vineri, 9 ianuarie 2015

Do you understand the power in Residual Income?

This is the ability to get paid over and over for the work that you do one time. It’s also called “royalty pay.”
There are very few businesses or industries today that pay residual income.
Musicians, authors and insurance sales people are a few professions that do earn a residual income.
If you were to write or record a popular song, each time that song played on the radio, or a CD was sold, you would receive a commission, or royalty payment.
Residual income in Network Marketing is income you continue to earn based on efforts you put forth initially. This income is based on the sale of products and services. And, these products must continue to generate repeat sales.
This is one reason why “consumable” products are the most effective in Network Marketing. Consumable products are those items that are bought, used up and then replaced, over and over again.
If you are marketing a product that is a one time purchase product, you will have a harder time generating residual income.
Residual income is desirable in Network Marketing, because this is what allows you to put forth a lot of effort in the beginning, and reap the rewards of that for months and years to come!
And, by building an organization of people working toward a common goal, you can ensure a strong residual pay-out that will last for years. This is why it is important that you understand this pay advantage, and invest your effort, energy and time in other people.
Earning residual income requires a few things – first that you take action to get momentum going in your organization.
Second, you continue building on that momentum, and teach others to do the same.
Finally, you learn and develop leadership skills that will provide the foundation that supports your entire organization.
People follow people, and leadership skills are developed.  Leaders are created, not necessarily born.
In the beginning, you have the “privilege” of working lots of hours for a little pay. In the end, you have the “joy” of working little hours for lots of pay.
People ask me all of the time how much I made my first month in the business. The answer is – “I don’t know. I don’t know because I still get paid each and every month on the efforts I put into that very first month.” That’s the power of residual income!
Get started and then build on your efforts each and every month.
Be a leader of others and watch the residual income roll in.
Here is Part 1 if you missed it! – What Is Network Marketing.

Robert Kiyosaki’s Best Financial Advice for 2015

As an expert in investing, as well as business and personal development, we asked Robert what the No. 1 thing is that Americans can do to set themselves up for financial success in 2015. Here was his response:
“Americans can stop seeing themselves as victims — of the job market, Obamacare fallout, economic downturns, and the uncertain future of programs like Social Security and Medicare — and stop relying on someone else to ‘save’ them,” Kiyosaki said. “A shift in mindset (from ‘victim’ to ‘champ’) and a decision to put your talents, your intelligence and your strengths to work will set you up to take control of your life and your financial future.
“It starts with education, especially financial education … so make 2015 the year you champion your life and take control. Can’t find a job? Challenge yourself to create one for yourself. Want to start generating passive income and building assets? Do it! Find a mentor. Start a blog or podcast. Write an e-book. License your killer salsa recipe. Or join a network marketing company. You’re smart and creative and talented … so use those talents, learn more about money and business and investing, and champion — and change — your life in 2015.
“It’s your choice. Will you keep letting yourself fall victim to life’s curve balls? Or will you hit it out of the park by putting the power of financial education behind every swing you take in your game of life?”
Increased efficacy and accountability are Kiyosaki’s recommendations for those seeking to improve their financial health in 2015. Rather than blame circumstances, he encourages people to take ownership over their successes — in their finances and in their career — to reach their goals.
One way to do this is through entrepreneurship. The job you want might not be easily found on a job site, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the career you’ve always dreamed of and the financial security that comes with it.

