DSA Partner MagazineAn Industry Guide to Field Support

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http://AnnualMeeting.dsa.org

May 31 - June 2

Field Support | 2

Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered with 100% US-based call center support.

And no matter how large you grow, outsourcing keeps your costs low.

THE CONNECTION PROVIDES:

MAKE THE CONNECTION TODAY!

Customer Support Shipping/Returns Opportunity Review (To Begin Selling) Website Technical Support Email Support Services Social Media Support

Field Support Genealogy Rank Promotion Compensation Shipping/returns AND MUCH MORE!

Call (800) 883-5777www.The-Connection.com

No one covers you better in the field.

Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered

So Make The Connection

Field Support | 1

Table of Contents

Who Answers When Your Customer Calls? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Achieve Greater Retention by Supporting Your Salesforce . . . . 4

How to Attract Leaders with a Compensation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Digital Marketing: The Future of Direct Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Upping Sales per Distributor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Entrepreneurs in 30 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Field Support Partners Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered with 100% US-based call center support.

And no matter how large you grow, outsourcing keeps your costs low.

THE CONNECTION PROVIDES:

MAKE THE CONNECTION TODAY!

Customer Support Shipping/Returns Opportunity Review (To Begin Selling) Website Technical Support Email Support Services Social Media Support

Field Support Genealogy Rank Promotion Compensation Shipping/returns AND MUCH MORE!

Call (800) 883-5777www.The-Connection.com

No one covers you better in the field.

Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered Whether it’s by phone, email, webchat, social media, SMS and more, The Connection has you covered

So Make The Connection

Opportunity to Achieve: Sally Hogshead, Master of FascinationWhy are you captivated by some people but not by others? Why do you recall some brands yet forget the rest? In a distracted, overcrowded world, why do certain leaders, friends and family members convince you to change your behavior? Get the answers

when you hear Sally Hogshead’s keynote address! She is the master of the art of fascination: the most powerful way to influence decision-making . Learn how this method is more persuasive than marketing, advertising or any other form of communication .

Opportunity to Inspire: Allison Massari: Become Inspired, Get ResultsHailed as “life-changing,” “riveting,” “extraordinary,” “bold” and “deeply moving” by audiences worldwide, Allison Massari’s message of courage, compassion and perseverance will resonate with you long after this year’s Annual Meeting has closed .

Having triumphed over two traumatic accidents, one in which she was severely burned on 50 percent of her body, Allison will capture your heart and show you how anyone can move forward from life’s challenges with speed and grace, achieving success in the process .

At DSA 2015 Annual Meeting, the Opportunities are Endless!

By now, you should have received the first two editions of the new DSA Partner Magazine, which brought you insights and information from industry suppliers on Meetings, Incentives & Recognition and Technology . This edition brings you content on Field Support direct from the field experts themselves .

Field Support Health & Beauty

Consulting Services Operational Strategies

Look for the next publication in your mail box soon! Then, make plans to attend this year’s DSA Annual Meeting, May 31 – June 2, in San Antonio, Texas to connect with these content contributors, solution-providers and your peers .

Meetings, Incentives & RecognitionTechnology

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During the start-up phase of most direct selling companies, company executives look to call centers to provide direct communications to both the organization’s field representatives and customers . What often goes unnoticed, however, is the fact that call centers created during the start-up phase of the business can end up controlling nearly 90 percent of those communications, making the center and its agents valuable assets to the organization . As such, a direct selling company’s call center can directly impact the company’s overall credibility and reputation, as well as influence consumers’ purchase decisions . Because of this, call center training is a crucial factor in a company’s long-term success .

When direct selling organizations begin to scale dramatically, one common response to the growing pains is to add more call center agents rather than focus on revisiting, reevaluating, and enhancing the training program to ensure it meets the demands of the company and its call center .

The Training Program Consultants at The Connection commonly see organizations that start with a four- to six-week training program; rather than reevaluate the program as the company grows, companies often pile on updates like layers . What the company is left with is a training program where only 30-40 percent of the content is relevant to the company, while only 30 percent of the content is actionable, or information the employee can utilize effectively in their immediate role .

