Building Long Distance
Building Long Distance
By Randy Gage
One of the first things your new distributors are likely to ask you..."Hey, when are you going to have meetings in XYZ city? I know lots of people there."
This is an escapist mentality. Instead of building their businesses locally, which they can actively do right now, they're fantasizing about a faraway city, because that gives them a chance to procrastinate.
Here's what you need to know and make sure each of your people knows: your local lines should be your primary sources of income. You need to have a strong, sound, local organization that grows on a continuous basis. This is the easiest, most cost-effective way to build. As you begin to develop depth, lines will start to expand into other states. By the time you get down seven or eight levels, it will not be unusual for you to be in eight or ten different states. But, first you must develop a strong, local foundation.
There are lots of good reasons to build long distance, but there are also some drawbacks if it's not done correctly. Let's talk about that.
Some of the reasons you want to sponsor long distance include overzealous government regulators, negative publicity, economic conditions, loss of key people, and natural disasters. All of these things are factors that can dramatically affect your income if it is all tied up in one local group.
Let's suppose that you have an overzealous attorney general who wants to run for governor, and he's looking for some extra free publicity. He figures the best way is to take on one of those evil, mean, nasty MLM companies, and he picks yours. So, he's holding press conferences every day for two weeks, as he attacks your company. What do you think that would do to your income if it were on the late news on television every night at ten or eleven o'clock? The same thing can happen if the local newspaper does an investigative journalism series with a slant that Network Marketing is a rip-off, and your company is on the front page of the local newspaper every day for two weeks.
If your whole line is local and all tied under one or two people, where would you be if they should leave for another opportunity? All of these things are very good reasons to protect yourself, and diversify your income by sponsoring long distance.
There are some other benefits, as well. If you are like me and enjoy traveling, you'll like having groups around the country (or the world) in beautiful destinations. Long distance sponsoring is a wonderful way to finance your travel and get great tax breaks. It allows you to see some beautiful cities and/or countries, while developing new friends along the way.
Now, some of the drawbacks...
First, of course, it costs more money. Take a prospect to an open meeting in your town, and it will cost you only five to ten dollars. Fly 1,500 miles to spend a weekend with a new line, and you can easily spend $1,000. For that reason, you need to first have a solid, local group. You can use the income from your local lines to invest in developing long distance lines.
NOTE: This is also one of the reasons why I don't encourage people to quit their jobs right away. Most people want to do this as soon as they are making $2,000 to $3,000 a month. Instead, I counsel them to reinvest that income into working with the long distance lines that branch off as they begin to get depth in their organizations. This diversifies their income at the same time income is increasing ... giving them a much more lucrative opportunity, so they can ultimately leave their jobs for good.
Another drawback of working with long distance lines is that you cannot be there to look them in the eye on a day-to-day basis when they experience challenges, or celebrate victories. A good voice mail system will help a great deal in this area. Which naturally leads us to the question of whether or not you can effectively sponsor long distance simply by phone, FAX and mail. I really don't believe so.
And, just to be totally up front, I should tell you that I cash a check every month that is the result of lines I sponsored five to eight years ago through direct mail and advertising. These lines were initially opened on the telephone. So, know that I'm making money from having done something I recommend you don't do. I'm not being hypocritical - I'm simply trying to encourage you to learn from my mistakes and build upon them.
Of the dozens and dozens of long distance lines I've sponsored by telephone, there are only eight left that give me residual income. And, there are two things you should know about that.
1. I personally traveled to and worked with each of those eight lines a number of times.
2. Those lines do not regularly grow. They are, for the most part, static, bringing in only enough people each month to replace those who drop out. The vast majority of people in those lines are satisfied customers who use the products each month, but do not actively build the business.
In fact, a number of them love the products enough to buy them regularly - but, are actually successfully building organizations in other network marketing companies. This happened because they found someone local in another company to join as a partner with and build a business. I take personal responsibility for this. You will find that your lines that experience large, consistent growth will be the ones you work intimately and directly with. This means local lines - or long distance lines that you develop in the same manner as the local lines. We'll look at the specifics of that in a moment. For now, let's just accept that there are lots of reasons you should sponsor long distance, but you want to do it in a functional, duplicable way.
