15 Principles for Developing Your Independent Sales Force

Written by Brett Duncan. Brett specializes in helping direct selling companies evolve into modern social selling models while still maintaining the culture and essence of who they are and what makes them different. He is co-founder and managing partner of Strategic Choice Partners, a business development firm that helps direct selling companies take their next steps.

15 Principles for Developing Your Independent Sales Force

I was recently asked to share tips and training to new and young direct selling companies on how to build up and develop a sales force. And the training was to be no more than 20 minutes long!

I’m all for a good challenge, but to cover what seems to be the lifeblood of success in our channel in a mere 20 minutes, when probably 20 days still wouldn’t quite do it justice, seemed a tad daunting. In fairness, the point of the program was to provide quick input on the basics of all areas of direct selling to these new companies, and the end product was actually helpful (so kudos to the organizers). But still… 20 minutes?!? 😉

So rather than go deep in any one tactic or strategy, I decided to cover what I consider to be a key thought-starter for any direct selling company, whether young, old, big, small or somewhere in the middle of it all. And in this article, I offer the same to you.

No single principle is intended to cover everything. My hope is that these to-the-point principles serve as thought-starters and checkpoints for your own internal discussions. With that said, here we go!

1. Trust and communication must become foundational components of everything you do.

I’ve written about this in detail here before, so you can read that article when you have time. In a nutshell, from the corporate standpoint, trust is your most valuable asset when it comes to field relations.

Nothing nurtures trust like clear, compelling and timely communication. And it can’t just be about the good things; trust really gets built when you communicate the bad things well. On the flip side, the more someone trusts you, the more open they are to communication from you. The less they trust you, the less open they are to your communication. So in everything you do, remember that every bit of communication has the ability to strengthen or weaken trust in you.

2. The fundamental unit of success in direct selling is a conversation.

Nothing can happen that involves selling a product, enrolling a new customer, signing up a new Distributor, promoting a new leader, or just sharing a feel-good story until first a conversation occurs. If your sales force isn’t having a conversation about your products and company, then nothing else can happen. The conversation must come first! It can be an in-person conversation, or a digital one. There are so many different “types” of conversations these days, but one of your primary roles at corporate is to help instigate as many conversations as possible.

3. Go overboard with your onboarding.

As an industry that prides itself on how well we teach and train our people, I’m constantly shocked at how sub-par most onboarding programs are. By onboarding, I’m talking about the sequence of messages and interactions that occur (typically, in an automated fashion) after someone signs up as a Distributor. This is the most critical time in the life of any Distributor. Go overboard in breaking it down into simple steps and doing everything possible to help this new seedling take root and grow.

4. Help Distributors get their first order ASAP.

The normal reaction for most people after signing up to do anything is to wonder, “Will this really work?” Your new Distributors are definitely wondering that. So help them answer that question with a resounding “YES!” as quickly as possible. It’s not about how much money they make on that first order or how many people order in their first week. They just need proof that, “Yes, I can easily offer this to people I know, and at least some of them will order this product from me.” So many worries and objections fade away quickly when this first order is received. Find ways to make it happen!

5. Make sure your distributors are actually distributors.

We all have Distributors who sign up with no intent to ever sell anything or sponsor anyone. A lot of times, they’re doing it for the best deal on a product purchase. Other times, they’re just doing someone a favor. There are all kinds of reasons. But here’s the thing: You don’t want Distributors who don’t distribute. If they want to be a consumer of your products, please let them be a Customer. If your current deals and programs don’t offer the best deal of consumers outside of becoming a Distributor, you should rethink that. When you know you can treat your Distributors like Distributors, and your Customers like Customers, good things happen.

6. Assume your new distributors will only be with you for 90 days, and build a company around that.

I’ve talked a little about this in a previous article. We have always looked at the 90-day mark as the goal in our industry. The thought has always been… if we can get someone to 90 days, then they are much more likely to stay for many more days after that. Check your data and see if that’s the case for your company (it varies). But here’s what I do know: Most people simply do not make it through 90 days. And a lot of times, that has nothing to do with you.

The entrepreneurial attention span these days is much shorter for most. So… rather than just hoping they make it to 90 days, what if you could shift you’re thinking into something more like “I have the next 90 days to partner with this Distributor; let’s go make the most of it.” I can’t help but think this would change all kinds of things you’re doing from a sales program standpoint.