While revamping the existing training program may seem unimportant and daunting to most company leaders, the process is actually one of the most critical aspects to a company’s long-term success—and it involves an easier set of steps than most company leaders may expect .

A four-step plan to evaluate call center training programs in order to provide company field representatives and customers with the most effective support experience possible is recommended .

The first step of the plan focuses on building fundamental skills early . The fundamental skills portion of a company’s training program is the foundation to any great training

curriculum . A few of the common fundamental skills modules The Connection consultants see are soft skills, de-escalation, data security and protection .

Second, companies must review systems and technology training monthly . The impact of technology on the direct selling market has been nothing short of game-changing . Every single aspect of the traditional direct selling business model has been impacted by the growth and adoption of technology . For this reason, systems and technology training is something that companies must review on a regularly scheduled basis to ensure the primary voice of the organization is up-to-date on everything the IT team rolls out .

All too often, it seems call centers and their agents are some of the last to learn about a new technology roll-out, and in extreme cases, call centers and their agents only learn about new technology when they get a call from someone in the field with a question on how to utilize it . One tip companies should keep in mind when rolling out any new products, services, or technology is to remember that the call center will always get the call first . As such, agents must be equipped with the training and knowledge of the products, services, and technology in order to support members of the field for everything they need .

The third step of the plan is to add in general direct sales training . Many direct selling organizations are good at training their staff members about their company and how they do business, but few take the time to educate the staff about the rest of the space . Simply put, knowledge is power . By providing call center agents with more information about the space the business occupies, a company can enable agents to have a broader knowledge and understanding of the market, compensation plans, history, and other relevant facts

Who Answers When Your Customer Calls?Training the Voice of Your Organization By Michael McMillan Executive Advisory Team Member, The Connection

“ ...call center training is a crucial factor in a company’s long-term success.”

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of the industry they can use to assist field representatives and customers . Additionally, this type of training helps position call center agents to be subject matter experts .

Lastly, companies should audit their training program regularly . Training in an organization should be viewed in the same way as finances . A company’s financial team would never allow its finances to go unaudited, nor should company leaders allow the training program to go unaudited . Early in the life of any organization, the training program should be audited internally by managers of the call centers on a monthly basis, with quarterly audits done externally by outside departments . Annually, companies should bring in an external, independent third-party to audit the program .

The auditing procedure for a training program needs to be well-defined so that the process is completed quickly

and efficiently . To do this, companies should develop a 360˚ audit that focuses on information from both the field representatives who communicate with the call center agents, as well as feedback from agents who have been in their roles for more than a year .

Companies should measure the effective retention of each module of the training using post-training surveys and quality assurance data . To gain a full circular perspective on how the training is perceived by field representatives, a company should survey their representatives to assess their perception on service and support . This allows the auditor to see the training from a full 360˚-view and make assessments of the training with all information necessary to determine the program’s effectiveness .

Michael McMillan is an Executive Advisory Team Member at The Connection

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In order to achieve higher sales and greater retention, a direct selling company must first have a confident, knowledgeable and skilled salesforce .

It is important for companies to know what inspires distributors to join the company and what drives loyalty to the company . The answers to these questions reveal what differentiates companies that merely survive from those companies that thrive .

To start, thriving companies invest a significant amount of time and resources to develop strategies and systems that support their greatest asset, the salesforce . It is important for company leaders to identify what makes their organization unique and special because this is the message that needs to be conveyed . The company message will either engage or disengage members of the salesforce, prospects, and customers . Nevertheless, there are questions and strategies that company leaders should employ to clarify the message .

The first question company strategists should address is, “Who are we and what do we stand for?” If someone is going to associate their name, their reputation, and their future with a company, they will want to know the answer to this question right away . Companies can communicate who they are and what they stand

for in writing and reach a few, or they can communicate this message as a video from the founder or a charismatic leader within the company to reach many . Often, companies develop a short written description and a brief video clip describing the faces behind the company and for what an organization stands . This strategy gives people an opportunity to experience the essence of the company, makes the company relatable, and supports the person’s decision to associate with the company .

