A dear friend of mine, Phil, told me a story long ago that resonates with me to this day. It goes a little something like this…

There are three ducks in a pond and two decide to fly away. How many are left? Three, there is a big difference between decision and action.

Those who are successful in network marketing, multi level marketing or direct sales are not successful because they decided to be successful. They are successful because they took action! Consistent, daily action!

Personally, I started flapping my wings years ago. Not sure what the other two ducks are up to these days, but this duck is soaring with the eagles now and in the near future, I will be looking down upon the eagles from my lofty perch.

So what are you waiting for? Start flapping!

You ready to flap with me?
- Drew

Two things that happened today that just left me shaking my head. One, I was on a sales call and the partner with me on the call was nervous, very nervous. As a result, he would not stop talking. Second, I was approached by a salesman selling me waterless car wash in a can and when I asked him to close me on the sale, he made a few smart remarks and didn’t ask for the business again.

Situation number one, when a potential client is talking, never, and I mean never talk over them. Listen to what they are telling you. Allow the client to do the talking, nine times out of ten they will tell you exactly how to sell them. Remember, people care less how much you know until they know how much you care. LISTEN to them! My partner on the call was nervous, but he eventually caught himself and started following my lead allowing me to ask the proper questions that got the client talking. My associate answered some of the questions and ended each answer with another open ended question. Needless to say, we closed the deal and are looking forward to a long and lucrative partnership with our new client.

Situation number two, I was getting gas at a local station when I was approached by a young man selling waterless car wash, something I could use on occasion. He asked a few rapport building questions at the beginning when he did his cold approach which immediately caught my attention. He was effective because I had no interest in talking to him, but he broke the ice and pulled me into a conversation. He proceeded to talk about the merits of his product and then asked for the sale. His approach was mild with no pressure, but he soon gave up after I told him no three times. As he was walking away, I turned to him and said, “That’s it? You are giving up that easy?” He had no idea who I was or what I do for a living, but I just gave him permission to close on me some more. He didn’t seize the opportunity and I walked away empty handed. There is an unwritten rule in sales, it takes 5 no’s to get one yes! He had two more no’s to go before I handed him the money and he made the sale. He gave up too soon. And what’s worse, it was a product I could have used!

So how can you transfer these real life lessons to your business? Simple, next time you are on a sales call for your company, let the client do the talking. Let them uncover their path to the sale. Given enough time, they will tell you exactly how to sell them. Also, keep in mind, it takes 5 no’s to get one yes, so keep track of the number of rejections you have received before the client finally says yes. However, if you have the faith in your product the way I have faith in mine, don’t give up until they do say yes because I know that Isagenix changes people’s life on a daily basis and believe to the core of my being that everyone should be on this product.

Take these lessons and apply them to your business and see what happens! Start today!

Best to you in all you do!
- Drew

Let me give you an example that is applicable to your business as a multi-level marketing or network marketing professional. In order for your business to grow, you must recruit. No matter how good you are in selling your wares, the power of your residual income potential is built by recruiting and building a downline. How do you make that happen? Simple, commit to a number of calls or contacts you will make daily for the express purpose of building your business. Let’s use a relatively simple and easy to attain number. 10 calls or contacts a day, 5 days a week. That type of commitment will only take about 30 minutes out of your schedule.

Here is what to expect out of those calls.

You will contact three people, out of those three people one will say yes, one will say no, one will say maybe. So, you will schedule one definite appointment to share your business a day or 5 appointments a week. One will definitely reschedule on you, so you will end up doing 4 out of the five appointments. Close just 50% of those appointments and you have added 2 more people to your team that week. Continue doing that week after week and by the end of the year, you will have personally sponsored 104 people.

If that sounds unreasonable, cut that number in half to 52. If that sounds outrageous, cut it in half again to just 26. Still unreasonable? 13? 7? Either way, you have built your team based off of your attitude and effort. Keep the effort up to just 10 calls a day and keep your attitude positive because regardless of what the nay sayers have to say, you will build your team by the sheer number of calls you make. Remember, ATTITUDE and EFFORT, control those and control your destiny! Get started now!

