Affiliate since: 07/02/2013, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Joseph's 53 other Ask SC answers

Hi Ian Chivers,

First of all, Thanks for a great question. The answer is yes. Of course this is wise to bribe your dowline with gift certificates, TCredits and other incentives.  You know what, as a team leader these tools are very effective to support downline but you have to make sure that you have a very active downline in daily task or to do list and then you issue those great SFI Tools to them.

 Sometimes, there is an affiliate or your dowline out there are active with daily to do list but the NO Standing order or their points not reach to 1500vp.  At the same time, this is the best time for you to attend them with your great incentive, send them email, if they online, just chat with them and make them response with your offer to help them. These affiliates need help from you as you are their sponsor or co-sponsor.  So, as their sponsor or co-sponsor you have to be ready to do this as your practice to motivate yourself. Remember, `PRACTISE MAKE PERFECT’ or ‘LEAD BY EXAMPLE’. Once you complete with those practical, it will bring you a lot of benefits such as

1.       IF THEY REMAIN ACTIVE as you sees here – you will earn from them:

-100 action points for support of each personally sponsored EA2.

-150 action points for support of each personally sponsored Bronze Team Leader

-200 action points for support of each personally sponsored Silver Team Leader

-250 action points for support of each personally sponsored Gold Team Leader

-300 action points for support of each personally sponsored Platinum Team Leader

 

AND IT WILL SHOW YOU

2.        DEDICATION – to them such as your commitment in replying their mail, chatting, good communication between both of you and this will remind of them that you’re a great Leader and for sure at the first of the month they will do great at sponsoring rate.

3.       TEAMWORK – work as a team will bring you a lot of thing such as Positive attitude toward your downline, DO table talk the SFI Basic through SFI Chat Bar, Skype, E-Card or other communication Tools as long as your communication reach them immediately and never give up to work as team.

4.       DUPLICATION – Why duplication…..if you do all the above directions, I am sure without your knowing, you are teaching your affiliate to do something without their knowing too. This can be happen when you issue a gift certificate or TCredits to them, at these step they are learning how to claim, how to use it and how to do next time if they want to send the gift certificate to their downline . Of course you attend/guide them how to use and at this step, you do your duplication to them and your team become big and bigger. This is how Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) works and you have to tell them the power of duplication system is great in SFI.

I hope my explanations above will exceed your needs.

Good Luck to you.
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Hi Ian Chivers,

First of all, Thanks for a great question. The answer is yes. Of course this is wise to bribe your dowline with gift certificates, TCredits and other incentives.  You know what, as a team leader these tools are very effective to support downline but you have to make sure that you have a very active downline in daily task or to do list and then you issue those great SFI Tools to them.

 Sometimes, there is an affiliate or your dowline out there are active with
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Affiliate since: 05/07/2013, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Paul's 35 other Ask SC answers

There is a difference between "bribe" and "competition". My own Sponsor, do not run a lot of competitions, neither does he "bribe" anyone. He will sometimes out of the blue, without warning, just post on stream post, that he have transferred TCredits or some affiliates over to another person, and he will explain why he did it. Maybe the person achieved a new Rank for the first time (for instance).

The fact that he announce this publicly in a stream post, make the beneficiary feel appreciated and also create some excitement in the Team, and create an “urge” to perform.

The second part of the question, will it not come back to “bite” you: It can only come back to you if you as a Sponsor do not deliver on your promises. If you run a competition, make sure you can pay the prize and maintain your creditability as a Sponsor. Therefor be careful to use TCredits as a prize, as the quantity that you may transfer towards Affiliates are limited. Rather take the re-assignment of Affiliates as an option, and then, please do not re-assign Affiliates in your current downline. Purchase new affiliates and re-assign them immediately, without even making contact with them directly.

There are not a way that anything can come back to you if you live by the above standards.

I hope this is of value to you.

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There is a difference between "bribe" and "competition". My own Sponsor, do not run a lot of competitions, neither does he "bribe" anyone. He will sometimes out of the blue, without warning, just post on stream post, that he have transferred TCredits or some affiliates over to another person, and he will explain why he did it. Maybe the person achieved a new Rank for the first time (for instance).

The fact that he announce this publicly in a stream post,
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Affiliate since: 08/02/2013, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Terry 's 42 other Ask SC answers

Hi Ian,

With respect, "I cannot agree with you when you write 'is it wise to bribe your downline with Gift Certificates etc etc " - because to many of us, it is simply not a 'question of bribing' at all ! Its more a question of showing your 'downline' that you appreciate their efforts!!

Giving them a additional lift (and experience) to use a TCredit to sample the Price Benders Auctions, or some other 'aspect' of this wonderful system of SFI.