The second question company leaders should consider is, “How can we deliver an outstanding first impression?”

Research has proven that first impressions can be measured in four seconds or

less . Company leaders should take into consideration

what prompts positive impressions and what

contributes to negative first impressions .

Taking time to reflect and ponder personal experiences will enrich how the

corporate team operates .

A company’s methods of engagement do not need to

be complicated; they need to be simple, authentic, and duplicable . As such, the

corporate team should do an audit of the company’s mar-

keting materials, website, video, training programs, prospecting

material, catalogues, conference keynote speakers, on-boarding

staff and the salesforce, leadership development, incentives, and more .

Achieve Greater Retention by Supporting Your Salesforce By Nicki Keohohou CEO and Co-Founder, Direct Selling World Alliance and the DSWA Coach Excellence School

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The key within all these elements is to create as many positive impressions and experiences associated with the company as possible .

There are many strategies thriving companies use to achieve success and growth .

The first thing to understand is that there is a difference between motivation and inspiration; motivation is external, and inspiration takes place internally . Motivation

temporarily “pumps up” the members of the salesforce and prompts them to enthusiastically go after their goals or motivators such as luxury trips, cars, bonuses, and so forth . Inspiration, however, comes from within the company . It is often the emotional “why” or the reason a person passionately pursues their visions for business and life .

One effective strategy for cultivating an inspired salesforce is the application of coaching . Coaching is a proven method for evoking a person’s inner wisdom, developing their self-esteem, and empowering them to take consistent action . Studies have shown that people tend to respond more favorably to solutions if they believe they, themselves, developed the plan of action . When the corporate team and salesforce apply a “coach approach” to lead and serve, people are more likely to respond favorably and follow through on their commitments .

Nicki Keohohou is CEO and Co-Founder of the Direct Selling World Alliance and the DSWA Coach Excellence School

To learn more about meetings in Buffalo, see Linda D’Agostino at Booth #98 at the

Annual Meeting. Bring this ad and we’ll give you a Starbucks gift card just for stopping by.

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To learn more about meetings in Buffalo, see Linda D’Agostino at Booth #98 at the

Annual Meeting. Bring this ad and we’ll give you a Starbucks gift card just for stopping by.

YOU HAVEN’T SEEN BUFFALO.

If you haven’t seen Buffalo lately...

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To learn more about meetings in Buffalo, see Linda D’Agostino at Booth #98 at the

Annual Meeting. Bring this ad and we’ll give you a Starbucks gift card just for stopping by.

YOU HAVEN’T SEEN BUFFALO.

If you haven’t seen Buffalo lately...

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“ A company’s methods of engagement do not need to be complicated; they need to be simple, authentic, and duplicable.”

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Analyzed Intuition

Experts in Direct Selling Prescriptive Analytics

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Field Sales Management

Platform

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• Identify Drivers of Performance

• Analyze Performance and Effectiveness of Service Operations

• Develop Segmented Service

• Identify Sales Trends• Generate Short,

Medium and Long Term Forecasts

• Standardize Operational Reporting

• Develop Intelligent Dashboards - Intuitive and Interactive

• Develop Marketing Road Map

• Optimize Product Placement, Pricing & Promotion

• Fine Tune Recruitment, Compensation, Incentive & Promotions strategies

• Develop ‘what-if’ Scenarios and Create Action Steps

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Over the past several decades, the direct selling industry has seen it all . Some companies have exploded with success while others have fallen by the wayside . In the pursuit of success, companies often look to design a compensation plan that will attract and keep leaders . Most executives learn that when their leaders are working hard, the company grows . What, then, do leaders want in a compensation plan? What attracts the best leaders and helps them work hard and stay for many years?

Not all leaders are cut from the same cloth . Some, for instance, are serial big-hitters always looking for the next deal . They seem to work like locusts looking for the opportunity du jour, but then they move onto the next deal the moment they see greener pastures . Clearly, no one wants to attract the locusts .

