Motivation is everything, and nothing...

You can’t succeed without it…

I’m probably stating the obvious when I say that you can’t succeed in business without motivation.

Still, one popular network marketing guru says that's a lie - you are already motivated enough – so you don’t need to think about motivation.

The statistics don’t back that up.

Over 80% of the people involved in network marketing today don’t EVER promote their business. They don’t talk to a single prospect, place a single ad or take even the smallest step beyond joining their company.

Are we to assume these people are motivated?

Motivation by definition is all about the inner strivings of individuals that direct behavior. It’s our unsatisfied desires that create within us the motivation to act with purposeful behavior to achieve our goal.

Lack of action is evidence of a lack of motivation. Period.

The key to network marketing success lies not only in our own motivation but also in our ability to motivate others.

Maybe that’s what’s missing from the popular training formula – the focus beyond ‘why’ something isn’t working and on to ‘how’ we can make it work.

Lee Iacocca said, “Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people.”

Network marketing is a business that hinges on duplication. And no matter what your own level of success and action is, it will duplicate through your organization. Your activity (and attitude) will duplicate into an active downline.

Your inactivity (and attitude) will duplicate into an inactive downline.

One thing to remember is that duplication is never exact. Once in a while you will find someone who will outshine your level of action, but this is rare. Generally your downline organization will do less than you do. This means that if you want to increase the average level of action, you must increase your own level of action even more.

If you're trying to get your downline into action, start by looking at the motivation cycle:

First: Are you motivated to build this business and achieve your goals? If you are having trouble getting into action it's probably not actually due to external influences like lack of time, health issues or financial struggles. You might think that it is but it's not. After all, if you need an excuse not to make a phone call, listen to a training session or build your skills, you will always find one. Rather than make excuses about your inactivity, look for ways to motivate yourself to greater action. Discover a reason that will make you do what you don't want to do right now. Look for ways to stop procrastinating. Also look at what may happen if you do not take action today. If you're happy with what your life will look like in three years, chances are you'll continue to procrastinate and make excuses.

Second: Once you have yourself motivated it's time to start motivating your downline. Notice that I said 'after' - you cannot motive people if you are not motivated! Help downline find a reason in their own life that’s big enough to get them into action. This could be as simple as a pain they have right now they don’t want. Knowing the reason they joined your business is your number one tool in communicating with them. Revisit it often.

Third: Once your downline members have learned how to motivate themselves, teach them how to motivate their own people.

Becoming motivationally fit is much like becoming physically fit. Start with 10 to 15 minutes of positive thought a day. Listen or read something that is uplifting and makes you feel good about yourself and your future. The point isn't to become fit overnight, but to build a habit and make a lifestyle change. Over time you'll find your outlook becoming increasingly more positive. The result will be that you not only feel in charge of your own future, but you'll also have the power to actually take charge.