The Unwritten Rules of Success

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com



What’s your definition of success?

Did you know that there are laws that, if followed, guarantee success?

Successful people follow certain rules, whether conscious or not, that inevitably lead them to a life of wealth and happiness. Those rules exist, but the majority of people are completely ignorant of those rules and so live a life below par.

The whole purpose of life should be one of continual learning and improvement that doesn’t stop once a diploma has been earned at the end of a university education. William James once said that we use less than 10% of our mental capabilities, the other 90 go to waste. Successful people have learned to harness a few more percentage points, but that little increase is what makes them wealthy and famous.

You won’t find the rules for success taught in the halls of higher learning, but that should never excuse you from making vast improvements to your life and lifestyle. Ignorance is no excuse. You have only one life so you should make the most of it by applying the rules that guarantee your success.

Let’s look at some of these rules:

• Cause and Effect. You’ve heard this one before, but what you think about on a daily basis will have an impact on tomorrow. You become what you think about. Think hopeless thoughts and your life will be filled with sarcasm and hopelessness. Nothing just happens without a reason.
• Self-limiting Beliefs: What you believe is your reality. If you believe you can’t, you won’t. Too many people sit in a prison of their own making. They are comfortable bur fearful of what lies outside of the bars. Your subconscious thoughts accepts what you feed it, without question. Try to do anything different and your subconscious will give you reasons why you will fail. All the potential that life offers, your relationships, your health, your knowledge and skills is quickly extinguished.
• Your Value System: What do you value? If you love watching television, playing video games or just shooting the breeze at you favorite pub, your value system is too low. Such activities may be entertaining and even worthwhile at times when you need a break, if you spend your time doing them regularly, you won’t accomplish anything.
• Your Choices: You can choose the way you want to live; where you live, what food you eat, where you work. Those are the choices you make. Many people choose to live a life of mediocrity and choose not to do anything to change their lifestyle.
• Optimism: The successful have it. The average man dwells on the negatives that help to keep him discouraged. Windows of opportunity never open up because his mindset blocks out all opportunities. They expect bad things to happen and so they do.
• Fear of Change: Nothing remains static. Change is inevitable, but if you’ve locked yourself into a comfortable routine and refuse to try new things or learn new skills, you are dead years before your relatives lay you down to a permanent rest.
• The Rule of Habit: Habits can be good things and bring order to life and saves time and energy. But they can be destructive. Smoking, sexual prowess, overeating, lack of exercise, excessive drinking are all habits that do nothing to elevate your self-esteem. Develop good habits that elevate you above the crowd.
• Your Relationships: Who you associate will says a lot about you. If you stand on the street corner like Hank Hill and friends guzzling beer, your image suffers. The only benefit is staying in that comfort zone. Get ambitious and you can be sure your friends will help you squelch your desire. To be successful you need to associate with successful people. Find a role model and do what he does.

It all boils down to what we focus on and what we act on. Look at your definition of success. Don’t measure it against someone else’s standards. Develop right habits, overcome your limiting beliefs; make the choices that move you toward your definition of success. Follow the rules of successful people and you WILL be successful.

END


About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

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A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

How Can a Mere $9 Lead to Financial Independence?
http://www.9dollarsolutions.com/?hub=15026
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10 Characteristics of Self-Disciplined Achievers

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com


Why do some people succeed in whatever they put their hand to while the majority barely get by?

Why do the majority lead mediocre lives while the ambitious enjoy the fruits of success?

The major reason between the rich and famous and you can be summed up it two words: Self-discipline. Those who consistently achieve their goals have programmed themselves to expect success. They’ve trained themselves in self-discipline. While most people spend a weekend lounging before the television set, the self achiever is busy advancing his career or promoting his business.

