I’ve thought a lot lately about this concept and this morning I read an absolutely brilliant article in Forbes magazine about how Network Marketing is the new wave for Baby Boomers seeking to supplement their retirement and there was mention of the concept of success in it that I just loved and thought I would elaborate on it further. Consequently, here’s the link to the Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlaura/2014/08/29/would-you-join-a-multi-level-marketing-company-for-retirement-income/
I really feel that traditional methods of education quite literally train us to believe that success is the accumulation of loads of cash. And in my previous blog post https://www.fionajlindsay.com/networking-tips/health-is-wealth-is-wellness-is-success/ I go into quite a bit of detail on the dictionary definition of success and how this notion is completely false. After reading the Forbes article, I was quite excited to discover that other Networkers are attracted to our industry for reasons quite indirect to the accumulation of money alone. And this isn’t limited to just Baby Boomers or Stay at Home Mums or any particular segment.
But let’s use Baby Boomers as a case study. Baby Boomers are now either in or approaching retirement. And a very high percentage do not have enough resources to support themselves. And by that, I mean without supplementing their income from Government handouts. This is not just a sad state of affairs, but rather worrisome from an economic point of view. Where I come from in Adelaide, South Australia, statistics show that around one third of the population are on some form of Government benefit. That leaves the remaining two thirds to support them from taxes. Sadly, the other two thirds are not actively employed and/or paying taxes. So that leaves a very large gap. So where does the shortfall come from? Baby Boomers are the single largest marketing segment in history – only to be surpassed more than likely by Gen Y or Z. Looking to the future, it is bleak if current practises do not change as there won’t be enough tax payers paying for the high percentage of people retiring without the ability to support themselves. And this is not just the US or Australia. It’s NZ, Japan and a lot of other western countries. Why else do you think the Australian Government offers superannuation co-contribution? Because it’s cheaper than paying thousands of people pensions year on year.
Anyway, I’m getting slightly off track here. Boomers who have retired are not only looking for income. They are disenchanted with their careers (if they are still in one albeit part-time). They are worn out from years spent living the corporate life. They feel disconnected. They want to make an impact on the world. They want to be a part of something bigger and they want to do something that not only makes them feel good about themselves, but makes others happy too.
Our industry helps people fulfil a number of needs – not just monetary. Feeling significant, learning something new, making a difference, meeting new people, feeling good about yourself, working less hours are just some of the reasons that someone may feel that they are successful in their business. And I can completely agree with all of those. I’m not making multi-millions from Network Marketing and I have done that deliberately. Because if I was and told people that, I could guarantee that I would be repelling people – as most people either don’t believe that they could achieve that or quite simply do not want to.
In a previous MLM company I was in, I was considered abnormal because I didn’t want to live on the Gold Coast, didn’t want to drive a Ferrari or Porsche or Lamborghini and didn’t want to shop for jewellery at Tiffany’s. I consider myself successful already! I live in the house of my dreams. I own the majority of the cars that I have always wanted. I regularly travel overseas to destinations that I used to only dream of. I love the social aspect of my industry and company. I love the ongoing personal development and business training and applying it daily. And the best bit, I just love working a 30 hour week (at the worst) instead of the 16 hour days I used to do in the corporate world.
It’s important to understand that we are not in business to recruit purely business builders. If you are, you are in for a very frustrating time because they are a teeny, tiny percentage. But if you’re in the business of helping people achieve what it is that THEY want to achieve, then you are going to achieve all kinds of success – whatever that means to you. On the flipside, I’ve met plenty of people with money who don’t consider themselves a success. Look at Jamie Johnson – heir to the Johnson and Johnson dynasty. He has watched his Father do practically nothing his entire life but paint and he made a conscious decision he did not want to follow in his Father’s footsteps. Watch his documentary to learn more about that. But my point is, he is considered one of the richest people alive (from a monetary perspective), however he would not consider himself successful. He realized he was bored pretty early on in his life and is now doing something about that.
So before you pick up the phone to your next prospect hoping they will be your next ticket to fame and fortune, stop and think. Don’t write off those with a goal of earning $500 per month just to make ends meet. Or the person who just wants to make more social connections. All these people will be product users in your group and that, my friends, is what will build your business. Not business builders I’m afraid. Business builders won’t stick around. They are usually always looking for the next ‘hottest’ opportunity. Only those committed to achieving their own goals and your product line will make you into the success that you are looking for. I hope this has given you a new perspective on your business, what success is and isn’t, and how to look at your prospects from here on in.
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