Seventy percent (70%) of everyone that gets into network marketing will either fail or at best just barely pay for the monthly cost of staying active in their network marketing business opportunity.  Another twenty-seven percent (27%) will make a very average income, but not enough to leave their full time job and still maintain their present level of income.  ONLY THREE PERCENT (3%) of all those who get involved in network marketing or direct sales, whether online or not, will earn enough money to leave their full time employment and live significantly above their present level of income. Sounds like a dismal scenario, doesn’t it? Yet these statistics come as no surprise since this is a fairly widespread bit of knowledge. If you want to be in the 3% of those who get wealthy through network marketing, then you must learn the network marketing success action steps and what the pros do.  There is just no way around it.

This knowledge is especially known among those who DO make money in the industry. But what might surprise you is why only 3% percent of those who get involved succeed and ninety-five percent of them fail.  Simply put, achieving network marketing Success is rooted in that of learning the network marketing success action steps and what the pros do to be successful – and then making a commitment to do it.

Success in network marketing is not founded on rocket science. It is not some top secret formula that only a select few know about and don’t want to share.  If those leaders in network marketing that are making the serious money in the industry could have any one single wish come true in their network marketing success dreams, it would be that everyone they introduce into their network marketing business would be successful to a point that they could work their network marketing business full time and earn a full time income doing it.

So, what’s the reason for so many people failing at network marketing?  It’s the same reason why so many people fail at life in general. Are you ready for this? It’s the number one reason that every network marketing participant that fails does not want to admit.  It is the lack of taking action!  That is it. It is nothing else. It is not poor training. It is not a bad compensation plan. It is not a bad product that no one wants. It is not the economy, not that no one has money, not that the person marketing the product or service has little or not sales experience. It is plain and simply that they willfully choose NOT to take action on what they know they have to do in order to be successful.

If you are still reading this, it means that you are one of two types of people.  You are someone that is involved in network marketing and making a boat load of money, and hoping to learn something new that can help you even more; or, you are a person involved in network marketing that is struggling to figure out how you are going to make your network marketing business work for you instead of you working for it. You might even be someone that is considering getting into a network marketing business and really don’t want to waste time once you do, so you are researching the ‘how tos’ of being successful in this type of industry.  Whatever the reason you are here and still reading this, here is what you want to learn to apply to your weekly schedule in network marketing, and what you want to teach others that you introduce to the network marketing industry.

Remember the reason I just mentioned a moment ago for the most number of failures in the network marketing industry? The lack of action? Well, at the core of this reason is the harsh reality of the sin of procrastination.  When a person lacks a sense of vision for what they are doing or lacks a belief in themselves that they can be as successful as anyone else, they will find every form of excuse and rationale as to why they can’t take action on those things that are important for their success. Ultimately, this mindset robs the very people who need a financial breakthrough in their lives the most of the ability to succeed as they were meant to.

If you are involved in either a network marketing business or a direct selling business, and are presently struggling with the lack of daily action in your business goals, there is hope for you. Here are some immediate action steps you can implement immediately, both in your daily life, as well as two that you can apply on a weekly basis in your present network marketing or direct selling business. If you begin to implement them into your daily routine in the next week, you will begin to see the tide changing for the better as it concerns your success in your business. The more you apply these action steps on a daily basis, and the two weekly steps on a consistent weekly basis, the greater your opportunity to succeed will become. And eventually, you will not be able to stop the ultimate positive affect of their influence on your success.

DAILY ACTION STEPS (3 hours per day total)