To have the qualities of a self-disciplined achiever you need to develop 10 characteristics that all achievers have in common. They are:

1. A Positive Outlook. Self-disciplined achievers don’t blame anyone for their current condition. Rather, they go out to CHANGE them. They always look at that silver lining in the darkest clouds. They look at how they can convert a disastrous situation into a gold mine. The negative minded person only sees an insurmountable obstacle, gets depressed and accepts his lot in life.
2. Vision. If you see no hope in your future, you squelch your ambition and imagination. You lock yourself into your own private prison where the only thing that seems real are the bars enclosing you on all sides. The achiever sees endless possibilities. He is not constrained by the usual demands of life. There’s far more in his future than retirement after 40 years of employment and little to show for it.
3. Strong Belief in Self. There are many naysayers out there, some well meaning, who tell him to accept his lot in life, but he refuses to listen. The achiever knows there ARE better things out there and he CAN and WILL accomplish them.
4. A Strong Sense of Purpose. The achiever isn’t about to accept the status quo. He has something better in mind and he isn’t about to stop the struggle to get what he wants because others tell him he doesn’t have the know-how, money or the million other reasons they throw his way. Regardless of how long it takes, his sense of purpose drives him to success.
5. Ability to Plan. The reason why so many fail to make their lives richer and filled with excitement is due to their failure to plan. They may have a vague goal in mind, but without a plan, they go nowhere. It’s not that they have no ability to plan. Most people take great pains to plan for their vacations, a wedding or build their own home; they just don’t see that the same talent could be used to plan for their future!
6. Learns New Skills. No one knows everything. Learning is an ongoing process that doesn’t stop once you have a diploma. In order to maximize his potential, the achiever goes out to learn what he needs to know to bring his vision into reality. He reads. He takes correspondence courses or finds a mentor who can teach him the skills he needs.
7. Is Communicative. The Achiever is never alone, nor does he try to do everything by himself. He partners with his coach, communicates with those "in the know" until he has the necessary knowledge to strike out on his own.
8. Is Patient. Success never happen overnight. Too many people look out to "get rich quick” and become disappointed when they find that they have to WORK to achieve success. This holds especially true with affiliate programs. The hype of easy money is firmly entrenched in the minds of new affiliates. It’s far easier to sign up for several programs in the hope that one will product the quick income then it is to work for that residual income.
9. Understands the Value of Perseverance. Nothing is more appreciated than having to work hard to get it. Study the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Nelson Mandela and other successful men and women and the law of perseverance applies in every case. If you’re not willing to struggle toward the achievement of your goals, then the mediocre life you currently lead is the best one for you.
10. A Sense of Pleasure. The achievement of any worthwhile goal should be something that FIRES YOU UP! It should never become drudgery. There should be a sense of real excitement to start the day off and a sense of satisfaction knowing that you’ve moved a step closer toward your goals at day’s end.

Do you have these qualities in abundance? If you don’t you should start a campaign to hone these skills before you take your first steps towards your goals. Self-analysis and honesty are necessary before you can start to hone these skills. Once you do, you will be well ahead of those others who only wish and hope for a better future.

END



About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

How Can a Mere $9 Lead to Financial Independence?
http://www.9dollarsolutions.com/?hub=15026
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The Wealthy Affiliate

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com


Ever wonder why 5% of affiliates in any program ever make money with them? Why do 95% of them fail?
Aside from a lack of funds to make a go of the business, there are a number of reasons why only the top 5% make and you don’t. Here are some reasons:

• The top 5% take a serious approach to making a go of their marketing program. It’s not a hobby, it’s a business like any other.
• The top 5% have a vision of what they’d like to accomplish. Their goals are important.
• The top 5% have a plan to achieve the vision. Without a plan they can only expect to drift along. And they know that an affiliate program takes care of most everything. All they need do is market the program. Ultimately they become expert marketers.
• The top 5% are COMMITTED to success.
• The top 5% are willing to work as a team with their sponsors and downline members. They’re not prepared to sit on the fence waiting for someone else to make them rich. They communicate. They get active in the forums. They email with offers. They make regular mail-outs and establish friendships that lead to lifelong customers.
• The top 5% are PATIENT. They know riches don’t come overnight.
• The top 5% are realistic. They don’t believe in the get-rich-quick schemes that come along to dupe the foolhardy.
• The top 5% are willing to put forth the effort required to reach their goals.
• The top 5% are willing to sacrifice backyard barbecues and Monday night football. Frivolous activity that doesn’t impact on their accomplishment is put on the back burner in favor of concentrated effort.
• The top 5% are willing to do what it takes even if it means a sizable outlay of capital to get started.
• The top 5% persevere. They congratulate themselves when they’ve accomplished something, even if it appears to be a small step. The never get discouraged.
• The top 5% are constantly learning. The Internet is always changing. So, to stay ahead and maintain their web presence they study new avenues of marketing and promotion.
• The top 5% are flexible. What worked yesterday won’t necessarily work today. They’re willing to move with the changes.
• The top 5% network with friends and business associates.
• The top 5% keep abreast of advertising opportunities. They don’t join every offer that comes along, but if an offer is solid and helps promote their business, they’re not afraid to seize it and work it to their advantage.

