The Tricks of the Trade are Sneaked, not Taught
This is certainly the most truthful adage that resonates well in the professional realm, and that is here to stay until someone comes up with a better one. Of course, it needs to be interpreted properly. By trade, craft, expertise, profession, etc., we obviously mean a specific task, with all that it implies, that an expert can teach whoever WISHES and WANTS to practice it. And the latter does not act like a funnel in which the expert simply pours notions, information, techniques, methods, experiences, etc.. The student should not receive passively, but take active part in the learning process, voluntarily, full trusting the teacher. In other words, it takes DESIRE, PARTICIPATION and TRUST, of course provided that we possess the skills and meet the necessary requirements. “I wanted, always wanted, I wanted intensely”, said the great Vittorio Alfieri.
Sometimes good intentions are not enough, at other times the requirements that we normally consider minimum are not even necessary. The young Chinese man from Shanghai, LIU WEI, is a striking example. Devoid of upper limbs, but posessing an extraordinary strength of will, he studied the piano and could play it magnificently well with his toes. He became a great performer and surpassed the Maestro. Refusing to be defeated by his own limits, he sneaked the Master’s secrets – not just the technique, but also the essence, the sensations, emotions and many nuances that must be grasped, elaborated and acquired, and finally expressed. He would otherwise never have become a superb performer. Indeed. In every profession, you can teach the technique, but not all the rest.
Or, take the great Piero Della Francesca who revolutionized the world of painting by inventing perspective and dictating its rules in De perspectiva pingendi. Before him, Giotto hinted at it by depicting increasingly small human figures in overlapping rows. Artists from all over the world came to Piero to study his technique. They could learn and copy the technique, but not his ingeniousness, originality, spirituality, imagination and creativity. These qualities are innate and every artist can only rely on his own abilities.
When it comes to a networker’s skills and tricks of the trade, those who are successful try to pass their experience, technique and strategies on to others, for their business to flourish, but a networker has no magic wand. Nobody does, but the more we help others, the more we help ourselves. A successful networker reiterates the same instructions to everybody, over and over again. Nevertheless, only a few of his associates are able to grasp the secret of success and apply it. This is the way things work in every field. In the eleven years of my work with FLP, I have met thousands of people and seen the successful and the less successful.
I have realized that, when it comes to Network Marketing, there is no such thing as a “successful distributor prototype”. Some failed despite all the excellent skills they possessed, while other, less qualified individuals, some of them with serious physical impairments, became managers. Seeing so many men and women who have made it, we spontaneously say “I can do it, too!”, “I want to make it, too”. Unfortunately, people often give up. Although there is no need to invest any capital or to conform to a specific work schedule, some do not even try to replace their toothpaste and shampoo, or drink a little aloe that would do good to their health AND wallet.
Is it because of their prejudices? Or is it the fear of failure? Or shame, or fear of being ridiculed? People are very good at creating a thousand excuses to justify their lack of initiative and, consequently, their failures. The labor market has changed and Network Marketing has so many advantages. There are no age, sex, social or cultural limits and you do not have to leave your regular job; there are no limits with regard to any of your family members, either.
If we look at some of the most successful distributors, we see that they all share a similar story: they gave it a try and invested a little effort and good will to speak, with conviction, about the high quality of FLP products and their personal FLP experience. A student may not be satisfied with his/her teacher, but this is not reason enough for him/he to give up of his/her goals. There are other ways and means to learn, independently. Besides, in Network Marketing, there is certainly no lack of great sources of information or courses and workshops. Apart from the natural gifts, excellence is usually the result of hard work, study, commitment, hours and hours of observation, tests, unanswered questions, learning from the best practices, web research, taking part in events, and so on.
A long time ago, survival depended from hunting, fighting and good health. To this day, making a difference in an increasingly competitive market requires determination, commitment, dedication, study, sacrifice and, if you are not happy with your teacher, look for another one or become your own Master. Discendo discitur. We learn as we teach; we also learn from our mistakes. However, noone will give you the magic wand of his success. You will have to sneak it from him or her.
