Are you frustrated that your business “leaders” are not building, let alone leading?
Do you find yourself spinning plates at the end of the month, trying to get people to place orders needed for you to qualify for matrix or rank bonuses?
Do you struggle to get your leaders to engage in the business?
The way you build your business is what causes all these challenges. You are probably managing your team, rather than leading them.
Your Team Is an All-Volunteer Army
Before I explain how to lead your team, let’s dig into some ways you may be managing them: (Check all that apply to the way YOU build your business.)
- Calling team members to remind them to put orders in on the last day of the month
- Telling them to have weekly mentoring or coaching calls with you
- Reminding them to come to your business training class or Zoom training calls
- Pushing them to go to conventions and other events
- Holding them accountable to things even if they didn’t ask to held accountable
- Telling them how they should build and structure their business
- Placing orders within their leg to create structural or rank bonuses
- Enrolling and placing people on their teams and then making feel guilty them to build since they are making money because of what you did for them
Can you think of any other examples from your own business? Examples would include things you:
- Tell them to do
- Push them to do
- Do it yourself “for” them
Most of the time, your motive for taking these steps is to move their business along the path you want it to move.
If you haven’t already seen the pattern, all the above things are all about you and your success and your desires. It is NOT about how your leaders will benefit.
The last list was sort of a trick question. Sure, they might get bonus, but many times, your REAL motive is to get your personal bonus.
Why isn’t managing your team effective? Because your team is an all-volunteer army! You are not paying them a salary to work for you and do what you want. The reality is that you work for them, especially when you are getting them started! Your goal should be to empower them to be self-sufficient business builders so that you won’t have to bug them every month to “do their part” to earn their bonuses. You will receive your time back many times over in the long run.
Lead them, don’t manage them!
The leaders in my business only call when they have a question or are trying to solve a problem. I don’t have to call them weekly or monthly to push them to do things. They see the value in solving most of the issues on their own. That’s how I have so much time these days to create things like this book, my courses, my apps, and other projects.
Make It About Them!
The acronym WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me?” It comes from the perspective of others when you are talking with them personally, or texting, emailing, or messaging them. If they don’t see the value for themselves in most of the communications, they will probably stop picking up the phone or answering the texts, emails, and messages. Have you ever been ghosted by one or more of your team members? If they are still alive, they probably realized that the messages from you didn’t benefit them, and after a while, they decided to spend time with others who did provide value or friendship for them. It is not that they don’t like you, but they’re busy people, just like you. Have you ever noticed when YOU have ghosted someone else? Maybe you stopped picking up the phone, answering texts or messages, or contributing to their Facebook wall. If you are honest with yourself, you’ll realize it is because you didn’t see the value in doing so.
We are all busy people and our free time is valuable, so we become gatekeepers to other people trying to access our time. If you want to shift things so that people start communicating with you and maybe even start building again, then you get to begin leading them, not managing them, since the goal of leading is for you to GIVE them value, not receive it.
So, how do you lead them? By inspiring them to want to do it themselves.
Leadership is about providing value to them and not the other way around. They will be more interested in connecting with you if they feel you care about them, and in turn, they will care about you.
Head vs. Heart
Did you notice I used words like, feel, and care above? These are words of the heart, rather than the head. Words like think, right, fair, and accountable are “head” words, which can get in the way of developing relationships.
Remember that MLMs are relationship-businesses. Both parts are required, and if you forget the relationship component, your business will suffer.
Letting your team know you care about them could include things like these:
- Girls’ or guys’ night out with NO talk about the business
- Send them a personalized card IN THE MAIL letting them know how much you value having them in your life
- Leaving a voicemail, text, message, or email just thanking them for being your friend
- Sending them thoughtful random gift in the mail
- Posting something nice about them in your Facebook group (recognition goes a long ways)
- Sending or giving them a birthday card or small gift
- Taking them out for lunch when they accomplish something that was important to them
Many distributors tend to focus almost exclusively on the business side of things, especially those who are on a fast track to one rank or another. Can you think of some nice relationship-building activities you could do to inspire your team?
Now, add some of these to your calendar to remind you to follow through with it. If you need help, you could use our SimpleConnector mobile app to schedule reminders to complete these activities.
If you inspire your team members by letting them know how much you care for them, value them, and are available to help them out, they will want to associate with you, and they will follow you to the ends of the earth supporting your dreams too.
What would you like to do now? Review Secret #1 Build A People-Centric Business or Learn Secret #3 – Build FAST!?
