Many network marketers seek to grow their businesses. Growing your business means more than adding more customers to your network. It also means expanding your team. But, how do you expand your team? Expanding your team involves talking about your business as much as possible. Especially talking about your business with people who you feel would be great additions to your team. Even if you want to maintain the size of your network, recruiting is essential, whether they are customers or team members. The good news is you don’t have to recruit team members on your own. You can encourage your team to recruit on your behalf or ask for introductions from your top advocates. Here’s how to grow your team.

How to grow your team 

Develop a love mindset 

Often, when network marketers speak to people and their networks, especially when they’re first starting, they focus on how the other person can help them. How can this person help them grow their business? Who do they know who could help them grow their business? This is the wrong mindset to have, especially when your business is focused on building relationships. People who are focused on building their businesses focus instead on how they can help the person they’re speaking with. They think about who they know in their network who can help the other person solve a challenge they are facing. Instead of being focused on themselves, they are focused on how they can help answer the other person. 

This is a love mindset. You care about the other person so much that you are looking for ways to help them. Care and concern are part of the foundation of trust in any relationship. By focusing on how you can help, you’re automatically pushed out of a self-serving mindset. Of course, there may be reciprocity. However, that is not your priority at the moment. Your priority is helping the other person in any way that you can, whether it involves your business or not.

To build a business that you love and serve a network that you love, you have to have a mindset based on love. Grow your network by recruiting from a love mindset.

Listen and look for a need 

When you connect with everyone in your network, keep your ears and your Spidey senses open. Chances are, the other person will mention a challenge or struggle, or need. Although they may not ask directly for your help, it’s in these moments that you can find a way to help them. For example, when you reach out, they may mention that they’re so overwhelmed that they haven’t even cleaned the house. This is your opportunity to think of a house cleaner who does a great job to who you can refer them.

Although they didn’t ask for a connection to a house cleaner, and it may not have even dawned on them to get a house cleaner, they’ll appreciate that you listened to them and recommended a cleaner. This shows that you’re paying attention. We all want people to listen to us when we’re talking. Unfortunately, many of us only half listen. We’re so busy thinking about what we’re going to say next that we’re not in the present listening to what the person is saying. This is the basis of miscommunication. We’re so busy thinking of something clever or witty to say, or if we’re having an issue, something that would vindicate us, that we don’t pay attention to the other person. And then we wonder why we don’t feel understood.

This is why you’ll stand out so much when you do listen to other people when they’re speaking. Since we expect people not to listen, we’re often surprised when they do. We’re even more surprised when they follow up on what we’ve said to them. When you’re speaking with someone, listen for a need that you can help them with. Even if your business can’t help directly, there may be somebody in your network who can help. This is when you can reach out and connect to people via an introduction. There are two advantages to this process. First, you’ll be able to serve two people in your network. Second, by making the introduction, you can show them how to introduce people to you. 

What if they don’t mention a need? This happens very often. They may not mention a need. Everything may be going great in their lives. Or, your relationship is such that they wouldn’t reveal that stuff to you. This is when your goal is to make their day. Everyone can appreciate what other people try to make their day. You want to make them smile, and you want them to know that you care and are thinking of them. By offering positive wishes, you are making them feel good and they’ll appreciate being thought of.

Recruiting: Plant the seed for introductions 

Each time you connect with the people in your network you are planting the seed for future introductions. Of course, you need to ask them to make those introductions, but the more you connect with your network, the stronger you’ll build the relationship, and the more likely they will be to introduce you to people in their networks. 

The first part of recruiting and planting the seed is to make the connection. We recommend connecting with your network consistently based on how you have sorted them within your network. This means that you will connect with your advocates more often than you will connect with others who you may not have as strong of a bond with.

The second part is to ask for an introduction. That is, you will ask the person directly to introduce you to people that they may know who could benefit from your business or the opportunity that you are presenting. This takes practice and we have scripts to use to make it easier. Of course, it will be much easier to ask your biggest advocates for introductions as they are the biggest supporters of your business. It may feel awkward asking those with whom you do not have as close a relationship to introduce you to their networks. However, the more you look for opportunities to help and serve them, the more willing they will be to introduce you to the people they know.

Once they introduce you…

Your work isn’t done once someone in your network has introduced you. You could argue this is when the real work begins. First, you’ll want to thank the person making the introduction for the introduction. After all, without them, your business would not grow. Once you have been introduced, this is your time to talk about your business and explain how it can help the other person.

Extend an invitation 

If the other person seems as though they are receptive to the opportunity you’re presenting, then invite them to join your team. This is the core of recruiting Often, people will need to think about it. This is normal. On a very rare occasion, you’ll get someone who’s on board right away. However, in most cases, it takes people some time to think about it. This is where the following up comes in. Once you’ve extended the invitation, set a time shortly, for example in the next few days, to follow up with them and gauge their interest. They may say that they’re still thinking about it. If this is the case, then set another date in the future in which to follow up. Remember it takes at least six or seven follow-ups before a decision is made. So, be sure to follow up with them.

Recruiting to the team 

If the person is interested in joining your team, be sure to onboard them. Onboarding is essential to recruiting. This means meeting with them to help them set goals, explain your expectations, answer any questions, and work with them to get them up to speed. They’ll likely continue to have questions, so be sure to answer them to the best of your ability. During this process, you’ll also want to follow up with them to see if they have any questions or concerns along the way. This is your opportunity to not only build trust but also show your care, concern, and expertise. Your team members, especially the new ones, will continue to rely on you as they learn the ropes. Use this as a time to mentor and coach your new members and teach them the behaviors which you will expect them to emulate.

Teamzy can help you recruit and grow your business 

Teamzy puts all the information you need for your business at your fingertips to make recruiting easier. From maintaining your network to having access to scripts, we have you covered. Click here to learn more.