Keeping your direct sales team motivated is not always easy.

It can be discouraging and frustrating to have people join your direct sales team that seem excited and energized only to have them fall off the face of the earth.  I have always loved to motivate and train people. In my past experiences in management, I have picked up on a few things that work  for motivating a team no matter what kind of team you are working with.

There are consultants that not matter what you do, you just won’t be able to light their spark and get them excited about their journey. Usually it boils down to the fact that they have false expectations of how their new business was going to take shape. For this reason, one of my tips focuses on motivating team members before they even sign up to be a consultant.

Here are a few ways that you can get your direct sales team motivated, engaged and excited about their direct sales business.

First and foremost, interview every potential consultant before they join your team. This means meeting with them either by phone, Skype, in person, Facebook chat or by email. One way or another, someone inquiring about the business should not just be given the instructions on how to join. Time and time again people will email me and ask me how to join my team. As easy as it would be to just send them instructions in an email and watch to see their name in my workstation, it is disappointing to watch the stats and see that people who join this way are not retained.

If a potential recruit emails me about how to join, I usually reply with an email or voice mail that says, “I am so excited you are inquiring about Scentsy. I would love to hear all about you. How did you find me or what do you love about Scentsy? Please email me back with why you think you want to start your own business or a great time for us to chat so you can really get an idea of what your own Scentsy business entails.”

Now some may say that I could lose team members doing things this way but I find that when I haven’t done this in the past and just told people how to join, they get their their kit and I never hear from them again. What happens when someone takes the time to email or call me back shows their commitment and dedication to what they are doing. Having a conversation allows a consultant to invest in a new recruit in vice versa. A relationship is built. A new consultant trusts her sponsor and will feel more comfortable communicating highs and lows during the first 90 days.

The first 90 days we know as leaders is crucial. Now imagine if a pre-joining conversation never happens. Do you think a new consultant would call her sponsor to say she was having personal problems? Do you think she would email with questions, frustrations or fears? Probably not. And because she has no support……you guessed it, she quits her business. You never hear from her again.

To Keep your Direct Sales team motivated, you must absolutely have weekly meetings or at least a monthly one. If you can get together with your team, it brings you closer together. This gives your team a safe place for them to bond, ask questions and be honored for their successes. Now as much as I feel an in person meeting is beneficial, I am more of a fan of virtual meeting whether it be by phone conference or webinar. I might also go as far as saying, I personally lean towards liking virtual meetings more than in person meetings.

These meetings must be the same time and day of week every single week. Consistency is the key. Having random meetings where people have to try to remember how to call, where to log on pretty much guarantees you will have little engagement for your team meetings.

Since picking a time, a platform, and a day of the week for our Wickless Sparklers team meetings, our engagement has continued to grow, team members talk and chat during the meetings, friendships have transpired and our team members definitely look forward to every Tuesday night wondering what I have in store for them.

Post in your Facebook group in the morning the link or conference call number to your meeting, post again in the afternoon and definitely send a group text to your front line reminding them to get their team on the calls. Group texting your front line only allows them to take responsibility for their team as well so that they can learn how to also motivate their teams.

Definitely start a Facebook Group Page for your direct sales team. Our team Facebook page is where the magic happens. It is where we have become a family. No matter if you have been with Scentsy for 3 years or 3 days you are considered a sister from the time we say Welcome.  You must must must as a leader stay engaged with the team. Be available to answer any question that is posted on the page.

All my Facebook messages are pushed to my phone and my team knows that I am available to help them with their business whenever they  need me. This shows them that I am extremely dedicated to their success. If I know I will not be available, I let another director know and I tell team members who they can call for help. When a team knows they can rely on their Director, the entire dynamic of the team changes. They become dedicated to their businesses, they become dedicated to you. People are busy. When they know they can go to our Facebook page for ANY answers they need quickly, the team becomes stronger and stronger.  I DO NOT believe that a team stays strong when a Director disappears from their Facebook page. Whether you are training your front line or your team grows to 12,000 I believe strongly in staying engaged and cheering on each and every consultant who is engaged and motivated in their business even if it is a simple “liking of a post”.

 Get personal with your team. Get involved in your teams businesses, in their lives. When you act like some random person that your team will never meet or act like some perfect leaders who never makes mistakes, people on your team will start comparing themselves to you. They think you are a perfect director and that they could never possibly be like you. They think  that you couldn’t possibly have personal issues or issues with your businesses.

When things are less than perfect, I don’t give my team all of the details but I definitely let them know that there are things going on if I don’t seem like myself. Every single time rather than judging me or treating me like a “bad director’ they have supported me, embraced me and motivated me to do better. You will not always be a perfect leader. You will make mistakes, you will take wrong turns, fill your team in so that they can travel the journey with you. Trust me it will bring you INSTANTLY CLOSER.

I tell me team never ever to fear coming to me when they need to take a break or when something is going on. When consultants go inactive, if they do not feel comfortable coming to you, you run the risk of NEVER hearing from them again. They become embarrassed to start up again. As I said in the beginning, when they are dedicated the entire dynamic changes.

 RECOGNIZE! RECOGNIZE! RECOGNIZE! That is enough said right there but name dropping many times is all it takes. Give praise when someone has ideas, drop names constantly during your meetings. Recognize in the newsletter, on Facebook, on calls. Any where you can! When people are a part of something and they know the people in the group know who they are, they want more and that means working their business to achieve that.

Find out what motivates them – Go back to the first conversation and remember why the consultant got involved in direct sales in the first place? Ask them to write it down for you again. Have them email it to you.  Whenever they are feeling less than inspired because sales are sluggish, remind them of the reason they started their own business in the first place.

Give incentives – Maybe “give” was the wrong word. Pose a weekly team challenge. One of the best incentives I do that my team love is right in the middle of my webinar. I have them email me 4 questions they have and I pick a random number and tell them that numbered email wins whatever gift I have to give that week. They love it and it really motivates them to get on the training EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

Keeping your Direct Sales Team Motivated-It all boils down to you.

Currently on our team Facebook page, the buzz is amazing. There is a vibe like non other. Our engagement is up and we are closer than ever. You must create the spirit of your team. Keeping your Direct Sales Team Motivated lies with you and solely you. It boils down to your spirit, your excitement and your participation. If your spirit isn’t filled with fun, excitement, joy and passion well then your team will follow suit, but if  you are boiling over with EXCITEMENT and Passion Every single week, well you will see some amazing things happen. Keeping your Direct Sales Team Motivated isn’t as hard as it seems, you just have to invest in your team. Be consistent and dedicated and you will get the same in return. Try these ideas and let me know how they work.

Are you not a Scentsy consultant yet? Ready to join me and start your own Scentsy business? Join here at my Scentsy website & then my team page get daily inspiration, monthly training webinars & a whole lot of GIRLBOSS MOTIVATION– a kick butt community where hundred of Scentsy consultants come together to support each other!