However, I totally agree that giving 'gifts' has to be use with extreme caution, and only when we feel that our 'downline' may be struggling to achieve their goals.

Or, it can be a case of a "motivation" - by offering our downline a small gift - as a reward for them if they achieve a certain target by a certain date?

I think in SFI this policy of rewarding your downline is fairly common.

I hope this helps you decide the course of action you need to take without fear of being bitten later on?

Regards


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Hi Ian,

With respect, "I cannot agree with you when you write 'is it wise to bribe your downline with Gift Certificates etc etc " - because to many of us, it is simply not a 'question of bribing' at all ! Its more a question of showing your 'downline' that you appreciate their efforts!!

Giving them a additional lift (and experience) to use a TCredit to sample the Price Benders Auctions, or some other 'aspect' of this wonderful system of SFI.

However,
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Affiliate since: 10/04/2013, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Ronelle's 268 other Ask SC answers

I personally do not think that would be a good trend to start. At least, not too early in their career.

Some TLs have mentioned gifting PSAs to get them motivated. If they have Fast Tracked, they already should have a working idea of SFI. If that is not enough to get them motivated to try to build themselves a business, a few TCredits or small gift certificate is not going to be enough, either!

On the other hand, it's close to end of second month, they are near EA2, BTL... A few TCs might help them pick up some auction bids, or other AVP. Then, because they have demonstrated initiative and determination, it would be a good thing to gift them.

Gifting could cripple too inexperienced an Affiliate, let them know you will bail them out. One who is active and climbing, a little help could be motivational.

Use your best judgement to decide which way to go when the situation arises...

Best of luck to you...
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I personally do not think that would be a good trend to start. At least, not too early in their career.

Some TLs have mentioned gifting PSAs to get them motivated. If they have Fast Tracked, they already should have a working idea of SFI. If that is not enough to get them motivated to try to build themselves a business, a few TCredits or small gift certificate is not going to be enough, either!

On the other hand, it's close to end of second month, they are near EA2, BTL...
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Affiliate since: 09/26/2012, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read George's 87 other Ask SC answers

Is it an incentive or is it a bribe?

Incentives are good, bribes are not.

A bribe is mis-training an affiliate. An incentive is reward for right behaviour, thus training an affiliate.

Incentives build trust in you and in SFI. Bribes build dependance and a mentality of "you need to pay me to do that" The trust is built because you show you believe in the affiliate and you believe in the action or purchase you are asking of the affiliate. Then when the affiliate sees positive results from your requested actions, which you financed, he is willing and ready to finance it on his own in the future.

Incentives are passed on and duplicated in your downline. Bribes are all "take" and no "give". An affiliate that values from your incentives turns around and incentivises his affiliates the same way.

Incentives move a person to Success. Bribes actually stop constructive work on the part of an affiliate.

An ever evolving problem in sales is to incentivise wisely and properly. I have been in sales many, many years. And I have seen companies incent wrong behaviour. SFI has periodic policy adjustments which can be frustrating, but they are designed to incest behaviour that produces educated, capable, and successful affiliates.

Incentives work, and when well thought out and applied, work Very Well. Bribes destroy.
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Is it an incentive or is it a bribe?

Incentives are good, bribes are not.

A bribe is mis-training an affiliate. An incentive is reward for right behaviour, thus training an affiliate.

Incentives build trust in you and in SFI. Bribes build dependance and a mentality of "you need to pay me to do that" The trust is built because you show you believe in the affiliate and you believe in the action or purchase you are asking of the affiliate. Then when the affiliate
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Affiliate since: 08/28/2012, Power Rank: 198 | Read Marta's 64 other Ask SC answers

I give all my team members a GC if they make 500 VP, in 24 hours. I also reward the ones who make EA with a few TCredits, and If they make BTL the first 2 get a GC as well.

I find this helps and motivates the ones that really want to work, and you always find the odd one, that just wants a free ride, but most of the time it works.

So I would say, if you can afford, to give some form of incentive, to a well deserve affiliate do so, but let your team know, it only goes to "workers", like Gery himself says "work with the workers".


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I give all my team members a GC if they make 500 VP, in 24 hours. I also reward the ones who make EA with a few TCredits, and If they make BTL the first 2 get a GC as well.

I find this helps and motivates the ones that really want to work, and you always find the odd one, that just wants a free ride, but most of the time it works.

So I would say, if you can afford, to give some form of incentive, to a well deserve affiliate do so, but let your team know, it only goes to "workers",
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Affiliate since: 03/27/2013, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Stefan's 93 other Ask SC answers

This question perplexes me.

Why would someone bribe a PSA with a gift certificate.

1. We don't win one time cash awards
2. We have to rerank monthly
3. We don't win extravagant awards

I can see this happening if there is a contest and the prize for most team leaders is a huge cash award.

