The Numbers In Your Business

The Numbers In Your Business

Working my way through application after application, as I sat on my porch listening to the birds early Thursday morning I had tears on several occasions. Now before you think it’s because I’m a woman and I’m emotional let me just challenge you that when you peer into the lives and hearts of so many people you receive a gift that few ever will experience.

I began to think back to my years in direct sales and network marketing. Years that demanded I prospect by phone the old fashioned way. More than 30,000 leads myself, by phone over the course of 31 months. That’s a lot of people. Each one with their own story, their own desires and reasons for wanting to start their own business.

Earning a 7-figure income in that industry was really not the big payoff. The payoff came in learning about people, what motivates them, causes them to lose sleep at night, what drives them crazy and they just won’t give up on and what gives them hope despite a multitude of challenges.

I also began to think on the many times I’d hear a leader or coach say that making money in business was ‘just a numbers game.’ They would share the fact that if you close 5 leads a week to earn more money you simply had to close 5 more. Then they would give their formula for closing 20. All of which worked and were valid. But only a few along the way would say what was in my heart at that moment last Thursday morning. Few truly see the reality of who these ‘numbers’ were.

Behind every call, behind every lead, behind every opt in and email that we have the privilege of serving was a life.

When I hear that it’s just a ‘numbers game’ I cringe. Sometimes I get furious! Because you see those so-called numbers are someone’s father, someone’s mother, someone’s son, daughter, sister and brother. Behind every single number and name on your house list is a story and a passion and a dream.

So as I peered through the applications and knew the reality was that even though 400+ submitted their request only 10-15% would ever be qualified even from the starting point. There’s always a 10% in every company. Doesn’t matter if you are the White House or Wal-Mart. There’s a 10% that leads the charge.

About 50 people were actually serious business owners and business focused. The others had dreams, passions and hopes but would never take the steps to getting there. The others would be amazing people, lovely families and wonderful human beings, but course after course, book after book and seminar after seminar they would never put into action more than 5% what they learned. Nor would they believe it could work for them.

As the list moved down to my top 20 people I knew that 5 were absolutely going to be working with me this summer. Then we scheduled interviews to meet with the others to determine who would make the final cut.

The other 390+ were definitely people I was honored to meet and to have as our customer. Many were very much qualified and should be in my upcoming WordPress class that starts June 8^th. But some concerned me in a very personal way.

These are the people who are where I was just 7 years ago. Those who had some success but had encountered horrific circumstances. You see, in 2001 my doctors told me they didn’t know if I would live as long as my dream chart had been planned. I had several horrific and painful diseases – was given a terminal diagnosis with some of them. The pain in my heart, my spirit and mind was more than could be handled any longer and my body was giving up. My heart had quit long before.

These people reminded me that sometimes we could get so low we truly don’t believe there is a way out or up. And ……. They reminded me of where I was when I experienced a life-changing event that would rewrite my history and story forever.

I didn’t die after that diagnosis, no; I actually experienced a profound medical miracle. We were more than $ 400,000 in debt and we didn’t lose everything. No, we have actually been debt free now for more than 3 years. Our marriage nearly fell apart and my children almost entered a statistic of broken home. But I say ALMOST. Because today we’re a family, growing and learning together. Loving and accepting each other… living with all of our ‘stuff’ and our personal tendencies but we’re closer than we ever ever dreamed would be possible. Healed and on a road to a new life was the direction that my life took in 2004.

Look at the title of this article again. The numbers in your business. I bet you didn’t think this was about people. Did you think I was going to write about how to bring more numbers into your bank account? Did you think I was going to talk about how to get more opt ins and more people to buy your products or classes? Maybe you thought I was going to speak about how to lower your Alexa score and make your Google Analtyics chart go through the roof.

To be honest….. I just did. My hope is that you got the message. And….that you never look at the saying, “It’s just a numbers game” quite the same again.

 I believe in you- I am not a special case, nor am I someone who was given a hand out. But this one thing I do know- if you NEVER give up and you NEVER give in and you MOVE forward no matter what and you BELIEVE bigger despite what your eyes can see…. You never know when your personal history will be rewritten forever. 

Tagged as: business, internet business, making money online, wordpress for business, wordpress training