Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

I think a splash page to promote SFI must have an opt-in box on it as the number one requisite. This should be on the right side of the page, fairly close to the top. Having an opt-in box/form will ensure that you harvest a person's email address. If they don't join straight away, you can at least follow them up with emails and keep them informed of what is happening, your own successes, or someone else's if you haven't had any yet.

Also offering them something for free if they join your team would be a good incentive. This free gift should be something that will help them in their SFI business and preferably something of real value. If you already have the product for sale on TripleClicks, you can show them what other SFI members are paying for it. A picture of the product and a brief description of the benefit to the person of having this should go on the right hand side of the splash page, I think, but definitely above the fold.

A photo of yourself could also be on the page, so that people know that you are a real person and that you will be looking after them if they join you.

Keep the layout simple with only a small number of colours. Don't have animation or big pictures that take too long to open. People get frustrated with things that open slowly and if you're advertising on Safelists and TEs people only see your page for about 20 seconds to get their credits. They must be able to grab what it's about in those 20 seconds.

Good luck with it.

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I think a splash page to promote SFI must have an opt-in box on it as the number one requisite. This should be on the right side of the page, fairly close to the top. Having an opt-in box/form will ensure that you harvest a person's email address. If they don't join straight away, you can at least follow them up with emails and keep them informed of what is happening, your own successes, or someone else's if you haven't had any yet.

Also offering them something for free if they join
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

What was the best advice I ever got from my sponsor or upline?

In a nutshell the best advice my sponsor gave me was to do a better job of sponsoring than he was doing.

Apart from the Welcome email, I have never heard a thing from him. This feeling of aloneness has taught me to keep regular communications with my team. I don't want them feeling like I felt.

My sponsor has never responded to any of my questions. From him I learned to beg my team to ask me questions and actively seek my help. I learnt from his non-responsiveness to respond immediately I get a message from any of my team.

My sponsor has never once offered a reward, a competition, a placement under me, any TCredits - nothing. I have learnt from him that affiliates need to be motivated, encouraged and rewarded. I certainly would appreciate some words of encouragement.

I have never seen a Stream post from my sponsor, not once in a whole year. I have learned from this to put up a post every 3 days, and also to comment on other people's posts. I have made many a2a friends and interact with them through the Stream posts.

Two things I did learn from my sponsor came in his Best Tip which I saw when I joined. In that he advised me to log in every 10 days to keep my leadership page up to date. Of course I didn't follow that advice. I log in every day and do all the daily, weekly and monthly actions.

The other thing he advocated was setting up an autoresponder system to add value to the new affiliates' SFI membership. The emails that came to me via the autoresponder had absolutely nothing to do with SFI, but simply promoted his other programs.

I have partially followed his advice. I have set up an autoresponder to help me keep in regular daily, and then every second daily contact with my new affiliates to help guide them through the first few months until they get a handle on what to do. My personal email address is attached to these emails, and I respond personally and individually to any question that may arise from an email. My emails are totally focussed on SFI - the only other odd products I might mention are tools or e-books from TripleClicks which I think could help with advertising or some aspect of conducting an SFI business. So I learned from him to give my team useful, valuable information.

I have learned from my sponsor that we affiliates to him, are part of his gigantic money making machine, not real people with problems who need human contact, support, friendship and encouragement.

I have learned from my sponsor to try my very best to be everything he is not. Apparently that is working, as I have received 5 star ratings from my PSAs and CSAs.

I have also learned to find my help and support in many other ways. My a2a friends are a wealth of encouragement, friendship and support; my active PSAs and CSAs have become my friends and we share personal emails. I feel blessed to have so many lovely people in my SFI family.

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What was the best advice I ever got from my sponsor or upline?

In a nutshell the best advice my sponsor gave me was to do a better job of sponsoring than he was doing.

Apart from the Welcome email, I have never heard a thing from him. This feeling of aloneness has taught me to keep regular communications with my team. I don't want them feeling like I felt.

My sponsor has never responded to any of my questions. From him I learned to beg my team to ask me questions
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

By the time I am writing my answer, there are already 137 answers there already and most of them are really good.

