Early on in my network marketing career, I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting the results that I was expecting…the results I should have been getting.

I mean, I was doing everything right. Exactly like the “gurus” told me.

I was…

… reading the recommended books like Action Selling and The Ultimate Sales Letter.

… forcing myself to check my emails only twice a day.

… tweeting, posting Facebook updates religiously.

… submitting articles, press releases.

… shooting daily 90 second videos and uploading them to youtube.

… creating new landing pages with videos of me and opt in boxes with arrows.

… emailing my list with affiliate products.

… attending seminars and buying the “fail-proof” products that the presenters were hawking.

If I wasn’t so darn stubborn, I’d have tossed in the towel. Call me stupid, but it’s just not in my nature to lose. I’d been successful in two different careers. So what was I doing wrong?

Call it my ‘aha moment’ or just call it “using my brain” but the light suddenly dawned. What if I were to run my internet business like I did my two other businesses? I immediately made some key changes.

#1 I wrote out a projected business plan: where I wanted to be in 3 months, 6 months, a year, 5 years. If you don’t know where you’re going, how in heck are you ever going to get there?

#2 I set a budget for marketing, educational resources, outsourcing. And I kept track of our expenses. No more buying every new gadget and “no-fail” course that came out and then two months later forgetting that I even bought it.

#3 I added tracking onto every online and offline campaign that I ran. I NEVER would have run an add campaign for my mortgage company without being able to track its results!

#4 I evaluated the results, and if they didn’t prove profitable, I’d tweak one variable at a time and retest. Wash…rinse…repeat until I got the ROI (return on investment) I wanted.

#5 I picked up the phone and talked to people. Yeah, the Internet is a fantastic sphere to gather tons of leads, but in the end people didn’t buy my product because of the fantastic benefits. They bought me.

They trusted me to lead them where they wanted to be. I spent my days exactly like I did in my previous careers in the investment and mortgage industries…listening to their fears and concers. Building relationships.

Going back to my roots and becoming once again the strategic entrepreneur that I had been was the turning point. Passing up every opportunity that came along and staying focused on my primary business kept me on track.

So what can you take from all this? In a nutshell – work smarter not harder. Doing more is not necessarily better. Religiously listing more tasks on your to-do list just for the insane satisfaction of checking them all off just won’t neccesarily make your business profitable.

Having a strategy means figuring out the least amount you have to do to be successful.

Write down your fiscal goals for your home business. Then keep breaking it down to how much you need to earn each week to make those goals and determine what needs to happen to make that happen.

I found that if I had five productive conversations a day, that was ultimately what I needed to get the results I needed to meet my goals.

I’d love to hear your comments!

It is never a question of potential. You can be a serious entrepreneur if you focus, have the stamina, and are willing to make the necessary moves to succeed. It is not necessarily about the amount of work that you have done, either; it is about the effect of that effort towards achieving your goals.

Make Your Efforts Count

If you are starting to feel like you are running around in circles but getting nothing done, it may be because you are. It’s time to get off that hamster wheel and start moving with real direction to get the results you need from all your work and be the serious entrepreneur that you can be.

Here are a few ways to help you realize your dreams:

• Stop everything that you are doing and evaluate them in terms of effectiveness and results.
• Work with what you have. Remember that only a bad worker blames his tools.
• Be ready to take some hits. Things will not always work as planned, and you can’t always be ready with contingencies.
• Ask for help if you need it. Take it if it is being offered.

These are the things that will help you trim down your workload and help you concentrate your efforts towards work that will end in good results and make the world take you seriously as a serious entrepreneur.

Stick to the Plan

You can compromise on your plan of action and adjust your moves to the demands of the market, but NEVER compromise your goals. Doing that would be like changing directions mid-flight; and if you make the wrong turn, you could end up crashing. If you want to achieve something, you must always keep that goal in sight.

Having a plan means you can minimize your risks, although it will be impossible to get rid of them altogether. That is why you have to learn to roll with the punches and learn from your mistakes. Accept the fact, too, that you will be making some mistakes…you just don’t want to make too many of them. Never act rashly or impulsively; costly mistakes are hard to correct, and it will make you look unprofessional.

Know What Your “Why” Is

If you are starting to doubt if your plans are working, remind yourself often why you are doing this and see how your current plans will bring you closer to your goals. Always set your compass as if the magnet is your goal and you are heading north.

This is the path to your future as a serious entrepreneur, and you should not shy away from it.

If you’re interested in learning how to become the next successful Serious Entrepreneur CLICK HERE.

I can help. Take the first step to financial freedom now!

Wishing you major health, wealth and happiness!

P.S. Mike Dillard absolutely is one guru to follow. Mike’s Magnetic Sponsoring is indispensable as an Internet marketer. I refer to his products daily. At least check out his FREE Bootcamp videos at his site.

I know if you are reading this right now, it’s because you want more out of life…spending more time with family, being able to experience all those things you’ve put on hold for that elusive “someday”.

