How To Effectively Manage your MLM Team When You’re Part Time

If you're busying building up your MLM team but don't have a lot of time, this post is perfect for you!

Flash back 9 years ago…

When I joined my first MLM business back in 2008, I made 2 mistakes right out of the gate.

The first is pretty common…

I was so hungry for results that I focused exclusively on generating leads and scoring recruits.

Not a terrible tactic…

But when I did get someone to join my MLM team, I neglected to give them much by way of support.

As you can guess, this strategy didn’t work for long.

I soon found myself in a situation where people were quitting faster than I could bring new prospects into my MLM team.

It was a vicious cycle and it wasn't long before my residual income all but disappeared.

That was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 isn't as obvious.  

Actually, it's only a mistake because I failed to recognize it.

It wasn't so much what I was doing but what I was THINKING.

Because I was so busy, I remember very vividly the message I was feeding my mind over and over…

“What if I build a big team… how can I possibly support them in the time I have?”

I'm a big believer in…

You get what you think about most.

So it wasn't a big surprise that between Mistake #1 and Mistake #2, I wasn't making much headway in my MLM business.

Correcting my first mistake wasn't hard.

I simply made the decision to focus half my business time on getting prospects in front of my company presentation…

And the other half supporting my MLM team.

Correcting my second mistake proved a bit more difficult because it was mindset-related.

But the reality is when you learn to leverage technology and follow some simple best practices…

You can easily manage and support your MLM team, regardless of the size.

As a Part Time Marketer where time is your most valuable resource, it's crucial that you follow these practices.

 

1. Be Selective

Most marketers, when just starting out are so excited to have someone join their MLM team that they’ll take anybody with a pulse.

And I’m not saying that’s wrong.

Certainly you need to get some traction in the beginning.

But you’ll soon discover that having a team member who’s super needy, demanding or worse…

Someone who feels entitled to all your time just because they joined your team can be a nightmare.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that YOU get to choose who joins your MLM team.

You have the power of being selective and deciding who you want to work with and, more importantly who you don’t want on your team.

When you understand this, it’s liberating!

In a traditional job, you’re usually powerless when it comes to choosing your coworkers.

Someone with more authority decides who gets hired and fired.

In many ways, your coworkers are forced on you, and you need to make the best of it.

When it’s your business, you get to decide who you work with.

Now, I can already hear some of you saying something like, “that’s fine for you and other leaders, but my team is small (or non-existent) and I need people to join!”

Fair enough, but you may be surprised to find out that being selective actually makes you MORE attractive to others.

More on this later.

Here’s some examples of the types of people I’ve declined in the past:

Someone who tells me they need money fast.

Someone who insists on handholding, helping them every step of the way.

Someone who wants a guarantee that they’ll make money.

Someone who tells me they plan on “giving it 30 days to see if this works.”

You’re looking for leaders and go-getters to join your MLM team.

You want people who are independent and understand the value of their time and yours.

As a Part Time Marketer, you can’t afford to have hand holders and entitlement seekers as part of your team.

You just don’t have the time or energy for that.

2. Learn To Attract the People You Wish To Work With

Attraction Marketing is certainly one of the buzzwords in our industry right now.

Some swear by it; others aren't sold on the idea.

But here’s one thing I can tell you about the Law of Attraction from my own experiences…

The quickest way to attract the wrong people into your business is to act like someone you’re not.

If you want to attract good quality people, you need to be genuine and real.

People can spot a phony a mile away.

I talked previously about being selective with whom you work with.

Although it may sound counterintuitive, this actually makes you MORE attractive to others.

People by nature want to be included, to feel like they’re a part of something.

When you limit that access, you pique their curiosity and they begin to wonder what they’re missing.

When I’m on the phone with a prospect and I disqualify them, some will actually try to prove me wrong.

Posturing yourself as the person who DECIDES who joins your business can make you hugely attractive to your prospects.

