April Fools!  That’s right. Today, April 1, here in the U S (I don’t know about other countries) is the only day when it’s ok to tell a white lie, fib, or stretch the truth.

So for the other 364 days per year in your business life, let me set the record straight.  Commitment is just one of the traits, skills, or prerequisites for the attainment of success.  Some others that come immediately to mind are perseverance, leadership, a deep seated “why” or passion, and a desire to help others in addition to yourself.

True, you must first have the desire for success, but desire alone is not enough.  Because we know that success doesn’t come to just anyone, we also believe that the road may have some bumps along the way.  And it’s the attitude of “I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes” that defines commitment, and sets one apart.

If success is your goal in any aspect of life, commit to it, and believe that you will get it.  The following video may keep you inspired.

To your success!

My Commitment To Success

Many times staying focused on our commitments is difficult in a busy world. So I created this video vision board as something can be watched everyday to keep thoughts and emotions flowing in the “right” direction. Of course, this video depicts a male…

Og Mandino, personal development author and business philosopher

Recently I was re-reading some articles from previous years issues of Success magazine, and I came across an article on Og Mandino.  I was impressed with his story of how he went from a drunken failure to become a great life and business philosopher, and author who influenced millions of lives.   So I figured I would share my thoughts for people out there who had not heard of him.

OG MANDINO – EARLY ON

Og, which is a nickname for Augustine, was born in 1923.  He originally had great dreams, but they were interrupted when his mother died suddenly.  This shock caused him to abandon his plans for college, and instead enlisted in the armed forces as a pilot.  It was here that he met and became friends with a fellow pilot who went on to become famous in Hollywood.  Do you know who?  (answer at the end of this post).

Afterwards, he got married, and attempted to make it in the world of insurance sales.  This was a time of tremendous failure for him, and soon his frustration led him to a drinking problem, which ended up costing him his wife and child.  At one point, he even contemplated suicide.

Think of that –  one of the great business philosophers of this century, was just one step away from making a difference in NO one’s life.

THE DISCOVERY AND TURNAROUND

As he told it, Providence intervened and directed him away from the gun at the pawn shop, to a library nearby where he discovered the world of self-development, motivation and success.  He turned this early discovery into a routine and lifestyle of pursuit of the principles and guidelines for achieving success from reading hundreds of books by many different authors.

Is this a step you would consider as part of your payment for success?

He re-entered the world of insurance again, this time working for one of his mentors, W. Clement Stone.  This time though, having learned some very important lessons, he was determined not to fail.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.  Desire, and the determination for action to make it happen.

LESSONS LEARNED AND SHARED

This time, he didn’t fail.  Promotion followed promotion, and soon he was putting into words his own philosophies of success, as he developed into a personal development author in his own right.

His most famous book of the 19 he wrote, was The Greatest Salesman in the World.  The wisdom in this book is contained in the 10 scrolls for successful selling and successful living.  Each scroll contained a principle to be applied in one’s life.  They are

1.  I begin a new life.

2.  I will greet this day with love in my heart.

3.  I will persist until I succeed.

4.  I am nature’s greatest miracle.

5.  I will live this day as if it is my last.

6.  Today I will be master of my emotions.

7.  I will laugh at the world.

8.  Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

9.  I will act now.   I will act now.  I will act now.

10.  I will pray for guidance.

As you can see by #10, Og Mandino was a spiritual man, and considered The Bible as one of the 12 greatest inspirational and self-help books ever written.  He was a man of action, and he believed that everyone was unique, and deserved the opportunity to struggle for success.  After all, he was able to turn his life around, and he believed that everyone with the desire to do so, could if they applied action to their dreams and aspirations.

Og Mandino – Make YOUR Life Worth Remembering

www.derrenandcarlytaylor.com

Og Mandino died in 1996 at the age of 72, but not before changing the lives of many people who heard him speak or read his books.

Treasure House Within You: Now is a Time

treasurehousewithinyou.blogspot.com2/28/12

I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person. Og Mandino. By Geophrey A. Tenganamba: gtlivemore@gmail.com …

If you’ve read The Greatest Salesman in the World or any other books by Og Mandino, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.  And the guy who became a Hollywood legend – Jimmy Stewart. 

