CDT Official Blog - CDT_Ink

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Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:57:00 -0700

Action Centered Leadership

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:45:00 -0700

There are many people out there who consider themselves a leader; and then there are those who don’t see themselves as a leader but they truly are. Being part of CDT, I have encountered many of both types!

We have seen some IDTs who take time and energy to educate their teams make action plans and work with individual members of their groups to help each and everyone succeed.

Then there are those who advertise that they are leaders and sit back to see how much money the people under them can make them; feeling like they are at the top of the food chain. Soon after they complain when the people who have no guidance and no training become stagnant and don’t generate any income.

As a result of our observations we thought it best to outline the qualities of an effective leader so that both parties mentioned above can see what the true definition of a leader is and better understand why they have or have not achieved the level of success they expected.

There are many different ways to lead successfully; but almost all of those ways require action on the partof the “would be leader”. You can lead by example: When you were growing up did your parents ever tell you, “do as I say, not as I do.” As you may know and any psychologist can tell you that this form of leadership never works! People learn by the examples that are set before them, not by the words that are spoken to them. Do the types of things you want your teammates to do and they will learn how to follow suit.

Lead by following: sometimes the best way to lead is to follow those who know more or are more skilled in an area of marketing than you. By following their lead and learning new skills that you can pass on to the remainder of your team, you will be acting as an excellent leader. A good team leader doesn’t always have to be the person who plans everything or makes the decisions. Knowing how to utilize the talents of other members of your team is a great form of leadership.

You don’t need to be declared the Team-Leader in order to take initiative and lead. If there is a need for leadership on your team and there is no one stepping up to the plate, go ahead and take the helm. Keep your team motivated and make a schedule that you can all follow then work together to stick to it.

Be present and available for your team and encourage them to do the same for others so you are not the only voice they rely on. Cultivating confidence is going to be the most effective way to grow a strong successful team; a team that has confidence in your ability to lead and their own ability to do will ensure a cohesive unit that can assess, troubleshoot, or accomplish anything.

Look at the various areas of responsibility you will have to work on in order to keep the team together; ie. Presentations, team training, online marketing etc.; and give each area it’s own time. Focusing on any one area can cause you to drop the ball elsewhere leaving your team lacking in other areas.

To make sure that you are able to be effective as a team leader follow this model that was first published in 1973 by leadership expert, John Adair, called Action Centered Leadership or ACL. This states that a leader can effectively manage his or her team if he or she goes with the following criteria; Tasks, Team, Individual.

By balancing the actions of making sure the teams tasks are completed; there is effective team building and development and time spent nurturing the strengths in individuals while working on their weaknesses, then the team will be able to succeed. After reading this article, take action. Set up a meeting with your teammates and make a plan of action to meet your goals by using the tools developed for you. Find the strengths of your teammates and support each other’s shortcomings to build a formidable team that will ensure success.

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Alleviating Doubt

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:38:00 -0700

Are your behaviors causing post action dissonance with your new teammates? You may have heard the term buyer’s remorse; and you might be the cause of it. The relationship between you and your new teammates can be a tenuous one if you do not devote enough time to make the relationship a solid one right from the beginning. During the marketing process many people spend time developing the relationship and mutual trust between themselves and their potential protégés. Unfortunately after the new protégé commits to being a part of the team they find that the individual who spent so much time wooing them is all of a sudden too hard to reach.

The psychology behind this feeling of regret is often associated with the buyers belief that there is relationship that is being built upon an “I scratch your back; you scratch mine” kind of deal. Once a transaction is completed, the lack of reciprocity makes the new protégé feel used and they become lethargic in marketing. To often we have heard IDTs tell us that they could no longer get a hold of their upline and thus we have to encourage them to carry forward on their own and advise them not do the same to their future protégés. At this point however, much damage has already been done.

As a marketer, there is no point in developing a 2-way relationship if you do not intend to carry it on, because you are creating higher expectations with those you engage with. If you fail to follow through once they have committed to joining you; you will be viewed as no better than an advertiser.

As a marketer it is important for you to understand that your protégés will always question the actions they have taken to be part of your team and it is your job to help resolve that conflict in their mind by being there and reminding them that you are there for support now that they have committed to you.

