Reader Views is very happy to be talking with Steven List, co-author of “Of Course You Can! Simple Ideas for Success in Your Home Based Business” This motivational book is for beginners and experienced business owners that are feeling frustrated or confused, and need help taking their company or ideas to the next level.
Juanita: Thank you for talking with us today Steven. Please tell us a little about “Of Course You Can!” and the inspiration behind this book.
Steven: After spending some time in the network marketing industry, along with my experience in consulting and various home-based businesses, it became clear to me that there was a lot of misunderstanding. People would be recruited into some home-based business, and think it was all just going to happen. I realized that they really didn’t understand that they were, in fact, in business. We wrote the book to provide them with both motivation and education, to take away the sting and the fear and the confusion.
Juanita: Is your book equally relevant to network marketing and other home-based businesses?
Steven:Absolutely. In fact, it’s applicable to any business or profession. My mother read this book, and she’s a psychotherapist. She used some of what she learned in the book to help her grow her business and in delivering a presentation!
Juanita: What is the biggest misconception people need to be aware of before starting their own home-based business?
Steven:That it’s not work. People seem to think, somehow, that if you’re working from home, then it’s not a real business and not real work. It requires the same commitment of time and energy as any other business or job, you just get to set your own hours.
Juanita: A major concept in “Of Course You Can!” is the importance of nurturing relationships. Please tell us about this critical aspect of a successful business.
Steven:I believe that all successful businesses – from book stores to airlines to computer companies to medical practices – are built on relationships. Most of us, when looking to make a purchase or find a service provider, first ask our friends and family for recommendations. That relationship, both between me and the referrer, and between the referrer and the company or individual they refer, is the foundation of that business transaction.
Juanita: Are you saying that ‘word of mouth’ is equally, or even more important that advertising?
Steven:Oh, absolutely! Word of mouth carries both explicit and implicit approval and recommendation. After all, why would I tell you about a person or company unless I wanted to share my experience and relationship? Negative word of mouth is one of the most powerful business killers in the world. Positive word of mouth is probably responsible for more business success than anything else – whether it’s FedEx or the bodega down the street.
Juanita: You talk about the seven steps to building a business. What are these steps and where do most people get discouraged and quit?
Steven:The steps are: know your product/service, develop your marketing strategy, develop your sales strategy, create/acquire your marketing materials and collateral, create/acquire your sales tools, practice your presentation and call scripts, then do it! Most people get through step 1 with no problem – learning the products or service offering. Somewhere in steps 2 through 5 is where the challenge becomes daunting for some people. Much of this depends on the type of business, the company, what they provide, and who is available to work with and train the new business owner. One of the reasons for this book is that so many people in network marketing and other home-based businesses really don’t know what to do, and then they are responsible for recruiting and training others! So it’s a self- perpetuating dilemma.
Juanita: So “Of Course You Can!” will also give insights for home-based business owners regarding recruiting and training employees?
Steven:Hmm. Not specifically, since it’s oriented toward the sole proprietor. But the principles and the strategies and tactics are applicable whether you are a sole proprietor or an employee. So from that standpoint, I’d say “yes, absolutely.”
Juanita: What are some of the fears that typically come up for home-based business owners that “Of Course You Can!” will address and provide solutions?
Peter: That they can’t do it, because it’s too big/complicated/confusing/daunting. People want it to be easy. In some companies they get you to sign up, they hand you a book or package, direct you to a web site, and tell you that you’re on your own. We wanted people to understand that they don’t have to be on their own, and to break it all down so that they could really grasp it and be successful.
Juanita: Steven, what would be the first question you would ask someone that is considering entering into a home- based business that would, for you, indicate whether they had the commitment to really do what it would take to become a success in their chosen field? Why?
Steven:Wow! Good question indeed. Hmm… I’d ask them if they are prepared to work hard for little pay with the hope that it may pay off big time in six to twenty-four months, or even longer. As with any business, home-based business requires an investment. There’s almost always money involved. There’s also the investment of time and energy. And while many network marketing recruiters and home-based business companies would like us to believe that we’ll be rolling in money in no time at all, it usually doesn’t work that way. So if they don’t understand that it’s going to take time, energy, and commitment, if they don’t understand that they’re starting a business, then they should really reconsider.
Juanita: It seems like home-based businesses are on the rise. Why do you think so many people are stepping out of the box and going into business for themselves?
