Wikaniko - What's in a name ??

When talking to a prospective distributor I believe that the most important thing after finding out their "WHY" for joining the business, is to set realistic expectations ....

Something I frequently throw into a conversation with a prospective distributor, particularly those who have had experience in other work from home /cataloguing companies is ..

"I've got some good news, and some bad news ..."

"The good news is - you are in at the beginning"

"The bad news is  - you are in at the beginning"

Lets look at this in more detail.

The good news is that, unlike some of the other companies, when out and about with catalogues, you are most unlikely to meet another Wikaniko distributor coming down the other side of the street. The good news is that when talking to someone about joining the business, you won't be met with a groan, and the response "Oh no, not [fill in the blank] . My brother / sister / best mate / [other - please fill in the blank] got involved with that, it cost them a fortune - and they didn't make a penny.

The bad news is that Wikaniko, and its products are not yet a household name. The bad news is that new ideas, like "if everyone became a little greener, it would have a huge impact on the planet" don't catch on overnight, it takes time for them to sink in.

So the price we have to pay for being "in at the beginning" , is that we need to work harder, and longer, to establish the name and brand of Wikaniko, and to keep delivering that message until we get it across. And that takes time.

How many of the "big hitters" with those established companies joined in the past couple of years ? What do they all have in common ? They realised at the start that they were in it for the long haul. I wonder how many people who joined at the same time quickly became despondent and fell by the wayside.

People joining need to know that they are not going to join a pleasure cruise, they are going to be joining the crew, and they are going to be working hard to help build and fine tune the boat. They need to know that if they stick at it, the results will be brilliant, both for themselves and the planet. That is what I believe makes Wikaniko unique. There is a very real, worthwhile, shared purpose behind Wikaniko - beyond narrow self interest.

Jan has a saying "This is a marathon, not a sprint"

So, what's in a name ?, what's in a "brand" ? In my humble opinion it comes to represent what the organization is, and what it stands for.

For me Wikaniko stands for a unique, ethical business opportunity, in which people can not only make an income, but make a difference.

Sadly there are businesses out there who cynically exploit green issues in order to make a fast buck. We have to be very careful that Joe Public does not see us that way. Our job as "Independent Co-operative Marketers" is to work to make the name Wikaniko a househould name - for all the right reasons. Let's leave the "Harry Enfield - Loadsamoney - psst do you wanna make some money" and the "Del Boy - this time next year Rodney we'll be millionaires" where they belong - back in the Eighties.

There is another old saying in networking that if we help enough people achieve their dreams, then we will achieve ours. I believe that Wikaniko is very different from any other networking opportunity out there. The dream is absolutey huge !! I believe that if we demonstrate to people that if they truly believe in that core message of Wikaniko, and I make no apologies for repeating it, that is "a large number of people making a small change will add up to a HUGE change for the planet" , if they accept that the small change starts with them in their own homes, and they share that message with enough people, not only will their dreams come true, but  everyone on this planet will live a life that many people would never even dream of.

Such is the power of networking ...

Real networkers aren't "notworkers" feeding off the hard work of others, they know that like wealth and work, the only place that getting comes before giving is in the dictionary. They also know that the only way to get value out, is to put value in.

I'd like to ask you to re-read the Part Work Income Plan, and consider this. In getting to that top position, with the income that goes with it, how many households in the U.K. would you and your team have had a positive impact on ? How many lives would you and your team have changed for the better ? And just how big a positive impact would you and your team have had on this beautiful planet of ours.

I did. And that's why, despite everything, I keep picking up the threads of our business, time and time again. And why I've never stopped  sharing that core message at every opportunity I get, whether with people I meet in person, or through the Warriors site and our blog.

Mitakuye Oyasin

Mike P