If you need to know how to motivate your network marketing team so that they’re energized and running toward their goals like never before, then check out the powerful ideas that I’m sharing in this post.
Psychology Today points out that motivation is a “crucial element in setting and obtaining our objectives,” and that it “encompasses the desire to continue striving toward meaning, purpose, and a life worth living.” Without motivation, people lack the push to grow and excel. That’s why staying motivated is an essential attribute of successful network marketers and organizations.
I understand motivation so well! Before becoming a coach and a trainer in the network marketing profession, I was building an organization for 28 years. So, I know what you’ve been through, what you’re going through, and what you will go through. My goal is to use my experience to help you navigate the daily struggles, challenges, and roadblocks that you face, especially when it comes to motivating your team.
These ideas have worked for me many times. They’ve also worked for the hundreds of thousands of people that I’ve coached and trained all over the world throughout the years. And, now they’re yours to use in your own business!
1) Set the Right Expectations
When you introduce someone to your business model or product and give them the wrong expectations, you’re setting them up for failure.
Telling your team that they don’t really have to do anything or that it’s not going to be hard work is dishonest. Network marketing requires that you put in the hours and effort to build and grow a business. You’re going to work harder than you get paid in the beginning so that you have the potential to get paid more than you’re doing down the road. If you don’t set those expectations, then your team won’t be committed to doing the work over the long haul.
Setting realistic expectations will motivate your organization by making each team member clearly understand what’s expected of them and their responsibilities in being successful at the business.
On the flip side, if you don’t manage their expectations, you set them up to think that they aren’t cut out for the work when things don’t go well. They could resent you if things don’t happen like you said they would. Then you’re on the line for their failure. It puts a bad taste in their mouth, and it definitely doesn’t help you.
Moreover, when you put out the “get rich quick” vibe, not only is it not true but also you attract that type of person looking to get something for nothing. You risk building an entire organization of people who aren’t doing anything because you didn’t teach them to look at the business as an investment and hold themselves accountable.
Being truthful at the onset sets your team’s mental and financial expectations. They will be prepared for the challenge before them, which will help them stay motivated rather than getting discouraged and quitting.
2) Have a Vision and Paint a Picture of What’s Possible
Another way to motivate your network marketing team is to have a vision of what is possible and communicate it to your organization.
As the late billionaire Paul J. Meyer said, you want to run out into the future and visit your dreams, then come back to where you are and look for the stepping stones that get you to that place. That’s your vision, which is also your destination.
A vision is a mental picture that gives you focus, clarity, and energy. It guides the daily activities of you and your team. If you consistently and repeatedly share that picture of what’s possible, you’ll fuel your team to push through obstacles. Together, you’ll be headed in the same direction to accomplish similar goals and stay motivated on the journey.
An Example of a Vision Turned Into Reality
Years ago, I said to a small group of people, “I know where we’re going, and I can promise you: those that lock arms with me will not regret it. I’m going to take a picture today of you in this room because we’ve been hyped so many times that when people say things like I’m getting ready to say to you, you won’t believe it. But, after today, you will never be able to say that you weren’t in the right place at the right time ever again.”
I took a picture and told them that we were going to build a massive, solid business in the state of Virginia where I live. I told them that we were going to fill a convention center. Some of the people in that room believed it, but some did not. Fast forward to several years later…we had a kickoff for the year in the Richmond Convention Center with over 4,000 people! And, that was not a company event. That was my event.
Someone that was in the room for my initial vision took that “before” picture and put it beside the picture at the convention center. The person said, “Man, you said this was going to happen!” It was so exciting because it happened exactly like I had envisioned it in my head.
3) Lead By Example
Before you can lead an organization, you must be able to lead yourself. When it comes to being a great leader, your words and actions should align. People pay attention to your behavior, and actions speak louder than words. Leadership is more about what’s being caught than being taught.
As I coach leaders and evaluate their businesses, there’s a common thread between where they are stuck and what it’s going to take to achieve that next level. When you stop doing what you did that got you to where you are, you lose momentum.
I can relate because it happened to me earlier in my career!
You go from doing the basic things during the building phase into management mode. Eventually, you transition into survival mode. You stop doing the actions that got you the success you’d obtained thus far. You risk not leading by example since you’re no longer doing what needs to be done.
Every day, ask yourself, “If my organization did what I did today, how much money would I have made?” There were days that I loved to answer that question and days I did not.
Also ask yourself how much you would have paid yourself for what you’ve done over the last 30 / 60 / 90 days. Be honest!
Practice what you preach. If your team sees you going into management mode, then they will go into management mode, which leads to stagnation rather than business growth.
Set time aside to do the basics yourself because your team is watching you. Talking to new people and getting new people started energizes you. Then you have new stories to share. After all, facts tell but stories sell and inspire your team. When your organization sees you walking the talk, they’ll be motivated to do the same.
Watch Part 2 of the Video
4) Help People Discover Their ‘Why’
Another effective way to motivate people is to get them to define the reason why they are building a business. Psychology is important because a person’s reason for pursuing this path is what will keep them motivated and make them strong enough long enough to find success.
For New Team Members
For a brand new person in network marketing, the concept of “why” is likely unfamiliar. So, start by asking what’s most important to them. Ask them to share why they joined the business in the first place. Motivation comes from the desire to act to achieve a goal or a reason to behave a certain way.
A common reason you’ll hear is “to make money.” But, that’s a surface level answer. Be a good listener, ask questions, and dig deep. Your goal is to understand what fuels them to keep going. Find the emotional attachment to the money or else they will quit when things get tough.
After digging deeper, ask: ”What would you like me to say to you when things get tough and you’re experiencing an emotional rollercoaster?” This gives you permission to say something back to them in the words that they want you to use to help them refocus on their why.