In 100 Words: Looking Ahead to 2015

As the year draws to a close, it would be interesting to hear from some of the prominent persons of the direct selling world what they see coming in 2015.
“What will be the most important issue, whether it be an opportunity or a threat, in the direct selling industry that will need a closer focus Next Year?” was the question.
You will see below the diversity in the responses, that in my opinion, reflects the richness of this industry.
Oscar Cano Arias, Managing Director of Direct Selling Europe:
oscar.cao.arias“2015 will be another crucial year for the sector, for many reasons. From the legal perspective, we are expected to see the results of the investigations opened by the FTC, FBI and SEC against Herbalife. The investigations will not ignore the recent class action settlement in the US whereby Herbalife had to pay $15 million and was forced to change substantially its corporate policy, including how it defines its distributors while clarifying its membership agreement. From the regulatory perspective, the EU is expected to amend the Directive on Misleading and Comparative Advertising, aimed at strengthening anti-misleading practices amongst B2B transactions. Last but not least, the EU has new Commission and Parliament, which will be fully operational as of beginning of 2015. Direct Selling Europe is working with all new key decision makers to ensure that the interests of well reputed and sustainable direct selling companies continue well preserved.”
Jeff Babener, Legal Counsel at Babener and Associates:
jeff.babener“In 2014, the year ended with the pivotal BurnLounge decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, recognizing the legitimacy of personal use purchases in pyramid legal analysis; ending 20 years of debate between the industry and the FTC. Now is the time to move forward to support the brand of direct selling by unifying and finding common ground where a ‘model’ schism seems to be surfacing with ‘party plan/classic direct sellers’ challenging the direct selling credentials of ‘person to person consumables MLM companies’. In order to bridge the gap and recognize the business legitimacy of both branches of direct selling, perhaps it is time to reexamine the nomenclature of the direct selling channel of distribution to use overarching branding definitional terminology, referencing direct selling as comprised of two branches, person to person selling and referral selling.”
Anne Butler, Managing Partner at Butler Advisors:
anne.butler“Of all the threats that will not be mentioned for 2015, the most insidious will continue to be the erosion of relevancy of the attractiveness of the earning opportunity. From the entrepreneurial origins of a company, to the copycat stage by retail and direct sellers, to the external innovation that renders the direct seller’s value proposition less relevant and the resulting erosion of the attractiveness of the earning opportunity, the steady march of a changing environment, and the propensity of a direct selling company to comfortably ‘stay the course’ instead of striving to obsolete itself to bring forward innovation to energize the earning opportunity for the existing field, will continue to be the norm rather than the exception.”
Marinda Chaplin, Vice President of SUCCESS Partners Europe:
marinda.chaplin“Gone are the days of inviting a couple over for dinner and then ‘surprising’ them with a product or opportunity presentation. We are now in the world of social media, sponsoring even without meeting someone in person, and the reality that our industry is easily a global business for any company. Today’s world is driven by transparency in communication and a vast selection of direct selling companies for a consumer to join. Many surveys of direct selling company executives tell us that our industry’s biggest concern is image. Being part of the industry for almost 20 years now, I know our industry is amazing and offers a new life to those who choose to put forth the effort, and this is the image that we want the general public to have about us as well. The best way to address any image concerns is to ensure that the positive stories we have far outweigh any negative stories or experiences. There are countless stories that awe and inspire – we just need to be great at flooding the market with these stories of success.”
Tamuna Gabilaia, Executive Director of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations
tamuna.gabilaia“WFDSA’s World Congress IV which was held in Rio De Janeiro in November was attended by more than 400 people. We believe this attendance is indicative of the level of energy and enthusiasm that people have for direct selling. During 2011 – 2104, under the leadership of Alessandro Carlucci, the industry experience 6.8 CAGR. We expect that during 2015, under the leadership of Doug DeVos, President of Amway, we will continue this growth pattern and will remain a vibrant industry bringing economic empowerment to people all around the globe.“
Jonathan Gilliam, Founder and President of Momentum Factor:
jonathan.gilliam“Online reputation on search engines and social media will become a core communications and compliance challenge over the coming year. The industry model has shifted toward digital and online; consequently the need for comprehensive digital listening, monitoring and online reputation programs will grow in importance. No longer solely dependent on events and conference calls for field communications, the ‘center’ of direct selling communities is now digital. As networkers and companies increasingly utilize online technology to market the business, the trust factor will further shift from real life relationships and endorsements toward online research and reviews. A company’s results in the search engines has become a de facto decision point for a significant percentage of those considering joining a direct seller. Therefore it is vital that direct sellers get a handle on their digital environment and learn to master it.”
Miroslaw Lubon, Executive Director of Poland Direct Selling Association:
miroslaw.lubon“Looking ahead to 2015 I can think of one issue, of global significance, that can be both – a threat and an opportunity. And it’s ethics. Transparent and fair market practices, currently employed by so many legitimate and well established companies, will be vital to any further expansion of the industry, especially since a number of external factors like economic growth, purchasing power of the population or the abundance of innovative and high quality products in the companies’ offer, augur extremely well for the branch. And not merely in the coming New Year. At the same time the industry will certainly have to cater to the urgent need to educate the public at large about the true nature and merits of direct selling, a no easy task by any means, what with the continued mistrust towards MLM companies enhanced by short sellers on some markets, and by the continued activity of  rogue companies elsewhere in the world.”
Alan Luce, Founder and CEO of Luce, Murphy, Fong and Associates:
alan.luce“The greatest opportunity and threat to direct selling in 2015 are one in the same… It is how to think about and react to the influence of social media and on line selling on traditional direct selling. Those who resist these influences do so because they say that ‘direct selling is about building personal relationships!’. In their mind that means face to face. For today’s customer and sales prospect, you build and maintain personal relationships online and only augment that relationship in a face to face situation as time permits. The direct selling companies that will succeed understand that in the coming years the terms ‘online’ and ‘in person’ will come to mean the same thing.”
Joseph Mariano, President of the U.S. Direct Selling Association:
joe.mariano“Direct selling’s greatest asset has always been its people, which now total more than 96 million globally. We must continue to make sure their stories are heard and appreciated by those with the power to legislate or regulate against our community so they understand more fully the value associated with this entrepreneurial opportunity. Telling a positive story about our economic impact and the consumer protections afforded by our Code of Ethics will help ensure that direct selling remains an attractive, growing channel for many years to come.”
Kevin Thompson, MLM Attorney, Founding Member of Thompson Burton PLLC : 
kevin.thompson“The future direction of direct selling will be established, for better or worse, within the next 12 months. The concept of “self-regulation” has failed miserably, leading regulators to reassert themselves into the MLM marketplace. This was made clear when the FTC initiated an investigation on long-time MLM power player, Herbalife. The results of that investigation will very likely be revealed within the next 12 months. Whether the FTC decides to initiate a lawsuit, levy fines or let Herbalife completely off the hook… their decision will ultimately impact the future of the industry. In my opinion, the FTC is likely going to levy penalties on Herbalife due to aggressive earnings claims made by leaders in the field. This sort of fine, if it occurs, will send a clear signal to the industry to get its act together when it comes to field compliance.”
….
Once again, I would like to thank here those who responded for taking the time to share their views.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

