Many people dream of being their own boss. Perhaps they are currently working in an office and feel as if they’re not fulfilled by the work they do.

Or maybe they’re stay-at-home parents who want to contribute to the family’s finances. 

A few take the plunge into network marketing. They dream of making loads of money and living the lifestyle of the most successful network marketers. They see people they know and admire who have become successful network marketers and want to slay every day like them. But it’s often not that easy. You see, success relies upon good habits.

The reality of network marketing

What most people don’t see is the hard work it takes to achieve success. Although the most successful business leaders make it all seem effortless, you can bet they experienced a variety of challenges and setbacks along the way. They surely had feelings of doubt and frustration as they plugged away toward their goals. 

There’s more to achieving success than deciding to start a business. Once you start a business it’s your habits that keep you going and dictate whether or not you succeed. The thing with network marketing is you may be inundated with stories of people who have achieved success using your products or services; however, you don’t have to opportunity to see how they got there (and the habits that got them there). If you have friends who are successful network marketers and you’re struggling, you may wonder why you’re not achieving the same level of success. Again, you’re not there to see what’s going on behind-the-scenes. 

Often, we hide our struggles from those around us due to shame, embarrassment or fear. Since we typically only see the positive parts of the journey to success, we may feel that it’s abnormal to experience struggle along the way. It’s not abnormal to experience struggle; that’s all part of achieving success!

The habits of success

Success begins with good habits. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t born with these habits. They don’t automatically populate our bodies once we declare we’re going to start a business (although wouldn’t it be great if they did?). Instead, it takes time, effort, and energy to build these habits and make them part of us. 

Here are the habits to cultivate to achieve success.

Discipline

If you want to succeed you have to commit to doing whatever it takes to do so. Commitment takes discipline. Discipline is doing your daily Power Hours and working on your business during that time. This includes following up with customers and prospects, checking in with your team, or watching a short training video to sharpen your skills. Basically, anything intended to move your business forward and grow your network. 

How to develop the skill:

Make a date with your business every day. Choose a time that works best for you so you can be sure to stick with it. Block it out on your calendar and make no other appointments during this time (unless it’s an absolute emergency). Set reminders to help ensure you’ll stick to the time you’ve set. After a few weeks, it’ll begin to become a habit; you’ll just do it automatically. However, those first few weeks, set alarms and reminders to help you succeed in building this habit.

Focus

Most people are in denial about their ability to focus. We all think we’re an expert at it, then find ourselves easily distracted when we’re supposed to be working. However, focus is critical – you owe your business and your network your full attention! Unfortunately, distractions are all around us, whether they come from our kids and pets, social media, the latest episode of our favorite show. For every one thing you need to do, there are a thousand distractions that are competing for our attention. And when we give in, it impedes our success.

How to develop the skill:

Make your work area a distraction-free zone. Turn off notifications on your computer and phone while you’re working. Turn off music or podcasts. Place a sign on the door or near you that says you’re busy for the next hour. Tell everyone in the house not to bother you during that time unless it’s an emergency (although with children, especially young children, this is easier said than done. Consider working when they’re napping or at school).

Listening

Listening is a powerful skill to have and hone. So many salespeople rely on their speaking skills to relate to people; however, what’s far more important is one’s listening skills. Now you may be thinking, “How am I supposed to sell anything if I’m not talking about my business?” There’s plenty of time to talk about your business. However, if you want to truly connect to your network and serve them from the heart, you have to listen. 

How to develop the skill:

Resist the urge to monopolize the conversation with what your business can do. Instead, ask questions of the other person. Ask what’s going on in their lives right now. Do they have big plans for the holidays? Is their family coming into town or are they planning to travel? How is work going for them? How are they adjusting to their oldest child being off at school? Then, keep them talking by asking more questions. Listen to their responses and afterward identify:

• What are their pain points or struggles right now? 
• Can your product or service help? 
• If not, do you know someone who can help that you can connect them to? 

Then, follow up. If your business can help, explain how. If you wish to connect them with someone you know who can help, ask if it’s okay to do so. They’ll appreciate the gesture and you’ll continue to build trust.

Positive thinking

Zig Ziglar said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” Success and a positive attitude are interlinked. You have to believe you’ll succeed in order to do so. But, positive thinking is more than just having confidence in yourself and your abilities; it’s also cultivating a mindset of positivity. That is, reading positive information, listening to positive podcasts and music, watching positive shows and movies, and developing positive affirmations to live by. Positive people don’t ignore negativity; they just don’t internalize it or let it take up residence in their minds. 

How to develop the skill:

Start by counting your blessings; that is, writing down three things you’re grateful for every day. Even if you have a crummy day, you can surely find a few things that went well that you’re grateful for. Do this exercise daily and you’ll find it becomes easier and easier to pinpoint and appreciate the good in your day.

Next, seek out positive materials to read and listen to. Look for authors and sources that uplift rather than leave you feeling depressed or anxious. 

Also, find an affirmation you wish to repeat daily to start your day. It could be a favorite quote or even a song lyric that makes you feel as if you can take on the world. Write it down and post it where you can see it, then start the day with it each morning. 

Drive

Many people confuse the terms drive and motivation. While they are similar, drive is internalized. Think of it as motivation that comes from your core. Although external motivation from your mentor, peers, and others you look up to can help fuel your drive, having drive is up to you. 

Successful people are driven to thrive and succeed. This means that they’ll do what it takes to win, even when they’re tired or frustrated or don’t feel like working or have a personal or professional challenge arise. They don’t make excuses – they put their heads down and work no matter what. Many will look at them and remark how strong they are or say, “Oh, that’s all well and good for them, but I don’t have it in me.” That’s not true. Everyone is driven; it’s just a matter finding the right thing to inspire them to act. 

How to develop the skill:

What’s your Why? Having a Why – or a reason to thrive – is the most potent fuel for your drive. As soon as you begin to think of an excuse to not work on your business, your Why tells your drive to shut down those thoughts and get to work instead. If you don’t have a Why, read last week’s blog to find it.

Maintaining relationships

Your relationships fuel your network marketing business. The more trust you have with the people in your network, the more likely they are to rely on your business for their needs. Additionally, they may be more likely to connect you with people they know who could benefit from the services you provide. That’s why it’s so important to nurture your relationships with the people in your network. How? By taking the time to connect with them consistently.

How to develop the skill:

Follow up! The more you follow up with your network, the better equipped you’ll be to help them when they need it. Review your Teamzy Dashboard daily to see who you should connect with every day. Then, get to work. 

Teamzy helps you develop good habits for success

Your Dashboard is a powerful organizational tool that ensures you stay on track to reach your goals. It helps you reinforce your habits and put you on the path to success. Click here for more information.