Another type of leader is one who has worked hard in years past, has the skill to build a successful business, but is burned out . He or she might be willing to work hard for a year or two before sitting back and cashing their monthly “beach money” check for the rest of their lives . Sadly, this song does not have a happy ending, either . When a company pays large checks to disengaged leaders, it means that the company is not paying the people who are working their hardest . This is a ticking time-bomb which will eventually collapse a business; it is not sustainable .

The leaders who “have it together” are those who are loyal to the company and lead their large downline organizations by example . They seem to have a balanced life – something all desire . It is this type of leader, the “right leader,” companies want to attract and keep .

How, then, do companies attract and keep the right leaders?

There are several points loyal, hardworking and influential “right leaders” want to see in a compensation plan . First, leaders want to see that the key to the big check is lots of little checks . “Right leaders” learn that their income depends on having a lot of their downline team members earning enough every month to make the business worth their time . Thus, when designing a new compensation plan, companies should focus heavily on the early titles and roles that reward people quickly for their time . The dollar-per-hour proposition should be a minimum of $25 per hour in the U .S . market . This results in stronger retention and a sustainable growth for the builders . With poor retention, even great leaders get frustrated and eventually give up .

“Right leaders” want to be rewarded for focusing their time on their rising stars who are often two, three, or even four levels deep . These leaders do not want to be limited to working only with their personal recruits . Recognizing that it is likely only one of every 100 recruits will become leaders in the future, well-designed compensation plans reward “right leaders” for developing new leaders below them in depth as well as in the frontline .

Compensation plans do not create competency and skill . Only training, mentoring, and coaching can do that . As such, a well-designed compensation plan makes rising stars hungry to learn how to work the business by rewarding them for doing the right things at the right times . “Right leaders” teach their rising stars how to mentor, coach and train their team members to build and work . Competency duplicates competency . This is what creates long-term sustainable growth for a company . The best compensation plans are in perfect alignment and harmony with how the competent “right leaders” are training their downline people .

“Right leaders” look not only at the compensation plan, but also at the entire business . They ask questions like: “How will a product user know the product works?” “Will the product user want to keep using the product for a very long time?” “Are the products priced well?” “Do the senior executives have the experience to grow the company, or do they react to how the wind blows?”

How to Attract Leaders with a Compensation Plan By Daniel O . Jensen President, Dan Jensen Consulting

“ ...a well-designed compensation plan makes rising stars hungry to learn how to work the business by rewarding them for doing the right things at the right times.”

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“Right leaders” also want to know if there is a system to help new team members find prospects beyond their friends and family? This is a major cause of attrition after 90 days . Party plan companies have a built-in mechanism called the “booking;” non-party plan companies need to create their own system .

“Right leaders” look for a well-designed career path that avoids brick walls and speed bumps but promotes consistent success . They aren’t looking for what is easy, they are looking for an opportunity that rewards hard work . Everyone with any title needs to believe they can achieve the next rank within a reasonable timeframe and that it will be worth the effort .

With this in mind, companies must also recognize that “right leaders” want to see a strong full-time income opportunity for anyone willing to earn it . This often translates to $10,000 monthly income or more . “Right leaders” want to see the upper leader titles consistently generating the “dream check .” These leaders get discouraged when some of their top team members are earning part-time incomes .

“Right leaders” do not want to see rampant manipulation of the compensation plan; they do not want the plan to reward too many “gamers” for doing little or nothing . This practice can kill a company over time . The “wrong leader” will welcome the ability to “game the plan” because he or she does not have a long-term vision .

A direct selling company should design its plan so that many “right leaders” develop and grow organically . In doing so, the company will attract “right leaders” naturally . It is important not to buy into the short-term “we have to recruit lots of lead-ers” narrative . The graveyard of direct selling is littered with the bones of companies that used that approach . Nevertheless, companies should do what instinct dictates and develop “right leaders” who will reflect the company’s integrity and character .

Dan Jensen was the founder of Jenkon, one of the leading direct selling software providers in the world. He retired from the software business in 1999. Today, Dan, along with his daughter, Andi Sherwood, and his son, Brian Jensen, provide professional compensation plan design services to existing and new direct selling companies.

