Kris de Leon's Blog

Dreaming big dreams is the first start towards achieving a fulfilling goal. The main difference between a dream and a materialized goal is that goals are specific things written down with a specific plan to achieve that. When you have a clear picture of what you want, your mind begins to look at the world differently. Through these new lenses, you begin to notice the people, resources and ideas that will help you get closer to your goal. However, if your goal is not specific enough, your mind might not know exactly what to look for that will help your each your end destination.

That is why you need to have a specific plan of action to get your to your goals, which is similar to having a map that will guide you to your final destination. There are seven things to keep in mind when you are creating that strategic action plans:

1) Know your time frame – when do you want to reach your goal? For example, if your goal is to lose weight, decide on a specific time you want to achieve that goal, such as July 31 of this year.

2) Map your route – ask yourself questions like what courses will you take? What are your milestones that lie intermediate between now and your time frame?

3) Who will be involved in your journey – perhaps it’s your spouse or kids? A friend or a business partner?

4) Who do you need? Have you decided on a mentor or coach? Or a friend that has been in your shoes before, and knows how to get to your final goal?

5) What research is needed? In order to get to your goal, what type of research do you need to undertake to provide you with enough knowledge and know-how on getting to your destination?

6) What resources are needed? Just like taking a road trip where you need gas, a map, and a functional car, list the resources you need to get you to your final goal.

7) What training do you need? When taking a road trip, you may brush up on how to use your car’s GPS or navigation system. What skills do you need to brush up on, or learn, to get you to your goal?

Now that you have taken these points into consideration, think of your goal and start creating your action plan to get there. Good luck!

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Do you have great ideas, but not sure how to start a home based business? Many of us get excited about the prospects of being your own boss and starting a home based business. However, a number of people get too caught up in the excitement that they forget basic things. By forgetting the basics, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, which can lead to struggle in the beginning before you can even taste success. I’ve outlined a few basic things to help prepare yourself on how to start a home based business.

This is the age of technology, so make sure you have a computer ready. Without a properly functioning computer, you cannot build up a home based business to interact with prospects and customers. If you don’t have a computer and are perhaps reading this article from someone else’s computer, a good place to start is shopping around at places like Best Buy or Target and speaking to some computer specialists. Tell them about your needs, and they can make a recommendation. Select one that’s affordable and comfortable for you. You don’t need to get anything fancy for the time being, since you can always upgrade your equipment once you start generating cash flow.

Once you have your computer, make sure you have Internet connection at home, and that it functions properly. Since you’re doing business globally, you need to find a cost effective form of communicating with people. If you’re on a tight budget, sign up for Skype and use their free services. Then get yourself an inexpensive webcam if you’re computer doesn’t come with it. Use Skype as frequently as you can. It’s cheaper than using your phone line.

The next step is to find a location in your house that you can use as your own office and would fit a 6×8 feet size desk. Have a cell phone in handy that has a lot of minutes you can use at a low price. I’ve mentioned it’s best to use Skype, but if you’re away from home, you need a cell phone for your prospects and customers to reach you.

You will need a rolodex or filing system to keep people’s contact information. You will get to the point where you are having a number of people calling you, so you need to somehow file their information so that you can follow-up with them at a later date. Also, you may want to have a filing cabinet where you can file information on your prospect or activities. Try and avoid having post it notes sticking all over the place – you will eventually lose them.

When you are purchasing all the equipment mentioned above, don’t forget to keep your receipts. They are business expenses, and you may be able to deduct them from your taxes. Make sure you speak to a qualified account to make sure you have all the right information.

Now that you have the basics of how to start your home based business, you are now ready to begin, so start taking action now. You have no more excuses.

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Do you know what keeps people from achieving their goals or living their dreams? It’s not taking action. You can spend all the time in the world envisioning your future, setting goals, creating affirmation statements, meditating, and networking with successful people. However, if you spend all your time preparing and don’t take any action, your goals won’t materialize. Yes, you have to start taking action to make your goals and dreams come true.

