Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

All of my friends and family know that I grew up with a manual typewriter, an old, heavy two piece with a cord in between telephone, and a black and white television that was 30 inches square and tall. So now I go and sign up with SFI and I need to use a computer.

The stage is set: the computer illiterate grandma needs to know how to get a photo onto and into a profile. And how to get photos into the ECA listings. And how to do a page view, and do Facebook, and Skype. You understand?

So the grown grandkids, the friends, daughters, the friends' kids, etc. all have to help me. While they are helping they see a bit of my Genealogy, the auctions, the Growth Report, TripleClicks, and my ECA store.

As time goes on, I find TC products that might interest them, send them a Gift Card, a thank you for helping me, etc.
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All of my friends and family know that I grew up with a manual typewriter, an old, heavy two piece with a cord in between telephone, and a black and white television that was 30 inches square and tall. So now I go and sign up with SFI and I need to use a computer.

The stage is set: the computer illiterate grandma needs to know how to get a photo onto and into a profile. And how to get photos into the ECA listings. And how to do a page view, and do Facebook, and Skype. You understand?

So
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

While we hear all the time that first impressions are very important, the follow-up is what usually makes the sale, and not the first follow-up either.

When people read our ad, blogs, web-site, Facebook group, or listen to us introduce the SFI/TC Opportunity, they make snap judgments about us, our appearance, and what we are trying to sell them on. They come up with, yes, no, or maybe and it isn't always based on the hard facts you are telling them.

If you leave it where it is when you part or they go on to a different ad, blog, etc. the chances for the sale are iffy at best. It is said that people must be exposed to a new idea or product many times before they decide to buy. But if the product name becomes known to them, if they gain a better understanding and trust with subsequent approaches, then they are more likely to begin to see the benefits in what you are offering and ask questions. Their questions mean that they are interested and are just waiting to hear what they want to hear about the opportunity.At the same time you will be asking questions of them to find out what they are looking for. While you are answering their questions they are not only asking for information, but also forming an opinion as to your character, trustworthiness, and how you relate to them.

So the follow-up is not just another chance to get them to say yes, it is also for a trade of information, and in a sense an interview where each player acts as both the interviewer and interviewee.
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While we hear all the time that first impressions are very important, the follow-up is what usually makes the sale, and not the first follow-up either.

When people read our ad, blogs, web-site, Facebook group, or listen to us introduce the SFI/TC Opportunity, they make snap judgments about us, our appearance, and what we are trying to sell them on. They come up with, yes, no, or maybe and it isn't always based on the hard facts you are telling them.

If you leave it where it
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

Prospects want to have a littler idea about your business before they sign up. What is it about? How do you make money? What will he have to do? How much will it cost.

These questions can be answered quite simply. You don't have to tell him everything. He doesn't know the terminologies. Using these will only confuse him. How can he memorize all the definitions?

When I got in and started doing the To Do List, my sponsor was half-way around the world on personal business. I did my start up alone, other than being told to maintain EA by setting up a Standing Order.

While doing the To Do List, everything I read added more questions to my suitcase full. But incredibly, after a couple of days, the material began to take shape and new material fit with the older material, and soon I could see the big picture.

So I would say, briefly tell the prospects about SFI, but leave the real information for him to discover and explore. Don't lie to him or give him false hopes. Be there when he needs to ask you some questions, but let him have the pleasure of discovery.
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Prospects want to have a littler idea about your business before they sign up. What is it about? How do you make money? What will he have to do? How much will it cost.

These questions can be answered quite simply. You don't have to tell him everything. He doesn't know the terminologies. Using these will only confuse him. How can he memorize all the definitions?

When I got in and started doing the To Do List, my sponsor was half-way around the world on personal business. I did
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

If you are asking how many hours you must devote to SFI/TC each week to become successful, I would say that you may not be willing to invest the time needed to become successful. Or that it might take you much longer than you expect. Here again, you may just be counting the cost in order to schedule your time. But as you can see, many of the answers are in the minimalist corner.

Twenty minutes to do the Daily's? I like to linger with My Movers. If they've earned more than 11 vp, I check their vp ledgers to see where they are focusing their attention. I may drop them a quick Stream message or Genealogy mail, especially if they have come to a milestone.

At the Stream I check my old posts to see if there are any new replies. And I go through those of my friends and ECA contacts, and see uif /gery ir my upline have written anything new.

I do the rest of the Daily's in the same manner. I glean the information and inspiration from them.

But the Daily's and the rest of the To Do List, while important, are not the end of our daily work. Most answers have not included communications with up and down line and others, joining in the Forum discussions, and promoting all of the facets of SFI/TC including submitting ads, blogging, doing auctions, and bragging about this business. Set aside some time daily to work some, not alol, of these intermediate and advanced activities.

Spending minimum time working on SFI will get you minimum compensation. You reap what you sow. Sows do not give birth to lambs. Sew not purses from sows ears. So, what I'm saying is minimum time, effort, investment in means minimum time, effort, investment out.

