Most of us have grown up aspiring to be a certain type of professional, having a certain type of career. Then, there are those whose repertoire speaks for itself, covering a wide range of professions and experiences. Captain Amit Nighot is one of them. He sits with us to share his interesting QNET journey.
Can you give us a brief background of yourself? Any previous work experience before QNET? How did you find out about QNET and why did you choose direct selling as a career?
I come from a family of five, living in a small city named Nagpur; my father is a government employee, my mother a housewife, my twin brother is a banker and my sister is a doctor. At age 19, I went to Denton, Texas, to complete my Commercial Pilot Training in aviation. After completing that, I worked in America as a commercial pilot for 3 years. My father began facing health challenges, so I decided to return to India to support my family. This happened at the height of the economic recession. Due to this, I unfortunately couldn’t get a job in India as a pilot once I was back.
I was highly disappointed that despite being a qualified pilot from the US, I could not get a job in my motherland. I had invested so much time and money into my education and it was not helping me when I needed it the most. My brother and I took matters in our hands and decided to start our own real estate company. While running this business, a friend of mine from my aviation days introduced me to QNET through its products. I loved the wellness products, I found great value for money in the health and wellness product offerings.
Once I understood the direct selling business model, I realized that it was one of the few recession-proof industries available to people like me, I saw it as a chance to start a fresh career.
What were the initial challenges when you started your direct selling business? Did you face rejections before your first successful sale? If so, how many and how did you overcome them?
In the initial days, I met with a lot of challenges. I had no experience in this industry. Since I came from a traditional background, it didn’t help much. In total I had 86 rejections before I made my first successful sale. Before I had the first member join my sales team, I had to travel to four cities – Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Those times were quite rough. However, the one thing that pushed me through the difficulties were the regular counselling sessions with my mentor, who made sure I remained focused and on track.
How long did it take for you to get your first commission cheque? Was there one important thing that kept you focused on your goal?
It took eight months of consistent hard work and tenacity to earn my first commission cheque. Coincidentally, I received my first cheque on the last day of QNET’s annual convention, V-Malaysia, in 2013. It was also the first time I had attended the convention, and it turned out to be the most memorable one for me.
I would say that the one thing that kept me going in the face of challenges was hope and positive mindset. After each counselling session with my mentor and in moments where I was contemplating on this venture, I told myself, “I have made the right choice. This will work out soon.”
Can you describe your life before and after QNET? What were some of the life-changing moments at QNET?
Before I joined QNET, my life was all about “what next”. There was a lot of uncertainty. It felt like I was just surviving from project to project. When I was living in the US, I wasn’t able to spend much time with my family. Once I moved back and began working on my real estate business, things were still tough and it was difficult to find quality time with my family. I felt like I was constantly trying to figure things out.
Even after I started my journey with QNET, I didn’t encounter any overnight change. Things were still difficult for the first two years. I realized that this business requires commitment and consistency to succeed. I finally had my turning point in my fourth year. I had built a strong foundation and was confident about the sustainability of my business in the long term. I started making incremental lifestyle changes. I bought my dream bike, the Harley Davidson Street 750. I took my family on an international vacation for the first time. I started travelling in business class.
Today, my life has become all about travelling to different places to support my team and getting paid for it. As a QNET network marketer, your profession is all about travelling, networking and selling products. Through this journey, we meet with a lot of different people, share opportunities and make money together by helping each other. That’s what makes these people family. I am living my dream! Even though my first dream to make a career in aviation as Captain Amit did not work out, I’m so grateful that I found a different avenue and achieved my dream life better than I could have imagined.
The direct selling industry is very fast-paced. How do you manage your work deadlines and maintain a healthy work-life balance?
It’s all about your planning your day in advance. For me, I learnt the Sphere of Silence technique from Dato Sri Vijay Eswaran, which works great. In this industry, you have to be very careful in where and how you spend your time. If you just wake up and start running with no clear direction, you may as well be running on a treadmill. That’s what happens when you don’t have a clear plan of action; it stunts your progress and wastes your time in whatever it is you’re doing.
How important is teamwork in direct selling? What do you do to ensure your team members are happy, satisfied and working to the best of their capabilities?
In direct selling, teamwork is everything, especially if you want to build a long-term, sustainable business with a reliable network. For me, in order for my team to be satisfied and do their best, I have to prioritize their dreams and their goals over my own. Our personal goals have to co-exist, but that comes second to the team’s well-being. I find that building trespass in a team helps us push each other to our best capacity. The business has to be understood and shared as a culture, wherein we can support and at the same time challenge each other to do better.
How do you deal with rejections?
Instead of seeing it as a setback, I see rejections as stepping stones for the bigger and better success up ahead. They are our best teachers; there’s always a good lesson that you can learn from them. When someone turns me down, I don’t get stressed or demoralized. Instead, I like to confuse them with a smile. I do it to show that although their decision is not what I wanted to hear, I still respect that it has to do with them, not me, and I bear no ill will.
In direct selling, following professional practices while doing business is of utmost importance. Do you have any advice on how to practice professional marketing in direct selling?
1) Speak the truth
2) Do your business with pride.
I think the only way of running a business professionally is by setting up your expectations for the best outcome in the beginning of the journey. You have to wholeheartedly believe that this is a good decision, and that it will bring positive results for both parties. If you don’t believe in this, how will you help someone else? Once this is established, then we share the same goal in our minds and can work together towards it.
Can you share some interesting lessons from working in the direct selling industry and in QNET?
One of the best lessons I learnt is that you alone bear the responsibility of your own actions and efforts. I always say that direct selling is less about making money and more about a way of life, so live it to the fullest. There is a lot to explore and learn when we work on ourselves instead of pointing fingers at others.
Do you have a routine for success?
I always begin my day on a positive note. I have pictures of all my dreams hanging in my bedroom, so that as soon as I open my eyes, I see my family and I can envision the life I want for us. It’s a daily reminder for me to do my best in all that I do, which keeps me going and gives me purpose.
Any success tips for young entrepreneurs who are looking to join the direct selling industry?
Well, again, 1) Speak the truth, and 2) Be a good person. These are the most important tips that you must follow. Don’t worry about “building the business”; first you have to build yourself. Focus on how you can become your best self while enjoying your work. When you love what you do, the money will follow.
