Do You Know Any "Experts"? - by Pete Zdanis

Do You Know Any “Experts”?

-      by Pete Zdanis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do the following news article headlines have in common?

 March 24, 2004 – “Unexpected decline in survival from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone disease”

December 4, 2009 – “Two years of steep job cuts all but ended last month, unexpectedly pulling down the unemployment rate and raising hopes for a lasting economic recovery.”

March 31, 2010 – “Private payrolls unexpectedly fell in March, according to data released Wednesday.”

May 19, 2010 – “Treasury Inflation Protected Securities plunged after a government report showed U.S. consumer prices unexpectedly declined in April.”

May 25, 2010 – “Worldwide mortality in children younger than 5 years has dropped from 11.9 million deaths in 1990 to 7.7 million deaths in 2010, a rate of decline that is faster than expected, according to new research…”

June 11, 2010 – “Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in May for the first time in eight months…”

July 8, 2010 – “There were 454,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended July 3, down 21,000 from an upwardly revised 475,000 in the previous week, the Labor Department said.  The number of claims was lower than expected.”

August 16, 2010 – “FX is ignoring an unexpected decline in the National Association of Home Builders’ housing market index. According to the report the housing market index declined to a reading of 13 from 14 the month prior, despite calls for an increase to 15.”

August 19, 2010 – “On Thursday morning, the Labor Department said that new jobless claims filed last week unexpectedly rose by 12,000 to hit 500,000, the first time since November that the half-million mark has been reached.”

Aside from the fact that most of them are pretty depressing, these headlines make it pretty clear that the so-called “experts” in these examples were relatively clueless that these events were going to happen.

Read them again with (my) appropriate emphasis added:

March 24, 2004 – “Unexpected decline in survival from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone disease”

December 4, 2009 – “Two years of steep job cuts all but ended last month, unexpectedly pulling down the unemployment rate and raising hopes for a lasting economic recovery.”

March 31, 2010 – “Private payrolls unexpectedly fell in March, according to data released Wednesday.”

May 19, 2010 – “Treasury Inflation Protected Securities plunged after a government report showed U.S. consumer prices unexpectedly declined in April.”

May 25, 2010 – “Worldwide mortality in children younger than 5 years has dropped from 11.9 million deaths in 1990 to 7.7 million deaths in 2010, a rate of decline that is faster than expected, according to new research…”

June 11, 2010 – “Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in May for the first time in eight months…”

July 8, 2010 – “There were 454,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended July 3, down 21,000 from an upwardly revised 475,000 in the previous week, the Labor Department said.  The number of claims was lower than expected.”

August 16, 2010 – “FX is ignoring an unexpected decline in the National Association of Home Builders’ housing market index. According to the report the housing market index declined to a reading of 13 from 14 the month prior, despite calls for an increase to 15.”

August 19, 2010 – “On Thursday morning, the Labor Department said that new jobless claims filed last week unexpectedly rose by 12,000 to hit 500,000, the first time since November that the half-million mark has been reached.”

What the heck is going on here? How come all these MBAs, PhDs and other “high-level experts” so consistently miss the mark on predicting things that they are paid to be at least somewhat accurate in predicting?

I don’t have the answer to that question, but the above examples make it perfectly clear to me that highly-educated, highly-paid “experts”, armed with mountains of data, computing power and expertise can get things wrong.  And it seems that they get it wrong quite often, if the above examples are any indication.

Which leads me to warn you about all of the “experts” you are going to encounter as you build your network marketing business.

You know who I mean…

The co-worker who tells you that she “gets all the nutrition she needs from her diet”, as she opens up her second pack of Oreos from the company cafeteria vending machine.

Your unemployed brother-in-law who preaches that the network marketing you are involved in is an “illegal Ponzi scheme”, as he finishes scratching off the last of the lottery tickets he gets from his daily trip to the local convenience store.

I could go on, but, you get the idea.

Are these people “experts”?

Certainly not.

However, even if they WERE experts, there’s a good chance that they would be wrong.

An example could be the following headline:

January 2, 2011 - “It was reported today that (Insert your name here) earned significantly more income from their network marketing business last month than anyone, including the ‘experts’, expected.”

You can do it….

