Motivation

It is hard enough keeping ourselves motivated in business so how do we help to motivate our team? If you have a problem with keeping your team or a recruit moving forward in their business then this is for you. We will touch on a few problems and some answers. There is no single right answer when it comes to dealing with people so you will have to follow your heart and look for clues.

- A stalled New Recruit - This is a very common problem because it is easy to get excited about an unknown but when reality hits it can be daunting and cause people to freeze in their tracks. For help in this area you can read Networking Gals eBooks "Leader's Handbook or Leader's Handbook 2 or New Consultant start for leaders" for now try using baby steps. Start with organizing their starter show or go with them to their first show, etc.
- Top seller sometimes but not all times - Now it could be this Consultant has a busy life that keep him/her from putting full attention on their business. However, I have noticed that many Consultants lose their vision and their motivation or do not have the ability to focus. Networking Gals has a presentation "Finding Focus" that really helps but also you need to get to know this Consultant and remind them of their excitement. Help them to make some goals and offer an incentive.
- Knowing a slacker from a lacker - Each Consultant is different and you need to understand their needs and meet your objectives as well as train and be an example. So you have a Consultant that rarely makes it to a meeting, never phones in stats, is frequently unreachable or fails to return your calls. This could be either a slacker or a lacker- only you can determine this through conversations and visiting the Consultant in his/her home. If the Consultant has 3 young kids running around, let's say a broken vehicle in the driveway and seems very rushed or stressed then this is a lacker - a person who either lacks the time or the training to keep up with her business but this Consultant could also be a lacker of a different nature. That is someone who lacks the passion or desire to continue the business. On the other hand if the Consultant is too busy getting mani/pedis or shopping at the mall or talking on his/her cell phone then perhaps you have a slacker which is someone who is most likely not serious about the business or who prefers to do things the easy way or the slacking way. What you do with Consultants like these will have to be up to you but I have no time for slackers!
- End of the month Consultant - You know these Consultants, they are so busy doing shows in the last 2 weeks of the month that they become stressed and worried they can't make deadline or their quota and they are madly inputting all their shows on the last day of the month. This is someone who need to find focus and calendar control. Networking Gals presentation "Calendar Control" is easy to understand and so is the presentation "Finding Focus" Some Consultants are happy to skate by with as little work as possible and they may go on for years like this but I personally do not feel that these people are either happy in their business or happy with the money they are making. I choose to train these people in small amounts as not to stress them out further and I also let them see what it is like to earn at a different level by getting one of my Leaders to take them to a show.

It takes all sorts of different Consultants to keep your business going and to maintain a great team. I believe that as long as they are earning something and they are serving their customers without complaints from the customers then that is a good Consultant to me! The best way to manage a team is to learn as much as you can about each team member and try to offer some form of fun times every 6 - 8 weeks. Such as, taking the team out for lunch, taking your kids with your team and their kids to the zoo, going for a walk in the local garden park, etc. Another way I like to connect with my team is find a craft that we all like and have a craft night every 6 weeks.Remember...

                          Life's too short..................so go out and Party!

Team Efforts

As a Leader there are many choices to be made as to how you want to lead or how you will help your team. Leadership is usually a lengthy journey that gives you time to grow and time to learn where your short comings may be and how to deal with that. One aspect of leadership that I have always found cemented my team is finding a team project. Here are some hints and tips on finding the right project for you and your team:

- Who,What,Where and When - You will need to decide the answers to all of those questions firstly and then the rest kind of follows.

- I like to choose a group project by my priorities - Do I want my team to get along better? Do I want to teach them something else? Am I just showing them more things about business that they may already know? So let's say my priority is to get the team to work together better for the purpose of this exercise.

- Extra Curricular Events - These are the best way to get people to relax and unwind and therefore see their team mates on the same level as themselves. It could be a group outing designed to illustrate how businesses today uses goal setting, for example, followed by a group discussion or interaction. A possible example of this could be to go to the grounds where Expo '86 was held. Note how much the province wanted to do this and then look at the key feature (the giant Globe) was not only a representation of the world but also a huge focal point that many people came to see. Then look at how they used cutting edge technology to keep people's interest and to help them move through the entire exhibit.There are tons of businesses around the world that used strategic methods and goal setting to obtain results.

