Lifemax Lending Library: You Need More Friends

Any Gitomer Fans Out There?

(Can you tell that my hand is raised?!)  For years, I have been a fan of Jeffrey Gitomer, world-renowned and best-selling author, speaker, and self-proclaimed Chief Executive Salesman…or Janitor (depending on which work shirt he’s wearing during one of his hundreds of packed seminars each year).  As far as I’m concerned, this guy really understands what networking is all about.  One of my favorite quotes of his is, “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy!”  This holds particularly true in network marketing. 

Have you ever started a conversation with, “Hey friend, I want to tell you about a product you can buy that you are going to LOVE”?  OF COURSE NOT.  Some of us may have tried to start a dialogue with a weak pitch, but since a conversation takes TWO or more people, and since you probably got shot down somewhere between the “Hey friend” and the “product you can buy” portion, it’s likely that a conversation never took place.  Gitomer has helped me overcome many such rookie mistakes with his book, “Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Black Book of Connections:  6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to RICH Relationships” in which he states:

All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends.  All things being not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends.  HINT:  To climb the ladder of success, you don’t need more techniques and strategies, you need more friends.”

Powerful statement, huh?  In our industry, independent distributors have the benefit of freedom; you set our own schedule, you act as your own boss.  The hand-off, as those of you who have ever held any sales job can attest to, is that the idea of a high-quality ”lead list” being handed to you on Day One is as unlikely as finding a CrackerJack prize in your Autoship of Mila (though I might really be onto a great idea there!)  No, in network marketing, we have to make our own leads, and the easiest place to start our search for prospective distributors is friends and family.  People with whom you already have an established rapport are easiest to connect with.  As Gitomer tells us:

Connecting is all about your friendliness, your ability to engage, and your willingness to give value first.  When you combine those three attributes, you will have uncovered the secret of powerful connections that lead to RICH relationships.

I know that making time for professional development–such as reading the works of gurus like Carnegie, Hill, Peale, and other classic authors–is not always easy, but it is without question VITAL to your success in any business.  I would go so far as to say that this industry necessitates it more than any other because when you own your own business, you are solely responsible for your success.  One of the reasons I’m a fan of Gitomer–and I’m not ashamed to admit this–is because his books are so short and easy to read.  And yes, they have pictures.  Plus, these are no-nonsense resources; he cuts straight to the point and shares practical and applicable tips for building your business.  And frankly, anyone who adds a bibliography to a book on networking and lists the sole resource as “Google” gets a gold star in my book.  Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this or any other “little” book by this guy!

Happy connecting!

Jenni “Lifemax Librarian and Friend-Finder, Too” Smith

The Little Black Book of Connections, Copywrite 2006 by Jeffrey Gitomer
Published by Bard Press, Austin, Texas

Developer Bonus: August Winners

Congratulations to August’s Top 10 EAQ-makers!

The below list comprises those who’ve personally sponsored the highest number of EAQs who—regardless of enrollment month—attained a status of “qualified” in August.  Additional details on the Developer Bonus can be found in the Lifemax Compensation Plan Narrative document found in the Document Library of your Team Office.  Congratulations to our winners!

August Winners

1. Christos Kapetanios
2. Milamax, LLC
3. Denise Meisburg
4. Suriani Mohamed
5. Tom Duke
6. Francisco Gutierrez
7. Theresa Ford
8. Robert Kelly
9. Tracy Castleman
10. Thelldine Wegesend

Lifemax Lending Library: The Big Idea

I was inspired this morning by a small, almost hidden gem in Michael Michalko’s Thinkertoys: 

Big ideas can dwell in the most insignificant attribute just as the flavor of an entire ocean is contained in one drop.

I can’t say that I’ve ever caught a mouthful of salty water and paused to consider the fact that each drop contains the same wet feel and salty flavor here in Florida as it does for our distributors up and down the east coast or all the way to the UK.  Furthermore, I don’t recall the Pacific Ocean tasting any different last time I was on the west coast, so it’s probably safe to say that one small drop of the good ol’ Atlantic represents every ocean across the globe.  And if big ideas can dwell in something the size of a drop of ocean water anywhere in the world, I can’t help but wonder what kind of gigantic ideas will come to life when a blend of distributors from all over come together to ELEVATE their lives to a higher level during this year’s annual conference. 

