It is so easy to stop believing in the best in people when you’re working with a bunch of women in the direct sales industry. We tend to read too much into what people say or don’t say, what they do or don’t do, every email, text message and Facebook post.
It’s one of the reasons why people quit.
The good news is you have a choice every single day as to how you go about interacting with your team. And in large part, the way you treat others is how you will be treated in return.
Notice the Assumptions
If you get to the point where your expectations of others are interfering with your ability to do your job, things can become very challenging.
Not to be cliché or anything, but it’s very true that when you assume, you’re making an ass out of you and me. And it’s particularly true in direct sales. Yep, I used the A word in a blog. *blush*.
Back to assuming. This is a wonderful opportunity to really take a look at the people you’re working with on your team and examine how you’re thinking about them. Do you notice thoughts like, “Why did she sign up and now she’s doing nothing? Why isn’t she calling me back? Is it because she doesn’t like me?” Or my personal favorite (not really): “She isn’t going to be successful at this.”
Those thoughts (and the resulting answers they inevitably lead to in your head) aren’t real – they’re just the assumptions that you’ve created in your mind about the other person and they are not helpful.
When you start to catch yourself and notice the negative assumptions, it’s much easier to make a different choice. For instance, if someone isn’t calling you back, you can choose to assume that she’s gotten really busy with tastings this week instead of assuming that she’s avoiding you or that life got in the way. It’s always better to give your team (and let’s face it, your friends, family and the guy that just cut you off on the freeway) the benefit of the doubt.
Create Your Optimal Work Scenario
The most important and constructive thing you could do for yourself and your team is to focus on getting your job done and doing it with integrity, directness and with the best intentions. Truly, in direct sales, if your intentions are good, you’re going to move forward.
This means letting go of what other people are doing. If someone on your team makes a choice that you don’t understand or agree with, instead of fighting it, choose to trust that the person knows what they’re doing and that she’ll take care of it if she didn’t make the right choice. This also means putting an end to comparisons. Hard as it can be, sometimes you have to close to door on worrying if someone is doing more, going faster or going to beat you to the finish line.
Trust that everyone is there for the right reasons.
Be Conscious of the Potential for Miscommunication
WineShop at Home (and most other direct sales businesses) operate largely remotely. Many of us don’t have other consultants around us in our neighborhoods or even in our cities; we communicate with our team through text, email, Facebook and over the phone.
And we all know how easy it is for a piece of written text to be misread and misunderstood.
That well-meaning check-in email you send to your team mate could be interpreted as a subtle hint that you want her to work harder or you don’t think she’s doing a good job, when really, you just wanted to make sure she had all the support she needs!
The more conscious we are about the potential for miscommunication like this, the more satisfied we’ll all be in the long run. When you save the drama for your mama, do the best work you can, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, you’ll definitely see your business start to grow.