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Digital Marketing: The Future of Direct SellingBy Ruth Hedges Vice President of Women’s Business Development, MDC DOT

Unlike real estate, direct selling is not about location, loca-tion, location . Instead, direct selling is about duplication, duplication, duplication . If the majority of a company’s dis-tributors cannot duplicate success, they will never grow their businesses . Each distributor can recruit to his or her heart’s content, but if a company cannot provide a digital marketing strategy, its distributors will fail to succeed in this digital age .

Distributors work to make millions, even in a tough economy, and have a firm understanding of what it takes to succeed and effectively present a company’s products and business opportunity . The question company executives should ask then is, “How should our company duplicate this group with every new independent business owner who comes into the business?”

The answer is that companies should duplicate the winning sales strategies of their top leaders via a digital marketing program .

Now is the time for companies to think about providing sales-enablement technology to their distributors . Many of the current belly-to-belly sales approaches and ways independent business owners touch their customers are becoming less and less effective and may, one day, be rendered obsolete .

A 2014 DemandGen report stated that “65 percent of buy-ers [and an overwhelming 82 percent of senior executives], indicated that the winning vendor’s content had a significant impact on their purchase decision, and more than 80 per-cent of buyers reviewed at least five pieces of content before they made a purchase .” A company’s independent business owners will have a harder time growing their businesses if they are not nurturing and touching their prospects via email, mobile and social media networks .

In this new digital world, companies need to examine whether or not their distributors fall into the camp that does not use or understand how to leverage social media and other digital marketing automation tools .

Companies can combat high distributor dropout rates by providing their distributors effective marketing automation

campaigns, lead-generation funnels and pre-built social media marketing campaigns to drive growth .

If all of independent business owners had a simple and easy way to use digital marketing effectively, companies would see a tremendous outcome .

A perfect example of an effective digital marketing campaign is the Ultimate Fitness Team™ (UFT), an independent organi-zation of Team Beachbody® Coaches . Their recent campaign helped the organization achieve incredible results .

According to UFT, compared to “standard” click rates for the health and fitness sector of 4 percent, UFT coaches received greater than 8 percent click rates on mail messages to their prospects . The average time spent reading the emails topped 15 seconds for more than 60 percent of UFT’s recipients, well above industry standard of 11 to 15 seconds . The coaches were able to transform many “cold” leads into “hot” leads over a 40-day period of time, with an average of eight automated email “touches” to move them to that stage .

This resulted in coaches seeing a return on investment of nearly 400 percent . Even more, this technology was put into the hands of the “coaches,” allowing them to work closely with each of their prospects to nurture, segment and convert new business .

The truth is, distributors are no longer the most influential touch point for a company . In today’s connected world, the most disruptive force in the marketplace is the customer . With unlimited access to information 24/7, customers are making more informed decisions and comparing alterna-tives before they ever interface with a distributor, effectively changing the way an organization sells in the digital age .

Given the rapidly changing environment in this competitive industry, the question is not whether a direct selling orga-nization should provide a digital marketing program for the members of its salesforce, but can it afford not to do so .

Ruth Hedges is Vice President of Women’s Business Development at MDC DOT

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Direct sellers are a unique group . It’s important to recognize how they are sometimes cut from a different cloth . The majority are motivated and driven by different “whys” than those who sell as full-time employees for traditional retailers . With this in mind, it’s imperative to identify those motivators, and give direct sellers the tools they needs to increase their sales . It is not enough to turn to traditional customer service relationship management systems . Rather, the key is a simple and organized system to keep track of their prospects, specifically designed for direct sales .

At Fragmob, we think increasing distributor dollars earned per hour is the number-one metric every direct selling company should be shooting for . Sharing economy startups

are recruiting by the hundreds of thousands around the world and paying out billions to their representatives . There are hundreds of new ways to earn the same $500-$1,500 a month, through Über, AirBnB, Task Rabbit and Relay Rides, but each one of their recruits is one less recruit for direct sellers, and they’re just gaining steam . Check out Youtube .com/fragmob for my keynote on this at Hyperwallet’s March Summit .

