It's a State of Mind...

I thought I'd take on something that I've been thinking about a lot lately, and give you my thoughts...

It seems like a lot of people are really down in the dumps about life right now because most people's finances have tightend up in the last year or two. With gas skyrocketing to nearly double last year's price, the housing and lending markets moving like a sloth on a slow day, and the trickle down effect of everyone tightening their belts... It's easy to see how you can get down.

However, the truth is that just because the economy is in a down swing, doesn't mean that you need to be...

Happiness is purely a state of mind- and therefore a choice which YOU control!

I've battled my fair share of adversity in life, and have learned that facing your fears with a smile on is a lot easier than wearing a frown...

Now, that might find cheesy, but it's true.

Let's take an example...

How would you feel if your phone were to ring right now, and on the other end was the guy from Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. The happy fellow is calling to tell you that, although you didn't win $1,000,000- you did win a nice $25,000 check, and it should be arriving in about 2 weeks!

Wow! That would be great, wouldn't it? And how would you feel for the next 2 weeks?

Excited, elated, floating on 'Cloud 9'?

But why?

The check hasn't even arrived yet... But you're already happy aren't you?

So, it isn't the money that actually made you happy after all... It's that you CHOSE to be happy. There was no money in your bank account, but you told yourself that you should be happy, and you were...

Even if the check never showed up, you were still happy because you made the choice to enjoy being happy.

Plain and simple, happiness is a state of mind.

It is a choice that you make in each and every moment- and if you have to make the choice anyway- why not choose to have a little fun, laugh at your adversity, or be thankful for all of the incredible things that you DO have in your life.

If you can't think of things to be thankful for, begin with your health. You're still breathing, probably aren't in much pain, and can freely take a walk at the park... right? Then be glad, because your health is the greatest gift of all!

It's easy to take things for granted when we have them- like having air to breath- but if you're feeling down, begin acknowledging how much you truly have... it will change everything.

So this week, realize that you have the choice to be happy- no matter how bad things seem- and DO IT! You'll be glad you did...

ACTION ITEM: For the next week... when you get up in the morning, make the choice that today will be a great day, and that you'll be happy... No matter what!

You'll be amazed at how it changes EVERYTHING, because "We don't see the world how IT is, we see the world how WE are..."

Enjoy!

~Derick Van Ness

MLM Secret – Why You Shouldn’t Use Your MLM Company’s Replicated Website

As I work with Network Marketers across the country and help them to get started or to grow their existing MLM business, I continually have to explain 1 thing over and over… “Why you shouldn’t use your company’s replicated website.”

I understand that most companies have a beautiful website with all sorts of bells and whistles, I agree that it has good videos and top notch graphics, and I have heard that the guy who designed it is the best web designer this side of Hong Kong… But the problem is that even with all of these wonderful things, it isn’t designed to effectively help you grow your business.

Here are 3 reasons that you shouldn’t use your MLM Company’s replicated website:

1) It is impossible to get search engine rankings for organic (non-paid) web traffic. This is because all of the pages have nearly the same content. Similar headlines, mostly all the same copy, the same videos, etc. You have little or no control over the page, and when it comes to getting natural traffic from Google, Yahoo, or MSN- unique, high quality content is the key. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to optimize your site in a way that is going to allow you to rank much higher than the 1000’s of others using the same website design as you.

2) There are too many distractions. Most company sites include educational videos, short 1 or 2 paragraph pitches, and lots of pretty pictures or animation. However, most of these things distract your prospect and pull them in many directions instead of leading them where you want them to go- straight to your team. There is no ‘flow’ or direction on where your prospect should go or what they should do. The general rule in sales is, “The confused mind always says ‘No’.” This means that your prospect may come to the page and look, but if they can’t figure out what to do right away, they will leave and never come back.

3) It isn’t designed to sell. This is an extension of #2 but is the very basis of why you shouldn’t use your MLM company’s replicated website. Websites should have one purpose- to sell. Either to sell people on giving you their contact information (so you can follow up with them) or to sell them on buying your product or opportunity. Most MLM websites tell about the company founders, how the company gives to charity, etc. But it doesn’t compel the visitor to ‘buy something’, so it is ineffective at selling.

Network Marketing websites are powerful tools, but if you are depending on your company’s replicated website to do all of the work, you are in for a rude awakening. I have had students who have driven many hundreds of visitors to their site without even one person opting in or buying something.

When compared with an original, well crafted ‘sales based’ website for an MLM business, there is no resemblance. I’ve seen sites that convert 1 in 3 visitors into a lead or customer, and have grown MLM businesses on auto pilot.

Now that you know why you shouldn’t use your MLM company’s replicated website to bring your leads or sales- begin by building your own website and using the internet as a powerful tool in growing your business. There are many places that you can get a site designed and built for cheap such as www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com, and with a little practice and testing, you can have a site bringing your leads day and night in no time.

To learn more about how to effectively grow your MLM business using the internet or other powerful tools, visit Derick Van Ness’ website: http://250kMLM.com and order his Free Report now.

Slow & Steady...

I was recently at one of the NBA Finals games here in Los Angeles (I didn't have tickets, but was in the bar at the Staples Center) and learned something that really applies to business and life in general.

