Savvy Sponsoring

Savvy | When Does Your Helping Hurt?

Anne — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:53:33 +0000

It sounds somewhat crazy but it appears to be true, you can have the best intentions to help someone but you hurt them instead. And hurt them enough to cause them to lose their motivation. This is equally true whether it’s your children you’re helping or any other type of relationship, e.g. spouses, friends or co-workers or your network marketing downline. Anytime one person can help another you can end up hurting the situation rather than helping it.

In the May 12^th Sunday, New York Times (the Gray Matter column) Eli J Finkel, professor of psychology at Northwestern University and Grainne M Fitzsimons associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University tested this idea of too much help. They randomly assigned American women who were committed to their health and fitness to think about how their spouse was helpful.

Those women who thought about how their spouse was helpful with their health and fitness goals became less motivated to work hard to pursue those goals in relation to the control group who did not think about it. And get this, it is a significant time reduction. These women planned to spend one third less time (1/3!) in the coming week pursuing their health and fitness goals. Think about that in terms of your business.

However, refusing to offer help is not the solution. Helping others is important to both the person giving the help and the person getting the help. Think of some of your deepest relationships. They are often the most fulfilling because of either the help you got or the help you gave. The problem is not in the helping.

What the problem seems to be is inappropriate help. If you give someone help that ultimately subverts their competence, it is likely to lower their motivation. In order for people to thrive they need to see your help as bolstering them not pointing out inadequacies. If they believe that you think you can do it better and or faster (and that’s why you’re helping) you are most likely going to see some de-motivation. Or if it comes across that you think without your help they cannot do the task, they will most likely not have much motivation to get in there with you. But if your help is calibrated to what they need (not what you want to give) and it compliments where they are rather than tramples on what they are trying to do, everyone wins. Oh and one more thing. The person you’re helping also needs to believe that you are comfortable with them depending on you when they need to. No attitude.

The moral of this story. If you get impatient and just want to ‘help’ because you can do it faster, slow down and bow out. Better for someone to be slow (maybe painfully slow for you) but do it themselves and become more competent (so they are motivated to stay in the network marketing game). Make sure your team knows you are willingly there for them. That doesn’t mean toss out your boundaries but it does mean no attitude when they call. And - this is really important - allow room for their growth. Don’t offer more help than necessary. Your offering a helping hand, you’re not doing the job.

Ah, the trials and tribulations of being a good network marketing sponsor. The good news, with a little help from a good mentor or coach you’ll develop your sponsoring skills to know where to offer help and where to draw the line. Reach out .. get help .. learn how to give the best help.

Do you have a ‘helping story’ to share? We would love to hear from you. Please share story, leave a comment or ask a question.

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Why Don’t People Return Your Calls?

Anne — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:17:32 +0000

Voice mails are often both misunderstood and underutilized. The job of the voice mail you leave your network marketing team members, potential business builders or customers is not to tell them you called. In this day and age their caller ID does that. Your voice mail has a specific duty – always. They should do at least one of these:

• A call to action
• Create curiosity
• Solid reinforcement of their interest
• A clear ‘good bye I’m taking you off my list’ when someone doesn’t respond
• A reminder of an upcoming appointment
• Complete, clear request of what you want

Here’s an example of what I mean. When someone isn’t there for their follow up appointment what does your voice mail convey? Does your voice mail remind them why this was important to them? Does it reinforce what the two of you can accomplish together? Are you bold, but at the same time, allow them to save face and encourage them to give you a call? If so, you’ve covered both the call to action and the solid reinforcement of their interest.

When you’re stood up for an appointment is your voice mail wimpy and not thought through? Do you say something like, “Oh high Lulu this is Jillian from XYZ sorry I missed you, I’ll call you later.” No power in that. No bold in that. Not much possibility in that.

In fact, you’ve just set the stage for you to feel icky about calling again. Now you feel like a nag. Oh high Lulu, this is Jillian .. again. By the time you pick up the phone to call the third time you feel a bit like a stalker. When you are not prepared for the inevidable (yes, you will be stood up) you make doing business much tougher. Calls that could move things forward and empower both you and your missing person — instead — bring you down and make doing business much tougher.