Everyone wants to start an online business and hopefully make enough to fire the boss and get financially independent. But few are willing to put forth the sacrifices that are a prerequisite for success. The rules of doing business online is no different than the rules of running a real world business. And the sooner you realize that, the better will be your chances of becoming one of those 5% that get rich from their affiliate program.


End

About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

Build a Responsive Referral List: http://MrMagica.buildreferrals.com
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What to do AFTER Sighing Up for an Affiliate Program

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com


You just signed up in an affiliate program. The hype of easy money moved you to type in your name and email address. You’ve received a congratulatory note welcoming you to the world of affiliate marketing.

But what comes next?

Obviously making a start is important. Your program likely offers a course on getting started. Failure to take it means you're simply not interested in the opportunity or you have a great ego thinking you can go it alone! Either way you've set yourself up for failure from the start.

But there’s a lot more than just building up a knowledge base through taking a beginner's course. You need to do more like:

-Introduce Yourself! You’re just another name in the company’s database. You signed up for a definite reason. Review that reason, then make the effort to contact your upline sponsor or anyone above you in the matrix. If no one knows why you joined, or what your goals are, no one will be able to help you.

-Get Involved! This means reading the forums and even posting questions. Forums are great ways to learn about the affiliate program, make friends and get answers if your sponsor can't help you.

-Get inspired! It’s easy to get disillusioned once the hype of easy money gets replaced with having to actually work your business. Read a good book on business practices. Some books I’ve found useful are Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, Victor Kiam’s Going for It! Or Og Mandino’s University of Success. Listen to some audio tapes like Earl Nightingale’s Lead the Field! Or Dennis Waitleys’ The Psychology of Winning.

-Get Focused! Assuming you know the reason why you signed up, you need to focus on making that six figure income. That means having a plan.

Don’t have a plan?

Before you even start promoting, you should know what you want your affiliate program to do for you! Want to be debt free? Or live a comfortable retirement? Need money to put your kids to school? Quit your dead-end job? Focus on what it is you want, then make a plan of how to get there. Your sponsor, if he is responsible, will help you out.

-Offer to work as a team! If your sponsor won’t so much as email you to help you, go above him and find someone who can mentor you. You are never alone nor do you have to work alone. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There’s always Someone in any program who knows that he can’t succeed unless he helps YOU succeed!

-Be Patient! Riches don’t come overnight. You need the patience of Thomas Edison or Abraham Lincoln. No one got rich unless they were the lucky ticket holder of a winning lottery draw. If you think that any affiliate program is going to make you rich, buy the lottery ticket and forget the program!

These are some of the steps you need to take even before you go out to place your first ad. You CAN MAKE good money from affiliate programs but you must be realistic. If you’re lucky to have a sponsor who wants to help you, don’t neglect to work with him. It will be the ticket you need to bring your dreams to reality!


End



About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

Build a Responsive Referral List: http://MrMagica.buildreferrals.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Building the Foundation in your Affiliate Program

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/



So you decided to join an affiliate program?

Congratulations! You’ve taken your first big step toward financial independence! But before you expect the money to start rolling in, you need to realize that simply signing up for a program isn’t enough.

Ever try to build a house without a foundation?

The sad fact is that most people who sign up simply have the wrong impression of how affiliate programs work. They know that most everything is taken care of for them. All that’s necessary is market the product. Yet most affiliates are reluctant to do even that!

If you have any intention of realizing an income with your affiliate program, you need to approach it professionally. It’s a fact that only 5% of affiliates ever make any money from the programs they are in. The other 95% either do nothing beyond signing up or simply don’t realize that they ARE IN BUSINESS but never treat it that way.

