Tips from a Live Chat Operator

Volunteering time as a Live Chat Operator is a wonderful experience. My scheduled time has changed and morphed since beginning my service a few months ago, and now I spend my 4 hour shift on Monday instead of Sunday.

There are a few themes emerging in the questions I've received and I thought a post on where to find many answers to questions you may have.

For example:

READ your FAQs, or Frequently Asked Questions. The FAQs are found on your drop down menu for the MPM Websites on the MPM Toolbar, and, they are found in your back office. Also, spend time reading your Power Bites because they provide a wealth of information about your mall and strategies you can use to grow yourself and your business.

Many people ask. "How do I find my ID number and Key Code?" Your initial email you received as a new My Power Mall business was your Welcome Letter. It arrives in the email box that you used to sign up for your business. Each business is coded by the email address, and therefore, each business must have its own email address. Two business cannot share the same email address.

If you have forgotten or misplaced your Key Code, then you can go to your log in page and retrieve your Key Code by following the prompts in red regarding this issue. If you don't know your MPM ID, then email admin@mypowermall.com and give your name, the name of your mall, the email address you used to create your mall.

"What is my log in address?" you may ask: http://www.mypowermall.com/login/your mall ID # here.

"What is my shopping mall address?": http://www.mypowermall.com/mall/your mall ID # here OR you can also reach your shopping page by entering your domain name that you purchased for your business and clicking on the "Shop" button.

Another question is, "Can I change the email address associated with my business?"

Yes, you may. The best thing you can do is to email admin@mypowermall.com and give them your name, the name of your mall, your email address used initially for your mall, your ID number and your Key Code, and the new email address you would like to use for the account.

Another query is regarding commissions, generally, "I haven't gotten paid yet. Why not?"

The best course of action you can take here is to go into your back office and update all your personal information, ensuring that you have both your PO Box AND your physical street address listed. Update your payment information and be sure to save it at the bottom AFTER you enter your email address in twice to confirm the change. In order to be paid, you need to have your birth date AND your SSN before the bank will issue funds; and, remember to set the minimum payment amount you would like to receive while you are updating your information.

If you have checked your mall earnings and have not received a commission yet, and you've verified all your information is current, you may email commissions@mypowermall.com and ask that a trace be put on your commissions card. Remember that you will likely have already received an email stating you will receive commissions for your first payment. This puts you on alert to expect a white envelope in the mail with your payment card.

Another question is: "I'm not receiving my updates, so how can I begin receiving them again?"

You may log in to your back office and follow the prompts under the Toolbar Installation Bar for setting yourself up to receive the updates again.

Speaking of the Tool Bar, there are some of you that are experiencing a large amount of shopping alerts through the RSS feed on the toolbar, sometimes more frequently than you would desire. FireFox has a glitch that is currently being fixed. Review the directions that are given for both IE and FireFox browsers in your back office. The Tool Bar Settings may be adjusted by going to the left hand side of the Tool Bar and clicking the drop-down menu. As many people are having the alerts occur often, it may be best to set the frequency of the alerts to once a day. If you continue to have problems with the MPM Tool Bar, try un-installing your Tool Bar and reinstalling it. If this doesn't solve the issue, then, un-install the Tool Bar, clear your browser cache and consider doing a disk scan or defragment your hard drive and install the Tool Bar again. If this still doesn't work, email admin@mypowermall.com giving as much information as you can. There is a document that can be sent to you to provide additional means for you to give information to the technical team that will help them find a solution.

Regarding updating payment information for your World Changer account or you have other questions regarding WC Mall fees, you can contact via email, payments@mypowermall.com. Please include your telephone number if you have to update your payment information so that Lisa Mota may call you to obtain your new information.

"I have questions about Someone Believes In You and my subscription?"
You may email admin@someonebelievesinyou.com your questions.

If you find that you don't get your question answered by reading the FAQs, another resource is to gloss your Power Bites. When you do take the time to research your own answer, you will find you are better equipped to help teach your team where to find information to help them advance their business.

Make it a habit to spend some time in your back office devoted to learning about what you have available to you every single day to help you grow your business and support your team. Read a few Power Bites; take MPM 101 again; listen to a coaching call or scan the Boot Camp blogs; experiment with sending an e-card or practice creating a signature for your email account by utilizing the banners given to you; send an e-book to a friend; practice retrieving various reports for your business and personal spending; read an update from Ginny; listen to a MPM Family Chat recording. It's worth it to study your business on a consistent basis because our business is constantly evolving for the better, and new improvements and tools are being provided that make our jobs easier.