You may have tried your hand at network marketing and failed…maybe more than once…but you’re not ready to jump ship yet.

If someone was finally willing to teach you HOW to achieve online success, would you be interested?

Mark Cuban, American billionaire entrepreneur, said regarding failure:

It doesn’t matter how many times you fail. It doesn’t matter how many times you almost get it right. No one is going to know or care about your failures, and neither should you. All you have to do is learn from them and those around you because… All that matters in business is that you get it right once. Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are.

The key concept here is LEARN. Interestingly enough, marketing guru Philip Kotler said that “marketing takes a day to learn but unfortunately a lifetime to master.”

Network marketing is an often misunderstood business, and what I teach my team is that one of the primary differences between the top income earners and those who fail in network marketing is the ability to answer the most common questions consistently asked by potential prospects.

If you were never taught how to answer a few basic questions, I’m going to teach you how to address the top three information gathering questions usually asked by applicants.

Most people when facing new situations are afraid of failing. If you learn how to effectively answer the most commonly asked questions, you will succeed in business.

Here are the TOP 3…

1. Can people really make money at network marketing?

ANSWER: Yes, but the only people who do are those who treat this like a business and work at it every day. Our company provides excellent training, and I will be there to help you succeed; but ultimately the success or failure of your business is up to you. So, are you ready to start making money?

2. How much time will this require?

ANSWER: That will depend upon your goals. If you would like to make a few dollars a month, you could probably invest five hours a week or less. However, if you want to develop a full time income, so that you can fire your boss and enjoy more time freedom, then you will need to invest at least 15 hours a week. The great part is that we have tools that will help you leverage that time. Let’s take a look at those tools and then your schedule to see if this is going to work for you.

3. Does this require sales?

ANSWER: This one is a bit tricky. First I will ask: “Do you enjoy sales?” If they say “no” then I respond, “That’s great because you don’t have to be salesperson in order to succeed. This is a business of sharing information, and we have great tools that will present the products/services and business to your candidates. All you do is work with those who are interested.”

Now, if they say that they like sales, I say, “That’s great. People who are good at sales often do very well in this business.”

Successful Network Marketing isn’t some secret that only a few select individuals are privy to. Never lose sight of this fact: you’re dealing with people, real people. Listen to them; build a rapport with them; answer all their questions and gain their trust.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Serious Entrepreneur, is your life balanced or a balancing act? In business today, it seems we are under greater pressure than ever before. In our quest to be successful, we’re working harder and longer just to stay in the race.

It often feels like one huge juggling act…

As internet marketers, we guide and motivate our team members, talk to prospective clients, reply to endless emails and text messages, keep up to date with all the new marketing strategies, promote our campaigns, get bombarded with guru launches that promise to make us richer faster and easier…and fit in time for our family and ourselves.

All without getting sick, run down, or burnt out??

In the January issue of Professional Speaker magazine, John Alston writes: “For some of us, work is our first love, and for those of us struggling to make our businesses work, there are patient and enduring lovers, spouses and children hanging in there with us. For others there are ex-lovers, ex-spouses and alienated children who can and will testify to what you really value.“

Show Me How To LEVERAGE MY TIME AND TAKE MY BUSINESS TO A NEW LEVEL This Year!!

Every job comes with a certain amount of stress, but having your own business — and whether or not you market on the internet full-time, you must look at it as a business and NOT a hobby — is a whole different ball game. And most likely no one taught you how to handle the pressure. It was sink or swim, and you worked out the inevitable challenges on your own.

The most successful internet marketers and business owners that I know have a passion for what they do. They are stimulated by the challenges and opportunities that come with being their own boss. They thrive on being entrepreneurs and discovering that next golden nugget that will take their business to the next level. They wake up excited to see what a new day will bring.

But they know when to shut the computer off…

Serious entrepreneurs who are truly happy have a life beyond checking their email, landing the next deal, and checking their spreadsheets for that day’s sales.

They take time for “dates” with their spouses, attend their children’s sports events and piano recitals. They hit the gym, fish and hunt, take guitar lessons, and have backyard barbecues. They take time to meditate, do yoga, read just to rejuvenate.

A balance between work, play, worship, and giving back to the community is not so much about finding the time to do everything equally. It’s more about recognizing that time consistently spent engaging in the activities that we love the most feeds our soul and enables us to live a satisfying, grounded life.

If you find yourself saying, “I never have enough time to …”

Stop! You’ll never get it all done. The things on your to-do list never get completely crossed off. So, take stock and decide what means most to you, what you love to do. And the rest can either be forgotten or outsourced when it comes to your business.

Take a few minutes and watch the video below:

Albert Schweitzer said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

I WANT TO FIND BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND FAMILY

If you’re committed to stop the juggling act and want to make your marketing business work for you instead of being a slave to your business, I can help.

Wishing you major health, wealth, and happiness in the New Year!

Art Basmajian

To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to have the entrepreneur mindset. That is to say, you need to condition your mind to stop thinking that what you’re doing is just a hobby. Instead, think of it as a career. What better way to do that than to start with some self-improvement?

