Today, I’d like to share 27 simple things you can do to help your MLM Team. If you get nothing else out of this article, remember that network marketing is a sponsoring and teaching business. Our job is to teach people to teach people to teach people.
We are no one’s boss, mother, father, counselor, or priest. Instead, we are their coach. We are their trainer. We are there to encourage them. By doing the 27 things mentioned below, there is no doubt in my mind you will help your MLM Team more than most network marketers do.
27 Ways to Help Your MLM Team
Before I share these tips with you, keep this in mind. You cannot make anyone successful in network marketing. Each person is their own CEO and is responsible for their own success. However, you do have an important role in each person’s success. It’s your job to be the coach and set the example and it’s their job to follow your lead and do what you teach them.
# 1: Never do something for someone they should do themselves.
The last thing you want is a bunch of people DEPENDENT on you. Your job is to show people what to do, but it’s their job to do it. Do not enable people. Ideally, your goal is to get people independent of you as quickly as possible, within 90-days or less. If everyone is 100% dependent on you, this business sucks!
# 2: Lead by example and do the things you want your team to do.
Leading your team is like being a parent. You can tell them what to do until the cows come home, but ultimately, your job is to be a good example. Do the things you want them to do. Set the example so high that even if they do 1/10th of what you do, you will be happy their results.
# 3: Be patient with everyone you work with.
People learn and grow at different speeds. Don’t be bossy or impatient with people. Most people already have a boss at work and at home. They don’t want another boss. Each person you will work with is different. Keep that in mind as you help them.
# 4: Never push your team to do more with the business than they want to.
The last thing you want to do is pressure people out of the business because they aren’t as committed as you are or aren’t performing as well as you do. Find out your team member’s goal and help them reach their goals, whatever it might be. Be patient with people.
# 5: Put the relationship first and treat everyone with respect.
This business is a business of relationships. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. If you want people to stay, treat them well. Long-term relationships equal long-term money in our industry. People are less likely to quit on a friend.
# 6: Help each person make their name’s list and sponsor their first two people.
One of the best ways to help your MLM Team is to help them make their name’s list and sign up their first few people. This will help build up their belief in the business, get them a quick result, and allow them to have a great success story they can share with their prospects.
# 7: Encourage each person to get on auto-ship, so they can have a favorable product experience.
It’s important to get your team members on auto-ship. No one earns money if no one buys the products. You want to help your team member build up their belief in the products so they have a good testimonial they can share with others. The only way to build up your belief in the products is to use them. Teach people to be their own best customer.
# 8: Encourage your team members to work on their personal development as much as possible.
This is a business of personal development with a compensation plan attached to it. Encourage personal development in your team. Have a Book of the Month Club. Share helpful videos and podcasts that teach new skills and personal development.
# 9: Promote events and encourage your team to attend every event.
Network marketing is an event driven business. All successful MLM Reps attend events. That is a fact. Your job as a sponsor is to promote the next event and get as many people as possible to attend. Events give people social proof about the business. Events are where people make the decision to build a business.
# 10: Look for the good in people.
I have flaws. So do you. Everyone does. On the flip side of that coin, everyone also has good things about them. It’s your job to identify those good things and remind people of the good things you see in them.
# 11: Treat everyone like you would your best friend.
If you want people to stay, treat them well. No one will tolerate a boss, bully, or jerk. This is a volunteer Army. If you don’t treat people well, there is a high likelihood they will leave (and rightfully so).
# 12: Work deep underneath your team members.
Focus on taprooting. Spend more time helping the people your personally sponsored person signs up. Work in depth. This creates growth, stability, and momentum in their team, which grows their check (and yours). It also helps anchor them in the business because of the fear of loss.
# 13: Instill a sense of urgency into every team member you work with.
Most people join our industry and dabble with it. They do not take their business seriously because they do not have much money invested in it. Show people the possibilities of what the business offers and encourage them to “get serious” about their business right out the gate. Ensure they understand how critical their first 90-days in the business are.
# 14: Share the ENTIRE story with your team members.
Don’t make the mistake of just talking about the products, or the little money, or the big money. Talk about all THREE of these things so people can decide which avenue they want to pursue. If you don’t show people ALL of their choices, you have failed them as their sponsor.