• BECOME A SERVANT AND HELPER – (30 minutes) - Help one person with a personal need that is totally unrelated to your business opportunity, whether that assistance is in talking to them, listening to them, doing some act of kindness for them, or going out of your way to help them, where your action in helping them will allow them to be more successful in their personal or public life. This builds your personal brand as someone who is interested in more than just making money off everyone you meet.
• INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO PEOPLE - (30 minutes) – People are your source for prospects, so it stands to reason that the more people you get to know, the more possible prospects you have. Spend30 minutes each day meeting new people. With social media being so powerful as it is, this is easily done online through your favorite social media network.  I do however strongly recommend that you engage people in the things they like to do, i.e. sports, entertainment, family, work, school, church, synagogue or mosque. Physical contacts are much more likely to be open and trusting of you than those you meet online who have no idea or understanding of who you are. In those cases, you must work to build the “KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST” factor with them through ongoing communications electronically. Because most people lack the skill and tools necessary to be successful at Internet marketing, this can be a serious setback and lesson in frustration and futility if they attempt to ‘wing it’ doing drive by sales pitches to the masses of people they run across online. In most cases, this sort of conduct will get a person’s profile terminated by the social media network.  This is especially true with Facebook.
• BUILD RELATIONSHIPS - (30 minutes) – Take 30 minutes a day and get to know the people you have met either in the past or recently through your life and your daily activities. Relationship building is so important in life.  The better our relationships are, the greater our opportunities are for personal success (intellectual, emotional, physical, and material).  Don’t rush the relationship building process. Remember, prospecting is like that of filling a pipeline that carries oil to a refinery. The more you pump into it, the greater production you will have by the time the oil is refined. Also remember that it takes time to get to know people and for them to get to know you (Know, Like, and Trust factor).  When someone knows you, they will most often like you (that is if you are a likeable person).  When a person likes you, they tend to trust you.  Once they trust you, they become more open to what you have to say and what you have to offer; and, once they know what you do, they will most likely want to do business with you over someone else that they don’t know.  Relationships make the difference. Learn how to build healthy and lasting relationships and you will find that success will chase you down and tackle you in life.  Learning to do this online in a systematic automated way can be very powerful. Yes, I said automated. Do you know that you can build relationships in an automated fashion? Doing this online as a result of having taken the time to get to know people you meet on social media networks – enough to discover their needs and desires – will save you a lot of time meeting people for coffee or tea as you are attempting to prospect.
• COMMUNICATE WITH THE WORLD – (30 minutes) - Email, call, or text at least five (5) qualified prospects - those who you have previously spoken to about your opportunity - each day with at least one fact about or reason why they would benefit from being involved in your opportunity.  A prospect needs to know you are serious and excited, because it will be that commitment and enthusiasm that will motivate them once they are involved. They need to be taught why it would be good for them to be involved, and why you want them to work with you in building their business with you. Remember that the average individual who makes a purchase from a sales representative in direct sales is contacted five times on average by the sales representative before they make a buying decision. Keep the communications short and to the point, informative, and with an invite or call to action to look closer at what you are doing. (15 minutes)
• ASK FOR A PROSPECT’S HELP – (15 minutes)  Spend 15 minutes a day asking those you have gotten to know over time (whether a week, month or year) aksing  prospects for their help.  As you get to know people and win their trust, it will be a natural thing in conversation to talk about what you do for a living or for work.  When the subject comes up, do not act like a maniac on steroids and jump into ‘used car salesman mode’ or else you will lose both credibility and favor with your prospect!  After they have asked you what you do, give them a 60 second overview of the benefits of what you offer and who is most suited for what you offer, then ask them with every bit of sincerity within you, “Would you be willing to look at what I am doing and then suggest a hand full of people that you know who might fully appreciate what I am offering that I could contact about it, and use your name as being the person who thought they might be interested?”  This ‘reverse prospect qualification’ technique is a powerful, but is a little used sales technique that can explode your business. It builds your prospect list while at the same time positioning the prospect you have just asked the question to for wanting to get involved and capitalize on the positive response that his referrals have had towards your business opportunity. I have seen this in action first hand and by observation and seen 25 or thirty people end up getting sponsored in less than a days time. Use it and be patient in the process – even if it takes you a week to follow up on the leads you have been given.
• SHARE YOUR OPPORTUNITY – (15 minutes) – Now a days sharing your business opportunity is as easy as inviting someone to watch a powerpoint presentation or video on your computer, or simply referring them to your opportunities replicated website. Share your business opportunity with at least one person face to face, by telephone, Skype, video conferencing, through a webinar or through a direct invite to visit your replicated website where your business opportunity is presented.  Once a person has been exposed, they are a “knowing prospect” meaning that they have the knowledge of what you are doing. Now you must give them understanding about it. This can take as little as a munute or as long as a month of answering questions, revisiting the benefits to them, and revealing the opportunity in a new way.  By the way, this step is a compement of the ‘reverse prospect qualification’ technique.
• EDUCATE THE WORLD – (30 minutes) - Spend 30 minutes a day educating the world about the benefits of what you have to offer. This could be ideally done through a personally hosted Website where you have a blog or article repository.  I have found that if you educate someone enough about something that is beneficial to them, that unless they have a personal problem with you in particular, they will find it natural to want to learn even more and give serious consideration to what you are doing.  Knowledge is power.  Educate people into success.

