All Wrapped Up in Christmas

Once upon a time, three kings followed a star in the night sky in search of a newborn boy who was prophesised as the Son of God. With them, they bore gifts as an expression of their love and respect for the one who would come to be known as the Son of Man.
On this day, Christ was born. And so was Christmas.

More than 2,000 years later, this concept of giving gifts at Christmas first set by the three kings has prevailed, even if the true meaning of Christmas has been somewhat lost amongst the mountains of discarded wrapping paper and quick-fix presents.

From where has this pressure to give presents at Christmas come? From department stores with their glittering window displays and ‘Christmas Sales’? Money-hungry business people capitalising on the commercialisation of an ancient tradition held close to the hearts of many? From social norms, that say those who don’t give presents during Christmas are frowned upon as being thoughtless and uncaring? Whatever happened to ‘it’s the thought that counts’?
Before I go on, I should state that I am not a Scrooge and I certainly do not say ‘bah humbug’ whenever someone offers me Christmas cheer. I think Christmas brings out the best in people and today, even atheists will wish their friends and family a ‘Happy Christmas’ during this festive season. This is great, but do they know what they are saying? Do they know the meaning of Christmas? Whether we’re talking about the word or the holiday, you simply cannot have Christmas without Christ.

The very thing about Christmas is that it should be a time to remember Christ and give him thanks. The giving of gifts should be to express our love and respect for the people we hold dear. It is, after all, the season of giving. But let’s think about why we are giving the gift in the first place. Did you wander aimlessly around the shopping centre with a list of names, trying to find something – anything – that you could buy so in order to cross off another name on the list? This is not the meaning of giving. In essence, this type of present is nothing but gift-wrapped emptiness, devoid of meaning and emotion.

The best gift I have received this year was from my mother. She gave me a beautiful card with even more beautiful words inside. She said that she couldn’t think of anything to ‘buy’ for me that would bring me happiness; but she knew without a doubt what to ‘give’ me that would make me truly happy. She wrote in her card that her gift to me was that she would continue to meditate and devote herself to her prayers. She said she would give thanks to the Lord. She said she knew that this would please me more than anything else, and so this is what she was giving to me for Christmas.

What my mother gave me was something lasting. Something that was only for me and something that showed just how much she loves and cares for me. What my mother gave me made me happy, far more than a set of matching socks, a new alarm clock, or a new car. For Christmas, my mother gave me love.

There is nothing wrong with buying gifts for people at Christmastime. But ask yourself what the gift means – to you and to the person you are giving it to. The focus should not be on the gift, but on the expression of love and care for another human being that the gift represents. The gift doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. But it must have meaning.
To each and all of my readers, my gift to you is this Gem. May you take just a few moments to ponder the question of what the people around you mean to you, and by doing so, may you give them a gift that truly matters this year.
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful new year to you all.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Fundamentals of Networking: Present the Present

Have you ever bought someone a present? I’m guessing the answer here is ‘yes’. When you buy someone a present, you obviously consider what the person would like, what they would want, and what they would need. Once you’ve found the right present for the person, it is then very likely you would take the time to wrap the present in an attractive way, perhaps with ribbons and bows, before giving the present.

Why am I talking about presents and gift-wrapping? Because the way you select and wrap a present with the recipient in mind is exactly the same as the way you prepare and present a presentation to your prospect.

Think about the word ‘presentation’ and analyse the word ‘present’. Just as when you select a present for someone as a gift, when you present to your prospects, you must consider the person to whom you are presenting. What will interest them? What will motivate them? What will excite them? A presentation must be packaged around the person you are presenting to, so it is very important that you know who your audience will be. You cannot rely on the same presentation to be successful with every audience. It must be tailored to suit your audience, so it is therefore essential to have established a relationship or rapport with your prospect before you present to them.

The next similarity between present-giving and presenting is that you don’t give a gift that is not nicely wrapped, and you don’t give a presentation without wrapping it with all the right trimmings that people want to see before getting to the core of the business.

I used to give my daughter gifts without wrapping them, so to not waste paper. But my daughter would complain that it wasn’t as exciting to receive an unwrapped present. She likes the anticipation. It is the same with a presentation. A lot of people fail because they start talking about the intricate details of the business too soon in their presentation: the costs, the involvement, the compensation plan. When you do this, your audience will quickly grow disinterested and will think you’re trying to sell them something for your own benefit. They will not be as receptive as they would be if they thought you’re giving them a gift. If the audience is not receptive, it is the presenter who is failing. The approach should be that of giving a present. “Hey, I have something here that will be of value to you. I want to give it to you.”

