1. The first advantage of having CSAs from your own country is that you usually speak their language (not always) and not everybody is that good at English. So approach them in your own language and try to help explaining how things work. It may be more important than you think.
2. The second advantage is that you can offer to meet them personally to help them get started (again, not always, it depends on location). They might even turn out to also be prospective ECAs.
3. Knowing the customs and culture of your country also helps as some things that can work in one country don't work in another. Approaching strange persons personally may work in some countries but not in others. Something that works well for you may also work well for them, but not for a CSA from a different country.
4. Approaching prospect ECAs may be easier if you are in the same country. If I could find an active affiliate (I have 51 but none of them are active this month) in the capital of our country I could guide him/her to many of the chain stores' headquarters, which are not practically approachable to me in person but might be to them.
1. The first advantage of having CSAs from your own country is that you usually speak their language (not always) and not everybody is that good at English. So approach them in your own language and try to help explaining how things work. It may be more important than you think.
2. The second advantage is that you can offer to meet them personally to help them get started (again, not always, it depends on location). They might even turn out to also be prospective ECAs.