Recruiting is the lifeblood of your business

As a networking professional, and someone who is interested in creating more than a “hobby” income, you’ll want recruiting to remain at the top of your priority list of action steps for your business.

One can earn a great income retailing products in some companies (and certainly not all). If your company offers in-demand, unique products, with a solid wholesale/retail price structure, you might focus there.

Some companies offer a fundraising program and one can also earn a substantial income focusing on fundraising, too. Once again, we offer a unique line of products that the end consumer can actually get excited about and will consider purchasing more of in a fundraising situation. And, one successful fundraiser can lead to many more.

To truly grow a solid, residual based income, however, recruiting is what grows your business and where the true “big money” comes into play.

Many of us begin our businesses doing a little of each activity and this is important in learning about the business and learning about ourselves. It will expand your abilities as a professional within the industry and as a strong coach and mentor to your team. Lay the ground work now for the business you intend to grow.

Most people will ultimately settle into one particular area of working the business. If recruiting is an area you decide on, you will be creating leverage for yourself.

J. Paul Getty made a profound statement once when he proclaimed “I would rather have 1% of the efforts of 100 men than 100% of my own effort.” And, so it goes with network marketing.

In the beginning, you are the one putting forth all of the effort to generate a paycheck. You make your list, you pass out cards and samples, you run ads, and take whatever steps necessary to find other people interested in joining you.

As you sponsor one, then another, and another, the personal effort required by you to generate that same paycheck as before is less and less. You have created “income leverage” as well as time leverage. You are not alone in taking action steps to create income.

To create a large, growing organization, set a goal for the number of people you are going to personally sponsor (or recruit) into your business each month. To do this, you’ll need to set some action goals for yourself on steps that you will take to find those people. The recruiting process involves the introduction of the product and business; providing detailed information on our business system; and asking for the decision to join you.

We are in a business of planting seeds and cultivating those seeds. The more seeds you plant, the greater your harvest will be. Running out into the field and trying to force the harvest is not something we do, either.

Don’t make the mistake of planting only one or two seeds and then expecting to grow a beanstalk! Plant many seeds, water and sun those seeds, and allow the natural process to occur.

Your business will only be right for another person based on his/her life situation and timing. You can not control this part of the process and I encourage you not to even try. Always keep the door open and make yourself available to answer questions and sponsor that person in at any time.

I typically sponsor as many people each month who first looked at the business weeks, months and even years before, as I do those looking for the first time. I understand timing. It took me 15 months after my initial exposure and a life changing event before I joined my first company. Make sure you are still around when your prospects decide the time is right.

My personal goal is to be among the top ten “Sponsor Monsters” that the company tracks. This goal keeps me in action and gives me an action plan for each month. I know the steps I need to take and the number of people I need to get my business in front of in order to reach that goal. It also provides inspiration for my team to also be listed in that group.

Even if I fall short on reaching that goal, I still have the action plan out in front of me and know that the efforts I put in each month build on the previous month and will keep me with a growing business and a growing frontline of business builders.

New team partners mean new excitement for the entire team. I am the first to admit that I do not have all of the answers, and especially not the creative ones, about our business. There are many people more talented than me on my team, and the synergy created by having so many resourceful people in one place is amazing.

New ideas and new ways of marketing our products and our business come from new team members joining our ranks. That is why recruiting is the lifeblood of the business. Every month, I am energized by the fresh excitement that sparks renewed enthusiasm on the team.

As the coach of your organization, you will inspire more by your own actions than by your words. Set your goals and intentions for recruiting and watch as the leaders on your team rise up to match and exceed those goals. Some in networking marketing miss the point of duplication and leverage when they want to always be the one at the very top.

For me, I am happy to be at or near the top, and even more happy when other leaders on the team have duplicated my efforts and goals and moved right on up the ladder. That, my friend, is what creates “walk away” income and income security.

And, that is one of the big lures of network marketing – the ability to get paid whether we are present or not, on the efforts we put forth in the beginning.

On that note, I’m off to pack for a family cruise. Hasta la vista!