The game I am referencing is the game where the LA Lakers started off incredibly well and were up on the Boston Celtics by 24 points at the end of the first quarter. Later in the game the Lakers were still up by 20 points mid way through the 3rd quarter, but ended up losing.

The game should have been a blow out, and the Celtics could have easily thrown in the towl and given up. After all, this game was in Los Angeles and the Celtics were expected (by the media) to lose.

However, they chose to stay the course and do their job (which is to win basketball games). The result may soon be their first NBA championship since 1986- which is 22 years!

I bring this up because I see this happen all the time in life and in business- especially with home based businesses. Some people start strong, like the Lakers, but are unable to sustain their intensity and burn out. Their enthusiasm is what gets them results but in the end all of there efforts are lost because they cannot stick with their plan until the end.

On the other hand, I see people who have never been 'fast starters' who are the 'Champions' in the end simply because they have chosen a goal and will stick with it until the end. In business this often means committing to what you know is the 'right' actions for the long term- not just the quick sale. It means investing in yourself, other people, and your systems for the long term.

It's true- many of us get discouraged easily if we don't see success early in our business careers. Statistics show that most home businesses or network marketers don't last past 120 days! Does it surprise you then, that most peple fail?

I've heard countless stories about successful people who simply 'kept at it' until they finally achieved their goals. Henry Ford, Robert Kiyosaki, Colonel Sanders, Donald Trump and countless others have tried and failed. But they started again, or kept on their course until they finally reached their goals...

So the question is, which kind of person are you? Are you someone who excites easily but also gets disappointed very quickly? Or are you someone who can ride the highs and lows realizing that it is all part of the journey to ultimate success?

I'll end with 2 great statements that I think of often- I'm not sure who wrote them, but am certain that they were brilliant people:

"All men are self made, but it is only the successful ones that will admit it!"

"Behind every over-night success story is 10 years of hard work."

Think on those and leave me your thoughts...

~Derick Van Ness

PS- For more ideas that can increase your success visit my new website: www.SuccessSecretWeapons.com

Success Secret – Properly Setting Goals to Achieve Ultimate Results

Goal setting is something that is often talked about as very important, but most people don’t know how to effectively set goals or get the results that goals can provide. Setting goals properly is one of the best kept secrets to achieving ultimate results.

The first mistake is that many of us think that we have our goals clearly defined in our head. The problem with this is that if you believe this, then you are probably misleading yourself. In fact, in classes that I have taught, when asked to write out goals on paper, most people (who say that they have goals) are completely stumped.

It’s easy to believe that you have something clear in your mind, but if you can’t write it out in 1 or 2 sentences, then you need to get more precise about exactly what you want to achieve.
Here’s a comparison that I once heard:

Goals are like buying a plane ticket. If you walk up to the ticket window and ask for a plane ticket, the person at the window will ask, “Where would you like to go?”

If your answer sounds something like, “Just somewhere nice and sunny. Maybe a place with some mountains or an ocean where my family and I can relax.” Then you are in trouble.

The person at the window will have NO IDEA where you’d like to go- and neither do you. You’d never plan a trip without knowing exactly where you’d like to end up- so why wouldn’t you plan your goals the same way?

So, in goal setting, it’s of primary importance to be clear about your intentions, and exactly what type of result you want to achieve. Here is a goal setting checklist of things that will help you achieve ultimate results:

1- The goal must be tangible, countable, or measurable. If you can’t count it, weigh it, or measure it in specific numbers or time, then it’s not tangible enough.

2- Your goal must be believable. If you don’t believe that you could ever achieve your ultimate result, then start with something smaller.

3- You need a time table. Deadlines get results, so if you don’t have a completion date defined, it will undermine your efforts by allowing you to procrastinate.

4- Write your goal down on paper. If you don’t have written goals for your life or business, then you are wasting your time. To reach your ultimate result, your goals must be written.

There are dozens of books, tapes, and seminars all about goal setting, but if you follow these 4 simple rules, you’ll be miles ahead of the pack. Remember, the secret to getting ultimate results is properly setting and following through on goals.

If you'd like more information on how to follow through on the goals that you've set, you may want to look at: The Producer Power Hour for a system that will help you succeed.

129 Ways to Meet & Recruit People For Your MLM Business

I am incredibly excited and proud because I recently finished and published a new ebook outlining 129 ways to meet & recruit people for your MLM or Network Marketing business- and the feedback has been incredible!

Many of the ideas in the book aren't rocket science, but it's always amazing to realize how many things that each of us take for granted. Based on the comments that I have recieved, people are finding tremendous value and inspiration from the ideas presented.

In fact, I have had several people tell me that even 1 or 2 ideas in the book have completely opened up whole new ways for them to grow their business.

To help make the book even better, I also included valuable resources on how to use the internet to promote your MLM business and bring people to you, rather than you having to chase them. I believe that even one of these techniques is worth vastly more than the tiny price tag on the book.

The whole idea behind creating this book is that I believe it is nearly impossible to grow a huge downline by simply talking to friends & family. And that by discovering new ways to meet the right kind of people you can improve your results exponentially!

I've done my best to create value for everyone that reads the book, and welcome your comments.

You can find out more and purchase the book at: http://meetmoremlmrecruits.com/