There are marketers out there who think contacting geneology lists is the way to go to get new recruits. The leads are cheap and you get lots and lots of them. Some people swear by them...but are they right for you?
First, what is a geneology list? Basically it's a set of leads of people who have previously been in network marketing in the past. They have gotten out of the business for various reasons. One of the really common ones is that their opportunity went under. Other times they tried for a few months and just couldn't make a go of the opportunity and dropped out.
Now, if you were in network marketing and your opportunity went belly-up, would you be inclined to try again? Some people would -- they would examine the reasons why the company failed and know what questions they would ask in the future to help make sure they picked a stable company next time.
Most people aren't like that, though. Maybe they lost a lot of money when the business failed - they had poured a lot of money into the opportunity and felt like they got cheated.
Now I have to say that I've been in 2 different companies that failed within a year of my joining. And I lost a ton of money when that happened. Well, maybe it wasn't quite that much, but even a couple thousand can hurt.
OK, it's maybe 5 years after the last company failed and I get a call from someone who is in network marketing and wanting to tell me about their opportunity. No thank you, I say. Then I get another call. and another. Guess I made it to the geneology lists!
Me, I couldn't face calling a hundred people a day, hoping to find one or more who might be interesting in the opportunity. And with today's Do Not Call lists, I think that's even more iffy. So for me, a geneology list doesn't make sense.
Still, there are lots of people who swear by the geneology lists. These tend to be people who like to call people and handle rejection very well...especially since they will get a lot of it! If you are a "born salesman" and don't have a lot of money for leads or other forms of advertising, this may be the way to go. Just make sure you get a list that has been "scrubbed" -- compared against the telephone Do Not Call list and removes the people from that list.
There is certainly money to be made. After all, you are not picking up the white pages and calling people who may or may not know what network marketing is. With a geneology list, you know they have at least tried it and have some understanding. And you just might catch someone who is ready to try again.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Cool Tools for Sizzle
If you have an internet business, you obviously want people to go to your website, fill out their name and address and then look at your opportunity. You send the traffic there, and wait for the signups.
So where are they?
Now network marketing is a numbers game -- the more people who look at your business, the more sign-ups and potential sign-ups you have. But you can drive all kinds of traffic to your website and few people fill out that form and "takes the tour". Why is that?
People need a reason to give out their name, email address and (gulp) phone number. Especially these days.
But what if you showed them something that would make them eager to give their information and "take the tour"? Something along the lines of "facts tell but stories sell"?
I personally belong to a company that is health-oriented. I wanted something a little more compelling than just the sign-up page. My husband found something that I liked enough to get -- heck, it made me want to take the tour, and I already belong to the company!
Here's what it looks like (link opens in a new window, so you'll still stay here on by blog).
Darling Hubby came across the cool tools to help take our businesses to the next level. I was impressed at all I got for so little money. For me, the little bit you saw in my link above was worth the price. But I got soooo much more.
Hey, if you'd like to see a list of some super-neat tools for your business, take a look. Could be it's a perfect match for you. (Oh by the way, there are different versions of what you saw -- not just health-related.)
So where are they?
Now network marketing is a numbers game -- the more people who look at your business, the more sign-ups and potential sign-ups you have. But you can drive all kinds of traffic to your website and few people fill out that form and "takes the tour". Why is that?
People need a reason to give out their name, email address and (gulp) phone number. Especially these days.
But what if you showed them something that would make them eager to give their information and "take the tour"? Something along the lines of "facts tell but stories sell"?
I personally belong to a company that is health-oriented. I wanted something a little more compelling than just the sign-up page. My husband found something that I liked enough to get -- heck, it made me want to take the tour, and I already belong to the company!
Here's what it looks like (link opens in a new window, so you'll still stay here on by blog).
Darling Hubby came across the cool tools to help take our businesses to the next level. I was impressed at all I got for so little money. For me, the little bit you saw in my link above was worth the price. But I got soooo much more.
Hey, if you'd like to see a list of some super-neat tools for your business, take a look. Could be it's a perfect match for you. (Oh by the way, there are different versions of what you saw -- not just health-related.)
People Respond to Emotion - Not Facts
One phrase I've heard more than once but bears repeating is this:
"Facts tell but stories sell."
With this in mind, how to you respond to questions about your company or product? Is it "The company has been around for x years and is debt-free. Our products are..."?
Or is it "Hey, thanks for asking -- the company is great! I made money starting my very first week. It's internet, you know, so I've made sales 24/7 -- even in my sleep! How neat is that?"
(Naturally you want to say something true about your experiences, or if you are new, about your upline's experiences.)
There's plenty of time to recite the facts about your company, once a person really wants to know and starts asking those kinds of questions. But for now, you need to be excited about your opportunity and let it show!
"Facts tell but stories sell."
With this in mind, how to you respond to questions about your company or product? Is it "The company has been around for x years and is debt-free. Our products are..."?
Or is it "Hey, thanks for asking -- the company is great! I made money starting my very first week. It's internet, you know, so I've made sales 24/7 -- even in my sleep! How neat is that?"
