Network marketing leader, Wes Linden, tells a story. The punchline is, “And can you tell me the carpet design in your new team member’s living room?” The alleged great leader/sponsor couldn’t.

How can we communicate and motivate at a deep level if we don’t have a good relationship with our new team members?

We need to understand:

1. Why they want to do the business.
2. Where they want the business to take them.
3. How they want to get there. Do we know the goals of our personally sponsored team members?

If not, this could be a sign that we need to step up and be a better sponsor. Let’s begin and look at these three questions. The answers will give us direction with our serious team members.

#1 Why do I want this business?

My motivation when I started? I didn’t want to go to my office job. Boring, advancement possibilities were years away, and I had no passion for the work I was doing.

Keith’s motivation? To earn more money than his high school teachers, so he could concentrate on drumming with his rock band.

Yeah, two totally different motivations. This would be important to know.

#2 Where does our new team member want to take the business?

For some team members, a part-time income to pay off credit card debt will be their only goal. They enjoy their current profession. Or, they can’t see life as secure unless they have a salaried job.

Other new team members might want to earn enough money to buy a small Third World country and rule with an iron fist.

We will have different conversations with each of these team members.

#3 How does our new team member want to get to their business goal?

John wishes to keep his reputation with his accounting friends. He only wants to promote his business to people he doesn’t know. Mary, on the other hand, can’t wait to tell everyone she knows about the business. Some people want to take the slow route, while others will throw caution to the wind and do whatever it takes to get there immediately.

Talking to people directly is comfortable for some team members. Others are more cautious and want to spend more time building a relationship or educating their prospects. I don’t like using the telephone. Keith loves the telephone.

Team members are individuals. One size will not fit all. One system or strategy isn’t perfect for everyone.

Jessica loves to entertain. When we mention an in-home launch party, Jessica is already preparing the refreshments and making out the invitation list. This is her comfort zone. She entertains regularly and can’t wait to expand her business this way.

Another team member has no local contacts. An in-home launch party makes no sense. No one would come.

With phone contacts spread throughout the country, we must use a different approach. Ask ourselves, “How does this new team member want to communicate? What will feel more natural?”

Here are a few suggestions.

A. Phone Call

B. Instant Messaging

C. Social Media

D. Audio Message

E. Texting

F. In Person

G. Email

H. In-home Launch Party.

I. Online Broadcast Video.

These three questions give us the big picture. It is hard to design a successful path for our new team members without these guidelines. (This was an excerpt from the book, “What Smart Sponsors Do.”).....