10 Ways Direct Sales Leaders Supercharge Their Team

Last week I flew to Austin, TX to keynote a one-day “Record Breaker” themed conference for the #1 Tupperware team in the nation, led by Business Leader Debbie Dickey. Debbie, the heart of the Accolades organization, is a serving leader who puts the needs of the team ahead of her own. The “Record Breakers” theme was focused on influencing Consultants and Leaders to stretch for one month, beating their highest year-to-date sales. 30+ Managers and Directors were coming in the day before the main event, so Debbie asked if I could create a customized Leadership training with the record-breaker theme in mind. Of course I said, yes!

It’s not about the goal, it’s about who you will all become as a leader and as a team.”

L to R: Debbie Dickey, who leads from the heart, taking a selfie break with me. And I got to meet members of my mentoring community, Tabitha Brinkman and Nikki Hight, both top Directors!

Here are some of the highlights of the Leadership training to help your influence your team to break a few records of their own:

10 Ways Leaders Supercharge Their Teams

Envision: Leaders must create a vision that inspires others to stretch, aim higher and take action. Get started with my Vision recipe which, just like Grandma’s favorite apple cake recipe, was meant to be shared and passed down:

• Mix 1/3 purpose with 1/3 passion
• Stir in 1/3 crazy idea
• Blend well and let it marinate overnight
• Mix in massive action

Once you get clear on your vision ask yourself two questions: What does it look like? and How will I make it happen?

Empower: The good news is, you don’t need all the answers. Empower your team to come up with ideas, action plans, goals and most importantly…solutions. When Consultants and Leaders come up with their own ideas they’ll be more likely to take ownership and act on them.

Educate: Provide your team with the training that will help them achieve the goal. Reach out to other Leaders in your organization and collaborate so you can cross-train and bring in guest speakers with different perspectives and skills. Use Zoom or Facebook Live to broadcast training to long-distance Consultants so you can influence more people. And, don’t be surprised if you hear that someone else’s idea was brilliant (even though you’ve been saying the same thing for months). “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” For example, if your goal is focused on booking more parties your training topics could include:

• Words To Say To Get A Yes: Share a booking script and hold a booking blitz
• Hostess Coaching To Increase Attendance
• Overcoming & Preventing Party Cancellations
• Booking 3 Parties From Every Party
• Increasing Your Party Average
• After Party Follow-Up

Delegate: Delegation builds confidence and increases engagement, helping others to reach their full potential while making them feel like they are part of the team. Side note to all the perfectionists: no one will do it exactly the way you do it, but that’s okay. The extra time you gain by giving up the reins will make up for the anxiety you might be feeling as you let go. It will all work out. Trust me on that one.

Recognize: You’ve probably heard “recognize what you want repeated” a zillion times. What’s missing from that mantra is to recognize more than just the top achievers. Include recognition for effort, progress, and results. Be aware of how each generation reacts to praise and plan accordingly. Selfie-loving Millennials expect immediate recognition, while the Boomers on your team might feel uncomfortable – and even embarrassed – by the attention. There’s always safety in numbers when you’re giving accolades.

Communicate: The key to being a great communicator is to be a great listener. Build stronger relationships with your team and build trust by listening to their struggles, as well as their triumphs. As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” In today’s world, we need to meet people where they are and use multiple channels to communicate effectively: Facebook messenger, live video chat, voice message, text, postcards, and in-person coffee meet-ups can all go a long way to help you build trust and keep your team in-the-know. And don’t forget GIFs and stickers, which are fun additions to your toolbox to communicate an emotion in record time.

Appreciate: Feeling appreciated is a human need…which makes it a much higher form of gratitude than recognition. [Source: Huffington Post]

Here’s the difference between the two:

Recognize: special notice or attention

Appreciate: a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude

[Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary]

Show your gratitude and let people know they are valued. A simple “I appreciate you!” in the form of a card, text or personal message can make someone’s day, and that includes your Customers. Need inexpensive appreciation gift ideas? Check out Cheryl’s Cookies for birthday cookie cards (about the same price as a Hallmark card) and TJ Maxx for inexpensive journals with motivational quotes on them.

     

Evaluate: Don’t wait until 11:59 pm on the last day of the month to figure out that you’re 3 parties away from reaching your goal, or a team member missed a goal by $100. Take a weekly reality check and evaluate so you can adjust your action plan accordingly. Know your numbers & share them with your team. Success is not a straight line…be willing to take more risks, embrace detours and work with your leaders to do more of what’s working – and less of what’s not.

Ask: Giving and getting feedback is one of the most difficult things for Leaders to do. Because feedback is personal…for both the mentor and the mentee. And we don’t want to make people feel bad. Think about it. When you ask your husband or partner, “Does my butt look too big in these jeans?” do you really want an honest answer.

Um. No.

A smart man (or friend) will always tell you you look ah-mazing! And your butt is perfect.

Or there could be trouble.

Be open to getting feedback and ask the questions that will help you support and lead your team:

• What will it take to stretch?
• What will it mean for them – even if they don’t get there?
• How are they feeling about their goal? (Make sure it’s realistic.)
• What do they need from you?
• What did they learn that they’re going to take action on?
• What are their obstacles?
• What are their strengths?

Bonus tip: Google Forms is a simple (and free) tool to survey your team and get feedback for team challenges, training events and more!

Discover: Who are the hidden gems that you’ve yet to discover in your organization? Look at each person through new eyes & give them a chance to surprise you by reaching out to Consultants who were sponsored by others. Get to know what their dreams and goals are, and help them make a plan to get there. Those who show up for you – and themselves – are the ones who might just be your next super star.

Ready to really rock your direct sales biz?