In order to succeed, you need to build a foundation BEFORE you even begin advertising.

So what do you need to do to establish that foundation? Let’s look at some things you should do before you sponsor your first affiliate:

1. Learn about the company. If you don’t know anything about the products and services being offered, you simply can’t sell. You should take the time to learn about what the company offers, it’s compensation plan and more before you post ads everywhere. Any professional salesman goes through a learning phase. If the program you want to promote has a starter course, take it! Don’t even think of talking to your future affiliates unless you’ve taken this first step.
2. Contact your upline. That means your sponsor. You need to do this for two reasons: First, the support they can (or should) provide you and Second: getting answers to your important questions. You WILL have questions. Ask them! Offer to work with them in a team effort.
3. Use the products. You can’t convince anyone you have the greatest products if you’ve never tried them. When it comes to putting up money, most new affiliates shy away from spending either for products or promotion. But they’re quite willing to pay for cigarettes and cappuccino!
4. Prepare an advertising budget. You have to know how much you can spend to attract sales and new affiliates. A few free ads won’t attract anyone.
5. Create a website. Affiliate programs provide you with gateway pages and splash pages, but you can’t hope to attract anyone if your site looks the same as a million others. A website gives you a professional appearance. It stands out. Or get a capture page. Either way this will take some time to do. But you’ll get better results when you get your marketing campaign in full gear.
6. Study marketing avenues. There are hundreds of ways to advertise your program. Before you start posting, find out the best places to advertise for your marketing dollar. Selecting the right kind of advertising medium will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. Don’t forget community sites like AdlandPro, Ecademy and DirectMatches. They are great places to strike up friendships that can lead to future sales. Get involved! Let people know what you are doing including your friends. Get involved with forums and chat rooms.
7. Budget your time. You have to PROMOTE your program and that can’t be done in one evening. If you’re like most people, you have a job. But you have a weekend which likely is used standing around on the sidewalk sipping beer with Hank Hill. Do something every day.
8. Position yourself. What products attract you most? You can’t promote the hundreds of products your marketing company has, but you can focus on a few of them and make them the main products you promote.
9. Sacrifice. No business gets off to a fast start unless you are a super salesman. Forget about all the hype about those who made quick money. They are not YOU! You need to be WILLING to put forth the effort required to achieve success. Nothing comes easy.
10. Be flexible. Running a business does not lock you into a system in doing things a certain way. In the online world things change, sometimes rapidly. Yesterday, setting up a site with text and graphics worked well. Now, with YouTube, MySpace and other new marketing mediums you’ll need audio and video capabilities on your site. Social networks are becoming the next big promoters.

All this and we haven’t talked about getting into promotion. Building a foundation will get you on the road to prosperity. You’ll be among the top 3% that succeed.

END



About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

Love to go shopping? Go here: http://marioca.myworlddiscounts.com

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Are You READY for Affiliate Marketing?

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com



How you approach your business determines its outcome.
If you’re at all serious about making money online in any business, be it an affiliate program or a product and service of your own, it can’t be just a hobby.

As an affiliate marketer myself, I see hundreds of affiliates take the wrong approach and complain they aren’t making any money. The promises of big money is alluring, but it all comes down to putting in a bit of work and money into the program.

After all, it’s supposed to be easy…right?

Before you even bother to sign up for an affiliate program you should ask yourself some basic questions. If you fail on any of them, then don’t bother signing up. You’ll only be among the 97% of affiliates who never make a dollar from the programs they’re in.

So ask yourself:

