The Last Word
July 2010
A Distributors’ Perspective!
Distributors — the Lifeblood of our Business!
One in particular afforded me a fascinating insight into his thinking. Allow me to share it with you.
“We come to your Company in all shapes and sizes” he began, “from a multitude of backgrounds, bringing a plethora of dreams and a host of different personalities and business methods. Some of us know it all – others have it all to learn.
“Whatever you do as corporate suits, you’ll never please us all. How can you? You encourage entrepreneurial attitudes, creative thinking and you certainly don’t have a monopoly on good ideas. Your job is to evaluate those ideas for commercial viability whilst maintaining the core values of the business which I joined:
- A financially secure company prepared to invest for future growth.
- A product range with unique selling points which satisfy market demand.
- A compensation programme which rewards me for marketing your products and perpetuating the business opportunity.
“Because believe me, before I joined you, I did my due diligence. I wanted to make sure that if I was going to build a business, a career, that was going to last me a lifetime, that I wasn’t going to wake up one morning to find that the company I had chosen, my partner for better or worse, ‘til death do us part, had suddenly left me in the middle of the night, that I was going to be able to introduce others, my contacts, to my Business, OUR Business, with total confidence that they could achieve everything they need to achieve.
“You see, like Maslow, Distributors have their own Hierarchy of Needs when it comes to choosing a direct selling company. Key needs which must be fulfilled, knowing that only if they really want it will they ever actually ascend to reach the uppermost echelons of (dare I say it?) the pyramid.
“The overriding need is to be part of the family, to be recognised as one of the group, to be greeted like an old friend, to have something in common with others. Simply put: to be appreciated as a valued member of the team. ALL Distributors are at least that!
“Secondly, to be able to use for themselves and ideally, recommend to others, the best products in the world. Better than anyone else’s. They may come with a corporate mission, a lifetime guarantee or simply be fit for purpose and value for money, but they have to be good!
“Distributors joining for either of those two reasons will quickly learn that there’s more to this opportunity than their sponsor explained. How many companies do you know, where anyone, whatever level they are in the great corporate pyramid, has the chance for additional reward and recognition for doing a job they get paid for anyway; to qualify for incentive trips to six star hotels, receive pins and certificates and take the applause of their peers on stage? You’d be amazed to discover how much a pat on the back and a heartfelt ‘well done’ is really worth!
“It certainly supports the theory that there’s more to life than money. Good health, family time, love, respect, happiness. I say Humbug! It IS about money. With money I can buy the very finest nutrition and the very best healthcare. By working for myself, I can build my business around my family and give them all the love I have and have theirs in return. With money I can have the material things in life that will assure me respect from my peers. Give me all those and I couldn’t be any happier.
“The more I do the basics, the more people I share my products and my opportunity with, the more people I listen to and help to become successful - the more likely I am to rise to the very top, to be the top Distributor, the top earner at the highest rank. The more I can enjoy the things in life that are important to me and those I love.
“THAT is why I love this industry and the Company I’ve chosen as my partner.” I often stop and think about it. How can I remember all this? Simple — I was that Distributor!