….no matter what the “experts” tell you.

Now go write your own headlines.

© 2010 - Zdanis USANA Power Team ®  - All Rights Reserved

This article may only be copied, shared, distributed or otherwise reproduced in its entirety, including this disclaimer and copyright authorization.

A Message From Tim Sales About the USANA International Convention

A Message From Tim Sales About the USANA International Convention

It's Tim here and I'm extremely excited about the upcoming USANA International Convention! I'll be there and I hope you'll be able to attend.

I'm sending you this quick note to let you know about some special things we have going on at the event and to give you a special bonus.

First, I'm going to be doing a live book signing at the First Class M.L.M Tools booth on Friday, Aug. 27th from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. I'll be there again on Saturday from 1:30 - 2:30. Make sure you come and see me!

Second, I'm so excited to be unveiling some of my newest training tools at the conference. Professional Presenter will be available at discounted pricing and if you're already a student of Professional Inviter, you'll be really excited to hear that I'm releasing my newest tool, the Pro Inviter Workbook! It will help you take the training you received in the Pro Inviter CD's to the next level. Make sure you come by the booth to check them out.

Third, we'll also have special pricing on the health and nutritional supplement brochures, including the exclusive USANA Booklet, "A Guide on How to Select a Good Vitamin & Mineral Supplement". These booklets will help you to...

• Help customers get over the "your supplements are too expensive" objection.
• Explain the benefits of daily supplement intake in terms that are easily understood.
• Give out convincing information that compels customers to use high-quality supplements.

Now, be sure to print out this email and bring it with you to the conference because you can use the coupon below to save even more.

************************************************

USANA SPECIAL EVENT COUPON

Present this coupon and receive $5 off any order over $50

Or Receive $10 off any order over $125

Limit One Per Customer

************************************************

I'm incredibly honored and excited about the event and I look forward to seeing you there!

Committed to your success,

Tim Sales

P.S. Many people like to "stock up" on tools at the conference. Don't worry, I'll have all my training products and recruiting tools at the booth and available at discounted prices. Plus, we even have a cool tote bag available for free with every order of $75 or more...so come and check it out!

See Who's Who on the Zdanis USANA Team this Week!

See Who's Who on the Zdanis USANA Team this Week!

For the Week Ending 08.13.10:

New Team Members:

Julia Barrera, San Antonio, TX, US

Heidi Beraldo, Stoney Creek, ON, CA

Lenora Desanctis, Ossining, NY, US

Rank Advancements:

Patrick Freeman – El Paso, TX, US - Believer

Joy Sharpe – Dundas, ON, CA – Sharer

Trish Starr – Truth or Consequences, NM, US – Sharer

Top Performers:

Richard Cameron, Hamilton, ON, CA - #13 Top Earner among Canadian Silver Directors

Patrick Freeman, El Paso, TX, US – Sponsored one new Associate

Ruth Kohake, Yonkers, NY, US – Sponsored one new Associate

Bertilla Scattolon, Grimsby, ON, CA – Sponsored one new Associate

Pete & Dora Zdanis, Chester Springs, PA, US – #5 Top Earners among US 1-Star Diamonds (#6 Globally)

Congratulations to all!

Pete & Dora

Social Media = Lead generation

Social Media = Lead Generation

 - by Lisa Barone

If you’re still not sure social media is worth the investment, try this one for size: According to a May survey by virtual events provider Unisfair, social media is now the number one emerging channel for lead gen among technology marketers. And while that could seem somewhat skewed based on their occupation, the point is this – social media delivers qualified leads. While the conversations, brand awareness and friends make you feel good, that’s not the power of social media. The power of social media is that it connects you to qualified leads and puts more money into your bank account.

According to the Unisfair survey, 66 percent of respondents said lead generation their greatest concern for 2010. The findings seem to match R2integrated’s April survey that found 61 percent of respondents were after lead generation, as well as HubSpot’s report that Twitter usage could double monthly leads for SMBs.

In case you need a recap: Social media = leads.

Why is social media such an effective lead generation tool? It’s easy.

