It’s pretty standard for a party-plan company to have some sort of Fast Start program. While the names and details vary, the intent is the same. Helping new consultants experience success by rewarding them for incremental achievements during their first few months of business. These programs are carefully crafted to help new consultants quickly reach the first level of leadership, which has proven to be a solid indicator of future success.

The strategy for achieving Fast Start challenges is also consistent from one company to the next:

• Create a list of contacts
• Schedule a launch event
• Start inviting
• Hold the launch event

And that, oh so important, Launch Event will be the vehicle to find future sales and bookings. So far, I’m not telling you anything new, am I?  Stay with me!

While this strategy has stood the test of time, here’s some advice to help consultants get a Fast Start to prepare them for the Fast Start.

 

Tip 1: Don’t wait until the Launch – Start booking now!

Too often, we put all the focus on the Launch party. That’s risky business. Because if that event doesn’t result in future bookings, you, as a leader, will already need to be in “cheer up” mode.

Instead, encourage your new consultant to start booking right away. Give him or her a goal to fill up their calendar before the Launch. So if the Launch results are less than ideal, she’ll have a solid schedule to build from. This is far from a new concept, but it seems to have gotten lost along the way.

 

Tip 2:  You won’t really be in business until you are working with people you didn’t know before.

Explain to your new consultants that while it makes sense to start with the people they know, they’ll really be in business when they are selling, booking and sponsoring others they have yet to meet. That’s the Goal. Got It? That’s the Goal! Because once they master those basic skills, they’ll never lose them.

 

Tip 3: Start looking to sponsor before the Launch party.

Help debunk the myth that they need to be experienced and know all the ins and outs of the business before they’re ready to sponsor. Cut that thought process off at the pass. Typically, new consultants need to hear this one over and over again.

 

Tip 4: Prepare them to hear “No.”

Since I’m not a fan of hearing “No”, I’ve actually gone overboard with this one. Some are not at all fazed by it. And if we go on and on about how to handle upcoming rejection, (Guilty), we might plant pessimistic seeds that weren’t originally there.

 But for others, it’s not something they can easily blow off.  Explain that hearing “No” is part of the game; just as much as hearing “Yes” is, and that it’s best to look at their business on a monthly, not daily basis.

 

One Final Word of Advice

Don’t bury these tips among all the other information you are sharing. Emphasize them and please, let me know if it makes a difference in helping your consultants have a Fast Start to achieving the Fast Start!

 

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About Lori Moser

Lori Moser is an accomplished speaker and creator of sales training content for print, online and video presentation.

Lori’s background in education, combined with over 25 years of experience in the direct sales industry enables her to help both start-up and established companies with every aspect of their sales training. After beginning her career at Tupperware, Lori became a founding member of Dorling Kindersley Family Learning where she built a multi-million dollar organization within 3 years. She then gained corporate experience as the company’s Regional VP of Sales.

Learn more about Lori on her bio page, and contact us at info@strategicchoicepartners.com if you’d like to discuss how Lori and SCP can help your company.