7. Build your sales cultures around your fast start program.

I’ve talked about this many times here at The World of Direct Selling. I’m a big fan of making a big deal of your fast start program. For the biggest audience, your fast start program helps simplify your business and get people to work. In the article I mentioned above, I talk about fast start programs and building one that actually meets people where they’re at. Think about it: At any given time, healthy Distributors in your company should be a) going for Fast Start, b) helping someone go for Fast Start (e.g., sponsoring) or c) helping someone help someone go for Fast Start (e.g., team building).

8. Take on a “Next Steps” mentality in your development.

I like to define leadership this way: “Leadership is the courage to take a next step, and the willingness to help someone else take theirs.”

I recently broke down what a “Next Steps” approach could look like at a direct selling company in this article. We’re so often guilty of asking people to make big leaps. For every person who succeeds in making that big leap, there are typically five or so who fell short, and simply fade away.

Help create a culture that has a next step for everyone, regardless of what they’re personally wanting out of being a Distributor, or what they’re willing to put in from a effort and time standpoint.

9. Always focus on your next generation of leadership.

Everything rises and falls on leadership. Your present may be in good shape due to your current leaders, but your future is resting on your next generation of leaders. It’s so easy to lose sight of our next generation of leaders. It requires some vision, and investment in the future. But it’s so worth it.

Most companies assume their original generation of leaders will always be their leaders. And that can work if you’re only interested in being in business for 10-15 years. But if you want to grow for decades to come, you need to have a new crop of leaders stepping up every 10 years. It doesn’t mean the old leaders go away; it just means that everyone makes room for the next generation to rise up and take the company to the next level.

10. Don’t overthink recognition, just overdo it!

It’s very easy to get caught up in all the different methods for recognition. From galas to zoom calls to social mentions to photo shoots for the upcoming catalog, it’s all great and important. But I’ve seen many companies wait to perfect their recognition approach, only to miss out on many opportunities. So, keep adapting, but don’t let the adapting stop the activity today.

11. Don’t get caught up in chasing leaders from other companies; create your own stories.

Young companies can especially get focused on finding new leaders from other companies. I’m not saying this is a bad thing to do, but it shouldn’t be the main thing that you do. Here’s the thing about leaders who leave a company to join yours: Their track record tells you they’re likely to leave your company someday, too. So don’t bet the farm on them; try to develop your own leaders organically and establish your culture well.

12. Facebook ads focused on getting new Distributors are a great way to waste a lot of money (unless you really know what you’re doing).

I’ll probably take some heat on this one, but so be it. Too many companies think they can just whip up some ads to join an opportunity presentation and the enrollments will come pouring in. I’m not saying this can’t work, but you really need to know what you’re doing here to make it work profitably. Especially as a young company, your budget is a precious thing. So, if you’re not incorporating true automated sales funnels, retargeting and other online marketing methods into your ad structure, you should probably pause it (or let someone else do it for you).

13. Don’t get caught up in constantly reinventing yourself, focus on repeating yourself.

As an industry, we pride ourselves in leveraging the magic of duplication. The funny thing is, most of us change things so often that no one ever has a chance to duplicate it. As a young company, it can be so easy to tweak and tweak and tweak. After all, you’re learning a lot as you go. Some of this is unavoidable, but don’t give up on the original idea. Most of the time, the issue isn’t with the structure of your programs or brand; it’s just a lack of awareness and simplicity that’s causing the issues.

14. Gimmicks and promotions don’t solve sponsoring and training issues. Focus on your sales culture more than your sales programs.

It’s so easy to slide into whipping up a promotion to get a bump in sponsoring. And then you do it again. And again. And pretty soon, the “norm” is no longer enough for anyone. So you’re stuck! Your standard compensation plan should be the best incentive for building a team. Promotions and specials most definitely have their place, but don’t get stuck in having to give away the farm just to get some movement. Focus on your core offer and messaging, and get it in front of more people.

15. If you aren’t the field leader your company deserves, find someone who is.

Especially for young companies, it’s common for the founder(s) to wear many hats, including field development. In many cases, this works great. Sometimes, a founder recognizes that that’s not exactly their thing. It’s OK if that’s you. Recognizing that you aren’t the field leader your company needs is a great step forward. Now, find someone who is. Don’t let a mediocre approach to field development hold back your entire sales force. Cut them loose!

I hope this has helped and prompted some fresh thinking for you. I’d love to hear what principle resonated most with you in the comments.

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