WEEKLY ACTION STEPS (Time dependent on methods utilized)

• Attend a training meeting whether online or physically to learn from others, and to teach others.  In ever instance that you do, invite at least one individual to join you who is in your business opportunity education collecting pipeline. This builds depth of understanding in what you are doing by both learning/being encouraged, and teaching/encouraging.
• Plan and do one online Webinar presentation per week for 5 individuals who have not been exposed to your business opportunity, but have said they would like to learn more. These small online meetings are easy and fun to do; and you can even invite your sponsor or someone in your upline to do it for you. You need only host it. (If you need a good web conferencing tool, check out the GVO-FamilyDot conferencing tool.  It’s only $9.00 per month for a 50 seat web conferencing room (90% cheaper than our next reputable competitor.  The web cast rooms are very easy to set up and to invite people to, and you can do video, powerpoint, audio, chat or all four. If you feel awkward in doing your first Webinar, ask someone with experience in your up-line to do it for you and you simply host it by introducing him or her to your participants. This is a great way to learn and to build confidence.
• Plan and do one online Webinar training session a week for your immediate personally sponsored downline on the latest training and recruitment techniques that the leaders in your business are using. The first one you do should be with those you are closest to and work with the most who respect you and understand that you are learning just like they are. It is a great way to lead by example, and a great way to build confidence into the lives of others that participate as you call on them to share their experiences and success stories.
• These Action Points listed above are proven and time tested, and used by the world’s most financially successful network marketing and direct sales professionals; and they are not at all difficult to do. The KEY however is to TAKE ACTION on them, whether you ease into it by doing just one of the daily Action Steps each day for a week and then the following week add another, then the next week after that add another, until you are consistently doing all of these on a daily basis.

The same goes with the weekly Action Steps. IF YOU have something that you personally do that you have found helpful and financially successful that has allowed you to break free from procrastination and to take action, please share it with our readers here in the comments section below. And, if you know others in either network marketing or direct sales, and you have the time, PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE with your followers on your favorite social media networks, like Twitter or FaceBook. Let’s help others realize their personal and financial goals together. Thanks!

GVO (Global Virtual Opportunities), formerly Kiosk, is a company owned by Joel Therien who has a 12 year track of experience in providing the network marketing industry online marketing tools. He has experience in success in MLM as well having earned a six figure a month income as a minimum for the last seven years in network marketing, and now one of the few in the industry who earns a seven figure monthly income in his business.

GVO has created a lot of  buzz in the internet marketing and the network marketing industry over the last year. Whether someone is just getting started in marketing themselves or their products online, or are a seasoned online marketing professional, the powerful marketing tools, hosting services and free coaching that they provide are with out a doubt the very best and most powerful combination of services and opportunity that has come along in the Internet marketing and as a business opportunity that even an average individual with no online marketing or business experience can be successful at. What makes GVO a company worth investigating?

The choice to use GVO for our firm was three-fold.

1. Unlimited domain hosting under one hosting account. The first reason GVO is so worth looking at is that when you join GVO, you get a hosting account that allows you to host as many domains as you want to under a single inexpensive hosting account. Whether you have one Website or you have thirty Websites, you can host them all under one hosting account. Think about that for a moment – one hosting account that allows you to host as many of your own domain names (Websites) on it as you want.

2. The right to resell hosting and keep 100% of the profits. Not only can you host your own Websites through your hosting account, but you are given the right to offer hosting as a reseller through your hosting account. This allows you to host other Websites for people and keep 100% of the profits, whether you sell your hosting for $2.00, $5.00, $10.00, or even $50.00 a month. You keep one-hundred percent (100%) of the profits from it. How many of your friends would like to have their own Website, and be willing to host through you over someone they don’t know? Is there anyone that needs hosting that you know of that would not want to host with you if you could offer them the same service as any other company, but provide them with personalize friendly service on a first name basis? That’s a no brainer. If you only had five friends who needed Web hosting, you could offer them hosting under your Titanium Hosting Plan for $9.00 a month, and your personal hosting with GVO would be absolutely free!

