Network Marketing And Time Management: Managing your time while building your home based network marketing business

In a recent newsletter from The Renegade System, Ann Sieg talks about the most valuable skill that you can learn to take your business to the next level and that is how to manage your time efficiently. If you have a family, kids at home, a “day job” or just a really busy schedule here is some important stuff to think about. I know I did and found quite a few ways that I could manage my time more efficiently.

In this newsletter Ann tells us that it is not only important to manage time efficiently but to learn to spend your time on HIGH-VALUE activities. First lets take a look at what are low-value and zero value activities.

Ann outlines Zero or negative value activities as:

1. Worry (Hey, this is hereditary. I come from a great line of worriers)

2. Making up excuses or reasons why things aren't working

3. Idle chatter

4. Surfing the internet (ouch! She got me on that one)

5. Checking email (Geeze Ann, have you been looking over my shoulder?)

6. Instant messaging (well, at least I'm not guilty of this one)

Ok, Ann got me on several of these zero-value activities. I do worry and I now realize that it does me no good. Being concerned about something is ok but you must act on that concern and take action to improve. If I worry about my business not doing as well as I would like it does me no good to sit and worry but acting on this concern by doing something positive, or HIGH-VALUE, is a good thing.

Excuses get you nowhere. If something isn't working then quit doing it and come up with a better activity that will bring value to your business.

Idle chatter is not something that I do much. I'm not one to spend a lot of time on the phone. I've even cut down on email chatter that I used to participate in. But if you do spend too much time on this one rethink your activity and see if you can funnel that time and energy into something more positive for your business development.

Surfing the internet is a bit harder as I like to see what other internet network marketers are doing to build their businesses. This can take up a lot of time but I see it as research and a way to get new ideas for my own marketing. As long as I don't get distracted with other things on the internet I do allow a bit of time for visiting other marketer's webpages and blogs.

Constantly checking email is something that I have been really bad about in the past. I have taken the advice and now keep my email checking down to no more than twice a day. Most days it is one time in the morning or evening, what ever fits my schedule.

I have never done instant messaging and will take Ann's advice and not get started.

I would like to add one more activity to Ann's list and that is watching TV. I often sit and watch TV for no other reason than to hang out with my family instead of being in my office working. Now I sit and read the latest book or magazine that I'm working through. Magazines like Success Magazine and related books are a much better use of time than watching old Law and Order reruns. I can sit and be with my family and join in the conversation but when everyone else has their eyes glued to the TV I am getting ahead on valuable information in my latest reading material.

So, what are Low Value Activities? Well, Ann tells us that they consist of:

1. Prospecting

2. Cold-calling

3. Attending “same old” company trainings and meetings

4. Team call, after team call . . . .

5. Errands for businesses

6. Repetitive/Administrative work

I had quit attending the weekly company meetings and limited training meetings to only what would benefit me with the level I was at right then. I really felt guilty about not going to these meetings but I could see that it was wasted time not to mention fuel for my vehicle to get there. I was attending meetings, team calls, reading all the latest, greatest news from my company but these efforts did little for my progress. Ann's message really hit home and now I can breath a sigh of relief and QUIT feeling guilty for limiting my participation in meetings. If a particular meeting has something to offer that you need or you just need to touch base with your team then by all means go to that meeting or attend the Team Call but carefully analyze what it has to offer you in Value for time spent.

High Value Activities are where we all need to focus our time on.

So what are High Value Activities? These activities include:

1. Positioning yourself so that people seek you out

2. Setting up sales and marketing systems that automate the grunt work and produce high quality prospects

3. Setting up automated follow up systems that build relationships with prospects and customers

4. Finding and developing relationships with mentors and other people you can learn from

5. Studying copywriting and direct response marketing

These are the things that I'm learning to do. Learning to be a leader and mentor is what attracts others to you. Show them that you are truly there to help and that you can be a valuable asset to developing their own internet business. Instead of just hounding your downline to get out there and try harder, give them a system that will ensure that their hard work will produce success. Renegade University & Mike Klingler is about the best mentor that I have found. He has found a way to teach and support even the most novice person with Internet Network Marketing. The system is full of resources that lead you to all the right tools you need to build your business. Renegade University has taken me step by step through on-line tutorials that teach how to effectively use the resources that Ann Sieg has shown us in her e-book "The Renegade Network Marketer". Also, be sure to check out Ann's free e-book, "The 7 Great Lies Of Network Marketing". These resources may be the help you need to get your business "online".

Sandy Kern is an Internet Network Marketing coach who enjoys helping others in Network Marketing and MLM take their businesses online. Click here for more information or to contact Sandy.