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

Influence sounds better than manipulation but we are all subjected to it on a continuous daily basis. Every single ad: print media, TV, internet, radio is designed to influence the mind of the reader/listener.

Everyone is going to be manipulated today, by someone, somewhere and the danger is when people don't realize, and most don't, that they are being manipulated. Emotion is the biggest trigger.

Melvin, you do need to lighten up. Manipulation (or influencing if you prefer) has been going on since the beginning of the world and will continue until it ends. You can't change it. There is no sense fighting it. Zig Ziglar gave us a perfect example at a seminar I was attending years ago. He said the only reason people buy 2 ply toilet paper is fear and through careful manipulation by the company, (bet you didn't even realize it was happening !) you won't even consider buying 1 ply. So if you don't think you are recipient of manipulation go check you bathroom and tell me what ply your toilet paper is.

Having an open mind in this business is a must, Melvin, and I'm sure you have seen and heard many instances where people are spouting off based on their limited mind set. Don't become one of them. Tom is well worth listening to.
Joyce

[Ken McDougal Company: One-24 Contribution Level: 2]

I can understand Melvin's point of view. I am a firm believer in being strait up with my prospects and I am honest to a fault. I know that Tom "Big Al" jokes around a lot and he does have some excellent training. You just have to take what is good and spit out what you don't agree with. I once had a sponsor who was a Cristian business owner like myself but he used to teach that it was perfectly ok while your standing in a line (like at the post office) to "fake" taking a call on your cell phone from a prospect, just so you could speak out into the air and begin telling this excited new person on the other line, all about your amazing business (so that everyone around you could hear all about it too.) I totally disagreed with him and I won't ever use that tactic. But, he had a lot of other good advice I took and still use today.

One of the things you MUST have in this industry is honesty and integrity. I agree with Melvin. That IS why a lot of people are disgusted with MLM....because of the lies, the cheats, the tricks, the half truths and sponsors that only care about how much room is left on your credit card. Every industry has it's good and bad...you just have to choose what you're willing to compromise or not. But, in my opinion, if you do choose to compromise and manipulate, don't get caught or you'll never work in this town again because the people you cheat...when they find out, (and the WILL) will tell ALL their friends about you. Trust me when I say, you don't want that kind of reputation following you around or proceeding you either.

That's just my spin on it.

Ken

[Melvin Goodrum Company: AdvoCare International, L.P. Contribution Level: 4]

Influence sounds better than manipulation but we are all subjected to it on a continuous daily basis. Every single ad: print media, TV, internet, radio is designed to influence the mind of the reader/listener.

Everyone is going to be manipulated today, by someone, somewhere and the danger is when people don't realize, and most don't, that they are being manipulated. Emotion is the biggest trigger.

Melvin, you do need to lighten up. Manipulation (or influencing if you prefer) has been going on since the beginning of the world and will continue until it ends. You can't change it. There is no sense fighting it. Zig Ziglar gave us a perfect example at a seminar I was attending years ago. He said the only reason people buy 2 ply toilet paper is fear and through careful manipulation by the company, (bet you didn't even realize it was happening !) you won't even consider buying 1 ply. So if you don't think you are recipient of manipulation go check you bathroom and tell me what ply your toilet paper is.

Having an open mind in this business is a must, Melvin, and I'm sure you have seen and heard many instances where people are spouting off based on their limited mind set. Don't become one of them. Tom is well worth listening to.
Joyce

Joyce, influencing someone and manipulating someone are far from being the same thing and I don't need to have an open mind to anyone who spouses or even jokes about manipulating someone for fun and profit. I simply won't do business or accept anyone who manipulates or misrepresent themselves as something or someone that they are not.

When you manipulate someone, you do not allow them to see the business or the product for what it really is. Its simply bad business. That's the problem these days. Everyone is trying to sale something and will say anything they possibly can to get folks to open their wallet and buy it. We all need to be honest and straightforward about whatever business we do and learn .

Sorry if I sound like a broken record but that's the way I feel about business and if you wish to listen to Tom, that's fine. I'm a Dale Carnegie type of person and I'll stick which the folks who taught me how to do business and I'm going to avoid this person.