For other books and videos on business philosophy and success, please check out my Success Resources Store.

Jack Koetting

A MUSICAL STORY (OF SORTS)

Anyone that has checked out my “About” page, has discovered that I’m a part time musician.  I’ve played piano for over 50 years now, with various bands and combos.  And this past weekend, I rehearsed with a former band that hadn’t played together for over 23 years.

We were surprised at how much we remembered of the songs, and it was great just getting together and playing with each other again.  The reason for the rehearsal?  Our upcoming “Key West” reunion concert this summer.  “The Keys West” was the name of the band.  It was a part time gig for all of us then too, but we were a fairly popular band back then, at least in our local area.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

So it got me to thinking, that maybe the reunion idea could be applied on a personal level to a network marketing business as well.

How, you might ask?

Well, a reunion implies re-establishing relationships from the past, right?  Time has a way of putting distance between people, especially as direct contact diminishes.  And everybody knows that network marketing is a business of relationships and relationship building.

Even if you’re committed to the new method of building your business mostly online, there are still ways to accomplish this.

10 Methods to Grow Your MLM Or Mlm Business Online

www.hbsaustin.org2/22/12

Creating your Mlm business on line is not necessary but ordinarily during your Network marketing trip you’ll discover yourself out of qualified prospects plus your comfortable market as you know it exhausted. This of course introduces that you by no. … It may not be about spamming those with your chance but trying to find great relationships that you can learn more about and come to be a live discussion. Find out about their enterprise, see how you may enable them to, and say to …

How long has it been since you reached out and actually talked with some of the people a little further downlinein your organization?

No,  I’m not talking about the voicemail blast that you sent out last week.  But actually picking up the phone, and trying to connect again with some of the minor team members in your organization.  Your success depends on the teamwork you develop.

MLM TEAM RELATIONSHIP Business

mlmfreecoach.com MLM is a team relationship mentoring Tom Big Al Schreider Art Jonak Lilly Kremer Pets Wildlife Animals winalite Agel Alticor Amsoil Amway Quixtar BioPerformance Cobra Group Deutsche Vermögensberatung Discovery Toys Equinox Internatio…

When you reach out to them, try to determine where they’re at in the life of their business.   What did they want to accomplish, and have they?   Are they still using the products or service?  If they kind of “fell away”, do you know why?    Is there any assistance you can offer that will get them engaged again?

Reach out to build relationships

Just some of the things that you might learn, if you can make the time and effort to reach out again.  They’ll probably appreciate just hearing from you.  And there’s a possibility that it could end up being a win-win.

So with that in mind – is it reunion time for you too?

If you found this information helpful, please comment below, and/or share it with others on Facebook or Twitter.  To work with me in network marketing, check out the banners on the right.

Jack Koetting

BUSINESS TYPES

LLC stands for Limited Liability Company, and is one of the options when starting a business.  Another common business type for certain situations is a partnership, for example when both husband and wife are working the business together.  Many of us, when we entered the world of network marketing, chose to start our new mlm business as a sole proprietorship.  This was the simplest one, and presented no hassle.

THAT WAS THEN…

But is there a time in your business life to move on?  Has your online business grown bigger than you first thought it would?  Or, if you believe in the idea of multiple streams of income, are you in more than one business opportunity now?

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

Perhaps it’s time to consider an LLC to see if it might be right for your situation.  The following infographic should educate as it features key points to consider.

Is an LLC right for your business?

I’m not saying that this is necessarily the right choice for you at this time, but it doesn’t hurt to become familiar with the benefits, as well as the disadvantages that this business type brings with it.

Business Planning — Advantages and disadvantages of LLC’s and S corps

To view the next video in this series, please click here: www.monkeysee.com

MAKING A CHANGE

If you do think that perhaps a change would be to your advantage, then maybe the following post will help you make the transition.

Transition Your Network Marketing Business From a Sole …

www.mlming.com1/13/12

You started your network marketing business with one approach, in your own name as a sole proprietorship. Now you … Typically, you can NOT transfer a business license from your sole proprietorship name to your new LLC.