It Distributes Your Content: When you put content on your Web site, no one but your current customers or prospects see it. When you upload that same content to Facebook, to YouTube, to StumbleUpon, to Flickr, to Twitteryou take advantage of larger and larger networks. Networks that have thousands of active users who are there to consume and share content. The more people who see it, the more brand awareness you earn, and the more people who will be driven back to your Web site and placed in a conversion funnel that you create.

You Pick Up Sitting Duck Clients: Stop what you’re doing and go to Twitter Search. Click on the Advanced Search option (or just click that link) and create a Saved search designed to pick up ‘sitting ducks’. For example, if you’re a local mechanic, you may want to set up a search for [brake job], [car inspection] or [oil change]. Set the distance for 25 miles from your place of business and then save the search. Now any time someone in your local area tweets about needing a brake job, a car inspection or an oil change, you’ll be notified. And then you can reach out to that person. You can also create searches for you competitors and try to steal those conversions away.

Answer Questions Qualifies You For Future Jobs: While you’re near Twitter Search, enter in some business-related keywords and look for folks asking questions about whatever it is you’re an expert at. When you can, answer them. Go to Yahoo Answers, Business Answers and any other relevant question/answer site and do the same thing. This is a great way to increase leads by using your expertise to pre-qualify you for the job. For example, my Twitter friend Andrew Norcross commented that he often answers people’s WordPress-related questions and has received both freelance and long term clients from it. Answering questions is a good way to establish your authority, but also for people to “test you out” before they commit to a larger contract.

Delivers Trusted Referrals: One of the most obvious ways social media delivers leads is through social media referrals. Through your interactions on Twitter, on Facebook, wherever, you make your presence known to colleagues and users. You converse with them and develop relationships so that they feel like they “know” you. Then, when they have a job they can’t take or they hear about someone in their network looking for a local caterer, they remember you and recommend you for the job.

Connects you to local professionals: Another way that social media can deliver leads is by connecting you to other professionals in your area that you can talk, debate and share information with. For example, I belong to the Albany, NY Marketing Professionals and Internet Marketers of New York groups. Both groups serve as discussion forums for people to share advice and to pass on referrals or freelance opportunities as they come up. It’s a great way to connect and build trust.

Social media is an emerging lead generation tool because, quite simply, it lowers the barrier to the sale. By building relationships, displaying expertise and networking, you’re able to bring in more people than cold calling ever could.

How are you using social media for lead generation?

USANA Enters China - A Message from Dave Wentz

USANA Enters China

I am very pleased to tell you that USANA has acquired BabyCare Ltd, a direct selling company based in Beijing with operations in 21 cities and 16 provinces.

As one of only 25 companies operating with a direct selling license in China, BabyCare offers USANA a unique opportunity to accomplish our objective of entering this lucrative market. With more than 11 years of experience in China, BabyCare brings us valuable knowledge of the country’s direct sales industry. And, importantly, we will have the ability to expand to China via BabyCare.

BabyCare develops, manufactures, and sells high-quality nutritional products for the entire family, with a focus on infant nutrition. They are a natural fit for USANA because they share our philosophy for high-quality products and pristine manufacturing practices.

Initially, BabyCare will continue to operate as a standalone business in China while helping USANA become more familiar with the market. USANA’s long-term objective for this acquisition is to establish and grow the USANA brand throughout China. In an effort to achieve this goal, USANA is already working to license some of its products to BabyCare to enhance the company’s existing product line.

To be one of the first to learn more about this exciting opportunity and what it means for you, join us for a special training session next week at our 2010 International Convention in Salt Lake City. For those of you who are unable to attend Convention, each market will be conducting its own special training in early September. More information about the time, date, and location for these trainings will be coming soon from your local office.

Thank you for all of your hard work on behalf of USANA. We will continue to look for opportunities to help you benefit by sharing the USANA vision with the world.

See you at convention!

Live well,

Dave Wentz

USANA Chief Executive Officer

The Fear Tax - by Seth Godin

The Fear Tax 

 - by Seth Godin

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Here's what happens as a result of security theater at the Orlando airport:

• You wait in line at least twenty minutes
• There's a scrum of pushing and shoving
• The staff are unhappy and not afraid to share it
• An unreasonable workload leads to fatigue and errors
• People miss their flights

Here's what doesn't happen:

• Security is not increased
• Peace of mind is not enhanced

In other words, we're paying a significant tax (time and money) and getting nothing in return. In fact, we get worse than nothing. We could call it an anxiety program, instead of a tax. (After all, when you pay a luxury tax, you get some hard-won luxury as part of the deal).

