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Folks,
Sharing content that I’ve done for maybe the last 2-3 months. Most of my time lately has been consumed with my work here at the Empower Network. (It’s a bit different running a company doing $1 – $3 million a month in sales, than just running an ordinary blog – but… its fun
)Anyways, I wanted to write about a subject that’s close to my heart – mostly, because I’ve experienced a great deal of pain at the receiving end of this – being the leader who’s been chased away all too often.
This message is not for everyone – it’s targeted towards the people on my list – or EWS reader base, who can build large organizations, and have a lot of influence. Also, if you’re the kind of person that are what I would call a ‘higher level grinder‘ this is going to make a lot of sense, it may even guide you towards finding a team that can help you get to the next level.
I wanted to reach out, and challenge some of the things that I see happening a lot in this industry – not because of good principle, but because of fear. This industry has no need of fear, we are here to empower others at a different level – to take the hopeless and fill them with vision – to take the leaders and give them a path to reach their visions, their dreams…
We are not here to control, but to uplift the masses. Often times, in this niche, we find ourselves in an awkward place, where we preach one thing, yet see another. I'm here to help locally and online.
The difference of this industry (Network Marketing) to any other niche, is the fact that our money is not made from the few – it’s made from the masses. See, at an ‘ordinary‘ job (like we’re groomed for since birth) our life – or outcome, is determined by what we personally accomplish.
In sales, or ‘normal’ marketing, the scales of production increase, but the reward stays level – we’re rewarded for what we do.
In this industry, we don’t make money like that.
We make money from the masses, not the few – and it’s a point that is rare in it’s recognition, and too often overlooked. Our goal is not to find one super hero, it’s to find a THOUSAND average people, all having a little success.
The breakthrough, however, comes when we can find ONE who can move a THOUSAND.
There’s a problem, though – all of us (the people who can move the masses) – we’re all a bit quirky.
We don’t like jobs, we don’t like being treated like employees – and…
…no matter what anyone tells us, we’re just going to do what we want. (Really, we’re a sore in the behind for anyone in Corporate America. We’re late for meetings, don’t like rules, and forget what we tell people – even though we’re generally an honest, badass crowd)
There’s a problem though – almost NO ONE knows how to deal with our kind of personality, and almost everyone abuses it, and tries to get us to do shit that we just won’t do. Let me give you a few examples of stuff that sucks – and you’ll have to deal with if you become a leader in the industry. Of course, this seems negative, but we’re going to bring it back around, and I’ll show you the light at the end of the tunnel at the close of this article.
Here is some stuff that sucks:
1) Company owners who quit when there’s a tiny, iddy biddy bit of challenge that stands in their way. I would actually rate this as the #1 cause of company failure in the MLM industry. Some people say it’s merchant companies, others say it’s poor product development. The reality? Marketing. My first success in the industry, I had a thriving, growing team. I was the #1 recruiter in the company, and also had the fastest growing team. The rest of the company, however, wasn’t growing as fast as the investors wanted. So rather than figuring it out, and copying what their top rep was doing and replicating it for the rest of the sales force – they just quit. Leaving me, Dave Wood, stuck with nothing but my team and my marketing business on hold. It froze.
Literally, they got together in a board meeting, and decided to go out of business. They weren’t struggling financially, and weren’t ‘starving’ for funding – they just…
…quit. With complete volition. They didn’t need to quit – they just… wanted to.
I mention this first, because it’s the greatest poison. Too many people get involved with companies, and the real intent of the owners is to have a ‘home run’ – NOT – to build a sustainable business. The problem with this (of course) is it’s hard to spot. That company I was in, I couldn’t have known that the owners were dip-shits. They just were. They seemed like great guys – but they made promises, and gave up when it got tough – they didn’t have the right mind for the niche.
In Corporate America – that’s not a problem. People come in with the expectation of a Job, not to build a dream. In this industry, though – when someone joins, they join with a vision. When you quit on them, regardless of when, you’re not just messing with YOUR dreams, your messing with you’re people – and it ain’t right.
2) Controlling company owners, who think you’re an employee – and you’re not. You’re just the guy (or gal) who shows up and makes them all of their money. They don’t realize – that if they treat you or your people like garbage, you can just as easily make money somewhere else, with someone else – with another product – that they are almost irrelevant, except that they are what you chose to promote.
This one is (I believe) the second cause of a company that doesn’t become great. If I told you the stories of garbage that I’ve put up with from company owners, you literally wouldn’t believe it. The problem (at least most of the time) is that company owners don’t market. They don’t understand how, or WHY you do what you do. So when you come in, and produce $1,000,000 in sales for them – they think that they did it, or they are the reason. They’re not – you are.
However, they don’t know that, because most owners sit behind a desk, or haven’t sold a thing since 1982.