Summarised most of these include several strategies such as building your confidence by learning all you can about SFI, and writing instead of talking, such as setting up a blog, sending emails, posting flyers and heaps of other non confrontational means of spreading the message.

I am also not very good at talking to people, but have been in jobs which require me to talk. When I was a young teacher, I was a nervous wreck if any parents came to my room during a class - I was fine with the kids, but couldn't handle adults watching me. I never invited parents to assist in reading groups or anything like that. If a parent came to me outside of class, and I was required to speak about her particular child, I found that a different matter. I knew the child and the problems or victories the child was having, and was able to talk freely in this one-on-one situation, and I realised the parent was looking to me as some 'expert' which of course I wasn't.

The point is when people perceive you as knowing something and ask you direct questions it is far easier to talk than if you initiate the conversation. I suggest that you gain all the knowledge you can about SFI and make up a power point presentation. I intend to do this myself, when I learn how to use Powerpoint. Then each of the slides will prompt you in what you need to say at that point. You could make a flip chart instead if you are not that computer literate.

Then ask someone with whom you feel comfortable, if you can practise showing your presentation to him. If he asks you questions and you struggle to answer them, then you have found other areas that need improvement, and can go away and amend your presentation - insert another slide or two into your Powerpoint, or extra pages into your flip chart.

Practise it again with the first person to see if your new presentation answers his questions, and then try it on someone else. A spouse, parent, or adult child would probably be the best people to practise with. Also practise in front of a mirror and try and make eye contact with yourself as much as possible.

Then don't try pushing yourself on people to talk about SFI. Let it come out gradually and naturally in a one on one conversation, that you are in an online business and making some money. Just answer small questions as people ask them. Then when someone's interest is aroused and he wants to know more, ask him to set a time and you will sit down with him and go through the whole business systematically. You will have your presentation, either powerpoint or flip chart, ready to go, but practise it again before your appointment.

Remember this person has asked you - he wants to know, he perceives you as someone who knows more about it than he does, so you are an expert in his eyes, as I was to my kids' parents. Sit down with that reminder in your head, and your prepared presentation and I'm sure you will do well. The more you do it, the easier it will get and you will start to share it with 2 or 3 people together and eventually - a whole roomful.

I wish you well

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By the time I am writing my answer, there are already 137 answers there already and most of them are really good.

Summarised most of these include several strategies such as building your confidence by learning all you can about SFI, and writing instead of talking, such as setting up a blog, sending emails, posting flyers and heaps of other non confrontational means of spreading the message.

I am also not very good at talking to people, but have been in jobs which require me
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

I use this information to show me who is working the business and who has lost interest. I communicate with my team as a group and also individually.
Each week I send a team mail message to my whole team, but I also write individually to various members according to how I perceive their needs from the information in the Genealogy.

Those who appear to be losing interest by not logging in for a while or having a low VP tally, I check on their profile and try to remind them of the goals they had when they joined SFI. I try and encourage them to log back in and keep working the business and that their goals are attainable if they work. I also ask if they need my help, reminding them that I am always available to answer any questions they may have.

Those who have higher VP tallies, I drop a note to tell them they are doing well and encourage them to keep up the good work. I also remind them of my availability to help them with any problems which may occur.

In my weekly team mail I try to encourage a friendly spirit within my team and share personal successes of members with the rest of the team, hoping that others' success stories may help to motivate those who are falling behind as well as boost those who are working well. I also share some aspect of the business that I may have only recently had clarified for myself, or some new insight on working the business. I figure if something was not clear to me before, then maybe it isn't clear to my team either.

I check and use the genealogy information every day.

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I use this information to show me who is working the business and who has lost interest. I communicate with my team as a group and also individually.
Each week I send a team mail message to my whole team, but I also write individually to various members according to how I perceive their needs from the information in the Genealogy.