Again, I’m all about the stories! If you have any stories about how your attitude and effort helped you persevere, I’d love to hear them! Comment below…
- Drew

New York XPO for Business

Most prospects come to you with a mild, but skeptical, interest in what you are offering. Virtually everyone is getting hit with offers to ‘become your own boss’ or ‘retire a millionaire’ every single day. The Internet is overflowing with them. Especially once the ad-engines discover that you are interested in being your own boss as a home-based entrepreneur. They all sound alike and they all promise the same thing. That isn’t what you are doing…right?

Now, put these new prospects on your list and schedule your call to each of them. The initial call is to rebuild the new connection and to set an appointment for a future follow up discussion. The most important thing to remember while making this initial follow up call is to ask questions, listen to the answers, address their concerns directly, and to ask their permission to take them further into your business discussion. This is how to build trust. Ultimately, you are asking them for a Yes or No answer. There is no Maybe. MaybeLand is your biggest time killer. Therefore, ask them if they want to look further. Yes? Give it your best shot. No? Thank them and move on. You are on your way to building a great business.

From the office of Drew Berman, contributed by Seth Lefferts. Seth Lefferts is an entrepreneur, consultant and business owner. He has spent many years in the corporate environment and has discovered that there is a way out. He is now teaching how to utilize the skillset that it takes to break free and become your own boss, and how to realize your dreams. Learn more at www.DareToDreamNow.Us.

“I’ve learned that…

Thoughts are things…
Thoughts create beliefs…
Beliefs create actions…
Actions create habits…
Habits create destiny.

So as you venture on this journey, quenching your mind with an elixir of millionaire secrets, you will shortly alter your beliefs, actions, habits, and, ultimately, your destiny. As you grow your mind, you’re sure to grow your wallet!”

This was taken directly from my page, Millionaire Secrets.

It is no secret that thoughts are things. Look around you, everything that you touch, own, see was a thought at one time or another. That thought took shape and the person with that thought acted upon it and that thought became a reality. The automobile, the jet engine, the Twinkie, the pencil, shoes, socks, your wallet, money, paper, running water, the light bulb, television, radio, need I go on?

Thoughts of the Millionaire. What makes a millionaire’s thoughts so much different than the thoughts of ordinary men? Nothing really, it is the ACTION of the millionaire that makes the difference. You see, people have ideas all the time, some of them unique, some of them not so unique. The difference between those that make millions and those that don’t is that the millionaire wrote the thought down, created a plan or a set of beliefs around that thought, took actions on that plan and made a fortune as a result.

So, thoughts are things and you KNOW thoughts are things. You can no longer claim ignorance. So, get it out of your head, get it on paper, create beliefs around it, take action and shape your destiny! Use this Millionaire Secret and Do it now!

Best to you in all you do…
- Drew

Entrepreneurial Mindset: The Road Less Traveled

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”. – Matthew 7:13-14, KJV

In The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, he describes the challenges Christian faces on the way to the Celestial City. Those who are familiar with the book known that it is a metaphor for the the life of a believer on the road to Heaven.

What does all of this mean? Jerry Rice, Christ, John Bunyan, why these three? Simple, because in each example, they point out that the road less traveled has a tremendous reward at the end of it. And let’s face it, the road of the entrepreneur is a road less traveled.

Do you want more time with your family? Do you want to be able to spend more time with your kids? Do you want to be able to leave behind a sizable inheritance for future generations? Do you want to build a legacy that affects the world hundreds of years later? Do you want a true financially secure future?

In the last three postings, I have made the point that this road is not an easy one. In fact, I have made it sound scary at times, but it is worth it! It is absolutely worth it! The rewards far out weigh the trials and when you have built your empire, whatever that may be, that allows you to live instead of punch a clock, you will know exactly what I am talking about!

