Ideas to Encourage Re-Activation

[Veevahchef]

I have 3 Consultants that are inactive right now (Actually 4, but the 4th one... im not going to waste my time on).
This is pretty much what has kept me from becoming a director in the last 5 years is my team is never more that 3 or 4 active at a time.

Anyhoo.....
I am bent on becoming a Director this year, and I am doing more "active" recruiting than I have in the past. I am bringing on 2 new consultants this month (having shows to get kit credit). However, once again, even with the 2 new ones, that will still give me only 4 active consultants. I realise that I need to keep recruiting, but I really want those inactive ones to get going again.
I have discussed with them about whether they are "into it" or not (Remaining a PC consultant) and they all claim that they plan to re-activate, but things have just been getting in the way.. ect ect,
And that they want to be consultants, and love PC..blah blah blah.
I have given them every opportunity to "let me off the hook" so to speak, so that I am not wasting my time with them. They all say they still want my support in their businesses.

Ok... my real question is (so much whining on my part huh?)LOL.

Does anyone out there have a great idea or formula for getting these girls into re-activation mode??
If they just seemed disinterested, i would just let it go. But these 3 girls are all claiming to still want it, but just having trouble. (Might help if they came to a meeting once in a while).

I have tryed to set up a special "meeting" just for them to focus on what they need in particular, but they are never available at the same time, and I just don't want to have 3 different trainings for them.

I would really appreciate any help or ideas any of you fellow cheffers could give me. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to replace recruiting more consultants with just getting these ones active. I just want some "Insurance" and I also really want these girls to realise their full potential.

HELLLLPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

 

[DebbieSAChef]

IncentivesTry giving incentives. I find that when my director offers certain things for high sales, having so many cooking shows a month, etc...I really try hard to meet those goals.

It seems that I have become friends with her so her status as director is very important to me. I care about her and keeping her as my director because she's great and helpful!! She was a stranger to me when I first started 20 months ago.

Try getting them over. Training classes is a great idea. Try to get them all over at one time. Just keep trying to work with their schedules. If they are serious they will come. If they won't cooperate you might be wasting your time.

It is very important to help those who are sincerely wanting to keep their business going, but maybe are going through a tough time right now with bookings, sales, or even a bad time of the year for their personal schedules.

I just had a friend get married on Saturday and I was just focused on that. Now I can focus on PC again. I always stay active with at least $200 in sales each month. It's important to me. But it's not always easy.

Some of the incentives offered to us to meet certain goals are:
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT PACK - $5 blockbuster card, popcorn, and candy for 4 or more shows a month

WE also pick from a goodie basket that has all kinds of neat PC supplies, postcards, writing pads, PC products, etc.... when we have highest in sales.

We also get to wear a tiara and sash for the highest in sales!

Right now we are collecting play money that will be turned in for a gift card to whatever we choose (PC, New vendors, or cash for conference)

They make it fun. I say "they" because one of my directors recruits is a director also and they combine their meetings each month.

Keep up the good work recruiting!! You are doing a great job!! Moticating others is hard work!!

Debbie

 

[Veevahchef]

Thanks Debbie!

I have done the incentives thing, but maybe not anything enticing enough. You know, if I could just get these ladies to attend a meeting, I think things would pick up. I try to stress to them the importance of meetings for a successful business, but I don't want to be too pushy, since the meetings technically are optional.
I think most would say to forget about these ladies, but a couple of them were super stars for their first few months and then just went downhill, so I know they can do it.

Thanks again!

 

[Chef susan]

I sent my inactives an e-mail this month mentioning that if they were active in July with just $200 in sales (they already have the current catalogs)--they will get the New Fall packet and get a chance to but the NEW FALL products at 1/2 off----since you have to be an active consultant to get that chance!!!-------I also asked if anyone needed a lead to call to let me know....Also remind them to look at their list of 100---or go back thru the files of shows they have done in the past and leads that didn't pan out at the time...

but send e-mail now (or call may be faster) if u want them to reactivate in July!!

 

[Veevahchef]

I never even thought of that!!
That is agreat idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I was going to mention that as the number one reason! The new season is coming and you have to be active to get your new paperwork. Tell them that the easiest time to sell is September and March, and when wouldn't they want to sell when they don't really have to work for it?? That will give them a jump start now to be active and ready when the new products come out.

 

[beepampered]

Don't clump them together. Find what motivates each one and give them their own personal motivator. My director gives out ribbons for different things. Several ladies go crazy over these and hang them in their office, etc. I think it's a waste of space and wish she didn't bother. However, with each ribbon, we earn a point towards a $20 gift card to PC or Merrill or the shirt company. Now, I don't get motivated to earn the points but I do feel great that I got something FREEEEEEEEEE!