If all this sounds too good to be true or you need more help to attract others to you, check out this Free Resource.

3. Train Your MLM Team To Value Your Time

This one is HUGE for Part Time Marketers.

Some people suffer from “I want to help everyone” syndrome.

They falsely believe that giving their time to anyone who asks will ensure their success.

And they want to be liked by all.

Here’s the reality — your time is limited and hugely valuable.

People need to EARN time with you.

The sooner you adopt this philosophy, the more successful you’ll become because you’ll be allocating your time correctly.

Individual, one-on-one time should be reserved for those on your MLM team who earn it.

How do they earn it?

By producing and taking action.

Unfortunately, this may equal only 20% of your team or less.

I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent on the phone listening to my team members complain that they weren’t getting results, that “this thing just isn’t working!”

When I asked them what they’d actually done, the answer was always the same…

“Well… ummm….. “

Which usually amounted to NOT MUCH.

You can give group time and coaching to the 80% of your team that take little to no action, if you wish.

In this way, you can provide them with information and knowledge they can use to get results should they decide to do the work.

But to give these people your limited time on an individual basis will be disastrous for your business.

4. Stay Focused… And Keep Your Team Focused

When managing your team Part Time, focus is a must.

It starts with you, because your team will follow your lead (more on this in the next point).

Here’s the bottom line…

If your daily business routine is scattered and haphazard, if you’re constantly moving from one project to another without completing anything, your team is likely to do the same.

Here are some ways to keep you and your team focused:

Write down a daily action plan and keep it posted someplace where you’ll see it first thing in the morning.

These should be the 3-5 things you do every day to keep your business moving forward.

Encourage your team to do the same.

Before you go to bed at night, make a specific “to do” list for the next day keeping in mind your daily action plan.

Always be asking yourself, “Does this have the potential to make me money today?”

If the answer is yes, put it at the top of your To Do list.

Make a commitment to master one marketing method at a time.

Always remember — it’s far better to be masterful in one than mediocre in many”.

Instill this in your team.

Have a place where you can get the attention of your team members on a regular basis.

This could be via email broadcasts (using your team list) or a private Facebook group for your team only, or something similar.

The idea is to have one communication hub for your team, so that you can keep them focused and on task.

Warn your team members (and yourself) of shiny object syndrome, as well as something I call shiny mentor syndrome (listening to too many “gurus” at one time).

Both can deflect focus from those things that will truly move your business forward.

5. Be A Model For Your Team

Your team will do what you do.

Motivating someone else is difficult to do on a long term basis.

But you CAN provide motivation through inspiration.

How do you inspire your team members?

By doing the daily activities needed to keep growing your own business, and sharing the results with your team.

That leads us to a key concept:

Your team will do what you do, not what you tell them to do.

When they seeing you doing what it takes to get results, you’ll become a model for their own success.

Once you understand this, it will be like a huge weight will be taken off your shoulders.

You no longer have to worry about motivating your team and getting them to take action.

All you really need is to keep doing what you’ve already been doing to grow your business.

Those that get inspired will follow your path.

After all, if it works for you, why wouldn’t it work for them?

The ones that don’t follow your lead will drop off, and there’s not much you can do about it.

Final Words
When you’re selective in who joins your business, managing an MLM team Part Time becomes energizing and fun.

Setting boundaries and spending the most time with those who work hardest will allow you to continue marketing and grow your own business.

Finally, find ways to leverage technology to communicate with and train your team, saving you valuable time.

What Say You?

Have you ever worried about not having enough time to support your MLM Team?

Leave a comment and join in the Discussion.

And if you got value and believe this post will help others, please SHARE with your social circles!

To your success!

 

 

 

 

 

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Dr. Bob

Creator of The Part Time Business Blueprint

Email: bob@bobandrosemary.com

Skype: drbobclarke

P.S.  If you struggle with Prospecting and your time is limited, I highly recommend you check out this free resource.