Allot time and use it to get the whole job done each day. Write your own To Do List each day. Do all of it. Use it to answer the new Goal question on the Daily's.
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If you are asking how many hours you must devote to SFI/TC each week to become successful, I would say that you may not be willing to invest the time needed to become successful. Or that it might take you much longer than you expect. Here again, you may just be counting the cost in order to schedule your time. But as you can see, many of the answers are in the minimalist corner.

Twenty minutes to do the Daily's? I like to linger with My Movers. If they've earned more than 11 vp, I check
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

Because this question asks about those who become inactive shortly after joining, I will disregard those who never earn the first VP. That, I think, leaves three main reasons that a new PSA fails to thrive in SFI.

1) They open up their To Do List, before or after doing the START and BASICS buttons, and they see that they have a lot of work. They panic in their minds and do not see their Sponsor's Welcome Letter, they never learn that they can have all the help they need just by asking for it. They have no confidence in their ability to do this business. Maybe they are lazy and think it is too much work.

2)They get in because they are looking for a quick fix to their financial woes. They see that they will begin earning an income right away, within minutes of beginning. They are very disappointed to find out that their payday is next month. And when it comes, it usually is just a token of what they expected.

3)They get in because it is FREE to join and we are never required to buy anything. Then right away they are told to buy the New affiliate fast track pack, and set up a 1500 VP Standing Order.

We as sponsors have very little time to address these issues before our new PSAs know that they are issues. We can not do anything about their lack of following directions such as the welcome page that they first see after signing up. We don't know if they will ever see our Welcome Letters, but they are our major communication with new PSAs before they go inactive. So these must either be very exciting and stimulate them to read our next emails, or they must explain these potential issues before the PSA has adopted them as excuses to quit.

We also must follow up with other communications in the first few days of their membership. IM messages seem to be missed very often so do not rely on them or the eCards to carry the bulk of your message. Many people do not open eCards until they know the person sending them, and the sender can not save the message for later review.

Remember to take time and use the "Note" section on his Profile page to record dates an, method of messaging, and content or purpose of the message.
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Because this question asks about those who become inactive shortly after joining, I will disregard those who never earn the first VP. That, I think, leaves three main reasons that a new PSA fails to thrive in SFI.

1) They open up their To Do List, before or after doing the START and BASICS buttons, and they see that they have a lot of work. They panic in their minds and do not see their Sponsor's Welcome Letter, they never learn that they can have all the help they need just by asking
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

The eager to earn NOW affiliate comes to SFI sometimes stubbornly blind but with lots of energy. Often his do it my way attitude will be the cause of his failure to succeed in SFI. it is our duty as a sponsor to turn him around.

This type of affiliate often has at the beginning a lot of enthusiasm and energy. We need to quickly harness them to the principle of duplication, his and his team.

We want him to duplicate what we do and teach and we want his team to do what he does and tea succeed, we must follow the system that SFI has developed, and even so, that will take some time.
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The eager to earn NOW affiliate comes to SFI sometimes stubbornly blind but with lots of energy. Often his do it my way attitude will be the cause of his failure to succeed in SFI. it is our duty as a sponsor to turn him around.

This type of affiliate often has at the beginning a lot of enthusiasm and energy. We need to quickly harness them to the principle of duplication, his and his team.

We want him to duplicate what we do and teach and we want his team to do what he does
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

I have had a fair amount of success activating dormant second home CSAs.This is actually my favorite group of affiliates. I never know who I am going to get as a SHCSA. It could be a very successful and well known CSA, or one who has never done anything, or one who is regularly hitting BTL.

I usually look at every profile, and even their sponsors's profiles. I get a good idea about how well they are sponsoring and leading, and how well my new CSAs have been lead.

Then I send them a group mailer with a shocking subject. The title I am using now is:
"I'm a better Co-sponsor for you." That's true, right? Their old co-sponsors aren't doing the job. They quit or lost the right to be a co-sponsor. I will do the job.

Then I welcome them into my team, and start from the beginning, telling them how to begin, reviewing the comp plan, and asking about their WHY's I also tell them that this is a group letter, and if they will write to me, I will personally write to them. I also send a personal letter right away to those who are active. That way, they see how I begin a relationship with an affiliate so they can duplicate it, and they know I am interested in them.

As I said, sometimes it works, other times they remain dormant.
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I have had a fair amount of success activating dormant second home CSAs.This is actually my favorite group of affiliates. I never know who I am going to get as a SHCSA. It could be a very successful and well known CSA, or one who has never done anything, or one who is regularly hitting BTL.

I usually look at every profile, and even their sponsors's profiles. I get a good idea about how well they are sponsoring and leading, and how well my new CSAs have been lead.

Then I send
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

I don't have an auto-responder and don't know how to use one, but at times I think it would be very useful. I try to write several times after a person joins, and depending on how he is doing, the letters vary. But the non-starters get a different letter than those who slow down at 500 vp, and from those who are really doing their work.