3. Free online marketing tools to promote your business. You get a whole suite of online marketing tools and Website enhancement tools. Each of these tools are free, and if you had to go out and purchase any of these tools, each one of them would be more expensive to buy or rent than your monthly hosting account. If you are already an online marketer, you will appreciate this list of tools as you already know their value as being between $300.00 and $450.00 a month depending on who you buy them from and how much you use them. If you are just starting out, you will definitely come to appreciate them, and get spoiled using them. Which of these tool do you NOT need?

• Unlimited autoresponder email system. This is an email marketing and auto responder suite of tools that allow you to fully automate your marketing and sale process if you want to put it in auto pilot. Just set it up, turn it on, and go surfing (or whatever else you like to do)! Similar systems cost you as much as $200.00 a month. It’s free with the Titanium hosting package.
• Easy video producer and integrated video hosting. This is an all-in-one complete video production tool that allows you to make, edit, and publish integrated video right into your Website. If you are in the business of setting up Websites for people, you can make huge profits using this tool.  The importance of having an integrated video tool is that it keeps your visitor on your Website. Inexperienced online marketers use YouTube video integration on their Websites. They have no clue that if they have something to sell and the visitor is in the market for what they are selling, that the visitor can just as easily click on all of their competition who have YouTube Videos in the line-up right next to theirs on the YouTube page where their video originated. Why send your prospect away from your Website to YouTube or another video posting Website when you can keep them on your Website longer? It is a foundational principle of effective online marketing that the longer you keep a visitor on your Website, the greater opportunity you have for lead and sales conversions. The goal is to not ONLY get people TO your Website, but also to KEEP them there as long as possible. The longer they are there, the greater the connection you build with them. This is worth all of the cost of all of the other tools combined, to be able to publish video directly to your Website without having it connected with any other Website.
• Complete video marketing system. Video marketing is becoming the new standard for for online promotions, marketing, and sales. It is almost mandatory if you want to reach and engage your market niche, and to reach new markets with what you have to share, offer, or promote. If email marketing has been considered King of online marketing tools, it just got dethroned, and the price of this integrated video marketing system is free with the Titanium hosting package.
• Full audio and video Webinar and Conferencing system. These tools allow you to conduct training, teach, collaborate, promote, and sell.  One of the fastest growing, hottest money making businesses on the Internet is that of doing Webinars. Whether you just want to use it to get your friends or family together that are scattered around the world, or you want to promote what you have to offer in the way of valuable tools, information, products or services, the GVO conferencing system is the perfect and cutting edge tool to do it with. Similar systems cost as much as $100.00 a month.
• Downtime and Website Change Monitoring and Spying Software. Ever wondered what your competitors were up to on their Websites? Or maybe you have some clients whose trust in you to help them keep their Websites up and running is a part of your agreement with them, i.e. Website Administrative Services (a hot little business in and of itself), you can do this with the Website Monitoring Software provided to you for free. You also get the reseller rights to this software to sell it or give it a way. Software like this rents for $20.00 a month, and is sold for as much as $200.00. Its yours to give away as a promotional item, or sell and keep 100% of the price you sell it for.

4. You are automatically enrolled into the GVO affiliate reseller program. This affiliate program alone positions you in a marketing matrix with other aggressive online marketers who are actively promoting their own network marketing companies to others, but are able to also provide a subsequent income stream to their top producers who are needing online marketing tools like those that are given for free to those who host with GVO. GVO’s CEO, Joel Therien developed a 2 by 10 hybrid matrix compensation plan that allows you to generate multiple $4,000 a month income streams for every 14 people that become affiliates in your downline, whether you introduced them to GVO’s hosting or not. The links below can take you to where you can learn about the compensation if that interests you, but as great as all the free tools are, most do not join with the intention of marketing the GVO ‘business opportunity’ – it just happens naturally because of the success of offering the hosting and tools to those who are serious about online marketing.

Still not sure if GVO is a good fit for you or if you are ready to take you online marketing efforts seriously? We offer everyone the ability to try out everything that we have shared with you here for only $1.00US for a fourteen (14) day test drive. Please feel free to visit our hosting and online marketing tools Website to learn more at www.FamilyDot.com or www.PrimoMLM.com. We will be excited to work with you towards your success as a part of our rapidly growing online marketing team. Come join us!

If you would like to discuss any of the information shared here with you today, please write us at ‘opportunity (at) sdward.com’ and someone will be back in touch with you momentarily.

Pyramid schemes – the reality we all need to be aware of – abound online.  Sadly, they are a reality that we all need to be aware of.  What is even worse is that legitimate businesses that use completely legal methods of peer to peer personal relationship marketing suffer.  There is much controversy about what pyramid schemes really are.  One thing for sure, a pyramid scheme is something that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) frowns upon.