Your voice mails can be powerful tools in your network marketing business. They can motivate someone to get over their fear or simple procrastination. How? Make your voice mail deliberate, thoughtful and judiciously remind them why this was important to them. Voice mails can also be personally empowering for YOU if you know the format of what you’re going to say if someone is a no show. There is nothing worse than finding yourself on the end of a voice mail tone and not being clear about what you want to say. You are about to record your angst and discombobulation. Not very empowering. Be prepared.

By now your brain should be singing ‘systems’ to you. Yes, you want a voice mail protocol for just about every possibility. The good news; there are not many possibilities. What do you want to say to a team member that is falling through the cracks? How about that person not there for their appointment? What does your second follow up call sound like? If you do a third, what does it sound like?

If you’d like to have a complimentary hour of coaching on appropriate empowering network marketing voice mail messages — TADA — join us for our free call on Thursday, May 23rd. Get the details here and never leave a lame voice mail again. Never. Power to your voice mail!

Click Here To Learn More About Jillian

Challenges Felt Totally Overwhelming

Anne — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:57:37 +0000

Does prospecting ever leave you feeling somewhat meek, defensive, at risk, fragile, tender or uncertain? There’s help and it lives inside you. Yes, you can mentally ‘power up’ right now. WAIT! Before you turn away because of the ‘mentally’ bit, read the next paragraph.

Yes, it is a mental exercise. But hell, if exercise can give you great abs why would you dismiss the idea that a good strong, and yes maybe trying (but not difficult) brain exercise can give you more mental power? (Done any sit-ups lately, that’s difficult!) Especially when you realize that the number one reason any of us, and that includes you, really bombs out is because you feel at risk or defeated often (too often) before you start a prospecting conversation. Not a good place to begin.

This research article came out of PsyBlog. Check it out if you want all the references for further reading. Here’s the short story.

According to the research, people who were interviewing for a job, which is typically high stress and exacerbates feelings of powerlessness, were able to increase their sense of powerfulness simply by writing about a time they were in a high powerful situation. They wrote this just prior to their job interview.

How do they know they were able to elevate their sense of powerfulness? The percentages of job offers rose significantly for those who wrote about a high powerful situation prior to their interview. Why did job offers go up? The simple mental exercise of writing about a situation where they felt powerful activated their own personal sense of power. What are most employers looking for? People who appear confident and assertive. Hence, the control group who wrote before their interview about a time they were in a high powerful situation got more job offers.

Okay, it’s true that interviewing for a job is different from interviewing prospective recruits. Except for this. What do you think most people, who are seriously looking for a business, are looking for in a mentor? (That is what you are as sponsor, you’re their mentor.) Do you think they are looking for someone meek and mild or someone who appears confident and assertive?

The very same qualities that an employer is looking for. Hmmm If someone can muster a personal sense of power from tapping into a former powerful moment when looking for a job, it makes total sense that you can also tap into a former powerful moment when getting ready to recruit. Oh sure, it’s a pain in the … neck … one more thing to do.

Savvy News Letter Issue 183 talked about ‘Doing today what others won’t so you can have tomorrow what others don’t?’ This is exactly what that issue is talking about. Working smarter. Giving yourself the extra tools, the extra energy, the extra personal power to be the most confident and assertive recruiter that you can be. Hence the best mentor too.

According to the research, the way to tap into your personal sense of power is to write about a time when you felt you were in a high powerful situation. Do this before you pick up the phone, or go to your meeting or whatever medium you’re using to recruit. Go on I dare you. You have nothing to losse but your fear.

Here’s to YOUR Power.

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I’m Only Going to Tell You Once

Anne — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:38:10 +0000

“I’m only going to tell you once. ” I heard that — more than once — when I was a kid. How about you? It signaled to me that I better ‘listen up’ and pay attention. Usually my mom was at the end of her tether and done with my shenanigans.

Truth is, I don’t think “I’m only going to tell you once” is very practical. In my mother’s case, she probably had already told me more than once. ahem…

However, for years I believed that if I told my team something once — they got it. How about you? Do you think because you’ve trained your team on something one week that next week you must, that’s must, have something new to train them on?

