A Harris Interactive study that found 80% of Americans are not passionate about what they do. That’s 4 out of 5 people who are just working for money, not for their passion. Everyone knows passion is the key to success, but for people who don’t know what their passion is, finding it can be a mystery.

The Passion Test is a simple, yet powerful way to get clear about things that matter most to you and then a process to make those a priority in your life. Passions are clues to your destiny. In order to Live Life on Purpose, you must first know what that means for you.

When you are clear about your desires, what you want will show up in your life, however, only to the extent of your description. It’s all about Intention, Attention, and No Tension.

Intention is consciously stating what you want. Most people don’t even take the time to put in writing what they intend for their life. You can and should make intentions for each portion of your life, such as this day, this meeting, this relationship.

Attention has to do with what you want to create in your world. Your life is a result of what you have been putting your attention on, whether you realize it or not. The good news is, if you like your life, keep putting your attention on what you have been and if you don’t like your life, switch what you are putting your attention on to something you are passionate about.

The No Tension part is accepting that whatever is happening in this moment is the absolute best thing that can happen for you. Let’s face it we are not the General Manager of the Universe. Our reality can show up in many different ways and we have a choice to either resist what is happening or accept it and know that we may not see the big picture right now. Accepting is crucial to the No Tension aspect of life. .

If you are part of the 80% of Americans who don’t love their job, you can do something about it and it doesn’t take a lot of money or time. It just takes knowing how to do it and focusing on what makes you happy.

Think about what a different world we would live in if everyone loved what they did for a living!

Join me on this journey of joy and fulfillment by finding out what matters most to you in life and then start living it! Carol Hasbrouck www.IntentionalLivingOnline.com

photo credit: chenutis

Business Networking to your success!

It is easy to find business networking functions to go to, but what does it take to make it worth the time investment?

I have broken it down into 6 MUST HAVE qualities. Each are very easy. Easy is anything that you can do. The flip side is everything that is easy to do is also easy not to do. If you aren’t willing to adopt these 6 qualities don’t even waste your time going to business networking events.

1. Desire to help others unconditionally- Giving with the expectation of getting something in return is not the objective. Help enough people get what they want and you will get what you want… Not necessarily from the person you helped!
2. Positive attitude- This is a MUST!! We each have enough crap to listen to everywhere else. If you don’t have anything constructive to contribute just SHUT UP!
3. Willingness to participate in meetings- Don’t sit there in silence when you have the opportunity to, at very least, ask a question. You are there to meet people and be perceived as a valuable resource.
4. Be prepared- Know your ideal client, referral partner, other event locations, etc.
5. Good Hygiene- Know one wants to be around people that smell or have bad breath.
6. Follow up- Meet with the people you met at an event on a one on one basis. Your purpose is not to sell the group with your commercial, it is to create an interest in meeting with you at a later time.

The best part about mastering these few things is it shouldn’t be that difficult. I love what Jeffrey Gitomer said in his book “Little Black Book of Connections,” “Everything you need to know about networking you leaned in grade school.” This couldn’t be more true!

Take a bath, play nice, do your homework, and participate in class. Many of you have kids, lead by example! For those of you who don’t have kids, like myself, get with the program!

Let’s get out there and create massive success!

photo credit: Lights Out Photos

If you want to expand your influence, have people invite you into their networks and improve your personal brand then pay close attention. Below is not how to do it…

How many times have you been at a networking event or been invited to do coffee for a one on one where you’re to “learn about how to help one another” and you find out you’re being “pitched?”

It isn’t a warm fuzzy feeling is it?

Nor do you feel you’ll be “helping this person out” anytime soon with referrals.

If you’re guilty of this or have been no worries. It all changes today.

Linear Language

This person didn’t understand the value of leveraged vs linear language.

Don’t sweat it, I think lots of people early on in their networking have probably done it. I know, you’re passionate about what you do and think everyone is a candidate for your wares. Right?

Not true, and even if they were you want to heed some advice and think past the point of immediate sale.