By making the whole experience more enjoyable for the new protégés from beginning to end it will be easier to motivate them to start marketing from the beginning. Always remember that it is human nature to doubt and thus it is your job to make that temporary dissonance dissipate by keeping to your end of the commitment and making a stronger connection

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Implementing Change

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:37:00 -0700

Have you been using the same marketing methods over and over again; how are they working for you? It may be time to look over your tried and true marketing campaign and try something new. I am not suggesting a complete overhaul of your marketing plan; if you have aspects that are working for you by all means keep up the great work. Some of your marketing techniques however may be a little worse for wear and it may be time to trade-in for some new ones.

Have you tried a new tool today? CDT has recently developed a plethora of new tools that help IDTs to market around the world without having to go online. There is the Napkin Presentation that literally allows you to give a concise yet informative presentation on a napkin. A Program Overview that gives a breakdown of how you can go from the Feeder Program to the Main DTP, and the Top 20 Facets that make CDT unique for those moments when you are asked, “What makes this business different?”

Have you ever given a presentation? If this is your first foray into such ventures, a professional PowerPoint presentation has been developed for you. It tells your audience everything they need to know about the program and how it works all that is needed is your own personal compelling story.

Have you entered the online business world yet? This is often one of the hardest areas for people to get started but CDT has made it easy for you by giving you your own personal Replicator Website. Once you have activated this site you can customize it with the templates that work best for you and then direct people there to learn about your business.

Adding one or more of these tools to your marketing regime can help you to increase your marketing success exponentially. It is human nature to resist change, but in today’s turbulent economy change is likely to come no matter how much we wish to avoid it. If you are able to take one step outside of your comfort zone to acquire a new marketing skill, it can mean the difference between cycling often to cycling consistently. Upgrading your skills during such a disruption can prepare you to be at the forefront of success when things start to smooth out again.

If you are 100% satisfied with the way your marketing strategy is working for you then pass this article on to someone who needs it and continue doing what you have been doing. If however you think you can make improvements that can increase your ability to succeed its time to get uncomfortable and take a few steps towards doing something brand new. If you are finding yourself resistant to change do the following to help push yourself that much further.

Find what you desire: know why you are making the changes, what is it that you truly want in your future and how will these changes improve your chances of getting there?

How practical are your goals? Is your new marketing strategy executable and within reach, based on your knowledge, budget and allotted time for learning something new?

Keep negative think in check: whether your own thoughts or the nay saying of others, do not allow these thoughts to derail your momentum once you have concluded that your goals are practical.

Once you have taken these steps then Think It, Speak It, Do It! Watch your newfound efforts take your marketing potential into the next stratosphere.

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Regroup - Restart - Reinvigorate

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:36:00 -0700

Its back to school time here in Canada and though this is primarily an activity revolving around children there is also a great deal of time spent getting adult affairs back in order after the more relaxed schedule of the summer. Along with depositing the wee ones into the routine of learning this is the ideal time to regroup, restart, and reinvigorate your marketing plans and get your team motivated in securing their financial futures again.

Now more than ever people are aware that they cannot rely on a stable job market or that they will be provided for once in their dotage. More than ever people are on the offensive when it comes to accumulating wealth for their future financial independence and stability.

By using the plethora of tools that were developed during this summer you can strategically mastermind a plan that will help you keep financially afloat along with those on your team. Gone are the days when $1000 a month Country Club dues and expensive cars are the ideal ways of disposing of income. This is the time to use your money wisely and make sure it is generating you income for the future by putting it towards products that increase in value and allow you to use them as an asset in the future.

Put on your leadership hat and call a meeting with your team; there is no greater time than now to get everyone focused once again and working on marketing diamonds with the only effective program that makes you money marketing luxury products. You can start the process now by doing the following:

Get Organized; find out where you are and where you want to be in your marketing
Set Some Goals; how often do you want to cycle out, how strong do you want your team to be
Set Some Educational Goals; review all the new tools and learn how to effectively use each one
Put it on a Schedule; if you don’t have a tangible reminder of what you have to do you may not accomplish your goals
Know the Business - set aside time to get trained on all the FAQ’s about the DTP.
Think Positive
Be Adventurous – step out side of your comfort zone
Do It! Action is the only thing that will take you further

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CDT Ink Vol 19

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:16:00 -0700

New CDT Tools

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:01:00 -0700

Over the past month the corporate Marketing Team has undertaken the large project of reviewing the IDT websites, presentations and marketing materials being promoted all over the world. This project was undertaken to ensure that all DTP promotions being executed is accurate and legal. The marketing appraisals have allowed us to personally meet with IDT’s, discuss strategic planning, brainstorm new ideas together and educate our leadership team on the Diamond Trading Program. We are grateful to the many IDTs who forwarded their presentation and marketing materials for appraisal and to those who continue to send us materials for approval.

