Leadership Tips From Shawntrell

As a leader in direct sales it’s my job to teach my team to be successful, sharing tips and tricks that have helped me to grow my business, so that I can help them to succeed. But sometimes, I learn as much from them as they learn from me. I’d like to share today 3 leadership tips from one of my team’s fantastic leaders, Shawntrell Miles. These tips have helped my business immensely.

1.) Organize your leads on index cards. Fill in name, number and best contact time on an index card. In the upper left hand corner I like to write the area where they live and in the upper right hand corner, the date in which I first acquired the lead. Under their name, I keep a contact log with the date, time and result of the call. Organize them in an index card file or coupon caddy which you can find at Staples or Wal-Mart for just a few dollars. I like to organize them by area so that when I have an appointment in a particular area I can then go back and call all my other leads from that area. Keep your file of index cards in your purse so you can call them on your lunch break, while you’re waiting for your kids when you go to pick them up, when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, or when you’re driving (only with your hands-free devise of course!). I used to make lists, a new list every time I made calls. When I called someone I often couldn’t remember when or how many times I had called them thus far. I couldn’t remember if I had left a voicemail or a message with a person (who probably never gave them the message). Now I have all that information right in front of me no matter where I am and I find time to call my leads that I never knew I had!

2.) Double book your appointments. If you’ve been in leadership a while you know that getting stood up is a fact of life. Even when you confirm the appointment the morning of, every now and then someone will still leave you waiting. Shawntrell discovered that when you double book an appointment (i.e. set up an appointment with 2 prospects for the same time and place), 90% of the time, at least one will show up. You essentially double your chances of gaining a new team member that day. If they both make it, you can do a group appointment.

3.) Organize your lead’s email addresses into groups by area and periodically email them with updates. When you are doing an opportunity meeting, you can email your leads form that area to let them know. You can also email them with instructions on doing an online appointment. Some people, who didn’t have time to meet with you, will get started online. Sometimes people get busy and are unreachable for a few months. When things settle down, they may be ready to start their business. So don’t give up on old leads, keep them on your email list until they ask to be removed or until they join your team.