Most people come up with brilliant ideas and want to make improvements to their financial well being, health and relationships with family and friends. However, self-doubt can step in when you start thinking, “I can’t” or “It’s impossible to do” before they even start taking action. Too many dreams have been shattered, especially those with lots of potential, because people don’t take action before self-doubt starts to kick in.

If you have set your goals, make sure to begin taking action right away while you have high energy and enthusiasm. Ride the wave of momentum before it dies out. Decide what you are going to do in the next 24-48 hours to put one of your main goals into action. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds by July of this year, then make the decision to spend 30 minutes a day walking, and just do it. Don’t delay and don’t make up excuses that you don’t have any time. Then plan what you are going to do during the next 30 day to put some of your other goals into action. If you want to exceed your sales targets for the quarter, then make a plan of how many prospecting calls you’re going to make every day for the next 30 days. Discipline yourself so that you follow through with your plan.

Have faith and confidence in yourself that you are going to achieve big goals. Don’t worry about what other people will think about you – it’s your life, not theirs. And whatever you do, don’t give up. Too many people give up just right before the floodgates of success start opening.

Now that you have envisioned your future and have laid out concrete plans, just go for it and start taking action. Stop waiting for the perfect time to do it. There is never a perfect time. And stop taking so much time coming up with the perfect plan. Successful people will tell you that things didn’t happen according to how they initially planned it. They kept taking action, and made adjustments along the way. My mentor told me that perfectionism is masked laziness. Some people may tell you that they are working to perfect their plan, when in fact, it’s just another excuse and they’re either afraid or lazy to start. So go ahead with the plunge and start taking action. You’ll be glad you did.

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Remember Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and The Hare? Both were in a race, and the hare dashed off to an incredible start. He became complacent, and even arrogant to the point where he took a nap, thinking that he could wake up and still beat the tortoise. When the hare woke up, he dashed as fast as he could to the finish line only to find the tortoise celebrating victory.

As an entrepreneur, you may feel a bit intimated by your competition when they seem to have an explosive start, just like the hare. However, my mentor told me that there is one principle anyone can follow if you want to win anything, including beating your competition who may have more experience and higher skill level than you. That principle is consistency.

There are many entrepreneurs who start off explosively. They seem to taste a lot of success early on and may sometimes brag about their accomplishments, which could frustrate their competitors who may not have had such a strong start. For whatever reason, however, they may lose their intensity and commitment after a while. Meanwhile, the other entrepreneurs, who may not have had a strong start, would start catching up and eventual overtake the guy who had the explosive start, just like how the tortoise overtook the hare. The main discipline they practiced was consistency.

Inconsistency is one major killer of dreams, and it’s perhaps the main reason why many people fail to achieve their goals. They spend a great deal of time planning and executing, but when they lack consistency, things start to fall apart. People show inconsistency when they start slacking off and become complacent when they rest on their laurels. Others perhaps feel burnout or exhaustion because they expended all their energy in the beginning and did not factor in a time period for proper rest.

If you want to succeed and win the game, stay consistent. If you are making 5 prospecting calls a day, don’t stop when one of your calls converts into business. Sure, take a few moments to savor the victory, but don’t celebrate by slacking off and putting off those prospecting calls for a few weeks. It’s hard to get back into your rhythm, and you lose the results those few weeks could have produced. You would have also killed momentum, which would take a lot of time, effort and energy to reproduce.

So don’t worry if your competition starts off ahead, and you start to feel like you’re not accomplishing anything. What matters the most is how you continue. If you stay consistent, just like the tortoise, you will beat out your talented competition (the hare) in the long run.

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Successful network marketers know how to follow up because they understand that it is important to cultivate relationships with prospects before converting them into customers or new distributors. When you learn how to follow up, you will start cultivating relationships.

Unless the prospect tells you “No, I’m not interested, and do not contact me ever again,” you should always follow up with the prospect at some point. Most successful network marketers will say that it is quite rare to make a sale or sponsor a distributor from the first contact. They often find that success occurs anywhere between seven and ten contacts, so they learned many ways on how to follow-up.

