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MLM Woman Issue 106 November 2005 This FREE newsletter is made possible by our advertisers and customers. We thank them for their support! From the Desk of the Editor Welcome to the 106th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. This month we feature articles on how to nurture your creativity, how to communicate with authority and confidence, how taking baby steps each day can help your business to grow, how to improve your life one minute at a time, and 5 ways to jumpstart your new direct sales business. What's New?? There's been a lot of new stuff going on here at MLMWoman.com recently. If you haven't visited our MLM Talk Bulletin Board in a while, then come on over and visit our new improved board and say hello. There is no need to register if you don't want to, but if you do you can use the new profile feature to put a link to your site and other contact information if you like. Here's the new link: http://www.mlmwoman.com/phpBB2/index.php We also started a new MLMTalk Blog last month that features tips, articles and other good things to help you build your business. You can check it out here: http://www.mlmtalk.com Enjoy! Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman 8 Quick Ways to Nurture Your Creativity by Suzanne Falter-Barns One of the really great things about creating your dream are those times when you go into a trance. That's when you look up after three hours and discover that the rest of the world has gone to bed while you've been creating your work of genius. And this is when your creativity is at its absolute sparkling best. Here are some elements you can put in place that will help you slide into that exalted place more easily, and give your creative spirit the nurturing it needs. 1. Turn off the news and listen to music instead. The creative part of your self is sensitive, easily upset by the negative stream that passes through the news desks of our nation. Therefore, limit or completely turn off the news. Once you wean yourself of it, you'll find that you really don't care what the headlines are. If you live alone, and like to have television or radio 'noise' in the background to keep you company, play music, books or poetry on tape, or positive talk radio. 2. Keep your work nearby. Ideally, you'll have an office with a door that's right in your home. That way, if inspiration strikes while you're folding laundry, you can put down the sheets, walk upstairs and do something about it. (I was cooking dinner when I got the idea for this article.) When recording artist Stevie Wonder is on the road, he has a crew member whose sole job is to set up his keyboards wherever he is. In an interview with The New Yorker, Stevie stopped himself several times to go off and compose when a melodic theme popped into his head, right there in the middle of a backstage dressing room. 3. If you take a break, stay 'fuzzy'. There's a certain fuzziness that comes with creating -- a loose-in-your-joints feeling that results from letting the creative flow pass through you. By all means try to hang on to this feeling, even when you need to take a break. Don't interrupt it with a lot of hard-edged activities like business calls, important decision-making, or reading financial mail. Instead, drift around, read a magazine, a book, or a letter from a friend, turn on music, play a game with your child. or cook a little food. 4. Always act on your instincts. This is how some of the best research for your project will get done. Call up that friend whose name keeps floating across your mind; take that flyer that seems intriguing for reasons you can't quite figure out. If you listen to your instincts the first time, it's really much easier to get things done. 5. Keep note-making material handy wherever you are. There should be small pads of paper, notebooks, or personal messagers sprinkled throughout your life. Put them in useful places like your car, the bathroom, and beside your bed, where the best ideas often strike. Use a personal messager or digital recording device to keep track of your ideas. This is a neat little recording gizmo often no bigger than a credit card, that can record 25 or even a couple hundred messages at a time … whenever and wherever the mood strikes. Some of them even come on key rings; many cost less than $10. When you have a moment, you can copy these messages into your computer, daily planner, notes, or wherever the information needs to go. 6. Get out and see other people's work in your field. Read trade journals, see exhibits or attend conferences. Get to know who and what is out there. Not only will this fill your head with ideas and ways to do things differently, it will give you inspiration on many fronts, including how to make your own work even more distinctive. You'll also learn things about your business you simply can't learn any other way, and possibly find your way to valuable collaborations or business partnerships. 7. Live and work in a beautiful place. There is no substitute for natural beauty -- even if it's a sunset seen from an apartment on the twentieth floor. Having a view of nature, one way or another, is a wonderful way to keep the spirit flowing through your door and into your work. If you can't arrange a river view, put something natural in your surroundings that speaks to you, even it's a window full of house plants. Your soul will thank you, and your work will thrive. 8. Indulge in the other arts. For decades, Woody Allen spent every Monday night playing his clarinet with a bar band at an Upper East Side jazz club in Manhattan. Steven King and Amy Tan have been known to play in a rock band called The Remainders. Michelangelo wrote sonnets and love songs, and even Paul McCartney has had exhibitions of his paintings. Spending some time fooling around with other forms of creative expression is not only enriching for your soul, it opens you up to new possibilities for your main creative work. ©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC. About the Author For information on how to find the time, energy, and money to live your purpose in life, check out Suzanne's free ezine, The Joy Letter. Sign up at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html and receive our valuable report, 35 Guaranteed Time Savers. Do Your Words Betray You? by Wendy Weiss What do the words that you use say about you? What is your basic