Creativity is a blend of Knowledge, Imagination and Evaluation working together to "create" a new idea.
So how can you get more creative?
1) increase knowledge
-greater knowledge means that you'll get more ideas and more patterns will be created, new combinations and fresher ideas.
2) increase imagination
-think in pictures more
-pay attention to creativity
-different situations and surroundings
-play games that exercise creative imagination
3) Evaluation
-Evaluate your idea, decide whether you can do it yet or not
-brainstorm potential ways of doing your idea
-if its something you think will work, DO IT
There are many mental locks in learning to be more creative, but by becoming aware of them, you can in turn learn to be more creative!
1) Looking for the "right" answer. Depending on your perspective, a given problem can have many "right" answers.
2) Always trying to be logical. Logic doesn't always prevail, since human emotions and organizational inconsistencies, ambiguity and contradictions come up.
3) Strictly following the rules. If things are going to get better, you need to get right of arbitrary limits on thinking and behavior.
4) Insisting on being practical. Impractical answers to "what-if" questions can become stepping stones to creative insights.
5) Avoiding ambiguity. Creativity can be stunted by too much objectivity and/or specificity.
6) Fearing and avoiding failure. Fear of failure can be a paralyzing factor and prohibits us from acting on good ideas. Learn from your mistakes! Make mistakes, its okay, you can learn from them.
7) Forgetting how to play. I love this one because playing is what we were born to do, as children we were always happy "playing" so don't be ashamed to have fun like you were a child!
8) Becoming too specialized. A lot of knowledge helps you with finding answers, learn about a lot!
9) Not wanting to look foolish. Humor releases tension and unlocks creative energies. Foolish questions enhance understanding.
10) Saying "I'm not creative". You should have the mindset of "I am creative" since we all know that what you think about comes about.
By conquering these "mental locks", you'll be able to be happier and more creative!
Chris Hughes
http://chughes15.magneticsponsoringonline.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Goal Setting - Planning and Strategy
What is Goal Setting?
I decided that I never really had a good definition for goal setting, so I went out and "googled it" and found a really good definition.
Goal Setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality.
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.
Thank you to MindTools for this explanation! You can find out more at, http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
So, How would you go about setting the goals and what would you do upon finding your goals?
You wouldn't just leave them on that piece of paper would you? I tried that, it doesn't work ;-) You must take ACTION!
What needs to happen can be explained in 2 easy steps.
1) Plan
2) Strategy
Step 1) The Planning phase.
-take the time to sit down and develop a plan, find a final destination and other short-term goals
-Inadequate planning and control is the leading cause of lost productivity in most businesses
-Planning GETS THINGS GOING. It provides you with a direction to aim and a target to hit
You must be AWARE of your "big picture" and keep this in mind daily.
Step 2) The Strategy phase
-slow down
-have clear priorities and take strategic view of daily problems
-set up short-term goals(30-60 days)
-set up intermediate goals (3-10 months)
-set up long-term goals (2-5 years)
-develop a "plan of attack"
Strategic Plans, The success of organizations today require that every employee, on a daily basis, considers the "big picture" and thinks strategically about gaining and keeping a competitive edge.
In general, there are 4 steps to approaching Goal Setting and Achieving your Goals. If you can master these, you can master your business.
1- Formulate Plans
2- Carry Out Plans
3- Compare Preliminary & Final Results With Plans
4- Take Corrective Action
After going through the steps, you improve and re-do, going back to step 1 and trying to improve upon the final goal.
One of the biggest problems today is the "Busyness Trap"
You do not want to confuse being "busy" with being effective and efficient, we all know that RESULTS do matter. Results are the reason we are doing the things we do. If we didn't want results, we wouldn't be taking action.
Remember that activities and speed without results are an energy-sapping waste of time.
Slow down, have clear priorities and take strategic view of the daily problems.
I decided that I never really had a good definition for goal setting, so I went out and "googled it" and found a really good definition.
