Darn Those Crazy Nerves!

Have you ever experienced one of those days where you really want to do something but your nerves are just acting up like crazy! Just about everyone can relate to this in some way. One of the most common causes of nerves that just fire up instantaneously is when you find yourself faced with having to present your network marketing opportunity.

Sometimes these nerves can fire up just before your presentation or when you accept the speaking engagement. No matter when this happens try to learn some good relaxation techniques that you can use anytime.

Some great ways to relax including learning how to relax your shoulders and by deep breathing. The minute you feel nervous your body starts to tighten up your shoulder muscles, and this can radiate into your neck and even result in a headache.

Learning how to breathe deeply can also keep you calm, this is a great technique to learn for lots of reasons, not just for public speaking. Even as you speak, when you can learn to control your breathing and speak more slowly your speech will come across extremely clearly.

It can also help a lot if you practice your presentation ahead of time. You may want to try it out in front of your family or even in front of a mirror. This way you can also make sure you don’t do things like wave your arms around too much.

While you don’t have to know your presentation by heart, you don’t want to have to rely on reading it word for word. When you do that your words often come across as strained and not natural.

One thing to bear in mind is that you are presenting on a topic that you are considered to be an expert on. Right away this should help to ally your fears; you do know what you are talking about after all.

Keep that in the back of your mind if your nerves start to rear their ugly head just before your presentation. Quite often, most presenters find that once they start presenting they forget about being nervous. They enjoy talking about a familiar topic and let their knowledge pour out.

It is perfectly possible to clear your fears and your nerves, remember you are in control – not your body. Take a deep breath in, relax your shoulders and welcome your audience to the presentation.

Darn Those Crazy Nerves!

Connecting with Your Audience

The most important tool a network marketing professional can acquire is to learn how to make a connection with their audience when presenting. Once you can do this successfully people are going to enjoy your speeches and return for more.

One of the best ways to create a connection with your audience is to speak from your heart. Don’t just try to memorize your speech, talk with feelings and allow your emotions come to the surface. When people see you are passionate about something they almost always connect with you. Often they have experienced something similar that brings their own feelings to the surface.

Another way to set the tone of your presentation is to pay attention to your opening. Very often you can capture your audience’s attention by giving them a startling fact or announcement.

Using stories is another compelling way to interact with your audience. If you use this angle you want to use a story that is true to you, and one that identifies with the topic you are talking about. If you are talking about your own journey on how you got to where you are today, you will have lots of stories to share.

One other great tactic is actually using tools like PowerPoint presentations, images, or other graphics. This could be in the form of a slide show, drawings on a white board or having a pin board full of photographs. This works really well if you allow your audience to come up on stage and view them before your speech. Plus it allows you to mingle and to introduce yourself at the same time.

Take all the above items into consideration and see if you can use one or more of them in your next company presentation. Whatever you do stay true to yourself, don’t make up stories. If you don’t have one to share, you could always use stories from successful people in your company.

The most powerful tool you have to connect with your audience is simply to use your voice and your body language. When you speak, speak with authority and confidence. Walk the stage and make eye contact with your audience and don’t forget the power of visual aids.

Remember that once you have learned the skill of connecting with your audience, you enrollments will likely increase. You will probably even get requested to present more than you thought possible.

Connecting with Your Audience

Are You Really Standing Alone?

One of the most important aspects of network marketing is speaking to an audience. But, most people have a major phobia to standing in front of a group of people, and this limits their MLM growth potential. Did you know that you are not alone when it comes to having a fear of public speaking? In fact there are a couple of psychological reasons why this is a very natural fear.

1. You are standing alone

2. You are facing a crowd of unknown people

3. Your back is open

4. You have no weapons

These fears date back years and can even be compared to hunters, instead of facing people they are facing animals and the fear of what that animal may do.

If you take those four factors into consideration you can easily see why fear raises its ugly head. It is a natural response that is hardwired into us as people.