message? Do your words support that basic message? As a business owner, entrepreneur or sales professional, part of your message must be of confidence and authority. You always want your prospect or your customer to see you as an expert in your field, as someone who is credible and someone who is knowledgeable. Sometimes, the words we use or the way we use them get in the way. Have you ever started a conversation with a prospect or customer with the phrase “I’m just calling…”? That little word “just” is an apology. It says that your call is not important and that what you have to say is not important. Delete it from your vocabulary immediately! Simply tell your prospects and customers why you are calling. That is enough. “I believe that….” “I think that….” “I know….” Who would you rather listen to? Someone who believes or thinks she knows something—or someone who just knows it? The phrases “I believe” and “I think” detract from your message. They detract from your power. “Once we have completed… we will hopefully achieve…” Hopefully? No one pays you to “hopefully” do something. They pay you to actually do it! Tell your prospects or customers what they will achieve or should expect to achieve. To make your words sound powerful, pitch your voice to a lower level than your usual speaking voice. In our society, a lower-pitched voice is perceived as more authoritative. Also, make sure that the inflection goes down at the end of every sentence. When nervous, everyone tends to make even statements into questions with an upward inflection. This will make you sound nervous and unsure. Be careful also, as you are doing this, not to drop off or throw the last words of your sentence away. That would sound like you are giving up. It may take some time and practice before you are fully comfortable eliminating the words “just,” “I believe,” “I think” and “hopefully” from your vocabulary. It will also take some time and practice to get the lowered vocal pitch and downward inflections at the end of sentences. But it will be time well spent when you see the difference in the way your customers and prospects respond. Even if you do feel nervous, using these particular word and vocal tips will make you sound confident and self-assured. Eventually, you will even begin to feel that way! About the Author Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her book, Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get her free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com. My Palm Trees by Joyce Schneider I was sitting here this morning working on a project and the doorbell rang. It was the UPS man delivering some laser cartridges for my printer. I took the package and we exchanged greetings and as he was leaving, he made mention of how nice the palm trees, that line our driveway, were looking. I said "Thank you" and I started telling him about those trees. As I thought back on the life of those palm trees, it just struck me so profoundly how they correlate with our business. There are 16 Royal Palm trees lining our driveway. They are between 15-20 odd feet tall with bases at least 6-8 inches in circumference. They are starting to look quite nice. But they didn't always look this nice. And they did not get to this size on their own. Six years ago in August, I answered an ad in the paper for some palm trees. They were only .90 each, and I just couldn't resist. Well, when I went to pick them up, I could not believe that this man was calling these "plants" trees. They were a 10-12 inch blade of grass. I was thoroughly disappointed, but since I had made the drive out and I had told someone else about them who wanted them too, I went ahead and picked up 40. I brought them home and Bobby and I said, "What the heck? We'll see what happens." Our friend came and took 10 home and we were left with 30 blades of grass to nurture. And that we did. Every single morning I would go down and mix some water with some plant food and water those little guys. Day in and day out. After a few months, I could see a steady growth pattern developing. Encouraged, we decided that they were ready for bigger homes, and we repotted them all and added some special potting soil and fertilizer to their pots. And always, always that daily watering. This went on for a couple of years, actually. They had had 2-3 repottings and were actually about 3 feet tall by this time. I was getting very proud of them. Than one night, it got a little too cold, we thought they would be OK, but the next day, half of them were gone. I was so disappointed, but Carson had just been born, and it wasn't as easy for me to take care of them, and I hadn't had the opportunity to cover them the night before. But the remaining ones seemed to shake off the frost, they were a little under the weather, it took a few months, but I steadily watered and fed them and soon they were as good as new, and bigger than ever. That spring, we decided they needed a permanent home to thrive and Bobby went out and lined the driveway with them. But they still needed that attention. And now we had to find enough hose to go 225 feet out to the road to make sure they had plenty of water in those long dry winter months. And now I had a little guy that helped me water those palms. That was always an adventure. And some days it was hard to get out there. Some days it didn't happen. And I loved when summer and the daily showers arrived, no watering for a while. But always, the fertilizer, the food that they needed to grow. And any night that frost even hinted of threatening us, Bobby was out there spraying down those trees to protect them. And so here we are today, with a driveway lined with beautiful palm trees. Now, looking at them, you would have no idea how they came to be so strong and tall. But I know what went into those trees. Many many long hard hours. And that is just like it is with your business. We reap what we sow. That is the truth in all aspects of life. If you don't put anything into your business, your family, your relationships, how do you expect anything out of them? When you take baby step after baby step towards building your business, one day you are going to look out and see a TEAM that is so strong and so large and you are going to think, "I Did It!!" It will be one of your greatest accomplishments in life. The reason being, for you to be successful, you had to help a lot of people along the way. And that is the purpose