Think reputation and think about word of mouth.

Linear language is where the person is just trying to pitch you and not thinking past the point of sale. The days of hard core pitching and closing the sale are soon fading if not already.

Imagine linear language as this:

“Hey Jim how are ya? Good to see you! Hey did you know I’m selling XYZ widgets now? People could save a TON of money if they bought one of these. Here’s what it does….” (20 minutes later you’re still talking with the hopes they will want to buy it themselves)

Monopolizing peoples time at a networking function or even over a one on one & just pitching them is a no win situation. Not for the person you’re verbally abusing or for you because there’s a good chance they aren’t interested to begin with.

This is called the shotgun effect. You spray them with facts, figures & stories in the hopes something sticks & they want to buy.

Leveraged Language

If you want to expand your influence, have people invite you into their networks and improve your personal brand-leveraged language is the way to go.

It’s the same for in person networking or online social networking. If all you do is pitch don’t expect to get rich. Developing report, trust and a sincere relationship is key first and foremost.

-Don’t expect everyone is interested in what you do.
Law of reciprocity-Ask someone what they do and they will ask you what you do.
-Don’t puke on them about what you do-just a quick blurb then ask them more about what they do, how they got started or why they did.
Ask them what is a good customer or prospect. If they aren’t looking for “sales” ask them what’s the most effective way you can support them.

Not all networking consists of someone looking for sales. However if they are these above rules are even more crucial.

Transparency And Leverage

If you’re going to engage someone about your product or services directly in a networking situation make it clear you realize it may not be a good fit for them right up front. This implies you’re not trying to sell them something directly.

However you do value their opinion and you’re going to be looking for referral business but wouldn’t expect them to refer anyone if they didn’t know what you were doing.

Then ask for their help and share what you do: Keep is short concise and to the point using whatever sales aids you can to convey the value.

Remember people buy experiences & outcomes not products.

This is called leveraged language. Even though they may not have a need themselves they can and will refer people to you if you’re authentic & transparent about your motives.

Not to mention they will be more apt to introduce you into their networks based on how you approached them & developed a relationship first.

How you do anything is how you do anything. If you’re pushy, obnoxious or self centered in your approach there’s no way they will allow you to do the same thing to their network. Your actions are a reflection on them.

Now go network using leveraged language and prosper.

Tony Teegarden is a blogger, network marketer and online personality who coined the term Human SEO for Self Exploration Optimization. He lends his experience of 18 years in sales, management , leadership & spiritual research have allowed him to teach his concepts for deeper and healthier relationships online and off. You can visit him at >> http://www.tonyteegarden.com

photo credit: Foxtongue

I am going to be a little blunt and upfront today, but it is for your own good… I promise.

With the changes in the economy many people are taking part in MLM, Network Marketing, and Unfranchise opportunities. Whatever title you give it is irrelevant, if you can’t talk about it with confidence and pride quit already, don’t waste your sponsors time and energy.

The fact is there are more people making hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars in that industry than most others industries combined. But I am not coming to you today to sell you on the industry, I am here to help you competently promote your business at a local business networking events.

In a nut shell you must adopt the philosophy of “Sell to recruit, don’t recruit to sell!”

People do not go to business networking events looking to “start a plan B,” “make extra money,” “take advantage of a prelaunch,” “save money when they shop,” or any other overused network marketing phase. They go to build their business!

You took part in the opportunity you are in right now because you saw value in the products or services… At least I hope that’s what your decision was based on. If it was based on who started your company, who’s backing your company, or how much money you THINK you can make your failure is imminent.

Network marketing is no different than any other business. It must offer an affordable product or service that solves a problem or fills a need, and the easier the product or service is to duplicate the faster heavy competition will show up in the market.

At business networking events your purpose is no different than anyone else at the group, and that purpose is to add value. When you have the opportunity to speak about your products or services, speak about your product or service! Don’t waste the groups time talking about how you need more distributors, that is for you to discuss with the leadership of your company. Your product is useful and you are there to find alliances and customer referrals, if your product doesn’t pay you enough to just market it by itself and you NEED new distributors to get paid FIND SOMETHING ELSE!