Goal Setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality.
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.
Thank you to MindTools for this explanation! You can find out more at, http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
So, How would you go about setting the goals and what would you do upon finding your goals?
You wouldn't just leave them on that piece of paper would you? I tried that, it doesn't work ;-) You must take ACTION!
What needs to happen can be explained in 2 easy steps.
1) Plan
2) Strategy
Step 1) The Planning phase.
-take the time to sit down and develop a plan, find a final destination and other short-term goals
-Inadequate planning and control is the leading cause of lost productivity in most businesses
-Planning GETS THINGS GOING. It provides you with a direction to aim and a target to hit
You must be AWARE of your "big picture" and keep this in mind daily.
Step 2) The Strategy phase
-slow down
-have clear priorities and take strategic view of daily problems
-set up short-term goals(30-60 days)
-set up intermediate goals (3-10 months)
-set up long-term goals (2-5 years)
-develop a "plan of attack"
Strategic Plans, The success of organizations today require that every employee, on a daily basis, considers the "big picture" and thinks strategically about gaining and keeping a competitive edge.
In general, there are 4 steps to approaching Goal Setting and Achieving your Goals. If you can master these, you can master your business.
1- Formulate Plans
2- Carry Out Plans
3- Compare Preliminary & Final Results With Plans
4- Take Corrective Action
After going through the steps, you improve and re-do, going back to step 1 and trying to improve upon the final goal.
One of the biggest problems today is the "Busyness Trap"
You do not want to confuse being "busy" with being effective and efficient, we all know that RESULTS do matter. Results are the reason we are doing the things we do. If we didn't want results, we wouldn't be taking action.
Remember that activities and speed without results are an energy-sapping waste of time.
Slow down, have clear priorities and take strategic view of the daily problems.
Friday, September 5, 2008
[MLM Tips] Tips For Picking A MLM Part 2
Tips 6-10 on Choosing your MLM.
Here's my second video and some further tips.
The 6th tip I mention is to realize that you are starting your own home business.
Regardless of anything that anyone may be telling you, even if the only reason that you had signed up with the company was to get a discount, there are business and tax ramifications to joining any direct sales company. The recruiter should be able to let your know of the possible financial impact of starting your own business. Be sure to find out what you are getting in your distributor starter pack and what you'll be getting in return for your initial sign-up fee. What you should be looking for in this starter kit should be everything you need to last your first month in business, including order forms, product samples, training guide, your monthly products to us, and anything else thats necessary to be successful in your new business.
The 7th tip mentioned was to check out the Company History.
Make sure that your company provides you with professional sales aid materials that are reasonably priced---some MLM's make tons of profits selling just brochures and/or other sales literature, and you don't want to spend too much to start. A good company will provide online copies of sales materials that you can print at home as well as the option to have them sent to you pre-printed for a nominal fee. Find out about the company's financial backing and the corporate officers. Look up their histories and also check with the Direct Selling Association to find out if the company is registered there. The members of the DSA are held to strict codes of conduct regarding enlisting new team members. You'll need to understand/know how the company keeps track of all the incoming orders and when and how you'll be paid.
8th tip, You will need to devote time to this
If you don't think you have the time for this industry, you usually are right. Although you may be spending a lot of hours doing un-productive things in your daily life ( tv, internet browsing, watching movies). You can become successful in this business with as little as 7-10 hours per week. Some people work 7 hours per week/1 hr per day to start. Eventually all of this time will really start to pay off and you may even be able to over-take the income in your (JOB).
9th Tip How are you going to market this?
Face it, we're in the marketing business. We do not "sell" or force people to buy. You merely are sharing information that is beneficial to others and they choose whether or not to make the purchase... many MLMS offer 30 day 100% money back so that if the person doesn't notice, they can get their money back.