 IT’S YOUR DECISION

It’s always good advice to check with your personal tax attorney or accountant to get their input.  Whether you decide to keep your business as a sole proprietorship, or look at the option of an LLC or partnership, it’s all up to you, and what you feel is the best solution for your situation.

JACK KOETTING

John Wooden - Coach and Philosopher

JOHN WOODEN – A CENTURY OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE

John Wooden

John Robert Wooden (born October 14, 1910) is a retired American basketball coach. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (class of 1961) and as a coach (class of 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categorie…

Direction On and Off the Court

Advice From Dad

The 9 Self Promises

John Wooden was certainly given good advice from his father, but John also came up with some pretty good insight and leadership principles on his own, which he followed and taught.  John imparted some of his leadership wisdom through the written word.  Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks For a Better Life
and Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
showcased his ability as an author.   John Wooden felt that if you made the following 9 promises to yourself, you would be well on your way in your pursuit of happiness in life.  They are:

An Example To Follow

Are you willing to do what it takes, for as long as it takes?  You see, patience is  not only a virtue, it’s also a bit of practical business advice that you can discover by reading the Bible.  I’m reasonably certain it’s not the only one.  In fact, patience is often linked with persistence.  Also, the passage from the Bible I’m citing is probably not the only one, or maybe even the best example of combined patience and persistence.

But for those that haven’t found the business success they’re seeking, either in their career, or in the online marketing world,  this leadership trait of being willing to do what it takes, as long as it takes, I think is exemplified in this story.

THE STORY

The Bible reading is taken from chapter 29 in the book of Genesis, and finds Jacob on a journey that ends at the home of his uncle, and where he first meets Rachel, who will eventually become his bride.  He wanted her so much that he would offer to work seven years for his uncle if he would grant his consent.  At the end of the seven years, his uncle, because of a curious provision in the law, deceives him into marrying his eldest daughter first.  Undaunted, he accepts his fate, yet offers to work an additional seven years in order to marry Rachel also.  (Multiple marriages were common back then).

THE LESSON

Now, I’m no Bible scholar, and I’m betting that a lot of people would have thought he was crazy to do that, but that sure sounds like patience and persistence in order to get what one really wants.  It’s true that he only had to wait a couple of weeks after his first marriage, in order to marry Rachel – still, he kept his agreement to work for his uncle the rest of the seven years.  Guess you might say that integrity was important to him as well, as it should be for those aspiring to be true leaders in their organizations.

TWO SUCCESS STEPS

FIRST STEP – DO YOU KNOW?

In order to be successful in your career, do you know what needs to be done?  What actions to take?  What skills you need to acquire?  What knowledge you need to learn?

Brian Tracy – Persistence, Entrepreneurs, & Millionaires

www.SuccessUniversityCoaches.com Brian Tracy talks about how failure is to be expected before you reach success.

SECOND STEP – WILL YOU?

Inspirational Quotes On Persistence – Impossible Is Nothing

developmentsecret.com

Inspirational Quotes On Persistence · 48 Comments. Share. Email. Earn. By Lockerz · developmentsecret.com. ↑ Grab this Headline Animator. <. Trust Yourself ! No man with a man’s heart in him, gets far on his way without …

Once you know what needs to be done,  are you willing to do what it takes for as long as it takes?  Do you have the internal passion to drive you past all the naysayers?  Do you have the discipline to direct yourself, before directing others?  Do you believe something valuable is worth waiting for?  Is your “why” strong enough to sustain you to the end?  Is your motto, “Never give up!?”

Patience and persistence are yours if you can answer “yes” to these questions.  And you are well on your way to being an example to follow as you work toward, and lead others to business success.

JACK KOETTING

http://www.carfor300.info

Image via Flickr

SO YOU WANT TO BE A LEADER

Leadership – a necessary skill if you’re to develop a team and have a chance to attain success in the network marketing industry.  A leader must have followers.  And a leader must do certain things to be a good leader.  Are you a leader?  Do you know what’s required  in order to be the type of leader others look up to?