- Do a Charity - I find this is a great way to get the team out and working together on a goal for a charity. You can choose any charity that you want then try to raise funds via car washes, penny drives, rent-a-maid, etc. Think big and find a way to get out there. You can purchase a vending license from your city and then go and sell pre-made (heated) hot dogs and cold pop at the local beach or in a mall parking lot (with mall's permission). Make each Consultant set a personal fund goal and how he/she will achieve it or do it as a group activity.

- Book a hall or your condo's amenity room - Do a goofy relay indoors where each member must set a goal and try to achieve it. Offer joke prizes, refreshments, etc. Make it a fun day. Encourage another team to join in the fun or at least be the audience. Do a scavenger hunt where each mini team must find a customers needs. (Use your audience as customers or divide entire team in half and work in rotation)

- Something as simply as a demo at a cafe - Take your team to a cafe and schedule a time with the owner when you could come back and demo a tiny amount of products. The object being to gain customers or potential customers and leads. Go back to the cafe as scheduled. Show your team how easy it is to do this and how easy it is to get leads like this.

Each year I try to take my team out in different ways. I always do 1 all day training a year but I try to make it fun too plus I try to do a cafe visit once a year. From there, the odd lunch out just to chat or a trip to one of my favorite charities to help pet, clean up and cheer some cats. These outings are meant to challenge the way we think about things and are not intended to be lengthy or frequent. Remember.....


                             Life is too short.............so go out and Party!

Recruiting - where are you at?

We have talked in this blog before about striving to find recruits and about the difficulties in getting the recruiting ball going. We have also spoken about what a Leader's job is when it comes to recruiting but what we have not talked about is the fact that your recruiting abilities may be miles ahead of where you are at or miles behind. Let's take a closer look at how we can do what is best for us and also for our business:
* Some leaders can recruit very prolifically and do so with great ease. I remember at one time I had recruited 24 new Consultants in a 6 week period. Too much? I didn't think so but I found out right away that I was not only poorly prepared to help my new recruits but also very ill advised! You see I had only been with the company for approximately 6 months and didn't know enough to answer all the questions I was faced with nor was I capable of training. My manager was so discussed with my ease of recruiting she took the hard road and left me to my own resources. Needless to say that many of my recruits fell by the wayside and those that remained eventually passed me in the business as I was unable to continue due to an accident. Moral of this story: Recruit 1 or 2 at a time and try to complete all training before recruiting again. Are you ill prepared? Have you landed into leadership and lack the abilities? Chances are over 60% of all Leaders are! This is where Leaders learn to either Lead or Leave.
* Now what if the other end of the scale is true? You have 1 recruit but can't seem to get another - am I right? This is the typical scenario in this industry. I have spoken before in the blogs about the importance of  finding your passion and your niche product line. That may be one reason you are not recruiting but the other reasons are big hurdles to overcome. If you are not advertising your business opportunity to 3 New customers or potential recruits a day then you do not have the numbers it takes to find another recruit!!! Look at it this way - 3 people x 30 days = 90 people So let's say on average you are doing 8 shows a month with an average attendance of 10 people per show. 8 shows X 10 people per show = 80 people This means you need to either do another show a month or find 10 more people to talk to about your business. Seriously, this is what it takes!!!! Now the other main problem I see and hear about all the time is that Consultants lose either their desire to recruit or become disheartened with their business that they stop trying. When bookings or recruits get too few and far between we tend to go into starvation mode which means we fear getting the things we need for our business because we actually fear failure! I see more Consultants sit at this stage clueless to the fact that their business is dying a slow death!! You have to remind yourself of how great it felt when you recruited and how excited you where when you began this business. All of that excitement and enthusiasm is still there you just can't see it because you are too nervous to move at this point. I am sure we have all met Consultants/Leaders who jump at potential bookings like it might be their last chance to ever get a booking. If you feel this starved in your business then it is time to stop and look in the mirror and have a talk to yourself. You can't find bookings when you are crazy mad for one and you can't get a recruit when you worry so much about getting one!!! This is your business and if it is important to you then you have to know how to stop worrying and put on that happy, relaxed "I am enjoying my business" face because then and only then are more things going to come your way. If you are struggling with your business then consider buying the Networking Gals " Leading by Example" presentation.