Steven:At the beginning of the 20th Century, the majority of people were either self-employed or worked for small businesses. By the middle of the century, most people worked for big companies, counted on retirement plans, and expected to be taken care of. Everyone used to “know” that if you worked for IBM, you had a place for life. That’s no longer true. With all the layoffs, reductions in force, reorganizations, and so forth, people are feeling far less secure. Taking one’s fate in one’s own hands is seeming more and more preferable to taking yet another chance at being laid off abruptly. It’s a shift back to self-reliance and away from dependency on Big Brother.
Juanita: What are the trends and/or direction that current home-based businesses seem to be taking – Products? Services?
Steven:There are two major areas: healthcare (and related) products, and a variety of services. In the healthcare area, there are nutritional supplements and skin care and general health groups. A lot of this is based on the writing and speaking of Paul Zane Pilzer, and his book “The Wellness Revolution.” Lots of folks in network marketing cite Pilzer’s work and what it implies for the industry. In services, we can see things like legal services and travel services picking up steam. A lot of it is about having more control over our own lives. These companies are providing the products and services that give us that feeling of control over our own lives.
Juanita: In the growing world of internet-based businesses, do the same principles apply, and will “Of Course You Can!” help the struggling web-based business owner?
Steven:Absolutely. There are some differences, of course. For instance, instead of creating and mastering call scripts or presentations, on the Internet copywriting is critical. A web site, being one’s primary brochure, must be well- written and well designed. Emails and articles and ezines must also be written with the goal of attracting prospective customers to one’s web site, and then converting those visitors to customers. This is the equivalent of inviting someone to a training/presentation, or doing an in-home presentation.
Juanita: What are some of your personal success stories that have contributed to your extensive knowledge in this field?
Steven:I have participated in several network marketing ventures. In each one, I quickly became a trainer and a resource. Steve Thompson is one of my mentors, having been extremely successful in Excel, building an organization of thousands and producing an income that would make most people very happy. Today, I spend more of my time supporting others in building their businesses through training and providing resources. An example of this is the web site I built in support of Herbalife distributors, www.HerbaCall.com.
Juanita: Steve Thompson, is not just one of your mentors, but the co-author of your book “Of Course You Can!” Tell us how this collaboration came about, and what unique perspectives do you each bring to the content of your book.
Steven:Steve is more of a professional networker and Network Marketer than I think I am. He has been hugely successful both in traditional business – owning a successful insurance agency, in the music business, and elsewhere – and in Network Marketing. Steve knows how to get things done, and is exceptionally good at getting people excited and engaged and committed. He is, himself, completely committed to the people he brings into a business and to making sure that they are trained and successful.
We met when one of my companies was designing the marketing for a brand new network marketing company. Steve had been recruited by that company because they knew how good it would be for them to have him on board. I went to sit in on a training session, to learn more about the company and the products. Steve was the main speaker, and he blew me away. As a professional speaker myself, I’m not usually that affected, and he was powerful and very effective. That was the beginning of our relationship – both business and personal.
With my background in traditional business, management, leadership, communication, and technology, we found that combined we had a remarkable synergy. We work together to take advantage of each of our strengths in ways that most people cannot. It’s a wonderful partnership.
Juanita: Steven, you have been conducting highly motivational leadership seminars for many years. Please tell your reader of your other endeavors.
Steven:Today I include professional speaking (www.StevenList.com), business and personal coaching, presentation skills training and coaching, digital art (www.digitaldragonart.com) on my resume. In addition, I am co-founder of Back of the Room (www.BackOfTheRoom.com), an online book store specializing in self-published and small press works. The idea for Back of the Room came from consulting with and guiding my speaking colleagues. I realized that many of them have created exceptional books, workbooks, audio and video programs, and that those products are mostly only available when you hear the speaker at an event – at the back of the room. So I got together with my good friend Celeste Stokely, and we created a web site whose goal is to help those products reach more people.
Juanita: I have heard you are also a third degree black belt in karate. How have the martial arts influenced your approach to business?
Steven:Oh, my. Well, not only did I learn a great deal about myself during my martial arts studies, but I learned how to be a teacher. Prior to my studies, I was impatient and not very good at explaining things. With martial arts, I found that I could see what the problem was, and became a good teacher (so my students, some of whom still call me “Sensei”, tell me). The importance of timing, balance, interactions, and connectedness carried over into my business life. In addition, it was through my martial arts studies that I read three books that changed my thinking: The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho, A Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, and The Art of War by Sun Tzu. These are essential reading for me, and I frequently give the set as gifts to others.