Affiliate since: 06/16/2012, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Francis's 42 other Ask SC answers

For me SFI Group messaging tool in your Genealogy is very powerful especially if you need to do more selective mailings or expand beyond just PSAs or CSAs.
YES you can always use the affiliate snapshot to always reach out to your team individually when the need arises but the most effective way to drive duplication is through quality and regular communication with your team using the CSA,PSA and Genealogy Mailer.
It saves you time getting your message across in instances where you have a huge downline.However you can always use your own email to communicate with your team or selective members who needs special attention in their SFI Business.
Apart from the weekly 30VP you earn, the SFI group messaging tool allows you to use the various Genealogy filters to select specific segments of your organization for highly targeted messages.
You can also use group messaging to send general messages to every single person in your Genealogy.
As the saying goes at SFI,if you're not employing regular communication with your team, you're building your business with both hands tied behind your back.
Thanks you.
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For me SFI Group messaging tool in your Genealogy is very powerful especially if you need to do more selective mailings or expand beyond just PSAs or CSAs.
YES you can always use the affiliate snapshot to always reach out to your team individually when the need arises but the most effective way to drive duplication is through quality and regular communication with your team using the CSA,PSA and Genealogy Mailer.
It saves you time getting your message across in instances where you have
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Affiliate since: 01/30/2010, Power Rank: 150 | Read Scott's 63 other Ask SC answers

When you use the SFI email utility, it also goes to the affiliates team mail, so you get the benefit of both. It is all I use, unless an affiliate sends me an email directly.

Using the SFI email utility at least every week also ensures you get the 30VP for sending weekly support messages to your downline.

Also, the SFI emails provides information at the bottom of each email regarding opting out provisions if an affiliate wishes to do that.

The SFI email utility covers all the bases when you want to make sure you are not spamming your affiliates.

Just make sure you don't do any cross solicititation....only links pertaining to SFI should be put in the emails.

Good Luck!
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When you use the SFI email utility, it also goes to the affiliates team mail, so you get the benefit of both. It is all I use, unless an affiliate sends me an email directly.

Using the SFI email utility at least every week also ensures you get the 30VP for sending weekly support messages to your downline.

Also, the SFI emails provides information at the bottom of each email regarding opting out provisions if an affiliate wishes to do that.

The SFI email utility
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Affiliate since: 07/26/2007, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Williams's 638 other Ask SC answers

While using your SFI mailer is sufficient, you can maintain a separate list of active affiliates by using your own business email. Communication with your down line should always have an objective. You are the team leader so you need to set the expectation for your entire network of active affiliates. No matter how effective your communication method, 50% of your affiliates will not respond or show any concern. This is not a reflection on you but rather a reflection of them.

That said, you should communicate with your down line at least 3 times within a 7 day period but no more than 5. Your active members need your support and direction so 3 emails will do for them. Those that are not as active need to see that you are actively engage in your efforts to help them.

Another reason you want to use your own business mailer is that that html is available as well as basic formatting. Your sfi mailer is just plain text. If you include reference links you must explain that affiliates need to copy and paste the link into their browser. With POP mail, links are automatically blue and clickable. Moreover, their is a certain degree of privacy that your own personal mail affords that using the team mail does not. Every team mail is subject to scrutiny and if sfimg thinks that your message is to 'spammy' they won't approve it and all the work you put into it is lost.

In conclusion, team mail works like a charm for those active affiliates that just need a short reminder of tasks that have not been completed. A more detailed message may be need for those affiliates that are not as savvy with browsers and how they work. By using your how personal email, you can include many reference links and they will all be just point & click. I recommend that you use both. Besides, you can earn 30VPs each week by sending team mail. You can do this with your personal mail plus you do have to maintain that list. So when affiliates fall by the wayside, you have clean your contact list. Overall effectiveness of any message is 50/50.
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While using your SFI mailer is sufficient, you can maintain a separate list of active affiliates by using your own business email. Communication with your down line should always have an objective. You are the team leader so you need to set the expectation for your entire network of active affiliates. No matter how effective your communication method, 50% of your affiliates will not respond or show any concern. This is not a reflection on you but rather a reflection of them.

That
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Affiliate since: 10/14/2012, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Jody's 1 other Ask SC answers

Hello Kelly

It's best to use your SFI email as it never gets lost and appears in your SFI Message Manager. You can view all your 'Sent' SFI emails really easily by selecting 'Sent Messages' from the List box which has the default text 'Inbox' written in it from your SFI Message Manager. Also the Affiliates you have sent the message to will see an Alert message on their SFI Affiliate Centre page.

Affiliate since: 10/28/2010, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Annette's 6 other Ask SC answers

I always use the SFI team mail to send out my weekly messages however I do include my personal email address in all my correspondence so my team members can email me directly if they wish.

Affiliate since: 08/11/2010, Power Rank: 378 | Read Chris's 16 other Ask SC answers

This is a great question, and the truth is both are very important!