This process is going to get your people moving in the right direction. Their “why” is a magnet that pulls them into the future. They can see the destination, and it’s going to help them do the daily activities needed to move in that direction. You move in the direction of your expectations (see #1 above) and then you attract what you focus on.
This is a simple practice that you can duplicate throughout your entire organization to keep your team focused and motivated.
For Existing Team Members
To motivate existing team members, remind them of their why. Share relatable stories that give hope and inspiration. The stories could be from sideline, upline, downline, or even other companies. Your objective is to remind people of why they’re doing the business so that they can get to the next level.
Many top earners never dreamed that they would be generating the income that they are and having the life that they have. But, when they got to a few hundred dollars a month, they envisioned getting to $1,000 a month. After they got to $1,000, they could see $2,000. Their vision, goals, and dreams continued to grow and keep them motivated. It’s like driving at night. The headlights shine to a certain distance. Although you can’t see any further than that, once you get to that point, you can see a little bit further.
So, establish an environment where you create that rhythm and culture in your organization of sharing stories and reminding everyone of their reason. This practice will increase and maintain momentum and motivation.
5) Communicate and Promote More
Don’t assume that people saw a text message, email, or social media post and leave it at that. Consistently and persistently follow up and communicate with your organization. Make sure they got the information, understood it, and understood what it meant to them. The more communication, the more success.
Little tweaks and extra effort go a long way. As a leader, guiding the organization means more than telling them what to do. Be proactive. Show them what to do, set an example, and they’ll copy your lead.
Don’t think of it as their business, not yours. Their actions affect your financial future! So, be prepared to do the work. If you’re going to drive a promotion, make sure that you’re ringing the bell.
Communicate beyond just what the promotion is by clarifying what it means to them. In the process, they’ll feel more emotionally incentivized to take action. If they can see how something new can catapult them to the next level, they’ll be more motivated. After all, people are tuned into their favorite radio station, WII.FM—what’s in it for me.
In my organization, we created a rhythm where anytime there was a new product, promotion, training, event, or system, we were on it. We weren’t sitting back, hoping, and crossing fingers with a wish and a prayer. Team leaders were on top of communicating and reaching out. There is power in creating a culture of great promoters and communicators.
Additionally, keep in mind that you’re also a talent scout. You’re always looking for the next person that sees your vision. I could give you many examples of people that ended up locking arms with me, even though everybody between me and them quit the business. Had I not communicated and gone the extra mile, I never would have found these people.
6) Recognize People Regularly
What gets rewarded gets repeated. So, make sure you praise your team. Develop a leadership habit of recognition.
Look for ways to encourage your organization and commend the right behaviors. If you know they’re doing the right behaviors, then you know that the results are going to come. Through your praise, you’ll also be training them to do the actions and have the mindset they need to achieve success.
You want your team to be happy, prosperous, and engaged, which is why recognition and reward are important. They offer numerous benefits, such as:
- Building confidence
- Improving performance
- Increasing retention
- Fostering a positive environment
- Increasing productivity
- Motivating your team
According to Gallup, receiving recognition for good work actually releases dopamine in the brain, which creates feelings of pride and pleasure. This dopamine release leads to the knowledge that future similar behavior will result in more praise and another dopamine release. So, the cycle of positive reinforcement continues because the brain likes to win!
Since psychology and brain chemicals are involved, recognition and rewards are really effective methods of motivation.
7) Encourage Growth
My last idea for how to motivate your network marketing team is to encourage growth. This is my most powerful tip of all! When you encourage growth, you teach and demonstrate to people the power of personal development.
After almost three decades of building massive organizations and working with individuals globally, I have found that growth is the glue that sticks your organization together.
At first, people are not making a lot of money. They’re doing the activities, but they’re getting rejected. They don’t understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. However, they do understand that they’re growing and that progress equals happiness. Then they start to understand that they’re either growing or declining. There’s no such thing as maintaining.
In the organization, they’re around a bunch of like-minded people who are excited about life. They’ve been exposed to fueling their minds with positive things, paying attention to what they read and listen to, and prioritizing who they associate with. Now they’re ready to become that next better version of themselves.
In other words, growth leads to personal transformation and development, which is influential, especially in terms of motivation and success. It affects every aspect of life.
When you start teaching growth and people start implementing it, you can see the transformation happen. The changes lead to excitement, which your team members will want to share so that they can positively impact more people. And, selling is a transfer of emotions, so this excitement leads to more growth.
As long as your organization is focused on growth, you’ll keep people around for longer. You’ll also keep them motivated because they’re excited about their own transformation and the impact that the business has had, not just in their own lives but all over the world.
What’s Your Plan for How to Motivate Your Network Marketing Team?
My first seven years I failed and ended up on government assistance and couldn’t feed my family. I’m also a college dropout who would pass out in front of five people that I knew if you wanted me to speak in front of them. It wasn’t a fast start for me. You may have a similar story.
The point is that when people compare their chapter one to somebody else’s chapter 20, make sure to manage their expectations by being honest and sharing stories. Remind your team that it’s normal to have setbacks. And, give them hope and motivate them with some of the tips I’ve mentioned here.
Most people are used to a job and working for someone else. They haven’t been taught how to build a business. They haven’t developed the business skills, mindset, fortitude, and experience yet to be a successful network marketer. It’s your role as a leader to teach people and embody the principles necessary to support your team. So, be sure to plan how you will motivate your organization. Otherwise, it won’t happen! If you need help, I’m always here.
Don’t forget that if your team is not growing as fast as you would like, I’ve got a free resource for you. Check out the five common mistakes that leaders make that sabotage their team growth and how to avoid them so your team can grow much faster.
And, be sure to let me know in the comments below which tactics you use to keep your team motivated and moving forward.
