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Writer's pictureTammi Kirkness

8 Ways to Recruit Modern Leaders into Your Direct Selling Business

As the landscape of direct selling is colliding with a new generation, it’s more important than ever to get creative in appealing to potential leaders. To help engage these fresh eyes in the story and energy of your business, here are eight ways to recruit more leaders (and boost your bottom line):


Create a Safe Space

One of the key elements that attracts new consultants and leaders to the direct selling lifestyle is that they want a space to feel seen. We know that when people feel seen, heard and valued that they show up willing to do their best work. How do we create a safe space? By helping people feel like they’re recognised. When people feel like a business ‘gets’ them, they’ll fully enrol and engage with the brand. When they can see there’s a structure to help them reach their potential combined with a non-judgemental approach, a real connection is made. On top of this, when their strengths are recognised and celebrated, real magic starts to happen.


Be crystal clear on your offering

By this I don’t mean the reward structure, I mean deep down at the core level, be crystal clear on how you can best serve your leaders. How can you help connect to their soul, their deepest desires and the things that make them change direction? Then we can utilise that to help them change their direction towards your business.


Help your current leaders engage in a ‘service mindset’

This means helping them to properly create a following and connect with their tribe without being pushy. Give them the tools and training to connect in a meaningful, authentic way and the structures to work within that allow them to enhance their personality and best serve those in their community.


Be Remarkable

As legendary marketer Seth Godin says, “by definition, remarkable things get remarked upon”. Set up your business style in such a way that when your people interact with others that your potential leaders have no choice but to remark on how they felt. That they were so treasured (or however you want them to feel) that they simply have to tell others and that they were so touched upon that they simply must take action.

Here’s the kicker, if you stand out like this, some people aren’t going to like your business and we have to get okay with that.


See the Future (And Share It)

As best as you can, the more vision about the future that you can share with your current and potential leaders, the better. It’s like when you’re dating someone, if they show you they’ve got a respectable well thought out plan for their life, you’re going to trust them more and going on another date. Help your prospective leaders see and choose to align to the same vision you see for the future.


Create leader ‘Avatars’

The clearer you can become on who you’re talking to the better. An ‘avatar’ is simply a detailed profile of your target leader(s). To create these you want to get into the very specific details of your ideal leader, these things may include the basics, but more importantly, understanding the deepest fears, desires, values and beliefs is what’s going to create that connection. Knowing that your next potential consultant is 48, newly divorced and has two kids is one thing, but understanding that they are up late at night worrying about the school fees, want to feel proud of themselves at the next school reunion, value their family and believe in the power of community is something entirely more.


Be human

One of the reasons employees in traditional employment feel disconnected is because ‘head office’ feels a bit nameless and faceless. Where I have seen this done beautifully is where the heads of direct selling companies harness that ambiguous path of being both approachable and real. Where they are vulnerable, have the courage to try new things while also being a soft and safe place to land.


Get Modern

Recognise that what got you here won’t necessarily get you to the place you want your business to be. The strategies of yesterday may not work today and be prepared to try bold new ways of thinking. Maybe party plans worked for your consultants before but aren’t now. Maybe one-on-one selling was your bread and butter and now a workshop style approach may be successful.


This post was originally published on directselling.org.au

Tammi Kirkness has trained and coached 100s of executives to help businesses attract and retain top talent. She currently runs VisionScope Coaching and consults to direct selling companies to help them engage with their field and deliver stronger results for their teams, their bottom line and their customers. She is also available for conference bookings and intimate workshops.

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