During my time in Junior High I was part of my school’s track team. One of the two events I was generally assigned to was the 100 yard dash. I remember that one of many things that came with that assignment was constantly practicing my starting technique. The coach would set up the starting blocks, he would then position them for my leg length then he would focus on my posture. Hands on the ground, up against the line, head up looking down to the finish line. He would then go through the starting sequence: “On your mark, get set and he then would fire the starters pistol. Over the course of practice we would run that starting sequence as many as 10-15 times.
As a kid, I didn’t fully discover why I had to practice this one thing over and over. I just wanted to run. My coach knew something that I didn’t fully understand at that time. Without a great start, it is difficult to experience a great ending. This rule doesn’t just apply to track meets, it pertains to swimming, drag racing and yes.even to your network marketing business.
What my coach was working on all those years ago, was technique. He knew that if i would repeatedly practice proper technique, that not only would I use this technique in my races, but I would run better and finish stronger as well.
The beginning of a new year is a superb time to shed the bad habits and excuses you made for yourself in the previous year. It is a the perfect time to return to the fundamentals of business building and begin consistently applying those principles each and every day. So you may always be wondering what does this look like?
Each person’s business is a little different, just as every runner has a different running style; however, fundamentals don’t change. In a network marketing business there are two things that absolutely, positively have to happen each day if you are going to reach your goals this year. Those two things are selling and recruiting. If you are not selling product and if you are not building your team, you are not going to have a very profitable year.
To ensure that you possibly can engage people on a daily basis to recruit and sell goods, you must engage in daily activities which render it possible. This means that every day you should be actively marketing. This could be through one on one interaction, blogging, videos or social media. Someway, somehow you have to be connecting with people.
The second piece of this equation is following up with your leads every day. This is where the contenders set themselves apart from the rest of the field. Following up with leads goes far beyond sending email through your autoresponder. This is where you’ll want to pick up the phone and place the call. Those who are certainly not serious contenders will always take the path of least resistance. A true champion on the other hand, doesn’t choose what is easiest, they choose what makes them win. The same principle does work with your business. The things that certainly are a little harder to do are also the ones that make you the most successful. Once you commit to doing these things, they become easier and you will probably quickly see that you’ve got a competitive edge. Often when people sign up for my business they pinpoint the number one reason for that decision is the belief that I called to start with.
2012 stands to be an amazing year if you are willing to work on their starting technique. Stay consistent, continue to work on it and watch yourself pull ahead of the pack at the finish line.
Starting strong begins with proper positioning. Learning your craft is one of the best ways of postioning yourself for a strong start. This includes learning such things as prospecting, lead generation and leadership strategies.