But these letters, in each category, are so much alike that, once a letter is well thought out, it does suit the whole category for which it was written. So it can be sent out as a group mailing. And as each person progresses or sits idle, a new appropriate letter is sent out for a total of 3 or 4 or more.

Except that, each person got into SFI on a different date and I want to time these letters appropriately, like 3 days, a week, etc.

As the affiliates become more noticeable with their vp, then I think they should be written to individually. And so should each person who writes the sponsor be answered individually.
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I don't have an auto-responder and don't know how to use one, but at times I think it would be very useful. I try to write several times after a person joins, and depending on how he is doing, the letters vary. But the non-starters get a different letter than those who slow down at 500 vp, and from those who are really doing their work.

But these letters, in each category, are so much alike that, once a letter is well thought out, it does suit the whole category for which it was written.
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

I have seen it happen several times where a new Affiliate is excited enough about the business that everyone he knows jumps right in. And once, the new Affiliate forgot to add his own ID# to his gateway and the new PSA signed up without that ID# and was assigned to someone else. Inexperience has it's blessings and it's cursings.

So what happens when these new PSAs begin to ask questions? One of two things happens: the new Affiliate either knows the answer or he doesn't know the answer. And one of another two things happens: he either tucks his tail and says (whines) that he doesn't know. Or he puts on a posture of authority and tells the answer, if he knows it, or admits that he's too new to have run across that, but will check with his Sponsor to find out.

This posture of authority will take you far in business. No one wants to follow a loser. There is a feeling of security when you are under one with authority, one who postures that Authority. Leadership. Knowledge. Foresight.

The word "posture" hints at play acting, like the child who pretends to be Napoleon while playing war game in his neighborhood. He has nothing behind that except maybe a stick and a hat and jacket. No strategies, real horse, or weapons.

In SFI, a sponsor must be more than pretending that authority. He must be studying the SFI materials, doing his own Daily, Weekly, Monthly activities, buying or selling TC items, advertising, etc. Of course, the new affiliate who early on becomes a sponsor probably doesn't have all of that under his belt, but it is clear that he soon will have it there.

The new affiliate will also lean in close to his sponsor and rely on the knowledge of his sponsor or co-sponsor for all answer that he cannot supply to his PSAs.
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I have seen it happen several times where a new Affiliate is excited enough about the business that everyone he knows jumps right in. And once, the new Affiliate forgot to add his own ID# to his gateway and the new PSA signed up without that ID# and was assigned to someone else. Inexperience has it's blessings and it's cursings.

So what happens when these new PSAs begin to ask questions? One of two things happens: the new Affiliate either knows the answer or he doesn't know the answer.
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Affiliate since: 10/26/2010, Power Rank: 241

You could benefit in several ways when you transfer TCredits to your PSAs and CSAs.
You might also find that you lose more than you benefit if you aren't careful of how you do it.

1) When you announce a contest or a reward for doing something, you create an attitude of "gotta do it" in some of your team. This gives them a short term "why" for doing it and a short term momentum for getting it done. The desired action does get done by those who are motivated. You probably gain VP or a more secured affiliate from this.
2) You have the option of telling them the different ways they can use TCredits and have them understand the many uses of the TCredits and decide which they will use for that group of TCredits. That gives you the chance to have an affiliate who has a positive feeling about having made a decision.
3) Or you can leave them search it out and become more knowledgeable about TCredits. This gives you a chance to have them practice on finding answers by themselves. They may also find that they like the auctions and begin to buy TCredits on a regular basis or advertise the auctions ans sell TCredits themselves.

If these are truly rewarded to the affiliate, it should produce a sense of accomplishment in the affiliate and their attitude toward you should be one of being satisfied in your leadership.

But there may be a chance for you to think that you need to "help" an affiliate reach a goal by sending him enough TCredits to be able to reach his goal.

1) Some affiliates will be grateful and appreciative and will regard you as a great leader.
2) Others will see it as a lack of your confidence in their ability to be able to meet that goal, will lose confidence in themselves, and may even stop logging in.
3) Some will rely on your generosity and leave room for you to step in. This leaves it to you to make the decision whether to keep giving him welfare or to pull the plug and let him "sink or swim" by himself. You will either lose him or gain a strong worker.

You do not have to do for all what you do for one. Be a leader and manage your team by building on the talents of each. Announce on Stream and your Leadership Page what you want to offer to the whole team, but write privately to the affiliate who you want to bolster by offering a reward for achieving another task. This strengthens each member of the team, strengthens the team as a whole, and nudges the weakest into better performance.

Once your team is working as a strong unit, your commissions will increase.


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You could benefit in several ways when you transfer TCredits to your PSAs and CSAs.
You might also find that you lose more than you benefit if you aren't careful of how you do it.

1) When you announce a contest or a reward for doing something, you create an attitude of "gotta do it" in some of your team. This gives them a short term "why" for doing it and a short term momentum for getting it done. The desired action does get done by those who are motivated. You
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