California Here I Come

My husband and I are going to California for a visit at the end of this week.  We’ll be staying for about a week.  Both our families and friends live in Southern California, so we have quite a few people we want to see.

I’m pretty good about preparing a work schedule, but planning who we are going to see on what day and time and where we will see them has turned into quite a challenge.  We will be there for only one weekend, and some of the people we want to see work during the week and are only available on weekends. 

While we are in California, we’ll be celebrating Independence Day – with whom and where, we do not yet know.

We will be staying with one of our sons in Pasadena.  If you know Southern California at all, you know that it is really spread out, and the traffic is horrible.  Of course, it is worse during “rush hour,” but there is rarely a time when the freeways do not have a great deal of traffic.  Whoever coined the term “rush hour” anyway?  No one is rushing anywhere.  The freeways in Los Angeles become a parking lot, not a racetrack.

We have family and friends in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys, both of which are over thirty miles from where we are staying in Pasadena.  Driving 30 miles where I live in Southeast Arizona would be a quick trip, but in Southern California, depending upon the time of day, it will likely take 45 to 90 minutes.

People in California love their cars.  There is decent public transportation – trains and busses - but the vast majority of people choose to drive their own cars to and from work.  When we are sitting still on an L.A. freeway, I always, wonder “What is wrong with these people?  How can they do this day after day?”  At least car pool for goodness sake!

It is very fortunate that my husband is retired and I have my Xpress Healthcare home business and can work it anywhere I go.  Have laptop, will travel.  So, if this coordination of visits becomes too crazy, there is nothing stopping us from extending our trip to be sure we see everyone.  We can stay an extra day or two – or more.

Those of you who read my blogs regularly may notice that I will not be posting any while I am gone.  We will be leaving either Thursday or Friday, so I’ll get one or two more written this week.  After the trip, I imagine I’ll have a lot to write about. 

Wish us luck in the insanity of Southern California.

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Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Successfully marketing a home business can be challenging.  I would like to share a few of my own marketing tips, and I invite comments with your own suggestions.

It is important to target your market.  If you try to target everyone, it actually will undermine your marketing efforts and will produce fewer responses.  For those of us who are IBOToolbox members, our emphasis should be on recruiting, because most people who read our posts and blogs either are business owners themselves or they are seeking a home business.

Be sure that your marketing message is clear, not too complex, too clever or too long.  If no one “gets” your ad, you are wasting time and effort.  I have found that when placing ads on Craigslist.org or Backpage, brief ads produce the best results. Be sure to include your website.  Other contact information is optional, because they should be able to find it on your website.

Do not rely on only one form of marketing.  Social networking is definitely among our most effective marketing tools, but it should not be your only method.  Online ads, distributing flyers locally, handing out business cards, word-of-mouth, mini ads for your email signature are all still good methods. 

One shot marketing to reach out to your prospects does not work.  You must expose yourself repeatedly in various mediums. Some psychologists suggest that it takes 15 or more exposures of an idea or concept before we really accept and understand it.  If you want people to remember you and your business, keep yourself and business in front of them as often as possible and in as many places as possible.

I have people get tired of a certain ad or message they are using, thinking they must change it because it is getting. If you are getting responses from certain ads or wording on a network marketing site, continue using them.  You can add new and different ones, but don’t eliminate an effective one.

It seems obvious, but I occasionally see ads with no easy way to contact the person placing the ad.  I have seen a few posts on IBOToolbox saying, “Contact me for more information,” with no link to do so.

Your marketing message will be competing with many others, so seek ways to make

your stand out.  Be creative and try to pique your prospects’ curiosity.  You can do 

this with a powerful, attention-grabbing headline to attract your reader’s attention.  It can be a question to challenge the reader or provoke a response. 

Be sure to track & measure the results of your marketing efforts.  Nearly all network marketing companies have a “back office” where they can check site stats to see which of your ads or forum posts are working best for you

When placing recruiting ads or posts, let your prospects know how joining your team will benefit them. Besides just earning money, you may want to remind them that they will have home business tax deductions, spend more time with their children and avoid fighting traffic.

Your ads and marketing should always include a call to action.  “Join now!” “Visit our website for additional information.”

