Can You Really Motivate Your MLM Downline?

Starting your new MLM business is really exciting. Even if you’re a veteran in the MLM industry, I’m sure you remember how it was.

You go through your group’s MLM training program. You get fired up and sponsor a few people. Then, at some point, you do a reality check. You ask the burning question. Is anyone I sponsored doing anything yet?

Unfortunately, sometime in the early stages of your business, the answer is no. This can really be discouraging, especially when you’re first starting out.

What is motivation? Dictionary.com defines it like this:

the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; “we did not understand his motivation”; “he acted with the best of motives”

True motivation actually comes from within a person. You can try to “motivate” someone, but perhaps it is better thought of as “encouraging” them. When we encourage our downline, it helps their own internal motivation to come alive and get stronger.

Starting and building an MLM business is a voluntary activity (nobody HAS to get up in the morning and do it, unlike they do with a job). Thus, a person’s motivation must be intensely personal. Inspiration to action must come from deep within. There must be a “why” in place that really means something.

So, what can you do to help raise a downline associate’s level of self-motivation to work their business? Assuming they have a desire, but have just been unable to get moving, here is how you can help.

Help them recall why they signed up in the first place. Maybe they had a vague idea – they wanted to “make some extra money”. Once the initial excitement of doing something new has faded, maybe they can’t get fired up enough to move forward with a goal that hazy. Help them discover how much money they’d really like to earn, and what they would do with it that really means something. Help them come up with specific goals for their MLM business that they feel excited about.

What is important to your downline associate? Is it money to pay off some bills, get a new car, or maybe build a dream home someday? Is it a desire to quit a job? Give money to help their church or favorite charity? People often start MLM businesses and other money-making ventures with really good intentions. Help them drill down and find out what is really important, and how building their MLM business can help.

The idea is to help your valuable downline member get past the inertia and light a fire inside that will motivate them to action. Think about your own business, and what your own internal motivations are. Let your downline friend and associate know you care, and are sincerely interested in their success.