You don’t. Why? They may remember what you told them last week, but I’d bet you they don’t really have ownership of the information. I’d further bet that most of them have not put what you suggested into practice. Oh, we humans do like to procrastinate.

Here’s a great sponsor secret for you.

Train them less. Train them less more often.

Do your training one week and then the next week (and the next and maybe even the next) turn the training call into a lab environment. Get them to bring back how they used your training and what questions they have. Use the time for them to share their trials and successes with the rest of the team.

Now your team does the heavy lifting. They practice what you train. In your calls they reflect and debrief with other team members. Yes, indeed, they do the heavy lifting and the real learning. You work less hard and much much smarter.

Go ahead, tell ‘um more than once, tell them often.

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Do You Work too Hard to Be Successful?

Anne — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:24:08 +0000

What does it really take to build a network marketing business?

Have you ever heard the expression, “I will do today what others won’t so I can have tomorrow what others don’t.”

I find it fascinating that this phrase is often used in conjunction with how much time you spend in your network marketing business. It isn’t uncommon for uplines to push for more hours. Or, to ‘feel guilty’ if you’re not working, working, working. Personally I think this is one of those myths about network marketing that can quickly lead to burnout.

We at Savvy go on record to say that it is not, definitely not the number of hours you work your business that is going to get you what you want. I’ve seen too many people work way too many hours in their business, ‘doing what others won’t’ but they are never going to ‘have what others don’t.’ Never. Here’s why.

If you’re working more than 20 hours a week in your network marketing business, you may be really busy, but are you productive? Do you have five or six new people at the end of that day in your pipeline seriously considering your business as an viable Plan B? Most people working that many hours are doing way, that’s waaaay too much activity that produces everything but money. Everything but money.

And, this is crucial, if you are working that many hours a week you ought to have (at least) five or six new people at the end of each day seriously looking at your business.

If you truly want to “do today what others won’t so you can have tomorrow what others don’t” then worry less about how many hours you work and pay attention to what you’re doing in those hours. Fill your pipeline each week with new people taking a serious look. Spend your 70 to 80% of your working time talking to people. Talk to lots of people. (Not talk lots to the same people!) Do work money making activity (talk to people) that will generate you a ton of ‘no thanks, not interested.’ Got that? Talk to people.

You’ll find all your yeses in between. Nowhere else. But in between all those ‘no thanks, not interested.’ Now that will get you to where very few are, on stage enjoying the all the benefits your network marketing compensation plan brings to the table.

That’s what it takes to build a business.

Click Here To Learn More About Jillian & Amy

Do They Like You or Not?

Anne — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:37:08 +0000

Have you heard the saying, “Your opinion of me is none of my business?” Sounds great in theory, but you know, I do care. I want to be liked. Do you? It is important to me that people like me. Judging by what I hear from clients, I think I’m not unique there (once again, sigh).

I happen to think it’s okay to care. However, I think we should make careful judgments about whose opinions really matter to us.

In network marketing there is so much room for inclusion – and for exclusion. How do you deal with it all? Let’s look at one aspect of the dynamics.

If your upline excludes you, it could be because they’re jealous (that doesn’t make sense but it happens). Stay out of their drama. It also could be because there are lots of people they need to include and this time wasn’t your turn. (Don’t create the drama.) It could be you are tough to deal with. Are you demanding about what you’re willing to do (or not do)? If so, you may be left out whenever possible.

How can you tell?

Look to your downline. Do they show up? (No, not all of them, you are not going to please all of them!) Do you add value? Do you facilitate their growth enabling them to be better network marketers? Do they come back for more? Are you a team? Is there laughter? Camaraderie? Is there good work?

We’re in the people business, you and me. And that can be tough, downright testing. But making the judgment about whose opinion is really important gets easier when you put it into perspective. Decide who is most important (I vote for downline) and then look to what they do rather than what they say.

Remember, you’re not going to like everyone, nor will they all like you. That’s OK. Can they respect you? Do you stand for your values and treat them fairly? Do you gripe about them behind their back? Everything you do should be worth mirroring – or duplicating. And, the bigger your team, the more likely that you’ll have people who will rub you the wrong way. Try and steer clear of judging and particularly of sharing that judgment with anyone else on your team.

