| If your company has lost its enthusiasm and zip, or if | | | | of all the ramifications of company financial choices. |
| it never had any to begin with, all is not lost. I know | | | | Their opinions are often based on their own particular |
| some people don't agree with an old dog trying to | | | | vantage points (i.e., whether they are relatively new |
| look good in the window, but --- believe me --- it's | | | | distributors, with fewer than 2 years in the company, |
| possible! When you are evaluating a company, it's | | | | or well-established, with 3 or more years as |
| useful to make an old Ben Franklin list: positive points | | | | distributors and downlines more than 5 generations |
| on the left and negative things on the right.I know | | | | deep, if the plan is a breakaway), and they tend to |
| that all the great points in the world can't offset the | | | | focus on the persistent concern, "What's in it for |
| lack of a great commission check this month - nor | | | | me?"Choice #2. Let your company management |
| can great products, massive inventory, fabulous sales | | | | decide. This one is risky. Seldom is management |
| aids, super management, nor corporate | | | | objective about what is competitive and what will |
| leadership.However, if your company's strengths and | | | | work. There is a perceived notion in distributor-land |
| weaknesses list contains no fatal flaws, you CAN | | | | that management wants to rob from the rich and |
| breathe new life and excitement into that tired old | | | | give to the poor. But, have you often heard of a |
| dog. Taylor Hegan (my husband), another distributor, | | | | company pulling aside its top distributors, for |
| and I did just that . . . and the results were nothing | | | | example, and saying, "Hey, we've got to get you |
| short of spectacular! We non-surgically re-contoured | | | | from $50,000 to $100,000 a month as soon as |
| an existing company producing a few hundred | | | | possible!"? There is also the alleged idea that |
| thousand in monthly volume to one reporting 15 | | | | management has "pets," these being either the |
| million dollars plus a month! We became trendy; We | | | | "overachievers" who make the rest "look bad" |
| appealed to industry players; We revamped company | | | | through their ever-constant hard work or the |
| materials to become competitive in the marketplace; | | | | "squeaky wheels" who waste time making daily calls |
| We created BIG checks for lots of people; We gave | | | | to complain and cry on company shoulders instead of |
| the company a dramatic new personality; We | | | | really working the program.Choice #3. Hire consultants |
| increased company volume beyond anyone's wildest | | | | to advise you . . . But who? Consultants should be |
| expectations in just a few years! We ran a parallel | | | | carefully scrutinized for recent, successful track |
| "new" compensation plan along with the tried and | | | | records. Ask for a list of companies that they have |
| true (or was that "tired and blue?") compensation | | | | worked with before, and check references for some |
| plan until a comfort level was established for | | | | semblance of excellent and creative advice. Also, be |
| management to welcome a merger of the two, with | | | | aware that our industry changes so rapidly that |
| some grace period for "old" distributors to meet | | | | today's "prize winners" can be tomorrow's "DOGGIES |
| updated requirements.When a new plan is fairly | | | | IN THE WINDOW." Don't discover what my mom did |
| accepted and has a successful track record, you can | | | | when she finally updated her home decor to the |
| either switch to it exclusively or maintain both old and | | | | style she had been admiring in magazines for several |
| new plans, allowing distributors to qualify on either or | | | | years; she learned that everyone else was sick of |
| both, thus generating two monthly checks for | | | | blue and rose . . . and was getting rid of it!Choice #4. |
| themselves if they choose. Maintaining both pacifies | | | | If you really want good advice, you might consider |
| fixed imagers who hate change and allows deeper | | | | working with a company outsider who has a good |
| payouts to the trendsetters, since the old timers | | | | pulse beat on the present marketplace and is |
| usually don't participate in both plans.Always | | | | currently involved with several facets of MLM. They |
| remember the golden rule of change: "NEVER TAKE | | | | can help you tailor your compensation plan changes |
| AWAY!" Move money around perhaps, but if your | | | | effectively, based on your particular product/service |
| company needs more money, the only sensible | | | | line. Remember my slogan: "You REALLY CAN have it |
| legitimate way I know to increase profitability is to | | | | all!" Consider keeping your traditional compensation |
| do a financial analysis of expenditures, with an eye | | | | plan and then setting up a spin-off, bonus, |
| toward cost-cutting measures and ways that | | | | compensation plan to create INSTANT SIZZLE and |
| company management can help you increase | | | | additional monies. You can add a new product and/or |
| sales.One of the biggest problems in an established | | | | training that distributors can only purchase under the |
| company is lack of excitement when distributors | | | | new plan. Working both the old and new plan will net |
| compare your plan to newer, more creative plans. | | | | them two checks. I really love this idea. You can |
| You can choose to keep defending your current | | | | transition gradually to a totally new plan without the |
| plan's attributes and do nothing. Sometimes doing | | | | disharmony of change destroying your company. You |
| nothing is a good idea. Sometimes it's not. Remember | | | | really can teach an old dog new tricks.Eileen Silva, |
| --- if you continue to think as you've always thought, | | | | Ph.D., N.D. is a metabolic health balancing expert, talk |
| you'll continue to get what you've always gotten. Is | | | | show guest, and lecturer. Dr. Silva is also an individual, |
| that enough? If not, what are your choices?Choice | | | | group, and corporate weight management consultant. |
| #1. Ask your distributors. This is a disastrous move, in | | | | Contact Dr. |
| my opinion --- they seldom have enough knowledge | | | | |