If not, perhaps I can provide some insight.  My mentor, Steve Shook, recently hosted a leadership training event, in which he discussed what he called the 10 Attributes of a Good Leader in Network Marketing.

Ten Attributes of A Network Marketing Leader

1. Have a goal larger than those you lead. Your downline needs to know you’re planning for the future, and want to bring them success.
2. Have a greater and more positive attitude that those you are leading.
3. Accept responsibility, and be willing to admit your mistakes.
4. Make positive decisions.  Always strive to do the right thing.  (For more on this point, click Make the Right Choice)
5. Put those you’re leading first.  They will work harder when they realize your goal is their success.  (People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.)
6. Lead by example.  Don’t just tell them – work with them and show them.  This sets the right example for your downline.  (Check out the leadership lesson from the dancing guy video at the end of this post.)
7. Commit to integrity and character.  Yes, character does matter.  Your downline will have confidence in you if they see you doing the right thing.
8. Strive for excellence in everything.  You may not get there, but you should strive for it, nonetheless.
9. Improve personal growth and development.  Work as hard on yourself as you do on your career.  Seek knowledge. (An excellent source is Jim Rohn.)
10.  Must have high level of persistence and determination.  In network marketing, it’s very easy to quit.  Do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.  In fact, I’m reminded of a quote on a website featuring inspirational quotes that goes like this:

Success is failure turned inside out –

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –

It’s when things seem worst that YOU MUSTN’T QUIT!

First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

Official transcript at sivers.org — If you’ve learned a lot about leadership and making a movement, then let’s watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons: A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look r…

duncanbrodie

Do u lead by example with only the best interest of another individual as yr motivation? Read more here http://t.co/JRA3IDZ6

Another perspective

2012 January 09 – Leadership Freak – Helping leaders reach higher in 300 words or less

http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/

Successful leaders exhibit these 30 qualities, behaviors, and skills. Which leadership qualities do you find most important. Which qualities/behaviors did we miss. Item one is first because it’s most important. The rest are listed randomly.

BE THE LEADER YOU CAN BE

Leadership can take many forms, but you must provide the right example that will attract others to follow you.  I’m looking for other leaders.  Become the leader in you!  For books on leadership, check out the SUCCESS RESOURCES link at the top of the page.

Jack Koetting

www.carspluscash.com/pianoman

www.carspluscashsystemrocks.blogspot.com

INBOUND MARKETING:  DO YOU NEED IT?

That’s a good question, and if you’re a networker, maybe this post will assist you.

FIRST – WHAT IS IT?

Inbound marketing is a fairly new term, but one you will be hearing more and more about.  If you are in the internet marketing or network marketing industry, you better make it a point to learn about what it is, and how it works, because I feel it is changing the way internet and network marketing is done.

Perhaps by drawing a comparison to traditional recruiting and lead generation techniques, which we refer to as outbound marketing, we can gain a clearer understanding of what inbound marketing is.  Things like infomercials, newspaper ads, sending out dvds, traditional cold calling of prospects, even hotel meetings depend on interruption of a prospects time.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, encompasses more of what Seth Godin calls “permission marketing”, including things like social networking sites, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  Creation of websites and blogs, to provide relevant content for potential customers/business partners you’re trying to attract, also falls within that realm.  In addition, relationship building plays an integral part of inbound marketing.  True, it is part of outbound as well, but is more in the follow-up phase of the process.  Finally, don’t forget the importance of search engine optimization, known as SEO, to get higher rankings on Google and other search engines, because when your prospect is looking, you want to be found.

Where outbound marketing is like throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks, inbound marketing counts on attraction by a tightly targeted group of people.

Webinars, or presentations over the internet, could be considered both, depending on whether with a fixed time frame is perhaps an interruption, or with a flex time component, is part of the discovery or evaluation process.

SOME PERSPECTIVE

Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing | Inbound Marketing …

www.conversionpipeline.com If you are reading on the internet about new marketing strategies, I am sure you have heard the term “inbound marketing” thrown around. Inbound marketing is more of an approach rather than a new marketing service.

