Multilevel Marketing

Multilevel marketing, or MLM, relies very heavily on the team of people you are working with. MLM by its very nature is dependent on quality relationships between a group, and as a manager of others it falls to you to build and maintain a powerful and effective group of retailers in order to maximize everyone’s profits.

A good team player is many things including responsible, open to suggestion and flexible. Of course you don’t want a team consisting of those easily led, so a team player must also be able to pull his own weight and help motivate those around him.

When looking to recruit teammates, look first as personality. Is the person offensive to you or would he be offensive to others? Do you enjoy being around the individual? Working with a group has just as much to do with overall personality as it does with work ethic and abilities.
If you find yourself comfortable around a potential team member, take a look at his work background and ethics. MLM is the kind of business that works best for self-starters and those with dedication and initiative. Traditionally good employees might not make the best MLM team members as they might not have the go-to to get the job done without prodding. You don’t want to be constantly offering suggestions and pulling someone along who prefers to be given a menial task rather than finding his own way.

Your MLM team should consist of mature, dedicated individuals who aren’t afraid to work a little harder than everyone else in exchange for the kind of financial rewards that work will bring.
Once the team is assembled, it will be your task as the manager or leader to keep everyone focused and moving forward. MLM relies heavily on bringing in new accounts and representatives, just as any sales format does, so you must keep your team fired up and working hard.

To motivate your team, you should focus on the positive goal rather than potential failure. Everyone responds better to reward than punishment. Avoid statements such as, “If we don’t make our quote this month, we’ll lose money.” Instead bring excitement to the group but relay the same message, “We’re getting close to our goal. As soon as we reach it, we’ll be looking at a huge profit!” Don’t lie, but always focus on the positive.

A strong leader always leads by example. MLM businesses often develop into passive revenue streams, but a good leader doesn’t allow his own efforts to diminish simply because his income has increased. While goals are terrific and should be set together as a team, they do not represent an ending. New goals should constantly be set, and avoid making a goal “maintaining.” It is far harder to get excited about maintaining a level than it is to fire up the team to make it to the next level.

The nature of a MLM business means that many are working to sell similar or the same products. As the leader, you should make every effort to unite your team and share strategies and incentives rather than allowing the team to compete with each other. If possible, gather together for casual activities to develop personal relationships. Discuss things other than work so that the team feels united.

You are the leader and you set the standard for your team. Be excited about the business. Share your ideas and enthusiasm with others and always look forward. Listen to what the others have to say and be fair when making decisions, but always remain the motivating force and guiding light. They look to you and your efforts will not be in vain.