Join me on this road! Commit to it! Persevere in the tough times! Revel in the good times! Enjoy the journey! You are passing through life anyway, why not do it on the road less traveled and create a tremendous life for yourself and your family while you are at it? Remember, on the day of victory, no fatigue is felt. But, also remember, when the reaper comes knocking, are you going to say, “I wish I had put in more overtime,” or “I wish I had spent more time at work,” NO, HECK NO! You will wish you spent more time with your family, your friends, those you love. The road less traveled creates a tremendous life, but remember “few be there that find it.” Be one of those few.

Will you be joining me?
- Drew

6 Skills to 6 Figures

6 Skills to 6 Figures

1. RECRUIT – recruiting is the lifeblood of this business. You must recruit in order for your business to grow and the power of residual income to start taking effect. If you have challenge with recruiting, seek help from others in your upline that are excellent at recruiting. That is why we are a team, ask for help.


 

2. MANAGE TEAM & TIME – management skills are excellent to have, but there are some who lack this skill because they have no experience in it. Again ask for help. There are many books written on the subject, but I will recommend The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard.
3. COACH – coach your team on what needs to be done in order to be successful. How do you learn how to coach? Plug into your team and learn the necessary skills to be an effective coach. Read anything you can get your hands on by or about people like Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh, Tony Dungee and other successful coaches.
4. PROMOTE – don’t say, “I don’t know how,” because yes you do. Have you ever watched a great movie or eaten at an excellent restaurant? What do you do when you talk to others about it? You promote it, right? Promote the opportunity. There is reason you got involved. Share your reasons and your excitement with others. THAT is how you promote.
5. MANAGE A GROUP – this can be challenging, but this skill is very rewarding. Again, it is similar to coaching, but on a larger scale. Ask for help from your upline. Remember, you may be in business for yourself, but not by yourself.
6. HAVE FUN – this is an absolute must! If you are not having fun with this career path it will affect all other aspects of your business! HAVE FUN!

Ok, get your pen and paper ready and take some notes. These keys will explode your business only if you take action and apply them daily.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT4lfk9h8KM

Entrepreneur Mindset: The Butterfly Effect

Henry Ford – he created Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903. He is known as the father of the modern assembly line, but let’s fast forward to what his contribution has really done. Millions upon millions of jobs have been created and millions and millions of families around the world are gainfully employed because of his ideas. In order to build a car, all of the necessary components come from somewhere. The steel, the rubber, the electronics, the gas, the paint, the glass, the robotics, etc has to come from somewhere and passes through many hands before it ever ends up in a car or truck built by Ford. Those farms, mines, steel companies, glass manufacturers all employ someone to make this happen. The finished materials must be shipped to the auto manufacturing plants that make the vehicles. Those factories had to be built by someone that bought the materials from someone else and so forth. The vehicles are made and shipped all over the world. Someone had to build the ships, the rail cars, the semis that deliver these vehicles to their destinations. The cars must be sold in dealerships that were built by someone that had to buy the materials necessary to build it. The land on which the buildings are being built had to be sold by someone in order for the dealerships and plants to even exist. It takes a large staff to sell and maintain those cars. The list goes on and on, but I think you are getting the picture.

Walt Disney – I am just going to list the people involved to make this happen – animators, film crews, production companies, entertainment talent and actors, musicians and composers, caterers, hotels, restaurants, automotive and transportation companies, airlines and that is just for the movies. The parks would include contractors for building the parks, maintenance workers, park attendants, actors, janitorial staff, food vendors, security, executive staff, the travel industry, gas stations, etc. Again, millions of jobs created as a result of Walt’s stick to it attitude.

Drew Berman, yeah, that’s right, me! I have 13,000+ people in my downline as a result of me seeing an opportunity in Isagenix and running with it. How many lives have been changed by the nutritionals Isagenix markets as well as the income the opportunity allows? Truly countless when you consider the families of each of these Isagenix reps and the money being spent in their local communities.

So, why am I pointing this out to you? Simple, you DO NOT RESERVE THE RIGHT TO FAIL OR QUIT! PERIOD! Why? You have no idea how your efforts, defeats, heartache and eventual victory will change the lives of others around this country and around the globe! You are an entrepreneur, you WILL experience setbacks, you WILL experience failures, but you WILL experience SUCCESS if you don’t quit! Reread this and keep it handy so that the next time you feel like giving up, DON’T!

