By Dana Phillips.

New consultants who join a direct selling company are expecting to get something from the experience. Some want part-time income; others want full-time income. Some are looking for a career change and leadership opportunity. And some want to make friends and have fun!

Whether you are working with a new consultant to start fast, a future leader to promote a leader to move up the career path, you’ll want to be sure the expectations are clear for both of you and are specific enough to match her personal goal.

Here are some tips to help you set expectations:

  • Build a relationship with your team members. Remember, people like to work with people that they respect and personally like. Take time to get to know your team member’s family life, what they like to do in their free time, and where their interests lie. This may sound like it has nothing to do with setting expectations, yet the more you can relate to your team member, the better you’ll understand how you can support her.
  • Discover her “what” and her “why.” The “what” is the tangible goal, and the “why” ties it to her emotions. When you define these clearly, they will keep her motivated on a daily basis. Listen carefully and ask questions to clarify. Setting the expectations takes digging deep and clarifying what she wants for herself and her family. Both of you write it down and read it often.
  • Setting the Expectation. Now it’s time to connect the “what & why” to the business plan. Set goals according to what she wants to achieve. Discuss what the expectations are to reach that level and what she can expect from you. Ask her what you can expect from her as she begins her journey. Together create her action plan and set a target date for completion. Be clear about the expectations you have of each other.

Once you both have a clear picture of her “what and why,” set her goals, agree on an action, and set a target date for completion, you now have a foundation for a successful partnership. Nobody joins your company to fail.  Your responsibility is to help her find success as she defines it.

Your challenge as a leader is to help her manage those expectations.

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