Humans by nature, are impatient. Especially in this day and age of the internet, we want and expect everything to be right here, right now with ease.
Our attention spans are getting shorter, and this is not good news for the economy.
I once listened to a Brian Tracy tape and he said something along the lines that successful people have the ability to think over a long time perspective, while unsuccessful people don’t.
For instance: a drug addict’s time perspective is his next hit, a young professional’s time perspective is his next payday.
However, people who have reached the highest levels in any field have time perspectives of 5, 10, 20 years or more. Their long term goal is considered in each of their day-to-day decisions.
This “time perspective” concept super effectively explains how many young middle class people are up to their eyeballs in debt. They simply need to have it all NOW!
Simple, Elegant… why am I not Rich?
The harsh reality is: to become successful at anything, you have to think long term.
Network marketing is a simple and elegant business model. Having seen the simplicity of the business and the potential earnings, it’s easy for many prospects to think…
“Wow, this is going to be real easy. I’m going to have this done in no time and then it’s off to the beach for the rest of my life!”
Of course, it never works out like that for almost every body. Only a fool would expect everything to be easy and smooth sailing, for everything to go to plan.
But after a couple of months, when they have not gotten rich quick, and the excitement level drops back down to zero, they either jump to the next opportunity, or quit.
In the end, the whole experience turns into a huge disappointment and they blame everything but themselves for failing. They never had the patience to succeed.
Success minded people don’t expect instant gratification.
It comes with experience and maturity. Experienced entrepreneurs are wise enough to know that generally, things don’t quite work out at the beginning. They know that nothing is as easy as it seems. Especially if it’s something new.
It may take several years, but they know the wait is worth it.
Be prepared for disappointment!
This is not about thinking negatively. It’s one thing to have a positive mental attitude, and quite another to think that everything is going to be a bed of roses.
It’s about being mentally prepared for when things almost inevitably never turn out as expected, and being prepared to make mid course adjustments.
A new business strategy needs to be constantly tweaked until it produces proven results. There are things to be learned. You need to be prepared to “lose” some money.
Smart marketers and entrepreneurs take calculated risks. Only once a new strategy starts to produce proven, consistent results, then do they go all in.
There are many ways to build a network marketing business. The same problem needs to be attacked from different angles to get the desired result.
When should you quit? Only when it’s pretty clear that you’re flogging a dead horse!
To your MLM success,
Wayne Wu
P.S. I would love your input! If you have an opinion that would contribute to this discussion, please leave me a comment below.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Wayne
as you say minor adjustments need some time to see if they are working. People are often too impatient. The long term perspective you mention is very important.
regards
Charlie
Hey Charlie,
Yes, first you have to be in for the long haul, but inevitably, you will have to be willing to make some adjustments along the way…
Hey Wayne
I think some of the blame for this “instant gratification” syndrome online is how internet marketers market to them.
One could argue that internet marketers are only providing what people want. I would argue that those who promise push button systems and fast money are actually only interested in themselves and reinforcing the quick rich mentality.
Peter Fuller MBA´s last [type] ..Brand yourself online with your own “Nerve” Center
Hey Peter,
Very well said my friend. That has definitely been my experience – those who promise fast money are only out for their own interests, not for the people who buy into their programs.
But they’re playing the game. The internet makes it very easy to market “instant gratification”
Hi Wayne,
In any type of business you have to think in long term and be prepared for the worst. Having a goal in mind and a plan to get to the goal will help you perservere in your business. Thanks for sharing Wayne.
Sherman
Sherman Smith´s last [type] ..Response cached until Fri 9 @ 20:21 GMT (Refreshes in 56 Minutes)
Hey Sherman,
Definitely. There will always be challenges along the way. How you handle those will determine your success at the end of the day.
Hey Wayne,
Success working from home can be a disappointment if they didn’t know this sort of thing…which most do not. Glad you brought the truth out.
One other factor is, how strong is your desire and commitment to making it happen. Those that have this superhuman will, are those who make it FAST in this industry. However, this doesn’t speak to what the majority are faced with. As you know, it’s what takes time to do, not something that happens overnight.
It’s a good thing a leader like you can put this into perspective for them.
Have a great weekend Wayne.
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last [type] ..Using the Law of Reciprocity Makes Running Home Business Easier
Hey Jerome,
A great point about have a strong desire and commitment. I’d add belief into this mixture as well. Desire, commitment and belief mixed together create that powerful will to get things done.
