Author: Wael Badawy
ProBuilderPlus Review ñ A Venture Into World Of MLM
I want to start with simple statement ñ I have always told myself that I will never fall for Multi Level Marketing or as itís called most often MLM. I have always believed that most MLM business opportunities are nothing more than glorified pyramid scheme brought online. So what changed my mind? How did I, a self taught Internet Infopreneur got sucked into it? Read on Ö to learn how, why, get the skinny on the latest hottest MLM opportunity and see my real day-by-day experience.
So, lets start with why. I run a website dedicated to affiliate marketing and home based business. I investigate and share my experiences with anyone willing to read my articles and make recommendations on what I consider a solid opportunity. I make my money on Yahoo ads and on multiple affiliate sales I get, when people do follow my recommendations. In last two month I have gotten at least 10 emails from my visitors asking me about different MLM programs and my personal opinion. Since I have only had experienced myself only with SFI, a known affiliate MLM I could only answer based on that, which wasnít enough Ö So here I was. I have picked the hottest MLM I could find currently running and one of the youngest with low membership fees ñ ProBuilderPlus. This review is dedicated to my readers and hopefully my experience will help you make your decision.
Now to the how part we move Ö How do you make money using ProBuilderPlus business opportunity? Itís really a quite simple forced matrix with 3 levels of payoff but quite a bit more intricate system of payments. Once you build a matrix of 9 people in your downline, doesnít matter how far, you guaranteed a weekly check of $30. But it doesnít stop there. You also get $10 for each paying member you personally refer and then $3 for second level from that member and $2 for 3rd level. All this in addition to payments based on maintaining your minimum matrix. As your matrix grows, so does your weekly income.
The system is quite simple but letís have a look at how effective it is and what does it takes to recruit new membersÖActually this is the part that surprised me most and quite pleasant surprise it was. It was designed to be used by anyone, with no marketing experience and no prior knowledge and recruiting is a lot easier than I thought was possible. I have joined this system for free, while doing evaluation of multiple MLM programs about 7 or 10 days ago. As soon as I did I started receiving emails with interesting subjects:
“Here you go Alex, we put Kathy under you…”
“Here you go Alex, we put James under you…”
“Another One Alex – Joseph just joined YOUR Powerline…”
“Alex – AWESOME Mark just Upgraded to Member in YOUR DOWNLINE…”
And they just kept on pouring in. Before I knew it I had 587 pre-enrolled members, free members but all interested to learn how to make money, all with an open mindset and just waiting for a push to be converted. And believe you me, emails with subjects like I shown above was powerful push even for a skeptic like me, so I decided to join, reasoning that I can always cancel.
And now I move to the tools that system provides, and their quality. It comes pretty much with everything one might require:
1. An autoresponder follow-up system that makes you want to upgrade.
2. A matrix structure and pay plan that almost guarantees you make money.
3. Lead capture pages that get the job done.
4. A traffic rotator that allows you to funnel traffic to your downline.
5. Online training that highlights simple steps to success.
6. A Contact Manager that allows to to stay in touch with people you personally sponsor.
7. A tool that allows you to send a voice message to thousands of people per MINUTE.
Quality design shows in every tool and all of them quite compelling as far as MLM goes.
Day 1-3.
All we are left with is my personal experience. I have had accounts already with several traffic exchange programs that require members to click on your add and actually look at page. I have found them quite effective for building my mailing lists, so I figured I would just add my link from ProBuilderPlus to rotation and see what it brings. Completion of that part only took me a few minutes and once done I had a chance to have a closer look at all tools I described above and specifically training. Nice day of work, if I can say so myself Ö
Day two went pretty much on autopilot, due to my preoccupation with regularly scheduled job and I only had an opportunity to check my stats on third day. To my surprise I had over 530 views of my signup page and one paying member! That is $10 back to my pocket, 2 more and I will return my investment. Not bad, not bad at all.
To do a quick summary ñ I donít know if you can become filthy rich using this system or not but looking at weekly leaderboard I can see people with over 414 paying members enrolled, and that is for one week. So what I will do is continue to investigate this opportunity and post updates on my regular site, so feel free to visit and read them if you liked this article or just want to learn more from a person who is doing it and honestly sharing. No hype, no fuss, just an honest opinion.
On Networking Groups (Part One)
I have been trying to think about how I can talk about this subject and address it in a way that would be fair and balanced without injecting too much personal opinion and have decided to first talk about the types of groups and then later on be more specific. It is important to remember that you will have preferences that may not align with mine, but that each of us share a common goal in our networking. More business and possibly more friends.
