Thursday, 5 November 2009

The Trouble with Successful People

by John Passmore

Don't you just hate really successful people? They're so damn modest!

Ask them why they're so successful and they just say: "I stick to what they teach you on training... I just follow the system..."

Chris is like that. He just follows the system yet 87% of his people get their money back. Why is that. In the end I was so frustrated I asked my upline.

The good thing about asking a question is that very often you get an answer: "Ah Chris, well he's very choosy about who he recruits. He goes for business owners."

So I put that together with something I'd heard a long time ago about Chris's upline Jimmy.

And this morning, still wearing my suit from my business breakfast club, I set off to the local business park.

Drive out of any small town, take a wrong turning and you end up in one of these: Rows of miniature offices housing one-man-band businesses.

"Hi, my name's John... and you are? Great. Nice to meet you. I'm a local business owner and I wondered if you could do me a favour."

(They all said yes.)

"I've had this DVD done and I wondered if you could take a look at it for me and give me your opinion. After all you've been around for a while, I'd really appreciate some feedback."

(And they all took it and looked at it and said OK)

"It's only about 15 minutes. Would you be able to take a look now if I come back in quarter of an hour?"

Actually I never did go back in quarter of an hour because the fifth door led me to the smallest private gym you've ever seen and instructor was not the business owner but an employee. Anyway he didn't have a computer to play a DVD so I gave him a card and said: "It's all about money. Are you interested in money?" and he said "yes" and so I had to tell him.

And then, since there was no-one who wanted to work on their abs, I showed him how the money worked and by the time his girlfriend had arrived and we'd worked out that there was a way they could buy their own home, the time had flown by and I had to get off to my appointment.

Once that customer had signed up and we'd talked about his days as a flight engineer on Lancasters (44 operations and he lived to tell the tale) his grandaughter turned up and so she needed to hear what I had.

I got home to find the dog frantic but her walk got delayed again by an old customer ringing up and wanting the service at her new restaurant. She only lives over the road so I popped out to do that one.

And even when I did get the dog down to the river, we never go far: I'd given out about ten cards to the other walkers (have you had one of these... I always give one of these to people by the river - have you had one yet...) when a smiling couple looked at my badge (I'd forgotten I was wearing it) and I had to stop and talk to them.

Then the next person asked what the little card was all about and so instead of walking, I ended up sitting in the bandstand for ten minutes talking about the money.

The dog didn't mind. She had a new friend and together they cleared up all the crisps from under the benches.

War of the Microchips

by John Passmore

Suddenly the microchips bit back.

You know the feeling: You have your day all planned - just a couple of little chores to do in the office and then out into the world for fun and profit.

Oh yeah? Dream on, kiddo!

I spent almost the whole day talking to helplines and playing with my SQL Server. As an added bonus, I was allowed to reboot - again and again... As the hours crawled by, the prospect of giving out my 50 cards seemed more and more remote - as for talking to six new people...

But then it occurred to me that the man on the helpline was gradually become more a part of life than my wife and children.

"You've been very helpful," I told him. Then, because I can't say anything else after that little collecio of words: "I'm always on the lookout for helpful people - they can make some good money in their spare time. Would you like to hear about it?"

And now he's looking. The next was a caller from a Bed and Breakfast website. I listened patiently, complimented her on her mann and asked: "Would you be interested in a second income alongside the one you've got already?"

I was on a roll now. After that I had someone someone trying to raise my ranking in Google - and after that someone offering me space on a website calleld Roundabout Britain. Had this stirring of the microchips alerted the cyberworld to my presence? Who cares: I was halfway to my target of talking to six new people and I hadn't even been out onto the street yet.

In fact, what with one thing and another, I never did get out onto the streets - which meant that at three O'clock, I still had 50 cards to give out: You can't stuff those down a phone. So just before the children came home, I set off for Tesco's to buy myself a new optical mouse and a car charger for the phone.

It took me half an hour to shift the cards. I'd have done some DVDs too if I hadn't forgotten them in the rush.

Still, I came away with the phone numbers for two people and on the way I called the watch battery salesman from last week. He was walking the streets of Belfast, he told me. Never mind, he wanted to know how the money works and so I told him.