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Who in tarnation is Bob Ledbetter, you ask? Well, it’s like this…

Those of you who’ve been hanging around the Zone for awhile probably vaguely remember that Mrs. MZM and I started an Ignite business on the side a few months ago.

(Warning: Commercial alert! Here it is in a nutshell: We sign folks up for electricity service with a local retail electric company in the deregulated areas of Texas (which is about 85% of the state) – and earn a residual income when people pay their electric bills. Want to know how you can too? Email me here. Really. You might be glad you asked.)

Anyway, the other day I got to hear one of our company’s top money-earners, Bob Ledbetter (retired high school football coach from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and multiple-times Coach of the Year; he turned a mediocre Southlake Carroll H.S. football program into a nationally-recognized championship).

Needless to say, since he’s a, you know, coach – well, he’s quite the team builder. So it’s no surprise to anyone that he’s one of the best with Ignite as well. (Like pretty much all successful businesses, Ignite is all about the team.)

Anyway, since we’re smack in the middle of another What I Learned From… writing project, I thought I’d share a bit about what I learned from his talk. Bear in mind, this was given to a room full of Ignite Associates… but in actuality, these principles apply to life!

How to Fail Miserably

Being a complete failure at this business typically means passing through four common stages. We should be prepared to recognize them and deal with them accordingly.

Step #1 – Rejection. Konrad Adenauer once said, “A thick skin is a gift from God.” If you haven’t experienced rejection as an Ignite Associate, then you probably haven’t told anyone about it yet! The fact is, dealing with rejection is part of what makes us stronger over time. We have to remember that it’s entirely possible the folks you think will do it, won’t, while the ones you think won’t do it, will (if you can follow that – you’re good!) Don’t take a chance – show the plan to everyone!

Life Application – Although most people don’t like to acknowledge it, being able to handle rejection is a crucial part of having a well-adjusted life. I mean, who hasn’t had to face disappointment from time to time? From the cradle to the grave, each of us will have been told “no” countless time – yet amazingly, we survive to grow, not in spite of it, but because of it! Remember this: “No” is just “yes” with a different coat on!

Step #2 – Deception. OK, maybe it’s a bit strong to put it that way, but when people tell you they’ll “come to the meeting tonight” – but don’t show up, nor have any intention of doing so – well… All I can say is to be prepared to keep after ‘em! We hear the same story from many successful Ignite folks: They only came to a meeting to get so-and-so off their back and leave them alone! Now, X months later, they’re earning residuals and doing quite well! There’s one lady at work who’s promised me for two months she’d sign up as a customer “tonight”. Well guess what? It still ain’t happened – yet!

Life Application – If you’re like me (and if you are – I’m truly sorry ‘bout that!), then wouldn’t you rather someone gave you an outright NO? But let’s face it; if your business depends on other people (and what business doesn’t?) you’re going to have to deal with it sooner or later. The solution? Expect the best of people, no matter what! Is what you have to say truly valuable to them? Then keep on givin’ ‘em chances to hear it! Who knows; if you can get their attention, maybe they’ll eventually profit from it – and get to thank you for it, too!

Step #3 – Loss of Enthusiasm. This one happens when the first two items above become overwhelming. Remember, the mental part of the Ignite business is just as important as the physical part – meeting, talking and signing up customers and Associates. Our own “self talk” can go a long way to helping us past this one. Ups and downs are inevitable, but perseverance is what pays off over time. Randy Hedge (known among Ignite Associates as “The Electric Cowboy” and our #3 highest money earner) advises us to treat this stuff “like a bug on a windshield – just wipe it off and move on!”

Life Application: Hey, this one’s easy: No matter what – keep goin’!

Step #4 – Quit. If we let the things above “get to us” – well, it’s probably only a matter of time before we do the unthinkable – quit. The solution is pretty straightforward, and I dare say you’ve heard it before:

1. Be familiar with the signs listed above so you can recognize them
2. Take immediate action to deal with each one
3. Spend time with others who are going the same way you are
4. Be flexible

Life Application: Allow me to illustrate it with a story…

I recently discovered a friend of mine has been an Ignite Associate for about 2 years. He had managed to sign up one Associate right after joining, but never signed up a customer. Alas, he quickly lost his enthusiasm and quit after only a few months. In fact, until 18 months later when I called him, he hadn’t even checked on his status.

But when he did, he got a huge surprise! Remember that one Associate? Well, that guy had built an organization of 214 Associates! (Sheesh! We’ve got 11 Associates now - may we be at least as successful as he is!) But (and here’s the sad part) because he never completed his basic qualifications (with Ignite it’s pretty simple; you have to sign up 10 customers and 3 Associates to qualify for residual income), he hasn’t made a dime!

Just think – he’s not only missing a promotion (it happens automatically when you get 12 Associates in your organization plus you have personally signed up 10 customers), but he’s also not receiving the residual income from literally hundreds of customers, just because he quit!

My Advice

Hey, if you’re going to give up on your dreams – then my advice is: don’t have any! You’re only leaving yourself open for disappointment and heartache. But if you’re the type who is willing to give something new a try (at least long enough to tell if it’s going to work or not), then I say: go for it!

Just remember that turning dreams into goals always takes a fair investment in blood, sweat and tears (yuk – who thinks up these metaphors, anyway?)

Besides, as Ignite moves into other states (very soon now), you never know; the next Bob Ledbetter might get signed up somewhere in my team. Now that thought sure juices me up, lemme tell ya!

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