If you talked to a prospect by telephone or met face to face, and they tell you that they are not interested, you can ask, “Would it be all right if I follow up with from time to time in the event you change your mind?” Your prospect will most likely say yes in this circumstance. Set up a time to follow up at least once a month, and keep following up. The timing may not be right for now, but perhaps down the road, the timing could be perfect when their circumstances change.

When you follow up, you expose the many benefits of your business opportunity, product or services. The prospect may not have experienced a need the first time you presented the opportunity, but that need could develop over time. Or perhaps when you mention a benefit, the prospect might realize there is a certain need. The only way you are going to find out that need is through following up continuously, until they tell you “Don’t contact me anymore.” Ask them questions about how things are going for them with their career or what steps they are taking to ensure they are financially secure. Perhaps you may uncover that they need a plan B, and may see more of a need for your opportunity. Always think of yourself as a problem solver in this industry.

Here are a few techniques on how to follow up with a prospect:

Send an email – When you are prospecting, always ask your prospects and customers for their e-mail address, and ask for their permission to send follow-up emails. You can set up an autoresponder service like AWeber or Get Response, where you have automated e-mail messages following up with the prospect spread over set intervals of time. Make sure to ask their permission. If not, you will be guilty of spamming, and that will surely destroy rather than build relationships with prospects.

Place a phone call – Call your prospect after a specified interval, and say that you’re just checking in to see if they are interested in hearing more about their product or business opportunity. If they’re not interested, make sure to ask for permission to keep in touch with them.

Always remember to follow up, but make sure that you ask for their permission to do so. By following up, you will develop a relationship with the prospect, and always put their needs ahead of yours.

P.S.
Learn how my 3 mentors built a multi-million dollar online empire within 12 months. Check out Online Learning Arena and get your DVD to learn the blueprint they used, and how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

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I came across the concept of the mastermind group after reading Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich. According to Hill, the mastermind group is formed when two or more minds work actively together in perfect harmony toward a common definite object. Hill noted that every successful person in history had a mastermind group that helped him achieve greatness. No one mind is ever complete in itself, so you need to have a mastermind group to help you achieve those objectives.

When you are creating the mastermind group, you need to provide a clear direction to the people in your group, and they need to be fully cooperative with you. Here are four steps you can take to ensure this happens:

Step One: Determine your purpose. You must set a clear example the main purpose for forming the mastermind group, and that the members of your group are aligned to this purpose. By writing out the plans for your group’s success, you will be aware of what skills and experience are necessary to help you achieve these goals.

Step Two: Select the members of your group. You must be very selective of who you invite to form part of your mastermind group. You may initially select someone who you might think is good, but you later decide he or she may not be appropriate towards achieving the goals. That is OK, since trial and error is part of the process. There are two qualities you need to keep in mind when selecting members. First, they must have the ability to the job. Do not select people simply because you like them or know them very well. Select them based on their knowledge and experience, and the type of value they can bring to the mastermind group. Second, the people you select must be able to work in harmony with other members in your group. Your group should be a complete meeting of the minds and must be respectful of other people. Personal ambitions, including your own, must not take priority over the fulfilment of the group’s purpose as a whole.

Step Three: Determine your rewards. You must clearly define the rewards for your members who are participating in you group. This will play an important role for keeping harmony within your group. While most people may be motivated by money, others may be motivated by recognition or offering your services to members of your group who may need it at some point.

Step Four: Set a time and place for a meeting. The mastermind group should have regular meetings to ensure that you are making progress and dealing with the issues you address. For example, you can catch up twice a month, during the second and fourth Monday of the month. You can get together over lunch or coffee if you live in the same area, or have a teleconference. Spent about an hour brainstorming ideas, which will create excitement and harmony over time.

P.S.
Learn how my 3 mentors built a multi-million dollar online empire within 12 months. Check out Online Learning Arena and get your DVD to learn the blueprint they used, and how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

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The most successful network marketing business owners will tell you that the key to their success was their ability to create a relationship of trust with the people they sponsored into their organization. You need to sell your prospect on yourself first, and then built a relationship with that customer until they have a reason to remain loyal to you. In order to sell yourself and build a successful network marketing business, you need to focus entirely on the prospect. Don’t focus on yourself, your business, and your products. Instead, you need to learn about your prospects wants and needs by asking the right questions.

