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Motivating My Team: Tips and Tricks for Success in Direct Sales

In summary, your team is having trouble and you are a team leader. You have 9 members in your downline, but 2 have not submitted anything yet. One was from Jan and the other from early March. The one from Jan will not return any emails from you, but you see her on Facebook all the time. You have called her numerous times, but she won't return the calls or emails. The HO lead has signed up for a party for the 27th and has ordered a lot of products, but she won't return your calls or emails. You believe that both of them just decided to stop working with you. You are stressed out because you don't want to
sassypip
Silver Member
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:eek:I am having a hard time with my team right now. I am a team leader. I have 9 in my downline. I just recruited 3 this year and 2 have yet to submit! One was from Jan and the other from early MArch(HO lead). The one from Jan will not return any emails from me. SHe is out of state and was a friend on a parenting message board for many years. I see her on FB all the time, yet she avoids me. The HO lead signed, said she had a party for the 27th and a bunch of orders. I have called her numerous times to help her set up Pampered Partner Plus and get her shows entered. Will not return calls or emails!! I believe both of these just decided to keep the kit and say so long! UGH!

My recruit from last sat already submitted a show! He has 6 parties booked and is going to be great. THe rest of my team is in a slump. I call them, invite them to the cluster meetings yet nothing. My upline is really pushing for me to be a director and I have the sales and a lot of team members, yet they are not submitting. I do not know what I am doing wrong. I am not pushy, yet offer my assistance. I have gotten all my consultants started and offered as much guidance if not more than what I was given when I started. I am just sort of hurt that they do not even get back to me when I send an email or leave a message to call. My director said that sometimes when someone is not doing well, they take it out on the recruiter. Not sure, but I have done nothing but offer my help to them.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom? I did not start my PC business in hopes of ever being where I am at right now. I just did it for a little extra cash and to get out a few nights a month. It is now becoming a career and being on the cusp of promoting to a director is exciting, yet I feel stressed. I do not want to feel stressed as that is not what I wanted for this. I know when I promote, there are others above me that are going to promote as well, so maybe that is where the stress is coming from. I feel like I am doing something wrong since my team is not performing, yet I am trying to keep it in perspective, that maybe that is what they want out of their business, like when I started. i know this is a bit confusing, but just needed to share with some people that might "get" what I am saying.

Thanks for listening!
 
If you can't change your team, then change your team. Be as supportive and encouraging as possible, and get out there and recruit some new go getters!!!!
 
You are their mentor, not their boss. You can't make them perform. All you can do is find out what their goals are for Pampered Chef and support them in achieving those goals. Some people have the desire, but not the follow through to make it work. You can't force them to do what they are not motivated to do. Plain and simple.What you can do is recruit better the next time. Make sure they are well informed in advance to make an educated decision. Don't rush them into signing. Make sure this is what they want, and ... if they have little ones in the house ... it's VERY important that they have a support system who's willing to help watch the kids while they are out doing PC events. If they don't have a support system, this business will not work for them. So make sure they come in prepared & that you find out what they want out of Pampered Chef up front so that you can encourage them to reach those goals. For some, it might be a hobby, for others it might be to make Director right off the bat. If you are trying to push someone who just wants a hobby into doing 8 shows a month, you'll run them off. If someone who wants 8 shows a month doesn't have the training to get it done quickly, they could be discouraged and quit. All you can do is share the info & let them go ... but still be available to answer questions & offer trainings. The ones who want your help will come to you if they feel welcome. The ones who like to be independent or give up, will shy away. Just keep the door open in case they change their minds & decide to try & do something with their business while you focus on the ones who are excited to pick your brain for ideas. ;)
 
It can be stressful and hard not to feel hurt when your team does not reply. Many times they may not be responding because they do not have any "good" news to share, or feel that they have let you down, etc. They don't understand that we would prefer contact and honesty, regardless of what the situation/reality is.

There are probably some who are kitnappers or will drop off, but the key is to continue to reach out to them and let them know you're there. Sadly, you need to match your efforts with their efforts...you can not work harder for their biz than they are willing to do for themselves. Do a once or twice a month reach out to everyone, and work with those who ARE interested in working their biz. This is A LOT easier SAID, than done.

My suggestion is that you send a personal email or voicemail to them that is honest about your feelings. Let them know that you hope they are well, and that you are making another call to connect. That you would appreciate a call, email or text from them regardless of what their news to share, and that you are a little bit worried about your support and efforts since you haven't heard from them. That an email would be great so that you do not feel like they are cringing at the sight of your number. Do be sure you keep it lighthearted, and finish it on a positive note. Remind them why they joined in the first place and why you still know that this opportunity is great for them. State why you still believe they are great as consultants, and that you are there for when they are ready to work their biz. Let them know you'll continue to check in monthly for them, but that the ball is now in their court.

Then you have to do as you stated. Do your monthly call, send your newsletters out and wait for them to show interest or action. Continue your monthly meetings, even if it's for 1 or 2. These are your interested team members who are wanting to work their biz, these are the ones who deserve your attention and focus so that they can achieve the success they want. Continue recruiting and training, your team will solidify and perform.

