Today’s marketplace is tough. It’s competitive, faster than ever and the stakes are high. In today’s ultracompetitive world, getting superior results faster is absolutely critical to success! So many want it! However, this hectic speed of life makes it easy to become sidetracked by things that steal priorities and make leaders less effective. People are hungry for ways to get ahead, to win and to accelerate results, both personally and professionally.

Our industry is littered with people who gave up on their dreams of building a self-sustaining business because someone somewhere told them that network marketing just doesn’t work. In fact, having a person of influence speak negatively about their chosen profession is one of the leading causes of turnover within the ranks of independent consultants. They give up before they ever get going.

Most salespeople understand that they need to get on the phone, yet days, months, even years go by (yes, years!) without them followinSuccessful direct selling companies have many things in common. They all have the ability to cultivate loyal customers, create effective sales programs that are appealing to the most people, and offer a mutually beneficial business opportunity to help enterprising entrepreneurs.

Jennifer was in her mid-30s and had a lot going for her. She was smart, with a good education and with what she thought was a promising future as a midlevel manager with her company. Then everything started to go wrong. Despite 10 years of hard work, long hours and lost weekends working at her firm, she was unceremoniously let go when the economic downturn began a year ago.

When it kicks on, you can tell. Before, there is only silence. Silver rollers lay dormant. Boxes sit frozen on a long blue track. Computers blink as the circuitry stays in a holding pattern. Products remain tucked together on racks of pallets. There’s a hush over the 20,000 square feet of smooth concrete where USANA’s new shipping line lies in waiting—primed, ready.

In the first part of this series, we described the various ways your company, your salesforce and your good will can be at risk on the Internet.