Sponsorship

We had a very successful Share & Succeed training on Saturday. Here are some notes from my presentation on Sponsorship.

Sponsorship versus leadership
Sponsorship is for every Consultant in PartyLite. You do not need to be a Leader to sponsor someone. In fact, you do not even need to aspire to leadership to sponsor someone. Until you are a leader, I recommend that you use your Unit Leader to assist you significantly in the recruitment of new consultants. You are not alone. In fact, it is your Leader’s responsibility.

Leadership may be something you aspire to achieve. This is great. Your Unit Leader can assist you in setting goals and a plan to achieve them. PartyLite also offers training for Future Leaders. Leadership is more than sponsorship.

Understanding the difference may be the break you are looking for. As your team grows, you will get leadership training to prepare you to lead your own team. Until that happens – use your Leader.

Consultant Guide
Section 7 of the Consultant Guide is a critical part to understanding and preparing for sponsoring. Take 30 minutes to read it and to think about how to integrate it into your shows and your conversations.

My personal commercial
I discovered PartyLite in 1996 when I was living in Denver, Colorado. My hairdresser asked me if I wanted to come to a candle party. I asked her if I needed to bring a candle. She laughed and said, “No, you just need to bring your Visa card.”

Since then, I’ve been hooked.

I became a Consultant myself in June 2005 and I am now a Leader of a great and growing team of smart, successful women. My enthusiasm for my little candle business has done nothing but grow. I go to parties. I tell people about the best candles in the world. I have fun, eat their food, drink their wine, and get paid. I work when I want to. I work part time from home – even with my Leadership commitments, I still only work about 20 hours a week. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I control it all. If any one here today likes some of the choices that I have shared with you, and you think that it would make a difference to your lifestyle as well, then please come and talk with me later and we can set up a time to have a chat.

Planting seeds
Planting seeds is useless unless you are prepared to provide sunlight (directly offer the opportunity), water (answer their questions), pull weeds (overcome their objections), and harvest (sign ‘em up).

Directly offer the opportunity to each person – especially to your hostess who has just had a $500+ show. Don’t ask if they are interested? Ask them what they like about your job. Tell them there are meetings each month where they can learn more. Offer to introduce them to your Unit Leader to answer any questions they have. Give your Unit Leader the name and number of two people at each show who want more information or who seem like good potential consultants (personality).

Answer their questions – Ask them what questions they have about the Discover PartyLite brochure. Phone call, in person, with your Unit Leader, and/or at your next Unit Meeting.

Overcome their objections – Feel, felt, found – use either your experience or another Consultant’s to honestly share how the same objection was overcome.

Sign ‘em up – Until you’re ready, here’s what your Unit Leader will help you do: ask them if there is any reason why they wouldn’t be able to give it a go. Help them write out their FRANK list. Give them some help setting up their first six shows, and get the contract signed.

Sponsoring is a verb
Think of sponsoring as an activity. Look for Consultants. Invite people to do what you do. Recommend people to the company. Like a visitor to a country club, you are signing them in.

Start them right
The first six shows of a new Consultant are critical to her success as a Consultant. Don’t underestimate the positive impact of doing six shows, getting bookings from each show, and getting commissions from six shows. If your new Consultant can see a financial impact from her efforts, he or she will be much more likely to succeed. BriteStart is a good motivator. Help your Unit Leader by consistently supporting the importance of getting six shows into a new Consultant’s diary.