Believe it or not, aside from the abundance of information you can find online to help build your side hustle, whether that’s direct sales, or online influencer, there isn’t much to read about in regards to what NOT to do. Yes, I love the hundreds of lists I found when I first started in this industry of everything that I should do when I wanted to begin sharing the business opportunity but just as important that every consultant should know are what you should never do.
Sometimes in this business, we have to focus on the negative in order to be educated and know what works and what does not. There are some things that will quite frankly make an online influencer look desperate or create that “sales person” cloud over them. The key is to build relationships, to be authentic and show a person what this business could actually provide them. 15 years ago, when I got started in this industry, I had no idea how it would change my life. That piece of it and my story is what needs to be focused on when you share the opportunity instead of the following:
1. Offering a prize or free product to join your team.
Dangling a carrot in front of a potential new team member or bribing them is probably one of the worst ways to build your business. Using this tactic will create a team list that is pretty much non existent.
Think about it. Everyone loves free merchandise and you really want a team full of people who only joined to get free stuff? Most starter kits are incredible and has more than enough to get the average person going. When you offer more than the already discounted merchandise, it can give the illusion that our starter kit isn’t good enough on its own.
You need to get out of the mind set that you have to keep offering more and more to join your business. You need to believe in the company, your products and especially the starter kit. You don’t need to defend the cost. It is the perfect price point and you don’t need to defend the contents. It is an incredible mixture of everything a new business owner needs. Offering freebies also sends the message that you don’t have anything beyond the starter kit to offer and truly might as well be a blinking neon sign of low self confidence when it comes to your business.
I often have the conversation with consultants about offering freebies or worse paying for someone’s kit. When people are not invested in their own business, they do not take it seriously and I can promise you, what you will end up with is a team list that you are constantly banging your head against the wall trying to motivate them.
2. Telling a potential team member, “Will you join my team? I only need three more people to qualify for X incentive.
This mentality is just down right awful if you want to be considered a true leader in your company and this industry. The “whats in it for me” mentality will NEVER put you ahead in your business and a sponsoring tactic that is seen as just selfish. We are in this business yes for our goals and dreams but those will come when we help others reach their goals and dreams.
3. Its the last day of the sale
Of course we all want to urge people to commit but when you push to hard and call everyone you have ever talked to every day with the “its the last day of the incentive” every time you speak to them about the business, you will begin to ask yourself why people are avoiding you like the plague.
You need to plant seeds, have conversations and watch those relationships bloom and grow. When you act like everyone better hurry now to join you, it gives the impression that you and the company won’t be around for a while. Fact is when you share your opportunity with people, they will probably say no on the first try. They will however, stalk your Facebook page for months just to see if you stick with it, if the company sticks around and truly if you actually do anything with your business.
It is no secret that many give up after 3 months. You want to create a no pressure zone. Share what you have to offer but give them room to breath. If you constantly push people to the point where they finally say yes just to get you off their back, then you have literally twisted their arm and if they start before they are ready…….well let’s just say you will waste your time training someone whose heart was never into it and will probably drop off quite quickly. People need to start when they are ready.
I keep a sponsoring notebook. On each page of the notebook, I list someone I have spoke with about the business. On each line, I note when I have spoke to that person, sent them a card, a Facebook page or had any correspondence with them. I never take them out of my notebook until one of two things happen. They either say no I will never join, leave me alone or they have a new designer number.
What Sponsoring Tactics DO work?
In 15 years, I don’t think I have ever literally called or contacted anyone and said, “Will you join my team?” I just make sure people know what I am doing and how my business has changed my life.
People will ask what you are doing. I always tell my team, forget sponsoring tactics. When you learn how to have conversations where you can intertwine your business into the conversation, you will grow your business by leaps and bounds.
If someone says how are you today? Answer honestly. ie: “Doing great, just trying to get these new catalogs and join brochures out in the mail”. People will always ask questions. They will want to know what catalogs. Truth is we all love to look at catalogs. Get really good at making the conversation just flow. Plant the seed, water it and watch it grow. It is a little awkward to do at first because we are so conditioned to SELL our opportunity but when you shift from the sale to sharing, you will see a significant change in your team numbers.
Its all in the tone when it comes to sponsoring
Practice! Really practice. As I said above when you get really good at just having a conversation instead of push marketing you will glow with confidence. When you get really good at your tone and giving off the impression that you don’t need a person to join but you want them to because you know it will change THEIR life, everything changes. Its a weird shift but read this post a few times and practice. When the light bulb goes off and you get it, comment below because its an amazing feeling when you go from desperation to knowing you have an amazing opportunity to share.