Business networking and network marketing are almost identical. They both are based on finding other people to develop relationships with and create success. You have the opportunity to work with who you want and your success is only up to one person, YOU!

There are hundreds of events, and hundreds of opportunities out there one constant variable is, if you are with a reputable company, “you are either not doing something enough or you are not doing something right.” – Nick Serba One way or the other only you can make the alteration.

Together we can come together as a nation and motivate, build up, and inspire each other to create more success than ever before. But, a change is philosophies and motives is imperative.

To your success, I look forward to seeing you at the top!

Every day people look at the tremendous growth of the internet and wonder how they can get involved. With over 1.7 billion people worldwide now online, internet marketing is only getting bigger and bigger. If you want to learn how to generate income online with no product, no experience and no investment, you need to take a look at affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing – the marketing of other people’s products online – offers so many advantages.

1. Get into business yourself: There are lots of ways to get into business. But few, if any, offer the chance to do so from the comfort of your own home, on a schedule of your choice, without the need to commute or punch in on a time clock. You can be your own boss and run the show the way you choose.

2. No cost startup: Franchises are expensive to begin. Starting a brick and mortar business, like a gas station or a dry cleaner, requires a significant capital investment. Multi level marketing is inexpensive to get into, but may be uncomfortable for many since it requires selling to family and friends. Beginning a full time online retail or services business has significant up front development costs. Affiliate marketing, however, can be started up with no cost; all you need is an internet connection to get started.

3. Well known companies and brand names: As an affiliate marketer, you do not have to spend time promoting products or services which are not well known. In affiliate marketing it is possible to choose among some of the most successful big name companies and some of the hottest brand names. There’s no need for you to sell an off-brand cosmetics line. Instead you can market what most shoppers are buying.

4. Freedom of choice: Affiliate marketing allows you to choose the products and services you promote, the seasons in which to promote them and the audience you want to reach. You can take advantage of buying trends and shopping seasons, by rolling out special campaigns. There are no limits in affiliate marketing, other than the amount of effort and creativity you want to dedicate to developing your business.

5. Additional stream of income: If you’ve got a job, you can easily use affiliate marketing to generate more income. This is also a perfect opportunity for a stay-at-home parent, especially when you have a working spouse. Or if you are a student, you can be an affiliate marketer and generate funds for tuition when you are not in class. After all, few students these days are without a computer — which is all that is required to own and run an affiliate marketing business. If you are retired, then…what else have you got to do? Why not be a marketing expert working in association with some of the most prominent companies in the world? And if you are unemployed, affiliate marketing can earn you income while you are searching for your next opportunity.

Other perfect candidates for affiliate marketing include people who are injured and can’t perform their regular job; pregnant moms who want to stay home during and after their pregnancies; workers sick of the nine-to-five; and dads who decide they want to be stay at home dads and create wealth from home.

6. Learn to earn: This is not complicated work. Besides, there are many online resources that will take you by the hand and lead you step by step on your journey to becoming a wealthy affiliate marketer. With so much training available, the question is not whether you can learn or apply this information. Rather, the question, “Do you have the work ethic to get the job done?” Think about it: are you willing to use your imagination to create and grow an online affiliate marketing business?

7. The future of advertising: Perhaps the most compelling reason to be an affiliate marketer is the fact that online marketing is the new direction of choice by most businesses. As print media slowly dies and the electronic media becomes even more expensive, advertising on the web increases in viability. Utilizing affiliate marketers on a commission basis eliminates a whole range of salary and benefit expenses for companies. It just makes good business sense. You can be the marketer who brings the buyers to the seller. It is a process that is less costly to the seller and more convenient to the buyer. As the marketer, you provide the service and collect the commission. This the future of marketing, so take a look at this exciting business today!