We all want the most for our business but sometimes circumstances and events kind of pull us apart from our vision. Having a clear vision of what you want and need in your business and understanding what it takes to accomplish that is crucial if you wish to excel. I suggest that you keep a progress diary of sorts about your business. Start by listing what you want, what you need and how you are going to tackle the task of getting those goals. Check out Networking Gals "Goal keeping" and "Finding your focus" presentations. There are many excuses to why we do what we do and then there are actual factual 's - the reason why things are not going the way you hope. I say it is better to be an Actual Factual than an excuse!!! Remember...

                                        Life is too short........so go out and Party!!!

What our Newsletter can do for you

At the heart of Networking Gals is our newsletter which goes out monthly and is free to you to send to your customers, friends, downline, etc. This is the wheel to your car. What that means that without using the newsletter each month you are missing out on a valuable resource that can help you to find a market (more customers) that you may never before have found. We have gone to great lengths to make sure this wheel of ours is something most people will want to look at and most people will pass along. Every time your ad runs in our newsletter you have an opportunity to reach tons more people than you would ever have reached before. This alone can make your chances at getting a sale or a recruit or hostess 4X more likely!! Let's look at our flow chart below to better understand this.

Now I realize these are just ribbon wheels but for the moment image that this is our idea of how this will work. The Yellow ribbon is you passing on to your friends/family/customers/downline the Networking Gals newsletter. The Blue is those customers. The Pink is their personal friends/family of whom you may already be selling to. The Lime is your hidden market - Your hidden market are all the people a Hostess or Customer has never introduced you to. These are the people who did not make it to the show or for whatever reason did not order. Most of the times we as Consultants/Leaders NEVER get to sell to these people let alone advertise or promote to them. Now the Purple is the market (people) you are reaching from your ad that runs occasionally in the newsletter. Again, this is a market that may not be seen at trade shows or may not go out or may not have a friend who knows a Consultant/Leader who sells ??? So that makes this an additional hidden market. What you don't see is all the other company Consultants/Leaders who are reading this newsletter and your ad. That means you have the possibility to scoop someone as a recruit.

It amazes me how many people receive this newsletter and forget to pass it on, forget how much people may be looking forward to this. Through this newsletter we are putting you in front of an audience and all you have to do is press send!!!! So when you get the April newsletter (which is late due to advertisers) which is any day now - first, press forward! It does not matter to us if your forward it but I assure you it will matter to you greatly. Remember.....

                                               Life is too short...........so go out and Party!

Marketing yourself as a Leader

To keep active within a company there may be guidelines or minimums you are expected to meet. Besides sales, a lot of companies believe a Leader should be able to recruit a minimum of 3 new recruits a year. This can be very challenging for some Leaders. When you are new and you have 1 or 2 Consultants then meeting those minimums can be very difficult. The fastest way to get more bookings/sales or more recruits is having a web presence, an email opt-in list plus numerous other ways. Here are some ideas to finding those numbers but remember it is more than numbers. It is about forming relationships and meeting needs.