The reason the TSA keeps changing the rules is not because the rules work, but because changing the rules creates more anxiety (for bad guys, they say, but for us too).

Another example: the MBA. A lot of entrepreneurs get an MBA because they are afraid to go out into world without one. They are seeking the reassurance a credential will bring them, even though the cost is huge and there's no data to indicate that they'll be more successful as an entrepreneur as a result.

We pay the fear tax every time we spend time or money seeking reassurance. We pay it twice when the act of seeking that reassurance actually makes us more anxious, not less.

We pay the tax when we cover our butt instead of doing the right thing, and we pay the tax when we take away someone's dignity because we're afraid.

We should quantify the tax. The government should publish how much of our money they're spending to create fear and then spending to (apparently) address fear. Corporations should add to their annual reports how much they spent just-in-case. Once we know how much it costs, we can figure out if it's worth it.

Instead of seeking out gatekeepers and critics and others that demand we get the broom of the wicked witch, perhaps we should just publish our work. The tax is too high.

Instead of forgetting about the wasted anxiety after the fact, perhaps we ought to keep a log of how often we needlessly pay the fear tax.

Instead of over-staffing, over-planning, over-meeting and over-analyzing, perhaps organizations should take lower-cost steps and actually ship.

Think about how much you could get done if you didn't have to pay a tax to amplify or mollify your fear...

What It Takes To Be Amazing - by Randy Gage

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What It Takes to Make It

by Randy Gage

August 14th, 2010

People often ask what it takes to be successful in Network Marketing.  I have a short, simple answer…

All you got.

Fortunately it doesn’t take more than all you got.  But it does take all you got.  In fact, I’ll suggest this business will be the hardest one you’ll ever do, period.

And I’m qualified to make that statement.  I’ve been president of the Chamber of Commerce, worked in the corporate world, run distribution companies, managed medical centers, launched HMO’s, started restaurants & clubs, Internet marketing, information entrepreneur, owned a hairstyling salon, and published a magazine.  

I’ve consulted with literally hundreds of other entrepreneurs in all kinds of businesses.  And can assure you, Network Marketing is harder than all of them!

Why?

Quite a few reasons.  First, the essence of the business is leadership development.  Not an easy thing to learn. Or teach.  This takes tremendous people skills.

Because of that, MLM requires large amounts of personal growth and self-development.  And working on yourself is tough work!

Other businesses you can get by on just skill, just talent or just money.  Here you need heart.  Guts.  And love.

With Network Marketing, you have to go all in.  You can start it part-time, you can start it with a limited commitment, you can start it not even believing it will work.

But to succeed at it, at some point you’ll have to move from kindergarten to the big leagues.  You’ll have to go from a night or two a week, to four or five nights a week.  You’ll have to commit and you’ll have to develop belief.

Here’s why…

You can’t really get anyone into our business.  It doesn’t work that way.  You can only commit, develop that belief and become so passionate that people want to be a part of what you’re doing.

MLM is like golf.  The only person you compete with is yourself.  

The enemy isn’t other companies.

It’s not negative prospects.  

And it’s not government regulation, high prices, or backorders.  

The real enemy is your doubts and fears.  It’s what’s between your ears.

Most people today doubt their beliefs and believe their doubts.  You have to be different.  And that means daily self-development.  Keeping your dream in front of you.  And making sure your dream is bigger than your fears.

Yeah, you can probably win a free cruise, get a bonus car and rake in some nice bonus checks.  That would probably motivate you to go to a job every day.  That would probably motivate you to do any one of those other businesses I named.  

But it’s probably not enough to get you to do Network Marketing.

Because our business is a lot tougher than those.  Our business means contacting prospects, driving to work with long distance lines, and sacrificing lots of pleasures early on for the long term.  

It means really getting out of your comfort zone and growing.

So your dream has to be even bigger.  It has to include other people’s dreams.  Taking your eyes off of just yourself and looking how you can contribute in a meaningful way.