My point is that everyone is so different that a personal conversation might go the best. Some questions like this might help to determine where they are on their PC journey:

If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you want your PC business to do for you?
Why did you begin PC? Did you get what you wanted?
How has PC changed your life (for the better or worse)?
What can I do to help you become active again?
If I offered you XXXX incentive, would that motivate you? What about YYYYYYY?

Good luck....

 

[AJPratt]

Give them a challenge: Ask them to set up three shows this week and you'll call them on ___ to check back. That always motivates me! I don't want to tell my Director I had no luck.

 

[Paige Dixon]

I never have any luck with my own team doing shows, but I have advice- I hope it will work for you:

PC does such great incentives, we can't really compete with the small things we can offer, but I do always give small bribes (PC key chains, training CD's, sheets of PC stickers, etc) for attending the meeting (like giving party favors). If they would just attend the meetings, they'd stay motivated!!

Remember their heart-tugs, and give small reminders of what PC can do for them.

Ilene Meckley: I CAN"T is an acronym for "I Certainly Am Not Trying" I CAN is the acronym for "I Certainly Am Now!"

I try to host a couple of social events each year to build relationships. If only they would attend!!

Just remember: only .5%-1% (that's one out of 100-200) will make a career out of a direct marketing business. 15% will do it for personal use (selling just enough to get the discount, or buying just enough to stay active). The large majority are consultants who barely scrape by and probaly won't invite many into the biz. Our job is to move them into one of the other two groups or graciously let them quit so our efforts can be put to more efficient use.

 

[pampered1224]

I agree with everyone here but...Reread your post and I think you may have found the problem. All I hear is what PC can do for you with them in it. Not what PC can do for them. Snap out of it girl! Your focus is on you and not them. If you even slightly interject this into your conversations with them, whether it be in words or the tone of your voice, all is lost.
Turn it around and sit down with them seperatley like mentioned before to see what their motivations are. It is VERY important for you to convey wanting to help them start THEIR business not to promote yourself to director with urgent need!
If the sound of your post is how they hear you, then forget it and move on because the focus is what you get out of it and not what it can do for them. They can hear that when you talk to them and may be totally turned off by you because of it. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is what I heard when I read your post. There is urgency on YOUR part to become a director, there is condemnation of them in that YOU are not moving YOUR business forward fast enough and that YOU are becoming desperate. Personally, I would be afraid of going to one of your meetings becasue I would be afraid that all I would here is "you have to do this so I can...". Sorry but recruiting ain't about you!
Case in point: A lady I work with purposely went inactive over a year ago because she got tired of her director/recruitor always bragging about what she did, what she earned and what she wanted.
The clintcher for her going inactive was when her director/recruiter started ignoring her because she wasn't doing enough in sales. So you tell me what you need to do? By the way, she is signing with me this month to get back "into" it! All because I told her about my wonderful director. She don't push, she don't brag, she don't dictate what you need to do or not. She is there for guidence ONLY! And you all know her! She is DebPC! I work with a lot of great directors and they all are more concerned about what they can do for us and not what we do for them. Change that attitude and I think you will find it much easier to motivate and keep your consultants.

 

[Chef susan]

I offered my team an incentive of NEW FALL products to recruit in June and July and guess what 1 did so far---signed her first July 4th--so when new incentive is announced she will really win--also now she is one away from a raise--so now she is motivated --said she would NEVER recruit at April meeting--I will probably do one again when new products come out so they can see--- -I don't do monthly meetings because they don't really come---I coach all on e-mail or phone----some inactives are becoming active this month again with fundraisers they have been trying to get done!!

 

[Veevahchef]

Reread your post and I think you may have found the problem. All I hear is what PC can do for you with them in it. Not what PC can do for them. Snap out of it girl! Your focus is on you and not them. If you even slightly interject this into your conversations with them, whether it be in words or the tone of your voice, all is lost.
Turn it around and sit down with them seperatley like mentioned before to see what their motivations are. It is VERY important for you to convey wanting to help them start THEIR business not to promote yourself to director with urgent need!
If the sound of your post is how they hear you, then forget it and move on because the focus is what you get out of it and not what it can do for them. They can hear that when you talk to them and may be totally turned off by you because of it. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is what I heard when I read your post. There is urgency on YOUR part to become a director, there is condemnation of them in that YOU are not moving YOUR business forward fast enough and that YOU are becoming desperate. Personally, I would be afraid of going to one of your meetings becasue I would be afraid that all I would here is "you have to do this so I can...". Sorry but recruiting ain't about you!
Case in point: A lady I work with purposely went inactive over a year ago because she got tired of her director/recruitor always bragging about what she did, what she earned and what she wanted.
The clintcher for her going inactive was when her director/recruiter started ignoring her because she wasn't doing enough in sales. So you tell me what you need to do? By the way, she is signing with me this month to get back "into" it! All because I told her about my wonderful director. She don't push, she don't brag, she don't dictate what you need to do or not. She is there for guidence ONLY! And you all know her! She is DebPC! I work with a lot of great directors and they all are more concerned about what they can do for us and not what we do for them. Change that attitude and I think you will find it much easier to motivate and keep your consultants.

