Building a Bridge
I blogged a quick note on October 20th "Why Are You Working With
Them?" and Zanna, one of my readers, asked a great question.
In my original blog post I suggested you're wasting your time if
you continue to work with people who say they're going
to....(and fill in the blank) but never actually pull it
together to get started. The point is they never get started. We
are not talking about what they agreed to do.
I suggested to "bless 'um and move on."
Zanna ask about a technique to do that. She also asked how to
avoid getting caught in the cycle again when the person actually
goes away but only for awhile. They return with the same
promises but no action therefore starting the cycle again.
Here's a great way to move past people who take your time (and
their own) but don't follow through. I call it "building a
bridge." The best way to get clear what this accomplishes is to
consider what a bridge does. It allows us to move back and forth
over something that otherwise would be difficult to maneuver.
And that's just exactly what we're going to do. We're going to
give these people a way to come back to work (the key word there
- work). But the bridge will also allow us to disconnect so we
can free ourselves up so we can work our business efficiently by
working with those who want to build a business and are willing
to take the action to do so.
Let's look at the steps it takes to build this bridge.
- Compliment them with something that you like or admire about
the way they do business or a trait they bring to the table that
you think will be good for their business. (e.g. they are a good
listener).
- Then tell them you get that this is probably not the best time
for them to build their business, because it's tough for them to
take action right now.
- But when they're ready to take action you'll be right here
ready to work with them.
This lets people off the hook and gives them a way to leave
feeling good. (That is why you make sure you compliment them
first. No one needs to go away feeling bad.)
If they do come back your job is to let them decide what they
think is the first thing they need to do in order to move their
business forward. Why does letting them decide make a
difference?
You're not telling them what to do. They are deciding what they
need to do to move their business forward. Why is this
important? What is the first thing a two year old says when you
tell them to do something? We all know the answer to this even
if we don't have kids, NO. Does it get better as they get older?
How many teenagers do you know that respond well to being told
what to do. Ask yourself, do you like being told what to do?
Certainly I don't. That's why I own a business.
Rather than telling people what to do, coach your people into
the most efficient ways to run their business. This way you'll
know what they are about and what they are willing to do and
they are much more likely to follow through.
What is a great technique for coaching? Asking questions until
the person sees herself clear to her first step. One of the
first things I'd suggest you do is coach your new recruit to get
store hours in place. If it were me I'd do it immediately after
they'd filled out their application and paid their money. Yes I
mean immediately. Before we parted and made an appointment to
meet again. Then from the beginning their business has a clear
time to operate.
What is the usual outcome of coaching someone to make their own
decisions as to how they are going to move their business
forward? Typically they'll take action on what they said they
were going to do. Why? Because it's their idea and that holds a
lot more weight than your idea.
The other thing that comes out of this is you're off the hook to
remind and push. It's their idea what they are going to do and
their time line. What I'd do after she decided what her first
steps are I'd ask her to look at her calendar (now she has her
store hours) and make a time to get the task completed. Then
make an appointment for them to call you to check in and debrief
about how it all went.
Make sure they understand this is a real appointment. You are
blocking time to talk in your calendar and expect them to be
there. This is step five of the "5-Steps To Work Less and Make
Money in Network Marketing" that are covered in the first two
ezine issues. (When you draw boundaries and make things clear
keep it in mind that honey often takes you much further than
vinegar.)
If they call and didn't do what they said they were going to do.
Build another bridge and let them go again.
If they don't call at the appointed time let them go. Send a
build a bridge email. It might go something like;
Sorry you missed our call. You know (name) you do blah blah
really well and when you're ready to build your business I'm
here to help.
Short and sweet but real and final.
If you apply these techniques it should help you to move on from
the professional "I'm gonnas" and keep your business going in
the right direction.