(Naturally you want to say something true about your experiences, or if you are new, about your upline's experiences.)
There's plenty of time to recite the facts about your company, once a person really wants to know and starts asking those kinds of questions. But for now, you need to be excited about your opportunity and let it show!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Let's Talk of Pyramids Again
I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I've been lurking some of the MLM boards, reading various posts. One thing I have noticed is that people have a hard time figuring out what is a pyramid and what isn't.
Now I've seen some true pyramids lately, and they are kind of scary. The most common kind is the internet version of the chain letter; here's how it works:
You stumble across a website that in essence says, "send $25 to me and my immediate two uplines and I'll give you a website like this. Then you will get in the search engines and people will send you, me and my upline $25 each. Before long you will get hundreds of dollars per day from people below you sending money."
That, my friends, is a pyramid. No goods or services (unless you count a replicated website) are being exchanged. There is no supervision to make sure the money gets to the right people, and you don't have to do anything -- just let the money roll in.
Legitimate networking opportunities have a good or service, usually a consumable, and usually more than one good or service is available. Yes, you make money by other folks joining under you, but you can also make money selling the product itself.
Now I've also seen some business opportunities of late that have offered a service, but the only way to get the service is to join. Is this a pyramid? Maybe, maybe not. If the services are worth more than the price to join, I'd say it was a good deal. For example, I see companies (non-networking but with an affiliate program) offering web conferencing for between $19.99 and $44.99 a month, with a monthly subscription. If you were an affiliate, you'd earn the $10-25 each month the person who joined because of you renews. Not to mention if one of them signed up as an affiliate too, you'd make money on their sale of subscriptions.
That's not considered a pyramid. Granted, an affiliate program can only have 2 levels deep or it becomes network marketing. But would you deny that it's a legitimate service?
So think of it this way -- if the product or service was being sold as an affiliate instead of networking, would it be a good value -- or at the very least in line with the current market?
Now I will probably get some people upset with this post, but that's OK. In the end, it comes down to your judgement and your research as to if the networking opportunity is sound...or if it's something you should run away from fast!
Now I've seen some true pyramids lately, and they are kind of scary. The most common kind is the internet version of the chain letter; here's how it works:
You stumble across a website that in essence says, "send $25 to me and my immediate two uplines and I'll give you a website like this. Then you will get in the search engines and people will send you, me and my upline $25 each. Before long you will get hundreds of dollars per day from people below you sending money."
That, my friends, is a pyramid. No goods or services (unless you count a replicated website) are being exchanged. There is no supervision to make sure the money gets to the right people, and you don't have to do anything -- just let the money roll in.
Legitimate networking opportunities have a good or service, usually a consumable, and usually more than one good or service is available. Yes, you make money by other folks joining under you, but you can also make money selling the product itself.
Now I've also seen some business opportunities of late that have offered a service, but the only way to get the service is to join. Is this a pyramid? Maybe, maybe not. If the services are worth more than the price to join, I'd say it was a good deal. For example, I see companies (non-networking but with an affiliate program) offering web conferencing for between $19.99 and $44.99 a month, with a monthly subscription. If you were an affiliate, you'd earn the $10-25 each month the person who joined because of you renews. Not to mention if one of them signed up as an affiliate too, you'd make money on their sale of subscriptions.
That's not considered a pyramid. Granted, an affiliate program can only have 2 levels deep or it becomes network marketing. But would you deny that it's a legitimate service?
So think of it this way -- if the product or service was being sold as an affiliate instead of networking, would it be a good value -- or at the very least in line with the current market?
Now I will probably get some people upset with this post, but that's OK. In the end, it comes down to your judgement and your research as to if the networking opportunity is sound...or if it's something you should run away from fast!
Friday, July 14, 2006
FFA -- Yes or No?
You might have seen something about the FFA sites in your journeys around the internet. You're tempted, but are they worth it?
First of all, an FFA is a "Free For All" site. They tend to be huge bulletin boards where people can post their opportunity/product/service. There are thousands of these sites with hundreds of thousands of posts. And it costs nothing to post your information.
However, if everyone is posting, who is looking? Anyone?
For the most part, FFA sites don't generate much in the way of traffic to your website. Why? Well, when you posted, did you stop to look at any of the ads already there? (If you said "yes", bless you...but you are in the minority.) People are too busy posting and then going on to the next site and posting again...
Not to say that FFA sites can't work -- certainly there are some readers here and there. Just don't waste your time looking for the FFAs and posting to each one individually -- there are better uses for your time.
If you have access to a program or site that can do a mass posting to the FFAs, that might be useful, providing you can use it for free or for a very tiny cost. Write the ad once, click on the send button and you're good to go -- your ad just went to hundreds of sites.
Do I use the FFAs? Well, I have access to a program that includes a mass FFA posting as a freebie add-on. So sure, I may as well use it. But have I seen any response from my postings? Let's just say it's really slow. But it's free, so what the heck. And I don't know when just the right person will see the ad, 'cause it only takes one person to explode a business sometimes.
