The objective in staffing your MLM startup is to support your reps and help them to be highly successful by creating the high standard of service and responsiveness in the Support Center. Key variables in your staffing plan will include the level of technology you use, the cross-training and skill sets of staff, your attitude toward constant improvement and root-cause analysis, product mix, home party (retail) versus network marketing (consumption), and other variables that work together to create the dynamics of who calls and how often.
After considering the variables and environment you will be creating, here is a general outline of what the staffing variables might look like for your new company:
Launch Staff
- Distributor Service Manager – hire as early as possible, must learn how the company works by helping to set it up (compensation design, fulfillment, software selection, etc.)
- Distributor Service Rep – Hire 6 weeks prior, select for maturity and skill sets, multi-tasking abilities, over-hire and expect fast advancement
- General Manager / CEO – Provides the vision and leadership, servant leader – marketing (product development, etc.)
- Tech-head – Hire early, involve in compensation plan design, site selection, technology specifications, hardware, network, office applications, phone system, etc.
- Executive Assistant – supports GM and DSManager as an executive assistant; able to perform all executive support functions, basic bookkeeping functions, can even take a distributor service call; highly organized and driven toward creating order out of the chaos that will surround startup
- Fulfillment Team – access to fulfillment team, with emphasis on Fulfillment Manager who works well with the core management team.
- Sales Executive – field development