“God save the Queen.” This is the national anthem of the United Kingdom.

While your company is not ruled by a monarch, every direct selling company needs to have at least one figurehead.  That figurehead is either you or someone else. If you don’t have one, you need to get one right away!

Am I Serious?

Yes, I am.

One of the important factors that influence whether people will join a direct selling company is an assessment of the identity, reputation, personality, and background of the figurehead.  When there is no figurehead, the perception is that no one is in charge or worse.  That’s not good.

I continue to be amazed to find websites of direct selling companies that contain no information about the background or even the names of the founders, owners, or management team members.  I wonder, “Are the owners in hiding?  Are they criminals who don’t want to be found?  Are they shy?  Or are they simply unaware of the importance of disclosing their identities?”

Did you know that when you offer an income opportunity, prospective and current representatives look to you as a role model?  They want to follow the leader of the pack, but to do that, they first need to know who the leader is, what the leader has done in the past, what the leader cares about, and how the leader behaves.

While I understand you or someone else at your company will never be the queen or king of a country, I know that in the eyes of your sales force, someone at your company needs to accept the responsibility of a figurehead and behave accordingly.

I’m currently watching the Netflix show “The Crown” which I highly recommend to you.  Early in the series, when she was just a princess, Elizabeth was taught how to walk, how to talk, how to move her arms, how to receive visitors, etc.  These are behaviors expected of a monarch.

Your sales force expects to know not only the name of your company’s figurehead, but also to have knowledge about his or her past experience, personal mission, family, and what he or she cares about most.  Your sales reps also expect you to behave in a courteous, polite, respectful, and kind manner.

So, if your sales force doesn’t know right now who your company’s figurehead is, here is your “to-do” list:

1. Choose one or more figureheads.  If the shoe fits, don’t be afraid to wear it yourself online and in public.
2. Do some research on your peers.  Visit competitor websites to see how they describe their figurehead(s).
3. Update your website and marketing materials to tell the figurehead’s personal story in a compelling, captivating, and truthful manner.
4. Be the person others want to see as a role model.
5. Don’t wear a crown.