Finding the best ways to communicate with your downline is imperative when you're not working face-to-face with them, where you can instantly get the context of each of your affiliate's situation.
The best way to communicate with your downline should include the following important principles:
- Understanding the impact of how and what you communicate to your downline
Great Sponsors foster high levels of communication. When your downline understand clearly the different ways you communicate to them, so that you can get them in the same page as you conduct your training and support, you and your downline win; this would have a substantial impact in the development and growth of your whole SFI organization.
- Realizing how your message is coming across to your downline
How do you know that you’re effectively managing your communications with your downline? Do you know what it’s like to be in the shoes of your downline? Or perhaps you've even delivered communications yourself and realized, in retrospect, that you really hadn't got the measure of your downline and their needs.
Whether you need to communicate your weekly messages or to send them the latest updates on your marketing strategy, etc., the best communications start with some good planning.
The first step is to put yourself in the shoes of your downline. What do they need to know, and want to hear? What's their preferred way of receiving information? What will stop them listening to what you have to say? And how will you know that they have got the message?
Think of Marketing Your Message:
Good communications is very much like good marketing. You have a message that you need to convey to your downline. If they are going to listen, you must package the message so that they can understand it and pay attention to it. You must make sure the value and benefit outweigh any downsides (the ‘price’ that they have to pay to advance their growth in SFI). And you must reach your downline through the right communication channels. Then, following the communications, you must be able to measure the effectiveness and how well the message is ‘bought’.
Follow these steps to create the best way to communicate with your downline:
- Be clear about your overall communication objectives. What do you want to achieve, when and why? Make a communication plan and record your overall objectives.
- Understand your downline’s needs.
What do they need and want to know from you? Classify your downline such as new affiliates, EAs, EA2s, TLs, etc. List all objectives for each kind in your communication plan.
- Plan your communications messages and channels.
Once you have clarified your objectives and got a full understanding of the differences of ranks needs in your downline, it's time to plan the communications – that means working out the messages needed to meet your objectives and when and how these will be delivered. Before starting on the detail of your communication plan, first jot down all the possible communications channels you could use and select the best way to deliver your message:
1. Email
2. SFI communication tools – Team mail, SFIM chat, Stream Post, PSA/CSA Mailer, Genealogy Group Mailer, SFI Forum.
3. Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
4. Skype
5. Google Hangouts
Staying in touch with your downline by conveying your messages through the best methods of delivery is crucial to your success. The best way to communicate with your downline is knowing what messages to send, when and how (selecting the right communication channel) your messages are going to be delivered.
Team Leaders/Sponsors should match their choice of communication channel to the intended outcome, for example, whether they wish to raise awareness or gain commitment.
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