Consider for one minute, as I did this morning, how huge this is going to be.  This October, we will have hundreds of distributors–some who have been with Lifemax from the very beginning, and others who joined us as recently as this month–coming together to be part of something big, something life-changing, something they can pull from and use to build their business faster, stronger, and more easily for years to come.

As our Founder Sherri Wear shared earlier this week, she has asked her Executive Life Coach, Dr.  Mark Chironna–the man whom she credits with helping her and Jim find success in everything from business to their marriage–to be the Keynote Speaker for ELEVATE twenty10.  His message will affect EVERYONE who joins us this October.  Will YOU be there to learn from our Founders’ mentor? 

Happy Big Idea-ing!  And see you in October!

Jenni “Lifemax Librarian and Big Idea Thinker” Smith

Thinkertoys, Copywrite 2006 by Michael Michalko
Published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California

Announcing the ELEVATE Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mark Chironna

A Message from Lifemax Founder Sherri Wear

Hello everyone – Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last few weeks of your summer.

We just want to give you a little teaser of what we will be bringing to you at our Lifemax Annual Conference: ELEVATE twenty10.  We have asked Dr. Mark Chironna to be our keynote speaker!  Dr. Chironna has been our Executive Life Coach for the past several years.  It was not until Jimbo and I started being coached and trained by Dr. Chironna that we became wealthy–not just in our finances–but in our mind, will, and emotions.  We attribute at least 60% of our success in our business entrepreneurial world and in our marriage to his training and teachings.

It would be unfair to you all to keep our best kept secret a secret any longer.  I ask you all to open your mind and heart and allow Dr. Mark Chironna to pull your destiny out of you in the same way that he guided and led us straight to ours.

With much love,

Sherri Wear

p.s.  Below is a personal invitation to attend ELEVATE from Dr. Chironna to YOU!  This short video clip is just a teaser for what you’ll hear in October, and I hope that this will get you as fired up as we are!

A Message from Dr. Mark Chironna

Lifemax Lending Library: Challenging Assumptions

Today’s post focuses on another gem found in the Lifemax Lending Library.  In his book, “Thinkertoys,” Michael Michalko seeks to change the way we think, and he gives us each the tools to do just that.  It’s up to us what we do with that information, of course, so I’m choosing to share it with you in hopes you’ll experience the same benefits as I am.  Today, we’re focusing on challenging assumptions.

Do You Assume You Know What I Mean By “Assume”?

Most of us don’t realize how many casual assumptions we make in a day.  Now I’m not referring to the assumptions we make about the noisy neighbors or the parents of the petulant child kicking the back of our seats when flying cross-country to that next amazing Lifemax event.   I’m talking about a different set of assumptions that we make when trying to problem-solve.  Consider the following excerpt from “Thinkertoys:”

Suppose you built a house using a “yard” stick that was actually an inch short.  If you assumed that it was a full yard and used it to measure everything you built, then everything would be wrong, and your ceilings, doors, and windows would be too low.  If you had started by questioning the measuring stick, there would have been no problem.  It is the same with all problems:  If you start with incorrect assumptions, your solutions will be poorly constructed.

Assumptions in the Industry

This got me thinking about what assumptions we make in network marketing.  Do we ever incorrectly assume someone has had a bad experience in network marketing and consequently present the business opportunity with unnecessary trepidation instead of confidence?  Do we ever incorrectly assume we know how something should be done now simply because it’s worked in the past?  Do we ever assume a mentality of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” in lieu of seeking an improved solution that perhaps just wasn’t previously available?

Assumptions in Associations

How selective are you when it comes to choosing people with whom to associate?  From casual acquaintences to friends, personal assistants to bosses, and prospects to partners, it is likely that you use some kind of measuring stick (hopefully one that is NOT missing a metaphorical inch) when inviting people into your life.  Though you may not weed out everyone whom you feel lacks creativity, it might be wise to seek out those that “think outside the box” as surrounding yourself with other creative problem-solvers can only lead to making you more creative yourself.  Consider the famous inventor, Thomas Edison, who clearly provides an example of seeking out creativity in his hiring practices:

Whenever Thomas Edison was about to hire a new employee, he would invite the applicant over for a bowl of soup.  If the person salted his soup before tasting it, Edison would not offer him the job.  He did not hire people who had too many assumptions built into their everyday life.  Edison wanted people who consistently challenged assumptions.