Ads should include an attention-grabbing headline, short sentences of two to three lines per paragraph, and on certain sites (where appropriate) bullet points indicating the benefits of your offer, bold, italicized or colored text.  Always remember your call to action telling the reader what you want them to do.  You may even want to add a P.S. (postscript) to reiterate the main benefit for taking your call to action.

These are things I have learned over my years in network marketing.  I would love to see what marketing tips others recommend.

Oh yes, if you’d like more information about the business opportunity I am offering, please visit my website.  http://julie.joinxpress.com/overview-2.html.

Let's See... Food or My Prescription?

This article is not intended to give either a negative or positive opinion about the new health care laws in the United States nor is it meant to begin a debate as to whether the laws will help or hurt Americans.   

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Many people in the United States are struggling to pay for health care and prescription drugs according to a study released earlier this year. 

The number of doctor visits and medications prescribed declined slightly in 2010, and in 2011, there was a 7% increase in emergency room visits, which is attributed to loss of health insurance and long-term unemployment.

Senior Citizens, in particular, used fewer medicines.  Patients 65 and older appear to be rationing their drugs, filling fewer physician-prescribed medications as they struggle to pay their bills.  For older Americans, the biggest decline in prescriptions was for those used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis.  These are drugs where the patient won’t necessarily develop symptoms when they stop taking them.  So, some patients see these drugs as expendable.

The prices for brand-name drugs increased in recent years, so people with medical conditions that require them to take drugs with no generic equivalent have higher prescription costs.  For those who take only generic drugs, the cost may have gone down for some since more generic drugs have become available.

"The percentage of the population taking at least one prescription drug during the previous month increased from 38 percent in 1988-1994 to 47 percent in 2003-2006, and the percentage taking three or more prescription drugs increased from 11 percent to 21 percent."  CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, February 17, 2010.

"In 2005, nearly one in 10 people between the ages of 18 and 64 said they were unable to get necessary prescription drugs during the past 12 months due to cost."  CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, June 11, 2005

Since I will be on Medicare myself soon, I am hoping that my healthcare and prescription costs do not increase over the costs I currently pay with private health insurance.

Even with health insurance, over the past year or so, I have found that the co-payment for prescriptions using my insurance was actually higher than when I use a discount healthcare card.

I am fortunate to have Xpress Healthcare’s prescription discounts.  I have saved hundreds of dollars this year alone using my Xpress prescription card instead of my health insurance, which was very surprising to me when I first realized it.  I had always assumed insurance would be the better option.  I have learned that is not necessarily true.

Using Xpress Healthcare’s neighborhood pharmacy program, I save 10% to 85% on most prescriptions.  All the major national chains participate in the program, as do many independent pharmacies.  All I do is present my membership card to the pharmacist with the prescription. The pharmacist calculates the discount, and I pay the discounted price. No forms are required.

My Xpress membership also includes a mail order program where I can optimize my savings by purchasing maintenance prescriptions in 90 day supplies to treat ongoing ailments.

The statistics above demonstrate the dire need for relief to those who cannot afford their prescriptions.  We are fortunate to live in a time when medications are available to extend and improve the quality of our lives – but only if we can afford to buy them.

(Xpress Healthcare’s Pharmacy Discounts are NOT insurance and are not intended as a substitute for insurance.  The membership card can only be used at one of Xpress’ 60,000 providers nationwide.)

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The Disappearance of the Shopping Mall

As my husband and I were taking our regular walk through our local mall, we discovered that overnight, another store had closed.  We “walk the mall” five days a week.  You never need to worry about weather, the walking surface is level, and there is no traffic nearby about which we need to be concerned.

We live in a city of only about 40,000 people, so our mall is pretty small, but vacancies are high.  There are two anchor stores and about 25 other businesses.  Of those, six are now vacant.  This is not unique to our local mall, and malls nationwide are struggling to fill their spaces and increase the number of shoppers.

When thinking about why there are so many vacancies, of course, the poor economy and high unemployment are the first reasons that come to mind.  However, there are other reasons that likely will not change as the economy improves.  There are far more “big box” stores, with stores like Walmart and Target becoming one-stop-shopping stores.  Consumers can buy nearly everything they need from clothing to electronics to groceries without going from store to store.

Online shopping has increased dramatically, taking a big slice of business from shopping malls.  The majority of big chains have now opened their own online stores to regain some of the business they lost at their retail stores.

