What it Takes to Have a Winning Team, Part 2 of 6, John 3:16 Marketing Network

What it Takes to Have a Winning Team

Part Two of Six

John 3:16 Marketing Network

By Lorilyn Roberts

Everyone knows who Lebron James is—at least they should know. Many consider him the best basketball player currently playing the game. He can do it all—shoot from the perimeter, make free throws from the foul line, dunk the ball with great charisma, pass it through arms and legs, muscle his way through guards, and practically defy the laws of probability on a good night.

He didn’t just start doing that. He’s been doing it since he was young. In fact, he entered the NBA at eighteen, right out of high school, bypassing a college career completely.

I remember the naysayers—he’s not good enough, he’s not old enough, he doesn’t have enough experience, in the NBA he will have lots more competition, he’s not that good. I remember all those comments because I wrote them. I do closed-captioning for television, and commentators love to beat up on famous people. Actually, maybe it’s not so much beating up on people, but I cringe at times when I hear what ruthless so-called experts say, thinking how I would feel if they were saying that about me.

Marketing is really a game. It’s a big game made up of players, managers, owners, referees, commentators, and the “crowds” that watch, whether it’s in a stadium, in the galley, in the stands, or in a gymnasium. Somewhere everybody fits. Those that don’t enjoy sports, well, I guess you just miss the game.

But let’s pretend you are a sports fan even if you aren’t. I use Lebron James as an example because he is a marvelously successful basketball player. He has done it all—except one thing that he wants more than anything else. He wants to win an NBA championship.

Why hasn’t he done that yet?  After all, he’s been a professional basketball player now for years. Were all the naysayers right? 

Even the best basketball player in the world can’t win a championship all on his own shoulders. When Lebron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he tried. He did everything in his power to make it happen. He came close, but in the end he failed.

As I am writing this, the Miami Heat is playing the Chicago Bulls for a bid at the championship. I don’t know who will win—I am pulling for Miami for Lebron’s sake, even though I really like Joakim Noah for the Bulls (He showed up at my daughter’s nine-year-old birthday party and surprised us all.

Games are not meant in large part to be solitary sports (except for a few like tennis). To win, it takes cooperation, commitment, hard work, perseverance, and team participation by everyone.

I have captioned hundreds of games in various sports, and afterwards, the reporter usually interviews the most valuable player and the coach. He will also interview the losing coach and one of the best-losing players if time permits. It’s always interesting to hear what each coach says, and I especially love to hear the players’ thoughts.

After the game, all the reporters from the various sports news agencies will gather in a press room, and the star players and coaches will sit at a long table. The press conference often includes a bunch of “stupid” questions. Usually with grace, the players and coaches will endure the battery, probably remembering that paycheck (in the pros), and those in college get a taste of the limelight.

But for those teams who are successful, it goes so much deeper than that final winning shot. It goes back to hours of practice and sacrifice; learning to play together as a team, the quirks of fellow teammates, what makes them tick and what ticks them off; and encouraging each other on how to make the other person’s game better. It’s about “dying to self” and embracing the concept deep down that it’s not “all about me.” And sometimes you have those phenomenal athletes like Tim Tebow who openly give the glory to God for their success.

How does this tie into the John 3:16 Marketing Network? Each author who has joined the network will admit to the dream of wanting to be a best-selling author. And in the John 3:16 Marketing Network, this is achievable for an unknown author in subcategories. It has happened on Amazon several times in the eight months we have been in existence.

But I want to remind the reader that the ultimate goal of the network is to bring glory to God through promoting a Christian worldview in the best-seller categories on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the New York Times. If we remember the ultimate goal is to glorify God, we can have a “winning team.”

That means we rejoice when someone else wins an award, snags a contract, receives a glowing review, or achieves something for the first time he or she never thought possible. We die to our self, not wishing it was us instead. God has a path for each one of us. As a Body of Authors, we can help each other to achieve success on whatever path God sets before us. For some, that might mean selling only a few hundred books. For others, that might mean selling thousands. The outcome is not ours to control. We unselfishly commit our way to being part of a winning team, not counting the costs in personal sacrifice, but the ultimate cost of winning souls. That is the real game in Christian marketing.

It’s not always the outcome that matters, but the process through which we achieve it. If we focus on the outcome and disregard relationships as we strive for that elusive finish line, we probably won’t succeed. It’s just too hard. Winners have learned they need others’ help to succeed. This is the philosophy behind the John 3:16 Network.

Recently, an author complained to me, “I feel like I have given out so

much and gotten so little in return.” She cited some examples and I could relate to her sentiments of being slighted. We have all experienced it. None of us are immune because it’s not in our nature to ignore the hurtful things people do to us—even when it’s unintentional.

My email back to her was this:

God will return tenfold what you give out if you don’t keep score. He doesn’t forget. Think about all the people who have helped you and you weren’t in a position to return the favor.

Believe me, you will receive it back in miraculous ways, and it’s always better than what you expected, perhaps from a different source. But you need to have a short memory to allow God to have a long one.

The John 3:16 Marketing Network is about a lot more than selling books. It’s about being a winner--dying to self, caring about others, and encouraging each other in the journey. With the right attitude and the gifts God has given us, I have no doubt that many in the John 3:16 Marketing Network will achieve great success as far as book sales.

But there are also other kinds of success not measured in dollars and cents—in relationships, networking, gaining knowledge and skills.

I don’t want to walk away from the marketing game because it’s too hard. I don’t want to sit in the stands watching others sell their books while I languish because I don’t know how. I don’t want to be stuck on the bench because I am injured—whether it’s my hurt feelings or pride that has tainted my attitude and made me selfish. And I don’t want to be a commentator finding fault with everything someone else has done wrong. I don’t want to be a referee—I just want to play. And those commentators out there—I can hear it from the naysayers. They probably think I am just a little crazy. Well, guess what? My kids would probably agree with you (but they love me anyway).  

