There was a time when a coach was hired because the executive in question was not performing up to par. More recently, a coach is hired because the executive in question is already doing well and being groomed for promotion or a higher level of management. When drawing a parallel with network marketing, the “executive” would be at the rank of Silver or above— earning more than “non-managers” and heading up a team of business-builders, not just consumers.
According to Douglas McKenna, former head of leadership development at Microsoft, and currently CEO of the Oceanside Institute for Organizational Leadership, there are specific questions that need to be answered before deciding to utilize a coach for senior executives. Take a look at the questions and you will see how they apply to network marketing. Simply replace the word “executive” with “Silver IBO” and above.
How valuable is the IBO leader?
Coaching can be expensive and time-consuming. In traditional businesses, it is most often reserved for the executives who are critical to their corporation’s success. These are the executives that are being groomed to be the senior and executive managers in the future. In general, this includes the heads of major business units or functions, technical or functional company gurus, and in some instances, young junior managers who exhibit extraordinary potential.
Matching the coach with the executive makes all the difference. When the coach is not sophisticated enough, the match is doomed. When the coach has an agenda and does not see the underlying challenges in the executive, the effort may not only be wasted, but might even create more issues.
In network marketing, the coach is more often than not an executive from the company. For example, when Research Scientist Doctor Edward Andujar goes on tour—whether to Puerto Rico or within the mainland United States, Europe, or Asia—he is coaching LifePharm sales leaders and their team members on how to present the products, how to use them for their maximum benefits and how to leverage them with each other.
At LifePharm, all IBO leaders are considered extremely valuable and worthy of training. That’s why LifePharm offers Premier Silver Directors and above the opportunity to request corporate support (another way of saying career“coach”) when they host a meeting with 25 or more IBOs/Guests.
What are the challenges?
When an executive is struggling to learn how to best manage herself/himself and engage others, the executive coach comes into the game. Whether the challenge is in managing people, relationships, organizations or to motivate positive behavioral changes, the coach’s job is to expedite transformations. The coach is there to help think through the challenge or obstacle and allow the executive to resolve the issues, personally. The coach is there to teach self-reliance, not dependence.
At LifePharm, the sponsor or upline often takes on the role of coach to the downline business builder. But who coaches the Platinum, Titanium, Diamond and Royal Diamond IBOs? Again, look to the LifePharm corporate executives. Vice President of Field Development Steve Brown has years of experience in promoting sales leadership among IBOs. And of course, the company’s owners have a track record of business success, making them viable mentors.
How open is the IBO to coaching?
“Coachability” is actually a term used in network marketing more than in traditional businesses. In network marketing, coachability is the crux of duplication, which is the key to business-building success. The IBO being mentored must want to transform or reach a higher potential in order for coaching to succeed. Working with someone who has been pressured into coaching makes the job harder than it has to be.
Coachable team members show a track record of growth. This translates to increased sales volumes and bigger commission checks, which ultimately leads to rank advancements. At LifePharm, it also leads to shares in the global pool, where IBOs can participate in rewards from worldwide sales and not just personal group volume.
Coachable team members are generous with their personal experiences—in the form of product endorsements as well as business building strategies. They’re also honest about their own strengths and weaknesses and seek out new team members who have complementary skill sets. They learn from others and take responsibility for their own actions. Coachable team members will not see the coach as a threat. Instead, they will see the coach as a resource and collect as much information as possible.
If the IBO is not open-minded (in other words, coachable), he/she will not be a good prospect for business building. Instead, as a coach, make sure to focus on Auto-Delivery and the benefits of never running out of product.
What alternatives to coaching are available?
There are many ways to help IBOs grow as leaders. The most overlooked alternatives are the company’s resources. At LifePharm, there is an entire resource library available in the Virtual Office. It is composed of product brochures, company videos, science articles, PowerPoint presentations, promotional videos and much more. There is an archive of product and opportunity endorsements, eNewsletters (Connection), Ezines (YES) and even a healthcare practitioners’ website in addition to the public website!
LifePharm IBOs can also ask questions online via the Support Suite about billing, commissions, compliance, rank advancement, products, returns, shipping, technical questions, personal web pages, and so on. Finally, Customer Service representatives are available to answer questions on the phone in English, Korean, Spanish, German, Polish and Russian!
As LifePharm continues to grow, new training materials are consistently being created to support our worldwide network of IBOs.
Are key people in the organization ready to support the Silver IBO’s growth?
Changing behavioral patterns or getting rid of bad habits may be difficult, but having the support of others makes transformation so much easier. Coaching works best when key people in the IBO’s world are supportive on a daily basis. This can be in the form of phone calls, FaceTime, Skype, and when local, face-to-face meetings with sponsors and other team members take place.
At LifePharm, the entire corporate staff stands ready to support all our IBOs.