So lets begin by analyzing the various types of groups. There are many different types of groups, but it is easier to categorize them by the meeting format rather than using individual categories like chambers of commerce or women’s groups.
Most groups fall under one of 4 main categories. These are Social Networking, Business Networking, Leads Groups and Networking with a Program.
Social Networking
Social networking is a part of our daily lives whether we realize it or not. Each time we attend any function that involves a group of people we are networking on a social level. Whether we are attending a charity event, going to a party at a friends house, going to a religious service, or attending an organized social networking event, we are in a networking environment.
In most cases a large part of participation in these groups is not related to business. However, there are always opportunities to meet people who could be or know prospective clients. When you attend these types of functions, it is advised to have some business cards in your pocket in case you meet someone else who is networking for their business, but remember that business networking is not the primary purpose of the function, so be very casual in the way you approach others about your business.
Social Networking Tip:
Never assume that any individual at these functions is not a good prospect for your business. You will find many opportunities there. It is just good to remember that people are there for many reasons and may not want to talk about business.
Business Networking
Believe it or not there are very few groups or organizations that are simply “business networking groups”. This category, for the purpose of our discussion is reserved for groups that do not have speakers or programs. An example of business networking would be similar to a chamber of commerce after hours. In business networking, you simply gather together with other business associates to talk about your businesses.
I find it much better to have a lot of time to talk to people about my business rather than have a brief period to talk and then have to sit down and listen to a program. This format enables you to really get to know people in the allotted amount of time. In some cases you can even do business with someone who you have met for the first time.
This format allows you to get to know people very well and sometimes helps to jump-start the relationship without having to meet for lunch or coffee at a later time. The only thing that makes this format difficult is if you are shy. For the shy individual it is sometimes not easy to just walk into a room and start talking to people they do not know.
Business Networking Tip:
Build a core contact group of people that you see at several different meetings. This will give you a broad base of contacts through these people as they are building their networks. Always get to know the “most popular people” in the room. They will often know most of the others and can help to expand your network quickly
Leads Groups
Leads groups are very structured. This is the largest segment of business networking. There are several formats to leads groups that vary in slightly different ways. In most cases the leads group involves sitting around a large table. Usually a leads group is limited to one person per industry. So if you wanted to be a part of a leads group that already has one of your type of industry, you could not join that group until there is an opening for you created by that person leaving.
Usually leads groups are about 5 to 20 persons in size. In most leads groups you are given a set amount of time to stand up and talk about your business ranging from 2 to five minutes depending on the size of the group. This is a dedicated time, no one else speaks and you take turns.
Leads groups are good for people who are shy or for those who have difficulty in a meeting with no structure. If you are a member of a good leads group, members are actively seeking referrals for other members. This can lead to a great deal of business if you consider the fact that everyone has a personal network of about 200 hundred people. This does not mean that it is the best format of meeting or not a good format, but rather it is good for you if you prefer structure.
Leads groups generally meet early in the morning or for lunch.
Leads Groups Tip:
Be sure to enable the members of your leads group to help you. Give them tools that they can carry to represent you when they encounter someone who needs your product or service. Be sure that everyone understands what you do and who your best prospects are.
Networking with a Program
A lot of trade associations and chambers of commerce follow this format. The meeting usually starts with open networking for a period of 15 minutes to an hour. It is then followed by a presentation by a guest speaker or a current member.
In this environment, you will not have much time to really get to know people unless you always attend the meetings. In most cases these meetings are best for initial contact followed up by meeting prospects for coffee or lunch. It is advised that you use a system of taking notes and qualifying prospects for later follow-up.
Generally these meetings end after the presentation and people linger for 15 to 30 minutes before clearing the room.
Networking with a Program Tip:
Get to know the leaders of the organization. In most cases they will know a great deal about the members as they work their way up the ranks into a leadership role. These individuals can be of the most help when seeking prospects or referrals.
Summary
As I said at the beginning of this article, your feelings on these definitions may vary from mine. It is important when seeking meetings to attend or groups to join that you have defined goals on what you are trying to accomplish. Be specific when setting these goals.
Remember business does not always come in the first contact or meeting. Be consistent for best results. Try to balance your networking with a combination of the types of groups and meetings that you attend. Each has it’s own unique benefits and can help you with a well rounded presence in the business community.
