10 MLM Upline Tips

So, you’ve just sponsored your first person! How exciting! You are now an upline because you have a downline. And, you’ve just tapped into the secret of how to make the most money in your MLM business.

Here are 10 tips you can take to the bank on being an effective, awesome upline leader for your team.


1. Be an effective communicator. Communication is the key to every successful partnership. Don’t wait. Pick up the phone immediately and call your new team partner. Welcome he /she aboard and see if there are any questions you might answer. Being an effective communicator doesn’t mean you must know all of the answers. Know how to find answers and know where to refer your team to find answers. Communication is a two way street, so make sure your team know that your line is open for calls as well.


2. Provide Leadership. Great organizations are always built around a few key leaders. Leaders blaze a trail through their words and their actions. They deal with difficult situations and exercise integrity in their actions. Leaders go the extra mile; pick up the phone sometimes instead of email; and provide a sense of team unity and direction.


3. Continue to recruit. The time to slack off on personal business building happens when you are ready to retire, or you have enough personally enrolled team partners keeping you busy and involved with assisting them with their journey in leadership. It took me 13 years in the industry to reach the point of backing off slightly on my own recruiting efforts in order to provide coaching, training and leadership as needed to those on the team. You’ll know if and when the time is right. Until then, avoid falling into “management mode.” No one needs a manager in this business. Provide guidance, tools and then get back to work.


4. Work on Self Improvement Daily. Leaders are readers and one of the greatest gifts you can give as an upline leader is to share great books, tapes and conferences with your organization. Start your own “recommended reading list” and make sure each team member has access to it. Start a “Book of the Month” recommendation. This offers ideas and direction. Make sure it is a book you have read or are reading and share why this book has impacted you and why you are recommending it.


5. Attend all Company Events. When your company invests time and resources to bring the team together for an event, make sure you don’t miss it. This time is priceless for you to get to know the company, your team and the leaders who are shaping the company. Words can never convey how important it is to be there. You must experience it for yourself. When I attended my first company event, 13 years ago, I was told that for every 5 people I had there from my team, another 25 per person would be there the following year. We brought 8 people to that first event from our team. The next year, we had 130 there. Those numbers were pretty accurate. Success gives clues – attending company events is a big clue. Don’t miss one.


6. Inspire your team through your own goal setting and accomplishment. Set your goals and share them with your team. Specifically, share your business goals. You don’t have to share income goals, but give your team some insight into what it is you are working toward. This sets a vision for where you are headed and the team as a whole. While everyone is working toward their own individual goals, by putting yours out there, it provides a sense of direction and demonstrates your commitment. This creates a sense of security among the team. Show them that you see this as the awesome opportunity that it is by your actions.


7. Strive to create leaders among your team. Duplication is the key to ultimate success in MLM. You can create a nice paycheck through your own efforts, and you will create “obscene wealth” by duplicating those efforts with others. The first step in this is to identify and cultivate leadership in those who have similar goals. Get these aspiring leaders involved in leading the team. Conference calls, articles and recognition all go a long way toward creating that leadership vision in those desiring leadership. Sometimes, people can be hesitant, and hold back. Be bold and push them ever so slightly into stepping into their own greatness. This creates security and camaraderie in your business.


8. Develop tools and trainings to duplicate the process and watch your team growth soar. While we are lucky to have more and more training tools and “how to guides” emerging in our business, we still have plenty of room for great ideas and coaching. If you feel something is lacking in the training process, step up and put together what you view to be a valuable resource. Share it with your team and provide it for others to use, add to, improve upon, etc. This goes a long way in encouraging the duplication process.


9. Recognize the efforts of those on your team, both large and small. “It has been studied and noted that people will work harder for recognition than tangible items. We are starved for attention and recognition. Most people don’t get it at work, and many, not at home either. Look for successes and let the person know, and the rest of the team as well. Nothing brightens a face faster than seeing one’s name in print, for a job well done. Recognition is such a win-win. You make another feel great and you feel good in the process. Who can you give some recognition to today?


10. Express your gratitude. Again, another win-win is created with gratitude. Do you take time to let your team know how much you appreciate them? Appreciate their efforts? Appreciate their contributions? Gratitude creates ongoing success. Start today with gratitude about where you are in your life, your business and your journey. You may not be exactly where you want to be, but appreciate what you have today, and watch how that will expand tomorrow. Start a gratitude journal. Every night, list 10 things you are grateful for. There is no right or wrong in gratitude. On those days when nothing seems to go right, it may seem tough to find ten things to be grateful for. It may be the fact that the sun did rise and you are still above ground. That is certainly something to be grateful for. As you practice this exercise regularly, your gratitude muscle will grow. Be grateful for that!


Where are you on your journey to greatness as an upline? It doesn’t matter if you have 0, 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 on your team right now. Practice these 10 tips and you’ll hit whatever mark you have set for yourself. Based on past evidence collected, a good way to start getting what you want is to develop the habit of seeing yourself as already there. Let the greatness in you shine!

EXPECT Success!

Jackie Ulmer