Happy shopping and happy business building!

Sunday's Simplicities and Friendship

Today we rode our bikes to a friend's house and helped her place an order for her favorite enzymes on Big Z Gives Big Foundation Mall (The Mother Nature Store). She and her brother were walking a few blocks moving garden soil from a friend's house to her garden via wheelbarrow, so, Big Z helped her brother with 3 -4 loads of dirt.

We got to visit another set of friends at the same time and eventually wound up having an impromptu picnic in the sunshine, all of us so very happy that the sun finally shines ;-).

Click here for Big Z's Foundation Mall.

T-Day Happenings

Though our official T-Day Project was our Big Truck Give-Away, we still had another project added to our T-Day early in the week: Doing some land-clearing for Ginny so she can create a terraced garden space with Jean L. and Jacki V. who were in town for a M-Team meeting of the minds, and Lisa M. and her husband, Carlos. As it happened, Ginny's energy balloon popped in the early afternoon Friday after a long week of meetings and activity, and the project was put on hold.

In hopes the project could continue with all of us helping, and Ginny directing, I loaded up snacks, smoothies, and tools in the car and headed towards her condo. Once nearby, I phoned Jacki and it was confirmed that our project was on hold so that Ginny could regain her strength; there was no way Ginny could sit idle while we worked, so, this particular T-Day project will await another moment.

Throughout the day, we shared many nourishing T-Day moments of laughter, stories, supportive comments for our agility while pretending we were "billy goats on the bluff", nurturing quiet, and we even got to take a stroll in a Japanese garden and give the huge Koi population some of Bogey's cookie crumbs.

Late in the afternoon, after eating a fine meal prepared by Barb, and digesting in the afternoon sun, I figured the best T-Day approach was to give foot massages to Jacki and Jean in thanks for all their footwork and efforts on our behalf. And, so I did. They each received a generous allotment of time per foot, receiving massage, limited Reconnective Healing, and unpracticed Reflexology. Jean and Jacki were deeply appreciative of the t.l.c. before they headed back to their respective homes to "step into" their new positions: Jacki taking over all marketing aspects of MPM; Jean accepting her new post as Chief Operations Officer.

The last part of the T-Day experience was sharing the NCAA Final Four game with Ginny in full support of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Besides, we figured that if we didn't offer support to for her team, she'd kick us out, so it was just the right thing to do ;-). By the end of the game, Lisa and Carlos stopped by and we finished the game in celebration of the Tar Heels talents and their success over Villanova.

It was a delightful T-Day! Soon as Ginny says the word, we're all over her garden project!

Making Your Goals Count by Jim Rohn

Making Your Goals Count in 2003 by Jim Rohn

As we enter into this New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2003 can bring. The need for goal-setting becomes more obvious and clear. And the great thing about goal-setting is you can keep it as simple or get as elaborate as you would like. In fact, we have spent the last month in the One-Year Success Plan solely on the subject of goal-setting and have dedicated over 125 pages in the One-Year Plan to exercises on the subject. Space and time won't allow that here, but below are some abbreviated points on goal-setting for the New Year.

I've often said the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful - they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.

Goal-setting is powerful, partly because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.

Also, goals provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!

So, let´s take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?

1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point - is that okay?

The purpose of evaluation is twofold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. Secondly, it is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. In other words, it gives you a baseline from which to work.

I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. At the beginning of this month we encourage you to see where you are and write it down so that as the months progress and you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining – and that will be exciting!

2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future.

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!

What are your dreams and goals? This isn´t what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Here are some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don´t do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet “dream time’ this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel GREAT and you will be in the “dream zone.’ It is only when we get to this point that we experience what OUR dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don´t think of any as too outlandish or foolish – remember, you´re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let´s take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.

Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say “specifically measurable’ to take into account our principle of being specific as well.

Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do – and they do it with good intentions – is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.

Realistic: The root word of realistic is “real.’ A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make “real’ or a “reality’ in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn´t be a big goal, but it must be realistic.

Time: Every goal should have a timeframe attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a timeframe connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get “around to it.’ We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don´t want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.

4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to “give an account’ of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn´t as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.

So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.

Let's Do Something Remarkable in 2003!
Jim Rohn

Credit Statement to be included in Reprints:

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com
Copyright © Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.