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[Lynda Cromar Company: Empower Network, LLC Contribution Level: 9]

Sometimes for no apparent reason we can see a spell of lack of momentum or activity.

I know sometimes those can be very disappointing. I thought it would be great to start a discussion for those who have had that and got it going and what did you do. This is general for any internet marketing activity.

[Joyce Penner Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 8]

Sometimes for no apparent reason we can see a spell of lack of momentum or activity.

I know sometimes those can be very disappointing. I thought it would be great to start a discussion for those who have had that and got it going and what did you do. This is general for any internet marketing activity.

We can see a spell of lack of momentum - did you mean in yourself or in others?

In both cases what I've seen when someone loses their momentum it's usually because they are not seeing the results. When someone first comes online they expect the internet is going to supply all these people who also want to grow a network marketing business. They get online, get focused on learning "how to generate leads", forget their network marketing business, get on the hamster wheel of learning the next technique, finding the right system etc. and are not seeing the results in their network marketing business they expected.

They slump, until someone comes along to pump them up again, not realizing the whole purpose of being online is to bring their product to a larger market so they can build a large and profitable network marketing business.

Clarity on what they are doing, focus on the activities that are going to build a network marketing business (not just the activity of generating leads) will reveal very few go through the slump you mentioned as making money is a huge motivator.
Joyce

[Harry Fassett Contribution Level: 4]

Make some sales. HF P.S. "I'm not afraid of the guy who practiced a bunch of moves a few times. I'm afraid of the guy who has practiced and mastered one move." - Bruce Lee

Actually business is picking up for me, so I can't relate to this topic at this time, but anyway, hope you work your slump out. Good Day!

[Stephen Meyer Company: Organo Gold, Inc. Contribution Level: 3]

Hi Lynda, I think everyone gets in a slump or hits a slow time at one point or another. It happens in almost all markets. Right now winters ending the kids and families are starting to look at summer activities and plan vacations. It can be a slow time for a lot of businesses.

For me slow times are a great time to prepare for the busy time. I think it's best to keep doing what you have been doing especially if it's worked for you in the past. But, the slow periods are a great time to learn New skills. I look at things I want to learn, areas I'm weak in, new techniques or mastering a new form of marketing. we all need to keep learning and growing our skills.

Using slow times to build your skills will give you a butt kicking advantage over those who keep doing the same thing over and over again. Finding and mastering new and different techniques for putting your business in front of people is what true entrepreneurs do.

[Mario Sanders Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 6]

I don't mind when things fall flat in my marketing experience. That gives me a chance to take a break, refresh and rethink my 'why'. It also brings me back to life when someone asks me about something that I know I can help them.
I have taken a more relaxed approach. Everybody doesn't want to hear what you got. They will listen only when they are ready for that kind of information.
'Minding the store' is an every day occurrence. You have to be open for business whether anybody comes in or not.
Patience is a learned experience. Being relaxed and ready for the next prospect to come along takes skill and training to know how to approach a person without turning them off.

[Lynda Cromar Company: Empower Network, LLC Contribution Level: 9]

Using slow times to build your skills will give you a butt kicking advantage over those who keep doing the same thing over and over again. Finding and mastering new and different techniques for putting your business in front of people is what true entrepreneurs do.

This is a great answer its important to always be in action. Sometimes we have to evaluate what is working and what is not. I myself take it in 90-day chunks and then look at it.

Learning new skills is very important as long as you only learn one at a time and apply.

[Mario Sanders Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 6]

When things do fall flat I get a chance to go over what I have already accomplished and see where I did not finish. I found a lot of things that I started and never got a chance to finish completing. That's the time to train and expand your knowledge. This gives us a chance to refresh what we have learned and put into use to be an accomplished business person. Continue your training when you have the time as when things go flat!

[Lynda Cromar Company: Empower Network, LLC Contribution Level: 9]

When things do fall flat I get a chance to go over what I have already accomplished and see where I did not finish. I found a lot of things that I started and never got a chance to finish completing. That's the time to train and expand your knowledge. This gives us a chance to refresh what we have learned and put into use to be an accomplished business person. Continue your training when you have the time as when things go flat!

Read this it is priceless, thanks Mario!

[Richard Bravo Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 9]

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Great question Lynda...

Generally speaking, its very easy to fall into an attitude that sees this season of business as a negative.
Thats the funny thing about us humans... we tend to default to drama, negativity, etc. by nature.

So the fix is to proactively reprogram, brain wash [wash our brain] and train ourselves to default to the other side of the spectrum to begin viewing things in a different frame of reference; more positively, more optimistic, more grounded, as our default.

As it pertains to this specific conversation, there are seasons in business just as in nature.
There is a time to sow, a time to grow, a time to harvest and a time to rest.

Slumps are a great time to pause for a moment and reflect.
Some things to allocate some attention to and questions to ask would be...

Do we know why business is slow?
Are we on schedule with our annual promotion schedule?
Did we miss the timing in our sowing season?

Is it time to rest, step back and calculate where we are exactly?
* That's a big one. Its very easy to lose sight when we're in the heat of it.
Sometimes a good slump is God's (the universe, nature) way of sending us a signal that it's time to take a breather and regroup; get ready for the next wave.

Speaking of waves...
Here's another perfectly natural example:
When I lived in Santa Barbara I was an avid surfer.
We would check the surf report, prep our board with the right wax for the conditions, get out early, and hit the water. Some days we'd find waves, some days we wouldn't. And some days we'd find waves, but nothing huge. Days we found waves we would just exhaust ourselves. Set after set paddling through the whitewater, carving wave after wave. We'd sit out in the water between sets scanning the horizon for swells... all of sudden we'd see something and pop down to paddle and get positioned. It was awesome.

But after awhile we'd get pretty tired and duck diving under the big waves, or smashing through the white water and fighting the undertow current would make us start to be sloppy and weak. It was time for a break.

The same goes for business...
You can only push and push and push for so long before you begin a decline in effectiveness, excitement and drive in what you're doing. Could be it's time for a break.

"Slumps" are also a great time to cozy up with your existing customer base.
This another area the majority of inexperienced entrepreneurs overlook unless they have a foundation in traditional business of some sort.

In fact tapping into your existing customer base for referrals, promotions, building rapport etc., is something I would recommend everyone focus 100% more attention to than they are doing now.

You can easily drum up new business by doing this and it's a great opportunity on solidifying a sense of community - if that's a focus for you.

Finally, don't forget to rest.
Know the season of your business.
Know where you are in that season and identify the appropriate work for that season.

When you have a "seasonal calendar" like that it will help you identify when its ok to rest; to give yourself permission and enjoy it without feeling pressured or guilty and feeling like you have to get back to work.


That's my insight on the topic, Hope it helps.
~Richard
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[Mario Sanders Company: Life Force International Contribution Level: 6]

Thanks Richard. My thought exactly!
Sometimes you have to sit back, rest and work on other things that you were not familiar with and try some of those.
Bottomline, never give up!