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Over the years, I have watched hundreds of distributors plan and deliver wonderful presentations. Many captured my attention with an excellent presentation. Yet at the moment of truth, the time to ask for the sale or ask someone to sign an application, often the presenter stalls. Why do so many presenters lack confidence and finish without asking for the sale?

It usually is because they don't believe in the product, in the company, or possibly in themselves. You can't sell someone something you don't believe in.

If you want to succeed, if you want to make the sale, if you want to sign up a new distributor, you must have a strong belief system. Why is this important? Because if you truly believe in something, it will spur you on to actions, and your actions will be filled with excitement and enthusiasm so contagious that others will want to join you. Here are four key areas in which you must develop a belief system in order to succeed in network marketing.

1. The Company. You must believe that you have chosen the right company; that your leaders are honest and that their integrity is beyond reproach. You need to believe that your leaders can help build, guide, and inspire others to help the company grow.
2. The Compensation Plan. You will be working hard; everyone should make it a goal to receive a maximum return on their investment of time and energy. You will be spending countless hours away from your family or friends, so make sure that your time is well spent on activities that bring in money. Further, you must have the utmost faith and belief that the compensation plan will allow you to build a long-term, residual income check. The only way to develop this belief is through knowledge—by studying all aspects of your company's plan and knowing why it is the best of all compensation plans.
3. The Product. The products are the backbone of the company you represent. You must believe in them and use them. You must know they are the best and be willing to share them with your family and friends. Learn all you can about your company's product lines.
4. Yourself. More than anything, you must believe in yourself. We are all born through the greatest miracle of nature, the birth of life. Each person was born with a desire to be the very best they can be. However, because of life's circumstances, many have lost hope and self-confidence. Remember, we are all children of a divine Source that created us to be happy and confident.

Why do you need to develop a strong belief system? Here are three important reasons:

1. It is a requirement if you want to become a leader within your company.
2. People will call on you to provide the answers to their questions. They will respect your knowledge, dedication, and conviction.
3. You will be able to answer the critics and the dream stealers who try to tear down your belief system.

A "dream stealer" is a person who will try to shake and destroy your belief system. They are usually people you know well and because of certain fears you may have, these dream stealers can cause you to doubt yourself or your decision. Have you ever been excited about something and you can't wait to share it with your family, friends, or even your spouse? What happens if they reject you or tease you about your decision? All too often we allow those people to place doubt in us and our ability to succeed.

If you allow dream stealers to enter your consciousness, they may question your intelligence and destroy your confidence. After talking to one or two dream stealers, you may decide to keep your mouth shut because you don't want any more friends to think you are wrong. You become scared or nervous and don't want any more rejection so you are forced into inaction. You quit believing in yourself and your confidence plummets. Unfortunately, just about all of us have "dream stealers" in our lives. But you must not, you cannot, let your fears or past failures derail you from having success. Above all, do not let another person steal the hopes and dreams deep inside your heart. Learn to accept that setbacks are a part of life and you will be able to turn the roadblocks along your path to success into stepping stones.

We are in a business many people distrust so the dream stealers seem to have a lot of ammo to attack and weaken our belief. Instead of letting this stop you, learn how to be proactive and not reactive in your response. How can you do this?

1. Think of all the reasons others may disagree with what you're doing.
2. Write down some answers to each one of the objections you feel you may face. You may need to ask your upline to assist you with this.
3. Learn the answers that will allow you to reply to dream stealers with honesty and integrity.

Follow this format and you will be ready to talk with those who may question what you do. You will be ready when the dream stealers try to get you!

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