How Barack Obama's First Press Conference Applies to Network Marketing

I was watching Barack Obama give his first press conference as President-Elect of the United States, and I realized that much of what he was saying applies to network marketers. <!--break-->  While many are viewing our current situation as a crisis, I say there is incredible opportunity.

Toughest Economic Challenge of Our Lifetime

Barack pointed out that we are facing some very difficult times, and made note of the unemployment numbers and the auto industry woes, both revealed this week.  A LOT of people are wondering how they are going to make ends meet, and stay in their homes.  Obama talked about another stimulus package, but we all saw how effective the first one was.  This is a golden opportunity for network marketers.

People have seen that relying on their 'secure' jobs and their 401k isn't going to cut it, and how far will a stimulus package go if you are out of work?  People need to learn how to fend for themselves, and, as past presidential candidate Ross Perot put it, be their own job security.  Network marketing is ideally suited for this, as people develop their own skills to be able to help others.  Again, though, you should not rely on just one company to rech your financial goals.  Learn the skills necessary to become your own leader, so you can help others do the same.

We Will Succeed if We Put Aside Partisanship and Politics

Obama emphasized that all the politics and partisanship has to be put aside if we want to overcome this crisis.  The same applies to network marketing.  We all have to recognize that there are way more than enough people who truly need help and are looking for solutions.  We don't have to squabble over who is sponsoring who into what organization or company.  By positioning ourselves as leaders, we can confidently work with others to ensure we meet the needs of every single prospect we talk to.  I currently am working with a group of individuals with this mindset, and I know we are creating something really special that will help a lot of people succeed in network marketing.

Deliberate Haste

Obama spoke of making choices with "deliberate haste", and this absolutely can be applied to what we do as network marketers.  I know from experience that you can hem and haw over a decision about how to market your business or what to say in an article, but if you don't start putting your ideas into action, nothing gets done. 

Many people get overwhelmed with this process because they don't know what to do next.  Even if they know they want to do something like write a blog or create a funded proposal, they don't know where to begin.  This is where proper mentorship and training is crucial because, as the saying goes, "You don't know what you don't know". 

Even if you know how to do many of these things, do you want to spend the hours and hours necessary to train everyone in your downline to do the same?   You need to be able to plug them into a system that they can use to hit the ground running, then support them when they have specific questions.  This is how you get a team moving forward with 'deliberate haste'.