In fact, I've always maintained that the best-kept secret in Network Marketing is that your long distance lines are your strongest ones. Most people think it's just the opposite. They think that their local group is stronger, because they have the most people there. They see more people, more often. There are people coming by their house, picking up products, borrowing sales tools, and making lots of calls. In actuality, that's your strongest co-dependent line. You'll notice that a line 3,000 miles away doesn't call you when they need products; the line doesn't call to see if you have an extra distributor kit they can borrow; and they don't call to ask you to do a presentation for their hot new prospect. Because they are 3,000 miles away, they have learned the art of self-sufficiency. That's one of the benefits of working long distance - it forces you to do what you should be doing anyway with your local lines . . . which is to work yourself out of a job.
Before we go any further, however, let's define what we mean by a long distance line. If you can leave your work at five o'clock, drive to your new distributor, be there to make an 8:00 p.m. presentation, finish at 10:00 p.m., and be back home by 1:00 a.m. - then that's considered a local line. It's only when you can't get back home the same night I consider it a long distance line.
Now, you're probably saying, "Hey, you're working me too hard. I get home at 1:00 a.m.! By the time I get to sleep, it's 2:00 a.m. I have to get up at 6:30 a.m. to go to my job." Yes, that's true, so perhaps that's probably not the best line to start with. You would be better to start with the people who live right in your hometown. But, if you have a prospect that is really serious, they're looking for an opportunity, and they're three hours away - it's worth your time to make the investment. Remember, you'll be doing that for just a five- to eight-week period. You'll know that one night a week you're going to get less sleep, but you're building your dream. That's the payoff.
Now, if you cannot get there in three hours, then we're talking about a long distance line. Many times these lines will be in places where you need to get on a plane and fly hours to get there. So, here's the formula for working with them. I wouldn't recommend you sponsor anyone long distance unless you're willing to follow this formula.
You must be willing to travel to their city at least two times, and perhaps three, the first month they are in the business. You must then be prepared to go back once a month for five to eight months. We're making a schedule much like we do with our local group, only instead of weeks, we're using months. So, we go there two times the first month, and then once a month for five to eight months. Now, you're probably wondering, "Hey, how do I know this is a good investment? I'm spending all of my money on a plane ticket, hotel, travel, meals and expenses. What if they quit?" That's one of the risks you take. However, there are some things you could do to make it more sensible and reduce the risk.
I wouldn't even think of traveling somewhere to build a line with someone who was not core. I mean completely Core . . . using the products themselves, willing to make presentations, on the self-development program, on the voice mail system, attending all functions (if there are any) in their town. They have to be willing to do all these things. I will get on a plane and go there if they've done all of those things; if I have done the entire "Getting Started" training with them, by telephone; if I know they have their list of 100+ prospects; if they have circulated Pre-Approach Packets and have people committed to come to a presentation.
It's for their benefit that I get there at least twice, or, ideally, even three times the first month. What I've got to do in that first month is teach them how to do a presentation themselves, because I won't be able to be there in their living rooms one night a week like I could a local line. So, they've got to learn the presentation quickly. If I get there two or three times and stay a couple of days (usually a weekend), then I can role-play and practice with them. I'll do as many two-on-one presentations as I can with them. They'll take notes, and learn it as quickly as they can. That's the most important goal for month one - learning how to do the presentation by themselves.
We may have to supplement that with some telephone role-playing, as well. But, once that's done, they will be able to go out and start building their businesses. Now, their confidence is probably not that strong at this point, and neither are their presentation skills. That's why I'm willing to come back once a month. What I'm doing on those return trips is a meeting that gives them an opportunity to have someone they can edify. They'll have a bigger event that they can excite their people about, and bring their "home town prophet" syndrome prospects to, as well.
I'm hoping to bring them up to a high-level pin rank over the five- to eight-month period. You want to get them where they have enough confidence, success and leaders of their own that they can do monthly functions in their area. Then, it's just not necessary for you to be there any longer. You will still drop back from time to time, probably a couple of times a year, to be their special speaker at a monthly open, cross-line meeting, as a way of supporting the group.
When youve gotten a long distance line to this level, you've built walk away residual income with this line just as you have in the local lines. This is even more powerful than the local lines, because it gives you places to travel to; it makes you friends all over the country, and often the world; and it protects your income by diversifying it. You have income coming from a number of different lines and different cities, so you're in a much stronger position financially.
I might also mention that you should check with your sponsorship line for cities in which there are already open, cross-line meetings scheduled. You may have - or your people may have on their prospect list - a number of people who live in cities where open meetings are already being conducted. This is the fastest way to build and gain security, because it won't be necessary for you or your people to spend a lot to fly there once a month. If there is a solid open, cross-line meeting that you can plug into, it's simply a question of getting your people started right, grounding them in the basics with the "Get Started" training and then turning them loose with an open meeting they can plug into.
