Draw up your list … all the people who you owe thanks to. Add in people you don’t owe thanks to. Figure out some reason to thank them, anyway. Then write a brief, heart-felt “Thank-you” note and mail it. Send out one a day.

This strategy is quick, simple, easy to do. It makes an impression on your market. But first, it makes an impression on you. You can’t help but have “gratitude” front and center in your heart when you are thanking people. The more gratitude you feel, the more inner peace you will feel. And that certainly puts you in the correct frame of mind for network marketing.

So write down some names. Then write down some categories - family, friends, mentors, team members, prospects, teachers, those you admire but have never met. That’s a start.

I think you’re best to not completely commercialize your gratitude. Sure, you want to thank those who could also help your MLM business in the future … but to get maximum benefit for your own attitude, spend just as much time thanking those who have no connection to your business and probably never will. It just puts you in the right frame of mind.

This is a good “to-do” to start your morning with, to get your mind off on the right foot of “gratitude” thinking. This also bolsters your attitude and makes it much more difficult for you to slip into negative thinking. When you don’t acknowledge the contribution others have made to your success & happiness, it’s a short step to thinking that you have no success & happiness. That declines rapidly into resentment and frustration. And obviously, it’s totally unproductive to go down THAT road, so let’s don’t.

This little exercise helps you start every day by focusing on what is good in your life. And when you think of that special person to thank, and you’re in the “gratitude” frame of mind, other faces will pop into your head. Add them to your list. Plus, you’ll start to think of other things you are grateful for.

How could a day that started like that EVER turn into anything but a great day?

Your friends for life,

Michael & Linda Dlouhy
1-352-799-8779  Call anytime
“Be a mentor with a servant’s heart!”
Success In 10 Steps

In MLM, we talk about duplication all the time. And it exists … but it’s never perfect. Everybody has their own way of doing things. No matter how closely someone may model you, they will make their own little personal changes. Most of the time, it’s no big deal. So don’t make it one.

Just be sure people understand the main principles. Then they can innovate a bit and still get good results. You can’t be one of those “my way or the highway” people, because most of us come to network marketing to get away from that!

That said, it IS important the people follow correct principles. If they go totally off the path, aimlessly wandering the forest, they’ll get lost. When you see that, then you need to assert yourself, because it’s for their own good. Just be sure that the battle you choose to fight is 100% relevant to THEIR success.

Plans rarely go exactly as you would like. People never do things just the way you would. But your step-by-step method probably isn’t sacred. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. Don’t let minor differences in style become a source of unhappiness, frustration, or constant battles.

The crucial action for you is to be certain you understand the principles behind every plan. Your goal isn’t to have your prospect become you … it’s to have them bond with you and follow your lead to build a successful business. If you do something that causes them to feel isolated and pull away from you, then YOU are the one who is sabotaging the plan.

Again, it all goes back to the principles of promoting & building the MLM business. Know what those are, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Your friends for life,

Michael & Linda Dlouhy
“Be a mentor with a servant’s heart!”
1-352-799-8779  Call anytime
Success In 10 Steps

When was the last time you got impatient while your MLM prospect was talking?

Now yes, it’s possible that some people are so self-absorbed in their own words that they don’t even notice you are paying zero attention. But most people aren’t totally tone-deaf. They can see the glazed-over look in your eyes. Just because you aren’t interrupting them doesn’t mean you are hearing and understanding their thoughts. They’d love to think that some actual communication was going on, but they know better. And they’re more than happy to return the favor.

Some “conversations” are reminiscent of teenagers showing off for each other. If I start talking the instant you stop, it shows that I’ve been preparing while you were talking. Have you ever sat in a crowded restaurant and just eavesdropped on the talking at the other tables? Try it. It’s pretty easy to hear that one person talks while the other thinks … and then they switch roles. No actual listening is occurring.

And that may not be the worst of it. Recall the last time you were waiting to get a word in edgewise. Can you feel the stress? Your energy is spent thinking through a response that will top the speaker’s comments. You could be listening to them, to pick out the value in what they say, maybe to learn some useful stuff, certainly to help build a relationship with that person. You’d feel no pressure. They’d feel safe, because there’s no competition going on.

Bottom line? Listening gives you a way better chance to build meaningful MLM relationships than talking does. Plus, you might learn something really valuable!

Your friends for life,

Michael & Linda Dlouhy
“Be a mentor with a servant’s heart!”
1-352-799-8779   Call anytime
Success In 10 Steps

I talk to people on a regular basis who seem to be constantly on pins and needles, waiting for the next emergency in their personal life or their network marketing business. And for a fair part of the population, WHATEVER happens next gets treated as an emergency. And most of the time, it’s one of those things they won’t even remember 6 months down the road.

Life is not an emergency … but you should definitely act with urgency to achieve your goals.

Here’s the thing about life: it is a never-ending series of events, as long as you live. Events like:

1. You’re late for an appointment with a hot lead.
2. The guy who mows your lawn can’t make it this week.
3. The big picnic got cancelled because of rain.
4. Your car had a flat tire.
5. The garbage can is overflowing.
6. Your dog had puppies.
7. That new person in your office isn’t working out.
8. Your prospect’s computer crashed and they can’t sign up.
9. The War in Iraq is still going on.
10. The network is cancelling your favorite TV show.

It’s amazing to me how many people neglect their families and their own dreams because of an event like those listed above. These are people whose life goes from one emergency to the next. What they don’t see is that we all have those same events in our lives. But most people don’t act like it’s an emergency.

No matter how many hours a week you work, your ‘in basket’ will never been empty. Even after you die, those events will just keep right on coming.

The truth for your life is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Nothing on that list is worth losing a moment’s sleep over. Just keep right on working on the stuff that is REALLY important in your life. Ignore the rest of it. Or if you can’t ignore it, at least don’t compound the problem by getting upset over it. Just do what you must and let it go.

At some time along life’s way, we all create our own emergencies. That’s OK. As soon as you recognize it, let it go. Be easy on yourself. Most of these things will make zero difference in the outcome of even one day, let alone have a lasting impact on your life.

Your friends in stress-free living,

Michael & Linda Dlouhy
“Be a mentor with a servant’s heart!”
1-352-799-8779  Call anytime.
Success in 10 Steps