The right technology can equal mucho dinéro for your distributors and your company:

1 . Hot Prospects: How many people a distributor—or any group of distributors—is actively trying to sell to at any given moment .

Upping Sales Per Distributor: A Former Distributor Turned Tech Geek Chimes In. By Michel Bayan Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Fragmob LLC

Field Support | 13

2 . Total Addressable Market: How many people do your people know? The answer is the size of your current addressable market .

3 . Sales Actions: The number and types of activities and communications between sellers and their prospects—calls, texts, emails and messages on apps like What’s App, Skype or Facebook Messenger—as well as when and how often they occur .

4 . Follow-ups: The fortune is in the follow-up . What is the distributors’ follow-up rate?

5 . “Hot Rot”: Distributors miss so many sales opportunities from simple lack of follow-up and without ever getting a real “no .” How many hot prospects are dropped?

6 . Media Performance: We spend a lot of time, energy and money on various media assets to help our people sell . Which ones are they using? Are prospects viewing them? Are sellers leading with products or the opportunity?

All of this stuff is interesting, however simply getting a bunch of data is not going to get you very far on its own and we’ve got to avoid what The Lean Startup refers to as “vanity metrics .” What does this all boil down to?

1 . Sales Conversion Rate: Now we can know how good your sellers actually are . Which ones are really the best at selling? Which are best at recruiting? How do they do it? What did they avoid in order to find success? Too many of our decisions on what to train distributors on are based on gut feelings and anecdotes . Instead, we can use insights to develop better training, yielding far better results .

2 . Which trainers actually drive production? Observing their sales activities following a training event will give you real insight into the quality of training you deliver . Then, you can tell who is driving production and who is just good at the “ra-ra” .

3 . Should you lead with products or the opportunity?: This is a long-debated question . Data intelligence can deliver the facts we need to stop guessing and really know the answer .

I could go on for ages, but I will stop for the sake of brevity . Plus, I can’t give you everything because I want you to come out to Fragmob’s Express Learning Session at the DSA Annual meeting this year!

So, all of this sounds great but, we haven’t yet answered the million-dollar question: how do you get distributors to use a CRM? Well, that’s where the fun begins . Two big hurdles are data entry and the creation and re-enforcement of a culture that uses the same tools . Let’s take them one by one .

Data Entry: This is where the beauty of mobile comes into play . It makes things so much easier to collect . When you’re driving activity from a computer, there’s no way to measure if that call was made or that text was actually sent . But, with a smartphone and clever user-experience design, distributors don’t have to do data entry for you to know when an activity happened . You have to get this right, though, or you’ll miss a lot of valuable information and your numbers will be off, making all your hard work irrelevant . Many companies have spent millions on data collection and gotten zero value from it .

Accountability and Culture: Now that we have this data and activity, let’s use it to motivate behavior and hold distributors more accountable . Sharing just the right information with a distributor’s up-line lets the distributor know that if they let a hot prospect drop or let their sales activity slump, someone is going to know about it . It’s amazing what a bit of transparency does to lethargy; combine that with the right adoption plan and get your leaders onboard early, and you’ll be having boring conversations about manufacturing capacity and logistics because your stuff will be flying out of your distribution centers!

What we’ve covered here is just the tip of an enormous iceberg that is not just a “nice-to-have .” Intelligent technology will allow direct selling to survive in a new landscape of more technology-enabled, flexible and, frankly, simple income opportunities . Technology is finally at a place where, if implemented properly—which is a big “if”—the true potential of a direct selling opportunity can finally be unlocked and achievable for so many more distributors to make more money in less time . Consider it an opportunity upgrade .

Learn more at www.fragmob.com or at Fragmob’s Express Learning Session, Increasing Sales Per Distributor, at booth #116 at the 2015 DSA Annual Meeting.

“ Regardless of the mode of data management, it is important for company leaders to realize there is a treasure trove of insights that can be used to better focus, train, support and increase sales per distributor.”