# 15: Share your VISION whenever you can.
If you want to help your MLM Team, share your vision with them whenever possible. Talk about the future. Discuss where you see the business headed in the next few years. Talk about growth and trends.
# 16: Get your team members dreaming.
I learned this skill during my time in Amway. Without a dream, the how does not matter. People need to know WHY they are doing the business or they will NEVER build a big business. Without a why, you will give up when you experience setbacks, failure, and disappointment.
# 17: Speak belief into people whenever you can.
Many people in your team do not believe in themselves. Your job is to look for the good in people and speak belief into them, until they eventually believe in themselves.
# 18: Spend time together having fun. Teams that play together stay together.
Have fun whenever you can. Go bowling with your team. Go to the movies. Have a cookout. Get together and do fun things at least once or twice a month.
# 19: Create a team culture so strong that people want to stay even if they stop doing the business.
Develop a culture where people are recognized, encouraged, and appreciated. These are some of the greatest human needs. With a strong team culture, your team will stay together and grow stronger. Without one, you won’t be in business long.
# 20: Teach your team members how to set goals.
Goal setting is important if you want to succeed in life and business. If you want to help your MLM Team, teach them how to set written goals for their business. Do goal setting workshops at least twice per year.
# 21: Have a simple system that everyone can follow.
Businesses that rely on people rarely work; however, businesses that rely on systems typically succeed. The system is the solution. Develop, use, and teach a simple system for everyone on your team. If people choose to deviate from that system, that’s on them, but you do need something for the average person to follow.
# 22: Have a standardized getting started training.
Take some time and create a getting started training video or a getting started manual for your new reps. You want every rep in your team to receive the same getting started training. The only way to make that happen is if you (or your upline) has a standardized version for everyone to follow.
# 23: Conduct a quality enrollment with everyone you sign up.
One of your most important rolls as a sponsor is to conduct a quality enrollment with your new reps. Walk them through how to order, how to navigate the back office, a brief compensation plan overview, etc. Another part of this process is finding out their 20 reasons why and helping them make their name’s list.
# 24: Teach your team members how to “sell” the products.
Retailing is important. Everyone needs to maintain at least two to ten retail customers at all times. No one has to be a retailing rock star, but everyone needs to know how to find and keep a few customers. Teach basic salesmanship skills whenever you can.
# 25: Encourage each team member to be a network marketing professional.
If you want to help your MLM Team, you must instill in them that (1) this is a business, (2) and a profession. Do not teach people to think of this as a little part-time side hustle. Encourage them to act as if they have one million dollars invested in their business. Teach people to think BIG.
# 26: Teach the basic network marketing skills.
Eric Worre talks about the 7 core network marketing skills in his book Go Pro. I encourage you to give everyone you work with a copy of that book. Teach those basic skills over and over and over. Repetition is the best teacher. By teaching these basic skills, you are at least giving your team members a shot at success.
# 27: Provide a balance of training and motivation.
I’ve found that most network marketing companies and trainers do one or the other. They are either really good at motivating the troops or they are really good at skills training. Keep in mind this business is at least 90 to 95 percent attitude and mindset and just 5 percent skills. Make sure your training includes a combination of motivation and skills training.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, if you follow these 27 tips you will help your MLM Team. None of this is rocket science. Most of these things are easy to do and they are easy not to do. I hope you will start implementing some of these things in your own team.
What are your thoughts? What do you do to help your MLM Team? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
All of these are great points and I totally agree.
I also like how you stressed that you should help your new distributors sponsor someone new within their first week, when they’re still excited and hyped up. This is something I had never really heard or thought of but it makes perfect sense!
Very good post Chuck. I really am happy your number 1 item is teaching how to retail. So many network marketers are taught to sponsor and sponsor more, whereas it takes the products or services selling to keep the MLM growing strong. In many cases, a person can earn more money by retailing anyway. Starting off, a network marketer should search for customers primarily. This will give them the inspiration to not quit.
You also mentioned having them make a business plan. That is also very important.
I don’t think anyone should try and recruit people until they have at least 10-20 personal customers.