Successful network marketers also maintain their integrity at all times and deliver what they promise. Make sure that you are reliable, never oversell and under-deliver, and also make sure that you don’t create any excuses when something wrong or unexpected happens. This is key to building that successful network marketing business.

When building trust, you need to make a very good impression from the beginning and pay attention to both your verbal and nonverbal skills or body language. People will pay close attention to your body language and the way you present yourself. Here are some ways you can improve your nonverbal skills:

1) Project a positive image – You don’t’ need to spend a fortune on clothes, but make sure you are well presented and dressed appropriately for the audience you would like to attract.

2) Stand confidently – Make sure you have an erect posture, and avoid slouching over. Standing straight with a good posture projects confidence.

3) Make eye contact with your prospect – When you are talking with someone, make sure you give them eye contact. When you look at your prospect in the eye, they will get the feeling that they can trust you.

4) Smile – If you are excited about something, look the part, smile and be excited.

If you make small adjustments and improve in these areas of nonverbal communication, you will have a stronger chance of building relationships and gaining trust from your prospects. Once you gain their trust, they will become more attracted to you, and eventually become a loyal customer or sign up as a distributor for your business. This is very critical when building a successful network marketing business.

P.S.
Learn how my 3 mentors built a multi-million dollar online empire within 12 months. Check out Online Learning Arena and get your DVD to learn the blueprint they used, and how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

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As MLM Leaders, you should make every effort to keep your new distributors motivated at all times. Your passion and commitment for the business are two ways to encourage them, but it may not be enough to keep them committed for the long haul. When new distributors join a network marketing business, they feel excited and motivated at first. However, when they start experiencing frustration and setback from the beginning, they may lose motivation and be tempted to quit. All MLM leaders must stay in touch with them as frequently as possible to help them through the challenging times and help them achieve some results so that they can stay for the long haul. So how do you keep new distributors motivated? MLM leaders should follow these three suggestions.

First, if your new distributors are money hungry and want to earn a five or six figure residual income, help them sponsor new distributors as quickly as possible. As an MLM leader, make sure you’re involved in a three way call with your new distributor and their prospect. Since these prospects are most likely in your distributor’s warm market, there’s a good chance they will either purchase the product or join the business. Distributors who earn even a small amount of money within their first 30 days of joining the business are more likely to stay. Some distributors may not be looking to become a millionaire, but would like to earn extra cash to pay for gas or help out with their mortgage payments. If they see that check in the first month, they will be motivated to stay in the business.

New distributors may also be motivated by something more than just money, such as the company’s mission itself, so you need to sell them on that mission. My company’s mission is to help make motivated people the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. When new distributors see that they’re part of a worthy cause, then they can feel like a hero and be more committed to their business. People want to feel like they can make a difference in someone’s life.

In addition to motivating them by money and through your company’s mission statement, you should also praise your distributors and give them hope. Recognize them publicly, and when you’re on a conference call, make sure to recognize your distributor for their attempts to get the business started. Give them personal attention and make sure you are accessible, where you can easily be reached by phone or email.

There are other ways you can motivate your new distributors, but make sure that you, as an MLM leader, are sincere and use words of praise and motivation.

P.S.
Learn how my 3 mentors built a multi-million dollar online empire within 12 months. Check out Online Learning Arena and get your DVD to learn the blueprint they used, and how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

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So now that you have signed up to join a network marketing company, what is the next step and how do you start building a business? Your upline or sponsor should provide you the necessary training on how to start, but if you have not heard anything from your sponsor once you have signed up, make sure you follow these five steps when starting to build a network marketing business.

The first step of building a business is to set clear goals. If you have already set your goals for both your business and for your personal life, take the time to review and refine your goals, and set a plan of action for completing them. If you haven’t set your goals, make sure you spend a couple of days working on your goals. Once you identify your goals, identify the potential obstacles that you might encounter that could prevent you from achieving your goals. For example, do you lack financial resources? Or perhaps you lack training? Take some time to think about the solutions to these obstacles. Finally, write an action plan to complete each goal.