Normally, in a big group presentation, you cannot be so specific to the needs and wants of an individual, and you can’t really close. So, that’s why when you speak to a large crowd, you wrap your present with many different trimmings, try to use as many examples as you can, and express various ways of saying your point, so that you try connect with each person at different times.

What’s more, when you are presenting, another trimming is the atmosphere and the environment. It is important to set up the right atmosphere, where people appreciate what you are saying to them. When I am giving a presentation, when I am giving someone a gift, I don’t become uncomfortable. I don’t think that he or she is doing me a favour by listening or accepting my gift, nor do I feel that I am wasting his/her time. I am giving them a present.
So wrapping it is very important. The different trimmings that would attract a particular person is best applied one-on-one. You can then focus on their individual needs, what they want, what dreams and aspirations they have, and all the things that excite that person. These are the trimmings. The details of the business are the present.

So, in this final Gem in the Fundamentals of Networking series, I am not going to tell you ‘how’ to present. I can’t tell you that because I don’t know who you are going to be presenting to; because who you present to dictates how you present. I can only give you parameters that you should consider, and advise that you should always show respect, be careful how you dress, be prepared in terms of what you’re going to say, have a thorough understanding of the business, know the background of your audience, and so forth. The rest is up to you and your prospect.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Fundamentals of Networking: Getting the Invite Right

We’ve spoken about the need to do your homework, the invaluable process of developing your prospect list, and the importance of maintaining a prospecting mindset. So, now what?

Now you need to invite people on your list and who you have prospected to hear what you have to say. You need to pick up that phone and start dialling and inviting prospects to a business presentation.

When it comes to the invitation part of networking, I can give one very simple, very valuable piece of advice… make friends with your phone.

When I invite someone, the best mode is through the phone. The phone gives the perfect arena for me to say what I need to extend my invitation to a presentation, but without getting caught up in the questions and details usually demanded in face-to-face invitations.

Always remember – the phone is for inviting only. The phone is the place to ‘close’ with a date for the presentation. It is not the place to ‘close’ with a new Downline. Never attempt to give a business presentation over the phone. When you use the phone to invite, try to limit what you say. People normally ask so many questions and want so many details over the phone. So, when you invite someone, it is better to have a scheduled date, place and time in mind. Then you can invite them personally to attend the presentation, and you have a reason for not discussing everything on the phone. Also, be sure to have a set of schedules to tell your prospect, just in case they say no to your first suggested date.

On the other hand, if you invite someone face-to-face, be ready to present right there on the spot. People will often want to hear all about it then and there, instead of going through the ‘hassle’ of organising a time with you. And it is hard to reason why you can’t tell them about the business when you are looking right at your prospect.

Another thing about inviting is that it allows you to ‘prepare’ or ‘practice’ for the actual presentation, by becoming confident talking to people and building a rapport with them. Learn how to invite, even if you don’t have the confidence to do the business presentation just yet; you can always invite a prospect to someone else’s presentation. And there is a benefit to doing this. It is called the ‘Triangle’.

How does the Triangle work? Let’s use an example: Let’s say Mr B invites a prospect called Mr C to a presentation set to be given by Mr A. For Mr B to be successful in this, Mr B would talk about Mr A and edify him. He would build him up to Mr C by saying that Mr A will be in town and he is very successful and it will be very advantageous for Mr C to attend the presentation of such a prominent networker. You see, in this scenario, there is already respect and a relationship between Mr B and Mr C. In fact, Mr C is attending the presentation because of the credibility of his relationship with Mr B. This credibility extends to Mr C having respect for Mr A before the presentation even begins, simply through association. Mr B has spoken highly of Mr A and Mr C begins to share that respect. Mr B becomes the bridge. He attends the presentation with Mr C and gives him confidence in the presentation and the presenter. And then, after the presentation, is when Mr B makes the close. This is the Triangle.

If you have just met your prospect, build a relationship with them first before inviting them to a presentation. No matter what the situation, people don’t like invasion of privacy and they don’t like feeling as if they are being taken advantage of. So take your time.

One last word on inviting prospects: Never do it in desperation. When you invite people, it should be because you want to do good for that person, not because you are needy to gather Downlines. Don’t plead. Don’t push. Be polite, knowledgeable, confident, and friendly. It is truly amazing what these basic character traits can do for the success of your invitation.

Sincerely,
Joseph Bismark
Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

Human Life Begins… When?

There are four propensities of life… eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But is that all there is to life? And if so, how are we, as human beings, any different from animals?

