What Makes You a Professional, Part 3
Okay last post we talked about doing the business in a professional way. Some great comments on that, but no one picked up on the big thing I was looking for…
Namely the “scorched earth” approach so many people are taking in our profession. By this I mean the way they attack other companies. Why is it so many people think the way to make their own company look good is to tear another one down?
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m okay with healthy competition. I love the Mac/PC commercials because they are dealing with the actual strengths and weaknesses of the competing products. I’ve used both and there is something to be said for both. (Although I’ll admit to writing this on a Mac.) I think it’s fair to talk about the positive advantages your products have in the marketplace or what you perceive on what your compensation plan offers that others don’t. But we can do that with respect.
Now I’ll also admit in years past I thought tearing down other companies made mine look stronger. Now I know the folly of that. It just makes us all – the entire network marketing profession – look bad.
For the last year one company has been targeting the company I work with offering deals and spreading lies and rumors. Now one of their distributors came to my company and has been broadcasting why they left the other company. I hate this on both sides.
It’s not professional and it reflects badly on both companies and everyone in our business. And we’re not the only companies doing this. It’s very widespread. How about we start to concentrate on the 5.9 billion people that aren’t in network marketing yet, and extend professional courtesy and respect to our brothers and sisters in the business already?
I believe that this is the culture we are living in today which is promoted by the media. You ask why do we tear other companies down to make ourselves look good? It’s the same reason politicians tear each other down in their political ads: Distraction. If I get you thinking about how bad the other guy is, you don’t care whether I’m good or not, you only care that the other guy is no good.
It is a shame that our society acts this way, because life would be better and the world would be in a better place if people looked for the positives instead of espewing the negative. I for one will never put down another person or company, because I want people to join my organization because they believe in my company and not becuase they dislike another company.
True Randy… Also not new! direct sales people have known that for a long time.
To kill a sale run down the competition, it works every time… the mac/pc example was a good one, that principle works! and gets you the sale.
Hey Randy,
I agree completely. If all the distributors in our industry would stop bashing each other and would support each other, our businesses would grow by 2 or 3 times overnight! If you had vitamins and I didn’t, why shouldn’t I buy my vitamins from you instead of bashing those “vitamin guys” as guys that just sell pills and potions? If you provide a long-distance service and I don’t, why shouldn’t I support my industry and buy my long-distance service from you? My wife and I have been in this industry for almost 20 years fulltime. The last 17 of those years have been with the same products. But I try to support others in this industry by buying their products if possible. I find that most of these people just want me to buy their products either because they think if I try their products, I will magically want to be a distributor for them, or they just want to throw around my name to others that now I am looking at their company by buying their products.
As one person said, “Can’t we all just get along?”
I understand what you are saying about having respect and courtesy for other nwm companies, even the ones you left. You are so right about it. But I know (by my personal experience) that it comes from frustrations, hard feelings about the way people left that company, all the lies which were told to them etc.
But we have to put an end to frustrations and madness and go forward being so glad this is the right company you’re involved now! I know I do for 100 %.
Thank you for pointing us to this, Randy!
You just mad eme cry – because I love your integrity.
I so love your growth and willingness to admit your mistakes… and the mistakes your company is making by sharing this.
Thanks.
I love and appreciate you and what you do for the profession!
I just hate when people are marketing their products and putting down there competiotors products.I am also in this industry but i learnt something from my former boss, when he was asked by customers what he thinks about our competitors products he simply replied with a simple ” No comments”.
Just market your product without tearing down your counterparts that is proffesionalism.
The worst of all is the anti-MLMers who use the keywords for our companies to get prospects into their sales deals. It’s all negative marketing and is horrid. There are a ton of these guys with campaigns specifically to syphon off prospects into their marketing funnels whilst they tell their sad loser stories about why they didn’t make it in MLM.
I wish google would slap these guys!
Slap them hard!
Unfortunately all the negative MLM propaganda is the fault of the people who are in the business. It is because people are not trained or badly trained and either go around doing all those ant ethical things we all know about, or they have failed and given up because they haven’t been given the support they needed to make it work.
The truth is that until people start treating MLM as any other business, with the respect and professionalism that you see amongst doctors, teachers, business owners etc this isn’t going to change. There are unscrupulous, unethical people in every profession, but MLMers seem to have the habit of treating their business almost like a religion, were only their company members get to go toheaven!! That is when they are not jumping from sect to sect!
