Lake Pleasant was beautiful that Saturday afternoon, 79 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Tony had invited a few of his top leaders from his organization in addition to Keller for a day of waterskiing on the lake, sunbathing and a few cold beverages. Tony’s boat was a 36-foot cigarette racer, fast and perfect for pulling a skier. He even had an extravagant tube that held three people that he used to tow his friends who didn’t waterski. Tony, while enjoying the fruit of his wealth, enjoyed sharing that wealth with his family, friends and business associates even more. And not much made him happier than being on the lake in the sunshine with his friends in his spectacular speedboat.
After a full day of boating, Tony and his friends went to one of the local restaurants where they had burgers, wings, and beer. They talked endlessly about the excitement they felt about their business and how technology had enabled them to grow their businesses exponentially. Keller was in awe. He knew leaders in his company who were successful, but he hadn’t ever been able to get close to them like he was with Tony’s top leaders tonight. Most of his knowledge about these people came through the company magazines, the website, and from seeing them from afar on the stage at the national events the company put on twice a year.
As they had an after-dinner drink, Tony brought up the sixth law. “Keller, these guys have all heard the sixth law, but I wanted to share it with you, with my friends here, because they have all used this law to grow their businesses to where they are making at least $40,000 a month.”
“Cool,” Keller said. “I’m all ears!”
“Okay, so the sixth law I call the law of leadership and sales. Let me ask you, Keller, which of these is more important in building a network marketing business?”
“Easy. Definitely sales,” Keller replied confidently.
Tony smiled. “Ah, not so easy. The answer is leadership.”
“Leadership? Network marketing is sales. Some people even call it direct selling now.”
“True. There are sales involved, but selling isn’t what will build you a huge business with an incredible, long-term, residual income. Leadership skills will do that.”
“How so? How do I use leadership skills when I’m out selling a product?”
“Let me be clear; sales skills are crucial. You ought to become the best salesman that you can be, for sure. But leadership skills will be what build a large organization.” Tony pointed to his friend Matt, who was sitting two to the right of Keller. “Matt makes $125,000 a month. Matt, let me ask you a question. What percentage of your time is spent working on your business now versus working on other people’s businesses?”
“Right now I spend about 10% of my time on my own business versus 90% of my time helping others build their businesses,” Matt answered.
“So you are doing more leading than selling, right?” Tony asked.
“Absolutely. But it wasn’t always that way. When I started out it was almost the opposite. 90-10 for selling.”
“So how - or when - do you switch?” Keller asked.
“It’s gradual,” Tony said. “When you are starting out, there is no one to lead. You have to sell. And the better you sell, the more customers you pick up. And you sell to prospective business builders. Of course, some of your customers will also become business builders. You start out by mastering selling. Read all the books, go to the seminars, listen to the audios, learn everything you can about selling and get very, very good at it. You will build out a nice little customer base, pick up some business builders and grow your downline. That comes from selling. But as your team grows, you need to be helping them improve their teams. I’ve seen people build a six-figure a month income with less than twenty personal customers and less than twenty direct business builders.”
“Wow. Well, I guess when you put it that way, it makes sense,” Keller said.
“You know what it’s like?” Tony asked Keller.
“What?”
“Addition and multiplication. Sales skills will add, and leadership skills will multiply. Sales skills will build an income, while leadership skills will make a fortune. So when you start, you’re selling, but as your team grows, you start to slide the percentage over to become more of a leader, helping others build their business. Now, even when you get a significant residual income, you still have to work on your business, but that isn’t where the money comes from. When you sell ten more people your products, you make $150. When you help ten of your downline build a team of 100 people each, you create another 1000 people you make money off of from their volume.”
“So how do you become a better leader?” Keller asked.
Tony nodded at Meagan, a younger woman of about thirty-five, who had a large business. “Meagan, you are one of the best leaders I know. What would you say are the keys to becoming a better leader?”
Meagan put her drink down before she answered. “Good question. I didn’t start out as a good leader. I had never actually led anything in my whole life. I had done a little selling but wasn’t even really good at that. But Tony taught me the importance of learning leadership. So I consumed every type of media about leadership that I could get my hands on; I read every single book I could find on the topic, went to seminars on leadership, took copious notes, watched everything I could online and then I put these things into practice. I learned through trial and error. Sometimes I failed, but most of the time I succeeded. In the end, I built a great team, and it was all built on leadership.”
Tony chimed in. “When was the last time you studied leadership, Keller?”
“I can’t even remember. I think I had to read a leadership book when I was in student government in high school, but I don’t even remember what it was really about.”
“Well, here’s your challenge: Start reading two leadership books a month for the next year, go to at least one leadership conference in the next year, and watch at least one video a week on leadership. Then as you learn and as you see how the things you are learning are pertinent to your business, apply the information.”
“I can do that,” Keller replied.
“You have to do that!” Tony said. “Your success depends on it.”
After teaching the sixth law, everybody had one more drink before Tony picked up the check. The friends hugged each other goodbye and went on their way. Tony pulled Keller aside in the parking lot. “One more law to learn, right? How do you think they are going so far?”
“Incredible, Tony. I can’t wait to get the last one.”
“Well, I want to find just the right time to teach you the last one. It may be the most important, so I want to make sure you remember it. I’ll be in touch with you.”
“Sounds like a deal. I’ll be waiting - and working.”