When I was 16, I went to work for the new local McDonald’s that had opened up in town. It was THE place to work. The new hub of a small town. Before long, I started dating one of the managers, and was soon invited to events sponsored by the owners.
Getting to know the owners really opened my eyes up to the possibilities in life. I come from a very average, middle class family, and while we never lacked for things, we didn’t live like THOSE people lived. The house; the vacations; the cars; the boats – it wasn’t long before I knew that I wanted to live THAT type of lifestyle.
When summer came around, I was offered a job as a part time book keeper for the store. The pay was better, although the hours were not. Working the night shift was hard on my social life, but I look back now and I am so grateful that I took the job. I learned a lot about having a business mentality from working with the numbers of that store.
The day the shake machine broke down and had to be replaced was a real eye opener. It was EXPENSIVE and didn’t seem to me to be a necessary component to running a successful McDonald’s store. I guess that’s why I was just the part time night book keeper and not the owner.
I remember mentioning something about my thoughts on the shake machine to the owner, who quickly told me that although it was expensive, it was a required piece of the business and in order to be successful, a business has to have what its customers want when they want it.
Hmmmmmm.
Interesting. I had only really looked at things as earning money, and keeping as much of that money as possible, or spending it on things I wanted.
Now, as a MLM – Direct Sales business owner, I understand the value in the lessons I learned. Having a successful business means investing in the tools that are necessary in the business. It’s not about short cutting whenever possible.
When a top income earner tells me the steps and the tools he/she used to get to the top, you better believe I take notes. I don’t listen and then determine for myself what will work and what won’t work, or what I am willing to do, or not do.
McDonald’s is successful as a franchise because it runs a very effective business system. New store owners don’t negotiate with Headquarters about what they will and won’t buy, or will and won’t do. It is non-negotiable.
Have you ever done this in your MLM business? Have you ever been coached on what you need to have and do to be successful, and then find yourself mentally making note of what is “stupid, or extravagant, or unnecessary?”
Or, do you have people on your team who do this?
If you are doing this, chances are you are attracting business partners who do the same thing.
Think about it.
When I get someone new started, I make sure they understand all of the tools they will need to be successful. From the sign up kit, to anything else, it is our job to make sure they get off to a successful launch. I believe in it, I share that belief, and I offer the value in why it is important. My belief sets me up so that I don’t attract many business partners personally who try to negotiate the road to success with me.
On the other hand, there are those who come into a business and don’t want to invest in anything. From long distance charges, to samples, to attending events – it is a constant battle. Some people will complain about the cost of everything. They have an employee mindset. When new products come out, they see the negative. When new tools come out, they look for the shortcomings. You can usually watch group volume when this happens and you won’t be surprised by the decline or slow growth.
When I reflect on this, I can see why the employee mentality is what stunts many people in their network marketing growth. Unless you’ve been exposed to the realities of starting, running and sustaining a business, and the costs and requirements that go along with it, you may not realize the key piece you are missing. Until you are willing to invest in the tools of a business that will contribute to your success, you will likely never see the type of success you desire.
90% of life is copy. If you want to be successful, copy the action steps of others. ALL of those steps. Not just the ones that seem to fit you. Success leaves clues, but you can not pick and choose the clues you want and expect to get the same results.
Develop your business mindset and move from employee mindset to business owner mindset.
Grow yourself first, and your business will grow along with you.
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EXPECT Success!
Joe, thanks for commenting and tell me – what did you like about it? Have you had similar experiences?
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
Hi Jackie, this is a great article. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.