Choosing the Best Person to Become a YTB REP

Listed on every YTB website’s homepage and at every presentation is the following statement: The YTB companies offer two unique and powerful opportunities, that of referring travel agent or "RTA" and that of independent marketing representative or "REP". The travel agent opportunity has an initial fee under $500 and a monthly license fee of $49.95. There is no fee or travel agency purchase required to be a REP. You may choose to participate in one or both opportunities.

These statements leave no room for doubt that both opportunities (the one requiring payment and the one with no payment requirement) are available for peopple who want to secure a position in YTB. However, I must caution you here. While it is allowable for people to join your business free as REPS, it is not advisable to allow just anybody to do so. I suggest carefully screening anyone who wants to join your business as a REP and making this the EXCEPTION rather than the RULE.

One might ask, if you can join YTB for free, WHY would anybody want to pay? To understand this, you need to understand the differences between the two businesses. In the simplest terms, RTAs sell travel and can enjoy the benefits of traveling as an insider and receiving 60% of the travel commissions for any travel booked on their website. REPs, on the other hand, sell the YTB travel and E-commerce stores, and benefit from one of the best referral marketing programs in the industry.

As you build your YTB business, you will inevitably encounter people who will want to join as REPs. This article is written to help you identify the qualities to look for and the things to do as your prospects join either of your YTB business opportunities, but especially to help you discern those who would be most effective as YTB REPs.

First, the ideal REP is highly self-motivated. Motivation is key because it grows out of desire, and desire is connected to a person’s “WHY”. Self motivation is important so you don’t have to keep them pumped up. When a REP is self-motivated, they will take the initiative to market and promote their new business. Plus, anyone who is highly motivated is more inclined to follow the system.

Second, a good REP is a leader. It doesn't matter whether it is in a community organization, religious organization or otherwise. What matters is that leaders exhibit characteristics like determination, perseverance, charisma, good communication skills and good people skills. Leaders also have influence with other people, and if they are well organized and assertive, they are likely to use all these skills to build a profitable business.

Third, a REP must be coachable and teachable. This is vitally important because success in any network marketing company DEPENDS on duplication and following a system. Unfortunately, many REPs join YTB without committing to the YTB systems: making lists, hosting travel parties, attending business opportunity meetings, 3-way calling and using the tools (sizzle and validation calls, magazines, website presentations, conference calls, etc.).

When a REP who fails to meet this standard joins your business, too often disappointment and discouragement follow. To help prevent this and ensure your REP’s success consider doing the following BEFORE they join:

1. Pre-qualify all prospects via a phone or personal interview before allowing them to join your business. Joining your business should be a privilege, not a right. In the same way that Bill Gates would never hire anyone to work for Microsoft without an interview; you should also interview your potential business partners.

2. Discuss their motivation and their goals. More important that skill or technique is motivation and desire. You should determine and/or help them to discover their “Why” for joining YTB in general and your business in particular. Without knowing their goals, you cannot support them in achieving them. Knowing their goals helps to establish your course in dealing with them.

3. Discuss both of your expectations of each other. When people know and clearly understand what is expected of them, they will more often than not attempt to live up to those expectations. If you fail to share your expectations, you have nothing to complain about when they fail to meet them.

4. Reinforce the benefits of and discuss a timeline for upgrading. The people who join your business as a REPs should not only plan to build a business but also have a timeframe and plan to upgrade to RTA status. REPs that have no plans to upgrade, are not motivated to work the business and SHOULD NOT be allowed to join your business. When REPs do upgrade, they not only reap the full array of RTA benefits, but also enjoy the additional credibility of sharing a product with others that they also believed in enough to have purchased for themselves.

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Regina Osei is a successful mentor and coach who teaches her YTB Team members and other business owners how to succeed in business and how to market their businesses using diverse strategies and approaches both online and offline. If you are interested in starting your own online travel business and want the benefit of a mentor who is committed to your success, join our team today at http://regina.vacationmedia.net. If you have questions, e-mail me at: reginaosei@gmail.com or call 901-221-1630(1)