OK, so with this said, let’s clarify the difference between a pyramid scheme and those other things that people are making money illegally in – especially online.  General rule of thumb for a pyramid scheme is this:

1)  They do not offer a legitimate product or service, but only a system by which you can participate in to make money.

2)  You can buy your way in at the top of the pyramid by just paying more money, and then being about to leap past other participants in the pyramid scheme.

3)  You get paid for recruiting and do not derive any income from the actual sale of a product or service.

There is a great deal more information on the subject on the Federal Trade Commission’s Website, but in the meantime, here is a video of a friend and colleague Pat Petrini. If you like it, leave him a note on his YouTube channel and let him know where you saw it at.  ;-)

Love it? Hate it? Share your comments below, and as always, if you find it worth sharing, share it with your favorite social network if you have one.

Ninety-five (95%) of all those who get involved in network marketing or direct sales, whether online or not, will fail to ever earn enough money to make back their personal investment of time and money they have put into it.  Sounds like a dismal scenario, doesn’t it? And, for most, it comes as no surprise since this is a fairly widespread bit of knowledge. One of the most important first steps you can do to insure your success in network marketing is to get network marketing training from someone that KNOWS about it where they have a long track record of success. But what might surprise you is why only five percent of those who get involved succeed and ninety-five percent of them fail. Are you ready for this? Out of all the reasons that are most often given for someone’s failure in these sorts of businesses, the one that is last to be mentioned, and hardly ever admitted to, but is most often the very reason alone for someone not experiencing financial success in their marketing business is that of the lack of taking action. The lack of action. At the core of this reason is procrastination. People find every form of excuse and rationale as to why they can’t take action on those things that are important for their success, and ultimately this mindset robs the very people who need a financial breakthrough in their lives the most of the ability to succeed as they were meant to. If you are involved in either a network marketing business or a direct selling business, and are presently struggling with the lack of daily action in your business goals, here are some immediate action steps you can implement immediately both in your  daily success life, as well as two that you can apply on a weekly basis in your present network marketing or direct selling business. If you begin to implement them into your daily routine in the next week, you will begin to see the tide changing for the better as it concerns your success in your business. The more you apply these action steps on a daily basis, and the two weekly steps on a consistent weekly basis, the greater your opportunity to succeed will become, and you eventually will not be able to stop the ultimate positive affect of their affect on your success.

Monday through Friday Daily Action Steps (2 hours per day total)

1. Help one person with a personal need that is totally unrelated to your business opportunity, whether that assistance is in talking to them, listening to them, doing some act of kindness for them, or going out of your way to help them, where your action in helping them will allow them to be more successful in their personal or public life. This builds your personal brand as someone who is interested in more than just making money off everyone you meet. (30 minutes)
2. If you use FaceBook or another social media network, write five of your friends/connections with a letter that is totally unrelated to your business, that focuses on discovering what they do and what their needs are. (30 minutes)
3. Introduce yourself to five new people today and ask them for permission to share what you do for a living with them in the event they or someone they know might be looking for a way to supplement and/or replace their present income by working with you. With upwards of 45 million people out of work or having their hours cut back in America alone, the potential of your contact with five people a day to find at least two or three a week that would be interested in what you have to say is very good. If they say yes, ask them if you could arrange for a time to discuss it in more detail at a time that is convenient with their schedule . (15 minutes)
4. Write, call, or text your top five qualified prospects with at least one reason why your opportunity would be good for them. The average individual who buys is contacted on the average of five times before they make a buying decision. (15 minutes)
5. Share your business opportunity with at least one person face to face or by telephone, and then ask for their help in recommending a few people who they might know that would appreciate the benefits of your opportunity and the financial possibilities of it. (30 minutes)

Weekly Action Steps (4 hours per week)

