Top 5 Questions to Ask Your New Sponsor

Starting a new direct sales venture is very exciting.  Waiting for your starter kit to arrive is like waiting to open the gifts on Christmas Day.  In the frenzy of opening presents, children often get so engrossed in what’s inside the box, that they forget to read the cards.  Or perhaps they don’t actually forget; they may have the intention of reading them later; or perhaps not.  Starting a new direct sales business is sometimes like that, too.

Everything you need to know about running your new business is probably located inside of your company policies and procedures.  If you’re like many new consultants, you’re too overwhelmed and excited to even try to concern yourself with policies. While becoming an independent consultant affords you lots of freedom to run your business the way you choose to do so; there are also the dreaded rules.

Taking into consideration your excitement and your feelings of being overwhelmed below are the Top 5 questions to ask your new sponsor (in no particular order):

1.    How much/how often do I need to sell to avoid being terminated (deactivated, purged)?
2.    When do I get paid? (i.e. discount or commission?) If by check, is there any minimum amount I need to earn before corporate will cut me a check?
3.    Are there any practices that I need to make sure I don’t do? (e.g. selling on eBay or Craig’s list)
4.    What are some of the names of people, both up-line and corporate, that I should know?
5.    What’s the best advice you have for me?

You really should take time soon after starting to read through your policies and procedures and then ask your sponsor about sections you don’t understand.  But I have also been around long enough to know that many consultants don’t, haven’t or won’t read the manual.

Don’t be one of those distributors who claims, “But no one told me…”. Be proactive and ask (and read).  The above five questions will help keep you out of hot water, educate you about your income and ensure your new business gets launched off to a great start!