1. Are your dreams BIG ENOUGH to motivate you? You can dream about firing your boss. You can dream about that new home and car or pay off those nagging credit cards. But dreams have to translate into action!
2. Can you overcome your fears? Fear of failure, fear of being rejected, fear of ridicule are present in everyone’s mind. In order to overcome your fear you have to take a chance and step out of your comfort zone.
3. Do you have the time? There’s more to an affiliate program than signing up and waiting to see what happens. Money will not flow unless you do something to earn it. There has to be a trade-off. You have to supply the time it takes to make money. Marketing can become a full time enterprise. If you have a job, you have to schedule time around it.
4. Do you have the Right expectations? The hype of easy money is just too strong for most affiliates. So they sign up and expect the money to roll in. You can’t expect to get rich in your first month. It takes months, perhaps years before your fledgling business makes enough for you to quit your job on.
5. Can you budget for expenses? Any business requires some outlay of capital. Affiliate programs are among the easiest to start. You can work on a shoestring. If you’re up to your ears in debt, this isn’t the time to join any program.
6. How much effort are you willing to put into your business? Right on the heels of time and money comes the EFFORT! Entrepreneurs in all walks of life spend far more than 40 hours a week promoting their business
7. Just how serious are you? You need to be realistic. You have to focus your attention to the job at hand and do away with distractions. You need perseverance. Thomas Edison made over a thousand experiments before he invented the light bulb. Anything worthwhile takes effort, so if you have any doubts about joining that affiliate program, don’t!
8. Do you have a positive approach? Besides mere dedication, having a positive approach will see you through the rough times. It’s harder to advance in business if your approach is to grunt and force yourself. Why does anyone do anything unless they WANT to do it?
9. Can you set goals? A Chinese proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. No less for your business. You have an idea of what your ultimate goal is? Great! Now plan the steps to get there.
10. Are you teachable? Can you communicate? As an affiliate of SFI, I see a lack of willingness among new affiliates to contact me or anyone on how to get started! For those that take the time to fill out their profile, their answer to the question of whether they have contacted their upline is always negative! If you should happen to have a sponsor who is interested in helping you succeed, you should take the opportunity to return his emails, ask questions and establish a rapport with him or her.
11. Can you be an Active participant? Taking an ACTIVE role in your program means taking the courses offered by the program. It means being active in the forums, asking for advice from management. Being active means being aggressive. You want your business to succeed so you should be doing something every day to promote it. Be enthusiastic! But don’t forget to have fun doing it!


Before you make a spur-of-the-moment decision, analyze your reasons. Check yourself against the above 11 points. Don’t waste you sponsor’s time if you’re not serious. Leave the serious marketing up to those who WANT success. I’d rather have 10 active members in my downline than thousands of fence sitters who say they are interested, but won’t take the necessary steps to achieve success. Being involved in an affiliate program boils down to a TEAM effort and if you're not willing to play as a team then you should stay comfortable with a simple J.O.B..

End



About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. With his experience he stands ready to coach and mentor anyone to financial independence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

Love to go shopping? Go here: http://marioca.myworlddiscounts.com

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Denial of the Spirit Within

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com


We cannot deny the existence of the spirit within us all. We are all a part of it. Whether you call it God, Allah, Vishnu or other terms, it exists. It doesn’t require belief.

It’s through that spirit that we are all connected. What happens to one will affect the others. Even the events of the world as they unfold have a ripple effect, like a stone splashed into water, those ripples extend through the lake.

Evil men always try to deny this spirit. They try to squelch it in favour of the only thing that matters, whatever is physical in nature. They may succeed to a point, but the spirit is always there, a reminder that whatever they do in this world is never enough. Whatever they do will always leave them empty, frustrated. Denial of the spirit will never satisfy anyone who refuses to believe in its existence. To console themselves they resort to violence, deny the hope of those they persecute. Or they accumulate vast riches hoping that this will soothe the tempest in their souls.

Existence, alone, is never enough. Joy does not come from fame or fortune.

If the physical is all we can hope for, then one has an empty plate. What food may be on that plate may appear delectable but it will does not nourish. Only the spirit can nourish.

The best thing is to realize that the spirit matters more. It cannot be harmed as can the physical body. But it can be nourished.

Life itself should not consist of the mere pursuit of riches or fame but toward the search for enlightenment. Once such a state is reached, the physical needs become secondary and of less importance. You cannot be harmed by or hurt when the spirit reigns in you.
To reach spiritual enlightenment does not mean that you must meditate like a monk on a high mountain. Merely to understand and have compassion with a spirit of forgiveness will carry you to a state of enlightenment few people ever achieve.

Isolation in a monastery may appeal to some, but you do live in a physical world, a world that craves the light of spiritual masters. There are so few of them and it is easy to go astray with the cares of this world. You need to shed a light to the world. Compassion, forgiveness with the knowledge that everyone is interdependent can go a long way to bring peace on Earth.