Yeah, they drive you crazy. So what? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. Believe us – keep building, strengthen your team and the bigger it gets, the smaller that one annoying person and their problems will become. Nothing about being annoyed is constructive, so choose not to be. Find something to be grateful for about them instead. Maybe they’re adding to your bottom line. Maybe they have a team they’re working with that’s producing and so there’s less work for you.

Adjust your behavior to create leaders and build an innovative, growing team. They’ll love you. They’ll respect you.

Too often we get our feelings hurt by the most critical people rather than the most important people. So go ahead and care but step back and decide whose opinions really matter.

Click Here To Learn More About Jillian & Amy

Will Your Business Work? Read to Find Out.

Savvy Sponsoring — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:53:23 +0000

When I first started to play golf it was a group four of us that got started together. Now there are two. Why? Because the other two wanted to play golf but they didn’t want to look silly, practice and do what it takes to learn to play golf. No, they didn’t want to learn to play golf, they wanted the perks of playing golf. They wanted to come in and be experts.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here, because you have recruited people into your network marketing business who said they wanted to be an entrepreneur, but the idea of a ‘no’ was, well so untenable to them, that they wouldn’t play.

I’m also sure you’ve recruited someone who said they wanted a business, but wasn’t willing to put in consistent, diligent time. They were looking for a magic trick — Presto, Instant Business Success.

Do you know someone who said they wanted to ‘walk the stage’ but talking to people was really tough, downright scary, so they didn’t talk to anyone?

Here’s the deal. You’re OK and your business will work – unless you are any one of the people above.

If you want to play golf, you’re gonna practice and look foolish.

If you want to build a network marketing team, you are going to hear ‘no.’

If you want to ‘walk the stage’ learning how to talk to people and doing it regularly is the key.

Do you really think the amount of money that is on the table in your business would be there if you only had to deal with the ‘perks?’

Go look in the mirror. Will your network marketing business work?

It will if you open your arms to whatever comes along. You don’t get to pick and choose. Deal with it all. Do more of what you do well. Grow. Get help with what you don’t do well.

Keep going. Keep going.

That will build your business. Yes it will.

Click Here To Learn More About Jillian & Amy

How to Work a Job and Run a Business

Savvy Sponsoring — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:58:33 +0000

Adding something new into your life can be tough even if it’s something we really want. Starting a new network marketing business alongside what you do for a living now (or finally getting a handle on your existing business), can be frustrating at best. Balancing it can feel a lot like spinning plates. Lots of stress keeping everything in the air.

Luckily it does not have to be a magic act. There are some things you can do to give you the time to build your new business so you can transition out of your J.O.B. if you wish to or take advantage of both with sanity. In the end that’s what we all want isn’t it – a good, sane life? Here are some excellent steps to start with:

1. Grab your calendar and get organized. If you want to get something done give it a time in your day to get it done. Don’t be carrying it around on a to-do list. If you have time to get it done, then write it in your calendar. A huge reason people don’t get their Network Marketing (or MLM or Direct Sales) business off the ground is because they are not organized. They run out of time and never get those ‘good intentions’ into action.

2. Get everyone around you on the same page. This is where your calendar is absolutely critical. If your partner and or your kids know what you’re doing and when you’re doing it, you stand a much better chance of cooperation and respect. Especially if you respect your calendar and actually start when you say you’re going to and stop and when you say you’re going to.

3. Often energy is a huge problem when working a job or running a business and then transitioning into your network marketing business. A lot of that can be fixed simply by changing how we show up. Here’s what we know. How you show up anywhere is how you show up everywhere.

If you show up at your job wishing you were elsewhere, that is going to make for a really long day. If you find it hard to smile or enjoy what you’re doing at your job, how much energy do you think you’re going to bring to the table at the end of that work day to put into your network marketing business? Energy is capital and great care should be taken how we spend it. Every job has something to recommend it if you think about it. Even if you are just simply grateful you have the job to put food on the table and the bills paid so you can roll up your sleeves when you’re home to build, build, build.

How can you be creative and show up at your business desk with more energy?

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Anyone Listening to You?

