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If you’ve proven that you’ve got what it takes to make sales and run a successful direct sales business, then your next step is to recruit your first person. You’re probably thinking that once you get someone on your team, you can continually grow your business and stop working quite so hard, right?

Not quite. Actually the focus changes from primarily sales to that of a mentor. Once you become a team leader, you still need to work your own business, but you’ll also be responsible training and supporting others as well. What can you do to be successful as a team leader? Here are some tips and suggestions that will go a long way in making you a team leader anyone would be proud to work with.

• Put others first. Any good team leader will realize it’s no longer only about yourself and your business. You will need to put the needs of her down line above your own. Success will happen for your recruits, which in turn means you too. You don’t succeed, if team members don’t succeed.
• Learn to prioritize. You must be able to put things in order of importance as a team leader. By doing this you will be better organized and show your team members how to do the same.
• Walk the walk. As a leader you must lead by example. You can’t tell your team to do something and expect them to follow you if you’re not doing it too. So, go ahead and talk the talk, but only if you can walk the walk too.
• Overcoming obstacles. Know how to work past any objection in your business. Know your product or service well enough to know what possible reasons people have for not wanting to purchase and have answers available to prevail over them.
• Perseverance. Remember: some will; some won’t’ so what … someone’s waiting. You know that you’ll receive a lot of negative responses in this business, but stay positive and know you will get the answer your looking for. You stick with it when things are slow and don’t let rejection get you down.
• Create a working system. Get organized and have a system that gets results. Also realize that organization is different for everyone, but know your system and be willing to help your team members find their perfect system too.
• Motivate, encourage and lift up your team. The leader is the motivator; the optimistic no matter what comes your way.
• Set goals. Not everyone is motivated by goals.  Find out who is and then set some for those team members who work well with goals. Know what an achievable goal is and what is out of reach. Be able to help others reach their goals by breaking them up into manageable objectives.
• I hope you’re not in direct sales for the sole purpose to make money. Know your product, use your product and like it! You must believe in what you sell and only sign up those who do it too – they make the best sales people.

Above and beyond these tips, you can also learn to become a great leader by applying the principles it takes to do so. Watch videos; listen to CDs and podcasts; attend webinars; read books and attend seminars that will help you become the leader you want to be. These things will make a difference in your direct sales business and your life too.

About the Author:  Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Star Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles.  She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business.  You can find Laurie at http://www.Scentsy.com/LA or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com

Although, you run your own business, when you start in direct sales there is another person you should think about when it comes to your success. Your up line leader, or the person who recruits you that you’ll train under, is an extremely important person to your business. Because sponsors are so significant, you’ll want to choose wisely when signing up in a down line. Here are some more things to look for in a direct sales sponsor.

1.    An up line leader who knows the company and product very well.  The more your sponsor knows the business, the better she will be at teaching and motivating your team.

2.    Someone with a positive outlook on business and life in general will go a long way. If you have an up line leader who likes to gossip or has a negative attitude all the time, chances of her being able to encourage you during the down times will be slim to none. Look for someone who has a natural knack for creativity, because these slow times will require you to use your noggin and come up with things that will help you pick up sales, continue making money, etc.

3.    Consistency is important in a leader. Look for someone who communicates regularly with the team via meetings, telecons or message boards. You want to learn from someone who is successful so don’t try to reinvent the wheel with your business. If you have an up line leader who isn’t growing it might be a better idea to find someone else to join under if you can.

4.    A good leader realizes it’s not all about her. You should look for someone who loves helping her team succeed. One who is willing to share the ropes and teach others based on what works and what doesn’t. She allows you to learn from her mistakes and gives you ways to avoid them. When you succeed she is just as happy as if she had met one of her own goals.

5.    Find someone who has a good reputation in the business. If someone has made a bad name for herself or the direct sales company, your chances of overcoming that negativity with customers will not be easy. It can be done, but it will very hard and can hinder your own business success.

You want to find an up line leader who is dependable, determined and has a natural willingness to see you succeed. She should know what she is doing and be able to teach, motivate and encourage her team. Find a team who possesses a leader with these qualities and you’ll be well on your way to a successful direct sales business.

About the Author:  Laurie Ayers is a WAHM from Michigan and a Star Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles.  She enjoys helping others start and maintain a candle business.  You can find Laurie at http://www.Scentsy.com/LA or http://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com