If you were working more like you did when you first started your business, what would you be doing differently?
Have you found that as you worked your way up and built a large team, you’ve taken your foot off the gas and relaxed a little? Relaxed a little in doing the things that helped you build your business in the beginning?
It’s easy to slow down on these activities as your team grows and you mentor other business builders. You’re not alone. By any stretch.
Most of the high-achieving women I speak with, in Direct Sales, have shared this same experience. They’ve slowed down on the very same activities that helped them build their early success.
How High Achievers in Direct Sales Lose Focus on Business Basics
This typically happens for two reasons. Significant sudden growth in your team. Inconsistencies.
- A growing team is a good problem! There is a distinct point in time where your team experiences significant growth that’s simply difficult to keep up with.
Let’s take a second to acknowledge this growth is a direct result of the very back-to-basics activities we’re talking about! Bravo!
With this team growth, suddenly you have to spend time and focus on onboarding, and getting new team members up and running with quick wins. This requires a re-distribution in priorities among your time. Dividing your time and attention between mentoring and personal business building.
2. Inconsistencies. Getting away from the basics can happen subtly over time. You may always intend to get back to those activities that helped you build your business in the beginning.
And you do, but the same consistency you were dedicated to when you started your personal business is simply different now. The landscape is entirely different in your responsibilities and the opportunities regarding how you choose to spend your time. Yes, it’s still a choice.
I’ve learned a lot of leaders feel it’s not a choice. They’ve gotten stuck and in a bit of a routine. Losing sight of the fact they can shake things up, wipe their calendar clean and make fresh new choices. Can you relate?
You are most certainly not alone in getting away from the basics. Most high achievers genuinely want to, and need to, get back to the basics of their own personal business-building activities.
The Importance of Getting Back to Basics with Your Direct Sales Business
It’s important to do so for at least 2 important reasons:
First, it helps you keep a thriving business, team, and continued growth.
Second, it also helps you stay authentic as a leader in that you’re doing the same things you’re asking your team to do. You’re continuing to have the same excitement and struggles they are.
This keeps you relatable, connected, and appreciate their experiences. You can have real conversations with them. You know exactly how to coach them through it because you’ve also just experienced much of the same.
How you go about getting back to basics does not have to look the same as when you first started out building your business. In many ways, it can’t.
Where to Start as You Shift Your Time and Get Back to Basics in Your Direct Sales Business
Here are the key points to consider when you’re re-distributing your priorities on where to start getting back to the basics:
- Take care of your existing customers. Truly. What did you do in the beginning that you got away from? Thank you’s? Celebrating birthdays with a handwritten note? Reach out with a “thinking of you”?
How can you connect with your customers in a personal way that’s manageable and sustainable. What pieces can you delegate that would still keep this personable?
2. New opportunities. Everything was new for you when you decided to actively build your business. This may or may not have been the same time as when you joined. Right?
The activities you engaged in and the ways you put yourself out there to meet new people. Does that look different now? The key this time around is to include your team members. To duplicate your example and efforts. Teach them alongside you as you get back into creating new opportunities for yourself if this is one area you choose to pursue.
3. Do you still share your tangible products and your services like you used to? How does this look different? Can you be a helper and serve others by utilizing what’s at your fingertips?
How can you use this as an example to share with your growing team? Much of the time we think they may already know.
They are looking for your hacks. Your personal touch. The way you go about things. To put their own spin on it. But they often need an example of how to get started, or if they’ve been around a while, they simply need a fresh idea.
Yours may look just different enough to them that a spark is created. Soon enough they will make it their own.
4. Do you set your own personal business goals in addition to your team goals. You typically had incentives and challenges from your company when you started. I know you might do a good bit of creating these (in addition) for your team now.
5. Can you team together with other high achievers in your company to spark a fun incentive and friendly competition of your own? Typically, high achievers who have gotten back to the basics create a series of challenges and incentives to supplement the incentives put on by their companies.
These help with that surge of activity, where you’re focused, really turning things up for a specific amount of time, that brings about getting back to the basics with activity but also helps keep it consistent. Do you remember those months and incentives when you first started?
You know how your year typically ebbs and flows both within your company and at home. You can forecast out the rest of the year to ensure you have just enough carrots dangling to help you stay consistent with your business building basics.
So, if you’re eager to get back to the activities that helped you build your success, let’s put your foot back on the gas, make a plan and get ready for the results to follow.
What area will you start with?
Your existing customers?
Putting yourself out there in new opportunities?
Sharing your products and services in a consistent way again?
Take a realistic, fresh look at your personal business goals – as a part of your overall business goals? Or will you…
Create a fun competition with other high achievers in your company?
Maybe there’s something else? What would you add? Did I spark an idea that wasn’t mentioned here? Choose what gets you most excited! Then pop over to Instagram @yourcrazybigdreams and share what you’ll start with to get back to the basics! I can’t wait to cheer you on! And celebrate your results that follow. Especially how this helps you re-connect with your team and put fresh, new, excitement into your business!
The best is yet to come! Always.