Wow...
I'm not sure why you think I tell them what they need to do for ME, I have never pushed, bragged, or dictated to anyone and the reason I ask them every once in a while if they are still "into it" is so that I DON'T bug them for no reason or waste my time trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped. I would NEVER act like that towards them because I would hate someone to do that to me, and I would also quit if I had a pushy bragging recruiter as my upline.
Gee, I was actually proud of myself for finally deciding to make a greater effort at becoming a director, I've always been told that I need to want it that bad for it to happen! but I guess it's wrong of me to want something for myself, as well as for them?
Please do not make assumptions about my personality or the way I train my team. I have always done everything I can for them, and have NEVER put my own needs before theirs in this business.
I really thought that this was a safe forum to ask advice in without getting "blasted" for finally having the "go for it" attitude that I supposedly need to make things happen.
Well, I think your intention was to bring me down a few (hundred) notches... and just so you know, you did. Thanks for your support

 

[Shawnna]

I don't think John was "blasting" you. He was just giving you some advise. When we are not face to face it is sometimes hard to say what we mean without sounding offensive. I try to never see negative emphasis in the posts I read. It can be written to mean one thing and read to mean another. We don't know each other's personalities, struggles, etc.

In your post, you talk a lot about what you want...to be a director....inactive recruits have kept you from becoming a director, etc. Don't take this the wrong way. I am not trying to bring you down or be rude. I am not a recruiter. I am a hobby PC consultant. You are obviously very dedicated to your business. But, something that I hear a lot at my meetings is: "Tell them what PC can do for them." Many people who work PC full time tell me that once they stopped worrying about what all their recruits could do for them and focused on what they and PC could do for the recruits, then their team began to grow. Like I said, I am not a recruiter. I just work PC as a hobby, so I can't give you personal experience based advise. I can only tell you what I have been told. You keep up the good work and your business will grow. I am very inspired by all of the consultants on here that work this business full time. I am hoping to be able to quit my job someday and take my business from hobby level to a real job level.

 

[Veevahchef]

Yes I know that, as I have also heard it a hundred times and i believe it. But you also need to want it for yourself in order to do what needs to be done to make it happen. And yes i want it to happen, and the advice i was kind of hoping for was the kind that would give me a way to show my consultants what PC can do for them. But My problem is that I can't seem to get face to face with them to help them figure that out. I always think about and talk about what PC can do for them. I have been around long enough to know that it is all about what it can do for them. But I just got the impression John was blasting me because of comments in his post like:

"the focus is what you get out of it and not what it can do for them"

He is assuming he knows what my focus is when i talk to a potential or current consultant, actually ALL I talk about is whats in it for them. I think that this should be the safest forum to voice the fact that yes, there is infact something in it for both the recruit AND myself.. but that is certainly not what I will say when talking to a potential about it!

"Personally, I would be afraid of going to one of your meetings becasue I would be afraid that all I would here is "you have to do this so I can...". Sorry but recruiting ain't about you!"

Yep... this is the comment that really got me going! He is so bent out of shape assuming that I am this horrible greedy pushy person... that now he is saying he would be afraid to come to my meetings... where the heck is he getting all this?

Ok.. maybe I am overreacting... but wow he sure seems excited about my post. I am very sorry that I posted that day, believe me.

I would never post a reply like that to anyone, as I would be afraid that maybe I don;t know enough facts to support my assumptions? And I wouldn't want to have anyone feeling discouraged.
Hopefully I am wrong about his intentions with his long,, excited, insulting, reply, because I feel very discouraged because of it.

 

[Shawnna]

Don't be discouraged. What is that saying?...It takes 10 NOs to get a YES...or something like that. Perhaps your inactive recruits just aren't ready. My hospitality director always says that sometimes Life happens and your priorities change. But, something could happen to change their priorities again. Just keep in touch with them and let them know how exciting your business is and anytime something great is happening for us...recruit incentives, recruiting incentives, sales incentives, etc.