Hi Wayne,
Very well said! If more people would understand this then the percentage rate of successful network marketers would be much higher. There are no overnight successes. They usually have been years in the making.
Great article!
Have an awesome week!
Ilka
Ilka Flood´s last [type] ..99 More Since My First Blog Post To Make it 100
Hey Ilka,
And those who can persist over the years against all the odds are guaranteed to WIN! Thanks for the comment.
Welcome to Network marketing, no wait, I mean life. Ups and downs happen, but the one’s who can keep themselves closest to the center will always win.
Great post
Eric McMillan
Hey Eric,
As Forrest Gump says “Life’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get!”
So very true! When starting out in network marketing it’s easy to get caught up in the success stories of the big guys and to think that we can be there sooner than is realistic. It takes time and tweaking as you say. Expectations must be adjusted as we go along the path of learning and growing.
Stacy´s last [type] ..The Great Debate- Blog Post Frequency
Hey Stacy,
And the unfortunate thing is that big success is so heavily promoted. It makes sense to do it that way, of course – “how I made an extra $100/month” is not as appealing as “now I make an extra $100,000/month”, but this industry definitely can do a better job of managing people’s expectations. Thanks for commenting.
Hey Wayne,
You’re so right, it’s better to be prepared for the reality that you may not be rolling in the money the first bit, and that it takes consistency.
Just look at all those testimonials attached to the sales letters Mike Dillard sends out, for Magnetic Sponsoring. They are incredible stories, and most of them are massively successful in a very short time. If you read the fine print, it’s stated right there that those are not the average results.
Prepare for the reality of network marketing to avoid much of the disappointment.
Thanks for an awesome post!
Susanna
Susanna Hess´s last [type] ..“Network Marketer- Leave Me Alone-” – How To Avoid The Prospect Slap
Hey Susanna,
Great to have you back. Consistency will always prevail when you have the right knowledge and skills.
Wayne,
As always it is very comforting to read your blog. I just would like to comment that it is not just the young middle class who is in debt up to there eyeballs and impatient. The 50+ generation found themselves unemployable and to get out of debt they will try network marketing. They are impatient too, they are hoping to enjoy some success before their time is up. Keep writing, i am happy to keep reading your blog!
Marie http://theluckynetorker.com
Hey Marie,
Yeah, in this economy, the middle aged are also in big trouble too perhaps because they grew up in an era where people a lot less about money than in the past. We’re living in a complete world of financial adolescents now, and unfortunately they bring the same immaturity with them into business.
Wayne,
It is always about the next big thing, people are jumping to another opportunity since they have not made it yet.
I have been with the same primary business for three years and after my first year most people would have quit.
The best advice I ever received was never ever quit.
I agree, it is all about making adjustments and keep on learning & applying.
It will all fall into place as long as you are putting in the right amount of time and effort.
Have a good weekend Wayne!
Tommy D.
Tommy DiPietro | MLM Prospecting Hero´s last [type] ..The 1 Conversion Killer in Your Copy And How to Beat It
Hey Tommy,
If it’s a good thing, stick with it because it’s only a matter of time.
Excellent…and courageous…article.
It’s counter-intuitive to say “be prepared for disappointment”. We’re in such a hurry to promise easy, fast riches to get people to sign up. Somewhere along the line, we’ve lost the ability or the willingness to tell the truth. Expect disappointment. Expect rejection. Expect setbacks.
When I talk to a new prospect, I always LEAD with “this is MLM”. To sugarcoat it by calling it “direct marketing” or anything else, is teaching your new distributor that they have to lie to get ahead.
Hey John,
Great to have you here. And you make a great point.
I’m always disappointed at the lies people tell to get people to join. This short term gain will always prove to be painful in the long run, because when people join you based on a lie or a half-truth, they are almost guaranteed to quit.
Well said Wayne
Learn to discipline your disappointment and you would of mastered a great personal tool. As with this industry disappointment is guaranteed!
Thinking long-term is the only way to set realistic goals. If your goal is to only live for the next day, then that is all you will get. The same sh*t, just on a different day.
Looking further, setting goals and working towards your goals will change your coming days, weeks, months, years for the better towards your goals.
Dwayne
Dwayne Huggins´s last [type] ..ARGH I Lost 4-000 On PPC
Hey Dwayne,
Haha “The same sh*t, just on a different day” – I love how you put that so emphatically.
The longer term your vision, the greater your legacy. That’s very insightful – your days, weeks, months will gradually change and gravitate towards your goals.
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