Of the MLM distributors, Party Plan consultants, and their customers lost each year, statistics say that more than half are lost in the first 13 weeks following enrollment. Fast-start success of each MLM distributor or Party Plan consultant virtually guarantees the long-term success of your company. Thus, it is entirely appropriate that a fast start plan for distributors and consultants begin by examining your company’s fast start system.  “Fast start system” refers to the crucial period that begins immediately upon a distributor’s or consultant’s sign-up and continues through the first 13 weeks (90 days) following sign-up.

The powerful emotion behind a person’s decision to join your company will rapidly diminish unless the decision takes root. A customer must quickly experience fast delivery and promised benefits of a product or service that you are selling.  An MLM distributor or Party Plan consultant must experience a measure of success that will reaffirm belief in your company and in his or her ability to attain their goals.  In fact, the emotional “juice” that moves a person to action will diminish or completely dissipate upon occurrence of one or more of the following:

• The new recruit’s decision is questioned or challenged at home or by well meaning (but uninformed) friends or family

• The new recruit encounters a negative response when they share their newly found product and/or business opportunity

• The new recruit fumbles or procrastinates the important first steps in getting started; or worse, they don’t know where to start

• Time passes without sufficient reinforcement of the belief

• Expectations are not realistic or are not managed through the establishment of goals followed by adequate planning and action

Your fast start success system, correctly designed and effectively deployed, is the critical business building activity that will give new recruits the best chance at succeeding with your company.

Since 1988 the top MLM Consultant and his team of MLM consulting professionals have worked with more than a thousand companies, learning vital lessons along the way.  This blog entry gives concise and powerful guidance on how to start and run a successful MLM company, presenting three principles and four questions that will help guide you as you make important decisions regarding your MLM startup.

3 Principles

When considering how best to build the MLM sales force, bear in mind these key principles taught by the top MLM consultants in seminars and MLM consulting engagements:

• Principle 1 – The sales force is a volunteer army of individuals.  Statistics show that 85% devote part time to the work, and they sell because they want to.  Never forget that.  If they become unhappy, for whatever reason, they won’t place another order and they won’t enroll another person.

• Principle 2 – Sales people in direct selling think more like customers than like business people.  If they believe in a product and that it is good value in exchange for the money, they will sell it.  If they wouldn’t pay the asking price for it, they won’t sell it.

• Principle 3 – The “trust / fear” equation is always present.  There is a direct correlation between the sales force’s trust in the company and the company’s success.  There is absolutely no promotion, contest, new product, or compensation plan that can make up for lack of trust.

4 Questions

When considering changes or enhancements, be sure to ask these 4 questions, the same ones that top MLM consultants will ask:

• Question 1 – Is this a good decision for the new and part-time sales people?  Whenever you are considering a change, contest, incentive, or promotion, ask whether it adds to or reduces profit; adds to or reduces paperwork; aids or hampers recruiting; makes selling easier; makes recruiting easier?

• Question 2 – Is this a good decision for new and mid-level leaders?  Always consider any changes or enhancements in light of the same questions—does it make recruiting easier or harder; does it make being a leader easier or harder?

• Question 3 – Is this a good decision for top-level leaders?  Because this area is not as “black and white,” keep in mind that leaders are more tied to the company an income from their businesses.  If it’s good for new and part-time sales people and leaders, but not for top leaders, it still may be acceptable in the long-run, but always ask the question.

• Question 4 – Is this a good decision for the company?  Many times non-sales department functions make decisions that adversely impact the sales force.  For instance, a strong CFO or financial director may rigorously enforce refund policies and refuse to pay refunds that have been approved by a front-line agent who is trying to keep a distributor from canceling.

We have been privileged to be able to work inside the Scentsy operations in Meridian, Idaho.  If there is a secret to their success as an MLM / Party Plan company, it’s the hearts and smarts of the owners and founders, their cracker-jack executives, and most importantly – their team of more than 300 people with big hearts.

A visit to the Scentsy offices will fill your senses with the fragrances of success, and the visual onslaught of cars parked thoughtfully up and down the street, not imposing on their neighboring business parking.  It’s the sign of a thoughtful “good-neighbor” policy that reflects the well-run operation inside.

Of course, Scentsy creates incredible value in their clever, popular warming units used to melt their fragrance-infused waxes that gently fill homes and work spaces with a full range of life’s colors, flowers, kitchens and fresh outdoors–all depending on your preference.

My work with Scentsy has begun as an invitation to help them to stay on top of their game when it comes to delivering consultant services.  With tens of thousands of active consultants bringing in record enrollments and sales, that’s no small task.  But it won’t be difficult considering that the “servant-leadership” hearts of Scentsy owners Orville & Heidi Thompson derive from their roots.  The challenge is to facilitate its reach into, and throughout, a company that just earlier this year received the DSA “Rising Start Award,” sharing the stage with ServiceQuest (also and Idaho firm – my humble little MLM consulting company), putting Idaho on the global map for direct selling.

Yay!