You Catch More Bees With Honey

2022 marks my 28th year on the direct sales and marketing scene.

I started the hard way, grinding door to door, selling Kirby Home Care Systems (vacuum cleaners). Once the Internet started to become "a thing", I immediately saw the opportunity to branch out, switching from the vacuum cleaner to computer sales.

During the direct sales years, there were only a couple of people who I admired. I wanted what they had but I was not inspired to mimic their ethic. Despite the fact that I "thought" I wanted to be like them, the reality was (at that time) that I wasn't even close to being in the right frame of mind to do what was necessary to replicate their success.

Then, when Web 2.0 started to become "a thing", I saw the world of online marketing in a whole new light... but I struggled, hard!

For whatever reason, it took me a long time to get out of direct sales mode and into the right frame of mind for selling via social media. That transitional struggle led me to seek out my first mentor.

Val is the only mentor who actually inspired me. Following him made sense to me, not because of what he had accomplished, but because he was one of the only people who took the time to sit down with me and show me how to get the result I was looking for. He told me what to do, I did it and it worked!

To this day I reflect on his words every time I conduct a training. "Rex," he'd say... "There are three things that everyone wants. They want to be loved, they want to feel needed and they want to be part of something. Remember that and you'll never have another problem making money online again." He was right!

Here's what I learned through all of this...

When you can show someone how to get the results they are looking for, whether it's a solution to a problem, how to fix something, whatever... you immediately become someone they want to follow and listen to. As you demonstrate to them that their input matters, they become endearing. When you show them that their being part of your circle is important to you, they stay!

In most cases, a sale is made long before any money changes hands. People buy because they are sold on you.

Yes, there are people who will "risk" money if they have been persuaded that they will get a result, but, consistent income comes when you become a "sure bet!" The sweetest honey you'll ever share with another human being is your ability and willingness to show them how to get the results they are looking for.

In the event you missed it, I encourage you to go back and read the articles on leadership by Brian Biro and Tom "Big Al" Schreiter last month, where Brian said...

"There is no more foundational key to lasting success than being fully present."

And Big Al said...

"When prospects tell us their problems, all we have to do is check if they want to solve the problem and the sale is done."

Find the problem and solve it with your full attention, whether you're coaching personally or collectively. Showing people how to get results keeps them coming back for more!