Hoe are you going to share this with others though, face-to-face, maybe door-to-door, meetings at your home, meetings at hotels, online marketing, there are tons of ways to share these great products with people. The team you choose should have a system in place that they can plug you into and you just do the steps that are designated.
10th tip is to find the different bonuses you can get paid for.
You'll want to be able to get a bonus for monthly sales goals, leadership bonuses, You will not be making as much as the top leaders who have been doing it for years make if you are just starting out, it isn't a "get rich quick scheme". It is building a business and gradually increasing your income. You'll want to find at least 4 ways to get paid from the company if not more. Some companies even offer 5 ways to get paid! For more information on this click here and enter ZS05490 to learn about getting paid 5 ways.
I hope that these posts are helping you with choosing your business.
-Chris Hughes
Here's my second video and some further tips.
The 6th tip I mention is to realize that you are starting your own home business.
Regardless of anything that anyone may be telling you, even if the only reason that you had signed up with the company was to get a discount, there are business and tax ramifications to joining any direct sales company. The recruiter should be able to let your know of the possible financial impact of starting your own business. Be sure to find out what you are getting in your distributor starter pack and what you'll be getting in return for your initial sign-up fee. What you should be looking for in this starter kit should be everything you need to last your first month in business, including order forms, product samples, training guide, your monthly products to us, and anything else thats necessary to be successful in your new business.
The 7th tip mentioned was to check out the Company History.
Make sure that your company provides you with professional sales aid materials that are reasonably priced---some MLM's make tons of profits selling just brochures and/or other sales literature, and you don't want to spend too much to start. A good company will provide online copies of sales materials that you can print at home as well as the option to have them sent to you pre-printed for a nominal fee. Find out about the company's financial backing and the corporate officers. Look up their histories and also check with the Direct Selling Association to find out if the company is registered there. The members of the DSA are held to strict codes of conduct regarding enlisting new team members. You'll need to understand/know how the company keeps track of all the incoming orders and when and how you'll be paid.
8th tip, You will need to devote time to this
If you don't think you have the time for this industry, you usually are right. Although you may be spending a lot of hours doing un-productive things in your daily life ( tv, internet browsing, watching movies). You can become successful in this business with as little as 7-10 hours per week. Some people work 7 hours per week/1 hr per day to start. Eventually all of this time will really start to pay off and you may even be able to over-take the income in your (JOB).
9th Tip How are you going to market this?
Face it, we're in the marketing business. We do not "sell" or force people to buy. You merely are sharing information that is beneficial to others and they choose whether or not to make the purchase... many MLMS offer 30 day 100% money back so that if the person doesn't notice, they can get their money back.
Hoe are you going to share this with others though, face-to-face, maybe door-to-door, meetings at your home, meetings at hotels, online marketing, there are tons of ways to share these great products with people. The team you choose should have a system in place that they can plug you into and you just do the steps that are designated.
10th tip is to find the different bonuses you can get paid for.
You'll want to be able to get a bonus for monthly sales goals, leadership bonuses, You will not be making as much as the top leaders who have been doing it for years make if you are just starting out, it isn't a "get rich quick scheme". It is building a business and gradually increasing your income. You'll want to find at least 4 ways to get paid from the company if not more. Some companies even offer 5 ways to get paid! For more information on this click here and enter ZS05490 to learn about getting paid 5 ways.
I hope that these posts are helping you with choosing your business.
-Chris Hughes
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
[MLM Tips] First 5 Tips
Welcome to my blog, where I will be adding valuable information and tips to aid in your success in they MLM industry. I added a short little video which states the first 5, I will continue to do this but will be expanding on the tips here :-)
Well, here is my first video, hope you like it!
Alright, well the first tip I mentioned was multiple products..
and I know that some of you may be in the industry may only have one product that the company is based on, that is okay for now.
The reason I mentioned this was that the product you offer can be unbelievably good for everyone who has tried it and they will continue to use it, that is great! Loyal customers are the lifeblood of our success and are very important to us.
