If you want to be the best in your company, you too must get goals focused and work together with your upline and downline leaders as a team. Goals and teamwork are keys to success in network marketing. No one can succeed without setting goals and working as a team.

Let's talk first about setting goals. I learned many years ago that goals should be SMART: Simple, Measurable, Adventuresome, Reachable, Timely

Simple

Achievable goals are always written in simple understandable language. If your mind can easily perceive the goal, you are more likely to achieve it. So, write short simple goals.

Measurable

Goals that are easy to measure are more achievable. For example, if you say I'm going to sponsor a bunch of people, that's hard for the mind to quantify. Is a bunch 2, 20, or 100? However, if you say I'm going to sponsor 20 people, the mind knows exactly what that means and exactly where you are in relationship to the goal.

Adventuresome

Goals should stretch you and be fun. If you are always setting easy goals, your business will not grow large or quickly, so you want your goals to stretch you a bit. If you know you can sponsor 2 people in a month, go for 3 or 4. Make it a game with a reward. See how many no's you can get before you sponsor that 3rd or 4th person. When you achieve the goal, go out to dinner, buy some new clothes, or whatever motivates you.

Reachable

Even though goals should stretch you, they must also be reachable. Keep in mind your abilities, time availability, and finances when setting goals. If your mind thinks that it's impossible to reach a goal, you will never make it.

Timely

Check to make sure it's the right time for your goal. Timing is critical when attacking goals. If you haven't been fully trained, setting a daily goal to talk with 10 people is a bit premature. A few more tips for setting and achieving goals:

They must always be in writing, as a goal in your head will not motivate you. However, if you have it written and you review it daily, your mind will move you in that direction.

Post your goals in visible places in your house and car, so that you are reminded of them often. The more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you will achieve them. Just like in soccer, the one with the most goals will win, so make sure you not only set goals for your business, but also in the other areas of your life: Spiritual, Health, Relationships, etc. Okay, now that you have some SMART goals, it's time for the team.

Teamwork

The best soccer teams have great players, but the reason they win is teamwork. I love the acrostic for team - together everyone achieves more. That is the truth in soccer and in network marketing.

You can't build a successful network marketing business by yourself. Your success is dictated by the people in your downline and how well they do, so it makes good business sense to work with people to help them achieve their goals, while achieving yours.

As people are added to your downline, ask questions and discover their purpose (their why for being in network marketing), dreams, and goals. Help them develop a plan to achieve those goals, reach their dreams, and fulfill their purpose. The more often you do this, the larger your network and income.

Build your business unselfishly.

If you make it all about you and your success, you will fail. But if you focus your efforts on others and do everything you can to help them become successful, you too will be a success. For example, if you've got someone working hard, but not bringing very many people on board, volunteer to do some 3-way calls with them and help them bring those prospects into the business for them. If you have a bunch of leads, share them with your downline leaders. Put together a cooperative advertising program or a lead generation system where your downline can receive leads. If they have a person who is intimidating, ask for an introduction to the person and you call him/her.

One of the reasons that I have been successful in network marketing is a team approach. In fact, we love to tag team people both via e-mail and on the phone. Tell your leaders that if they have a good prospect who is looking at the business, they should provide the contact information upline two or three levels and ask those leaders to contact your prospect to edify the downline member and to introduce themselves as part of the training and support team (should the prospect decide to join). This shows the prospect that they would be part of a team and would have excellent support.

Join together as a team and build a team web site, do team webinars and conference calls that are available for prospects of every team member. Do regular training webinars or teleconferences to gather your team, so they can meet each other. Recognize team members for things small and large. Encourage downline leaders to help with the webinars, teleconferences, and trainings. Many hands make light work and the more often people are involved, the more valued they feel and they will stick around. If you want to be the best in your company, you too must get goals focused and work together with your upline and downline leaders as a team. You can do it!!!