Again, the next time you feel like giving up, DON’T!
- Drew

The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Three Feet From Gold

R.U. Darby is not the purpose of this particular portion of the series, but it has been said that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistake of others. So why did I start with the R.U. Darby story? Simple, every person on the entrepreneurial road experiences setbacks and defeats along the way, but the difference between those that experience tremendous wealth and prosperity and those that do not are the lessons learned and applied during the journey. Let’s consider some other entrepreneurs that experienced major challenges in their lives…

Donald Trump ran into financial trouble in the late 80’s and early 90’s and had to file bankruptcy on his businesses. Yet today, he is ranked no. 17 on Forbes Top 100 List for 2011.

Henry Ford’s first automobile company, The Detroit Automobile Company, went bankrupt in 1901. However, today, Ford Motor Company is a world leader in the automobile industry and is the only American auto manufacturer that did not receive money in the automotive government bail outs.

Thomas A. Edison was said to have failed 10,000 times before he found the right combination for the filament in an incandescent light bulb. Yet, his inventions have changed modern society on a global basis.

Walt Disney was turned away as a cartoonist because he “lacked imagination.” He also lost rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit an instant hit when it came out, but later created Mickey Mouse as a result.

There are countless more stories and examples of famous entrepreneurs that could have and SHOULD have given up as a result of the heartache they experienced in their journey to the top, but because they didn’t quit, we know them and know them well. They have not been lost in the annals of history as someone who could have been, but wasn’t because he or she quit.

So why am I telling you this? Why point out the failures of famous people? The answer is simple, there are going to be times in your life, during your journey as a business owner, a Multi Level Marketer, a commissioned salesperson, that you are going to want to quit. Simply walk away and wash your hands of the whole deal to travel an easier road, but don’t you do it! Don’t even think about it! It is in those times, reach out to someone, seek help, seek assistance from someone that has been in your shoes. Reinvent yourself if necessary, try something different! Are you willing to fail 10,000 times before you find the right combination? Remember, on the day of victory, no fatigue is felt.

I will leave you with this quote, “Never give up, never surrender!” Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) from the movie Galaxy Quest. Although it is from a silly movie making fun of Star Trek, it is a mantra that can help you through some rough times that you will experience along the way and don’t be fooled, they will happen. So, NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER SURRENDER!!!

- Drew

PS: I love stories about triumph over adversity. If you have such a story, please share it in the comments below.

“The career I have chosen is laden with opportunity yet it is fraught with heartbreak and despair and the bodies of those who have failed, were they piled atop one another, would cast its shadow down upon all the pyramids of the earth. Yet I will not fail, as the others…” excerpt from The Scroll Marked I – The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino.

Can we wipe away all the hype and be brutally honest at this point? Re-read that excerpt from The Greatest Salesman in the World. Bodies piled on top of one another so high it would cast a shadow on ALL the pyramids of the earth? Really? Whoa Nelly, does that sound like a career path you really want to take? Seriously?

The path of the entrepreneur is no easy road to haul, not at all, but I want you to read the last line, the very last line.. “Yet I will not fail, as the others…” Og knew what he was doing when he wrote this particular piece. He knew that if given the proper tools, the path of the entrepreneur is one laden with great opportunity. And in multi level marketing, network marketing, or direct sales, the organizations that have been most successful provide all the necessary tools one needs to become uber successful to the tune of millions.

Let me leave you with this excerpt from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, “One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another. An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by the “gold fever” in the gold-rush days, and went west to DIG AND GROW RICH… After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore… A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.

Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something happened! The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again-all to no avail.

Finally, they decided to QUIT. They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars… He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating… His calculations showed that the vein would be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THE DARBYS HAD STOPPED DRILLING! That is exactly where it was found!”

So, when the road gets rough, and it will, remember, seek professional help (your upline or business partners who have been where you are) and DON’T QUIT! YOU ARE JUST THREE FEET FROM GOLD!

Do you have a story about how your persistence and perseverance paid off? Please share below!
- Drew