- Marketing You - when it comes to finding an audience it has to start with you. If you are a fun, out going and easy going person then more people will be open to talking and listening to you. This does not have to mean changing who you are but more about learning what impressions you are giving other people. You can start by rehearsing your pitch in front of the mirror. Remember that your pitch is important too (see other postings about this). Also talk to friends and other Consultants about what your clothes or personal style are saying about you too.
- Video promotions - the fastest way these days to find an audience is by promoting yourself through a video. Now the video is not suppose to be about you but rather it should be about the service you provide, what you are looking for. Example: recruiting - demo how easy it is to be a Consultant and how much money you can make. I will say that in doing GOOD videos there is an entire learning curve that goes with it. You may have to purchase/download editing software or audio content software, etc. There are tons of "How to" places where you can post your video as well as "You Tube".
- Social Networking - Places like Facebook can really help you find people, post ads, reach an audience that you may not already have. Create a Facebook business page like "Susan's Partylite Parade" or "Nancy's Tupperware Tribute" - you want to make it stand out and personal to compete with other reps who may have a page on Facebook.
- Opt-In Email Marketing - You should create a list that people can opt-in or join. With privacy rules changing all the time it is best that you have a signature from the people who choose to be on your email list. I believe you should be in contact with these people on a monthly basis. I highly recommend Networking Gals newsletter as a non-selling way to stay in touch with your email list. Having an opt-in email list is a little like having a piece of gold - valuable enough to sell.
- Webinars & Promo Companies - These two categories are both good ideas to get involved in once you have a team and some spare change. They do cost money but can really help you find an audience which in turn gets your message out to more people.
- Blogging - I think that blogging is a great way to communicate without selling or forcing something down peoples throats. It is a great way to talk about your experiences as a Consultant or Leader or Party Plan rep. People like to hear about others experience and you may even find that other Consultants want to hear what you have to say. Share your blog with family/friends but also on Facebook and to your email list.

Without a doubt Leadership is challenging in the beginning but I always say that it is worth every second of it. I loved my time with my Consultants and I learned and grew as a Leader over the course of time. Our world is changing so quickly these days and trying to stay on the pulse of everything is huge. The ideas I shared here are just some but there are many different ways to market yourself. I would love to hear what you do to stay active in the market and how you market yourself! Remember......

                                        Life is too short..................so go out and Party!!!

Reflecting on your Dreams

As a Leader it is so easy to get lost in all the things that need to get done. We have our business dreams (booking, recruiting), our team dreams (getting them trained, helping them to become consistent), and our daily life dreams ( buying that house, happy healthy family, etc.) then beyond that we may have so many other dreams that we seldom have the chance to acknowledge or pursue.Time is so crucial in all things, which is why Networking Gals has created the presentation "Calendar Control" but beyond that there is a ton of unwritten guidelines that we have never looked at which I hope to illustrate now.

Basically I believe that each day of the week has a function. Some of my ideas have been long standing but also I have noticed over the years a shift in what those days are. Here is my idea of what a week could mean:

- Meeting Mondays - It use to be true that this was the day for meetings but it seems it is no more which is good. Now you can make Mondays the day they should have been all along - Ordering/Banking Mondays - after a busy Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday of doing shows then you will need to get those cheques into the bank and put those orders in. Double check your supplies before you put your orders in so you can order what you need too!
- Training Tuesday - This is usually a good day to go to meetings or have meetings. Perfect time to follow up with your team and do that training conference call if you can't all meet.
- Working Wednesday - This is the day for your Hostess Coaching, filing and finding recruits. This the one day a week you really want to reach out and touch people both by phone and by going out.
- Thinking Thursdays - Believe it or not this is one of the most important days of the week!If you are not making time for this then you are losing out.I spend this time looking at my "Vision thru Focus Board" (we will be talking more about that later in the week) re-evaluate my dreams, but I mostly spend time with my calendar in hand and looking forward into the next week. What appointment do I have that can not be forgotten or changed, What do I have to do to be prepared for those appointment and do I have anything I need to accomplish to even get to this appointment. When I look at my "Vision thru Focus" board I try to  spend time realizing my dreams and also I try to take away a feeling or a desire that I want to focus on for that week. IE: you look at your board and you realize that one of the items (dreams) is to get more organized so maybe your thought for the week is organization, perhaps you will try to be more organized and envision what being more organized may do for you.The most important thing to Thinking Thursdays is taking the time to do something in your life/business that propels you forward!!! Thinking Thursdays is also about me time, getting re-energized, refocused, refreshed with your life and your business.
- Future Fridays - This could be the first day towards a hectic weekend so take time now to plan ahead. Do I have everything I need to do my shows? Have I arranged any meal preps I may need to or did you schedule the sitter, etc. Then do 1 thing towards the future of your business. It could be taking a Hostess out for a coffee, handing out business cards out front of the mall, having a mentoring lunch with a manager, placing ads on various free sites, etc.