Savvy Sponsoring — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:29:02 +0000

Ever been to a meeting and had to listen to the speaker drone on? What do you do? If you’re like me you ‘tune out.’ Why?

Typically it’s because what they are saying has little or nothing to do with you. They are getting their message across. They’ve forgotten to speak to you. And in that one sentence is the answer to most prospecting woes.

Your job is not to influence anyone to buy or start a business.
No it isn’t. Your job is to use your time to get them to want to talk to you again. Read that once more, want to talk to you again.

Too often we think our job is to sell them into something. However, our job is to close to the next step. That is, close to the next conversation with something of interest TO THEM. When you talk to people to determine their interest in your business or product and use your time with them to move things simply to the next conversation, you have succeeded. How is that possible, if no one has said yes?

Well, actually they have….

They are interested, looking at what you pointed them toward and you have the next appointment (that’s a yes!). Everything will take care of itself – IF — you take the time to address them and their interest rather than pushing your agenda.

Sometimes their interest and your agenda are the same. Often when you present their interest well, the second just happens. Often, not always. But often enough. Get their interest. Get their attention. Do Business.

How You Find the Right People

Anne — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:39:12 +0000

How do you find the right people?

Last week we were asked, “How do I find and retain serious, eager, self motivated and hardworking prospects?”

I’m sure the very first ever marketer/sales person asked themselves this very question. In fact, I’m fairly certain the first woman looking for a mate asked a similar question, (‘How do I find the right person – or people to sort through to make the right choice’). It’s actually easier in network marketing because we aren’t so laser focused on a single choice. Good thing.

This morning I read Seth Godin’s blog post as I do most mornings and bingo, there was the answer. You create those people yourself. Stick with me here, I’m not pulling your leg.

Who do you want to do business with? The question we were asked last week was fairly specific. But let’s go a bit deeper. How could you take those qualities that we would all like to have in people we work with and make them more personal to you? Here’s what I do.

I’d like my coaching clients to be open to new possibilities so when I’m talking to them, I talk about that. I expect my clients to be coachable, I bring that up in the conversation too. My clients need to be ready to hear the truth (as I see it) from me. So I warn them, I’ll be speaking my mind. In other words, I say what I’m looking for in them as I client as well as what they can expect from me. If I don’t scare them off with my expectations, the connection is typically a pretty good match. Not always, there are surprises, but more often than not it works and works well.

So what do you tell your prospects? Are you careful not to mention the amount of work they are going to have to do (don’t want to scare them off!) Are you candid about what you expect from them (or do you feel that would be too pushy)? Are you explicit they need to be accountable for what they agree to do (or do you consider straight ahead engagement as too contentious)? Do they understand that they are part of a team and their contribution counts and either builds the team or interferes with it? Do they understand that they will need to carve out regular hours to work their business? Are they aware there is a learning curve? Some things will be easier than others. Perseverance is key while learning, so is reaching out and asking for help. Do they understand they are a ‘beginner?’ Do they know that being a beginner is okay, even good? We all start something new at the beginning.

In other words are you getting what you ask for? Do you need to be asking for something different? The more specific you are about what you are looking for in a business builder the more likely you are to find it. The more explicit you are with a prospect about what is on the table, what they can expect and what you expect from them, the more likely you are to make a good match.

Look at what I lay on the table for my coaching clients and compare it to what I suggest go on the table when you recruit. The criteria have something in common. They are all rooted in respect. Respect for each other. Respect for the business at hand. I have an explicit expectation that my clients will respect the coaching process and be accountable to it. What about you? Do you talk to your prospects so they understand that you have an expectation of mutual respect? Do they know you expect them to be accountable to what they say they are going to do?

And just for the record. None of the above means that someone has to be obsessed with their business. None of the above means they need to work 24/7 or for that matter be available 24/7 (not to you or anyone else). It doesn’t mean that they need to work the hours you want them to. Absolutely not. It simply means that people need to understand the Network Marketing industry can offer them the lifestyle they desire. It is an industry that can offer financial independence to anyone — anyone, that is, who understands and respects the rules of the business game. But you have to meet them half way and tell them what those rules are. The more specific you are about who you want to work with, the more likely you’ll end up working with those kinds of people.

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