Field Support | 14

In the early 1990s, I was with a direct selling company that had experienced fast growth . We celebrated the first time we had processed 1,000 autoship applications in a single day; we gave high-fives and went right back to work . I was responsible for the company’s service operations, including on-boarding new distributors and supporting distributor service .

As we focused on the metrics of growth, we also realized that we were losing about the same number of autoship accounts daily because of attrition . My assignment quickly expanded to include an effort to understand attrition and to champion solutions .

We found that the secret of long-term retention was in a well-structured fast-start system; one that did not leave progress to chance . In small steps and bite-sized training, we changed the dynamics . In the end, the result was a staggering 40 percent increase in 90-day retention of autoship accounts .

When representatives join a company, they arrive with boundless and diverse expectations . They are eager to engage, and the highest level of eagerness occurs while the “emotional juice” of a decision still flows through their veins . It is well-established that, in just three days’ time, the biggest opportunities to powerfully engage will dissipate . It is during this time-frame that the new distributor is the most impressionable and the most eager .

Once distributors are on the right foot, as a general rule, they need to be functioning, engaged entrepreneurs within their first 30 days . One step at a time, one bite at a time, they engage; or, they quietly go away .

How do companies fail their new distributors? They fail by not engaging new distributors, and by not providing them with meaningful, effective, bite-sized training and support to carry them through the baby steps that ultimately become power strides .

To understand the importance of developing a well-structured fast-start system, look to the key metrics that are universal in direct selling .

First, on average, 80 percent of multi-level marketing distributors and 60 percent of home party consultants slide into inactivity within their first year of joining a company . Of those who disengage—or never fully engage—half are gone within ninety days of enrolling .

Second, most companies create a “fast-start” system; and, many take the approach that the commissions and compensation budget are designed to compensate distributors to properly train and support their new recruits . In reality, a large percentage of sponsors do not engage with their recruits once they have signed them in . This is either because they do not know what to do or they simply do not have the ambition to engage with their new recruits . In either case, companies that take more responsibility for the on-boarding of new recruits can see the difference .

These two metrics form the basis for tracking and monitoring whether your efforts are effective . By taking the lead as a company to help transform a new rep into a functioning entrepreneur, you are able to shape the momentum of growth and retention . Granted, too much involvement can divest a sponsor of their responsibilities; however, by creating systems and touch points that are constant and predictable, including training for a sponsor so that she knows how to help her new recruit, your company will enjoy the benefits of best practices .

Entrepreneurs in 30 Days By Terrel F . TranstrumCEO, ServiceQuest

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Key metrics universal to direct selling establish the need to guide a new rep through their transformation . Here are five important lessons about early engagement and retention of distributors to consider .

First, most of those who join have a dream—however small or large—that is delicate . Knowing their journey and the sensitive touch points gives them a fighting chance .

Second, there are simple, breakthrough techniques for gathering profiling information on each new distributor, enabling companies to raise the effectiveness of engagement .

Third, intrinsic motivators drive behavior due to enjoyment and the belief it is correct . Extrinsic motivators are reward-driven, focusing on goals, actions, and outcomes . Creating a fast-start system to involve both will optimize connection and commitment .

Fourth, a monthly class report serves as an effective measure for tracking the impact of a fast-start system . These reports track the activities of a group or “class” of distributors that join in a given month .

Fifth, the most important touch points are grouped around the welcome, profiling, early rewards, training and ongoing connection .

The simple truth is that those new distributors who leave did not find what they were looking for . As such, it is the

company’s opportunity to take each new representative by the hand and help them find what they are looking for .

To help evaluate a fast-start system for new distributors, companies should review their system in light of several questions:• Howwelldoyourecognizethatthereisabriefwindow

in which to capture imagination, build belief, impart basic skills, and discover enough to shape and influence outcomes?

• Howwelldoesyourcompany’sfast-startsystemreacheach new rep, not just those who are pre-disposed to getting right to work?

• Howmuchretentiondoesthefast-startsystemgenerate?If it is 20 percent, 30 percent or even 40 percent, could it be better?

