internet attraction marketing can be very overwhelming. Especially if you are technically challenged and entering new territory. Overwhelm can make us forget where we put our keys. Forget why we walked into a room. Forget a word that was on the tip of your tongue. It can make us suddenly and unexplicably tired or even experience bizarre shifts in time. These are all signs of overwhelm.

And its because our brains were not designed to cope with the amount of information technology and especially the internet demands we process. The amount of information we are absorbing and processing in a day is many many times what our ancestors- even just a few generations or YEARS back were dealing with!

Overwhelm can lead to paralysis, anxiety and confusion.

Avoiding technology and the internet is obviously not an option. Its a Gold Rush here and we are probably in for the long haul!

But there are some things you can do to prevent it from overwhelming you.

Here are some antidotes and tips to clear the mind to be able to think, make decisions, judge what is best and put your focus where it is needed.

1. Determine your priorities and focus on them.

Spend just 10 minutes at the start of your day focusing on it, to make them part of your actions. Don't let your self be pulled or distracted from the things you set out to do. Make your list and STICK to it. It also helps to put them in order of priority. Do the most difficult things first and progress to the least challenging or easiest tasks last. For example 1. Call 5 leads. 2. Research and draft article for submission. 3. Edit older artcicle. 4. Do some social networking. 5. Watch tutorial on a new skill. 6. Tidy desk and make list for tomorrow.

2. Dont put too much on your list

Set realistic goals. If you only have an hour to work, give yourself a reasonable task to do in that hour. The worst is if you feel you didn't achieve your goals- it can add to your overwhelm! Don't be an over-achiever! Also it helps to diarise exactly when you are going to do certain tasks. It is a committment you stick to and when you do, you will start getting results which reduces overwhelm.

3. Measure Yourself Only by Looking at your Own Progress:

It really does not give you a sense of calm and achievement if you compare yourself to the friend/associate or fellow course taker who seems to be acing it and is all over the internet getting 100's of leads per day! Each person has their own motivation levels, time availability and skill sets. Keep steadily moving forward and measure your own progress by the goals you set for yourself. Be happy when you achieve them!

4. Take regular Breaks from the Computer

Its a good thing to take a 5-10 minute break every two hours. Go for a quick walk, do some push ups or run up and down the strairs! This will mean you are respecting your body's natural rhythm and you will find you are far more effective when you return! The exercise also helps get that blood flowing to the brain.

5.Have a Study Buddy

Get yourself a fellow student or friend to bounce off and study together. It always helps having two brains figure out problems. It is comforting to have a friend and it helps if you have someone to answer to, when you need to reach a deadline!

6. Follow Only One Programme at a Time

There are so many courses, forums, mediums and programmes to join out there- especially now with internet attraction marketing for network marketers being the newfound Holy Grail for our Industry.

Choose one and stick to it. Follow through. The important thing is to look at where your gaps in knowledge/skills are and find ONE programme or mentor or book, that can help you. You will move onto others in time, but for now, follow through.

7. Meditate

Take 5 minutes to create inner calm. Do this by practising paying attention to one thing. It can be anything- your breathing, a flower, an object, even a traffic light. Like the muscles, the brain becomes stronger when we train it. This focusing excercise teaches the brain to recognise and accept calmness.

8. Know that you are not alone!

Everyone feels overwhelmed, so know that you are not alone. Also remember, going through this, you are better able to put yourself in a newbies shoes.  So that some way down the line when you are helping them, you will be able to sympathise and inspire them much better, coming from your own similar experience.

9.Open Your Heart and Mind

This work should be supporting who you are and be containing the passion of yourself! It should be holding your dreams, hopes and abilities. Love your work. Open your mind and heart each day to the creativity inside you- try not to see it as a chore or be hostage to it! Enjoy the journey.

10. Work Hard

There's nothing like good old fashioned hard work to reduce anxiety and give you a sense of accomplishment. As my Mom always used to say ask yourself at the end of the day"Did you try your best?".  If the answer is yes, you can go to sleep peacfully. If the answer is no, resolve to try your best tomorrow.