A concept frequently espoused by some critics of Quixtar-affiliated training systems is that of digital distribution of training materials, particularly in regards to audio training. The contention is that, in a digital age, there is no legitimate reason to maintain the old CD distribution method, and that the sole reason for IBO training systems to continue doing so is that tool distribution is the profit center for so-called "kingpin" Diamonds. Proposed methods include website or email distribution of MP3 files via the internet.
Let me say first that there is great merit to the concept of digital distribution of training materials, and I whole-heartedly
embrace the concept. As time goes by and digital audio technology becomes more ubiquitous and more accessable to a larger section of the population, migration to a
mostly digital distribution system just makes sense. It's frankly inevitable.
There are, however, legitimate needs that currently require some physical tools to continue to be professionally produced (and a system in place to distribute them), and will likely continue to be required in some circumstances. The failure to acknowlege those needs represent a shortsighted, self-serving, consumer mentality approach on the part of the critics, where a longterm, others-serving business mentality is required. (Perhaps this is another case where
the experience of mismanagement is driving their judgement.)
The main advantages of digital distribution are that it's
1) Less costly to produce,
2) Less costly to distribute,
3) provides easier, more flexible availability
to the tech-savvy end-user.
All significant advantages, right? Ready to make the switchover for your entire organization? WOAH there, cowboy-- before you do that, let's take a look at how you will need to run your business under an all-digital distribution model for training:
First, any current IBOs you have registered who do not have a computer with a broadband internet connection, either a CD burner & CD-R/W-compatible CD player or an iPod AND the knowledge to use all of the above-- well,
they're out. Too bad about that volume they were running, but otherwise, you just signed yourself up for a full-time job downloading & burning CDs for all your no- or low-tech IBOs, or tutoring them on buying and using all the equipment to do it themselves.
Second, in prospecting,
the first question you'll need to ask is
not whether they have a need/want/desire in their lives or if they're keeping their options open for opportunity, but whether they already have-- you guessed it, a computer with a broadband internet connection, either a CD burner & CD-R/W-compatible CD player or an iPod AND the knowledge to use all of the above. You'll have to screen prospective business partners
based on technology levels first, and on ambition, attitude or desire, second. Otherwise, again, you just signed yourself up for a full-time job producing CDs yourself or tutoring prospects on technology before you can even get to the business plan.
Either way your job is harder: You choose between eliminating a huge percentage of prospects and partners, or compounding the WASTING OF PRODUCTIVE TIME throughout your organization by essentially replacing one existing centralized professional production & distribution system with a compounding number of in-home, unstandardized, amateur CD burning systems. BRILLIANT MOVE!
Third, since most training tools also double as prospecting tools, you will no longer have professionaly produced tools with which to introduce your business model to prospects. After you've SCREENED OUT all the potentially ambitious but unfortunately less tech-savvy prospects, you'll be representing your cutting edge e-commerce business project with...
a home-burned, hand-scribbled CD! Woohoo! The only thing that would scream "Professionalism!" louder would to be to wear a checkered faux-suede elbow-patched blazer, striped high-water pants, white tube socks, and taped-up black hornrimmed glasses when you hand them that gem of a CD.
Two questions spring to the prospect's mind-- 1, If they're so cutting edge, why don't they have any professional material? and 2, Do I really want to join a business where I spend all my time burning and scribbling on CD's to hand out to the next guy who's no more impressed than I?
Because, since you will now have to produce those prospecting CDs yourself, you'll still have to spend much of your formerly productive business building time doing exactly that-- downloading, burning and labeling CDs.
Still excited?
I recently showed the plan to a couple who were excited about my business concept but had made a family decision long ago that they would not own a computer or internet connection because of the potential time wasting that would take away from their family time, and because of all the risks the internet presents to families (porn, chatroom liasons, sexual predators, etc.)
I respect that. And since my business model caters to the gamut of technology levels (no-, low-, and high-tech) we can still accomodate them, do one or two sessions to set them up with an e-commerce website to which they can send their clients and prospects, get them printouts of the webtour & training materials, set them up for either automatic product shipments or
standard fulfillment, etc., all without them ever owning a computer.
However, under a pure digital distribution model, they can't get the latest training tools. No internet, no email, no computer.
So, in order to accomodate them under that system,
*I* would have to spend all my business building time and personal money burning off CD's for them, or worse, take up BOTH my AND their productive time over at my house doing training that can otherwise be done in their car with a CD in their non-productive time. (BTW, compounded ineffeciency...? Not so smart, critics. Don't do me any favors with your
next bright idea.)
Also, despite that critic bloggers may be internet and computer savvy themselves, there are still more people in the US who do NOT know how to download and burn MP3 files into an audio CD, than there are people who do. In addition, the digital method, particularly for those on dialup, requires taking productive time that could be spent building a business that is instead spent downloading and burning audio files-- again, no thanks!
Don't get me wrong, I'm flat-out excited about digitally distributed training materials. As I
posted earlier, all WWDB IBOs with a
my.biz ecommerce website now have a training module within their personal website where downline can access training materials, including printable, downloadable documentation & mp3 audio training, with cross-references to existing CDs for further indepth training.
But I'm also excited that I still have access to those professionaly produced, efficiently distributed, time-saving, economical CDs from WWDB.
I have the best of both worlds.
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