Also, drop the stress of promoting for the sake of your upline. That makes you enjoy the journey less and makes you frantic, pressuring your team. You have 9 already, that's AWESOME! Who of those 9 have shown a positive change? Call them and congratulate them on it and ask what their goals are. Then focus on an action plan for their specific goals. When you let go of what you need and want, and focus on what they need and want....your needs get met along the way. :)

Hope this was helpful...you WILL get there...it WILL fall in place, it's just a question of when. No more worries on promoting...work instead on helping your team individually get what they want. Keep doing what you're doing...being a leader...the promotion is on its way.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Thank you all! I needed to hear all of that. IT has been what has been in my mind "don't worry about the promotion" , but every month I get the calls about if I know who is going to submit and how much and if I will have enough to qualify. It is stressful to me. My upline director does our meetings. I do not have the place to do it and I have 6 kids here, so I really have nowhere to send them to do a meeting. Once I do promote, I just planned on still going to my director's meeting and helping her run the meeting with one of the training sessions. THank you again for the words of wisdom. I really needed to hear it from you all with experience.

I usually call or email every month and just ask how things are going and if there is anything I can do to help. THat is all. I encourage attendance at cluster meetings too. I just wanted to make sure I am doing what I am suppossed to be doing and it sounds like I am. Thanks again! :love:
 
Just want to echo what the others have said. You can only work with the ones who want to work their biz. An old saying is that 1/3 will be coming, a 1/3 will be staying, a 1/3 will be leaving. Focus on the ones coming and staying. Bless and release the 1/3 that are leaving.

Don't let your upline pressure you. It sounds like they're very focused on what your promotion will do for them. Are they asking you if you want Directorship and making the questions each month about what you want for your biz? It doesn't sound like it if all they're asking is "who's going to submit?" Cuz guess what? You could be turning around and doing the same thing to your team. "Are you submitting this month?" can come across as pressure from you and the "what's in it for me" tone that is certainly not going to motivate them. I'm 3rd line to my Exec and was a little annoyed that she sent out one of the Cons. Connection e-mails to my team last month saying that everyone needed to submit and we'd be a director team. We did it, but really there's nothing in it for them if we're a director team. And if in 3 months not everyone is submitting, I'm not going to sweat it. Hopefully by then recruiting will have continued and it won't be a concern.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Becca that was my concern as well, yeah maybe if my team submitted and I promoted this month, well next month I did not want to be wondering if anyone was going to and I would rather promote when I have a nice size team and it is thriving than have it taken away the next month or go month to month just getting by. It is not worth the pressure to me. Although I have a lot on my team, I almost feel like I am starting over again. MY upline sent an email out to my team as well if they all submitted then I would be celebrating as a director. I got one email and it was one telling me she decided to quit(which I knew was coming anyways). Thank you for your input. I am going to just not be stressed anymore. When it happens, it happens. :)
 
"If you can't change your team, then change your team". Be as supportive and encouraging as possible, and get out there and recruit some new go getters!!!!
__________________

I personally hate this saying with PC. It's not like recruiting comes easy to everyone. "Just go out and find go-getters" is not always easy. That saying has ALWAYS irritated me. It sounds flip. Kind of like "neener-neener-neener, change your team".

I have been a director for almost 10 years. I do a lot to motivate my team and what finally clicked with me was helping them to motivate each other. We do team building time at our meetings and I encourage them to call/email/facebook each other. I also try really hard to make the meetings fun, so they want to come. If they are having fun they seem to stay on track better.

Hope this helps.
 
Nanisu said:
"If you can't change your team, then change your team". Be as supportive and encouraging as possible, and get out there and recruit some new go getters!!!!
__________________

I personally hate this saying with PC. It's not like recruiting comes easy to everyone. "Just go out and find go-getters" is not always easy. That saying has ALWAYS irritated me. It sounds flip. Kind of like "neener-neener-neener, change your team".

I have been a director for almost 10 years. I do a lot to motivate my team and what finally clicked with me was helping them to motivate each other. We do team building time at our meetings and I encourage them to call/email/facebook each other. I also try really hard to make the meetings fun, so they want to come. If they are having fun they seem to stay on track better.

Hope this helps.

I agree here! I love PC and want everyone to enjoy PC..however, I love all my friends that I have made...some work their biz...some work their biz sometimes.. It is not for me to decide what they do but to help them in what they want to do. I just listened to some training on only recruiting those who want to really work their biz....is that what PC is all about? Numbers? I love to recruit and share my biz with others BUT I love the products and love to sell them just as much. I may not make my 184 or whatever number in 18 months BUT I will love the people I meet, support those who join, work my biz faithfully, and enjoy the blessings the Lord provides.

I so love this company.....remember why you signed up and share that excitement with others. Don't feel pressure to build a team..the team will come if you truly love what you do...it's infectious and you will find others that want it too. If I can't enjoy what I do...I will not continue.