The Art of Giving Business Cards
Giving business cards is an art, not only because they are needed to be considered successful or because, in fact, they represent your corporate or professional identity, but also as an opportunity to impact your existing or prospective customers, and stay in touch with them, helping you to deal confidently.
The scope of business etiquette includes considerations that many professional ignore, or simply do not pay enough attention in the belief that a business card is just a small paper rectangle with a name and phone numbers to introduce yourself.
Color business cards demonstrate that there is something else beyond a simple paper cut; otherwise, they simply would not exist. Certainly, all over the world business cards are used to provide information about a company and/or the employee or professional who holds it, as well as contact information and other details such as business acquaintances or personal details.
Some of them include expressly empty spaces to write certain details such as an appointment date, some others are as simple as blank cards that come in handy when the holder has to leave a customer further details. However, those in color are undoubtedly part of a practical business strategy following refined business etiquette.
In business, time is gold and every minute is important because more often an individual only has a few minutes to impress a prospective client, before someone else does it first. Gentle manners can conquer, but accompanied with poor business cards, it is more likely the client will forget about you as soon as you live. Unprofessional business cards will not impress but will leave your prospective client with negative thoughts about your company.
On the other hand, color business cards are as attractive that catch the eye of even the most skeptical business contact. There is nothing more accurate that “a picture is worth a thousand words” when it comes to describing the first impression left on a person who receives a business card especially crafted to achieve a predefined business goal.
Color business cards and regular business cards should meet the criteria of being printed in very high quality paper, designed by professionals and never using public domain graphics or other elements that makes them look cheap. Make sure to include all personal information to your business acquaintances, and always carry enough of them with you, particularly when you are planning to attend a business meeting or social event.
The art of business cards is not only in giving them away, but also exchanging and receiving. Every time you attend an event where other professionals participate, try to exchange business cards with them, particularly color business cards to better impress, and when you receive a business card, study its design and content because you can learn from them.
Finally, always keep in mind that business cards are the branding tool of your company, not just a piece of paper to stay in touch with someone else.
Success Or Statistic?
Which one will you be in network marketing?
The truth is the odds are against you; chances are youíll be a statistic.
Hmmmmm bet the super star space commander upline guru that signed you up or wants to sign you up told you that did he/she?
Here are a few stats that may alarm you:
Did you know that 70,000 people sign up into a network marketing company EVERYDAY?
But did you know that 95% of the people that sign up into a network marketing company will quit within the first year?
WHY?
Well there are a lot or reasons, poor support, poor company, poor product, poor compensation plan, poor upline. But to me one of the biggest reasons isÖ
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIED TO!!
Most people have been lied to from the get go.
Many of the people who are recruiting people into companies (hate that term recruiting) are lying to people and telling people what they want to hear so they will join their company.
Now on one had you canít blame many of these people, thereíre just doing what they were taught by the person that signed them up, and thatís usually some person with the recruit, recruit, recruit mentalityÖthose are the people I blame.
Hey the great news is you DONíT have to be a statistic. You just need to be taught the correct way of building your business, but first you need to know some of the lies youíll probably be told or already have been told.
My first and favorite lie:
Make a list of your friends and family because thatís who were calling first.
Hey upline line guy, are you crazy? Thatís the last thing, no thatís what you NEVER do. Because of this one lie there are thousands of people that have been shunned by their families.
Your friends and family members turn off the lights and pretend thereíre not home when the see you coming. Ring any bells?
By all means share your product or service with your family and friends but not the business opportunity. Many of your friends and family members are NOT looking for a business opportunity, the truth is most of your friends and family are going to spend more time discouraging you then helping you. But donít get mad at them they think thereíre protecting you, ignore them and build your business.
Let them come to you, once you become successful in your business, your friends and family will notice and then theyíll ask you what youíre doing.
Hereís a tip. This is your business and you DONíT want everyone in your business that includes your family and friends. Only share your business opportunity to people who have raised their hand to you and say. ìIím interestedî or ìShow me what youíre doingî.
Lie number two;
Recruit, Recruit, Recruit. You need to make a 100 phone calls a day and remember for every NO you get youíre one step close to a YES.
I would love to track down the putz that said this. Let me ask you a question.
How many times do you like hearing the word NO?
How much do you like being on the phone every day hearing the word NO?
I think itís safe to say, ìYou donít like it very muchî
The word NO has taken so many good people out of this business. Here is an example my mentor shared with me and it really hit home for me.