Post By: Dan Sherman is the Internet Business Tutor at www.netbiztutor.com. He teaches seminars and offers info products on how to get started in internet marketing as an affiliate marketer. Next class January 23rd, go to www.netbiztutor.com for more details.

We have all been stuck at business networking function where had to sit there to listen to someone ramble on and on about how great their product or service is.

Well here is a short little tip on how to catch other peoples attention with out shamelessly promoting yourself appearing to be a walking advertisement.

Business networking events are about meeting other professionals and forming alliances, NOT to attempt to sell everyone in the room. Too often we have visitors come to events, show up once, go over their allotment of time for their commercial, not participate in the group any more, and then never show up again.

I refer to these people as: “The broke know it all’s.”

Do not be one of these people if you intend on being successful at any business endeavor your partake in. Your reputation is everything and once that is tarnished you will spend drastically more time cleaning up what you have destroyed than it would have taken for you to build a long lasting meaningful relationship from the get go.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

We often set goals, but don’t have a road map on effectively mapping them out. Use these 13 steps in your life and business and you will be suprised on how much more comfortable your business life will be. Enjoy!

1. Set Short & Long Goals –Have end dates. Know your obstacles and solutions to beat them. Be Specific. Write them done daily. Read them daily. Put them in present tense as if they are already real.

2. Have a Plan- Once you know your goals, it’s time to design a roadmap on how to make them come true. What you manage you can measure. Plan weekly and/or daily. Be Flexible to change along the way. Get as specific as knowing what you want to make and doing the math to make it happen. Do you know what you spend? How many calls per day do you have to make to make a sale? Make a daily Scorecard to follow and see your progress; remember you can manage what you measure.

3. Watch out for Time Wasters – Email is a great example. Set times to check it. A great example of using your time to your advantage: have a time saving “Waiting Bag.” The next time your waiting in line or in a doctor’s office grab your bag with items you can check off your list while you wait.

4.Take Action – You have your goals and your plan, but if you don’t take action it all means nothing. Take massive actions, otherwise someone else will. Don’t have the same goals in 2011.

5.Fail Forward – Don’t be too much of a perfectionist and never complete anything. Get your product & service out there; it doesn’t have to be perfect. You can make changes as you go.

6.Be Persistent – Never give up! 90% of the population gives up right before they reach their goals. Keep going no matter what! Why work so hard, to stop on the 1-yard line. Finish the game!

7. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone- Fear keeps us from getting out of our comfort zone. Feel the fear and do it anyway. You have to get out of your comfort zone to achieve great things.

8.Get a Mentor- Tiger Woods (probably not the best example at the time) and Michael Phelps have coaches. Why, because they help you make things happen. They offer accountability and feedback; it’s key to faster success.

9.Find Someone in your Field to follow- They know more, have made the mistakes already, and have achieved success. If you want to be successful hang out with success. Fly with the eagles.

10.Giver’s Gain- Give to others at all times. Don’t expect anything in return. It will come back to you in many ways – even when you don’t expect it.

11. Out Source – Make a list of everything that must get done in your business. Out source the things you don’t need to waste your time on and things you are not good at anyway. Why do your bookkeeping if you’re worth $40.00 an hour, when you can hire someone to do it for $10.00 – $15.00 an hour. Shouldn’t you be out making what your worth?

12. Find a Passive Income Source – When you quit a job, there is no more money. Find a business or businesses where you sell people once and continue to make money as long as they have the product or service. Donald Trump and all the successful entrepreneurs have some form of passive income. Be sure to pick one you are passionate about and know people can benefit from over time. There is nothing wrong with friends and family making a small percentage off of your purchase, would you rather give it to the big companies or people you know?

13. Keep Healthy – None of this will matter if you don’t take care of yourself. You must do things to keep your business growing, as you must keep a healthy body to keep YOU going.

You must change your ways to change your life! Good Luck in 2010; make it your best year!

photo credit: lululemon athletica

Post by Carrie Kukuda-
www.TheSomedayCoach.com
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