You come in, and do a million in sales – and they think: “Super! I’ve got a great sales guy! I better create some fear and control him so he doesn’t leave – and I had BETTER not pay him anything extra, or he’ll expect too much next month!”
They also will take credit – and pretend that they are the reason for the sales. They think it’s because of their great product, or their great ‘science’. It’s not.
It’s because of great marketing. Great marketing comes from great people – nothing more. If you’re producing astronomical sales – you deserve your commissions, maybe more. It’s notbecause of your company, it’s because of you.
The truth is – it doesn’t matter how much science is in a product – or how valuable it is. It’s who’s selling it, and the marketing behind it – period.
The only thing that makes the product important, is the fact that if it absolutely sucks – you’ll get a lot of refunds, chargebacks, and bad retention. Other than that – it’s completely irrelevant to the sales process. I can sell a box of old shoes to a million people with a good enough comp plan and marketing system behind it – it completely doesn’t matter, at all.
3) Uplines that are constantly trying to push you down, for whatever reason or another. (Mostly, probably because they’re afraid.) I don’t know if you’ve had this happen – but I’ve had uplines who have told prospects reasons why they should join with them, instead of me. (This happens a lot more than you would think). Why?
Most of the time, it’s because the upline can’t recruit as good as you, and they’re afraid that if they let you out produce them, they’ll lose their status as the ‘Top Guy‘. The problem with that, is if they recruit a few of your prospects – you’ll just find a better upline, in a new company – or do something else for a living.
We inherit enough garbage from corporate america to repeat the same misery in direct sales, if this is what we choose to do.
The funny thing is – most leaders don’t actually care about the lost prospects. We can recruit more. The problem is ethics. If I’m in your downline, and I hear 2, 3 or 5 times that my prospects have been told that they’ll ‘duplicate better‘ with you – or that you’re the ‘Top Guy’ so they should join with you – something dies inside.
I don’t want to send edification to a leader like that, because although I don’t have an issue, my people do. The truth is – if you have a team, you should ALWAYS help you team recruit a prospect, rather than trying to steal the prospect for yourself. It doesn’t matter what your opinions are of your team.
This actually made me quit the network marketing business before my first success.
Had this not happened, with what I accomplished a few months later, I would have made my sponsor at least $15,000 a month in that Network Marketing company – if they had dropped dead and done nothing for the next 2 years, they would have a $180,000 a year residual income – from me, and me alone. However, they got on the phone with a prospect, and made them think that if they joined with them (the great leader) they would be better off.
I quit, joined another business, and became the #1 all time producer in my first 90 days.
Why?
Because although I can recruit more – my people can’t all do what I can do. I won’t subject them to tyrannical leadership.
4) Crappy comp plans.
This is the thing that nobody will admit. The ‘myth’ is that all compensation plans are equal – and it’s simply not true, at all.
In one company, you can build a $250,000 a year income with 1,000 people – in another, it takes 50,000. On the surface, they appear equal – the compensation plans are the same on paper, the marketing is similar – but with one company, it takes fifty times the people for the same income.
Why?
There could be a thousand reasons. Maybe one concept is impossible to sell – and another is easy. Maybe one company has ten times the retention. Perhaps one company pays 29.5% of the sales volume in commissions, and another company pays 45%.
That might seem like a 15.5% difference – but in practice, it will multiply an income by five times from the same group of people, with the same sales volume.
Here’s the principle:
A leader will always gravitate towards what rewards them for their production the most, because it is equally easy to produce wherever you go when you learn the skills. So where should you go?
Simple. You should go:
1) Where you are treated the best. Such as here in Empower Network working with Christeraxe.
The fact? Leadership is rare. If you can lead people – you are gifted, and work your ass off. Most likely, if you’re making $1,500 a month – you deserver $10,000 a month or more, and are just around the wrong group of people. If your upline talks bad about his own team – take my advice, and stop edifying them.
It is not worth it. I’ve spent thousands of hours edifying people that became an ‘internal destruction’ to my income. Send edification to leaders who will build you up in return. You deserve it, and they are out there. If we ever talk, I can give you some great examples.
2) Where you are paid the most. Compensation is not equal. I’ve been told it is on audios – I’ve been on webinars that say ‘The company doesn’t matter‘ and other nonsense. Let me give you an example. I started the Empower Network with one purpose – to help people make extraordinary incomes, with average levels of production. The same production level that paid me $9,000 every 2 weeks after 2 1/2 years of work, in the Empower Network has a proven, sustainable model that would have had me making over $1,000 a day in less than 60 days – with a SMALLER amount of production.
That means that in 90 days, I would have out produced 2 1/2 years of hard work – with no extra effort. The same effort that got me to $30-$40,000 a month in a year would have had me at $3,000 a day with the same work in 6-9 months.