Once you develop a number of long distance lines, it allows you to go to the next level "leadership-wise" in providing the functions. Let's say you've got Jimmy in Dallas, who is a high-level pin rank; you've got Nancy and Ben in Arizona, who are high-level pin ranks; and you've got the Johnsons in New York, who are high-level pin ranks. Each of these distributorships has a large organization based in their hometown. They might have some smaller long distance lines, but they have huge organizations in their hometowns. You can now arrange to have these pins speak at each other's meetings. So, there is always a different speaker for their monthly open, cross-line meeting. The Johnsons can speak in January and July at the meeting in Dallas, and in February and August at the meeting in Arizona. Likewise, their people in Arizona can travel to Dallas, and they can travel to New York. You, of course, could speak once or twice a year at each of these meetings, as well.
This creates the best kind of open, cross-line meetings. There will be different, powerful, successful speakers every month, so people really will look forward to going to the meetings, and it makes them major events that they can edify. Once you have a number of long distance lines in many cities then you will be able to orchestrate this network. By getting people trading meetings back and forth, there's always something new - someone different, exciting and fresh speaking at every open, cross-line meeting for all of your long distance lines.
The key to successfully working long distance is working profitably. You want to look at everything you do as an investment, rather than as an expense. An expense is something you simply spend money on. An investment is something you spend money on, because you know you are going to get a return. Work smart before you go somewhere.
I'm not opposed to you sponsoring the first person in a long distance area by phone, by FAX and by mail. You'd start by sending them the Pre-Approach Packet, following up with a phone call, sending them out the company materials packets, and making a presentation on the telephone. It's very likely that some of this can be done over the Internet, as well. But, one of the big things I always say about building a line long distance is if you can't afford it, don't do it. Now, let's suppose you do get the first distributor in an area started by phone, fax, mail or computer. You can do the "Get Started"training by phone. Simply have them fax you their list of prospects.
NOTE: You can get them started by phone. You will need to travel there to get them duplicated, however.
Okay, let's suppose you're ready to go and work with this line long distance. Here are some things I would do if I were in that situation. I'd make sure that I had seen their list, and that they had faxed it to me. I'd want to know whom they had invited to the presentation I was coming to. And, I would ask them how they had gone about inviting people. I've gone to places and meetings where someone's idea of inviting people was to take out a classified ad in the newspaper, or go out and hand out 8 1/2" x 11" photocopied flyers on street corners. My experience is that you would have to hand out 10,500,000 flyers to get three people to come to a meeting. As soon as I've found out that that's how they have been looking to invite people, I know that it's certainly not worth the plane ticket. But, if I find out that they've done the "Get Started" training with me; they've got their list; they've circulated the Pre-Approach Packets, and they seriously have some people scheduled, then I'm willing to travel there.
I go there for the weekend. I would fly in on Friday. I will ask both the husband and wife to take the day off. "Huh? Wait," they're saying, "and miss our check from Burger King?" Yes. Listen. I'm going to get on a plane. I'm going to spend a thousand or two thousand dollars going to work with them - they can afford to miss a day's work.
I want them to pick me up at the airport. We'll spend the day doing one-on-one meetings and two-on-one meetings, and I'll train them and get them ready. We'll probably have a Friday night home meeting. On Saturday, I'll schedule more one-on-ones and two-on-ones maybe, and we'll do a builde's meeting and some kind of basic training for the people who've gotten involved. On Sunday, before I go home, w'll do a great big "Get Started" training for everyone who may have joined over the weekend. I may not stop there. Sometimes, I'll take a list of the new people who've joined over the weekend, and, when I get back to Miami, I'll send them out a welcome card or a brief welcome note. I may take some phone numbers of prospects that we talked to with my new people who weren't quite ready to decide, and might need a follow-up call. I want to do everything I can to maximize my trip there, and support my new distributor in the best possible way. And, of course, I'll have scheduled the next meeting before I left.
Doing this kind of activity in a weekend is a good investment - one that will pay you dividends for years, or even decades.
Some final thoughts on building long distance - it's kind of nice to have our local lines. We get so much attention; we seem so indispensable; we can seem like the "hero" in the area. In actuality, we have to be careful we are not creating co-dependents, and hurting our prospects for duplication and long-term income. Locally, as well as long distance, our goal has to be to work ourselves out of a job. Working long distance lines forces you to do this more effectively.
-Randy Gage
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*This article is a chapter excerpt from Randy Gage's "How to Build a Multi-level Money Machine" book.