• Howdoesyourcompanymeasuretheimpactofitstouchpoints and early engagement efforts?

In conclusion, companies must decide to evaluate and then improve the arrival experience for each new distributor, ensuring their engagement at a higher level . In doing so, company leaders will find that creating entrepreneurs—functioning, engaged distributors—in 30 days can enhance momentum, increase retention and bring unseen benefits to all distributors . And that’s good for business!

Terrel Transtrum is the CEO of ServiceQuest, The Global Direct Selling Experts. His team advises and consults all sizes of direct selling companies, from start-ups to the global giants.

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Field Support Partners Directory

The ConnectionCompany Contact: Melissa HyvareExhibitor Booth #: 75Company Description: U .S . based leading call center providing Inbound/Outbound Voice, Live Web Chat, Emial, SMS and Social Media Response outsourcing solutions .

Dan Jensen ConsultingCompany Contact: Dan DensenCompany Description: Dan Jensen provides compensation plan consulting for new startup companies as well as established companies needing to change their plan . For new startup companies, Dan has a comprehensive fixed-fee package of services designed to maximize the success of the new venture . He follows proven design principles and creates a custom designed compensation plan unique to their business situation . Dan also works with established companies needing to change their compensation plan to improve sales and recruiting . Dan’s clients will all provide excellent references .

DSWACompany Contact: Sheena TejedaThe DSWA is a global organization serving thousands of Direct Selling members with resources dedicated to improving their marketing, personal and professional development, training, selling, recruiting, and operational strategies . Founded in 2001, and guided by a board of the industry’s leading experts, the DSWA is a one-stop-shop for Direct Selling entrepreneurs . Participants in DSWA Programs demonstrate improved recruiting and selling methods, develop leadership skills, take control of their finances, experience increased retention, and most importantly, grow their businesses . Programs such as the ELITE Leadership Certification® Program and the renowned DSWA Coach Excellence School® have been adopted by some of the top Direct Selling companies in the world . The DSWA was founded by Nicki Keohohou and Grace Keohohou after a combined 40 plus years invested in creating and maintaining successful Direct Selling businesses, both in the field and in corporate positions, and consulting for the world’s largest Direct Selling companies .

Fragmob, LLCCompany Contact: Michel BayanExhibitor Booth #: 116Company Description: Fragmob designs and develops fast, rich, and powerful mobile solutions for direct selling companies to engage and empower their distributors and customers across many geographies . Fragmob mobile features include: Intelligent Dashboards, Communication tools, M-commerce, billing, and invoicing, and enrolling (customer and distributor), Business tools, and Social components . The Company provides solutions across all major platforms (iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows) . Fragmob offers fully localized solutions (language, news, currency, business rules, reporting, and products) allows clients to serve each client’s global business .

Leapfactor, Inc.Company Contact: Jennifer AndersonExhibitor Booth #: 127Leapfactor enables direct selling companies to deploy game-changing mobile apps that empower their sales force to exponentially increase their business activity while on-the-go . By combining state-of-the-art technology and high-end user experience design, the Salesfactor mobile solution becomes the cornerstone for distributors to conduct their business, allowing them to tell the story, present the opportunity, showcase products, take orders, learn the business with multimedia training and monitor business activity . Leapfactor’s apps are designed and configured to your company’s specific business model and can be easily connected to virtually any back-end system .

MDC DOTCompany Contact: Jordan JohnstonExhibitor Booth #: 128Company Description: MDC DOT is a unique all-in-one marketing solution that provides customer relationship management, marketing automation, social media marketing and more all in a single platform . Digital Marketing for people who lives sales, not technology .

ServiceQuestCompany Contact: Terrel TranstrumCompany Description: Every company has a purpose, and the most common purpose of direct selling companies is to produce happy, productive distributors . Our purpose is to advise and guide our clients through all aspects of the enterprise, drawing from our decades of experience in the boardroom, at the executive tables, in the management ranks, and on the front lines . From distributor service training to fast-start systems, and from compliance to recruiting, we are the premier consulting and advisory firm specializing in MLM and Home Party Systems .

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