1. Attend a training meeting whether online or physically to learn from others, and to teach others. This builds depth of understanding in what you are doing by both learning/being encouraged, and teaching/encouraging. (1.5 hours)
2. Plan and do one online Webinar presentation per week for 5 individuals who have not been exposed to your business opportunity, but have said they would like to learn more. These small online meetings are easy and fun to do. The very best tools that I have seen, and that I endorse for online marketers are through familydot.com. They work with GVO to provide, among other tools, a Webinar conference room for free if you host your Website with them. The rooms are very easy to set up and to invite people to, and you can do video, powerpoint, audio, or all three. The best part about it is that you can record your presentation so that you can share it with others over and over again.  This is GREAT for cutting down on your personal time for prospecting or training.  If you feel awkward in doing your first Webinar, ask someone with experience in your up-line to do it for you and you simply host it by introducing him or her to your participants. This is a great way to learn and to build confidence. (1.5 hours)
3. Plan and do one online Webinar training session a week for your immediate personally sponsored downline on the latest training and recruitment techniques that the leaders in your business are using. The first one you do should be with those you are closest to and that you work with the most who respect you and understand that you are learning just like they are. It is a great way to lead by example, and a great way to build confidence into the lives of others that participate as you call on them to share their experiences and success stories with others during your weekly Webcast. (1 hour)

These Action Points listed above are proven and time tested, and used by the world’s most financially successful network marketing and direct sales professionals in various forms – typically more hours per day on each for faster results.  The most important thing to remember here is that they are not at all difficult to do.

The KEY for your success here is to take action on them, whether you ease into it by doing just one of the daily Action Steps each day for a week and then the following week add another, then the next week after that add another, until you are consistently doing all of these on a daily basis.

The same goes with the weekly Action Steps. IF YOU have something that you personally do that you have found helpful and financially successful that has allowed you to break free from procrastination and to take action, please share it with our readers here in the comments section below. And, if you know others in either network marketing or direct sales, and you have the time, PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE with your followers on your favorite social media networks, like Twitter or FaceBook. Let’s help others realize their personal and financial goals together. Thanks!

I don’t think that there is a single individual who lives in the free world who has not heard of Anthony Robbins. His story is one of those rags to riches stories – living on food stamps in a one room apartment, overweight, lazy, discouraged, sick and tired of being a failure, and no options in sight. Then, one day it hits him. He is inspired with a solution to his situation from within, and ultimately builds an empire in the self help industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Fast forward to today.

Have you been to a book store recently and walked by their self-help section. It’s amazing how many self help books there are. And, all of them are on those shelves for one reason and one reason alone; to help you become successful in your personal and public life. I have read a ton of them over the years. Ok. Well, maybe not a ton. More like 500 pounds worth. And, I can tell you that although I don’t agree with all of the information found in them (the best self-help book is the Bible), it never fails that I pick up one or two (sometimes more) great tips, tricks, and/or techniques that help me to better serve others or to better accomplish my goals more efficiently. Maybe you have had the same experience.

Some of those success books are expensive though. Admittedly so, I have paid $40 for some of them that really got my attention. Was it worth it? Well, here is the question I pose to myself when I am considering the purchase of a book that I believe might have a few nuggets of truth in them that could help me to achieve my goals. “If I could learn even one new thing from this book that would allow me to increase my monthly income by even $200, would that book purchase be worth it?” Would you pay that sort of money for a book if you could increase your income by, let’s say, only $100 a month? I think most reasonably-minded people would say it was a good investment – bringing in over a thirty to one return on investment over a years time. Not bad. Beats the stock market, doesn’t it.

I find that most self help books have a lot of fluff in them. Fluff defined is information that is common public knowledge on any particular field of interest or industry. For the most part, at least for me, most self help books have only a few immediately applicable nuggets of information that I can apply that effectuate positive results for me. BUT, in my mind, even a few nuggets of truth – the one or two pieces of information that are able to catapult me into success in the area that I am working towards my goals in – is worth the investment. But, most people do not see it that way. Why? Honestly, I am not really sure why.

A person will gladly pay $8000 or so a year to go back to school to get a college degree in some area of expertise that interests them. They will pay several thousand dollars to go through vocational training program that they feel they need. And, those looking to make their living online will even pay $4000 to $6000 to some slick promoter to get a course that simply teaches them the basics of online marketing, and ultimately how to sell the promoter’s course to others as the way of making money online.  Yet, these same people will be reluctant to purchase a few dozen e-Books that are specific to their success equation online. If you are one of those who have purchased such an expensive course, please forgive me if this seems harsh. Truth is that you may be one of the 95% who never make even their original investment back on those sorts of courses.

