Are You Cut Out to Be an MLM Cowboy?
I’m completely obsessed about horses so I admit that most of my life lessons come from horses. Whether I learn patience by pushing a horse too fast (and getting bucked off), or I learn persistence by getting back in the saddle (after getting bucked off), I learn a lot from my horses. I learn a lot by getting bucked off.
Recently, one of my trained horses slipped and fell, rolling on my leg in the process. Ouch, that hurt! A couple of weeks later, I got bucked off one of my new mustang mares. That hurt, too. However, I must say that being banged up for a couple of days forced me to sit in my rocker, and gave me time to think.
I began to realize the similarity between cowboys (or cowgirls) and MLM business builders. Both roles take a lot of guts and a lot of heart.
Horses are an unpredictable lot. Even the most well-trained horse is still a fight-or-flight creature, and can spook at a plastic bag blowing in the wind, or nothing at all. When you get in the saddle, you never really know what’s going to happen. It takes heart and guts to keep getting in the saddle, especially if you have been bucked off a lot.
The same is true of the MLM business. It takes guts and a lot of heart. Whether you want to prospect people in person or online or by phone, you can’t be short on confidence. You also have to have a sense of adventure because you never know what’s going to happen when you pick up the phone to call a lead, or you tap out an article to promote online.
MLM Prospecting: Good, Bad, and Indifferent
The results of your MLM prospecting can be:
A) Good: the prospect signed up and you’re in business. Yippee!
B) Bad: You got told that your articles suck and MLM is a scam. Bummer!
C) Indifferent: You post a ton of articles in your online MLM marketing campaign and nothing happens. Not even a peep. No one even cares enough to give you a Bronx cheer. What now?
Dealing with all three of these options on a daily basis can be very difficult for the average person with the average personality. Most people like stability and routine, which is why they get jobs rather than starting businesses. With a job, you show up between certain hours and, unless you are a high-flier, pretty much do the same thing day in and day out.
With an MLM business, you spend your days engaged in prospecting and you never quite know what to expect. Some days you have a lot of highs and no lows. Some days you are tuned into the all-bummer all-the-time radio station. And some days you plug along, wondering whether your actions are having any effect.
Dealing with these constant changes while staying upbeat takes a strong personality, or someone with lots of guts and a lot of heart. MLM is not for everyone. But an MLM business can be a spectacular success for the person who doesn’t mind riding out the highs and lows of the business, with the understanding that there is a real promise of time and money freedom at the end.
The good news is that once you know that the MLM business is filled with highs, lows, and days that could only be considered “flat line,” you can prepare yourself for the ride.
Real Cowboys and Real MLM Business Builders
Real cowboys ride real horses with real risks. Armchair cowboys get drunk and ride the mechanical bull at the bar. The only risk is looking like a fool.
Truly successful MLM business builders put their personalities and skills on the line. They risk real money and get real big checks in the mail. Armchair MLM business builders go to meetings and treat them as bull-sessions with their friends. They only risk they take is wasting time and money.
Which one are you?
Ride ‘em, cowboy!
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Photo credit: smD20696a
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