And speaking of salt, it would be wise to take this post with a grain of salt, so-to-speak.  Even Michalko recognizes the unlikelihood of challenging every assumption in life as he states:

Obviously, many things have to be taken for granted, and the purpose is not to pretend that one has the time to challenge every assumption, but instead to show nothing is sacrosanct.  Once you truly realize this, you are open to all sorts of discoveries.  Imagine diving into a lake that everyone assumes is freezing and discovering balmy, warm water.  Until you jump, you will never know for sure.

So I’m asking you to take a jump with me.  Challenge at least one assumption every day, and discover the creative side to problem-solving that will open up endless solutions!

Happy problem-solving!

Jenni “Lifemax Librarian and Problem Solver, Too” Smith

Thinkertoys, Copywrite 2006 by Michael Michalko
Published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California

August Developer Bonus Contenders

Who’s in the Running for the August Developer Bonus?

We are once again more than halfway through the month and you know what that means!  You half two weeks left to get your name added to the below list (if it doesn’t already appear)!  You need only help your personally-sponsored distributors get QUALIFIED this month to increase your chances of securing a spot in our Top Ten list of August EAQ-makers! Remember, regardless of when they enrolled or activated, all distributors whom you have personally sponsored who become qualified this month count toward your Developer Bonus eligibility.

The Current Top 25 EAQ-Makers for AUGUST Are…

(in alphabetical order)

1.  Sharifah Maimunah Alhabshi
2.  Tamatha Caldwell
3.  Tracy Castleman
4.  Jacque Craig
5.  Tom Duke
6.  Theresa Ford
7.  Rachel Garcia
8.  Leela Bilmes Goldstein
9.  Heather Haxo-Phillips
10. B. Lea Holst
11. Robert Kelly
12. William Kelly
13. John King
14. Erinn Lynch
15. Milamax LLC
16. Joseph & Rowena Murray
17. Noble Rhythm Holdings Limited
18. Dawn Rapsas
19. Stephen Reid
20. Casey Roberts
21. Mary Schepers
22. Heather Waesche
23. Leslie Walters
24. Glen Watase
25. Thelldine Wegesend

Health and Happiness: The Power of Accountability

The Light Bulb Moment

Somewhere between meetings yesterday, I had a light bulb moment.  It’s been a while since we posted a blog article in our “Health and Happiness” category, but despite how busy the Home Office has been lately with a variety of initiatives (to be revealed at the annual conference), it is always important to pause and make time for such things.  After all, what’s the point of building a business if not for achieving personal satisfaction, creating sustainable health and wealth for yourself and your loved ones, and enjoying the financial rewards you reap from your hard work?  So, consider this my pause.

The Challenge

As a recovering couch-aholic currently in training for a half-marathon relay, I’ll admit that I sometimes struggle to motivate myself to keep up my training regimen.  You may be able to relate to this little pickle in which I’ve found myself:  setting the goal is a piece of cake; training to prepare myself to reach the goal is proving far more difficult.  I have a million excuses (which all feel perfectly valid to me) which I wrestle with NOT accepting on a regular basis.  Of course there are those mornings where my Mila smoothie helps me kick things into high gear, and I feel like I could even give Dr. Bob Arnot a run for his money on the treadmill (that man power-walks his way through our conference calls with ease!) but there are also those days where I have to dig a little deeper to find energy. 

Then it hit me.  Our new Manager, Distributor Services (Dorothy Boyer, aka “DB”) is an avid outdoorsy, sports-playin’, triathlon-competin’, RUNNER.  Due to an injury a while back, DB has slowed her pace and distance to a point where we are (almost) a compatible pair.  I regularly seek her running advice and she routinely offers me encouragement in my race prep, so she seemed like the perfect person to hold me accountable. 

Partnering Up for Accountability

Going it alone is tough.  Finding a partner–any partner–that can hold you accountable (and presumably one for whom you can return the favor) will make your endeavor easier.  Whether you need help in introducing Mila to more people, pushing to make a few extra calls to prospects, increasing the number of in-homes you host, or any other aspect of your Lifemax life, an accountability partner is a great tool!

Here’s How It Works

Start by asking someone to hold you accountable for something you already plan to do.  I had an evening workout planned but was feeling pretty tired at the end of the workday, so I told DB I was going to run that night, no matter what, and I asked her to follow-up with me the next day.  When she did, I was proud to confirm that I stuck to my commitment.  Try this out a few times so that you can test your partner and yourself!

