"I think a lot of mobile money programmes fail because they have the technology, but they haven’t done the hard work of getting the agents in place.” - Michael Joseph, CEO Safaricom

I think Michael is right. Many of my clients have asked for help with taking their mobile money implementations to the next level. Almost always, the first thing I notice is that they have done a fantastic job of implementing the technology but have not spent nearly as much effort as they need to on building their distribution network.

M-PESA, one of the most successful mobile money implementations in the world, has been live for a little over 2 years and already has over 11,000 agents.

So, what are some of the tactics you can use to build your agency network? Firstly, look for existing distribution networks that you can leverage. Mobile operators have built sophisticated, wide-spread dealer hierarchies to support their core business and this may be an excellent place to start. Secondly, develop a standard registration & training process that can be easily replicated by a team that is focused on your roll-out. And finally, remember to keep your customer at the forefront. In this case your customer is the agent and the commercial structure of your service must make it easy for them to realize the benefits of participating.

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Name: Aleeda Fazal Title: Director Company: Paradigm Solutions & Consulting View Aleeda Fazal's Blog