There is a difference in input versus economic output.
Let me tell you about a few different kinds of nonsense ‘MYTH‘ teachings that you should avoid like the plague:
1. MYTH: You’re only allowed to join ‘one company’ and have ‘one’ main income. FACT - that even if you think this is true – it never is. Your team will be in 3 deals, and usually, your leaders will have multiple income sources, and not tell you about it. The reality? Sell what makes you money, and stop being a wussy.
2. MYTH: You have to follow a company system to have success. FACT – most of the time, leader’s in companies who are the top 20, or even the top 50 in a $100 million a year company do things their own way. I remember one particular leader who had their own system, preached duplication, and their whole team did all his marketing in totally different ways.
He would have sworn that it was duplication, or what he was teaching. The reality was, he taught his whole team to ‘not do’ one on one presentations. His top two people spent all their time doing one on one meetings and recruiting people in coffee shops. The EXACT ‘opposite’ of what he taught them to do.
Those two people produced 95% of his income. In the companies that I’ve built, I’ve almost always built my income doing the exact opposite of what my upline taught. Most of the time (including now) I’ve made significantly more money than them, because my methods aren’t tied to presuppositions – they’re based in market testing.
That’s it with the pointers for now.
I wanted to take a moment, and share some of the awful crap that I’ve been through in the name of ‘company politics’ – and also, the light at the end of the tunnel.
Why am I willing to share the garbage?
Because you’ll go through it, too, if you ever produce big results.
I want you to have power of over that, and avoid the pain.
The Biggest Breakthrough:
I actually had the biggest breakthrough of ‘why’ people are in this industry, ever – in the last six months. I launched my own company that didn’t interfere with any business model. In other words – it is friendly to MLM, Affiliate Marketers, and ‘Top Tier’. I had 10,000 people join in 45 days as paid customers, and today is still having between 150 and 250 people join per day as paid customers.
I had NO CRITICISM (at all) except for the people who I’ve made the most money for.
In other words – everyone loved what I was doing.
We:
1. Criticized nothing.
2. Interfered with no other business models.
3. Had great products, that everyone raved about.
4. Grew 10 times faster than any industry company – by giving more power AND money to the people than anything in the niche.
The problem was #4.
The funky thing was – the people I expected to be the most excited about what we did, were the only critics.
They made stuff up behind our backs – told people we had problems, when we had none. Stopped edifying our people – bad mouthed our ingenuity. Let me tell you about a few awful stories, from people that you would look up to:
I got on a conference call (true story) where the purpose of the call was to decide whether or not to ‘vote me out’ of the group. I am the #1 all time producer in that particular group, and build about 50% of their active sales force. My company that I launched didn’t compete, didn’t interfere, and is in alignment with their message.
They’ve participated in every single industry product launch, launched ever guru’s product –except our community, which they’ve bad mouthed non stop since I’ve launched it. (behind our backs, of course). When I’ve asked them why – it’s been excuse, after pathetic excuse. The reality? They are afraid of leaders.
In fact, that particular community has had every single leader leave the community who’s ever been in it. Because they’ve treated them all like garbage.
One time, I was on the phone with Dean Kosage doing an interview. He told me that he was about to leave a group that he had been the ‘lime light’ of leadership for, maybe for the last 10 or 15 years straight. I was SHOCKED and in awe that he would even consider leaving. His response?
It shocked me – but I wanted to share:
He said:
“Dave, I’ve tried to make those guys cool for the last 10 years. After 10 years, I looked at myself in the mirror and said:
“My team’s cool – I’m cool…
“What the hell am I doing?
“I’m making all the sales – they’re making all the money…
“…they’re holding me back – it’s time to move on!”
Isn’t it?
Isn’t he right?
Stop bowing to jerky gurus.
That’s one example of why the RIGHT PEOPLE are so essential in a quest for success. That group, for example – I would have never expected to oppose what I’m doing. There’s no reason – or rhyme to it, unless they’re jealous of our success.
In fact, that particular group, after criticizing us for 4 months for the way we market, copied our sales funnel (because it works) – and when challenged, didn’t admit it.
That’s ok – they did a crappy job at copying it
Why am I telling you about the garbage?
Simple.
Because there is a better way.
Not all leaders sell pieces of junk. Some will help you.
I’ll give you an example. Chris Kent, Jake Kavorkian, and Ian Cordell are the ONLY leaders that I’ve made a lot of money for, that didn’t criticize what I was doing, when I launched my own company. They own Numis Network (a badass deal).
Rather than taking stabs – they realized that what I’m doing isn’t in competition with them – and they openly tried to help me in giving me solutions when I ran into infrastructure problems because we grew too fast, and needed help.