The rest of the week is up to you. I have left it that way because you will most likely be doing shows. One final point I want to make is this; real feelings like joy, caring, sincerity, hope, love, etc. come from within us - they come from the heart and can not be produced in falseness. This means you only cheat yourself if you choose to fake those. If you can come from a real place of joy, hope, sincerity then you will have the power to move more people and more obstacles in your life. Use the power within you to reach out to people and it will always pay you back!! Remember...

                                        Life is too short..............so go out and Party!

Maintaining Leadership

One of the aspects of Leadership that no one ever tells you is how difficult it is to keep a flow going. A flow is the ability to keep yourself working at a large enough level to earn the awards but also keep your team working and then keep on recruiting to fill in where you need it. This is where so many good Leaders feel like failures because they just can't get to the levels where some Leaders are maintaining. I think it is crazy to feel like you are not doing enough etc. because Leadership is a huge learning curve. Comparing yourself to other Leaders is silly as you have no idea how long the person has been a Leader, perhaps they may have been a Leader before in another company or they may have taken some extracurricular training in this area. So here are some sneaky secrets that may help you get an handle on this Leadership thing:

+ First and foremost is getting your business flowing before you even consider working with your team in this area. This means that you have to go back to Consultant school possibly. If you are not doing 12 shows or more a month then you can not begin to understand a team member who is. So go back to basics and start finding more bookings - forget everything else until you can maintain 12 bookings a month!!!! ( For some this may not happen but perhaps you could use some training from Network Gals, let us know)

+ Running your business (not your team) effectively and duplicateable with purpose is very important. The more that you let your business happen by accident the less control you will have on it! Be in Control!!

+  You need to overbook and over recruit to find a balance in your business. If you are over booking then you can help to motivate that one Consultant on your team that isn't doing so well. You can offer to give them a booking once they have done a booking of their own. When it comes to over recruiting I believe this is very necessary. We tend to get a recruit and drop everything to get them going and forget about recruiting for a while. Challenge yourself to recruit/train/mentor 12 new Consultants at once and then you will see why it is so much better when you do many at once. I once offered people $100 to join, buy their kit, do their 6 shows and after that they could leave with all the great products plus my $100 to each person. This worked very well. Several of the 8 people I recruited left with their kits but 3 remained and went on to be great Consultants.

+ Talk to other Leaders! Stay in the loop. If you are having a tough dry spell you might consider asking a Leader who is doing very well if she would consider giving you one recruit or a few booking. This is what a Leadership relationship should be like. Understand that one day she will want you to give her one back in return - don't put it off because she may expect that one to come during a promotional period leaving you without.Ideally we want to keep all of our bookings and recruits but some company's may frown on this. I believe it is the key to creating a Leadership lock which keeps all Leaders humble and caring!

+ One of the best things I ever did was schedule a coffee time luncheon with the top Manager of the company. I was very nervous and very shy about asking but I also knew her time was valuable and I would have to be creative to find time enough to chat. That Manager was very helpful. She gave me some very clear and easy ideas on how to find more of everything I needed and also told me that most Leaders flounder for 5 years but usually get to a leveling off point there after. At the time, 5 years sounded way to long but you know it was there before I knew it and by then I had recruited over 30 Consultants and still had 24 of them after 2 years.

Check out Networking Gals website and template library for members as there is more help on this subject. Never be afraid to spend money finding bookings and recruits. We have talked about that before in the blogs. Another idea we have talked about is setting up a very lucrative referral system see Networking Gals "Referral Guide" in our template library. Remember.....

                                      Life is too short..................so go out and Party!!