(1 Nephi 18:1)
Belgium/Netherlands Mission
WORKING
SMARTER-SPECIFICS
The
December 2012 Zone Conference focused on working smarter. The premise is, working
smarter using effective methods while finding and teaching, will greatly
improve our opportunity for success. Our
work is too long and hard fought just to waste opportunities to obtain
progressing investigators. Most
companionships are already working hard and working hard is important to
continue. Thomas Edison said:
“Opportunity is missed by most
people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas
Edison
Working smarter includes the following points surrounding
the processes we use to find and teach, work with investigators and our
attitude. We need to become real good at
what we do because it is the only thing we have control over.
Process – Finding and Teaching:
· Post the written stake mission plan and/or your
ward mission plan in apartments and follow the plans.
· Shelf Life usually follows the half-life rule;
every day that goes by, people who expressed interest of any level are half as
likely to still want to hear your message.
When people say you may come back or give other indications that they
may be interested, get back soon.
· The conversion process is much like a belt in
an assembly line. Do you put people on
the belt at the first contact; then don’t go back while looking for someone
else to put on the belt? It takes too
much work to find new people. Contact
them frequently once they show interest.
· Not all who get baptized are golden at
first. Most are not. Many baptisms started out with a “somewhat
interested” which grew into “conversion.”
Therefore, “You may come back sometime, even though I am not
interested,” could be golden. Don’t give
up on them and go looking for someone else.
Calling back on them is better use of your time than cold, door knocking
with mostly flint hard response of “Not interested.”
· Are you ever sick and have an appointment? The variable is never to miss the
appointment. You have many alternative
options: call the District Leader or
Zone Leader, Assistants to go in your stead, go sick if it’s not too bad,
change the appointment, etc. Never just
not show up. Be professional and have
integrity.
· Always do the area book before 4:00 pm. Be out with the people after 4:00 pm
· Look for opportunities and do service. Earn some dinner appointments with non-members. Try to also do something for the next door
neighbor who is watching you do your service project.
· Leave when you get the win, the spirit is strong;
you leave an impact this way.
· Train to help units in Apeldoorn and Rotterdam
to develop their own 1 point plan in the Wards and Branches.
· Review the Mission Plan document distributed at
Zone Conference outlining our intent to follow the Stake, Ward or District
Plans. Follow this. If asked to talk about missionary work or the
missionary plan, then follow this document.
Working with Investigators:
· Teach them faith to be baptized. At some early point in their investigation, they
don’t need to know more. That comes all
their lives.
· Baptism is an act of faith. The miracle of a witness comes after the
faith. (Ether 12:6)
· They grow in faith with spiritual
experiences. Visit them daily so they
may feel the spirit.
· Track commitments they need to live
· If they keep commitments they will gain
testimonies
· Know your top 10 contacts. The people on the list may change daily. New contacts may jump to the top of the list,
but be aware of who is your top 10.
· Prioritize your investigators, Your day’s
activities should support the Top 10.
· Plan for people not lessons. Ask yourself what they need to do, not so
much as what they need to learn
· Use baptism questions to focus weekly and daily
planning and preparation. Conversion
doesn’t have to be complex.
· Train for continuity in teaching process
· Follow up on promises made by investigators
Positive Attitude:
Have high expectations – believe in what you are doing and
your ultimate success (clean to the bone).
Keep a positive, upbeat, enthusiastic and passionate attitude.
Eliminate self-limiting beliefs. Over life’s experiences, you make-up self-limiting
beliefs to help you cope with life. Eventually,
those beliefs run your life and you forget that you made them up in the first
place.
Alibis mean nothing.
Do not use them. Everything is
based on results. Break the mentality of, you are not having success because of
outside factors. Realize you, alone, are
responsible for all your results, all of the time. Be brutally accountable for
this with yourself.
Always ask: “What am
I doing to create these results in my life?”
Never allow: “This
isn’t working for me because _____”, if the reasons you list are not your own
actions.
Never allow: “It is
not me, it is the ___ that is causing my lack of success.”
If you see yourself as a victim, by definition, you do not
have power to change your circumstances.
On the other hand, if you see yourself as accountable for everything in
your life, then by definition, you have the power to change your
situation. The Lord will bless you, but
I am convinced He expects you to do all in our power to have the success you
desire.
If you act enthusiastic you will be enthusiastic. Therefore act: enthused, excited, energetic,
optimistic, hustle, friendly. Burn this
self-image into your definition of who you are.
Hate negativism or caustic slant or doubt. This spreads fast. Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as
they make up their minds to be.”
Just go to work. Increase
your intensity in executing the work.
Become addicted to the pursuit of conversions.
President
Robinson
