"Direct Selling Success in 2007" from"Direct Selling News"
February 06, 2007
First w turn to Tony Jeary in his article: Communicating Your Opportunity: Clarity, Focus, and Execution. Jeary, one of the top trainers in America, answers the question, "How do direct selling executives achieve success in 2007?"
"People usually come to this industry because they have a dream, or are trying to find an opportunity that can become their dream. The dream has many pieces. One piece may be a desire for financial success. Another piece might be independence and the hope of being able to build a successful business. Another piece might involve helping others in a wide variety of ways. There is no one piece that is more important than another. The point is that when a person with a dream is making that initial decision about becoming a part of your team, the decision is made against the backdrop of perceived opportunity. I believe the key to success for any direct selling firm hinges on how well they communicate their ability to help new prospects recognize the opportunity they offer. There must be a communication strategy to make that work. The question is: What are the elements your communication strategy must embrace? I think it boils down to three distinct points: Clarity, Focus and Execution."
Clarity, focus, and execution. Jeary elaborates on each utilizing his own advice. His style is clear, focused, and executable.
"The absence of clarity drains energy. Lack of focus produces indecisiveness and excessive preparation. Poor execution degrades effectiveness, limits results and restricts growth. So, for opportunity to be maximized, the issues of clarity, focus and execution become the most significant."
Clarity is present when there is a sense of purpose As I like to say, "A way without a why (Y) is a WA." In other words, it it meaningless and undefinable. It is also found in the communication of value as the benefits of the product, vision, or project are communicated. The third area where clarity is essential is in the communication of objectives.
Focus, according to Jeary, "is achieved when the critical success factors needed to propel us across the gap are identified and understood."
Without focus, we become disorganized, indecisive, and caught up in excessive preparation according to Jeary. In my own life, lack of focus often leads to a constant state of getting ready to be ready, of movement from one pet project to another, and inertia. Focus is the remedy and necessity in selling the one big idea entrusted to us. Jeary refers to three areas where he stategizes with CEOs to help them create proper focus:
- Mandating the correct action items
- Creating the appropriate amount of detail to support action mandates
- Creating benchmarks that can measure results
Execution is the final step and build upon the firs two with the anticipation of expected results. Execution requires a mastery of communication, performance benchmarks, impact measurement, and sustainability.
"Many people flounder as they try to fulfill their vision and their dreams because they lack a methodology to execute their objectives and strategies. Marginal results degrade overall effectiveness across extended periods, which retards or stops growth. When growth is in jeopardy, we stand on shaky ground."
Jeary is worth reading and hearing. Four other stories in the New Perspectives section are:
Growing Your Business Organically: The Rule of 350
Entrepreneur's Table on Wall Street Seeing the Value of Direct Selling
Mangosteen Journal on Sipping Supplements
The World of Liquid Supplements
For 2006 statistics on stock prices of Direct Selling companies,Download 1206_stock.pdf