That said....a wise friend said "Minister to those who come to you". We taught classes and would fret over those who dropped out rather than focusing on the ones who came to truly change their lives..with whatever study we were teaching. Give the support where it is needed, love on the ones who just want to do it their way, love your biz!
 
  • #10
Becca_in_MD said:
... An old saying is that 1/3 will be coming, a 1/3 will be staying, a 1/3 will be leaving. Focus on the ones coming and staying. Bless and release the 1/3 that are leaving. ...

Or you can be like me and be too hard-headed to believe that theory! :p

I had the first recruit join my team 19 months ago. 61 have joined all together, 4 have quit. We still have 57 on the team. I refuse to accept the 1/3 theory. ;)
 
  • #11
Diane - it was like I was writing the post you put up. I am in the exact same place! Great to hear the suggestions from others. Thanks for posting and good luck!!
 
  • #12
Shelly and Diane, it looks like there are several of us that are in the same boat!

I am so close to Team Leader/Director until I can taste it, but lately it seems that nothing I am doing in my business is working. I have prayed about it and the only thing that I can figure out is that God is just answering my prayers. I want to promote with a strong team in place and pray that once I gain my new title, that I will be able to keep it and promote again.

I too, have gotten calls from my upline each month and my team and personal sales and I vowed to NEVER make those types of calls to my team. So I now think that I will promote when the time is right. I just have to be patient.

I know that upline directors think that those calls help but to me, they hurt because it makes me feel like I am not doing all that I can to help myself, but in actuality, I am and I refuse to drive my customers or team crazy just so that I can make someone else happy.

So, keep trusting in God and just know that we will promote in due time and that we will have strong teams in place to show for it as well!
 
  • #13
Sheila said:
Or you can be like me and be too hard-headed to believe that theory! :p

I had the first recruit join my team 19 months ago. 61 have joined all together, 4 have quit. We still have 57 on the team. I refuse to accept the 1/3 theory. ;)

Sheila, I have to say you are one of the few oddballs with a team that has stayed together ;). I know I wish all of the people I recruited were still on my team!

Sassypip, In most teams, it is 1/3 is coming, 1/3 is staying and 1/3 is leaving. If you keep this in mind then you won’t beat yourself up too much. And remember we have all been there (except Sheila :p) or we are still there. Are you going to conference? I think there is a workshop about supporting new consultants. It would be a good workshop to take, plus I just heard a training on a 2 call system with your new consultants. 1st call is 24 hours after they sign. You go through their FRANKS list. You actually walk them through it so they are filling it out with you on the phone. You talk about who is on the list and who they are going to call first. At the end of the call you give them a 48 hour challenge to make phone calls. Ask them how many shows they would like to have booked for the next 30 days from these calls. It doesn’t matter the number, just so they have a goal. Make a time for the 2 of you to talk again in 48 hours. She will probably concentrate on what she did wrong in this call, but it is your job to show her what she did right and build her confidence. Hopefully you have the idea of how this works. There are scripts you can use to help both you and your new consultants. The scripts in “Succeed with Us” are a good place to start. I do think that training right out of the box is key to a successful new consultant. This training gets her going right away. Also, does your team do a new consultant training night? Do you offer to go to her Grand Opening? All of these things help the new consultant, but also starts your relationship with her and she is less likely to quit.

If you feel like your immediate upline is pressuring you and not supporting you, then go to the next person above her for some help. We all want to help those on our teams no matter how far down.

Hang in there, you are not alone!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #14
Thanks Wendy! I just saw this. I am going to conference!(first time!) I plan on taking the supporting new consultants class! :) I may be promoating this month. I have submitting for sure and know I will hit the $5000 mark. I have 2 not sure about, but do not want to call and ask for the sake of sounding like it is all about me. SO the chips will fall where they should. I have been recruiting and doing my best for my business and try to do what is right. THanks again. I am excited about going to conference and my possible promotion this month. I am so close! :)
 

What does it mean to "motivate my team"?

Motivating your team means finding ways to inspire and encourage them to work towards achieving a common goal or objective. It involves creating a positive work environment and providing support and recognition for their efforts.

Why is it important to motivate my team?

Motivation is crucial for the success of any team. When team members are motivated, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and committed to their work. This leads to better teamwork, higher levels of job satisfaction, and ultimately, better results.

How can I motivate my team?

There are many ways to motivate your team, including setting clear goals and expectations, providing regular feedback and recognition, offering opportunities for growth and development, and fostering a positive and inclusive work culture.

What are some common challenges in motivating a team?

Some common challenges in motivating a team include a lack of communication or trust, conflicting personalities or work styles, and a lack of resources or support. It's important to address these challenges and find solutions in order to effectively motivate your team.

How can I measure the success of my team's motivation?

The success of your team's motivation can be measured through various factors, such as increased productivity and efficiency, improved team dynamics, and higher levels of job satisfaction and employee retention. Regularly checking in with your team and gathering feedback can also help gauge their level of motivation and engagement.

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