It’s going to mean facing rejection and maybe ridicule.  Facing your fears.  Dealing with dropouts and no shows.  Negative publicity, misperceptions, and adversity.

We know every adversity has in it the seeds of a greater opportunity.  But that opportunity is not automatic!  

It is there only if you make a conscious choice not to be a victim; a conscious choice to learn the lesson and find a new door to walk through.  And remember, every room has a door.

Network Marketing is HARD.  So why do it?

Because it will be the most rewarding business you ever do in your life.  Yes it can give you those trips, car and bonus checks; it can get you free.  But it also does so much more…

The confidence you develop, the skills you learn, the satisfaction you gain are priceless.  Who you have to become to be successful in our business makes it all worth it.

And the joy that can only come from contribution…

When your new team member calls you screaming with excitement because they’ve sponsored their first person.   The breakthroughs you witness when someone buys their first suit, makes their first presentation, or calls that prospect that scares them beyond measure. When one of your people conquers their fear in any way, it will bring you rewards you can’t get anywhere else.

In our business you reach success by helping other people reach success.  That is what gets you up at 6 am to do self-development, that is what gets you to pick up the phone, that is what keeps you awake driving home at 2 am from a meeting for a new person on your tenth level.

So yeah, it doesn’t take more than you got.  

But it does take all you got.  

Just know it’s worth it.

So find someone you respect and make them a promise that you will do what it takes to win.  

Ask them to hold you accountable.

Then make yourself the same promise.  After that, make a public declaration. 

Are you up for that?

Then tweet this post, “like” it on Facebook, blog it, or email a link to everyone on your team.  Bookmark this and come back to it whenever the seed of doubt creeps in.

Start EVERY day with positive self-development.  Don’t answer your phone, answer the door, or leave the house until your consciousness is vibrating at thermonuclear level.  Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are worthy.

Then go out and be amazing!

-RG

No Business from LinkedIn? Here’s What May Be Wrong

No Business from LinkedIn? Here’s What May Be Wrong

-          by Victoria Ipri 

So you’ve been on LI for months and you haven’t gotten one shred of business…except maybe a few inquiries here and there that didn’t pan out; a couple nibbles from companies that were wrong for you; and those endless MLM offers you won’t even consider.

That leaves you wondering what all the fuss is about. Who are all these people who claim they have gotten new, profitable business on LinkedIn?

Bad news: It’s not LinkedIn. It’s you.

To drive business on LinkedIn, you need an action plan and a system, just like any other business strategy. You’re only going to get back what you put in. Without a plan, you’ll waste a lot of time being sociable, with no real business to show for it.

This is the biggest complaint I hear about social media marketing…it takes a lot of time and results never seem to materialize.

I agree, it is time-consuming. But when done correctly (which means planning SMM into your day, maximizing that time, and maintaining a narrow focus), the results can be astounding.

It’s kind of like cleaning your house. You start out enthusiastically enough. Two hours later, though, you haven’t moved from the bedroom. You end up sidetracked, going through closets and drawers and…“ooohhh! What’s this? My high school love letters!”

Before you know it, you’ve walked so far down Memory Lane you’ll need to catch the bus back to the corner of Main & Reality.

8 Steps to Optimizing Your LI Connections

1. See the future: How much new business can you comfortably handle? Be realistic. One new client a month is 12 for the year. Not bad. 

2. Choose a target market and do not stray from this focus 

3. Join groups for those markets and actively participate in a meaningful way 

4. Educate yourself on effective LI search…there are ways to search and findspecific information about specific people 

5. Stand out: Be active! Be proactive! Be visible! Get out there and get involved. Create a highly compelling profile; not a resume rehash. 

6. Answer questions to highlight your subject expertise 

7. Accept connections and request connections. People want to connect with you! 

8. Talk to people. I mean, really talk. Show an interest, look for ways to help each other…seeking connections isn’t only about having lots of connections!

Remember…this is social media marketing. You wouldn’t walk into your neighbor’s BBQ, announce your arrival, then sit in your neighbor’s favorite chair and start dominating the conversation, would you? The beauty of social media marketing is the opportunity to use natural, social strategies of communicating, connecting and collaborating to build your online visibility and attract the attention of companies you really want to work with.