INBOUND MARKETING – WHY IT’S GOOD

What are the pros and cons of inbound marketing?  The pros are that in most cases, the cost factor is much less than outbound marketing.  Another obvious pro is that you’re attracting people instead of coercing them.  You’ll also be taking advantage of growing trends, instead of declining ones as the infographic below represents.  Appealing to a highly targeted prospect who already has an interest in your product or business opportunity, is certainly an advantage over traditional methods.

 INBOUND MARKETING – THE DOWNSIDE

As far as the cons, one would have to admit that, in most cases, it takes longer to get results with inbound vs outbound marketing.  Besides that, being willing to learn, and do inbound marketing, will require more effort and education than knocking on someone’s door and handing them a DVD.

You Oughta Know Inbound Marketing

hubspot.com HubSpot’s Rebecca Corliss sings her heart out about the horrible life of an outbound marketer. What’s Inbound Marketing? http Credits: Rebecca Corliss (@repcor): Lyrics and Vocals David Fisher (@tibbon): Accompaniment and Music Recording …

IT’S UP TO YOU

The old ways still work, especially if you’re lucky or determined enough to find the right person, at the right time, with a strong “why”, with the resources,… but it’s getting harder and harder to do it that way.  And I truly believe that way is slowly fading away.   It seems today’s network marketer needs to be aware of the benefits of inbound marketing.  That means being connected with Facebook, YouTube, and other social media sites.  They also may need a blog, and go after Google rankings, as well as keep working on their relationship building skills.  As Harry Caray might have said, “Holy cow! It’s a brand new ballgame out there.”

America's Foremost Business Philosopher

Jim Rohn was affectionately called, America’s Foremost Business Philosopher, and was one of the most upbeat and positive people I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.  His uncanny ability for getting right to the point of what matters most, made him highly sought after by leaders in all kinds of organizations.  However, his influence probably affected more people in the network marketing industry than any other.  Jim believed in the learning of business skills, and right there at the top of the list was leadership.

What is leadership?  Leadership is, as defined by Wikipedia, ” the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.”  Judging by that definition, and one’s understanding of the importance of teamwork  in network marketing, it’s not hard to see why Jim Rohn resonated so well with networkers, especially in the are of leadership skills.  It was some time ago when I came across a post by  Twila Jacobs that I was impressed with, on the Seven Qualities of Leadership by Jim Rohn.  In this particular rendering, for the first 6, he used “be” and “but not” in combination to make his point.

Whether in print, audio or video, Jim Rohn had the knack for saying the right things that made you think.  Sometimes clever, sometimes humorous, always brutally honest when it came to imparting wisdom on leadership, and how to add value to yourself, as well as  those around you.  Of course,  Jim  himself, was also involved in, and a great advocate of, the network marketing industry.  In these times of economic unrest, I miss hearing his fresh, positive perspective on pursuing the American dream and the success it offers.

If you desire to be a leader in your organization, whether in network marketing or traditional business, you can’t go wrong if you study the philosophy of Jim Rohn.

Challenges to Pursue

15 minute section of classic Jim Rohn. Buy Jim Rohn products at www.yoursuccessstore.com

THE SEVEN QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP

1. Be strong, but not rude.

2. Be kind, but not weak.

3. Be bold, but not a bully

4. Be humble, but not timid.

5. Be proud, but not arrogant.

6. Be fun, but not foolish.

And then he wrapped it up with

7. Deal in reality and truth.

Short and to the point, these are truly pearls of wisdom from a great gentleman.  Click the link below for more wit and wisdom from Jim.

Jim Rohn Quotes – BrainyQuote

www.brainyquote.com

Share the best Quotes by Jim Rohn with your friends and family at BrainyQuote.com.

Leadership is a learn-able business skill, and one that Jim Rohn personified.  If you’ve been influenced by any of his books, audios, or videos, feel free to comment below.  Check the SUCCESS RESOURCE link at the top of the page for materials by Jim.

Jack Koetting

www.carspluscash.com/pianoman

www.carspluscashsystemrocks.blogspot.com