of life!! About the Author Joyce Schneider - http://www.gotgogi.com Improve your Life… One Minute at a Time! by Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler Executive Advisor © 2005 All Rights Reserved. Want to make some positive gains in your life? A lot of folks would like to improve their lifestyle, but just can’t find the time to take action. If you are already living a busy lifestyle, finding the time to make a positive change CAN pose a seemingly insurmountable problem. Still … the highest mountain is scaled only step at a time, and the biggest goal is only accomplished one step at a time. And actually -- it’s impossible to take more than one step at a time anyway. Why not try an approach of focusing on just what you can accomplish in one minute -­ just 60 seconds. That’s enough time to at least re-focus on a goal, and plan one small action to move you in your desired direction. You can actually do quite a bit in only one minute. Here are some ways to use the power of a single minute: Exercise for One Minute No time to go to the gym? OK. Forget about the next 59 minutes, and just focus on the next one minute. Perhaps do a deep breathing exercise, or one minute of push-ups or sit-ups. Or invest in one of those easy-to-use $50 home gym systems, and just do a single exercise for 1 minute. After a while you may expand to two minutes ... and wow, you have just made a 200% jump. Relax for One Minute Just relax into your chair and suck in a slow deep breath all the way down into your belly. Then open your mouth slightly, and release your breath as slowly as you can. Repeat this for just one minute to refresh your mind with increased oxygen. Calm Your Mind For One Minute Your mind is a fabulous theater, and contains wonderful visions of your favorite places. Go visit one of those places for one minute. Just relax and clear your mind wherever you may be -- in a plane, waiting in a bank line, or at your desk. Now revisit your favorite place in your mental theatre for one minute. You’ll come away feeling refreshed, and a lot calmer and clearer. Change Your Outlook for One Minute You can even experiment going outside your normal self for a minute. Try acting the exact opposite of how you usually act for one minute. If you tend to be introverted, think like an extrovert. If you are an engineer, think like an artist. If you are a man, think like a woman. Re-Frame a Problem for One Minute Choose a problem, then select a different frame of reference to consider it from. Try considering the problem through the eyes of someone you admire. Does the problem look different? Try looking at it with the mind Albert Einstein or Bill Gates or Martha Stewart. Now how does the problem look? Be Happy for One Minute Maybe you are currently overwhelmed with problems and challenges beyond your control. Try finding something to give thanks for, and focus on being grateful. Forget any current or past tragedies or disasters, and allow yourself to be happy for one minute. You really can achieve wonders in just one minute. And these single minutes can add up to a greatly improve quality of life. Give it a try! About the Author Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler is a pioneer brain/mind researcher and executive advisor. She was among the first to introduce brainwave training to the corporate world, and currently creates live brainwave training sessions for the Quantum Brain Gym. For a sample of her recent "CatNap" series of Alpha brainwave sessions=> Click Here! http://www.quantum-self.com/bwsample.htm 5 Ways To Jumpstart Your New Direct Sales Business by Stefanie Fauquet Starting in a new direct sales business is a very exciting time. This is when your energy and enthusiasm for your new business is greatest, and the opportunity for your business to really take off. Follow these 5 simple steps to give your business the jumpstart it needs to be successful! 1. Take action – There is no better time than the present to get started and build your new direct sales business. Statistics have shown that those who get their business going right away, when their excitement is up, will have a much greater success rate. 2. Make a plan – As much as you might want to jump in head first in your new business, there is a better way for long term success and that is to make a plan. Plan out your daily activities ahead of time, and schedule them accordingly. Stick to your schedule! Planning and scheduling your time devoted to your business will make you more organized, and in turn more focused, which leads to success. 3. Know your business – When just starting a new direct sales business it is important to truly know what you are getting into. Know your company and its history. Know all the major players you will be working along with. When someone asks questions on why you got started with this company you should have a clear answer. The more informed you are the more professional you look to potential customers. Research everything! 4. Have goals – Where do you see this new business taking you? What are your short and long term goals with your new business? Having goals in mind will help push you along the way when times are tough. There must be a reason for you to be in business in the first place. 5. Ignore everyone else – Sometimes this is the most important thing to do when starting a new direct sales business. There are so many people out there, and sometimes this includes friends and family that will tell you your business will fail. Simply ignore them and believe in yourself! You will usually experience many downfalls before you truly will see success. The key is to learn from your mistakes, to move on, and to never give up! Starting in a new direct sales business is a very exciting time. This is when your energy and enthusiasm for your new business is greatest, and the opportunity for your business to really take off. Follow these 5 simple steps to give your business the jumpstart it needs to be successful! Article Source: LadyPens.com - Awesome Articles by Awesome Women! About the Author Stefanie Fauquet is the owner of top Direct Sales Resource site designed to help Work at Home Moms build a profitable Direct Sales Business, while being able to stay home with their kids. Visit www.workathomemomonline.com today! Back to the MLM Woman Newsletter Index We want your feedback! Send e-mail comments to Linda at: regent@west.net Copyright 2005, Regent Press