So, back on topic to wrap this post up in a positive light here. Here is what I absolutely love about online self help books. Most of the books that you can purchase online – even though they only provide small amounts of needed information – are not only valuable in helping others be successful at what they are endeavoring to do, but hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than getting a formal education on a subject. And, as I have said many times in my Webinars, most people are just one or two small pieces of information away from being catapulted into success. I think we all know though that success is what you determine in your heart and mind to make it. Even those with all the information they need can fail or live in frustration if they don’t have a plan, strategy, or maybe something as simple as a success coach guiding them.

A formal education is important for some as it relates to their ego and their self-image. And yes, a formal education can open doors for the person that is seeking to be an employee for the rest of their lives and work their way up the corporate ladder. However, the truth is (and history proves) that being highly educated does not guarantee a financially secure future. Ask anyone who has a college degree that is unemployed right now (about 20 million of them I am told out of the 45 million who are unemployed).

So how can the enormous proliferation of self-help books both in stores and online as e-Books help you succeed today? Think of this readily available knowledge as not only a repository of help in your endeavors, but also as a potential source of income. The income through the resell of any eBook that you find helpful, as well as your ability to write your own eBook that relates to something that you know a great deal about or have a level of expertise that only a small percentage actually have on a given subject can be huge.

Millions of people are doing searches for information every day, and most often find it through Websites that offer information that is often linked to an eBook they are selling. Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that is available to learn what you need to in order to be successful, and consider writing about something that you feel you know a great deal about that others would consider valuable. There are huge rewards in both.

If you would like to learn more about how you can potentially earn a significant amount of money through the online marketing of eBooks, and would like to be trained in how to do it, write us today at: opportunity (at) sdward.com. We hold periodic Webinar classes on exactly how to get set up on the Internet to market both yourself, your own eBook, and the eBooks of others.

I am a huge fan of MLM (multileveled marketing).  I have been in a dozen multileveled marketing companies over the years and have made a great living being involved in them.  I have nothing but great things to say about them and about most of the people I have met while in them.

Those who participate in MLM businesses are by far some of the most positive and enthusiastic people I know.  It is an ‘up’ sort of business.  You can’t stay down, depressed or pessimistic for very long if you are in one either.  There are some counselors who even recommend that their clients who suffer from depression enroll in a MLM company just for the therapy of being around positive and uplifting people.  However, with the industry of multileveled marketing comes the usual ‘get-rich-quick schemers that give the industry a bad name and take advantage of a great deal many well-meaning howbeit naive people.

For those of you who are not sure what I am talking about or who are new to this industry, multilevel or “network” marketing plans are ways to sell goods or services through distributors.  Typically, these plans promise that if you sign up as a distributor, you’ll get commissions not only from the sales you make, but also from the sales of the people you recruit to become distributors. These recruits are called your “downline.”

And as I have said, not all multilevel marketing plans are legitimate. Some are pyramid schemes. It’s best not to get involved in plans where the money you make is based on the number of distributors you recruit, rather than on your sales to people outside the plan who intend to use the products or services. Joining a pyramid is risky because the vast majority of participants lose money or at best just break even while only a few people at the top make the lions share of the money that changes hands.

How can you tell the difference between a bonafide multilevel marketing plan and a pyramid scheme? According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency against pyramid schemes, it takes research, some business sense and a healthy share of skepticism.

Evaluating a Plan

What’s involved in doing research? Asking your sponsor and other distributors tough questions, and digging for details. Don’t consider it nosy or intrusive: you are on a mission to check out a potential opportunity that will require your money and your time.

Find — and study — the company’s track record. Look for newspaper or magazine articles about the company. Do an internet search. Look through several pages of search results to get a good idea of the information available about the company. Some of the questions to ask are:

• How long has the company been in business?
• Does it have a positive reputation for customer satisfaction?
• Is the product or service clearly defined and does it meet a legitimate need?
• What’s the buzz about the company and the product on blogs and websites?
• Has anyone sued the company for deceptive business practices?
• Does the company have complaints filed with your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and/or state Attorney General for complaints about the company?

All of this said, as with any business or enterprise that you find that seems like a good opportunity, not all companies are legitimate even if they do not have complaints filed against them. Most of the time though, you can tell the type of busines it is by the type of people that the business attracts. As it concerns online marketing opportunities, be very skeptical if those who are inviting you to get into the company are living in a third world or developed country as there is usually no recourse in the event you invest money into it and the operators of it decide to take the money and run. The Internet is especially fertile with this sort of activity. If the individual gettign you into a company is not widely known as someone with a track record in MLM or who is not associated with a legitimate brick and mortar based business in a country where law enforcement can take action against that individual, stay clear of it.