Here we are all winners. We have taken that first step in successful marketing—networking. Don’t miss out during this membership drive. Prayerfully consider what you can offer to others.

From Wednesday, May 18^th through Tuesday, May 24^th, we are hosting a membership launch featuring some of our members in a blog tour. Our Facebook party will include many events which you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendar—Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, when you will have an opportunity to win eight free books. During that hour, we will have members online to answer your questions, and we will be offering tutorials on how to do some technical operations for internet marketing. These tutorials/tips will include:

1.      How to upload a .jpeg to Facebook/blog

2.      How to resize a .jpeg and load it Facebook/blog

3.      How to copy and paste widgets on websites

4.      How to set up a twitter account.

The information will be useful whether you apply to the John 3:16 Marketing Network or not.

In addition to an opportunity to win eight free books, on Tuesday, May 24^th, if you submit an application to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network , you will be able to download free e-gifts.

For more information on the John 3:16 Marketing Network and to submit an application, please visit my website at Lorilyn Roberts.

Again, Tuesday, May 24, will be the membership launch day. If you summit your application on Tuesday, May 24th, you will be able to download free e-gifts offered by some of our authors.

Today on our Blog Tour we will meet Dr. Ray W. Lincoln.

The Author Jeopardy Question to win R. W. Lincoln’s new book INNERKINETICS™  during the Facebook Party on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, will come from our discussion below:

                                                

Ray W. Lincoln is the bestselling author of I'M a KEEPER and is the founder of Ray W. Lincoln & Associates. Ray is a professional life coach and an expert in human nature. His 40 plus years of experience in speaking, teaching, and counseling began in New Zealand and have carried him to Australia and the United States. He speaks with energy and enthusiasm before large and small audiences. It was not by accident that he became the international speaker and coach that he is today and acquired the ability to guide so many to a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life. Ray has studied extensively in the fields of Philosophy, Temperament Psychology, and Personology. A member of the National Speakers Association, his expertise has been used as a lecturer and professor, teacher and keynote speaker, seminar presenter, counselor, and coach. He teaches and leads in staff trainings, university student retreats, and parents' educational classes, as well as other seminars and training events. He also trains and mentors teachers and other professionals and executives -- all with the goal of understanding our own temperaments and those of others.

His wealth of background is revealed in colorful, graphic language that keeps listeners glued to his every word. The personality that developed from his vast experience unfolds in the pages of I'M A KEEPER and in his newest work, INNERKINETICS™

.

Question: In your book, InnerKinetics™, you talk about strengths and weaknesses of people. What do you think is the number one reason why people fail to develop their full potential?

Ray W. Lincoln: The number one reason is: They focus on their weaknesses. When a weakness is identified, they set about trying to get rid of that weakness by focusing on it and trying to eliminate it. They are focusing on a negative, and focusing on the negative cannot produce positive results.  Our instruction is: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)  It doesn’t sound to me like we are instructed to focus on our weaknesses.

Closely akin to this reason is that they do not understand themselves and have not identified their strengths. Many interpret skills and talents as strengths. While these may have developed as the result of strengths, they may also have developed apart from strengths. Take the person who is very skilled in technical analysis and is paid well for it but who hates the task and, if employed in that occupation, is very unhappy at their job. They have developed a skill, but it is not their strength.

Let’s define what we mean by strengths. These are urges and drives that are innate to our being. When we are using our strengths we feel energized and are fulfilled when we use them and develop them further. They provide energy to our lives and the activities wherein we use them even when we are short on the physical energy normally needed. These urges and drive are strengths. We need to identify them, because their use is what brings fulfillment to our lives. I have provided a Temperament Key that will help individuals to determine their God-given strengths and provided it within InnerKinetics™ along with guidance in how to develop the strengths once they are identified.

Once identified, focusing on the strengths provides positive energy, positive direction and creativity in their use. Focus intensifies and directs our mind’s power. Just as a magnifying glass focusing the sun’s light on a piece of paper or dry leaves will ignite the fuel, so focusing on our strengths will ignite a fire within us that will provide what we need to reach our potential.

As a follower of Christ, I believe in the Bible’s statement that we are created in the image of God. He created us and he gave us NO weaknesses. He is not in that business. How can we be created in His image and be created with weaknesses?  Furthermore, He created us for a purpose. The strengths He gave to each of us that reflect His image He gave for that purpose — the purpose for which he created each of us in the first place. Our strengths, gifts, and talents are all given with the achievement of that ultimate purpose in mind. However, we must develop them by identifying what He has done in creating each of us and then by focusing on them to reach our highest potential. (I have provided a Temperament Key within InnerKinetics™ that will help individuals to determine their God-given strengths, along with guidance in how to develop the strengths once they are identified.)

Don’t forget, during our Author Jeopardy Game, you will have an opportunity to win      Tuesday night, INNERKINETICS™, May 24, 8-9pm EST during our Facebook party at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Book-Launches-John-316-Marketing-Network/145412252147289

Friday we will be featuring Roaches That Eat Your Best-Seller Dreams—Part Three of Six, from the John 3:16 Marketing Network. Our guest author will be Dr. Robert McGinnis hosted by J.D. Holiday (on her website).

If you missed yesterday’s post, Are There Secret Formulas or Short Cuts for Making the Best-Seller List on Amazon? Part One of Six, you can read it at http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com

To learn more about the blog tour, free e-gifts, and books being offered for the Author Jeopardy during the Facebook Event on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm, please visit http://www.lorilynroberts.com/john_3_16_marketing_network.html