The Big Weekend Event

“I’d rather have ten distributors at a big weekend function that have a hundred distributors sitting at home.”
- Peter Cox

The erudite and sophisticated world of the Lloyds of London has one thing in common with the sleazy, flashy world of Las Vegas casinos. They both deal with numbers. What are the odds? In the case of Lloyds of London it is all about insurance. In the case of Las Vegas it is all about winning a bet.

If Lloyds of London or a Las Vegas odds maker were called in to rate your chances of success in network marketing, where would they start? The answer? It’s all simply a case of mathematics. As the cliché says, “numbers don’t lie.” They would be looking for the number of networking. Not opinion. Not the psychology behind the numbers. Not theory.

The numbers.

Their questions would likely be, “Who has already succeeded and what did they do that can be measured?” Of course, as I have already pointed out, one of the first hard facts that would confront them is that the greater the number of tapes selling in a given organization, the faster it grows. And the second hard fact that would confront them is that greatest leap in new distributorship and product sales volume occurs with in a 90 day period following a big weekend function.

If you listen to more than one tape you are likely to start hearing about the importance of the big weekend rallies, hosted by network marketing leaders. There is hardly a single network marketing leaders in the English-speaking world who doesn’t point to one of those big rallies as the turning point in his or her business.

Why? Mass psychology? Who knows? There is a typical routine to most of these big weekend extravaganzas. There is often a rock band or some musical group to kick it off. In the United State, Ronald Reagan was one a favorite speaker on the circuit. And there has always been an endless list of “positive, motivational speakers.” The bread and butter of such events are the testimonials of the most successful distributors. It is here that one can learn the most.

“After the first year in the business my work shifted to promoting major events.” says international networking stat, Peter Ross. “I knew that if I could get my distributors there, everything else would eventually fall into line.”

The odd-maker from Las Vegas wouldn’t care why the big events work. He would only look at the numbers and if the numbers said that sales and new distributor growth always followed the conventions, he would fix the rule to help determine who would be successful and who would not. If you sat at home, complaining about how manipulative, or trite, or what an insult to your intelligence such seminars and rallies are, he would tilt the odds against you. And he would be right.

Is it possible to build the business without cassette tapes and without those periodic, mindless, marathon weekends where unprofessional speakers hold forth on the secrets to their success? Perhaps. It may even be possible to build a business without a telephone, or paper, or pens. Maybe it could be built with one hand tied behind your back. Or better yet, wearing a blindfold. The question is why would you want to do that? The object is to have the numbers working for you and not against you. The object is to make it work, as easily and quickly as possible.