So what is the first step towards opening up and accepting the spirit within you?

Simple, you must leave your selfishness and see what you can do for others. This is possible in several ways. Giving to charity, volunteering for a worthwhile cause are, of course a few of them. But you can also apply this to any business. Helping others helps YOU!

Are you an affiliate of a program? 95% of affiliates NEVER make any money with them.

Ask yourself why.

It’s not always the products, the compensation plan, the services. It starts with YOU! Selfishness is rampant in affiliate programs simply because the affiliates themselves cannot see that in order for the spirit to shine they must ACT! And action requires helping their downline members and working in a team effort!

If you are the typical affiliate of any program, you are self-centered and such an attitude will never raise you above the majority. Let the spirit reign in you. We are all connected.

Will you continue to deny the spirit of success that is your right?

You will never see happiness if you do.



About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada and is currently promoting 3 of the best affiliate programs on the Net. Among his passions are writing, graphics and gardening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 9 to 5 job will never give you financial independence. You deserve a better lifestyle. Here’s how to get it!
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/trained_monkeys.cfm?vn=1119

Love to go shopping? Go here: http://marioca.myworlddiscounts.com

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Negotiation in the Family for Fun and Profit

Negotiation: Who does it and why?

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/

Everybody negotiates at some point in their lives. The simplest negotiation happens early with newborns. While no words are ever spoken or need to be, the terms are there, nevertheless. “Change my diaper and I’ll stop crying.” What parent can argue with such terms?

The family unit is all about negotiation. Husband and wife do it regularly, the wife usually has the upper hand, she can always go to her mother’s. The same happens when Sweet Sixteen brings home a boyfriend that looks like Rasputin. You have to be diplomatic at such times. Neither a hot bath or a haircut is of much use unless the parents are the only ones to take one.

Obviously, the idea of negotiation is simple (as believed by the majority): Get something for nothing. While no one has as yet succeeded in our perfect world, there are some who keep trying. Case in point: Kim Jong Ill whose country obviously has nothing might want to negotiate nuclear weapons for food.

Negotiation usually occurs between two people, though this is not always the case when you factor in lawyers and the United Nations. Due to limited finances most families can’t afford lawyers. In this blog I’ll focus on the family unit between husband and wife, though the rules apply equally if you’re President or Bin Laden.

Contrary to public opinion, for negotiations to succeed, there must be a middle ground on which to start and end on a 50-50 compromise that benefits both parties. There simply isn’t much room if one party threatens to nuke the other. If he has a bomb and you don’t there won’t be a 50-50 compromise.

So let’s get down to the hard rules.

Rule #1: Find a neutral ground in which to negotiate. So you might not be able to use the U.N. facilities, but your home isn’t the best place for a negotiation due to distractions such as children, telephone and when the milkman calls on your wife. Home leads to too much emotional involvement. If she doesn’t like what you’re saying, it’s damn hard to discuss terms with her locked behind the bathroom door.

The local pub doesn’t do either, for several reasons. The local patrons might be too eager to get involved and offer solutions from the bottom of their beer tankards. That kind of advice is not likely to help your unique situation. And if you happen to have a few too many yourself, chances are you won’t remember what the negotiation session was all about. Raising your voice over taxes or other unrelated subjects might get you thrown out by the pub’s bouncer. And he’s not likely to negotiate terms.

Dinner at a fine restaurant is the next best thing. You have to keep your voice down to a bare whisper so the other patrons don’t have to pity your conditions. You just might find something else beside the current subject to discuss, such as the restaurant food, in which case you can negotiate terms with the chef and get your meal “on the house”. Or get thrown out by the owner for suggesting it.

Rule #2: Keep the subject focused. There isn’t any use to start arguing about the sorry state of family finances and the fact that hubby has been seeing too much of his office secretary when the central subject is who should put the toilet seat down and keep it there. Flying in all directions is bad, especially when you don’t know where your partner is going to hit you next.

Rule #3: Never work under a deadline. If hubby needs to go to work in ten minutes and the wife has her bags packed for a visit to her mother, there isn’t much room for negotiation beyond who gets to pick up the tab. Hasty conversations never get anywhere beyond indigestion and acid reflux.

