Encouraging Your Direct Sales Team through Coaching
As a direct sales consultant, you know that one of the most important ways to grow your business is to build your downline and help them build their businesses. When your team members are successful and add to their teams, you all reap the benefits.
There are a number of ways to help your downline grow, but one of the easiest ways is to coach them. Coaching is where you encourage and train your team to do what’s right and what will grow their businesses.
One of the most important things you need to do when you’re coaching your team is to continually communicate with them. You can stay in contact with them via email, instant messenger, mail, or the telephone.
Set a daily or weekly time for communication and stick to it as often as you can. If you communicate via email or snail mail, you won’t have to worry about the time, but instant messenger and the phone do require a specific time so you know your team members will be there when you’re ready to meet.
Another thing to consider when you’re coaching your team is to regularly offer training. Training is one of the best ways for your team to grow and succeed. Offer training once a week and cover something different each week. Ask your team what they need help with, what they want to learn, and what will help them grow then offer training on those subjects.
Team meetings are another important aspect of coaching. Have your team attend the meeting each week and bring a list of things they accomplished in the prior week as well as what they plan to accomplish in the coming week. Consider holding this meeting on Monday morning. When you keep it at the beginning of the week your team will start their week nice and fresh and ready to go.
Something else to keep in mind is either attending a presentation by each team member, or calling during the presentation so you can help them with any mistakes they may be making. You can also suggest things to make their presentations even better. It’s not easy to have others tell us what we’re doing wrong, but it’s the only way to grow and improve our skills. When done with kindness and a sincere desire to help, your team members will more easily understand and accept your constructive criticism with the right attitude.
Taking your team to the next level will require encouragement from you more than anything else. Show them you care and that you’re available to help them grow. Build trust with them and show them you’re not there only for the money, but to see them truly succeed.
You can make use of team coaching calls or one-on-one coaching sessions. For a consultant who’s just starting out in direct sales, the one-on-one coaching may be best. Newbies require special attention because they are more than likely new to the business all together or at the least to direct sales in general.
Show your new team members that you’re there for them all the way and that you want them to succeed. Help them determine their goals, show them how to write them out so they know what they want and what they need to do to achieve their dreams.
Create a weekly, monthly, and yearly goal sheet for team members to use. Make sure you show them how to take one goal and break it down into reachable daily goals. Breaking a goal down into bite-sized pieces helps your team members see that each aspect is achievable. They’ll know exactly what to do to reach each goal.
Show your team how many contacts they need each day to reach the number of presentations or parties they want each week. Teach them what to say when they contact someone, whether it’s on the phone, via email, or in person.
In direct sales, a lot of your income comes from your downline. When you coach them and show them how to advance, your business will grow. When you use the suggestions above, you will see new levels of success and you will reach your own goals as well as helping your team to reach theirs.
Your Phone, Your Friend
photo credit: Lorenz Walthert
Never forget the power of your telephone. It is the main connection to your life blood, Your Customers! Some people embrace their phone. Others cringe at the thought of calling someone. But it is a critical element in our business, whether you run an online business or offline business. You need your phone!
Is your business a bit slow? Pick up the phone and connect with your customer. How is that product you have been using? Did your friend like the candle that you bought from me to give her? Do you need help cooking with or seasoning the new cookware or pottery? How did that new jewelry look with your dress?
Thank of some reason to call and check. You will be amazed at how people remember that and respond to a personal call. Email is ok for casual use. Not for professional contact! Why is it that spammers are happy with a 1% response rate? It is not personal and they know they can’t get much better through impersonal usage. Personal connections are powerful!
Hey, have a sale! Anyone you talk to, throw an item on sale for them; this week only save 25% on X product. Surprise! You may sell something as well, but what you gain will be ten times better! Satisfied customers that will remember you and refer people to you. Customer Service will make the difference between your business and your competitors.
Give it a try! You have nothing to lose and only Satisfied Customers and a growing business to gain!