If you are completely new to affiliate marketing, let’s look at the definition from two perspectives; mine and wikipedia.
My definition of Affiliate Marketing: In so many words… Affiliate marketing is an opportunity for you to change your life and start making money online. Affiliate marketing allows anyone with the willingness to learn and  the gift of dedication, a limitless potential for success and financial freedom. You (as an affiliate) earn a commission on all referred leads to a web site (merchant). This commission can be the result of a a lead acquisition, a click or a sale.
Now, the definition of Affiliate Marketing from Wikipedia: Affiliate Marketing is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate’s marketing efforts. It is an application of crowdsourcing. Examples include rewards sites, where users are rewarded with cash or gifts, for the completion of an offer, and the referral of others to the site. The industry has four core players: the merchant (also known as ‘retailer’ or ‘brand’), the network, the publisher (also known as ‘the affiliate’) and the customer. The market has grown in complexity to warrant a secondary tier of players, including affiliate management agencies, super-affiliates and specialized third parties vendors.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
Imagine the opportunity of being able to run your own business without the necessities of having a office business, a product to sell or even having to hire staff. With affiliate marketing, none of those “old world” business tactics are necessary. When your business is affiliate marketing, you are your business. Thousands, if not millions of brand name companies around the world are now embracing affiliate marketing and opening up their business to individuals and companies online to promote their product. In several cases, the branding is already done for you, you just need to create the ad campaigns and drive traffic to their web sites. After making a referral, you earn a commission on every lead/sale without ever having to handle customer orders, credit card processing or even handle product. Best of all, an “affiliate marketing” business can be run from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer and internet connection.
How Affiliate Marketing Works
As mentioned, you (the affiliate) will receive a commission on all referred sales to a merchant. All processing and tracking is done on the affiliate network and merchant web site’s back end. An “affiliate network” is a site that hosts several different affiliate programs. An affiliate network is the best choice for most affiliates, as it allows affiliates to join and promote several different sites/offers through just one site. At the end of the week/month, the affiliate network will send out one check for all commissions earned during that specific time period.
For a better example of how affiliate marketing and tracking works, take a look at the presentation from Wikipedia on affiliate marketing. In step 1, a customer will come across your web site or affiliate link. Step 2, the customer clicks the link and is sent to your specific affiliate link’s sales page or web site. In the final process, step 3, if the buyer completes a sale or lead transaction, you (the affiliate) is then rewarded a commission for that lead/sale.
All backend tracking is usually done through an affiliate program or network. To track affiliate leads, you will be given a specific account and user id to create your own affiliate links. Once setup with a network, you can track all information on your affiliate stats.