A word of warning -- get a free email account before you start posting and use it as your address when posting. You will get a TON of emails from the FFAs.
First of all, an FFA is a "Free For All" site. They tend to be huge bulletin boards where people can post their opportunity/product/service. There are thousands of these sites with hundreds of thousands of posts. And it costs nothing to post your information.
However, if everyone is posting, who is looking? Anyone?
For the most part, FFA sites don't generate much in the way of traffic to your website. Why? Well, when you posted, did you stop to look at any of the ads already there? (If you said "yes", bless you...but you are in the minority.) People are too busy posting and then going on to the next site and posting again...
Not to say that FFA sites can't work -- certainly there are some readers here and there. Just don't waste your time looking for the FFAs and posting to each one individually -- there are better uses for your time.
If you have access to a program or site that can do a mass posting to the FFAs, that might be useful, providing you can use it for free or for a very tiny cost. Write the ad once, click on the send button and you're good to go -- your ad just went to hundreds of sites.
Do I use the FFAs? Well, I have access to a program that includes a mass FFA posting as a freebie add-on. So sure, I may as well use it. But have I seen any response from my postings? Let's just say it's really slow. But it's free, so what the heck. And I don't know when just the right person will see the ad, 'cause it only takes one person to explode a business sometimes.
A word of warning -- get a free email account before you start posting and use it as your address when posting. You will get a TON of emails from the FFAs.
Searching for an Opportunity
I mentioned this briefly in my previous post and though it warranted more information.
On the internet, not all search engines are created equal, and you would do well to use several different ones. Here's why.
The three major search engines - Yahoo, MSN and Google - all rank sites with different qualifications. What Google considers important, Yahoo disregards. MSN tends to favor newer sites, Google seems to prefer older, more established sites (with Yahoo somewhere in the middle).
The point is, if you are searching for a new opportunity, or are investigating an existing opportunity, use more than one search engine. You'll uncover more information that way.
On the internet, not all search engines are created equal, and you would do well to use several different ones. Here's why.
The three major search engines - Yahoo, MSN and Google - all rank sites with different qualifications. What Google considers important, Yahoo disregards. MSN tends to favor newer sites, Google seems to prefer older, more established sites (with Yahoo somewhere in the middle).
The point is, if you are searching for a new opportunity, or are investigating an existing opportunity, use more than one search engine. You'll uncover more information that way.
A Scam Here? Or There? Or Not?
I've been "lurking" on some of the MLM boards/forums of late and I continually find myself amazed at posters. I've seen many people convinced that this program or that program is a scam and they want to tell the world about it. In many cases it turned out that the person didn't fully understand the pay plan and was ticked off when he/she didn't get a check. I also saw evidence of others who didn't work the business (or worked it for a week or a month) and didn't receive a check and cried wolf.
Granted, there are some legitimate problems here and there -- I am the first to admit it. But I'm far more likely to believe someone who states the problem factually and carefully. When people get all emotional or type out their problems ALL IN CAPS ALL THE WAY THROUGH, it's hard for me to take them seriously.
I totally had to laugh at one post because of personal experience. You know the opportunity websites that scroll a list of the people who have signed in to take a look? One poster was convinced that the scrolling list was a scam because it had times that were between midnight and 6 AM. I cracked up laughing because my husband had done that the night before -- took a "tour" at about 1 AM of a program that looked intriguing.
I also don't think the poster stopped to consider that people from all over the world, in all kinds of different time zones surf the 'net. What's 3 AM to me could be 3 PM to someone else.
If you're looking for a new opportunity, you are wise to check around the internet for articles about the company, before you plunk down your money. But when you find a posting or a site that complains about the company you're intested in, stop for a moment. Carefully consider whether the person who is writing is venting, ticked off, or has a legitimate concern.
Don't pass up a good opportunity because someone got ticked off. But if you find evidence that maybe there is a problem, you definitely need to do more investigations on different search engines -- they don't all bring up the same information.
Granted, there are some legitimate problems here and there -- I am the first to admit it. But I'm far more likely to believe someone who states the problem factually and carefully. When people get all emotional or type out their problems ALL IN CAPS ALL THE WAY THROUGH, it's hard for me to take them seriously.
I totally had to laugh at one post because of personal experience. You know the opportunity websites that scroll a list of the people who have signed in to take a look? One poster was convinced that the scrolling list was a scam because it had times that were between midnight and 6 AM. I cracked up laughing because my husband had done that the night before -- took a "tour" at about 1 AM of a program that looked intriguing.
I also don't think the poster stopped to consider that people from all over the world, in all kinds of different time zones surf the 'net. What's 3 AM to me could be 3 PM to someone else.
If you're looking for a new opportunity, you are wise to check around the internet for articles about the company, before you plunk down your money. But when you find a posting or a site that complains about the company you're intested in, stop for a moment. Carefully consider whether the person who is writing is venting, ticked off, or has a legitimate concern.
Don't pass up a good opportunity because someone got ticked off. But if you find evidence that maybe there is a problem, you definitely need to do more investigations on different search engines -- they don't all bring up the same information.
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