Learn about the product. What will you be selling? Are similar products on the market? Is the product priced competitively? Is it safe? Can your sponsor — the distributor who is recruiting you — support claims about the product’s performance?

Ask questions. Ask your sponsor for the terms and conditions of the plan: the compensation structure, your potential expenses, support for claims about how much money you can make and the name and contact information of someone at the company who has details about the terms and conditions and can tell you how much the average distributor makes before and after expenses. Get this information in writing. Avoid any plan where the reward for recruiting new distributors is more than it is for selling products to the public. That’s a time tested tip-off to a pyramid scheme.

Multilevel marketing plans usually base at least part of your monthly income and bonuses on the sales of the distributors you recruit. Keep in mind that if you solicit new distributors, you are responsible for the claims you make about how much money they can earn. Be honest, and avoid making unrealistic promises. If the promises fall through, you could be held liable, even if you are simply repeating claims you read in a company brochure or advertising flyer, or heard from another distributor.

If you don’t understand something, ask for more information until it is absolutely clear to you. Your sponsor and other distributors should be willing to answer your questions. Be skeptical and carefully evaluate the information you get. Remember that your sponsor and other distributors above you likely will make money if you join the program. So take your time, and don’t yield to pressure to join.

Understand any restrictions. Get the company’s refund policy in writing. Make sure it includes the process for returns as well as restrictions on — or penalties for — returning unused products if you choose to leave the plan. It may seem like you’re minimizing your risk if you can return products for a reimbursement, but policies vary on getting full refunds — and how long it could take. Many plans require you to buy training or marketing materials or pay for seminars if you want to get product discounts or create your own network of distributors. Find out how much time and money other distributors spent on training, marketing materials and seminars when they joined the plan, and whether the plan requires you to participate in periodic training. What happens if you opt out of the training?

Talk to other distributors. Ask your sponsor for the names and contact information for distributors at all levels of the plan. Get in touch with them to ask the same questions you asked your sponsor. In most plans, “upline” distributors stand to benefit when you buy into the system, so they should be willing to answer your questions with specifics. If you get vague answers or guesses, ask follow-up questions until you hear — and understand — the information you need to make your decision. Be aware that there may be shills — “decoy” references paid by the company or distributor to pretend they had success earning money through the plan.

Consider using a friend or adviser as a neutral sounding board or for a gut check. You may want to consult with an accountant, a lawyer or another person you trust who is not affiliated with the plan to review the terms of compensation, determine whether the plan can back up any claims about the amount of money you can make, and analyze the information you’ve gathered and the answers to your questions.

Take your time. Don’t pay or sign any contracts in an “opportunity meeting.” Take your time to think over your decision. Your investment requires real money, so talk to the distributors in settings that make you comfortable and when there’s the opportunity to take your time.

Think about whether this plan suits your talents and goals. Ask yourself whether you would enjoy selling products to the public. Find out how many hours a week your sponsor and other distributors spent on the business when they joined the plan and how much time they spend now. Remember that no matter how good a product and how solid a multilevel marketing plan may be, you’ll need to invest sweat equity and money for your investment to pay off. Consider the other demands of the business — for example, training, recruiting new distributors, managing paperwork, inventory and shipping — and factor how much time it could take to achieve the amount of money you anticipate.

Questions for your Sponsor

Here are some important questions to ask your sponsor and distributors at different levels of the organization. Their responses can help you detect false claims about the amount of money you may make and whether the business is a pyramid scheme.

• What are your annual sales of the product?
• How much product did you sell to distributors?
• What percentage of your sales were made to distributors? NOTE: One sign of a pyramid scheme is if distributors sell more product to other distributors than they do to the public.
• What were your expenses last year, including money you spent on training and purchasing products?
• How much money did you make last year — that is, your income and bonuses minus your expenses?
• How much time did you spend last year on the business? How long have you been in the business?
• How many people are in your downline?
• What percentage of the money you made — income and bonuses minus your expenses — came from recruiting other distributors and selling them inventory or other items to get started?

It’s important to get a complete picture of how the plan works: not just how much money distributors make, but also how much time and money they spend on the plan, how long it takes to make money and how big a downline is needed to make money. Another sign of a pyramid scheme is if the money you make depends more on recruiting — getting new distributors to pay for the right to participate in the plan — than on sales to the public.

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.