Greetings marketing colleagues!

Today I'm not spouting any newfangled systems, no great and wonderful time saving products, no pill, potions, gas savers (or reducers) nor lotions ;-)

Just some good old-fashioned communication with my friends.

Actually I wanted to start a bit of a "straw poll" and see where people are at, so here's the question:

What do you look for as the most attractive or important bonuses when you're considering whether or not to join a new membership site?

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, and thanks for all of you who take the time.

To Success!

Hi Tim

What a great idea for a forum.

I have to say my thoughts after reading your post were much on the line of what Michael has posted.

I also think from a newbies point of view, cost has to be taken into consideration.  The budget being low at the start promotes newbies signing up for no cost programs, freebie ebooks or trial periods, along with training and support as Michael says.

I will be very interested to hear what others have to say.

Well done Tim...

'Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up'.
- Thomas A. Edison

Slaine

Fionnuala

Lurgan Ireland

 

Hi Tim, Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this matter. Here are several questions to ask before you choose a company to work with for the next five or ten or twenty years. Your future and your reputation are at stake. Getting the answers to these questions will save you years of failure and frustration. And remember . IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PRODUCTS. You can have the greatest products on the planet, but if your company does not have all five pillars, you can have everything taken away from you overnight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Company Management Experience with Integrity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read your Policies and Procedures. Look for the words "termination" and "ongoing". Find out how safe you are, how your downline is protected, and whether you can ever retire. Rule of Thumb: The longer the contract, the more overhead the company has, and the less you earn. Do a Google search on the company and the owners of the company you are researching. Add the word 'scam' to your search. Check reliable websites like www.mlmwatchdog.com, etc. for warnings. Beware of companies where you can buy your way to the top. Check ebay to see if the company's products are being sold there. Beware of sponsors offering you a "good position". There can be no "deals" in an ethical company. There must be a level playing field. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. Timing in the Company / Timing in the Industry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beware of "ground floor opportunities" and start-up companies. 99% of companies don't last two years. Most people don't make money in the first two years while the company is dealing with problems. Profit comes AFTER two years. Join then. Do not join a company with a product with no profit margin, e.g. long distance or vinyl records! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. Remarkable Product ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be sure your product is unique - not invisible among others. Read Seth Godin's "The Purple Cow". Warning: If the product would not sell without a business opportunity attached, it is ILLEGAL. If you can't pay online with a credit card, and if you can only pay by cash or money order, it is ILLEGAL. If distributors collect the money while the company stays at arm's length, it is ILLEGAL. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. Compensation Plan That Pays Part-Timers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 95% of networkers are part-time. Make sure that people can make a decent income working a few hours per week. Beware of companies that advertise how many millionaires they have created. Make sure it's not at the expense of those "at the bottom". Everyone should be able to benefit. Ask the question "How many people must I have in my business to earn $10,000 per month?" There are companies out there that require as many as 10,000 and as few as 400. It's not unusual to see well-established companies that require 3000 to 7000 people, and still attract new distributors. If your upline won't or can't answer this basic question, you should run. If a company stresses "Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!", you should "Run, Run, Run!" The key to success is moving product from the company to the end consumer. If you are making only 5% to 8% commissions, you are being extremely underpaid. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. System for Success ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The company must have a duplicatable system for success. People are not duplicatable - systems are. e.g. If you have to rely on upline doing presentations, this is NOT duplicatable. Our most popular recordings. "5 Pillars to Success" Call http://www.SuccessTeamBuilders.com/Calls/5Pillars.html "Business Models Drive The Behavior in the Field" Call http://www.SuccessTeamBuilders.com/Calls/Models.html I Believe In You, Joseph Hinkle 215-271-5210 Anytime "Be A Mentor With A Servant's Heart"

Hi Tim,

After many years of getting in and out of different businesses with varied results I have to agree with many of the points made by your other contributors, but, for me, the single most important point is 'CAN I DO IT?'.

Secondly, does it stand alone? By that I mean that I am sick of the businesses or teams, that require you to join a myriad of others to be able succeed. I already belong to a couple of businesses that have links to other businesses but they DON'T REQUIRE me to belong to those others.

Thirdly, is it universally duplicatable?

All of the other points raised are important but for me these are the basics which decide me whether to go on or not.

Roger