That’s why I love them. It doesn’t matter if that’s where my attention is or not – they support me, because I would never do anything to help their company.
In fact, Jake, Chris and Ian are the ONLY network marketing leaders that I’ve made a lot of money for that didn’t ever do a ‘power grab‘ when I launched my own education company. There’s a lesson in that.
Why? Because every other field leader (not, mind you, that I had never worked with – just those I was making lots of money for when I created my company) criticized me behind my back, encouraged people to quit my company, and tried to distance themselves.
The reason was not logic – because no outside leader (in other words – who I wasn’t making a lot of money for) had any issues with what I do. They encouraged it, and congratulated me.
Here’s a few of the GREAT leaders in the niche, that don’t grab for power – because they feel small. These guys are badass, and stand on their own power:
Mark Hoverson: I’ve never sold a lot of Mark’s stuff, but he wasn’t mad at me starting my own company – he encouraged it. He gave me some advice, and put me in touch with lawyers that helped ensure that what I was doing would be long term. I love Mark – because he comes from a place of great intent.
Jonathan Budd: Jonathan is a great guy. I’ve talked to him off and on for 2 years, and never really sold a lot of his stuff – I’ve probably made him NO MONEY at all, but when I launched my own company – he said “badass, dude – make it happen”. He didn’t criticize it, he gave me some sound advice though, and put me in touch with some programming resources to help expand our infrastructure – with no thought of return. Why? Because Jonathan is great marketer.
Jay Kubassek: Jay is one badass dude. True story: When I first met Jay, he threw wine on my shirt. He wasn’t mad, I was wearing a shirt he disagreed with. He saw me, and said ‘Suck that!’ and threw wine on my shirt. Lol. The thing that made me laugh, is that he didn’t pretend to be a ‘weanie’ and ‘accidentally’ throw wine on my shirt. He walked up, said ‘forget that’ and threw wine right on it – right in front of my face.
A man can get mad at that, or can laugh – I thought it was badass. Jay isn’t a small minded weanie.
Why? Because he doesn’t give a damn if I do $20,000,000. a year in sales – he’s going to do it too, and he’ll try his best to out do me. I’ve got to respect that. Jay is badass – and I like what he’s doing with the whole crew down there. I hung out with Jay last week, along with Aaron and Sophia Rashkin (their top producers), Michael Force, and the whole crew. I like the vision, and will do my best to support, and align with it – and help their people.
Fernie and Ray: These guys put on the biggest ‘online MLM’ event of the year, ’No Excuses Summit‘. I didn’t go to No Excuses this year – but it wasn’t because I don’t support it. Ray and Fernie are great, and I am thankful for the small amount of work I’ve done with them.
Ray and Fernie aren’t the biggest direct sales reps – they don’t try to be. However, they are a couple of the best ‘networkers‘ that I’ve ever met. They’ve always treated me, and what I do with respect and have edified it, regardless of personal opinions. They are some of the best ‘JV’ relationship leaders that I’ve ever met in the marketing niche. They do a fantastic event, and have great courses. I would recommend them to anyone. This year, I was going to go just ‘hang out’ at No Excuses, just because I like them. Unfortunately, I got sick at the last possible moment, (true story) and layed in bed for 4 days during their last event. They put on one of the best events of the year, and next time – I’m going
Chris Kent, Ian Cordell, and Jake Kavorkian: The reason I’m bringing them up twice, is because I’ve helped them make a lot of money, and they supported what I do anyways. They are some of the best Network Marketing company owners who I believed have ever lived, and have some of the best ethics I’ve ever ran into in the niche. The only reason I haven’t been focused on building more with them, is because my energy has been focused on helping people make money online – and it takes all my time
So far, they are the only ‘well known’ leaders I’ve worked with that have supported what I do regardless of personal conflicts. I respect these guys with my life.
You can’t do anything but ‘go right’ with these guys, or any company they run or launch, they are just good, ethical, strong leaders.
There’s a lot of people I didn’t mention – either out of volition, or because the article is already 4,000 words
Why am I telling you this?
Because you want to make a lot of money.
Because I want you to avoid the pain.
Because I want you to succeed. I want you to achieve your wildest dreams.
Don’t fall for the bull crap.
Don’t be a damned wussy, and just be there to kiss someone’s butt.
Not everyone criticizes growth, and ingenuity…
…Just those I’ve made lots of money for.
If you want to make a lot of money…
…make a decision.
Just get in. http://www.empowernetworkpro.info
Welcome to the ‘Other Side"
-David Wood
“No Wussy’s Allowed”
Christer axe in California 831 624 7452
EWS Marketing Group - Monterey Peninsula
ca@ewsca.com
(c) 2012