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By Randy Gage
One of the first things your new distributors are likely to ask you..."Hey, when are you going to have meetings in XYZ city? I know lots of people there."
This is an escapist mentality. Instead of building their businesses locally, which they can actively do right now, they're fantasizing about a faraway city, because that gives them a chance to procrastinate.
Here's what you need to know and make sure each of your people knows: your local lines should be your primary sources of income. You need to have a strong, sound, local organization that grows on a continuous basis. This is the easiest, most cost-effective way to build. As you begin to develop depth, lines will start to expand into other states. By the time you get down seven or eight levels, it will not be unusual for you to be in eight or ten different states. But, first you must develop a strong, local foundation.
There are lots of good reasons to build long distance, but there are also some drawbacks if it's not done correctly. Let's talk about that.
Some of the reasons you want to sponsor long distance include overzealous government regulators, negative publicity, economic conditions, loss of key people, and natural disasters. All of these things are factors that can dramatically affect your income if it is all tied up in one local group.
Let's suppose that you have an overzealous attorney general who wants to run for governor, and he's looking for some extra free publicity. He figures the best way is to take on one of those evil, mean, nasty MLM companies, and he picks yours. So, he's holding press conferences every day for two weeks, as he attacks your company. What do you think that would do to your income if it were on the late news on television every night at ten or eleven o'clock? The same thing can happen if the local newspaper does an investigative journalism series with a slant that Network Marketing is a rip-off, and your company is on the front page of the local newspaper every day for two weeks.
If your whole line is local and all tied under one or two people, where would you be if they should leave for another opportunity? All of these things are very good reasons to protect yourself, and diversify your income by sponsoring long distance.
There are some other benefits, as well. If you are like me and enjoy traveling, you'll like having groups around the country (or the world) in beautiful destinations. Long distance sponsoring is a wonderful way to finance your travel and get great tax breaks. It allows you to see some beautiful cities and/or countries, while developing new friends along the way.
Now, some of the drawbacks...
First, of course, it costs more money. Take a prospect to an open meeting in your town, and it will cost you only five to ten dollars. Fly 1,500 miles to spend a weekend with a new line, and you can easily spend $1,000. For that reason, you need to first have a solid, local group. You can use the income from your local lines to invest in developing long distance lines.
NOTE: This is also one of the reasons why I don't encourage people to quit their jobs right away. Most people want to do this as soon as they are making $2,000 to $3,000 a month. Instead, I counsel them to reinvest that income into working with the long distance lines that branch off as they begin to get depth in their organizations. This diversifies their income at the same time income is increasing ... giving them a much more lucrative opportunity, so they can ultimately leave their jobs for good.
Another drawback of working with long distance lines is that you cannot be there to look them in the eye on a day-to-day basis when they experience challenges, or celebrate victories. A good voice mail system will help a great deal in this area. Which naturally leads us to the question of whether or not you can effectively sponsor long distance simply by phone, FAX and mail. I really don't believe so.
And, just to be totally up front, I should tell you that I cash a check every month that is the result of lines I sponsored five to eight years ago through direct mail and advertising. These lines were initially opened on the telephone. So, know that I'm making money from having done something I recommend you don't do. I'm not being hypocritical - I'm simply trying to encourage you to learn from my mistakes and build upon them.
Of the dozens and dozens of long distance lines I've sponsored by telephone, there are only eight left that give me residual income. And, there are two things you should know about that.
1. I personally traveled to and worked with each of those eight lines a number of times.
2. Those lines do not regularly grow. They are, for the most part, static, bringing in only enough people each month to replace those who drop out. The vast majority of people in those lines are satisfied customers who use the products each month, but do not actively build the business.
In fact, a number of them love the products enough to buy them regularly - but, are actually successfully building organizations in other network marketing companies. This happened because they found someone local in another company to join as a partner with and build a business. I take personal responsibility for this. You will find that your lines that experience large, consistent growth will be the ones you work intimately and directly with. This means local lines - or long distance lines that you develop in the same manner as the local lines. We'll look at the specifics of that in a moment. For now, let's just accept that there are lots of reasons you should sponsor long distance, but you want to do it in a functional, duplicable way.
