I just got a small blurb from a newsletter list I am on and the newsletter touched on a fly, a windowscreen, and a door to freedom. This analogy made me sit and ponder a bit and inspired this post as I feel it really relates to MLM.
You see, many join this industry ready to roll, they buzz around with excitement, flying here, there and everywhere then they see a bright light and flutter on over. Only to find the light is coming from two directions... They see a wide open door way over across the house in the other room. And they see a window right here only feet away. Their vision of financial freedom dances on the other side of the wide open door and also the vision taunts them from the window as well.
What's the difference?
Well, while the door is brighter, a path well traveled, but there are risks involved. There is travel time. This lengthens the journey. There is a house cat, who hunts flys and eats them for lunch. There are fly swatters ready to smack them down at every turn. There are even mean, green, fly eating plants wanting to swallow them whole. So even though many other flys have successfuly blazed their way to freedom via this exact same door, many choose the window.
Why? Well, it's closer.
Why travel such a far distance to get from point A to point B. (time) Why risk being a snack for a cat? (fear) Why fly into the danger zone of fly swatters who will knock them down? (rejection) Why potentially get eaten up and swallowed whole? (objection) Why take risks? They can simply flap on over to the window that is 'right here'. I mean 'right here'. No travel time required, no danger, no cats, no swatters, no venus fly traps. Just a quick cut path to freedom!
The problem?
There is a screen on the window. The fly is buzzing happily along ready to enjoy freedom only to *BONK* right into the screen. The fly falls down in the window sill, a bit shaken, and collects his thoughts. Okay, up in the air twirl around again for another go and *BONK*. Again and again the fly does this. He sees exactly what he wants, freedom, just on the other side of the screen. He gets up time and time again, sometimes even going half way across the room, towards the door to freedom, only to turn around and make a full speed head first jaust at the screen again. This one knocks him cold. He's ready to give up and then anger sets in. He persists harder and harder, buzz, bonk, buzz, bonk, buzz, bonk.
So what happens?
Every summer, you see it. Little bodies in the sill. The flys who never 'got it'. The kept persisting and resisting to try the way that works. Eventually, they just quit. They give up. They are out of the game. Ironicially enough, even though other flys come along and literally see these little quitters in the window sill, others still attempt to breach the screen. 'They did not do it, but I will find a way to make a short cut...' But are they successful?
Why ever would someone take risks in order to achieve guaranteed freedom after passing a few road blocks? When there is a shorter way?
The reality? There are no short cuts! In this industry you must be prepared to invest time, be prepared to stand up to your fears, be prepared to handle rejections and be prepared to handle objections.
How does one do this? Take the door that is wide open. It has the path to freedom, with no screens! Others before you have successfully taken this door, why would you vary from the path to create your own? Do what works and harvest the fruits of your labor. Success is just a doorway in the other room.
To your success,
Alethea Anderson
