A professional is defined as someone who is engaged in a specific activity as his or her main paid occupation, or a person who is skilled, competent or adept at a particular pursuit. In general, society defines doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, accountants, scientists and other highly educated individuals as professionals.
But what about you? As LifePharm Independent Business Owners, are you professional? More importantly, whether you answer yes or no, the point is that if you aren’t already, you definitely can become a network marketing professional.
To accomplish this, go back to the definition of professional. You will need to be engaged in network marketing as your primary “paid occupation” as well as be “skilled, competent or adept” at your “particular pursuit.” Clearly not everyone is a “natural” at network marketing but these skills can be honed.
One of the main skills to develop in network marketing is leadership. This is key to sponsoring new people into your business organization and having them duplicate by enrolling others into their own groups. Leadership in network marketing centers around the ability to attract likeminded people—with energy and initiative to build a business—just as you are building yours. Once you start connecting with people and developing a group, the trick is to keep them motivated and active. You can do this by being a good role model and always being active yourself, and by dedicating time to helping your team members. Helping does not mean doing for them; helping means pointing them in the right direction and showing them how to do their own work.
Another major skill of professional network marketers is taking initiative, which translates into taking action. No matter how much you learn about LifePharm products or the compensation plan, you will not get where you want to be unless you take action. All the thinking and analysis in the world is worthless without taking one step at a time, every single day. Network marketing guru Jim Rohn gives an example of how important taking action is: “You’re 90 percent efficient and I’m 10 percent. You go out and talk to 10 people and sign up 9 into your business. I talk to 100 and sign up 10. I beat you.” Repetition and perseverance are behaviors that can be honed.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is another skill that can be developed over time. It’s human nature to enjoy routine, especially if it’s comfortable and hassle-free. We are most ourselves when we come upon people with many similarities. When you think about talking to someone you don’t share common ground with, are you filled with anxiety? Different political beliefs? Different religions, heritages, cultures, looks and backgrounds? Do all these differences stop you from trying to talk to them?
Professional network marketers learn to deal with being uncomfortable and eventually, embrace it! Because each time you step out of the box, there is a possibility of something brilliant happening. The reality is that network marketing success depends on connecting with people from different walks of life, and you will need to find a way to communicate with them.
The truth is, the majority of people in the world have something very basic in common: the desire to be healthy, live long happy lives and to be financially independent—that means to make enough money to take care of themselves, their families and have some left over to enjoy the luxuries in life. Anything more than that is an extra bonus—money that can be used to give back to the community and if exponentially successful, to the world.
When you are a LifePharm IBO, be willing to talk to people who seem different from you. Think of those who make you feel comfortable as your warm market and those who make you squirm a little as your cold market. There are potential team members in both, and remember, you have something in common with everyone.