In fact, I've always maintained that the best-kept secret in Network Marketing is that your long distance lines are your strongest ones. Most people think it's just the opposite. They think that their local group is stronger, because they have the most people there. They see more people, more often. There are people coming by their house, picking up products, borrowing sales tools, and making lots of calls. In actuality, that's your strongest co-dependent line. You'll notice that a line 3,000 miles away doesn't call you when they need products; the line doesn't call to see if you have an extra distributor kit they can borrow; and they don't call to ask you to do a presentation for their hot new prospect. Because they are 3,000 miles away, they have learned the art of self-sufficiency. That's one of the benefits of working long distance - it forces you to do what you should be doing anyway with your local lines . . . which is to work yourself out of a job.
Before we go any further, however, let's define what we mean by a long distance line. If you can leave your work at five o'clock, drive to your new distributor, be there to make an 8:00 p.m. presentation, finish at 10:00 p.m., and be back home by 1:00 a.m. - then that's considered a local line. It's only when you can't get back home the same night I consider it a long distance line.
Now, you're probably saying, "Hey, you're working me too hard. I get home at 1:00 a.m.! By the time I get to sleep, it's 2:00 a.m. I have to get up at 6:30 a.m. to go to my job." Yes, that's true, so perhaps that's probably not the best line to start with. You would be better to start with the people who live right in your hometown. But, if you have a prospect that is really serious, they're looking for an opportunity, and they're three hours away - it's worth your time to make the investment. Remember, you'll be doing that for just a five- to eight-week period. You'll know that one night a week you're going to get less sleep, but you're building your dream. That's the payoff.
Now, if you cannot get there in three hours, then we're talking about a long distance line. Many times these lines will be in places where you need to get on a plane and fly hours to get there. So, here's the formula for working with them. I wouldn't recommend you sponsor anyone long distance unless you're willing to follow this formula.
You must be willing to travel to their city at least two times, and perhaps three, the first month they are in the business. You must then be prepared to go back once a month for five to eight months. We're making a schedule much like we do with our local group, only instead of weeks, we're using months. So, we go there two times the first month, and then once a month for five to eight months. Now, you're probably wondering, "Hey, how do I know this is a good investment? I'm spending all of my money on a plane ticket, hotel, travel, meals and expenses. What if they quit?" That's one of the risks you take. However, there are some things you could do to make it more sensible and reduce the risk.
I wouldn't even think of traveling somewhere to build a line with someone who was not core. I mean completely Core . . . using the products themselves, willing to make presentations, on the self-development program, on the voice mail system, attending all functions (if there are any) in their town. They have to be willing to do all these things. I will get on a plane and go there if they've done all of those things; if I have done the entire "Getting Started" training with them, by telephone; if I know they have their list of 100+ prospects; if they have circulated Pre-Approach Packets and have people committed to come to a presentation.
It's for their benefit that I get there at least twice, or, ideally, even three times the first month. What I've got to do in that first month is teach them how to do a presentation themselves, because I won't be able to be there in their living rooms one night a week like I could a local line. So, they've got to learn the presentation quickly. If I get there two or three times and stay a couple of days (usually a weekend), then I can role-play and practice with them. I'll do as many two-on-one presentations as I can with them. They'll take notes, and learn it as quickly as they can. That's the most important goal for month one - learning how to do the presentation by themselves.
We may have to supplement that with some telephone role-playing, as well. But, once that's done, they will be able to go out and start building their businesses. Now, their confidence is probably not that strong at this point, and neither are their presentation skills. That's why I'm willing to come back once a month. What I'm doing on those return trips is a meeting that gives them an opportunity to have someone they can edify. They'll have a bigger event that they can excite their people about, and bring their "home town prophet" syndrome prospects to, as well.
I'm hoping to bring them up to a high-level pin rank over the five- to eight-month period. You want to get them where they have enough confidence, success and leaders of their own that they can do monthly functions in their area. Then, it's just not necessary for you to be there any longer. You will still drop back from time to time, probably a couple of times a year, to be their special speaker at a monthly open, cross-line meeting, as a way of supporting the group.
When youve gotten a long distance line to this level, you've built walk away residual income with this line just as you have in the local lines. This is even more powerful than the local lines, because it gives you places to travel to; it makes you friends all over the country, and often the world; and it protects your income by diversifying it. You have income coming from a number of different lines and different cities, so you're in a much stronger position financially.
I might also mention that you should check with your sponsorship line for cities in which there are already open, cross-line meetings scheduled. You may have - or your people may have on their prospect list - a number of people who live in cities where open meetings are already being conducted. This is the fastest way to build and gain security, because it won't be necessary for you or your people to spend a lot to fly there once a month. If there is a solid open, cross-line meeting that you can plug into, it's simply a question of getting your people started right, grounding them in the basics with the "Get Started" training and then turning them loose with an open meeting they can plug into.