Lets get professional, treat others with respect, and maybe then can we demand the respect we have earned.
Vicki, I put it to you that you are seeing all the MLM propaganda because you choose to focus on it. I used to do that and it drove me nuts.
People will always be thrown negative spins on everything, including MLM, however when they do not see that negative in you that’s when everything changes.
PS: I love your last line, “Lets get professional, treat others with respect, and maybe then can we demand the respect we have earned”.
My best to you.
Thank you Tony. Actually I don’t have a problem with negative propaganda….I was just illuding to the remarks made by others on the post. I genuinely am interested in helping people achieve sucess in this business, and I think people feel this, which eliminates most objections they may have on the subject. Because if I can teach someone to be successful, that is one less person to knock the business, and I will automatically be successful too.
And I totally agree with you. We will always get more of that we focus on. Which doesn’t mean going around wearing rose coloured glasses….just that we focus on the soluions and not on problems.
Randy: Right on target with this issue. I think the negativity is sparked by different things, envy being one of them. Your current company is doing very well so the best way to slow it down is for another company to shoot a few arrows into it or maybe a self proclaimed health guru or watchdog writes something unfavorable. Speaking negative about a competitor is the wrong approach — talk about the BENEFITS and VALUE your company brings vs anyone else out there. You can make your comany shine without insulting or attacking another company.
As it has been written before, the lack of a screening process allows anyone with a few bucks in their checking account to get into our industy. I applaud your efforts to make network marketing viewed as a profession.
JL
Randy its been said, if you go to war with the intention to win, would you recruit strong soldiers to go with you or pick up people from the street and train them?
If you open a real estate company, will you go after successful real estate professionals or would you pick up people from the street?
Isn’t it natural and part of success to recruit network marketing professionals?
Yes there are 1.5 Billion people out there, but I didn’t see you going after them when you started in the business. You build your reputation and then recruited pro’s, you called them and targeted them…did you not?
I understand and agree with your message of not spreading rumors and talk bad about a company, but do u consider the truth being a rumor?
If you know your company is better then another, if you know someone will achieve higher levels of success in your company and you know they don’t make money in their own, would you not approach them?
I see all big leaders, and I mean ALL, building their teams by recruiting other leaders! That is part of being successful.
I hear you and Eric keep talking about stealing people from other companies is not ethical etc, but you guys did it to be where you are today. Now when people do it to you, you shout unethical…
Lets face it, its part of the business to know everything you can about your competition and to use it when its time.
I believe it should be both: target leaders and target the 1.5 Billion at the same time!
Actually I didn’t target MLM people. Almost 90% of my personal enrollees were not in the business. And the truth is one thing, but a lot of what has been said has certainly not been the truth.
-RG
And one more thought. I’m not against recruiting people that are already in the profession. If what they are doing is not working out they may want a change of pace. But it can be done without the lies and tearing down.
-RG
This is an industry of good vs. evil. All we can do is to keep doing what we are doing, being professional in all ways and when prospecting, tell our prospects exactly how we do business and why. It all starts with the prospects, some will get it, some won’t. Lead by example. There will always be another company ready to entice your downline to come over to the dark side, be sure you as your downline’s leader are representing your company in an ethical and professional manner at all times in addition to tracking your downline’s activity. This tracking will give you a sense where the downline may have some cracks and you can attempt to salvage it. Not always possible depending on how deep your downline is, but you could at least maintain contact with your immediate leaders.
Randy
if i am in love with my man, no other man can steel me!
if i am happy in my relationship, i will not leave!
same goes for our business or any other business for that matter.
instead of worrying about that, why dont you worry about being the best, and no one will leave you.
instead you are hiding behind words like ‘unprofessional’, or ‘unethical’,
in real life good people grow and search for the best, its really quite simple.
by the way, i think this is not focusing on the positive and this is not prosperity mind set.
what will happen to a guy that will walk around thinking about other man steeling his wife? what will he receive?
obviously – his wife will be ‘stolen’.
he might say that other man are not ethical – like you did, but
it will not change the simple facts of life.
once again, he should focus on being the best.
thank you
Right on girl 🙂
That is the attitude…keep winning
Knocking the competition is something we are brought up to do. In almost all other forms of business you are told to find out what is wrong and bad about your competition so you can then promote the benefits of your business.
