Today, I want to educate you about preparing your new MLM Distributors for success in the business. As a sponsor, you have an obligation to train, motivate and help your team. That’s your most important role as a sponsor.
Of course, you don’t have an obligation to build their business for them, but you need to make sure they have the knowledge, information, motivation, and tools they need to succeed.
In the paragraphs below, I want to give you a few tips to help you prepare your new MLM distributors for success in the business.
# 1 Defining Their Why – One of the most important things you should do as a sponsor is to help people determine their WHY. Sit down with them and help them clearly identify WHY they are doing the business and what they want to get out of it. Knowing this information can really help you be a better sponsor. When they are down and out you can remind them of their why and keep them in the game longer. Try to get your new team members to write down their WHY into a simple two or three sentence statement. Get a copy of it if you can!
# 2 Setting Goals – Another way to prepare your new MLM Distributors for success is to help them set goals and create an action plan. Since you know their WHY, you can help them set business goals and come up with a business plan for their network marketing business. Make sure they write these goals down on paper, and if they are comfortable doing so, have them give you a copy of their goals. I’ve found that people who know their WHY and have clear, written goals are less likely to quit the business.
# 3 Realistic Expectations – One of your biggest responsibilities as a sponsor is to give your people realistic expectations for the business. You can’t promise them overnight success or instant riches, without doing the work. As a good rule of thumb, here is what I recommend you teach your team. One year of working the business five to ten hours a week, every week, to get profitable. Two or more years of consistent work to make ,000 per month and three to five years of consistent work to build up a six figure income. Yes, some people will do this faster, and others slower, but I think you should let them know what to expect and tell them that individual results will always vary.
# 4 Dealing with Rejection – You have to prepare your new team members for rejection. You have to understand that most people that join the business have never owned a business before, and they’ve never done sales before. You should let them know that most people they share the opportunity with will not join, and that this business is a numbers game. You have to tell them their friends and family will be critical of them. Teach them not to take the rejection personally and explain that for every NO they get they are one step closer to a YES. It would be in your best interest to do some training about dealing with rejection.
# 5 Tools and Systems – Another thing you should do with your new reps is to teach them about the importance of tools and systems. Share with them the business tools you use to build the business and tell them where they can get access to those tools. You should do the same thing with your systems. Let them know the system you use to build the business and explain how it works and what they need to do. The sooner you can get them plugged in the better off you will be.
# 6 Upline – If at all possible, you want to introduce your new team members to your sponsor and your sponsor’s sponsor. You might find that they connect with one of these folks even better than they do with you. If you sponsor a serious person, but the two of you don’t connect well, you definitely want to get them plugged in to one your successful upline distributors.
# 7 Frequent Communication – During their first 90 days in the business, you want to chat with your new team members at least once a week. You don’t want them to feel lonely and abandoned. I teach my team to call me when they need help, but I also realize that the first 90 days are critical in anyone’s business. If at all possible, send an email or give a call to your new team members at least once a week during their first 90 days in the business.
# 8 Conference Calls – You want to get your newest team member listening to your upline’s training calls and the company’s calls. This will give your newest distributors training and motivation and improve the odds of them sticking around and building a business. Give them a list with the phone numbers, times and dates of all the upcoming calls.
# 9 Reading Program – If at all possible, you want to get your new team members on a reading program. Give a copy of your favorite MLM Book to your newest team member as a getting started gift. If I could credit one thing to my success in the industry it would definitely be reading.
#10 Using the Products – The final thing I can recommend for your new team members is to get them using the products. The sooner you can get them on auto-ship, or just to place an order, the better off you will be. The products help build belief in the business. It will give your team members a story they can share with their prospects. If they don’t use the products, they will not build a business.
Final Thoughts
In summary, these are my top 10 tips on helping your new MLM Distributors get started in their network marketing business. What are your thoughts? What is your favorite tip on my list? What do you do to get your new team members started? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts and best tips.
*** This is part of a mini-series of Mark Yarnell quotes. Read the original post.
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
Goal setting and the establishment of realistic expectations are a must. My grandfather always used to tell me that there is no way you can get somewhere unless you know exactly how you are going to get there. Helping a person establish their goals and develop a plan for how to get there is a good thing to do as a leader. It is also of significant importance that your team understands what is to come so their expectations are not too high and so they don’t get disappointed and quit.
You definitely need a road map or game plan if you want to be successful.
I think that all of these are good tips. Perhaps the most important (which also encompasses some of the others) is to help your recruits have realistic expectations (number 3). I believe that the more common reasons people quit MLM is that they have unrealistic expectations about the amount of work that is involved in running/owning an MLM, the the time that it will take to become profitable or successful. If you can set those expectations realistically from the start, it may help you avoid a lot of turnover in your team.
Couldn’t agree more. It takes time to build a business and you need to let your new team members know that.
You posted some great tips here Chuck!
I feel that #1 on the list should be using the products. If they know the products and like them, they are much easier to sell, because the excitement will show. I am also a huge fan of reading as you know. I am in total agreement to passing along great motivational books to aide them in their MLM business. Last, but never least, dealing with rejection can be one of the hardest chores. Some people take rejection very personal. As the leader, you need to explain how rejection is part of every business. It is something a business person needs to accept.
Using the products should be # 1. I agree.
You had also mentioned setting objectives and goals, along with realistic expectations. I believe these two tips go hand-in-hand. Sometimes we set just super unrealistic goals that cannot be reached. When we don’t reach them, we blame the MLM or our sponsor and quit. As a sponsor, I believe in being honest. If a prospect is setting a goal that seems unreasonable, we should point that out with and explanation. It is part of the sponsoring process. Don’t give them false dreams.
Being objective and honest with folks is the only way to go.