In college, I was in a sorority and we had a theoretical accountability system. We never really practiced it that I know of, and it’s not part of any secret tradition, so I’ll tell you about it.
The theory went something like this: if you saw a sister out at a party or event and it seemed like she was over served alcohol or doing anything embarrassing, you could tap her on the shoulder as a kind of gentle warning. A way of silently saying, “Hey sister, when you embarrass yourself, you are bringing all of us down. So cool it!”
Say that sister was having too much fun, and kept the antics at an intense level even after you gently brought to her attention the fact that she was actin’ a fool. You could give her another tap on the shoulder. [Tap, tap.] This one says, “Listen, girl. You are going to regret this tomorrow”, or “This is not the kind of attention you want.”
Even still, that sister might be too lost in her own silliness to pay attention to your kind and gentle warnings. You could give her one last tap [TAP, TAP, TAP] before moving her toward the exit and seeing that she makes it home safely before anything too catastrophic happened.
Why am I telling you this? Because I see my “sisters” in direct sales making fools of themselves on social media, and it’s time for some accountability. This type of behavior isn't limited to one company or team, but spans many different companies. Sometimes it is discouraged from a corporate level, and sometimes it's part of their marketing plan. Either way, we know better. Sisters, Facebook is the frat party, and it’s time to step away until we can present ourselves as the professional women we are.
Maybe we’re drunk on the possibilities of the compensation plan.
Maybe we’ve forgotten normal social skills.
Maybe we’re hi-jacking conversational facebook posts and making everything all about us and the product we’re selling.
Maybe we’re sending unsolicited, spammy messages to acquaintances from fifteen years ago.
Maybe all of our posts are thinly-veiled manipulation about the "lifestyle".
Stop. Walk away. Get some perspective. Apologize when necessary. Re-approach the next day as a professional.
There are just as many ways to succeed in network marketing as there are to get it wrong. If you’re hoping to grow your business without leaving a wake of ruined relationships behind you, please stick around.