In MLM it is different. Enbrace your competition and learn about them. Praise them and never knock them. Just remember that people join YOU and not your opportunity!
Gary J Kidd
~ I have opinions of my own – strong opinions – but I don’t always agree with them ~ George Bush
Randy,
Thankful FOR you; thankful TO you.
Heart Blessings…
Love it Randy, let’s go after the people not in a company! Amen.
Being a network marketer is a lot like being a lawyer. 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean is a good start or what are 100 lawyers up to their necks in cement? Someone ran out of cement. It’s true too until you need a lawyer.
The world may soon only have network marketing as a way to escape the machine. If you have not read Randy’s MLM Manifesto released 1 January of this year do a search and get it now. Download it free, read it and begin practicing it. I have broken every rule ever invented, written or taught. I am one of those people who have to touch the hot stove before I believe it’s hot. Once I have however, I am also one the loudest promoters of staying away from hot stoves. Your choice is to continue discovering what the rules are designed to prevent as one method many of us have used. I am going to do my best to practice following the rules successful people have had to break too many times before they got where they are now.
The vast majority of my best friends are network marketers and most of them are not in my company. I used to put up with their put downs in order to build up their own company, their own image. This last year I began calling them on it. Just tell me what you like about your program and your products. I may even know someone looking for what you have to offer. Allow me permission to say what I like about my program and my products and I promise I will not denigrate you, your company or your choices. Who knows you may have the perfect prospect for me too. Our conversations have taken on a new level of collegiality that I say helps grow our community instead of attracting trash.
I can only control what I say. We can start with ourselves.
It’s also very important to have the balls to stand up and tell those who attack others that their actions are wrong. Most people talk about how bad it is yet do absolutely nothing about it. Cheers to Randy for speaking up.
Just last week I had the pleasure of tactfully speaking up on this issue via a social media site and it’s amazing that I found out who else condones this ridiculous behaviour by the messages of support for the other person that people left in an attempt to refute my remarks. Some are so called leaders in the company I align myself with and that surprised me. Needless to say I have lost complete respect for those people. So do not ever sit back and let it happen. Speak Up! You will be a better person for it.
I found it interesting to to read this today, considering that I just 24 hours ago fired back an email at a person who has left my company and found it okay to email everyone on their database, spread a few things they didn’t like about the company, and basically highlight why theirs is a whole lot better. Please take the time to read the last few paragraphs I wrote to him, I’m hoping people in our industry will wake up and stop this practice:
“XXXX, let me end by saying this…
I wish you and all the rest of the team all the best with XXXX. Your brother XXX is an awesome networker who I learned a lot from, and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m also sure that XXX will grow and become a very good network marketing company…If we START from today to do this one thing:
Stop dragging our downlines from one company to another, year after year, after year, after year….
We have to stop it. NOW.
Nothing is doing more damage to this industry than having ‘leaders’ flying in from one company to another, and urging their groups to follow them to a new home. We are ‘killing’ our people when we do this XXX. When they are run through one company, to another, then another, all without any major success, their belief level in the whole industry becomes non-existent.
Our friends outside of MLM look at what happens and roll their eyes when Peter, Paul and Mary come to them with their ‘new hot company’ that’s going to make them a millionaire. And how many times can Peter do this without totally losing belief in the whole industry. You see my friend; they never think it’s because of THEM. It’s always because the “company was bad; products were no good; or the upline didn’t help me out enough.”
So they pop over to the new company John was telling them about, not understanding that changing the company won’t do a damn thing…THEY ARE THE ONE’S THAT HAVE TO CHANGE THEMSELVES FIRST!
It doesn’t matter if the products cure AIDS, the comp plan can earn you a million a week, and Barack Obama is your upline…if you don’t believe you can make it, you simply won’t do what it takes to make it. If you’ve been dragged from one company to another, not getting the results your upline assured you of, how’s your belief level? Not so good, huh?
You develop what the psychologist Martin Seligman termed ‘learned helplessness’, and once that kicks in, well…
Am I making sense here XXXX?