Through the appraisal process, we found that many IDTs still believe, or market CDT as a MLM, Network Marketing, Direct Sales, or alarmingly a Pyramid. Despite the fact that our business does not fit any of those models; our marketing force has not received this message loud or clearly enough. Marketing it as any of those businesses can have negative ramifications for both the IDT and the company alike. To ensure that we can help you avoid the headache of dealing with any legal consequences, we are not only correcting the presentations that are sent to us but we are also building more tools that will better help all IDTs to market more effectively, legally and with ease.

These new tools emphasize the fact that CDT IS NOT an MLM, Network Marketing, Direct Sales, or a Pyramid. CDT is in fact a one of a kind marketing program, and the only effective program that allows you to make money marketing luxury products. Also there is no cost to become an IDT; Joining is FREE. All monies paid to CDT are for a future purchase of a diamond (a diamond deposit), a current diamond purchase (Plus purchase) and/or other products or services. There is NO fee to join or participate in the program itself.

A few new tools to be excited about:

-The official CDT Napkin Presentation:

Allow you to give a simple presentation with ease and without the fear of public speaking!

-The program overview charts:

Gives a short explanation of movement from the Feeder tables to the Main DTP tables, both are available in the downloads section of the CDT website.

-The Official CDT PowerPoint Presentation :

Launches today! For all IDTs who wish to have a presentation but do not know how to develop one or for anyone with an outdated version, please use this version as a replacement.

We are creating tools that will help you market more effectively and legally enabling you to enjoy the benefits of this Dynamic program for years to come, and succeed at making a lucrative income over and over again. At the corporate office we know that it is imperative that all IDTs market within the law for the safety of the company and everyone else. If you have any questions about the accuracy of your personal presentations or materials, first review our resources posted on our website and community, then download selected sections for your reference, make changes to your personal information or use our version instead. If you are still unsure about your presentation you can send your materials to marketing@cdtforever.com with the subject title: My Presentation.

The Diamond Trading Program was put in place to help the average person take charge of their financial future. By disseminating the correct information we can ensure that people will benefit from CDT forever.

** Please note, on the first attempt the presentation may take a few minutes to load up. The presentation was created using Powerpoint 2007. If you are using an earlier version, some animations and images may not appear exactly as intended. To view the presentation as intended, please download or upgrade your powerpoint to the 2007 version.

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Think It, Speak It, Do It

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:59:00 -0700

In this issue of the Ink we are focusing primarily on tools; papers and presentations that will help you to market CDT better; and paraphernalia or products that will grab the attention of your potential protégés. All of these tools will help our over hundred thousand IDTs around the world, to truly maximize their income generating potential. This issue of the INK however would not be complete if we did not include one of the most important tools all people have at their disposal; your own mind.

A few years ago we started an internal mantra that said “Think It, Speak It, Do It” in order to help our corporate team create the impossible. It soon spread outward to our IDTs in order to help them see the possibilities when striving for success. Today as our international marketing team is growing we want to revisit this mantra to inspire new IDTs and reinvigorate the veterans, while reminding everyone that success starts in the mind.

Think It: Everything starts with a thought; nothing is done or accomplished without first thinking or visualizing it. The stronger and clearer the vision; the easier it is to manifest.

Speak It: Saying it out loud to your self or others reinforces the thought; it keeps the idea real and present in your mind.

Do It: If you want satisfaction take some action. Vision without action is only a daydream, it’s important to take the necessary steps to make your visions manifest.

If you choose to live your life by these rules you will succeed. Scientific evidence has proven that an athlete that visualizes 80% and trains 20% will do better than the athlete that trains 100%. Thus visualizing is a very important part of your marketing or any other endeavors.

Practice by visualizing yourself using the Napkin Presentation, and your potential protégés signing up as a result. Visualize people asking you about the DTP and purchasing diamonds from CDT. Visualize receiving your Marketing Fee, and visualize using your Marketing Fee to live your dreams.

If you need help in visualizing, we are developing the next wave of exciting tools that will allow you to make even more money marketing luxury products. These new tools will help you Think it, and even Speak It but its up to you to Do It.

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New Feature Products

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:56:00 -0700

You asked for it and now it’s here! New promotional items and paraphernalia are now available at the CDT Store. Visit the store to see our key-light key chains, beverage tumblers, deluxe eco-friendly shopping bags and durable cotton totes. Exhibit your CDT Pride by showing off with your new CDT swag!

