Network marketing is challenging because you have to be both a sales leader, and a sales manager at the same time. Sometimes you report directly to someone who knows how to bring that out of you, and sometimes you don’t. If you think making sales is challenging, wait until you have a team. That is a totally different ball game.

Leading your team is hard because you have little control, right? You are not the one going out and doing the work. After over 10 years of sales management experience, I have realized that there are many, many things that you can control to be a more effective leader and bring out the best in your team. Today I’m going to go over three concepts that if implemented you will see your team grow and you will be able to create a positive team culture.

1. Have a team goal

I have some dos and don’ts on this one. By team goal, I’m not talking about your next rank, or your cruise, or anything that has to do with what you want the team to do. The team goal is collaborative. It’s based on your personal sales goal + the personal sales goals of others. If the team goal is made up of all of their goals they will get really excited about it and help each other.

Step 1: Find out each team member’s individual revenue goal for the month. If they don’t know how to set this, help them. If you you don’t know how to set one, hire me as your coach.

Step 2: Set your own personal sales goal, for the revenue you will focus on generating.

Step 3: Add these up

Step 4: Take off 25%.

Example: Your goal is $1000, and you have four team members and their goals are also $1000. That’s $5000. Take 25% off, and you have $3750. That is now the goal you publicize to the team. You will say, “based on all of our individual goals, our team goal is $3750, let’s do it!”

Step 5: Communicate to the team

Step 6: Track it weekly

You can also use last month’s volume as a good team goal. Let’s say your team sold $8800. But the month before your team sold $7400. That was quite a jump and it’s tempting to now make your goal $10,000. Again, look at the goals of your team members. I would recommend to set the goal at $8000 until you reach it 3x in a row. Then up it. The worst thing that happens here is that your team feels like a group of winners. Consistency is what is going to help you in your business.

Why this is important: You have to define success in order to reach it. If you don’t set a goal, you can always do more, which is a dangerous place to be when you are in the sales business. You need to register some wins, or be honest about losses. Additionally, while some people won’t care about your team goal, many will. At least half of your team will work harder for the good of the team. People want to be a part of a winning team. Look at the devotion to sports teams! Create your own team culture by defining where your team will go, and what winning looks like.

2. Listen, really listen

I know you are probably asking questions and your team member is answering them. But the first answer is not the real deal. They could just be telling you what they think you want to hear. After every question commit to saying, “tell me more” and then summarizing what you understood. If you got it, they will feel loved because you truly heard them. If you didn’t, they will feel loved because of your desire to understand.

Be sure to also listen for what they are not saying. What is the question behind the question? This last week someone asked in a meeting how to keep from being discouraged by the nos. But that’s not really the question is it? The question is really, “how do I get more yes responses?” Pay attention to  what is really being asked. Listening to the question is just as important as listening to the answer.

3. Learn how to sell

Become a student of selling authentically, not just a student of your product. I have seen in a  forum, “I’m having 1-on-1s, no one is buying. Please help.” Do you know what questions to ask to figure out why they aren’t selling? It’s likely as a leader you just kind of intuitively know what to do. That doesn’t mean that your team member does as well. This person was frustrated and on the verge of quitting. As the leader it is your role to help them do better. If you don’t know, make sure you have the resources to find out, and learn together. My recommendation is to alternate the books you read. Alternate sales books and business books. I have been in sales for over 15 years, so I probably know everything right? Wrong! And many things I have forgotten. Reading sales books, or engaging in improving sales skills will give you the tools to help retain more of your team. Think about what is harder. To convince someone who sells to two people out of 10 to not give up, or to train her from the beginning to sell on five out of 10? Do not solely rely on your up-lines programs as the best resource. You never know what you will find out there in an old Zig Ziglar book that will just help everything to click. Learning new ideas keeps things fresh for you and your team.

Want to learn how to sell? Check out Your Direct Sales Foundation by going to emergesalestraining.com/start and see if that will be a good fit for you.

Tasha