Yes, you should. The type of assistance you give will vary from ECA to ECA and from product to product. But you should be there for them to help in any way needed.
The first thing I did was set up my own ECA store and list a product. The reason was two fold. I see my own shop as being one string in my SFI bow. And I wanted to find out how to do it so I could best help businesses I approached to become ECAs.
But before I set up my ECA I had to have a vehicle through which to operate. So I incorporated a local company. And I also got it it’s own website. This is in addition to the webpages SFI gives us free – our Leadership Page and TripleClicks Page. I did this to give me maximum freedom as to the content I put on my own non-SFI website. And incidentally I host my website through a SFI ECA – the monthly charge for that is part of my Standing Order.
Once that infrastructure was in place I was ready to set up my own ECA. In doing so I looked at other ECAs that had already been set up, particularly ones that offered a similar product or service to mine, to see how they had done it. I chose my logo, wrote my own promotional spiel. Submitted the application. Got approved. Then I chose a product or service to list, came up with a “picture” of it, wrote the description, price, discount, freight charges, refund policy etc. And submitted that. It was accepted. I was up and running.
But the process of operating an ECA at TripleClicks I am still learning. This will evolve over time.
Setting up an ECA was a more difficult process than I thought it would be and it also took longer to do. But this is all good stuff to know so that you can help and reassure your ECA prospects.
I was then in a position to assist one of my downline set up their own ECA store. She wanted me to do it all for her. But I refused. I told her that it was her store and she needed to do the work herself. But that I was happy to advise her on how best to market her products and that I would review what she had prepared. And that was pretty much the process we used.
And I would emphasize here that we need to remember that it is their store not ours and so any final decisions that are made are theirs to make not ours. They should “own” what happens. Another thing I think strongly about is that a product or service must have it's own "picture". I would never list a product or service without one. I think that would be just a waste of time and effort.
Of course setting up an ECA is only the first step. Marketing the products and services of our ECAs is even more important and an ongoing process. And this is where we can and should assist our ECAs, after all their success is our success. This process I admit I am still learning.
I hope the above helps. I am a “baby” in the ECA business. But I think ECAs have huge potential and that both they and we will benefit in the long run from all the effort we put into learning this side of the business. May I wish you every success in your ECA endeavours. God bless you.
less
Yes, you should. The type of assistance you give will vary from ECA to ECA and from product to product. But you should be there for them to help in any way needed.
The first thing I did was set up my own ECA store and list a product. The reason was two fold. I see my own shop as being one string in my SFI bow. And I wanted to find out how to do it so I could best help businesses I approached to become ECAs.
But before I set up my ECA I had to have a vehicle through which to
...
more
