Sanitized Identities Wanted!
A young entrepreneur recently invited me to give him my opinion of the direct marketing company he represents. For over a year he has been struggling to attain success.
I was told to arrive for the event check in at 9:15 AM. I was at the hotel at 9:05. The registration table was in place in front of the assigned conference hall, yet was unattended at 9:15. The lady at the hotel’s front desk told us (yes, there was another guest who also arrived early) that the event was scheduled to start at 10 AM.
I returned to the registration table at 9:40. I signed in and was given a name badge. As I went to the door of the conference hall I was politely asked to remove my company name badge. I was told that only their company name/company badge was allowed in the hall.
At the time I was asked to remove my badge my young friend was missing in action. He invited me as a representative of my company to evaluate his company and the presentations that were to be made that morning. Some of you reading this with the level of my own experience might be asking, “Gerry, did you just fall off the turnip truck?” Everyone knows that when asked to “evaluate” a direct marketing presentation, you are being asked to consider “ownership.” In this case I really believed that the young entrepreneur was seriously asking my opinion.
Regardless of my naiveté, and trusting of young people who have a strong will to realize the American Dream, I believe businesses limit their success when they attempt to scour the minds of those joining them. Based only on the surface of this encounter I was being told that what you have done in your previous career has little to no value, other than it got you to “our” door. It further says that you need to sit down, open your mind, and we will show you how to fill it. The interesting result is that those that do can be very successful.
In previous experience, Lynne and I have been “owners” of a direct marketing consumer products company, a long distance telephone company, and I had a very successful career in selling membership to the self-employed. I have the knowledge to create success selling direct market concepts and “brick and mortar” products. At some point you need to drink the company “Kool Aid” to be successful. My point is, that for those who realize the “ultimate success,” they bring high morals and values from past experience and tie those to the new opportunity.
Many years ago I was told a story by the VP of Sales and Marketing for a large direct marketing company which offered products in the health and wellness industry. He said, “Direct marketing companies are responsible for making some of the lowest people in society appear successful.” He further went on to say that, “People in direct marketing companies who earn large incomes appear to be successful. They drive nice cars, live in the best neighborhoods, and send their children to the best schools. Yet they lack the common decency to respect the people around them.”
How we measure success is important. Millionaires I know in direct marketing companies measure success by how they treat their community, their neighbors, and friends. They are the true success stories. They bring with them their past experiences and apply the experiences they learned to their new direct marketing company. Most of them have a strong spiritual/religious connection, tithing to their church. They live in the best neighborhood, send their children to the best schools, and have all the luxuries that society can provide. Some of those millionaires choose to be The Millionaire Next Door, living very modest lives.
Wednesday of this week, I started to work with a new client. He is 35 years old with a wealth of experience in wood making. For many years he was fed work to his small company by a large seller and supplier of custom work. He has no marketing or business development experience. As he sat in my office for the first time I could have seized his lack of marketing experience and jumped right to how I can show him the way to success based on my proven years of experience in business development. Instead, I asked him of his experience and how he saw marketing. We are now basing his future success on what he “likes to do,” so that with my years of business development success we can combine our experience. His past experience, combined with my experience, will get him to his goals quickly with less effort and more satisfaction.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
