Lesson #5 (Give Them A Test)

So what's the second way to get leaders?

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The second way to get leaders is to build them from scratch.

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In other words, we are going to find a distributor who is not a leader now. Then, we're going to teach him exactly how to become a leader. But there is a challenge!

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If this distributor is not a leader now, he is going to look exactly like any other temporary distributor, right?

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So how do we know who to build into a leader? How do we avoid wasting time building the wrong person into a leader?

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Have you ever worked with someone who is coachable, committed to action, wanted to be aleader -- and that person never became a leader?

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Has that ever happened to you? Have you experienced the wasted time and effort? Well, I spent my first 15 years in network marketing with this same frustration. I did this. I said:

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'If you want to be a leader, let's go for it.'

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So I moved in with the committed distributor. We drove all over the country together. We made phone calls together. We gave meetings together. I taught the distributor everything I knew.

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>> And most of the time, he didn't become a leader.

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I ended up wasting a lot of my time. The distributor wasted a lot of his time. And nothing permanent was accomplished.

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That all changed when I met a guy named Tom Paredes.He came up to me and said this:

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'Tom, you're an idiot.'

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Of course this immediately got my attention. I said to myself:

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'I'd better listen to this guy. He's right. He's telling the truth. I've been wasting all this time working hard - but training the wrong people.'

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Tom Paredes continued. He said:

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'If you're going to train everybody who says that he wants to be a leader, it's not going to work. Talk is cheap.'

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So I asked the obvious question:

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'So how do you know who to train and who not to train? Everyone wants to be a leader. They told me so. How do you know which one to work with?'

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Tom Paredes' simple answer was this:

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'You simply give them a test.'

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I smacked my forehead - I'd just wasted fifteen years! Why hadn't I given these candidates a test?

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Well, because . . . I never thought of it. And now that I know I should give the candidates a test, what would be my next obvious question?

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You're right! What kind of test should I give them?

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Again Tom Paredes had a simple answer. He said:

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'You give them a book! Tell them to read the book and that you'll check back with them in three days to discuss the book.'

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>> Now it all made sense.

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Let's say that you were in a business and you sponsored me. I said that I wanted to learn to become a leader, so you say:

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'Tom, here's a book that's really going to help you build your business. I know you want to be a leader. Today is Monday. Why don't we get together on Thursday and discuss what's in this book? I'll show you how you can use it in your business.'

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Of course I'll thank you for the book and say that I'm looking forward to our Thursday meeting. Well, Thursday comes and you call me. I start making excuses over the telephone and say:

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'Well, I couldn't read the book on Monday, because that's when Monday Night Football comes on television. And then on Tuesday, I had to work overtime on my job. Wednesday night is family night. That's when the family goes out and I can watch television in peace. So I really haven't read the book yet.'

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>> What would that tell you about me?

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That says:

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'Hey, if I can't put forth enough effort to read the book, what chance is there that I would put forth an effort to take guests to meetings? To go to other training and listen to tapes? To drive to conventions?'

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This doesn't mean that I will always be a non-leader. It just means that at this time in mylife, I'm not willing to make a commitment. It doesn't mean I'm a terrible person, it just means - hey, I'm not going to be a leader right now.

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It's important that we give this test before we invest time in training a distributor to become a leader. If we don't perform this test, any time that we spend with an uncommitted distributor is wasted.

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We may be stealing time from somebody who desperately needs to be a leader. So what happens if you give me a book and the next morning I give you a call at 6 a.m.? I say:

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'I know it's early, but I am wired with excitement. I've highlighted the book and made an outline. I know it's 6 a.m. but let's get together for breakfast. If we hurry up, we can have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and talk about this book before I go to work.'

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What would that tell you?

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>> Ka-ching!

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We have a winner here. This is a simple test but it makes all the difference in the world. By the way, I haven't mentioned which book to give as a test, have I?

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>> But it doesn't matter which book you give as a test!

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Why? Because it's only a test. You're only checking for action from your potential leader. Remember, almost everyone will say that they want to become a leader, but talk is cheap. You have to check for that action commitment.

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So if you don't have a brilliantly written Big Al book handy, you can give them a National Geographic Magazine, right? It doesn't matter. You're only checking for action. By the way, if you don't have a book or a magazine, what else can you give as a test?

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You could use videotape, an audiotape, or have your potential leader listen to a conference call- or send him to a store for milk and cookies. It's only a test.

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But if you don't have a book, an audiotape, or even videotape, you might reconsider your leadership capabilities.