Those who appear to be losing interest by not logging in for a while or having a low VP tally, I check on their profile and try to remind them of the
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

Many people join SFI without really understanding what it is they are joining. They see an opportunity to make money from home on the internet and it costs nothing to join. That is an appealing idea - make money without going to work and without having to outlay anything to get started. Why wouldn't anyone join?

Then after they join, they wander about the site a bit and discover that the money doesn't actually fall into their laps; they have to DO something first to get any. Some don't even confirm their registration because they decide that this opportunity is not what they thought it was, or that it doesn't suit them.

A few work very hard and flat out for the first few days and make EA in their first month or even day. It is possible to make EA the first time without having to spend a cent or sell anything. However the second month is harder - once all the Launchpad exercises are done and reading the various articles that earn VP, they realise that to maintain EA means buying and or selling. Here is where the hard work starts and where many more people drop out. They don't have the money to pay for a Standing Order, and they aren't inclined to do all the extra study in learning how to market.

Perhaps they have negligent sponsors and co-sponsors who ignore them without offering any help or advice at all. (This is obviously not the reason your or my PSAs drop out!)

Apart from being the best sponsor you can be by offering frequent help and advice as well as motivating with incentives such as competitions and awards for achievements, there is not a lot you can do about it. Keep on writing to them via the team mailer and hope that they will respond. Chances are if they've done nothing, then your efforts will be in vain because they have decided to find something else. As they say, "you can drag a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

However I send emails to my whole group in the hope that they might just bother to read one of them and respond. To those who ask questions and do respond, answer them as soon as possible so that they are not kept in limbo and try and keep them active. If someone was active for a while and then you see they haven't logged in for a while, send them a friendly note asking how they are - they could be sick or have a sick child or something going on in their lives that is keeping them otherwise occupied. Show them that you care and they may come back.

In the end though you have to be willing to let people go - there is no such thing as a one size fits all business. Hang in there yourself and eventually you will build a team of people who share your vision and work as hard as you do. (I hope!)

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Many people join SFI without really understanding what it is they are joining. They see an opportunity to make money from home on the internet and it costs nothing to join. That is an appealing idea - make money without going to work and without having to outlay anything to get started. Why wouldn't anyone join?

Then after they join, they wander about the site a bit and discover that the money doesn't actually fall into their laps; they have to DO something first to get any. Some don't
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

I have actually been considering this myself. Firstly I would like to organise a seminar of local affiliates so that we could discuss our individual successes in SFI and work out doing a joint presentation so that people who have become expert in a particular facet of SFI can share about that area.

For example I would try to find someone who has had real success in signing up affiliates, someone who has had success in signing up ECAs, someone else who successfully generates sales, etc.

From this seminar, a core group could be formed which could then plan the wider public meeting. We would need to consider how and where to advertise, the venue, technical necessities such as PA, overheads etc, the topics to be covered and who would present each one. A panel could be arranged to handle questions, so that no one person has to have all the answers. Then of course we would need to work out how to fairly distribute the new signups between us.

As well as organising seminars to introduce new people to the business, this group could be a support group to help each other and a place where the new affiliates could be nurtured and encouraged.

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I have actually been considering this myself. Firstly I would like to organise a seminar of local affiliates so that we could discuss our individual successes in SFI and work out doing a joint presentation so that people who have become expert in a particular facet of SFI can share about that area.

For example I would try to find someone who has had real success in signing up affiliates, someone who has had success in signing up ECAs, someone else who successfully generates sales, etc.

From
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

I would say that almost any business that sells products could be worth talking to about ECA and TripleClicks. I wouldn't bother with Supermarkets or huge retail chains which already have their own online stores as well.

First my advice is to go to your local markets and promote the idea of an online presence to the stall holders. Take cards with you and be prepared to answer any questions they may have, such as how do they get paid etc. Be willing to help people upload their photos. Some people are scared of an online presence because they think it would be too hard, but if you offer to teach them what and how to do it, they will be more responsive to the idea.

Secondly phone small businesses in your area, such as gift shops and novelty and specialty shops. Ask if you can come and see them and share how they might benefit from an online presence. I think a call before going to see them would be best and they can let you know when is the best time for them to see you and be prepared to ask you questions. I would take the cards with you with your details on them, rather than simply posting them. A lot of unsolicited mail merely ends up in the 'round file'.