Next, envision the direction of where you want to take your business. What do you see happening in five, ten, and twenty years? What will you accomplish as a result of your business? By having a clear vision, you will be able to prioritize your work and help yourself make decisions.

After setting your goals and creating your vision, go to your company’s website and make sure to download information such as the company’s mission statement, vision, products, services, compensation plan and policies and procedures. Make sure to pay particular attention to the information on the company’s products and/or services so that you can get an overview.

The next step is to master the skills of a successful network marketer. Perhaps the most important skill to develop is your leadership skill. Become a student of network marketing, and attend training seminars, read books, and listen to audio programs that will help you build your marketing business. Brush up on skills such as sales, networking and goal setting. You can do this by modelling after successful people in the industry, so it’s very important to have a strong mentor.

Finally, organize your work environment. Find a suitable place in your home to do work, such as a corner of a bedroom if you do not have a spare room to set up as your home office. Some people like to work from the kitchen or dining room table. Make sure to speak to a qualified accountant who can give you advice on tax and IRS requirements for having a home office and what counts as a business expense. You will most likely receive a 1099 form instead of a W2, so make sure you understand the differences in tax structures.

In addition, make sure you have a lot of privacy, especially when you’re using the telephone and speaking to prospects. You don’t want to have your children screaming or dog barking while you’re in the middle of an important conversation or presentation. You’re no longer in a corporate environment, so make sure you have the proper equipment and basic supplies such as business cards, computer and printer, notebook, stationery, and a telephone.

Good luck with your new home based business!

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If you’re new to network marketing and prefer to build a business offline, start planting a lot of seeds. Seeds take time to grow, and you reap what you sow. The more seeds you plant, the bigger your harvest. So what exactly are the seeds? The seeds are the prospecting tools provided by your company, and the soil is your prospects. Hand out your prospecting tools, like brochures or videos, to as many people as possible. Now that you planted these seeds, let the prospecting tools do most of the work for you. Before you hand out any of these tools, ask them some pre-qualifying questions. You can simply ask, “If I could show you a way to make extra income part time that won’t interfere with your current job, would you at least take a look at it?” If your prospect says yes to this question, hand them the prospecting tools.

The next step is to harvest only the fruit that’s ripe. Statistics show that nine out of ten people won’t be interested in the message. Don’t take it personally or think you are not a good enough salesperson, or that your product is not good enough. It may simply be that your prospect is not interested at this time. These prospects may be skeptical, so don’t spend too much time trying to convince skeptics. Only a few people may be interested, so set a time to meet with them face to face. If you’re quite new, ask your upline to assist you with this meeting, or do a three-way call.

The final step is to harvest your crops. After speaking with your prospect, and after presenting them as much company information as they requested, some of them may still not express interest in joining. Is this the time to give up and move on to the next person? Absolutely not! Stay in contact with them and follow-up, without pushing the opportunity too much. It may take seven or eight contacts before you can reap the maximum harvest.

So if someone tells you that they are not interested or want to think about it some more, don’t take it personally. Chances are, they may become interested sooner or later. When they tell you they’re not interested, it might not be the right time for them. However, things can change, such as a sudden layoff or needing extra cash, so the timing might be right during those circumstances. Your job is to plant the seed, and be there to pick up the fruit when it’s ripe. So when they tell you that they’re not interested at this time, make sure to set the stage for future contacts by telling them, “I realize that the timing may not be right for you, but if your job situation is ever in doubt and you need a plan B, this is the ideal home-based business for you.”

Keep in contact with them from time to time, and share your excitement with them. Over time, they will become attracted to you and maybe be interested in joining you at a later point. Keep persistent, but do not be pushy or aggressive. So start planting the seeds and get ready to harvest over the long term.

If you are struggling with leads and have no marketing budget, learn how to use Facebook as a marketing tool, and start generating 10-30+ leads per day. Sign up for Facebook training.

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