Pandemonium ensued at the annual shareholder’s meeting for Mercedes Benz.
After a year of declining sales, the automaker unveiled an artist’s rendering of a new model.
The CEO delivered a brief (and off-the-cuff) presentation about a concept car Mercedes has in the works.
“It looks so rad!” he exclaimed to the audience, before producing the CGI picture of the car. The image even spun a complete 360 on the large movie-screen-sized backdrop behind him!
“I feel like Steve Jobs!” he said, and raised his arms above his head.
The shareholders’ hands feverishly shot up demanding more information.
“How much will it cost?” they probed.
“When will it be available?”
“What’s the MSRP?”
“How about MPG?”
(other acronyms followed…)
“Hmm, we don’t know that info yet, but it’s going to be so cool! It will come in lots of colors and it will be A W E S O M E!”
Unsettled, the shareholders wanted answers.
“What about 2009 sales?”
“How many cars did we sell last year?”
“What are 2010 projected earnings?”
“Will this new car drive revenue?”
“Why can’t we see it?”
Beads of sweat appeared on the CEO’s brow. “What’s the deal with these shareholders?” he thought to himself.
He reached for the right words: “Mercedes is a great brand! You all drive one, right? Why are you so focused on the numbers?”
At this point, I strided across the stage. “Allow me to field that one sir…” I said, and ripped the mic out of his hand. “Because the numbers tell the ENTIRE story.”
Obviously, this is a fictitious account of a meeting that never happened at Mercedes. But meetings like this happen everyday in MLM.
We get excited! We get amped! But if we don’t keep track of the numbers, we are sure to fail. Here’s why…
Mercedes Benz has their numbers water tight like a frog’s butt. They know EXACTLY how many cars they sold, how much they spent on advertising, the demographics of everyone to whom they market, which of their ads pull the best, what the operating costs are of their dealerships, etc. etc. etc. That is one of the many reasons they generate billions in annual sales.
In network marketing we have the opportunity to build a multi-million dollar business. But to accomplish that, we need to treat our business like a million-dollar corporation first. And by tracking the numbers, we are able to mimic the efforts of a larger corporation.
Please share what you track in your business… thanks for commenting below!
16. June 2010 at 2:54 pm
Hi Melissa,
So true about treating your network marketing business like a world class empire (even if it’s not yet one). You are the CEO. I’m amazed that some people are not analyzing their marketing efforts.
Janette
.-= Janette Stoll´s last blog ..Another product launch? How to use it in marketing your network marketing business =-.
16. June 2010 at 10:27 pm
i agree girlfriend, i call it MBD: major brain damage. i mean it in the sweetest way possible!
17. June 2010 at 6:17 am
Melissa,
You are so vibrant!! Did you get my “Dream” board email? I like the term “show up” to your business. I like this tactic too. I would think it nips the complaints because like you said, numbers don’t lie and it puts the responsibility right in that members lap. Good one!
17. June 2010 at 7:14 am
yes i absolutely got your email… here’s the edited post since you apparently haven’t seen it! http://melissamccloud.net/i-showed-you-mine-now-show-me-yours/
18. June 2010 at 6:56 pm
Hey Melissa,
Great energy! The figures never lie!! Absolutely a great way to have your team check in and not have any ammunition to whine! If you aren’t doing the numbers, then you have no reason to complain! I use the roadmap, to track my business ( contacts, follow ups, hot points, full presentations, pres. support, training/support and packages)
Holly
.-= Holly´s last blog ..We Generally Wimp Out When It Comes to =-.
18. June 2010 at 7:25 pm
thanks holly! girl, go get a gravatar ASAP~that way we can see your pretty face next to your comments! http://en.gravatar.com/
19. June 2010 at 2:17 pm
Hey Melissa,
another enthused video lol I love watching your true passion.
I’m not sure how people can run there business without tracking. We used a simple spreadsheet called believe it or not (Track & Measure) so we can track & Measure how well they are doing.
“Inspect what you Expect”
Keep smiling
Chris
.-= Chris Hilaire´s last blog ..A Great Traffic Generation Report! =-.
20. June 2010 at 9:07 am
hi chris! glad you’re tracking your biz. u rock!
20. June 2010 at 7:25 am
Hi Melissa,
Your post definitely gave me a new perspective on some things. Thank you very much.
I have noticed most network marketers are just concerned with spreading the word about their business, but don’t keep track of the numbers involved. True…..with a big business, the numbers tell the whole story and they definitely don’t lie. They show you how successful you are, where you need to improve, and where you need to make other adjustments.
And this caters for just about all aspects of your business, and will help you focus your time. Just an appreciation of how you spend each day on your business will also tell you what you need to focus on. If you need to increase sales, obviously, you need to focus on the ares that will drive sales.
I am putting a lot more emphasis on tracking my daily dealings…..I manage my time first so I can concentrate on the important aspects of my business, and not get caught up in “busy work”.
Thanks for such a great post.
Michael
.-= Michael T. Makahamadze´s last blog ..Are You One Of The 97% Of People Who Fail In Network Marketing? | Network Marketing Success Tip =-.
20. June 2010 at 9:10 am
hi michael! i like what you said about how most network marketers are just concerned with spreading the word about their business. it’s important to be aggressive about tracking the numbers and unassuming about their biz op!