People will say, “Canadian Diamond Traders, what’s that?” Your day-to-day business will flourish. Whether you use the new CDT swag as welcome gifts to new members to thank them for joining your team, or you use them to show members of your downline you appreciate their efforts or you use them for yourself, these elegant and useful items will get people talking to you!

You can check out our new promo matrerials by visiting the Store to get your order in right away.

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How To Use PowerPoint

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:54:00 -0700

Microsoft PowerPoint has become the business standard for presentations, with its ease of use and potential for visual excitement; this program can be a great ally when it comes to getting your message across to an audience. As with anything, however, if used incorrectly you run the risk of having your audience becoming bored or thinking your presentation is brainless. With the launch of the official corporate PowerPoint presentation, here are a few tips that will allow you to use the presentation effectively to maximize your marketing potential.

A PowerPoint should be your supporting material not the whole show. When most people come to see a presentation they are coming to hear from you not read a screen. The information you supply and your story should be just as compelling if not more so that what is on a screen. Make sure your audience can relate to you and the story you tell and let the screen back you up with facts; this will make your presentation even more compelling.

Keep it simple; concise information that gets the point across that the audience can understand will make it easier. Excessive bells and whistles and background music might be too much for anyone to take in.

Don’t do your whole presentation reading your slides, your audience can read just as well and at many different speeds. If all you have to say is what is directly on the slide, then you are not needed, and your audience might get bored or restless.

Blank screens can be your friend, if you have a presentation don’t be afraid to insert blank screens every now and then it gives the audience a chance to pay attention to you for awhile. If there was anyone in the audience who zoned out or just got stuck reading the screens you can have them focus on you, the Presenter, as you give them a powerful and personal piece of information i.e. A testimonial or an example like showing a diamond.

Distribute handouts after the presentation, as doing it before can be distracting especially if you have any speed readers in the audience as their attention will be divided between you, the screen, and what’s in their hands.

Practice: the moment of your presentation is no time to be learning how to use it. Know what your slides say what order they are in and what you will be saying before, between, and after the slides. Being prepared will give you confidence and showing confidence will give you credibility with your audience.

The official corporate PowerPoint Presentation is a basic tool that can help you to market CDT and the DTP accurately and legally. It is up to you, the IDT, to take the presentation given to you and add your personal story and experience to make it your own.

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Vol_18 Cover

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:26:00 -0700

Vol_18 By The Seat Of Your Pants

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:21:00 -0700

By the Seat of Your Pants!

This is a story, albeit a true one about an epiphany I had. It all started on Sunday, May 24^th as I dragged a companion around with me on various errands to get my garden started. This is my first foray into gardening that I have been planning for more than three years now but never got around to it. My escort and I talked about everything from the mundane to the fantastic, and at some point the conversation stumbled upon someone we know personally J. Waterman, one of the Directors of this company.

My cohort said “you know to make millions like Jay, you have to read good books about making money and go to the right seminars and get the right information” I replied nonchalantly “Jay doesn’t really read stuff like that or go to seminars; he gets an idea to try something and he goes out and tries it. He just keeps trying till he gets it right.” My companion made a comment about how that made sense and then our conversation wandered onto the über important topic of my soon to be herb garden.

Later that night, as I was in the shower where all my best ideas come to me, I was struck with an epiphany… Jay does things! He does and then he embraces the results of his doing and keeps doing until he meets with success. I was struck with how simple this action plan was yet how scary it could be. I myself being borderline O.C.D (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) have always gone through life with a need to over plan, hence three years to plant some herbs! There is always the idea followed by deliberation followed by too much research then followed by paralysis by analysis … then start tentatively. Coming from someone who is a major idea person, who has many solid ideas that I would love to act on, I have inadvertently put many aspects of life on hold or at least on the very slow track.

I am not the only one, as many people I am acquainted with seem to be in the same boat. I am not saying that you should suddenly go on a reckless streak and throw all caution to the wind. There is a place for really good books and seminars but if all you do is study for the tests but never take them, you are not likely to meet with success on this road, and you probably won’t know why. Many people mistake preparing for doing, and then get frustrated when they do not get results. This means you may have to shift your thinking and ask yourself what does doing look like; does it mean calling someone, or meeting them in person; does it mean giving a presentation, or mailing something out.

Figure out what your next action step is and then do it! It may feel like you are flying by the seat of your pants, it may even feel a little bit scary; but the sense of liberation when flying makes the fears seem absolutely moot once the trip is over and you see some kind of result.