You and I, and everyone else reading this are better than that. WE HAVE TO BE BETTER THAN THAT. For the sake of growing and protecting this industry, we have to stop churning over our downlines from one company to the next. Stop promising that the grass is greener on the other side, knowing full well that they still have to mow the lawn. Let’s you and I help the millions and millions that don’t know about what we have…or don’t fully understand it. That are stuck in a matrix that they have no clue how to get out of. We can help them, you and I. We have the most incredible vehicle ever created to help people live lifestyles of their dreams. Doesn’t that excite you? Heck, I’ve been involved in MLM for 20 years and it still makes me very excited!
So what about you XXX, and everybody else reading this? Can we promise ourselves that we’ll be better examples of what this industry can do? Not just financially, but to us as people. People that others would love to be like, and around.
Can you and I wake up in the morning committed to our company, our products, and most importantly our people? Can they trust us enough to know that as long as they have a dream…you and I will be there guiding them towards it? And finally, can you and I honor them by committing to one thing…that if we choose to go separate ways, we support them with their journey and allow them to continue on their own path?
You’re a leader in this industry my friend. I know you will.”
God Bless,
Faouzi Daghistani
Thank you, Randy, as always, for the rallying call for all of us in the industry to head for higher ground!
If we rise above it all, we have no competition. If we have to knock the competition, it tells everyone that we’ve run out of anything good to say about ourselves.
Let’s take a leaf from the legal profession. It is the tradition that barristers (in the English law jurisdiction) owe their first duty, not to the client, but to the court, so that disputes are resolved, not extended further.
In the same way, network marketing professionals should see their first duty to establish credibility and trust, not just for their company, but for the good of the profession, so that prosperity can be created and multiplied.
KH
I LOVE this idea!
-RG
Regulation would weed out a lot of the mess.
Hey Randy!
This is the first time I am writing in the Blog. Although I have been reading your posts and the comments for almost 8 months.
I liked what KH Koh said. I admire the kind of insight you have. And the kind of journey you have had so far in this world is undoubtedly what I want for me too.
Regarding today s topic and many more of the like, I think we can always remeber what you said last in your seminar in Dubai 2008. It was a puzzle for me for a long time but once i understood it I never let go.
”Why do you think someone would spend 10 million dollars on a painting for the living room?…Because they can…and it is because they have provided so much value for others.”
I could not understand the links between ”they can” and ”they provided so much value”. But now I know.
It is always best to provide value for others not anything else. Here s an interesting scenario I have on that. See, lets say everyone carries a basket and so do you. Now when you provide value to others it s like you put something in their basket. and whenever you put something good in someone’s basket you get an exact copy of that in your basket. Now since you provide value to so many people you accumaulate so much value as a result in your basket. And that is how you reach greatness… Now with this philosophy why would anyone disrespect or bash or… others? No matter how hard it is sometimes to find a good thing about others why not find that only good thing to accumulate one more good copy in our basket so that it guaranties prosperity in the journey of life?
You know I think being professional is about being proud of who you are, what you do and the industry.
Of course there are the people out there who take advantage and manipulate the situation, but the bottom line is prospects go where they feel wanted, supported and valued.
So you are your best advert, if you see what I mean.
So behave professionally & treat people professionally and they will repect you for it.
Even Dale Carnegie supported that on his book, ‘How to win friends and influence people’. Don’t take down other companies.
He even had an example on someone that was constantly having problems with customers because every time someone were taking his company down favoring other companies, he was always getting aggressive about that.
Instead he started to say thing like ‘If you decide to go with company x, they are an honest company. But let me tell you about my product…’.
And if you join all the pieces of the puzzle, you have other reasons why you should never take down other companies, even if they are competitors:
1. People don’t like to be around of negative people and criticizing has never been considered to be a positive atitude.
2. People join YOU, not the company, so it is useless to try to convince them your company is better than the other, instead SHOW them you are a good bet in business…
3. Other companies team members will know you act like this, and will respect you, which is another positive factor you build around you.
Love you all
Alfredo Rodrigues
And perhaps the same goes for “jobs” as well. Why tear down anything to make what you have to offer, i.e. MLM, look better?
Randy I whole heartedly agree, there is also a company who is a competitor although I think there are plenty of prospects for everyone who like to say in their ads Why I left ***** or why are so many leaders leaving ****** even o n the social media sites! it’s unbeleivable, they funny thing is it makes them look amateur and rookie do they really think bashing someones co. is really going to make them sign up under them if they even had the slightest inclination they were considering it? I think not,. great topic though!
MLIFEMLM COM
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