Other people who could be interested in becoming ECAs would be people who engage in arts and crafts. Triple Clicks could be a great way for them to sell their hand knitted baby clothes or home made wooden toys or whatever.

Another group would be people who sell their own (or others') information products, such as internet marketing e-books, DVDs and the like. Digital products like these are excellent because they don't require shipping. If you have a friend who has some expertise in a particular area, encourage him to write an e-book and sell it on TripleClicks.

TripleClicks could also be a good avenue for affiliates of other companies to promote their wares and even arrange drop shipping of products, so that they don't even have to handle them.

I hope you find those ideas helpful.

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I would say that almost any business that sells products could be worth talking to about ECA and TripleClicks. I wouldn't bother with Supermarkets or huge retail chains which already have their own online stores as well.

First my advice is to go to your local markets and promote the idea of an online presence to the stall holders. Take cards with you and be prepared to answer any questions they may have, such as how do they get paid etc. Be willing to help people upload their photos.
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

This can sometimes be a difficult task, if your affiliate hasn't really any clue of what they signed up for and was just exploring.

for those who are serious, you need to set the right example yourself by making sure you always do your own daily tasks. In your welcome email, tell new affiliates right up front that doing these daily tasks is essential to their success in SFI. I try and encourage new affiliates that doing these tasks will keep them informed of what is happening in their new business as well as teach them how the business works, and that they are earning while they’re learning.

As well as telling them what they need to do I try and tell them how and give guidance on doing these, sharing from my earlier mistakes so that hopefully they will not repeat them. A problem I found right at the beginning was that I didn’t realise that there was a task halfway down the Daily Actions which was checking the latest items at TripleClicks. I missed this because I was only clicking the links across the top without reading through the VP ledger. I discovered this about a week or so later and realised that for the first period I had been missing out on those 2VP per day. I make sure my new affiliates are aware of that task right away. I Also remind them to scroll to the bottom of the page and click the blue button to show they have reviewed the page to earn their VP.

I have set up a series of step-by-step emails to guide my new affiliates through their first couple of months and I offer the link to these in my welcome email.

Despite my best efforts, however, there are many affiliates who don’t seem to catch the vision of what is possible in SFI and don’t bother with doing the actions regularly and who don’t take up my support offer, or ever contact me. The old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” I don’t give up on these people and still send them my weekly team mail, and sometimes write and remind them of their goals in joining SFI. If I see that they have taken any action at all – even just logging in, I write and welcome them back and try to encourage them to recommit to this great business potential.

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This can sometimes be a difficult task, if your affiliate hasn't really any clue of what they signed up for and was just exploring.

for those who are serious, you need to set the right example yourself by making sure you always do your own daily tasks. In your welcome email, tell new affiliates right up front that doing these daily tasks is essential to their success in SFI. I try and encourage new affiliates that doing these tasks will keep them informed of what is happening in their
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

Firstly I wouldn't advise sending a letter without being invited to do so. Business people are generally very busy and will only give a cursory glance at mail to assess whether it's a sales pitch or something that has to be attended to. Unsolicited mail that appears to be a sales pitch will generally be consigned to the 'round file' - euphemistically the garbage bin. It is like a spam email.

If you want your letter to be read, first of all make a phone call to the business and ask to speak to the manager or owner. Then introduce yourself and give a brief explanation of TripleClicks and what you can do for him. Ask whether he would like to find out more and would appreciate your sending him more information.
If a letter is expected, it is far less likely to be thrown out without being read.

When you write the letter, follow the rules for writing a business letter and make sure that your spelling and grammar are accurate. If you are not a good writer, find someone to proofread and edit it for you. You want to come across as professional.
Make the letter relatively brief, saying that you are sending it following the phone call of whatever day you arranged to send it. Explain that the enclosed brochure goes into all the details. Tell him the web address and your affiliate ID, or if you have a custom domain (recommended) give him that address. Have a stamp made and stamp your domain on the back of the brochure as well. At the end of the letter, say that you will call back in a few days' time to answer any questions he may have, or clarify anything he was unsure of. Include your email address also so that he may put any questions to you in writing. If he sends you a further enquiry by email, answer it promptly.