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Vol_18 Mind Like Water

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:20:00 -0700

Mind Like Water

Go with the flow: if you are one of the people in this world who are in a slight panic about your financial future or the state of the economy, stop what you are doing now and take a deep relaxing breath. Worrying is a contagious and often unnecessary disease with the side effects being the inability to think straight. Therefore, making rash decisions can affect you negatively later. Your best bet to combat those nagging worries is to achieve a state of “mind like water”. This is a metaphor used in martial arts that signifies perfect readiness or having the right reaction to any situation. Usually symbolized by a pebble being tossed into a still pond, “how does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriate to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’t overreact or under react.”

When applied to daily life what does this mean? You should take stock of your actual situation. Are you still employed? Do you have the energy, ability or drive to go out there and make success happen for yourself? The events in the world are just a slight ripple in the pond that you will have to ride out until the waters become calm once again. History has proven that hard times do not last forever and if you prepare appropriately right now you will find that you can be further ahead once the ripple effects have subsided.

Achieving this almost Zen like state takes practice and persistence in trying over and over again until it becomes a habit. How do you fix it if your “mind like water” springs a leak? The answer is simple; relax harder! Work on doing things that help you to relax because relaxation is proven to help people make better and more informed decisions by giving you pause to think and reflect. If you are currently frazzled and trying to figure out your life, pause for this cause; think about what relaxes you, drop everything and do it. Once your brain is clear you will be able to tackle your issues from a different angle and act totally appropriate to the force and mass of the current input and then return to calm.

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Vol_18 Once Upon A Time

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:19:00 -0700

Once Upon A Time

Many moons ago, as I wandered through my existence as a college student in the U.S.A. trying to figure out what I would do once I graduated, I stumbled upon the various student body associations for the many ethnic groups that populated the campus. There was the Caribbean Association, the Native American Association, The Pilipino Association, the South Asian association and many others. For me, this was almost like a little slice of home. You see I live in Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world! In this city I run into people of every nationality on a regular basis. Though I was constantly surrounded by culture, I took it for granted until I was put in a position to miss it.

As a result of being home sick, I became an active member in each one of these groups, helping them for a small time to come together for cultural festivals at our school. At one of the school functions we had an event that focused on storytelling; which brought from all the different cultures the people who were adept at telling stories about their culture. We had an African Griot, a Seminole medicine man and many other elders who came to relay stories to the many people who came to the event. The whole festival was a fun-filled educational experience but nothing was more memorable than the storytellers who kept the audience in rapture for hours. What is striking to me is that 10 or more years after the fact, I can still repeat some of those stories verbatim but I can’t say the same for all the classes that I paid massive amounts of tuition for.

The art of storytelling is very important in most cultures and I believe in all aspects of human life because it helps us to identify with others. In light of the last few articles, which were about Public Speaking and Presenting, it is important to recognize one of the most important and overlooked parts of the presentation: The Story! People need to hear the deep-rooted personal stories to connect and understand. Storytelling isn’t just for small children and libraries; it is the language of leadership; it is what makes people empathize, take action and show support. In the world of business, your story is what makes “brand You”, it makes you trust worthy and makes you an example of success. Your oral history is most likely to have more impact on someone’s perception of you or your presentation than just outlined facts; this is why word-of-mouth is still, to this day, the most successful form of marketing.

Being able to tell a story is more effective than just being able to read a story because of the imagination, emotion, and contact required of a great storyteller. What is your story? What has happened in your life that others can identify with? What do you and your audiences have in common? Being able to relate on common threads that bind us all is what forges long lasting relationships of mutual trust and support. Get in the habit of sharing your story and there is a good chance that you will live happily ever after.

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Vol_18 The Napkin Presentation

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:15:00 -0700

You are an Independent Diamond Trader! You love the program and love the product but dread the day you will actually have to explain the program to a potential protégé in a way that is simple and concise. If you are one of many who want to get on the ball with your marketing and you need an aid that can get the job done for you, we present to you the official CDT Napkin Presentation!

What is a napkin presentation? It is a one-page presentation that can literally fit on a cocktail napkin. Learn the presentation so that in a crunch you can sketch it out for someone or simply carry a few copies of this presentation with you to meet your protégé at your favorite coffee shop! Get your copy of the DTP Napkin Presentation! Watch the video to learn how to use it, then give it a try. It is one more tool that will make your marketing efforts more lucrative

Click to download.
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