Gold Ships!

GOLD SHIP

Years ago I read a small Multi-level Marketing book that described prospecting in terms of ships. Now most of us in network marketing are familiar with the prospecting terms "sifting and sorting", but I still like the way the book compared prospects to ships. Why? Because words that apply to ships work for us, like "anchor", "sailing along," "troubled waters", "sinking ship", "missed the boat", etc. all fun comparisons to what we do in this business. And although it has been years since I read that book, I still remember the points that were being made.


The most sought after prospect is the Gold ship. They are anchored deep, stand out in a crowd, are a shining example to us all, and are literally worth their weight in gold. These individuals are ambitious, goal-oriented, focused leaders. They are the big-time business builders, the top income earners, and reach their (written) goals, achieve the top positions with the company, and teach and help others to follow their course. In fact they create strong leaders and anchor their leaders deep. They understand the need to consistently sponsor new, work with those that work, and create and teach duplication. They follow a system, teach the system and see results. They "launch" with their sponsor in the beginning to set the example, then personally "launch" their people; without having to be pushed and prodded along by their sponsors. Gold ships are positive people, surround themselves with the same, strive to personally grow, and are self-motivated. Their "why" for doing the business is strong, and their example is stellar. They are passionate about this business and do whatever it takes to achieve the highest position the company offers by helping others succeed. They understand that by developing leaders underneath them, they are guaranteed success.

SILVER SHIP

Then there are the Silver ships. These individuals are also key distributors and business builders. They, however, are hesitant to take the reins of leadership and really go for the top. They set goals and reach most of them, but often settle on the first few steps of leadership. They may have some doubt, may need on-going motivation from their sponsor, but do consistently retail product and recruit. They too follow the system and if they stay on coarse, anchor their teams, they can become Gold ships. Silver ships move lots of product at the grass roots, create great volume, and sponsor a boat-load of wholesale consumers and a handful of distributors. Once these Silver ships learn to develop other Silver ships, they will move forward to that Gold ship standing, take charge and lead the way.

TUG BOAT

The majority of your organization would be considered as Tug boats. And that's not a bad thing. They work the business on occasion, may mention the product to a few friends and family, and if someone asks them about it (especially if they are wearing the button), but they only recruit a handful of people, mostly by accident. They tend to putt along at their own speed, don't always follow the established system by their leaders, try to find an easier way to do the business, sometimes a little stubborn, often attempt to re-invent the wheel, and can be tossed, turned and toppled by negativity. They stay busy, but never really leave the harbor. But they are helpful and do pull their weight with the team when instructed. And they are often lost at sea; just because they have not set definite goals, stayed tuned in with the scheduled events, and simply run out of steam before they reach the top. In fact, they usually are a bit skeptical, negative, complain about most everything, but with guidance, they can be moved ahead.

Dip Ships

And of course, as you are building your business, and life seems to be sailing along beautifully, you'll come across those that we call Dip ships. Funny, but oh so true. These are the individuals that have nothing good to say about what you are doing, are negative about network marketing and your products, don't have success with the sample you gave them - in fact, most won't even give it a try. They inundate you with negative undocumented articles that attempt to discredit what you are doing, and their entire focus is on taking you down with them. Yikes ... run! Don't spend time with these individuals. Get as far away as you can from them because their negative energy will sink your ship right along with theirs. Ignore them, don't argue with them, just move on to calmer waters.

Missed the Boat

Then there are always those individuals that just don't get it. They literally have "missed the boat" altogether. They aren't negative, but they have no interest in even taking a look at what you are doing. When you start seeing success, they may not realize they missed the boat. These individuals attribute your success to "luck," or say, "I could have done that," not realizing how hard you have worked to achieve your goals. Instead of jumping in with both feet, they stand on the shoreline and wave as you travel the world, purchase your new home, drive your new car, and enjoy the lifestyle that only comes with building a strong network marketing business. So, it's up to you. 

Where do you see yourself? Are you the Gold ship in the making, a Silver ship happy to have achieved the first level of leadership? Or are you a Tug boat hoping someone will rescue you and drag you to shore. If you are, then get out of that Tug boat and do whatever you need to do to "chart your coarse" in the right direction. As they say, "you are the master of your fate and captain of your soul," with a "whale" of an opportunity. So, GO GOLD!