Dabbling in network marketing is enough to “wet the beak”, as the saying goes, but in order to realize the full potential of any enterprise, you have to apply your full potential.

Invest in yourself…this is no hobby!

The key to success in almost anything is a lot of luck, backed with a lot of hard work. When opportunity knocks at your door, you don’t just let it in; you have to entertain it and give it your best shot. As they say, nothing worth winning is won by half measures.

You are the asset whose worth will never depreciate in value. Whatever monetary investment you put into educating yourself will directly and immediately accrue on your value. You are also the only asset that will stay with you through it all because everything and everyone else is expendable.

Work in Progress

You see, I didn’t get the best grades in school. And after taking “Music Theory” THREE TIMES in college and STILL not passing it, I changed my major to Business Administration.

And when I ventured into internet marketing, 20 years after success in corporate America, I knew NOTHING about online marketing! Honestly, I didn’t even know what a “url” or a “domain” was. Pitiful, huh?

But I was smart enough to know a few things that most people don’t…

I knew that I had to have certain skills to succeed, and so I took course after course and read everything I could get my hands on…and I don’t ever plan to stop learning and staying current with what’s new.

But here’s the one thing I NEVER did…

I never complained, I never whined, I never bitched, I never blamed anyone other than myself, and I NEVER gave up. I never accepted anything less than success.

If you want what I’ve got, you’ve got to be willing to do what I’ve done.

You’ve got to earn the right and pay your dues. There’s NO other way!!

Are you willing to do that?

Getting the entrepreneur mindset is not something that you wake up one day completely equipped with. It’s ongoing and you have to start somewhere…

Here are a few titles to get you going:

• How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur’s Guide by Dan Kennedy
• 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
• Magic Words that Bring You Riches by Ted Nicholas
• No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum Smith
• Meatball Sunday and others by Seth Godin
• Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki
• Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz

Make a point of attending seminars. Visit websites of those who are successful. Be sure if network marketing really is for you. Get on my email list to get first dibs on the product launches that I personally have invested in and tried before ever recommending them to you…just click on the link below.

Most times things DO work if you can get your heart – and your entrepreneur mindset – on it.

TAKE ACTION…Start by setting a goal to read an hour a day!

If you’re committed to stop the juggling act and get serious about taking control of your future, I can help. There’s no room for excuse makers in the Fraternity of “Serious Entrepreneurs,” and nothing I can ever teach you will bring the results you want until you get your head and mindset straight.

Wishing you major health, wealth, and happiness!

P.S. If you already have Mike Dillard’s indispensable Magnetic Sponsoring (an absolute must) you need to check out his newest hot-off-the-press training material.

If you are a novice in an enterprise like Internet marketing, it is a good idea to have someone show you the ropes – perhaps one of those successful entrepreneurs who knows what he or she is talking about.

But finding someone who is probably more successful in selling just the idea of success to you, as opposed to any actual, useful, and practical knowledge doesn’t really qualify as teaching.

Teacher, Teacher

“Those who can’t do, teach.” An adage that you have probably heard at some time, or another. This is a saying that can sometimes be true, although it does underestimate the complex skill needed to teach something to someone.

On the flip side of that coin is the idea that those who CAN do, CAN’T teach because knowing something inside your head and applying it to practical use, as well as being able to get someone else to do it as successfully as what you have are two very different things.

Grain of Salt

Like hawkers selling their wares, you have probably been bombarded with e-mails and ads about how to become a top earner. But before you take their word as gold (or alternatively click on the “delete all” button), here are a few tips to help you decide when to sit up and pay attention and when not to:

1. Look at your history with the so-called guru, and gauge your success with him. If you have no history, ask around and look for someone who does.

2. Find out what you do need to know, and determine if this guru seems like a credible source for that knowledge.

3. If the advertiser is more keen on selling you something, rather than concerned about the final outcome and how it could possibly affect you, that is a red flag. Of course, no guru can give you a 100 percent guarantee of success, but he should, at least, be able to tell you what the odds of you becoming one of them successful entrepreneurs are.

4. When you have found a teacher who is a good fit to what you need and what you can afford (that is to say, one who can explain things in ways that are useful to you), then he has earned your trust enough to build a relationship with him. There are, indeed, successful entrepreneurs out there who are definite keepers, so hold on to them when you do find them. Sooner or later, you will have earned yourself a passage to the exclusive successful entrepreneurs club.

If you’re committed to stop the juggling act and get serious about taking control of your future, I can help. I’m living proof that age doesn’t matter. If you’re a stay-at-home-mom who needs to help out at home or someone who has suddenly found yourself at the mercy of the recession and need financial security NOW…I can show you exactly how I’ve done it.

Wishing you major health, wealth, and happiness!

P.S. If you already have Mike Dillard’s indispensable Magnetic Sponsoring (an absolute must) you need to check out his newest hot-off-the-press training material.