I’ve noticed a large increase in vacancies in strip malls as well.  Just yesterday, I was going to purchase something from a local flooring store, only to discover the store is no longer there.  That strip mall had one open store out of six that were available.  We noticed two other strip malls in town with only a couple stores occupied, with the remainder empty.

At the beginning of 2012, for the first time in four years, there was a slight decrease in the number of mall vacancies.  That small improvement may be due to the fact that new mall construction has decreased because of the economy.  In fact fewer new malls were built in 2011 than at any time in the past 30 years.  Each time a newer, nicer mall opened, it hurt the existing malls. 

A lot of the major department stores, like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, J.C. Penney's, did major renovations and held very attractive sales, which likely contributed to the slight improvement.  

As we became more observant about strip malls and our local mall vacancies, we realized that we had previously given no thought to this part of the economy and how it has suffered over the past several years.

I am not a “shopper” and won’t particularly miss shopping at malls.  However, Sears and J.C. Penney’s have always “been there,” and it is just a bit sad to think that sometime in the near future, they may exist only online - or not at all.

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Amazing New Tool for Physicians, the Stethescope

I am constantly amazed at the new technologies that appear seemingly every day.  IPods, I pads, computers and smart phones.  I can’t keep up with all the new and remarkable tools and forms of entertainment that have been introduced.

Although fabulous inventions have arisen during our lifetime, before the late 20^th and 21^st centuries, there were incredible inventions that changed the world.  Inventions 50, 100, 200 years ago made life easier, helped us to live longer lives, nearly wiped out some diseases and more.

In the 1600’s, the first barometer was introduced.  Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to see and describe bacteria with a microscope during this time period as well. These events eventually led to the ability to predict changes in the weather and gave physicians a better way to diagnose and treat diseases.  

C. Hopffer patented the first fire extinguisher in 1722, and two years later the first mercury thermometer was invented by Gabriel Fahrenheit.  I’m sure the people back then considered these to be pretty amazing.

We are practically addicted to our cell phones today, but when the first patent for an electric telegraph was filed in 1774, how important do you think that was in history?  I personally am grateful that Ben Franklin invented bi-focal eyeglasses in 1780.

Smallpox was a huge problem worldwide before 1796 when Edward Jenner created a vaccine for it.  Many of today’s high-tech “toys” are available, because the battery was invented in the late 1700’s.

When we watch programs on our HD TV’s and send pictures with our phones, we should all be grateful to Joseph Nicéphore Niépce for being the first person to take a photograph (It took eight hours).

How did doctors even practice before the stethoscope was invented in 1819?  Between 1827 and 1830, the first typewriter was created and the sewing machine a short time later.

Can you imagine working in an office without the stapler that was invented in 1841?  And how “fun” it must have been to have a tooth pulled before Dr. William Morton began using anesthesia in the middle of the 19^th century.  Fortunately, that was closely followed by the creation of antiseptics.

Our cell phones may be amazing, but would they have even existed had Alexander Graham Bell not invented the phone to begin with?  The first moving pictures arrived on the scene in 1877, the same year Thomas Edison invented the phonograph.

I don’t even want to think what it was like before the first form of toilet paper was invented.  And how many other incredible inventions came to be because Heinrich Hertz invented radar in 1887?

Science, technology and inventions progressed at an accelerated rate during the 20th century, more so than any other century.  During the first decades of that century, airplanes, automobiles and the radio dazzled the population with wonder.

Of course, I’ve barely touched on the thousands of other inventions throughout history without which our lives might be very different today.  The next time you are in awe of all the electronics we use today, think what life would have been like without the many scientific discoveries and inventions that came about long before anyone coined the words “high-tech.”

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My husband, retired for a few years now, has decided he wants to have a home business.  He only wants to work around 10 hours a week, and he is not a “high tech” type of guy.  He can do searches on the Internet and send and receive emails.  He does not know “computereze.”

Anyway, since he is asking me to review everything he finds, I have been thrown back into the search for a home business.  I am once again reminded how difficult it is to find a business that fits specific criteria.

There are hundreds, probably thousands of good businesses from which to choose online, but there is not a single one that is right for everyone.  There are a few important things I consider when searching for a business opportunity.

