Comparison Will Kill You (and Your Business)

Lately I've had a lot of the same questions come through my inbox, and I've been trying to decipher exactly why that is.

I hear people in leadership positions say (almost daily), " I feel like I should be further along in my business than I am."

Daily someone says that to me. And here's my response.

First of all, the only reason people think they should be further along in their business than they actually are is because they've looked at someone else's business and decided that they should have what that person has.

Wrong idea!

Comparison (especially in direct sales) will absolutely kill your business. Now, that's not to say that we don't all do it. It's natural for us to compare ourselves to other people who joined at about the same time as we did. It just seems to happen naturally.

We'll even compare ourselves to how fast other people grew their organizations or how many team members they have or how much money they're making. But the truth is, there is no comparison point in direct sales.

It's not an even playing field, and the only reason it's not, is because we all live different lives. The life you live, has so much to do with how successful you are in a direct sales business. It can make or break the deal. And your life is governed by the choices you make.

I told a director today that anyone can do this job. Whether or not they make the decision to make it work and be successful is a different story.

We all have different circumstances and different situations in our lives. Our kids are all different ages; our marriages are at all different stages; our work situations could never be identical, yet we attempt to compare what other people have done in business to what we're doing in business.

It doesn't work that way. It will knock you down. And on the floor is not a place you want to be.

Direct sales in general is soaring right now. With the right determination and the right attitude, you can go far in a direct sales company. But, you have to stop comparing yourself to what someone else has done.

So, what's the key to making it work for the long haul? How do you set up your business to run long term with consistent energy?

You focus on the basics always, and you remain consistent. What are the basics? Sales and recruiting. If you believe in what you do, and you believe that it could bless the lives of others, then recruiting should be a natural consequence of that belief.

Will you always have 2-3 recruits a month? Probably not. More than likely you'll have months with one and then a month with none, and then maybe none again, and then it might be four in a month. I realize that sounds like the complete opposite of the definition of consistency. It's not about what you produce every month as much as what you focus on every month.

If you're focused on recruiting, then that's what you're going to get....recruits. It may not be all in the same month or immediately. Some people need to hear it over and over again. Some people simply need you to suggest it to them. Other people just may say no (which by the way, no sometimes just means, not now).

And the same for sales. You probably won't sell $2,000 every month. I know there are people who do, but quit worrying about those people and start worrying about what you're doing! Focus on selling and you'll have sales.

You get what you focus on. Focus on the same things every month, and your focus will breed consistency in your business.

You'll have crappy days, and really crappy weeks, and even crappier months. It's the nature of what you do. It never goes away. Embrace it. Love it. Live it. Make it who you are, and most importantly, don't waver.

Fads are simply that....fads. They will come and they will go. And I promise you that the grass is not greener on the other side.

I don't care how early you can get into a company. I care about how hard you're going to work at it. I know that you could sign up for Scentsy today and within four or five years be a SuperStar Director making what many corporate executives make. But you have to commit. You have to believe that you can. You have to surround yourself with people who will support you. You have to be patient, and you have to know that with consistency, you can go all the way. Don't waver. Stay true. Make it work in your family and your situation, and your business will thrive.

Stop comparing yourselves to what others have done and start your own victory dance knowing what the future holds for you if you're willing to make the decision to work for it.

.....day 83 of a year of writing.....