If you want to pay $25,000 for a franchise, you have come to the wrong place. When God gave me the Cross Reference in 2002, it was free. When I give it to you, it will be free. And one other thing, managing a Cross Reference territory means you will be dealing with the Cadillac of the industry. A man that owned (for 8 years) a Shepherd’s Guide franchise told me, “Your Cross Reference publication is heads and shoulders above that of any other Christian directory on the market.” We agree…and here’s why:
First, we don’t take your working capital by charging you a franchise fee. We give you the same opportunity as a franchise without the up-front costs. That includes the right to build equity in your territory. Some day you might want to sell it…and that’s your right. Other than a trip to Panama City, Florida for one day of training, you have virtually no up-front expense. Oops, I forgot, you might have to make fifteen dollars worth of copies.
Second, our representatives don’t sell ads, it’s more of an order-taking position. And you don’t make cold calls. You don’t see a truck driving down the street with a “fish sign” and call them because you automatically assume he or she is a Christian. No, our customers are referred…it’s kinda of an “invitation only” situation. And if by chance, someone calls you out of the blue and wants to advertise, we ALWAYS get at least two references and yes, we check them.
One of the most unique things about the Cross Reference are the ads. We call our regular ads the “signature ad.” It features a photo of the businessman or woman, the contact information, a business description and most importantly, a short personal testimony. That makes all the difference. Our readers just love to read what each advertiser has to say about his or her walk with Christ.
Another segment of the Cross Reference that our readers just rave about is the “Kids Pray The Darndest Things” feature. Each issue has several of these “letters to God” sprinkled throughout the book. In fact, it has become so popular that we recently signed with a Hartline Literary Agency to solicit a national book contract. We might make the big-time! Yippie!
So, what’s the best thing about the Cross Reference, which some people refer to as the Yellow Pages for Christians? And the answer is…the response that the advertisers get!
Our mission statement is Galatians 6:10. Basically, that scripture says that as Christians, we are to help all people, but especially those of the household of faith. The problem is that sometimes, we don’t know who is the Christian in business, and who is not. That’s where the Cross Reference comes in. It’s a handy guide that identifies Christians in business…and that’s a God thing! In closing, I would just like to say that we look forward to you becoming a part of our family and may God richly bless you and yours. |
