Congrats!
You’ve found what makes you tick & you’ve decided on joining direct sales! Welcome, friend! But wait. Now what? How do you choose who to join under?
On choosing your direct sales upline
Choosing your sponsor/mentor/whatever your company calls it is super important. Not only is this person there to help you should you need it, but if you do well this could mean a promotion for them. Because of this, an upline should be chosen with care. I’ve seen situations where people have actually left their company for 6+ months in order to be able to re-enroll under someone else because of their upline. Leaving a company when you have an established customer base and may have a team yourself is a super hard decision. If you choose well before you join, hopefully it won’t be a decision you’ll ever have to make.
How to choose
Well, like I did with Color Street, many people choose their friends to sign up under. Sometimes this works out. It did for me. I’ve seen others that haven’t been so lucky and friendships have ended. I’ve also seen hurt feelings when a friend of a person decides to join the company under someone else. It’s a hard decision. If a friendship is involved, a frank discussion about expectations may need to happen.
When it came to a previous company and choosing a sponsor, I went about things differently. I knew a few people who were involved and I knew a bunch who were joining at the same time I did, give or take a few weeks. It’d been something I’d been thinking about for a while and I already knew who I was going to choose. I’d known them (my sponsors were a partnership) for a while & they were actually who I purchased my 1st items from. I chose them because I knew them & liked them. I could relate to them. I’d been hanging out in their group for almost a year. I didn’t have the same feelings about some others I knew.
Asking the right questions
Because I already knew who I wanted to join under and I’d already done my own research, I didn’t really ask many questions when one of my sponsors messaged and asked if I’d ever thought of joining. If you aren’t so clear about things, interviewing your potential direct sales upline is a good idea. When you interview for jobs, you’re asked questions about the management style you prefer or if you prefer to work in a team. While your direct sales upline isn’t your boss, the mindset behind the questioning is similar.
It’s important to know things like your potential upline’s communication style and availability. How will she communicate? Facebook? Is there a team group? Text? Phone calls? Will she be available for you when you need help? Does she have “office hours” or is she available as needed? Is she local? If not, does that matter to you? What about knowledge & experience? How long has she been with the company or direct sales in general? Does she have experience with events, online parties, in-home parties, or other ways to sell your product? Can she answer your questions? If she’s your friend, can she give you tough love when it’s uncomfortable so you can reach your goals? If she isn’t your friend, do your personalities mesh well? Does she care about your business and your goals outside of her own bottom line?
Those are just a few things to think about when joining direct sales. If you missed part 1 in this series, you can find it here. Keep being awesome, friend.
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