1)     Is the business a reputable, legitimate company?

2)     What costs are involved – upfront, monthly or at a later date?

3)     Is it a good fit?  Will I be able to be passionate about the product or service the company offers?

It can be very time consuming and challenging to find a business that is a good match, but I know it is necessary to spend that time and effort.   Just because I have heard of a company does not necessarily mean it is reputable. On the other hand, just because I have never heard of them, it doesn’t mean it is not a great company.

I always check on third party sites about any company I am considering, not only on the company site or those of their distributors.  What do those OUTSIDE the company say about them?

I do not rely too heavily on the Better Business Bureau.  Some businesses simply choose not to pay for BBB membership.  In addition, while many very good organizations are accredited and highly rated by the BBB, a while back, there were questions about the validity of the BBB grading. The situation may have been rectified.  Watch this video of a 20/20 Investigation into the BBB to learn more.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo8kfV9kONw

If a company or one of its distributors promises or guarantees a huge income, I will run the other way!  In the network marketing industry in particular, some people will never apply themselves.  Some don’t have the right skills for the business.  Therefore, there is no way EVERYONE can be successful, let alone earn a huge income, with any company. That old line, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” definitely applies when researching business opportunities. 

Many excellent companies have complaints filed against them for various reasons, so a few complaints against a company do not necessarily mean the company is disreputable.  However, if I find many complaints about a company, I will not consider them.

I carefully research the product or service being offered.  Would I buy it?  No matter how great the product, if it is too expensive, I not likely make many sales. 

I do my best to learn the TRUE cost of operating any business.  Most business opportunities have a fee involved at some point, whether it is an up-front cost or a monthly fee.  When a company claims it is totally free to start and operate the business, I am skeptical.  There are companies that tell you there is no start-up cost, but then they charge hundreds of dollars for training.  OR, after joining, you discover that there is a required upgrade to be able to earn money.

It is important to me to “feel a connection” with the company rep with whom I speak.  If I believe they are evading my questions or are not being totally honest, red flags go up!   

I like a simple-to-understand comp plan. I am not seeking “multiple streams of income.”  I must be able to explain it to prospects myself.  I know there are many who want a binary, matrix or other types of (to me) complicated comp plans.  I do not.

When it comes to a business for my husband, it must be simple, simple, simple.  He must be able to do it himself, without much help from me.  We have looked at several businesses already, none of which fit his criteria.

And so, we continue our search…

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Attention Hypochondriacs!

As those of you who have read my blogs before, you know I write about a wide array of topics.   I sometimes mention my home business, but I rarely write a blog about it.  There have been so many amazing things happening with Xpress Healthcare this year that I decided it is time to update anyone who cares to read this.

Although our name includes the word “healthcare,” we offer far more.  We began as a Discount Healthcare plan, NOT insurance.  Soon after launching, Dental Discounts were added.

I sometimes refer to Xpress as a Discount Savings Program, because our plans now include a variety of discounts, saving our members money on both medical and non-medical services.

We now offer LifeLock® ID Theft Protection.  With Xpress Healthcare, our members can enroll their FAMILY in LifeLock® for the price LifeLock® charges at their own site for only two people.  PLUS, the same plan, “Lifestyle Select,” includes discounts on Pet Care, Roadside Assistance, Cash Back Rewards mall and Legal Services at no additional cost.  The “Lifestyle Select” plan is only $19.95 per month, per family.

I mentioned Pet Care Discounts above, because our members save 25% on veterinary services when using one of our network providers, and they save on many pet products and services.

Our Roadside Assistance program is available 24/7/365.  Xpress members can have their vehicle towed up to 15 miles at no charge, and receive flat tire/battery assistance, lock-out assistance and more.

Our Legal Services plan offers nine of the most commonly-used services to our members at no cost and reduced rates on most other legal services.

Of course, our health and dental plans provide discounts on Physicians and Aetna® Dental Services.  They also offer savings on Vision, Hearing, Prescriptions, Medical and Diabetic Supplies, Chiropractor, Nurseline, Lab Work, Imaging and Hospital Stays.

Each plan includes your immediate family members living with you.  They are only $19.95/month to $49.95/month, depending on the plan selected.  We are NOT insurance.  Our plans can be used to supplement insurance or alone for those who cannot afford or qualify for insurance.  Everyone is accepted!

