There has been an increase in a trend I’d like to call “sponsor shopping”. While I don’t know if someone has already coined the phrase, I think it is the perfect description of the practice.
If you are in direct sales or have ever been in direct sales, you have a pretty good idea of how things work. You are presented the opportunity by a prospective sponsor or recruiter, you say you are interested, you meet with this person to discuss the business opportunity and you make a decision if the company and income potential is right for you. And that’s usually how it should happen.
However, I have seen a somewhat alarming trend in sponsor shopping – potential recruits looking for the “best” person to sponsor them. Nowadays, the internet makes it so easy to find a list of people who can be your potential sponsor. There are usually no territories when it comes to direct sales, so the field is wide open. But what qualifies someone as being the best sponsor?
To me, the best sponsor has the following characteristics:
- Honesty – I expect a potential sponsor to tell me that the business opportunity is great, but that it will be hard work. There are no easy ways to make money and just like any business, a direct sales business takes hard work, dedication and persistence to be successful.
- Trustworthy - Does the potential sponsor do what they said they would? Call to follow up when you asked, send additional information, invite you to a team meeting, etc.
- Ethical – This is a big one for me! Well actually, they are all important, but this one should actually be first on the list. I want to work with someone who has built their business ethically. Not by lying about how wonderful sales are, how many recruits they’ve gotten in a short amount of time, or how easy it is to make money. Even if they are really successful, I want to know that they built their business the right way – not by buying recruits, underpricing their products, or stealing customers from other distributors or consultants.
- Easy to talk to – When signing up with a sponsor, the communication needs to be easy. There needs to be a good bond because you will be working with this person a lot. Just like with any new relationship, you know right away if you and the person click or not…trust me, you need to click!
- Invested in my success – A true sponsor will be just as invested in your success as you are. They will be there to celebrate your achievements, and be there to help motivate you and listen when things aren’t going well. The best demonstration of this would be at a team meeting or testimonials from other people in their downline. But even someone who is brand new can be highly invested in your success. Even if you are their first recruit, you can grow and learn the business together.
Now aside from this list, I have seen potential recruits look for other characteristics before making a decision. Here’s what I’ve observed:
- Looking for the most successful person - Some potential recruits believe that if they sign up with someone who is successful (has a large downline, makes lots of money, has a car, etc.) that they will do just as well. What they are failing to realize is that all that success comes with a price. Hard work and dedication made those people a success, not the person who recruited them.
- Looking for the best offer - When recruiters are trying to build their downline, some choose to run special promotions as an incentive to get people to sign up. Incentives such as a free gift, business building materials, training resources, referrals, etc. are not uncommon. It is important to note that most reputable direct sales organizations do not allow you to pay for someone else’s kit or fees to start a business. However, there are some that still do it – that’s where the ethical sponsor details come in.
I personally do not see anything wrong with making sure you have the right connection before signing up with someone. This is a business relationship, but just like any relationship you need good communication to be a success. But the key word here is relationship! People who are truly interested in the business model and want to give direct sales a try, will join someone’s team because of their relationship with the sponsor, or the relationship they hope to build with that sponsor. This decision is really based on the sponsor’s character and the way they treat people.
The bottom line is that your sponsor cannot make you a success. Only you can make yourself and your business a success. It is up to you to look for training, determine your marketing strategy, networking and so on. While your sponsor can provide training, tell you exactly what they did to build their business, and offer you coaching and mentoring, you are still responsible for implementing the recommendations.
So what do you think? Do you see anything wrong with sponsor shopping or do you think it’s OK? Have you done it before? What was the basis of your decision? Please let me know if there’s anything I have left off my list.
I’d love to hear what you have to say!