Duffy youíve set up candles, soft music some good wine a great dinner a bit of hugging and kissing then your spouse says ìNOî. All right just 99 more times and youíll get lucky.
That put things into perspective for me real fast.
Did you know that 90% of the population is sales resistant, no wonder youíre hearing the word NO so much.
And some knucklehead sayís NO is a good thing. Moving on.
Lie number 3,
If you have no warm market you need to spend money and buy leads.
WRONG!! You DO NOT have to buy leads. Personally youíre just wasting your money. Thereíre people spending hundreds of dollars every month for leads. STOP IT!!!
Remember a bought lead is a bought lead. I donít care if you paid $5 or 5 cents a lead is a lead. When you call these leads chances are they donít remember what forum they filled out or the person gets upset because you called them.
Once you truly understand that people are not numbers, they have goals and dreams just like you. And theyíre real people. And just like you they donít want to be lied too and just like you they want a true opportunity to fulfill those dreams and goals. If you get just this youíll go very, very far in this business.
Network marketing is a Relationship Business NOT a Sales Business. As soon as you understand that youíll have people saying to you ìPLEASE sponsor me into your businessî
Until then youíre DEAD in the water.
I have NEVER bought a lead with my network marketing company and I donít spend 10 hours a day making phone calls, I have people contacting me everyday asking me about my business.
If you had people calling you how do you think your lead calls would turn out compared to you calling people? Please tell me I donít have to answer that for you.
For those of you buying leads stop wasting your money, prospects are everywhere.
I have tons of ways of getting leads for free, but hereís one tip that will reveal prospects to you everyday.
First LISTEN to people, thatís the most important thing you need to do. Youíve heard this ìOne mouth two earsî Listen twice as much as you speak.
Ok how do you determine if someone is a prospect?
Letís say you have a company that provides a nutritional product that helps with weight loss. And now lets say youíre talking to someone and they are complaining about how they canít lose weight.
All you have to say to this person is this: ìHave you ever thought about doing something about itî?
If they say ìYESî you have a prospect, depending on the time and place this person has just given you permission to provide them with a presentation of your product. You could give them your business card, send them to a web site or provide them some brochures about your product. Or ask them for there contact info so you could send them some info later.
If the person says ìNOîÖyou say, ìOKî.
THEY ARE NOT A PROSPECT, REPEAT NOT A PROSPECTÖ forget about them, move on and keep listening.
This is just one-way thereíre lots of other ways to find prospects. The point is you never have to buy leads to find prospects.
Itís a shame that so many lies are being told just to get people into a business, just because the rest of the world is doing it doesnít mean you have to. Tell people the truth, listen to them and truly hear what they are saying. Build relationships; help a person, thatís how you build a business.
If you can help them GREAT if not thatís ok too. Not everyone is suited to fit into your business; and you would be a fool to think so.
Personally I would rather have 10 people that wanted to be in my business and that I told the truth to from the get go, then a 100 people I told what ever they wanted to hear so they would join my business.
Until Next Time
To Your MLM Success
Wael
Strategies For Successful Business Networking
There are a variety of organizations that run networking groups across the country. The largest group is probably BNI, which offers members the chance to attend weekly meetings and develop new professional relationships to help them grow their business. some chambers of commerce are now organizing “leads groups” for their members as well. These groups are intended to offer members a way to connect with each other and potentially refer each other business.
In most “leads groups” each group allows no more then one representative from any industry, so if the group has a mortgage broker other mortgage brokers have to join another group or wait for the seat to open up. The idea is that by restricting membership, you eliminate competition within the group.
The agenda at most structured networking meetings is pretty straightforward. Each member is given an opportunity to introduce themselves, then there is a short presentation by one or two members (each member gets the chance eventually). The meeting ends with members discussing potential referrals for each other. This means that most of the members get about one minute to present who they are and teach the other members of the group how to refer to them.
Most people do a great job of presenting themselves. However, most people do not think to ask for referrals. At most networking events, you are not expected to ask for a referral or explain what a good referral for you is. However, at a leads group it is not only acceptable, it is expected!
I am involved in a number of networking groups and have used the simple outline below to create my elevator pitch (quick introduction). When I deliver my elevator pitch to a leads group, my goal is to educate everyone in the room about my company and what I do, as well as to teach them the best way to refer others to me. In addition, I want to make sure I actually ask for a specific referral. I will go through each piece of the outline in detail, but here are the basics.
