My friend, Mike Unclebach, once said that Direct Sales is a personal development program with a paycheck. I like this comment for a couple of reasons. I have been into personal development since I was around 12 years old. I also like the thought process of getting paid to grow!
When I was 12, I went to work for my father’s pizzeria business. I worked my tail off that summer with my brother, Kevin, and from that experience, we both learned the value that “hard work always pays off.” It was a little bit later that year that I began studying martial arts. For nearly 17 years, I studied various styles and was mentored by some great instructors. I have also worked for a leading training and development company for 5.5 years. I have received mentoring by some of the best in the business.
I am now at a point in my life where I want to “pay it forward.” I will still continue to receive mentoring, but I am also ready to mentor and lead. I recently read an article in Inc. Magazine titled, 5 Things Great Mentors Do. Below are my takeaways….
1.) Mentor the entire company/team
Spend 15-30 minutes a week to get everyone together for a little sharpening. Here you might share updates on products and services, get top performers to share recent success stories or share best practices.
2.) Open door policy (open phone line policy)
Setting appointments and maintaining structure in your calendar is key to balance, but allowing for occasional interruptions for a quick question is also important. You want to encourage your directors to be able to come to you with a new thought now and then. They should also do the same with their downline and so on. By allowing team members to call you with an idea and brainstorm, you encourage creativity and your business to flourish.
3.) Set the tone for your managers (leaders)
Meet regularly with your top performers that have teams. Set goals, activities and hold them accountable to the results. Instituting a process will help them with goal achievement. Also, you want them to do the same with their teams. Getting an entire downline to focus and execute regularly will help you build a high performing organization that can yield sustainable results.
4.) Ask questions, don’t give answers
If you always respond to questions with the answer, you will never teach your team members to think for themselves. By answering with a question, you allow them to process their thoughts in front of you. If you get them to think through the challenge, they will often have a good idea to overcome it. Overtime, you will create teams that can overcome obstacles on their own which allows you more freedom to work on the big picture.
5.) Make mentorship part of your DNA
When you mentor others and encourage them to do the same with your teams, you will be teaching them the Japanese principle of Kaizen, aka, “Continuous Improvement.” If you can instill this in your teams, when you suggest a book to read, a class to attend or call to jump on, they will be anxious to follow your suggestions. You want people on your teams that are hungry to learn. Inside them, you will find people that are hungry to earn!
If you are ready to make some changes in your life that will allow you to grow and make more money than you think is possible, watch this video and then send me an email or give me a call. I’d like to spend 15 minutes with you to better understand your dreams and see if it Enhance International and I can help you achieve them. You can also learn more about the business opportunity here.
Enhancing lives one at a time,
John Vakidis
Cell - 972-786-6800