Once you develop a number of long distance lines, it allows you to go to the next level "leadership-wise" in providing the functions. Let's say you've got Jimmy in Dallas, who is a high-level pin rank; you've got Nancy and Ben in Arizona, who are high-level pin ranks; and you've got the Johnsons in New York, who are high-level pin ranks. Each of these distributorships has a large organization based in their hometown. They might have some smaller long distance lines, but they have huge organizations in their hometowns. You can now arrange to have these pins speak at each other's meetings. So, there is always a different speaker for their monthly open, cross-line meeting. The Johnsons can speak in January and July at the meeting in Dallas, and in February and August at the meeting in Arizona. Likewise, their people in Arizona can travel to Dallas, and they can travel to New York. You, of course, could speak once or twice a year at each of these meetings, as well.
This creates the best kind of open, cross-line meetings. There will be different, powerful, successful speakers every month, so people really will look forward to going to the meetings, and it makes them major events that they can edify. Once you have a number of long distance lines in many cities then you will be able to orchestrate this network. By getting people trading meetings back and forth, there's always something new - someone different, exciting and fresh speaking at every open, cross-line meeting for all of your long distance lines.
The key to successfully working long distance is working profitably. You want to look at everything you do as an investment, rather than as an expense. An expense is something you simply spend money on. An investment is something you spend money on, because you know you are going to get a return. Work smart before you go somewhere.
I'm not opposed to you sponsoring the first person in a long distance area by phone, by FAX and by mail. You'd start by sending them the Pre-Approach Packet, following up with a phone call, sending them out the company materials packets, and making a presentation on the telephone. It's very likely that some of this can be done over the Internet, as well. But, one of the big things I always say about building a line long distance is if you can't afford it, don't do it. Now, let's suppose you do get the first distributor in an area started by phone, fax, mail or computer. You can do the "Get Started"training by phone. Simply have them fax you their list of prospects.
NOTE: You can get them started by phone. You will need to travel there to get them duplicated, however.
Okay, let's suppose you're ready to go and work with this line long distance. Here are some things I would do if I were in that situation. I'd make sure that I had seen their list, and that they had faxed it to me. I'd want to know whom they had invited to the presentation I was coming to. And, I would ask them how they had gone about inviting people. I've gone to places and meetings where someone's idea of inviting people was to take out a classified ad in the newspaper, or go out and hand out 8 1/2" x 11" photocopied flyers on street corners. My experience is that you would have to hand out 10,500,000 flyers to get three people to come to a meeting. As soon as I've found out that that's how they have been looking to invite people, I know that it's certainly not worth the plane ticket. But, if I find out that they've done the "Get Started" training with me; they've got their list; they've circulated the Pre-Approach Packets, and they seriously have some people scheduled, then I'm willing to travel there.
I go there for the weekend. I would fly in on Friday. I will ask both the husband and wife to take the day off. "Huh? Wait," they're saying, "and miss our check from Burger King?" Yes. Listen. I'm going to get on a plane. I'm going to spend a thousand or two thousand dollars going to work with them - they can afford to miss a day's work.
I want them to pick me up at the airport. We'll spend the day doing one-on-one meetings and two-on-one meetings, and I'll train them and get them ready. We'll probably have a Friday night home meeting. On Saturday, I'll schedule more one-on-ones and two-on-ones maybe, and we'll do a builde's meeting and some kind of basic training for the people who've gotten involved. On Sunday, before I go home, w'll do a great big "Get Started" training for everyone who may have joined over the weekend. I may not stop there. Sometimes, I'll take a list of the new people who've joined over the weekend, and, when I get back to Miami, I'll send them out a welcome card or a brief welcome note. I may take some phone numbers of prospects that we talked to with my new people who weren't quite ready to decide, and might need a follow-up call. I want to do everything I can to maximize my trip there, and support my new distributor in the best possible way. And, of course, I'll have scheduled the next meeting before I left.
Doing this kind of activity in a weekend is a good investment - one that will pay you dividends for years, or even decades.
Some final thoughts on building long distance - it's kind of nice to have our local lines. We get so much attention; we seem so indispensable; we can seem like the "hero" in the area. In actuality, we have to be careful we are not creating co-dependents, and hurting our prospects for duplication and long-term income. Locally, as well as long distance, our goal has to be to work ourselves out of a job. Working long distance lines forces you to do this more effectively.
-Randy Gage
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*This article is a chapter excerpt from Randy Gage's "How to Build a Multi-level Money Machine" book.
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