* Introduction
o Name
o Position + company name
o Location of the company
o Overview of services
* Tell a story
* Call to action
The introduction piece of your presentation should stay the same every time you give it. You might say something like, “My name is Joe Smith. I am mortgage broker at ABC mortgages in Anytown, USA. We offer a full line of residential and commercial mortgage products.” You can add some additional detail, but you should really focus on keeping this short and on point.
At each meeting, you will have the chance to differentiate yourself from the competition by telling a short story during your presentation. The story can be related to a specific challenge you helped a client overcome, a unique feature of your product or service, or you can simply talk about a new development at your company. Consider writing out your stories in advance so you know what you are going to say at each meeting. In addition, you can schedule the content so that the other members of your group learn more and more about you at each meeting. You need to focus on educating your group a little more each week.
The “call to action” is very important and the piece that most people overlook. You need to tell the other members of your group exactly what type of referral you are looking for. For example, our mortgage broker, Joe Smith, might say, “Today a good referral for me would be a Realtor at XYZ real estate company.” Joe may also say, “Today a good referral for me would be anyone who purchased their home more then 10 years ago.”
I alway recommend that your “call to action” is as specific as possible. If Joe stands up and says that a good referral would be anyone who needs a mortgage, the rest of the group will have a harder time thinking of people to refer. If Joe asks for an introduction to a specific person at a specific company, someone in the group may know that person or know someone at that company who can facilitate Joe’s introduction. The more specific the request, the more likely it is to trigger someone else in the group’s memory.
A last minute hint:
Keep focused on the networks of the people in the group, not on the people themselves. In other words, when you are participating in a networking or leads group, you should not focus on gaining the business of the people at the table. Instead, you should focus on gaining their trust so that they will refer you people in their network.
On Networking Groups ( Part Four )
What is a leads group? Leads groups seem to be the most popular form of networking judging that comment by the fact that there are more leads groups in existence that have been around for a long time than most other types of groups.
Leads groups are often referred to as closed groups. This means that there can only be one type of a business represented in a group. Lets say that I am a web designer. In a closed group I would be the only web designer represented in the group. Other web designers would be allowed to visit, but if they wanted to join the organization they would have to find a group that did not have a web designer. If there was no opening in an existing group for a web designer, the person would have to go on a waiting list until an opening became available, or a new group was formed.
Most leads groups meet once a week. There are some that only meet once a month. Leads groups offer something that a lot of people need. Structure and discipline. What do I mean by this?
Structure – In a leads group you do not have to be a master net worker. As a matter of fact, you can be a shy person and still have success in a leads group. Most leads groups allow a given amount of time to tell other members about your business. This usually ranges from one to five minutes. In this allotted amount of time you can go into great detail about your business including describing what type of leads you are looking for. The format is usually accomplished by sitting around a large table, and a leader moderates the time and asks questions. The meetings are generally held early in the morning or at lunchtime.
Discipline – In a leads group you are expected to show up for the meetings. Theoretically, if a leads group had only 15 members and several people did not show up, it would be difficult to have a reasonable meeting. To insure against this happening most groups require that you assign a substitute when you can not attend. This substitute should be a person in the same industry as you so that the balance of the group is not affected. In this situation, if you have a tendency to miss a lot of meetings, it would not be good to join a leads group. If you miss a lot of meetings without a sub, you will be ejected from the group.
The upside? In a leads group you will get to know people very well over time and get an idea of their abilities to fulfill the needs of a referral. This is good if you do not have time during the week to meet with people one-on-one in order to get to know them. A dedicated group will provide you with a steady stream of leads that you can utilize to expand your business.
The downside? Well, sometimes the leads become a paramount obligation and people feel pressured to pass them. If they are passing leads that are just names and numbers without a true expressed need, the leads generally lead you nowhere. Another issue is a member of the group whose quality of product or service does not meet the standards that you would want to refer to someone. It is difficult to pass a solid qualified lead to someone who will not provide the kind of service that you would expect them to.
There are also a few groups in existence that are in essence leads groups. They allow freedom to go to any meeting you wish as long as you are a member. The format is the same, seated at a table, and there is usually a time limit. The problem with these groups is that people wander in and out and without a lot of time to talk individually, you still have to set appointments outside of the group to really get to know someone. Without the discipline, the freeform leads group usually does not last for a long period of time. Often these groups open and close with great regularity leaving the members to search for another meeting to attend.
In closing, I would like to add that there is no wrong or right group to belong to. Visit groups and you will find the ones that are right for you. It is often beneficial to belong to three types of groups to get the most out of your networking efforts.
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