Now, your concern is to simply overcome these fears. One of the first things to remember is that you are not truly alone. You may feel alone up there on that stage, but your audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. So this actually puts two of these fears to bed quickly. Yes your back is open but this is nothing to be concerned about and this leads us into weapons. While you don’t have any weapons as we know them, what you do have is tools.

Your tools include both physical aids such as a stick, slides, whiteboards and any other aids that help you with your presentation. Then you have your arms and your body that you could use as tools.

Eye contact is extremely powerful and just making eye contact with someone who is being loud or disruptive can quickly quieten them down. You can use your arms and hands to point out things to your audience. Your body speaks volumes as well and the way you walk and carry yourself will send a message to your audience. You can easily carry an air of confidence or an air or nervousness about you.

So as you can see you are not really going to be alone on stage when you deliver your speech. No one in the audience is out there to see you fail, they are all pulling for you to succeed.

Use these tools to your benefit by using them to gain confidence. Quite often just holding a pointer to draw attention to your slides can make you feel more comfortable.

Remember, like most people, once you actually start talking your fears may simply disappears. It is the anticipation that builds the fear more than the act of speaking.

Are You Really Standing Alone?

Never Give Up

Our dreams are what drive us. They are the foundation for our goals. Without them, we have nothing to move towards.

One thing I have noticed with network marketers is that they tend to give up on their dreams too easily. When they discover that network marketing actually requires work. There is generally more to “it” than what is said in front of the room or an online presentation.

I want to encourage you to give your business at least one year to develop. If you see great success before then, celebrate. The reality, though, is that is probably won’t come as quickly… But, never give up on why you started in the first place. Let that dream be a burning desire within you and drive you to keep going.

Never Give Up

Post Cards and Door Hangers

A few days ago someone called me to complain about the marketing materials with the company I’m with. He actually asked me what I was going to do about creating something for him. I humored him. But, honestly, I thought he was out of his mind. My comments definitely implied that he was welcome to do what millions of other network marketers have done in the past and create his own. He still suggested I do it. So I had to ask, “what do you have in mind?” His answer was to do door hangers and post cards. Hmmm… My next question was “what is your past profession?” Can you guess what his answer was?

If you guessed realtor, you were right. I had to explain to him that often what works in one profession doesn’t always work in another – especially door hangers and post cards. That is unless you understand psycology… Somehow I don’t think he really does. I found interesting that after years of experience and him coming to me for input, that when I didn’t give him the answer he wanted he told me that he’d show me it works. (Yes, for selling residential real estate.)

One more thing I thought was funny was when I suggested this probably wouldn’t be the best way to attract networkers, he told me he didn’t want networkers. The people he’s looking for are affiliates, distributors, and customers. Hmmm… Aren’t those essentially the same things?

I’m curious about your thoughts on this. Do you think using these types of marketing methods can help someone build a downline?

Post Cards and Door Hangers

Only dead fish go with the flow

Only dead fish go with the flow

Use Video to Build Your Downline

Teach People Step-By-Step

Did you know that a simple video on YouTube can drastically increase your conversion rates and skyrocket your profits?

Aurelius Tjin of the infamous Copy And Paste Graphics 2 once launched a fire sale on his birthday. What he did was he created a short video teaching people how to use the products in the fire sale.

His affiliates sent their traffic to the video page and immediately, sales started coming in faster than ever.

If you want to convince buyers to invest in your product, creating a video designed to educate prospects will get you more sales than ever. As a matter of fact, creating a video is often much easier for some people (especially for those who hate writing).

Get Them To Take Action

Another well known marketer made full use of video for building his list.

John Reese of the infamous Blog Rush used the power of Viral marketing to make Blog Rush one of the most used widgets in the blogosphere.

How did he do it?

Well, he simply referred people to watch a video on how to drive massive FREE traffic to your blog and he implemented a very simple way for people to sign up and refer their friends.

Their friends watched the same video and they did the same thing until almost every blog on the Internet started using Blog Rush.

He achieved this all because he had a powerful video that made people take action immediately,

Use Video to Build Your Downline