Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Is Direct Sales Hard??

The following article is an excerpt from a speech given by a direct seller at a local meeting. I was told she was asked to speak on how direct sales compares to working a "regular" job. I have edited it to share with you. As you read it count the many blessings we have in this business.





Lately, I have heard so many people say how difficult direct sales is.
"Its hard." "I can't get any opt-ins." "I can't get people to sign up." "This just isn't for me." "I didn't know how difficult it would be."

Well, I am a single mom of three who, before joining the direct sales family, held down two jobs. I would get up at 4:00 in the morning and not get to bed until midnight most nights, after returning from my part-time retail job, packing lunches, checking homework and relieving my mother, who helped out with the kids.

That, my friends, is difficult.

It is difficult always having to lower your dreams to meet your means. It is difficult to miss your son's football game because you have to work. It is difficult knowing the rust bucket you call a car is eating you alive in maintenance, but you can't afford a new one. It is difficult to realize that someone else is going to watch your daughter take her first step or have your son say mama to the preschool teacher.

It is difficult knowing that you have spent 40 years of your life working for someone else, only to realize that you will be retiring on one-third of what you can live on today. Or, worse yet, it is difficult knowing that you have diligently worked all your life, only to be given an early retirement and replaced by someone younger, more capable.

I will tell you what is difficult. It is difficult waking up one morning and realizing that your children, the most precious things imaginable, no longer need bottles, diapers, have tea parties, or are shorter than the baseball bat they are trying to swing. It is difficult realizing it is too late and that the time frittered away can never be retrieved. It slips
through our fingers one second at a time.

It is also difficult watching the spark in your partner's eyes fade because both of you realize the house you have been wanting is just a dream because someone else is controlling your finances.

We have nasty habits about rationalizing, procrastination and skirting important things, rather than facing the issues. Too often we allow others who do not pay our bills, who do not share our dreams, to direct our futures.

As children we have absolutely no freedom; we rebel in our teens and scream for freedom. We reach adulthood and are finally free, only to relinquish that freedom because we think it is too difficult. We do not want to take responsibility. We do not want to make a wrong decision, so we obligingly give that awesome power to someone else. We wake up too
late. We hear ourselves uttering phrases like: "I wish I had only . . ." and "If I could do it over again."

You have no one but yourself to blame. You had the chance. Perhaps the opportunity was presented many times and each time you elevated the trivial to a higher priority than yourself.

Let me ask you: Is direct sales really difficult?

Is it so traumatic to show someone an exciting product or idea? Is it so difficult to understand that if you work this marketing idea for three to five years, you just might finally be able to send your children to a college chosen by excellence, rather than one chosen by price? That you could finally put your family in the home of their dreams?

Would you work really hard for eight to ten years, so you could mold a lifestyle of your choosing, so your family could live a lifestyle of their dreams, rather than trying to live how someone else thinks you should live?

How difficult is it to pick up the phone and call your prospect? How difficult is it to place ads? How difficult is it, really, to share what you love with others? Think about it.

Realize the awesome power you have in your hands with direct sales. There are people out there working three jobs. There are people drowning in debt; or agonizing through bankruptcy, realizing they only needed a couple hundred more dollars per month. That is difficult!

This business you have chosen has the ability to change lives. Direct sales cannot do anything. But YOU can change lives with it. You are the one with the life-changing ability. What are you waiting for?

There is difficulty and pain in success, and there is difficulty and pain in failure. Difficulty and pain in success will last a short period of time; but pain in failure lasts a lifetime. Which one is really more difficult?

You will pay a price for your actions, and your choices.

Which choice will you make?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Every day we each wake up and make a choice as to who and what we are going to be. We choose what to wear, what to eat and who we will and will not associate with. We even make the choice as to what kind of person we are going to be. Today, you made the choice to find my blog and read it, and had I not made the choice to create it, you would have nothing to read!

The point is that every thing we do is a choice. And even when life seems to be at it's worst we have choices in the way we handle things and how we deal. If you can't look at your life today and say I am 100% happy where I am, then it's time you make a change. It's easy to say, but usually seems like an impossibility for most people...

Is this what you are thinking?  "How can I change my life? I have kids, a husband, a wife, a lousy job, no car, an apartment that's too small and no money... Where would I even start? It's not worth it!"

Well, I can answer all that in just a few short words... STOP THINKING - START DOING!

You see, the difference between thinking and doing is that when you are doing, something actually changes. You can THINK about change all you want! But if you refuse to act, nothing can change. Now, you may be thinking it's easy for HER to say I can do it, but SHE doesn't have my life, my family or my situation... Well, you are right. I don't have YOUR life. But I have my own stubborn unsupportive family, a home that's too small, no car and two small children to worry about. The difference is that I am willing to ignore the family and lean on MY strengths, ignore the house knowing it's only temporary, walk to the store and enjoy the trip and build my new life FOR my small kids so they don't have to be where I was!

Today, I am a successful home based business owner with an incredible company and team! I don't yet own my dream home, but I'm getting there! My husband has been able to come home full time and my beautiful children are happy and healthy by my side. I have gone from being miserably unhappy and depressed to knowing and understanding that I can and do rule my own world and my life. My choice to be happy, healthy and successful was all it took to change everything for me... 

So, how did I do it? Where did I start? Well, it was much easier than you may think. I just stopped listening to everyone else... I got up in the morning and refused to listen to the negativity... A news story about a fire would come on and I would turn it off... My mother would start to tell me how building my business isn't going to support us, and I hung up the phone. I stopped letting ANYONE bring me down. And I started looking for reasons to believe in ME!

This blog is being created to give YOU the option to change your life the way I did. To find all the best options for YOU and YOUR life. Regardless of where you are starting out today you have choices to make that can change your life. Where will you start? For most people the thing that needs to change the most is their money situation. The old saying is that Money can't buy happiness. But I never understood that... I mean, sure you can be rich and miserable - BUT having the money to meet the bills each month, fix the car and have a hat and coat in the winter makes it a WHOLE lot easier to be happy! So, this blog will focus mostly on that aspect, but not totally.

Here we will explore the different options concerning working, shopping and a number of other areas that can help to change the way you live and thus - Change Your Life!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Welcome to it! Make the choice to enjoy it!

Sabrina M Bowen
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