Sponsorship versus Recruiting

In building your Vessel business, you will be signing people up under you.  You may have heard this activity referred to as "sponsoring" or "recruiting,"  and often the terms are used interchangeably, as though they mean the same thing.  It is important to understand that there are differences, and ultimately, those differences are critical.

To put it simply, recruiters are focused on signing up as many people as possible, without a great deal of thought or planning on what happens with those new people after they sign up.  They may actually have limited contact, if any, with the new recruits and will often leave the new recruit on their own to figure out how to get training, how to order, how to do a party, how to determine goals, what company resources are available, and on and on.  Some recruiters are apparently hoping that if they sign up enough people, they will surely have a superstar or two on their hands without any further effort on their part. 

On the other hand, someone who is focused on being a good Sponsor will spend time with their new Stylists.  They will get to know each Stylist as the unique person that she/he is.  They will help the new Stylist set goals, make sure the new Stylist knows the critical information AND (this is important) how to find information if they need it.  An effective Sponsor will make sure that their downline members are getting on the weekly conference calls and accessing all the training tools that Vessel has made available.  A great Sponsor will learn the strengths and weaknesses of all of their team members in order to develop synergistic ways for them to work together.  They will learn when to push people to do more, and when positive support and encouragement is all that is needed.  Successful Sponsors will help their downline have fun with their business, and will recognize those who reach their goals or even just achieve notable improvement. 

Most importantly, a great Sponsor sets an example for others in all she does.  She teaches her downline how to sponsor by being a good Sponsor.  At the end of the day, a person becomes a leader in a company by leading through example, serving others and clearly showing how to duplicate those efforts.  If done correctly, you only need to directly manage the level below you, because the Stylists on that level have also learned to manage the level directly below them, and so on. 

That is the true power behind the direct sales model - DUPLICATION. 

Not everyone you meet, or even everyone you sign up, is going to be a leader.  But for those who are truly interested in that goal, your efforts as a Sponsor can impact their success (and, by extension, YOUR success) in a truly significant way.  Generally speaking, those who seek to provide support through being a great Sponsor have better financial results than those who recruit and forget. 

It sometimes happens in direct sales that you may be sponsored by someone who doesn't really do anything.  The beauty of direct sales is that YOU can still be successful!  The beauty of Vessel is that we do provide the training and support to help you reach your personal potential. 

To Your Success!

Susan