5 Tips for Motivating your Downline
You’re feeling MOTIVATED and EXCITED. You have a great product, your results are incredible, and you can’t wait to share that excitement with the world.
But what about your downline?
Do they share your excitement?
Truthfully, the first few weeks after someone enters your downline can feel a bit frustrating for a new rep. This isn’t reflective of your product or opportunity being a bad choice; it’s a product of the fact that they need time to get used to the job and develop confidence as you work on motivating your downline.
And it isn’t always just new reps who struggle with motivation, either. Nearly every rep in the lifestyle business struggles to find reasons to keep going now and again.
Sometimes, that’s a product of a dip in sales. Sometimes, it’s the flu. And sometimes, it’s just one of those days.
New rep, old rep, business problem or personal issue, one thing is universally true. As their upline, you play an important role in their motivation. With just a splash of effort, you can make a big difference in their success by motivating your downline. You can even help them cultivate confidence and develop a positive attitude.
Here’s how to make it work.
Be Consistent
Motivating your downline is a bit like blogging; in order to do it effectively, you need to be consistent with when, how, and where you engage in motivational strategies.
Dropping by once every three weeks with a positive message on social media? That isn’t enough to motivate yourself, let alone everyone else. It’s more like completing homework than putting in effort. Put time in semi-regularly if you want to succeed.
Just how often should you send out motivational messages? It depends on the business, the industry, the people in your downline, and even the product itself. A daily post or email works well for most downlines, regardless of the product or service.
Reaching out daily also shows that you’re available, willing, and paying attention. That lets your team know you’re there to help them achieve success.
Can’t make daily messages work? Try once every three days, or at least once per week to ensure you're working on motivating your downline.
Still struggling due to time constraints? Schedule your posts and let machines do the work for you. There’s no reason you have to spend an excessive amount of time with all the fantastic tools available today.
Recognize Their Efforts
Everyone likes to be recognized. It makes us feel valued, important, respected, and successful, no matter how big or small the recognition.
It feels especially good to be recognized by someone who you consider a mentor and other colleagues.
(Psst...that’s you).
When was the last time you made a fuss over someone in your downline after they succeeded, even if it was a small success? If it’s more than a few days in the past, you may not be recognizing enough of their efforts, and recognition of success plays a large role in motivating your downline to continue thriving.
In the world of network marketing, every sale and signup is worth celebrating. Be sure you’re taking the time to recognize those successes regularly, even if it’s just a brief congratulations or shout out on social media.
How often should you do this? As often as is necessary without feeling cheesy or over-dramatic. Ultimately, you know your team and each person within it best. Leverage that information for the best response when motivating your downline!
Celebrate Milestone Events
Regardless of when and how you recognize successes, there are a few specific special times when it’s expected of you. Primarily, these are the “major milestones” in every downline’s career:
[if !supportLists]● [endif]When they make their first sale
[if !supportLists]● [endif]When they create their social media pages
[if !supportLists]● [endif]When they post their first video or image
[if !supportLists]● [endif]When they get their first downline member
[if !supportLists]● [endif]When they advance through program ranks
When these events occur, your team will expect you to respond with supportive messages and even public shoutouts. You want to take advantage of this to “celebrate team success” at the same time.
After all, when one person succeeds, the entire team succeeds, too!
Value Their Input
Far too many network marketers set their downline up with products or information and then just disappear out of sight. They make decisions totally independent of what may be best for the downline, often to great disaster later on.
These same individuals may even wonder what went wrong when downline members start jumping ship.
Although you aren’t hiring employees in network marketing, you can still apply old-school strategies for employee satisfaction and engagement. One of the best methods is to ask them for their input – and then really value and consider what they have to say.
Think of it this way: each person in your downline has their own strengths. Together, you all bring something slightly different to the table, making it easier for all of you to achieve success.
Asking for their input gives your downline a voice, which is motivating your downline enough, but it also demonstrates your confidence in them by showing that you value their unique contributions for the team.
Schedule regular creativity or brainstorming meetings where everyone can pitch ideas and suggestions. You’ll increase social interactivity with your team, making it feel more friendly, and generate smarter network marketing hacks in the process.
Reconsider Your Expectations
Disappointed with downline team member’s results? Ask yourself whether maybe you’re asking too much of them – or even asking them to produce something they aren’t interested in producing.
Not everyone gets into network marketing to become an “expert” like you, and you shouldn’t expect them to, either.
The key word here is happiness. They may have their own goals and aspirations when it comes to what they're doing, and the best way to keep motivating your downline is to let them be happy.
Are they happy?
Are they struggling?
Do they feel ignored?
Know your team well enough to be able to identify when they’re happy and when they’re not, and develop a knack for knowing when it’s time to step in (and when it’s not). Not every situation is a crisis – or even a reason to change at all.