However, I don't follow this line of thinking for example the Leadership contest.

I.E. Hey Mr PSA if you make BTL, I will give you $20 gift certificate. I really need this as if I get 4 EA2s,
I get a badge and some awards. That is not worth bribing someone.

It sounds odd. The primary purpose go offering gift certificates is to keep your PSA motivated. Not for personal gain. The benefit does not outweigh the value.

If this was possible, though, to answer your question, it's never wies to bribe anyone for any reason period. Yes, it will come back to haunt you. If your affiliate takes the bribe they eventually will give up and you are out a lot of money.

Only motivate premium movers with gift certificates. Then, this is incentivizing them because the difference being is, they want to do it not because you paid them too.

I hope this clarifies your question.

Good luck,
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This question perplexes me.

Why would someone bribe a PSA with a gift certificate.

1. We don't win one time cash awards
2. We have to rerank monthly
3. We don't win extravagant awards

I can see this happening if there is a contest and the prize for most team leaders is a huge cash award.

However, I don't follow this line of thinking for example the Leadership contest.

I.E. Hey Mr PSA if you make BTL, I will give you $20 gift certificate.
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Affiliate since: 04/10/2014, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Maria Derly's 31 other Ask SC answers

Hello Ian,

I firmly believed the word "Bribe" is not even appropriate to be used in SFI. Bribe means money or other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person. We don't bribe or corrupt our downline by giving them Gift Certificates, TCredits or other incentives but giving them these things would surely motivate them to become more active and more involved with their SFI business. It can also be a reward or incentives for appreciating their hardwork or achievements.

Does this practice come back and bite you? my opinion is NO. Your downline would absolutely be grateful for your kind gesture and they will be more interested to work harder and surely, would think that they were so lucky to have you as their Team Leader or Co-Sponsor. Which means good karma for you as the more they earn, the more earnings you will be receiving too.




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Hello Ian,

I firmly believed the word "Bribe" is not even appropriate to be used in SFI. Bribe means money or other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person. We don't bribe or corrupt our downline by giving them Gift Certificates, TCredits or other incentives but giving them these things would surely motivate them to become more active and more involved with their SFI business. It can also be a reward or incentives for appreciating
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Affiliate since: 02/15/2014, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Melvin's 13 other Ask SC answers

To properly answer that question would depend upon your motive in doing so.

If your goal is to reward fast starters or acknowledge a milestone reached, then by all means, GO FOR IT! This is merely a small investment in the future of your business.

On the other hand, if you're attempting to 'convince' someone to join or stay with SFI, it wouldn't matter what you offered them. They got to want it themselves, not by you 'begging' them.

Times are hard. Many people attempt to put on a façade of success, when in reality they're one check away from living on the street!

Consider this: What will help a man in the long run-giving him a dollar every day, or showing him a legal means to make dollars(or euros, krone, rubles, etc)?

Your mission is to show them the way. There's plenty of gold just ripe for someone to get. All they have to do is just dig.
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To properly answer that question would depend upon your motive in doing so.

If your goal is to reward fast starters or acknowledge a milestone reached, then by all means, GO FOR IT! This is merely a small investment in the future of your business.

On the other hand, if you're attempting to 'convince' someone to join or stay with SFI, it wouldn't matter what you offered them. They got to want it themselves, not by you 'begging' them.

Times are hard. Many people attempt
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Affiliate since: 06/20/2012, Power Rank: 388 | Read David's 7 other Ask SC answers

When I offer SFI to other people, I do so with the thought I am offering a business opportunity, and the new people are linking with a group of like-minded entrepreneurs.

In other words, I'm looking for people who have the desire, the motivation, and the tenacity to do whatever it takes to develop their own business.

I am not looking for people who treat SFI as another job, and I am not looking for new members of "my sales team", with me as the sales manager, setting targets and dishing out rewards for reaching them.

Of course, I'm available anytime if someone asks for guidance. I share helpful information and tips regularly on my leadership page and blog, and through the excellent SFI communication channels, as well as e-cards to give praise and encouragement.

In these ways I hope to bring out the latent entrepreneurial spirit in those new to being self-employed, and to fan the flames of those already alight with entrepreneurial fire.

In my personal view, rewards for reaching certain targets are typical of the job environment, and do not encourage the entrepreneurial mind-set.

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When I offer SFI to other people, I do so with the thought I am offering a business opportunity, and the new people are linking with a group of like-minded entrepreneurs.

In other words, I'm looking for people who have the desire, the motivation, and the tenacity to do whatever it takes to develop their own business.

I am not looking for people who treat SFI as another job, and I am not looking for new members of "my sales team", with me as the sales manager, setting
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