The phone call, letter, and follow-up call or email will help to build a relationship with your prospective ECA. If he is local, perhaps you could arrange an appointment to see him and take your brochures and letter with you. I find face to face prospecting better than letters, because the prospect sees that you are a real person and assesses whether he feels you are trustworthy. Don't pretend that you know everything. If a prospect asks a question you can't answer, say something like, "I haven't been in the business very long myself yet and I'm not sure of that. I'll find out for you and get back to you." Of course, make sure that you do.

Those are my suggestions for prospecting for ECAs. I hope they are helpful to you.

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Firstly I wouldn't advise sending a letter without being invited to do so. Business people are generally very busy and will only give a cursory glance at mail to assess whether it's a sales pitch or something that has to be attended to. Unsolicited mail that appears to be a sales pitch will generally be consigned to the 'round file' - euphemistically the garbage bin. It is like a spam email.

If you want your letter to be read, first of all make a phone call to the business and ask to
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Affiliate since: 03/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999

The answer to this question lies in 2 areas; firstly in the minds of people wanting to make money on the internet, and secondly the false advertising about quick and easy money available both offline and online.

People in this economically difficult time are often desperate and searching for a way out of their difficulties. This is very easy to understand. When you are struggling to put a roof over your head or food on the table, you want to find something that will alleviate the situation as quickly as you can. I don't think these people are necessarily lazy or want something for nothing. When they see that SFI is free to join, they are quick to sign up, hoping that they can make fast money to end their problems.

There are many people who want their circumstances to change, but aren't willing to change themselves or what they currently do, in order to bring about a change in their circumstances. These are the people who just want to get a better standard of living - they're not desperate but want more things, like a better car, a bigger home, fancier clothes etc. They want to live a wealthy lifestyle, but aren't really motivated enough to bother doing anything that looks like work. They hope that SFI will be an easy way to get the things they want, but aren't that worried if it doesn't work. They have no real passion driving them.

Also the credit based culture of today leads to the idea of instant gratification. All the ads on TV and radio tell us we deserve this and that. We are encouraged to go out and spend money that we don't have and worry about paying it off later. No-one wants to wait for things any more. Gone are the days of newly weds eating off packing crates because they can't afford a table, or going on their honeymoon by train, such as my parents did. This instant gratification mentality undermines the work ethic of people and leads them to think the world owes them a living. Consequently, they are searching for the magic route to instant wealth to provide the means to give them all the things they believe they deserve and have a right to.

Then of course there are many unscrupulous people who give the impression that the internet is brimming full of millionaires, and it is so easy to make a quick buck. How many ads have you seen promising that you will make $1000 a week or a day in no time at all? Then there are people who brag about making money while they sleep! That sounds pretty good to me! These people don't explain to the readers or hearers of their ads that this residual income can take many months or years of hard slogging to build up. No-one made money in their sleep from Day One in their internet business. People hear all that and are naturally carried away, and finding a free to join opportunity like SFI, think they can make money in their sleep with this and join up. When the reality hits them, that they have been conned by these false hopes, they give up and think the whole idea of internet marketing is a scam.

We need to make sure in our own advertising, that we tell the truth and tell people that hard work, time commitment, perseverance and some financial investment is necessary to make a success of our SFI business. We only waste our own time and resources as well as those of people who join under wrong impressions. If you spend money in an advertising campaign, it is counter-productive to lure people into our businesses who will not work and advance our businesses, because they have come with unreal expectations.

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The answer to this question lies in 2 areas; firstly in the minds of people wanting to make money on the internet, and secondly the false advertising about quick and easy money available both offline and online.

People in this economically difficult time are often desperate and searching for a way out of their difficulties. This is very easy to understand. When you are struggling to put a roof over your head or food on the table, you want to find something that will alleviate the situation
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