It seems a blinding glimpse of the obvious to say that no two people are alike. Yet it never ceases to amaze me how much we compare ourselves to others; some try so hard to be like everyone else; and in the realm of direct sales, some consultants get upset and sometimes down right rude, because their leader, manager, director is not like some of the other ones they’ve heard about.
I was thinking about this last night. The autumn leaves have just barely given notice that they’re above to change into beautiful colors and then fall. So the fact that I am talking about snowflakes on 13 September is pushing it a bit, though I know of no better analogy.
No two snowflakes are the same. Each has its own unique story and formulation and no two will ever be exactly the same. Sure many have some similar traits and similarities, but you’ll never find two alike, so don’t waste your energy looking for that sameness.
So why is it really an issue for some direct selling consultants that their director isn’t like so-and-so’s director. They get together at meetings, conventions, trainings, etc. and hear from each other how their director does this or that or that he/she doesn’t do this or that, and the consultants feel cheated or upset that “˜they signed up on the wrong team’.
That’s just stinkin’ thinkin’. Be aware that I am not referring to the leaders who don’t deserve the title, the ones who don’t lead by example and have no semblance of leadership qualities. That is an entirely different conversation and best held for a different post. Rather I am merely referring to difference in style and preference.
Some managers are very creative and enjoy constantly creating new flyers, trainings, webinars, trinkets, gifts, packaging, and other do-dads. Some consultants love that about their director. Other consultants consider it needless fuu-fuu. Is it wrong or bad? No, it’s just different.
Other directors are very businesslike and treat their direct sales team more like they’re are running a corporation with shareholders and employees. There isn’t any fuu-fuu, in fact it seems all business all the time. Is that style wrong for a direct sales team? No, it’s just different. Some consultants thrive in that environment and others would rather have a root canal than be on a team like that.
Some managers are constantly contacting their downline to give them a’ woo-hoo, way to go kudos’. Yet with others, you’re barely lucky if you get a generic “˜good job’ once a year via email. Ok, perhaps in this example both sides could give a little – the cheerleader could tone it down a bit and doesn’t need to throw a parade every time the consultant meets minimum qualifications and does what she should be doing; and likewise the leader who is emotionally unavailable could step up the acknowledgement a bit. But again, neither style is wrong it’s just different.
The next time you hear of a conversation where a director appears to shower the team with gifts and appreciation and meetings, don’t instantly think your leader is wrong or bad. Each brings something different to the table. Perhaps the one who rarely sends a thank you card is always chock full of technical, accurate data on running your business. Perhaps the one who is always handing out appreciation tokens isn’t real strong in technical knowledge. It’s a trade off.
The next time you’re getting ready to compare your manager, leader, director to another, remember just because style or preference is different doesn’t mean you have a defective one; likely you have a different one – as you should.
About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom who started her first direct sales business in 1988. She is currently a Superstar Director with Scentsy Fragrance and President of Income Wax, Inc. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business throughout the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland and the UK. You can learn more about her at https://www.ThrivingCandleBusiness.com
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