Return the Favor

Find something (it may be the same goal or one completely unrelated) for which your partner needs you to hold him/her accountable, and follow the same first step.  For us, it turns out that DB wanted to get back into running as well, and we decided to organize a weekly post-work five mile jog.  We will hold each other accountable for this and will both benefit greatly.  Maybe you and another member of your team could partner up to hold twice as many Biz Opp Presentations as either of you currently do?

Record Your Progress

You can take this as far as you’d like.  Personally, I’m a checklist kind of gal.  Whatever your method of recording your progress, be sure you’re getting it down on paper/computer/iPhone/etc.  (Or, simply attend the ELEVATE conference and we’ll give you a tool to use!) 

Avoid the easier “oh I keep everything ‘up here’ in the old noggin’” routine.  Most of us are so busy that we can’t remember what we had for breakfast (did we even remember to eat breakfast?!), let alone how many of our weekly goals we achieved for the week.  Plus, it’s quite satisfying to look at a page full of checkmarks at the end of the week!

Reward Your Progress — And Your Partner

It’s important to stay motivated.  Be sure to periodically reward yourself for accomplishing your goals.  Even better, tie your rewards to the goals you’re achieving.  For example, if your goal is to host more in-homes, treat yourself to something for your home that you’ll enjoy which will also be a topic of conversation for your prospects!  Or if your goal is to double the number of calls you make each week, reward yourself with a high-end headset to make the calls easier.   There are ways of creating win-win situations for everyone involved.  And don’t forget to reward your partner, too! 

The Biggest Reward of All

Ultimately, if you are achieving your goals, then you’re already blessing yourself with the greatest gifts available.  Personal accountability is one of the strongest paths I’ve found to health and happiness, and it is my sincere hope that you’ll each find it for yourselves.  In the meantime, if you’re searching for an accountability partner and need some help, reach out to me on Twitter or Facebook, and I’ll be happy to help!

Happy Partnering!

Jenni “Checking This Post Off My List” Smith

Press Release: Lifemax Rewards Sponsoring with Summer Promotion

Lifemax Rewards Sponsoring with Summer Promotion

Up, Up, and Away Promo Offers Travel Incentives to Lifemax Distributors

ORLANDO, FL (August 4, 2010)—Lifemax®, a network marketing company known for Mila®, the world’s healthiest whole raw food, has launched the Up, Up, and Away Summer Promotion which is designed to bolster and compliment the concurrently running Prosperity Promotion, the largest promotion in Company history.  Top earners in the new summer promo will win a Fly Away Dream Vacation for two, a Long Weekend Get Away Adventure for two, or one of many other high-tech gadgets.  Since the opening of the promotion window on July 1, 2010, Lifemax Independent Distributors have been participating from across the world, including North America, Asia, and Europe.

“In addition to driving more enrollments, we expect this promotion to cause a surge in annual conference registrations,” commented Lifemax President Mike Battistelli.  Though the top travel incentives are open to all participants, eighty percent of the prizes offered through this promotion will be announced and awarded during this October’s Lifemax Annual Conference:  Elevate twenty10.  “More importantly,” added Battistelli, “this promotion offers a more immediate ROI for distributors, yet is strategically aligned with the ongoing Prosperity Promotion and Lifemax Compensation Plan which promote long-term distributorship growth.”

“Having already announced Prosperity Promotion-generated distributor earnings in excess of $1.5 Million (USD) since the February 2010 launch, Lifemax is gaining an industry-wide reputation for offering one of the most lucrative earning opportunities in the network marketing arena,” said Lifemax CEO Paul Rogers.  “We take great pride in our mission to ‘Change the Health and Wealth of the World,’ and opportunities presented by these promotions incentivize the right behaviors to help distributors carry out that mission with ease.”

Though the Prosperity Promotion doesn’t end until 2011, the window for the Up, Up, and Away Summer Promotion will close in mid-September, just a month before the annual conference begins in Orlando, Florida.  Lifemax in anticipating record-breaking attendance and has already sold out of VIP seating for the three-day event.  Additional details can be found at http://MyLifemax.net/Elevate.

About Lifemax, Inc.
Lifemax is a network marketing company known for Mila, its proprietary mixture of Salvia hispanica L. seed (commonly known as chia).  Mila has been carefully selected to optimize bioavailability and maximize nutritional value with its blend of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber and phytonutrients. The chief mission of Lifemax, Inc. is to “Change the Health and Wealth of the World” by sharing the healthiest whole raw food and empowering our network of independent distributors to create financial freedom.  Lifemax is a member of the Direct Selling Association.  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. To learn more about Lifemax, visit: http://www.Lifemax.net.