Humans have mastered these four propensities. We have an endless menu of gourmet cuisine and all manners in which to cook it so that our food not only gives us sustenance, but a sensation of incredible tastes. When it comes to sleeping, we have perfected the art of getting a good night’s rest, with ergonomic beds, neck-support pillows, and cosy blankets. And it is frightening just how well we have enhanced the act of mating, and how much we have sharpened our ability to defend ourselves.

The question human beings should be asking, is whether this really is the goal of life? Just to eat, sleep, mate and defend. If this is the goal of a life of a human being, then you can argue that it would be better to be an animal. For example, if the goal of life was to sleep, wouldn’t you rather be a crocodile? I heard that a crocodile could sleep for 20 hours a day! If sex was to be the goal, then why not prefer to be a pigeon? A pigeon could have sex 100 times a day, without caring for the offspring or being in a relationship. If eating was the main focus of life, then who wouldn’t want to be a pig, who can eat anything and everything all day long? My point is, humans are equipped with so much more potential to fulfil more than any of these propensities. That is how we are different from animals. If we focus our lives around this sense gratification, surely we’re missing the point of life. We must awaken ourselves from our slumber. There must be a higher purpose.

Human life begins when one starts questioning, “What am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is my relationship with this world I live in? What is my responsibility to the environment? Who am I?...” The questioning and the learning are endless.

We have the ability to act independently; we have free will. We have a higher intelligence. We have the ability to question. We can philosophise. We can actually ponder what happens after death. A life of a human being is a life of responsibility and consequences; a life of questioning and seeking answers.

Yes, we have perfected the four propensities, the basic needs of life, but it is not what makes us human. We’re missing the purpose and potential of human life if we care only for eating, sleeping, mating and eating.

Please take a moment to ponder… don’t wither away a life of great potential, questioning and learning. Strive to understand the world around you. Don’t allow yourself to be satisfied with a life similar to that of an animal, because you simply won’t be doing justice to the incredible gift we’ve all been given… life as a human being on this planet.

Yours Sincerely,

Joseph T. Bismark
Group Managing Director, QI Ltd

The Fundamentals of Networking – Maintain A Prospecting Mindset

As part of this Fundamentals of Networking series, I would like to take the opportunity in this Gem to speak a bit more about the stage of Prospecting, before we move onto Inviting. This is because developing and maintaining the ‘Prospecting Mindset’ is so essential and so integral to being a networker.

I mentioned in my previous Gem that networkers should never stop adding to their prospect list. To do this, you must have the right mindset. There is a saying in the network marketing business: ‘If it breathes, it is a prospect.’

The basic rule in prospecting is that you are networking no matter where you are or what you are doing. This doesn’t mean becoming annoying and invasive and continually approaching people about the business, even after they’ve said no. It simply means being friendly. It means speaking to people standing behind you in the queue at the supermarket. It means striking up a conversation with someone sitting next to you on the bus. Get to know the person around you in everyday situations to the point where you could perhaps ask them what they do for a living, or to the point where you could exchange business cards. You can then call them later and invite them to a presentation. It is about talking to people. The more people you talk to, the more opportunity opens up to you. The less you talk, the less you meet. Even if someone you approach says no, you have not lost; you have practised your communication skills, built your confidence in approaching prospects, developed your people skills, and you may have met a new friend or perhaps made a new contact, such as a mechanic, whom you may need to call upon later in life when you have car trouble.

Being a networker means that there is a probing thought constantly playing in the back of one’s mind: ‘Could this person be interested in the business?’ If this question is always on your mind, then you will become more alert to people who would be genuinely interested. It is like switching on your antenna. Think about this… have you ever wanted a new car? And then somehow everywhere you looked, you see that same model of car that you wanted, but no one else really notices it? This is because you are subconsciously thinking of the new car you want and in essence, your antenna is tuned into that car. So, you take notice when you see it. The same applies with networking and prospecting. If you’re not looking, you won’t see. If you are a networker, prospecting becomes part of you.

The definition of prospecting is to identify potential people to join your business. So, this is what you should be doing – all the time. If you are a real estate agent, you will always be on the lookout for good development opportunities and every time you walk into a friend’s house, you will probably mentally appraise the house’s market value. The same applies with almost any profession. In any business, you are always ‘noticing’ and on the lookout for the subject of your profession. In networking, the subject of your profession is everywhere. The subject of your profession is people. This prospecting mindset and your list of prospects are the core principles of being a good networker.
 
Sincerely,

Joseph Bismark

Group Managing Director, QI Ltd