For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about getting ready for the leadership conversation.  Articles are available on:

Besides being a critical step in building your team, leadership conversations build confidence in future leaders, inspire them to want to become a leader, and create a strong partnership with you as part of the process.  This interview may be the first time your potential leader has looked at your company’s career plan and her income potential.

Here are six steps for a successful conversation.

  1. Establish rapport

Thank them for meeting with you and pay them a sincere compliment about what you see in them that will make them a good leader.  As part of the invitation process, you pay them a genuine compliment (Observe-Complement-Invite).  Your opportunity is to go deeper.  You can speak to not only their genuine strengths; you can complement them about how those strengths will make them a great leader.

  1. Discover their what and why by asking questions

“What hopes and dreams do you have for yourself and your family?  Why is that important to you?” OR

“If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you be dreaming for yourself and your family? What makes that important to you?”

You’ll use these responses to explore the benefits of leadership with your prospect.

  1. Share the benefits

One of your key assumptions is that your prospective leader knows herself AND she doesn’t know about your leadership opportunity.  After you get to know them better, you have an opportunity to match your company’s requirements and income to their wants and needs.

Keep it simple.  Letting them know how what it takes to qualify in terms of sales, parties, appointments, and team members.

Constantly affirm your future leader.  She may have doubts about her abilities and your talk matters (a lot).

Most importantly, do everything that you can to let her know how the leadership income will help her achieve her dreams and goals.

  1. Invite her to become a leader

It’s just an interesting conversation unless you ask her to make a decision.  Ask: “After everything we’ve talked about, how soon would you like to begin earning a leader’s income?”

Most of your prospects will say yes.  She may not want to decide right then, and that’s okay.  When you ask her, you can take the next steps.

With a “YES” answer, you’ll want to have her set a target date.  That will start her working towards her goal. Be sure to write it on both her calendar and yours.

  1. Create an simple action plan for the week

Ask her “What action steps do you need to take to move closer to your goal this week?”

Let her tell you.  She will be more committed to her ideas than yours.  If something is missing, you will an opportunity to add anything that she’s missing.

Check her commitment level by saying, “This looks like a great plan.  What could get in your way this week?”  Listen to what she says and ask, “What will you do to overcome that?”

  1. Set a follow up time

You’ll want to talk each week about what happened the previous week and to set new action steps for the following week.  You want to have an open door for your new leader to talk during the week after her appointments.  Every week, support her in developing a strong recruiting habit.  You can do recruiting conversations in person or through three-way phone appointments every week.

Above all else, let your future leader know that you believe in her and you will match her efforts with your own to make magic happen.