Being a great sponsor is like being a great parent. We give our children space to grow and learn and we offer a framework of support and love so they can feel secure along their journey. But it is their adventure—we are simply a tour guide.
Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands. ~Anne Frank
We cannot “make” them be successful or “make” them do things “our” way. When someone joins our Team, they come in with varying levels of experience, skills, and baggage. If someone has 20 years in business or has built huge Teams in network marketing, we don’t want to communicate to them like they are brand new. Respect their skill sets and show them how they can be utilized to build their successful Team.
Each person and situation is unique—that is what makes our business so interesting and fun. We grow through our interaction with other people. If you plan on building a large and successful Team, you are going to meet and work with a lot of people. Treat each opportunity with respect and learn all you can.
You Are Not Your Team’s Boss
The people in your Team do not work for you—they work with you. You are not their boss. Many people join us because they are tired of the way they have been treated by their boss and they want to do something significant with their lives.
The first step in finding out how to best support your new Ecopreneur is to find out what they have done before and what their expectations are with Powûr of Citizenrē. This is best done with a series of questions that will educate you to who they are and how you can support their success.
Here are some of the questions I like:
What kind of work have you done before?
I was a manager for a department store.
Great. As a manager, what is it that you liked most about what you did?
I loved working with people and being able to help them get what they wanted. When I found someone the perfect shoes, or outfit or whatever…it made me feel so good to watch their face light up.
That is wonderful. You can see how you will get the same satisfaction from helping people with our solar solution, can’t you?
Yes, absolutely.
Now what is it that you liked the least about being a manager?
My boss was a jerk. I hated knowing I was going to have to be around him for another 8 hours every day. He is so aggressive and demanding. It got me depressed.
Those two questions (what did you like most and what did you like least) tell you a lot about a person. You learn their motivators and their de-motivators. For instance, with this person you never want to be an “aggressive and demanding boss.”
Someone else might say that they need clear direction and someone who holds them to task and won’t let them slip back into bad habits. For them you will use a different approach. If we take the time to listen and understand the psychological needs of the people we are working with, it will be a more enjoyable and productive experience.
The whole course of human history may depend on a change of heart in one solitary and even humble individual - for it is in the solitary mind and soul of the individual that the battle between good and evil is waged and ultimately won or lost. ~M. Scott Peck
People will work for a living, but they will die for recognition and appreciation of who they are. Most people never take the time to listen. If you write these little notes about each Ecopreneur down, either in your back office or use your own system, you can refer back to these if this particular Ecopreneur is ever going through a tough time.
One note on associate leads from the corporate site: Please be certain to ask relatively early in the conversation how they learned of Citizenre. Was it online? Or through a friend or trade show? Was there someone who introduced this business to them that they are intending to work with? This is an important issue to flush out early on so that you don’t spend hours training someone who meant to sign up under somebody else. A simple transfer and support ticket will take care of any confusion, sparing you valuable time and effort.
Getting Your Team to Commit
Because it is free to sign up with our Team, some people don’t take the commitment seriously. I usually say something like this, “If we are going to work together, we are both going to invest time and energy. I want to know what your expectations are and I want to share mine.” Listen to what they have to say then respond while including the information they shared. “From what I heard, you have about 10 hours a week to help people join our solution, is that correct? Great. My experience is that nothing worthwhile happens without commitment, time and effort. If we are going to build a business together, I need to know that you will give us six months of 10 hours a week. Can you commit to that?”
If they are not willing to commit, be careful about investing much of your time. Match your time with their commitment. A lot of people have a lottery attitude toward success and they run to the next “deal” when they realize that starting a movement and planting seeds takes effort. Many people want to pick the fruit from someone else’s tree. If you want to create long-term success, you need to set realistic expectations for each “tree” in your orchard.
Give Them the Tools They Need
Make sure that they have the tools to succeed and grow:
- Knowledge Base
- Citizenrē Associate Calendar
- Daily Conference Calls
- Weekly Training Calls
- Recorded calls under “Resources”
- Contact information about their Regional Sales Director
Spend some time, answer their questions, and make sure they understand that you are a resource for their success. Many people will not ask for assistance. They will just quietly fade away. Be proactive and show them your commitment.
Create Leaders
Your goal is to create leaders. Reward, celebrate and appreciate their successes no matter how small—they will build upon each other and create a momentum that will be fun for both of you.
But all you can do is open the door and guide them. It is their choice to move.
Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. ~Will Rogers
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