“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” John Maxwell wrote these words to begin one of the most important works on the topic of leadership, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It’s a phrase many of us hear often from our field leaders, and it’s one that proves itself over and over again, not just among our salesforce, but at the corporate office, too. I tend to agree with Maxwell. But if you really dwell on his statement, you begin to feel the weight of it. Is leadership really … [Read more...]
5 Must-Have Traits for Today’s Successful Direct Selling Executive
Perhaps the most common question I get asked by young, ambitious direct selling company executives is this: What do I have to do to build or lead a great direct selling company?” That question may be the most difficult there is to answer, at least for me, and I do not think I have ever answered it the same way twice. The problem is that “leadership,” no matter what the environment, is very hard to define. What is Leadership? Thousands of words, hundreds of books and dozens of … [Read more...]
Rick Loy Joins Strategic Choice Partners!
With over 20 years as a Senior Executive for one of the nation’s leading direct selling companies, Rick Loy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Strategic Choice Partners. Rick Loy brings more than two decades of Field Development and Training Leadership to Direct Selling's Top Consulting Firm. From 1998 through 2019, Rick led the sales, training and field development efforts at AdvoCare, establishing what has long been revered as one of the most comprehensive Distributor … [Read more...]
Momentum: Success Starts With You
Just because it is the middle of the year, doesn’t mean we can’t start fresh as if it’s New Year’s Day, the infamous goal-setting holiday. Bring on the new goals, new growth and new people. Anything is possible. And how does that happen? By starting NOW and getting the momentum going! Lead by Example! Bookings are easier when people are chatting and laughing in the company of friends. Recruiting is easier when people watch how much fun you’re having (and notice how much you’re … [Read more...]
How to Sponsor More Leaders
When working with field leaders, I’m often asked how to sponsor “good” people—ones who aspire to become leaders. The Right Approach vs. Wrong Approach On occasion, a leader will tell me she only talks with people who “prequalify” as a solid prospective consultant. Ouch! I believe, without hesitation, we can’t tell if someone will be wildly successful. We can have a hunch, for sure. But too many times I’ve worked with new consultants who just needed encouragement and someone who … [Read more...]
9 Often Forgotten Best Practices to Improve Your Sales Force Training
Your sales force members are your best customers, which means you need to constantly pour into them, encourage them and listen to their feedback. If they lose steam, your business does, too. So here are nine tips to keep in mind when training your sales force. Top 9 Tips People grow from relationships. People don't grow from training, promotions, amazing products or flashy websites. Your new people will be more likely to succeed if they have someone within the company who provides … [Read more...]
Now’s the Time to Start Promoting Your Summer Event!
With holiday happenings all around us, it’s doubtful your summer event is weighing heavily on your mind right now. But it should be. Here’s why: Many, if not most direct selling companies have leadership events in the early part of the year. That’s the ideal time to gather what you need to successfully promote your event. More on that in a moment. This is the time of year vacation schedules are being put together for 2018. Even if a consultant is not tied to a strict, planned vacation … [Read more...]
Motivation – It’s a Tricky One
As a long-term training consultant, I’ve had the pleasure of presenting quite a few Leadership Seminars. I discovered early on that the liveliest and most productive sessions are ones where I contacted each leader a couple weeks in advance to get a feel for her personality and find out what she hopes to gain from the experience. The Questions to Ask I ask questions like, “What drew you to the company?” or “What do you enjoy most about being a leader?” and “What are your long-term business … [Read more...]
The Greatest Feature of Direct Sales
The greatest feature, advantage and benefit of any direct sales company is the direct seller. As a company, what you may think you’re selling, and what people are actually buying, are often two very different things. It’s not the product. I know it’s hard to believe, but not everyone will be as awestruck with your product as you. It’s not the compensation plan. There are tons of ways to make tons of money. It’s not your tools. They help, but they’re useless without people who know how to … [Read more...]