Rule #4: Common ground. While there may seem nothing to agree upon, your first job should be to find it. After all you agreed to get married based on some great need for companionship, sex or tax relief. Children are often a good place to start since you both have some involvement in their birth and in raising them. Of course I’m not talking about who gets custody unless that IS the subject of the negotiation.

Rule #5: Keep the emotions out of it. They cloud your reasoning. Conflicts always arise because some need is not met by one or both parties. The point is to listen to your partner with an open mind. So stifle that yawn if you think you’ve heard it before. Try to understand things from the opposite point of view. That might be difficult if you’re both gay.

Rule #6: Build trust. That’s what you tried to do before you married him/her. And unless he/she is a confirmed psychopath, there shouldn’t be any reason to renew friendly relations, which is good if kids are involved. They like happy homes. That makes it easy for them as they don’t have to take sides based on incomplete facts and avoids conflict between brother and sister.

Rule #7: Go for the throat. Sorry, that should be the last resort. I mean work your way toward finding a Win-Win compromise. That should be your central goal and nothing should stand in the way not even your office secretary or Henry Kissinger for that matter. You obviously have to find a compromise that works for both parties. You should know by now that nobody wins in war. That might be difficult if you or her is a confirmed Communist where negotiation is only meant for them winning at all costs. In that case a divorce might be in order, a win-win situation for both of you and you both can agree on. That only leaves the custody battles. We all know who pays alimony so that subject need not be discussed.

There you have it. Seven rules to a happy marriage, family life and between nations. Avoid nuclear catastrophe at home and just maybe that will happen around the world.


End


About the Author:

Mario Carini lives in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. He was born overseas in Germany and became a Canadian citizen 5 years later. Among his passions are wrting, graphics, gardening and helping others achieve their goals through Internet marketing.
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Basic Affiliate Coaching 101

Copyright © Mario Carini
http://www.entrepreneurcircle.com/

Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t have to know EVERYTHING about your affiliate program to coach your downline members.

Chances are you don’t know anymore than your sponsor who likely joined a few minutes before you did. That’s one of the major reasons why 95% of affiliates fail to make any money in the affiliate programs they join. While the comp plan, the products and management of the program are good, most failure stems from not having a coach to mentor you to success.

As an affiliate of ANY program there are 2 things that are absolutely necessary to succeed in any program:

1. Marketing Ability
2. Coaching Ability

This article isn’t about showing you how to be a top notch marketer. But it IS about showing you the basics of how you can be a COACH to those you bring into your business. Marketing alone can bring in a good income, but without that second point you fail to get that important RESIDUAL income. And you can only get that from helping your downline get active and keeping them that way.

Of course you need to know SOMETHING about your program before you can convince someone to join you. Once they join, you need to assist them in making those decisions that lead them to taking ACTION. The period between your initial sign-up and your first promotion to sponsor a new affiliate should be used to bone up on your program. What are the products…services? How does the comp plan work? Order in some products and USE them! Once you have done that work you are in a better position to hang up your sign that says “coach” on the door.

While you don’t need to know all the minute corners of the program, the basic grunge work will help to convince your new downline members that they can trust you to help them on their desire for financial independence.

Once you know that, here are two simple pointers to start acting as an effective coach:

1. COMMUNICATE! Send them a welcome letter. Stress the fact that you’re here to HELP THEM! Send them more than one email, in case they have trashed your first one. In the majority of cases where I joined a program, I NEVER received a congratulatory email! If your new affiliate doesn’t hear from you he’s not going to ACT! If you are afraid of spamming, you can usually email through the contact manager that most good programs have available on their site. Consider calling them personally on the phone or send a congratulatory card via snail mail.
   

2. Be quick to answer any queries. The fact they email you shows that they are interested! If you get an email, respond ASAP. Even if you don’t have an answer, promise them you’ll get back in touch with them with an answer.

There’s a whole lot more to coaching, but doing this will generate trust in your downline members even if you just joined yesterday. It WILL help you grow your business than the blind masses that join affiliate programs and never get anywhere!

About the Author
Mario Carini lives near Ottawa, Canada. Among his passions are writing, graphics, gardening and a sincere desire to help others achieve prosperity through their Internet business and affiliate programs.

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