Our plans help people save money every day in many ways.  I would be grateful to you if you spread the word to anyone you know who might benefit from our savings plans.

If you’d like more information about our discount benefit plans, please visit http://julie.joinxpress.com/product.html.  If you are interested in learning about the Xpress Healthcare business opportunity, visit http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html.

The Future Me

I read a question on a website asking about the future me.  In a perfect world, what will my life be like in the future?

The question got me thinking.  I am a “mature” woman.  Both my parents lived well into their 80’s, and my grandmother lived to 93.  So, with longevity on my side, I may still be around in 20 years.  So, let me tell you what the “future me” will be doing – assuming that “perfect world.”

My husband and I have had our house up for sale for nearly a year.  This is not a good time to try to sell a house.  The “future me” will have our house sold, and we will be living in California, close to our children and grandchildren.  We will be living in a nice, safe and quiet neighborhood with a lovely home.

My “future me’s” health is of great importance.  I have health issues now, which my parents did not have at my age. I have taken care of myself my entire life, always staying active and exercising, keeping my weight pretty much under control and eating fairly well – if not quite as healthfully as I should.  I never smoked, used drugs or overindulged in adult beverages. 

Therefore, there was not too much I could have done differently to prevent my health problems.  However, if the conditions do not worsen, I may live well into old age.  The “future me” will be in decent, though not excellent health, mobile, self-sufficient and able to enjoy the pleasures in life.

Throughout my life I saved money, building an income for our retirement.  With the global recession, my investments took a heavy hit – just at the time when I would like to have been able to begin to live on them.  The “future me” will live in a greatly improved economy, increasing my investments dramatically.

This leads to another thing the “future me” will be enjoying - a great income from my Xpress Healthcare business.  Unlike many in network marketing, I am earning a decent income from my home business.  Decent, but not the six-figure income everyone talks about.  I am fortunate that my business continues to grow, but the “future me” will have that six-figure income, enabling me to enjoy my “senior” years traveling and doing whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it.

It is fortunate that I work in the business I do, because it provides me with supplemental health, dental and other great discounts to save me money in various areas of my life.  As long as I am able to sit at a desk and use my computer, I can continue to work if I choose to do so well into old age.

Hopefully this blog will encourage you to think about the future you, where you will be and what you will be doing.  I hope we can all be there together!

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Chase Your Passion

Passion:  “intense emotion: intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger; intense enthusiasm: a strong liking or enthusiasm for a subject or activity”

I do not believe that children feel or understand passion, not to be confused with love for any person or thing.  When we hit our teens, I think we begin to feel passion.  When I was in my teens, I began to have “crushes” on boys.  At the time, I remember thinking that I loved one guy or another, but in reality, I think it was actually passion beginning to bloom.

Also, in our teens, the most important thing in the world to us is our friends.  We are passionate about our friendships as we begin to mature we pull away from our families.  Most of us return to the strong family fold later, but during our teens, they are not as important to us as our friends.

As we continue to grow into adults, many of us develop hobbies or get involved with sports about which we become passionate.  My late husband was passionate about fishing and hunting.  My current husband is a “car nut,” building and looking at classic cars at every opportunity.  Some people cannot get enough of watching football. 

In my late 20’s, I became involved with genealogy.  To this day, many years later, I am passionate about my family history.  I research my family whenever I have time to do so.  This passion is only for my own family.  I want to learn everything I possibly can about them, how each person was related to each other person and how far back in history can I trace them.

When my husband and I were married (20 years this coming New Years Day), I introduced him to genealogy.  He loves it nearly as much as I do, and together we have traced one branch of his family back to the year 636.  Yes indeed, he is now passionate about genealogy too.

I worked a variety of jobs throughout my life, but I never became passionate about my career.  It was simply a way to earn money and support my family.

In February, 2011, however, I joined a network marketing company called Xpress Healthcare, and for the first time, I am passionate about my work.  I often spend 10-12 hours a day working on my business, but the time just passes, because I love what I am doing. 