Download the PDF of the full press release here.

Developer Bonus: July Winners

Congratulations to July’s top 10 EAQ-makers!

The below list comprises those who’ve personally sponsored the highest number of EAQs who—regardless of enrollment month—attained a status of “qualified” in July).   Additional details on the Developer Bonus can be found in the Lifemax Compensation Plan Narrative document found in the Document Library of your Team Office.  Congratulations to our winners!

July Winners

1.   Jay Harold Nacario

2.   Suriani Mohamed

3.   Jonnaven Monalim

4.   Kimberly Ross

5.   Jacque Craig

6.   Nancy Waesche

7.   Starr Wren

8.   Mikaele Holzer

9.   Joseph & Rowena Murray

10. Casey Roberts

Lifemax Lending Library: Technology As Leverage

Welcome to the Lifemax Lending Library

I have always been a TV junkie.  Despite my parents’ best attempts to cure their curious child’s boredom with books, I opted for Saturday morning cartoons instead.  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I made the commitment to enrich my life by reading at least a few pages of a non-fiction book EVERY DAY, and now there’s no turning back.

Shortly after joining the Lifemax Home Office team, I suggested the concept of a Lifemax Lending Library.  I’ve acquired so many excellent books over the years, and wanted to share them with the Lifemax family.  Within a couple days, our Director of IT, Jonathan Ducos, had created a virtual library (complete with online check-in and check-out capabilities) for our team to use.  Since then, we’ve not only shared books internally, but we are putting the top business concepts into practice with regularity!  How empowering it is to absorb the knowledge from an author’s decades of experience within a few short hours of solid reading time.

Sharing the Wealth

Keeping these books to ourselves would be selfish, so we have decided to share a few of our very favorite snippets with you via this newly created blog category aptly named, “Lifemax Lending Library” (creative, I know).  We promise to source and attribute all material appropriately, and our hope is that these teasers will inspire you to grab the book (audiobooks, CDs, Kindlebooks, and the like are equally encouraged; however, there is an unparalleled feeling of satisfaction when you can scribble in the margins!) and read it for yourself.

Don’t Trust Me; Trust the Trust Agents

As this is the first Lifemax Lending Library post, we have selected a book titled, “Trust Agents:  Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.  Today’s selection comes from chapter 4, page 139.

Brogan and Smith tackle a variety of tech subjects in this book, all centered around using the Web for business success.  In this excerpt, the focus is on the benefits of being an early (technology) adopter:

Most people wait for technology to become common before they start taking advantage of it, but this is the kind of thing you should stop doing.  Becoming an early adopter of technology sometimes means paying more, or putting effort into understanding a certain tool before there’s a manual for it, but it also means you’re there at the beginning, which leaves you in a better position than others when the technology is common, even connecting you with more business opportunities.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?!  As our entire company moves into its fifth month of Team Office adoption, we can’t help but consider this fairly recent technology shift we have taken together.  What was difficult for some and a breath of fresh air for others still presented one over-arching challenge for all:  CHANGE.  Change, especially when it comes to technology, is difficult.  Let’s just call a spade a spade.  Unless you’ve just finished reading a self-help book, no one wakes up in the morning and says, “Ooh!  Today is the day I want to experience a rocking shift to the way I am accustomed to doing things!”  Get real.  But what this passage reminds us of is the BENEFITS to moving through the tougher parts of change and into the success that only comes when we embrace technology for its possibilities.  As Brogan and Smith continue:

The real secret of the most successful people on the Web is that they are always trying new things… Early adopters always know more about what’s coming up, and that leads to advantage, over and over again.  The company that doesn’t see how it should innovate will always lose over the one that knows how, because it leverages that information to dominate its marketplace.  And so should you.

This is not to say we don’t still empathize with the growing pains technology change presents; believe me, we do.  With thousands of hard-working distributors working to overcome tech challenges, your small-but-mighty Home Office team members continue to collaborate with leading software provider, Xennsoft, to define these challenges and solve them as quickly as possible.   In the meantime, go out and grab yourself a copy of “Trust Agents” and join us in learning how to not only survive, but thrive, in the World Wide Web.

And since I just finished the last page of the book today, I’m off to find a new read…

Happy reading!

Jenni “Lifemax Librarian and Other Titles, Too” Smith

Trust Agents, Copywrite 2009 by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

With special thanks to @JennSelke, PhD for turning me on to this little goldmine.

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