BUT, here is where the surprise is... not everyone in the world will ever have a want or need to use that product. Therefore, you are losing out on a HUGE market.
Tip 2 was finding products that ware beneficial to everyday life.
What you will want to find are products that are used everyday, products that anyone and everyone already uses or is actively looking for. Think about all the household consumables you purchase each month. Many MLM companies offer these same types of products, such as deodorants, shampoos, soaps, laundry detergent, meal replacement bars, meal shakes, beauty products, vitamins, even things like hair care products come from MLM's. Here's also a little secret, many of these products are better than the ones sold in stores :-o
So there's a potential goldmine for you if you can find MLM's that sell some of these products.
Tip 3 was to find training.
The companies you look at may or may not offer training for it's reps/distributors.
What you will want to look for is training that is provided by the company as well as your team. The company should have a course set up to educate you a little on the products/benefits as well as how to "share" these products with others.
Tip 4 was Team Meetings.
This is a VITAL part of a MLM. If you do not have a team to keep up with and make sure everyone is reaching their goals, there is no bond built. You become a family of your Team, you help them and they help you just like you would help the family who lives with you. Try to make every meeting that you can. I know that it is very hard because we all have busy lives, I feel bad because I can't make it to meetings sometimes because of either classes or working ( i'm a part-time waiter during college) but those meetings that you can make it to, make it your goal to attend them.
Tip number 5 and the last for the day!
UPLINE SUPPORT! How important is this?
Well, put it this way... If there is no upline support, you do not have a mentor who is helping "guide" you to success. Your uplines main goal is for you to succeed and they should be helping you each step until you yourself can break out as a leader and start to train others! I will be posting more about leadership in another blog :-)
Well, I hope you find this beneficial and until next time.
-Chris Hughes
Well, here is my first video, hope you like it!
Alright, well the first tip I mentioned was multiple products..
and I know that some of you may be in the industry may only have one product that the company is based on, that is okay for now.
The reason I mentioned this was that the product you offer can be unbelievably good for everyone who has tried it and they will continue to use it, that is great! Loyal customers are the lifeblood of our success and are very important to us.
BUT, here is where the surprise is... not everyone in the world will ever have a want or need to use that product. Therefore, you are losing out on a HUGE market.
Tip 2 was finding products that ware beneficial to everyday life.
What you will want to find are products that are used everyday, products that anyone and everyone already uses or is actively looking for. Think about all the household consumables you purchase each month. Many MLM companies offer these same types of products, such as deodorants, shampoos, soaps, laundry detergent, meal replacement bars, meal shakes, beauty products, vitamins, even things like hair care products come from MLM's. Here's also a little secret, many of these products are better than the ones sold in stores :-o
So there's a potential goldmine for you if you can find MLM's that sell some of these products.
Tip 3 was to find training.
The companies you look at may or may not offer training for it's reps/distributors.
What you will want to look for is training that is provided by the company as well as your team. The company should have a course set up to educate you a little on the products/benefits as well as how to "share" these products with others.
Tip 4 was Team Meetings.
This is a VITAL part of a MLM. If you do not have a team to keep up with and make sure everyone is reaching their goals, there is no bond built. You become a family of your Team, you help them and they help you just like you would help the family who lives with you. Try to make every meeting that you can. I know that it is very hard because we all have busy lives, I feel bad because I can't make it to meetings sometimes because of either classes or working ( i'm a part-time waiter during college) but those meetings that you can make it to, make it your goal to attend them.
Tip number 5 and the last for the day!
UPLINE SUPPORT! How important is this?
Well, put it this way... If there is no upline support, you do not have a mentor who is helping "guide" you to success. Your uplines main goal is for you to succeed and they should be helping you each step until you yourself can break out as a leader and start to train others! I will be posting more about leadership in another blog :-)
Well, I hope you find this beneficial and until next time.
-Chris Hughes
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