I am passionate about helping people save money with our discount savings plans, and using the plans, I personally save an enormous amount of money each year.  Even more than Xpress Healthcare’s products, I am passionate about growing a team of affiliates who are also passionate about the company.  It is a thrill for me to watch them build a business and an income and to watch them grow themselves, learning new skills and stepping out of their comfort zones to try new and different methods of marketing the business.

Looking back over my life, I can see how passion can be many different things, as the definition at the top of this page indicates.  It can be nearly any strong emotion, both positive and negative.  However, the emotions evoked by passion keep us alive, striving to always do more, have more, see more and feel more. 

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My Dog Ate My Homework

Like teachers who receive excuses like, “My dog at my homework,” those of us in network marketing hear some pretty crazy reasons as to why people on our teams quit.

With my company, because we offer a 14-day trial, the majority of those who quit do so during the trial.  It makes it easier.  I never have charge backs.  But periodically some do quit at a later date.

I am extremely honest with prospective team members.  I make it very clear that they likely will not be making money for possibly the first few weeks, but the potential to earn a great deal is great if they work hard and persevere.  I also explain that a home business is work, real work.  I want people to understand exactly what to expect, so I explain it all very thoroughly before they join.

That said, even after years in network marketing, I am still amused when I see the silly excuses people give for why they are quitting.  

Recently I had a young lady quit, because she didn’t want to “work so hard.” 

Some people have worked with several different companies and they quit saying they could not earn enough money right away.  With each company they join, they expect too much too soon.

Of course, although each new team member knows before they join exactly how much their monthly fee will be after their trial period ends, and yet, there are still those who quit due to financial reasons.  Did they really not know before they joined that they wouldn’t be able to afford it?  So they waste their own time and mine in training.

A couple times I’ve had people tell me that they were offered a j-o-b they “couldn’t refuse.”  Both told me they weren’t even looking for a job, but the company approached them and begged them to work for them.  Of course, neither of them had done one bit of work with their business during their time with my company.

I know that life sometimes “gets in the way,” but many have quit my team saying there was just too much going on in their lives to work the business.  All of a sudden, during that brief 2 week trial, their entire life went into turmoil?  Hmm.

I cannot begin to count the number of people who have called me saying that, due to health issues, they cannot work a normal job outside their home.  So, they decided they want a home business.  During the “interview” process I always ask whether, with their health problems, they are certain they can handle work at home.  Of course, they answer “yes” and then days or weeks later, they quit because of health issues.

I have gotten much better at determining whether someone will be an asset to my team or not.  More often than not, I am right.  However, there are always those who deserve an Academy Award for their performance prior to joining.  They are enthusiastic and excited to get started, and they appear to have the experience and background it takes to be successful. 

One thing I have definitely learned is not to get too excited about anyone joining my team.  I no longer feel “sure” that anyone is going to be great.  It is unfortunate, but there is no crystal ball, so we can never be sure until they come on board and prove themselves. 

I Hate Reality TV!

I have satellite TV with hundreds of channels to watch, but the vast majority of the time, as far as I am concerned, nothing is worth watching!

Each season – or even mid-season – another ridiculous “reality” show is put on the air.  Reality?  What reality?  Most of the shows are staged.  The “players” do what the producer says to do, because the audience loves it.

I will admit that I enjoy a few of the talent shows, “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “Dancing with the Stars.”  I do NOT enjoy the early episodes when they are rooting out the worst of the worst.  I enjoy hearing good music and watching great dancing, but I could easily do without their life stories inserted throughout the program.

I actually have a life, my own life.  I don’t need to watch someone else living their life.  Families who scream at and hit one another.  Do people actually find this entertaining?  Watching someone build a fish tank?  Sorry, I enjoy watching fish in a tank, but watching them build it?  Boring!

I have never seen “Jersey Shore” or the various “Housewives of…” programs.  Then there is “Swamp People” who float around killing alligators.  Now THAT is a beautiful thing to see!  “Ice Truckers?”  People drive around on extremely dangerous roads nearly getting killed.  Of course, you know they will not be killed, because that would remove a “cast” member.

How about “Miami Ink?”  I have never seen the show, but watching people get tattoos?  Really?  “Ax Men” is another one I’ll be sure to miss.  From the trailers, it appears there are a bunch of guys, loggers I guess, who argue with one another.  “Sister Wives,” a man with his harem of wives?  This is 2012, isn’t it?  “Ghost Adventures” is an interesting one (she says while laughing).  My husband actually watches that one sometimes, so I sat down with him once.  A group of “ghost hunters” go into a supposedly haunted house, occasionally jumping or screaming out from a sound or touch that the viewer cannot see or hear.   

Unfortunately, kids watch these shows.  They get the impression that their own lives are boring, sometimes leading them into doing stupid things so they too can have an “exciting” life.  Do we really want our children to believe these shows are real?

I don’t watch much TV, but when I do watch, I enjoy nature programs, learning from history shows, but not much else.  I’ll take a good book anytime, and I’ll continue living my own real life.

http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html/blogger

Team Work Can Make a Dream Work

To succeed in network marketing, it is vital that you have a great sponsor.  When you joined your program, hopefully you did lots of research to learn what team you wanted to join.  Many people in the industry quit due to a lack of support and training from their sponsors.  More often than not, I believe it is the team member, not the sponsor’s fault.  However, there are poor sponsors.  I have worked with them myself.

If you are currently seeking a new business opportunity, before joining any organization, perform research on potential sponsors.  I know that some team leaders dislike when prospects are “sponsor shopping.” It can be annoying, however, there is a difference between trying to join the top team in the company and trying to find a patient, mentoring sponsor.  If the “chemistry” isn’t good between you and a team member, you will not work well together.

When talking to a prospective sponsor, you can ask them a few questions that should help you determine whether you should join their team.

1.   What kind of support do you offer new team members?

2.   Do you have successful team members now, or did you with other companies?

3.  How is your team different from others in your company?

4.  Do you host team training calls and/or offer one-on-one training?

Some companies place emphasis on the team leaders and ignore those who are not top producers.  I worked with a company like that myself.  The team leaders paid attention to those who were doing really well, not those who actually needed guidance and training.

The people who get on the strong teams within a company are generally the most successful.  Without a sponsor with great leadership skills, you likely will not receive the training and support you need.

No team leader wants someone to join their team who needs their hand held every step of the way.  However, there is a difference between a free loader who is dragging the whole team down and someone who needs guidance and a couple one-on-one training sessions to get their business up and running.

As a team leader, I know that you can lead a horse to water…  At the same time, I know that I must give my team all the tools they need to succeed; I must spend some one-on-one time with them at the beginning and any time changes take place within the company; and then I can leave it up to them to apply and put these tools and methods to good use.  It is the nature of the business that not all team members will do well, and many will quit before ever putting in any effort.

I openly share what I have learned along the way, teach my team members the most effective way to market our product, and help them to duplicate my recruiting methods.

What works with one company may not necessarily work with another company.  I have developed a system and methods that actually work with our program, and I teach my downline how to replicate them.  If I do my job well, those team members who are truly determined to succeed will then teach these same methods to their own teams to achieve even greater success for the team as a whole.

Come join my team, The Winner's Circle at http://julie.joinxpress.com/xhc1.html?=blog

Clearing Out the Old

My husband and I have our house up for sale.  Whenever it sells, we will have 17-years of accumulated “stuff” to move.

So, we decided to get rid of some things.  For years we’ve been collecting “tshatshkes” (trinket, toy, bauble; knick-knack; ornament), and they are just sitting in a closet.  Some are antiques and/or vintage items.

My husband and I thought we should try to sell them online.  Over the years, we have purchased a thing or two and sold a couple things on eBay, but we are far from experienced sellers.

We photographed all the things we wanted to sell, loaded the pix into my computer and began to place our ads.

What a production it turned out to be! We were posting 15 items.  First determining the category was a bit of a challenge.  Some items fit into more than one category, and other things didn’t seem to fit into any of the categories offered.

When we went to upload the photos for each item, some wouldn’t load for some reason (wrong number of pixels?).  We had to retake and reload pictures repeatedly.

The next obstacle we faced was determining the price.  We had looked up most of the items on eBay and other sites to see what they sold for, but the prices varied dramatically.  Since we really want to sell these items, we decided to go lower than most of the others, and we put them under the “buy now” category.  In the Buy Now area, we had to select the lowest offer we would accept.  We wanted to make a little money at least on these items.

Our next step was to think up a title for each ad.  We had to try to think up titles that would grab buyers’ attention.  I’m not sure how successful we were, but I think I would have stopped to look closer if I was buying instead of selling.

Then we had to think of a description for them.  Six of the items were beautiful vintage perfume bottles.  I inherited them from my mother.  They are all glass, some with “jewels,” some with raised designs.  We had to come up with descriptions that were different for each one.  I didn’t even know what to call a couple of the items.  They were “tshatshkes.”

After posting about six of our 15 items, I realized I had skipped the “location exclusion” section.  I do not want to have to send them outside of the United States.  I had to go back to the original six I had already posted and correct that section. 

All in all, this process took us – wait for it – nearly four hours!  After all that work, I certainly hope these items sell. 

Our Sunday was a new and interesting experience.

http://julie.joinxpress.com

Change Please

To make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone. “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”

Winston Churchill quotes (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965) Most of us are resistant change.  We are comfortable where we are, doing what we have been doing in the same way.  Of course, change is inevitable.  If you look at it with a positive attitude, change can be exciting, keeping life – or your business – ever evolving and improving. Considering the ever-accelerating rate of change in today’s workplace, the ability to successfully adapt to change may be one of the most important skills to learn. There are times that we may focus on what we might lose as a result of the change, rather than on what we may gain. No matter how you personally feel about the change – whatever it may be - it is important to adapt productively and positively. There are times when we want to just get the change over with so we can move on.  In the world of business, the cycle of change may take longer than we hope or expect.  The changes must be communicated to everyone, integrated into an existing system, and it may take time for adjustment of all the things that the change may affect.  When you learn about an upcoming change, consider it a challenge.  Take it on!  Throw yourself into learning as much as you can about it.  Consider what new and exciting horizons may appear as result of the change. Tap into your courage.  Be brave and face the change head on. Instead of clinging to the status quo, ask yourself “How will this change improve my business?” “How will it make our entire company better?”  Instead of expressing discontent and resistance, look for ways that the integration process of the change will give you an opportunity to grow your business.  When we are pushed out of our comfort zone, we can then build a new one. Ask others – your team leader or a co-worker – for their input.  They may have insight into how the change will affect you and the company.  Their perspective may be very different from your own, so you can ask for ideas, suggestions and feedback on how they are adjusting to the change.  You may be surprised how having a solid support system surrounding you will ease the affect of the change.  Rather than being resistant to the change by building walls around you, build bridges instead that you may cross to learn how to maximize the benefits of the change. Eventually the adjustment to the change, or to several changes, will get easier.  I’ll admit that early on with my current company, before I knew the business really well, changes frightened me just a bit.  I wondered whether I could learn a new way of working, new products, new skills.  I no longer fear them.  Instead I look forward to them and adjust quickly. Because I work with a fairly new company, we have learned that we must expect changes and embrace them.  Along with our company, we can evolve, improve and grow. http://juliejoinxpress.com

What Shall I Talk About?

As the leader of a large network marketing team, I host training calls.  I really enjoy them, and I am fortunate that there is nearly always good attendance on the calls.  In this industry, I know it can be challenging getting team members to training calls, so I consider myself fortunate.

As much as I like presenting training calls, it is very challenging coming up with something different to talk about each week.  I have had calls about our back office on a few occasions, which is good, because with our company, the back office frequently changes with new tools added to make our job easier.

I have had calls discussing attitude, leadership, self-confidence, marketing, a few about the discount savings plans we sell, how our savings plans help those on Medicare, recruiting, home business tax deductions, on IBO Toolbox and on and on. 

Because we are a network marketing company, we are always gaining new team members who have not heard the calls I did weeks or months ago.  So, occasionally, I change a program I have already done a bit and present it again.

My team call is on Monday’s.  Today it is Friday, and I have not yet come up with an idea for this week’s call.  I even sent out an email to my team asking if there is something in particular they would like me to cover.  No responses so far.

So, I am interested to know how those of you who have team training calls, how do you keep the topic fresh and interesting?  There are so many IBO members who also build teams, some of you must have team calls.  We all sell different products and services, so of course, you will train on your own product.  But, network marketing is network marketing, and there are certain aspects of the industry that are the same no matter what you sell.

I would love your thoughts on this.  How do you come up with team call topics each week?

http://julie.joinxpress.com?=blogger