The SFI mailer is important to get a message across to a multiple specific downline, you can use your filters to really get your message to a specific group of people....plus you get your 30vp every week for supporting your downline, very important!

BUT! Your own email is important to send a more personal, quality email to one specific affiliate, in your own personal email you can include your affiliates name, and congratulate them on a certain accomplishment that they have achieved...this makes them feel more appreciated and not just a part of a mass email from SFI as you are really just sending THEM an email!

Use both forms of communication to really show what a great leader you are!
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This is a great question, and the truth is both are very important!

The SFI mailer is important to get a message across to a multiple specific downline, you can use your filters to really get your message to a specific group of people....plus you get your 30vp every week for supporting your downline, very important!

BUT! Your own email is important to send a more personal, quality email to one specific affiliate, in your own personal email you can include your affiliates name,
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Affiliate since: 07/19/2020, Power Rank: 99999999 | Read Oseloka's 38 other Ask SC answers

I believe you should use both. The two communication methods are not meant to be a substitute for the other but to compliment each other. It's the reason you have both options. For instant, you only have the email information for your PSAs and CSAs and therefore can only communicate with your other downline through the SFI email utility if you want the email to get to their email box.

The SFI email utility is important and convenient too especially when you consider how you can communicate with all your downline in an instant or to various sections of it using the filter options. From my experience, a lot of people don't read their TeamMail messages. So if you want your message to get to the email inbox of those you don't have their email address, this is your best shot.

But then, you know that messages you send through the SFI Email Utility are not instant and bear SFI as the sender. The reader only gets to know who sends the message after he accesses it. If the downline already has his email box filled with SFI messages and is losing interest in the business, he may not be reading those messages again. Here is when it is important to use a direct email:
1. When you're sending a welcome message to your new PSA or CSA.
2. When trying to follow up on an affiliate who has become inconsitent.
3. When you need to communicate instantly with the affiliates and offer support directly to them.
4. When you want to recognize an affiliate for his achievements and tell them how important they are to you. There is always a good feeling it brings when you receive a direct mail from you sponsor or co-sponsor.
5. When the affiliate communicates directly with you through mail.

NOTE: if you already have a default mailto handler, you can easily send a mail to an affiliate through your genealogy by clicking the green envelope button against the affiliate's name. You can set Google mail or Yahoo Mail as your default mail application. Just google on how to do it. All the best.

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I believe you should use both. The two communication methods are not meant to be a substitute for the other but to compliment each other. It's the reason you have both options. For instant, you only have the email information for your PSAs and CSAs and therefore can only communicate with your other downline through the SFI email utility if you want the email to get to their email box.

The SFI email utility is important and convenient too especially when you consider how you can communicate
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

The SFI utility sends to their e-mail under "corporate" on your behalf, so either way is good. You should also have their e-mail so if you send to their e-mail directly, make sure you're not hitting their spam tools by using the wrong keywords and always try to whitelist their email as well in case they email you back keep THEIR email from hitting YOUR spam tools. There are tools you can use that will help you to not use the words that cause emails to be caught by spam busters, so do your own due diligence to find them.

Here is a good blog on this subject.
http://www.bloomtools.com/articles/Spam-trigger-words-to-avoid.html
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The SFI utility sends to their e-mail under "corporate" on your behalf, so either way is good. You should also have their e-mail so if you send to their e-mail directly, make sure you're not hitting their spam tools by using the wrong keywords and always try to whitelist their email as well in case they email you back keep THEIR email from hitting YOUR spam tools. There are tools you can use that will help you to not use the words that cause emails to be caught by spam busters, so do your
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Affiliate since: 10/28/2009, Power Rank: 435 | Read Hal's 14 other Ask SC answers

When communicating with your downline, a best practice is to USE A COMBINATION of your own email along with the SFI Genealogy Mailer features.

First of all, when using the Genealogy Mailer, you accumulate points as you are allowed 30 VP each week for the utilization of this tool. Also, you can communicate with different groups within your team, PSAs, CSAs, geographic groups, various generations, etc. The important part of this feature is that weekly communications to your team are important. The group mailer is perfect for this as you don't have email addresses for those beyond your first generation. My suggestion is to address it as a team mailer, or somehow acknowledge that it is a group mailing so people have the correct perspective.

Secondly, you can contact individuals in your the generations beyond the first level through the Group mailer feature. You can select the filters and choose to identify an affiliate according to their name or SFI id number. You can then write them a personal note. Personal notes are imporant, even though they are likely to be overlooked, or even thought of as being autogenerated. Write them anyway, and contact those who are active on a personal basis regularly. Another group would be those who started and gave up. Send them a personal note through this feature and ask them if they ran into any problems or became discouraged, and offer them your assistance.

Third, Sending your PSAs and CSAs an email from your own email account adds an important personal touch. A few things about this:
1. If you have a client management software (outlook, or something similar), you can click the green envelope and send them a note from your own personal email box.

2. When writing them, let them know you are contacting them personally. This helps demonstrate the sincerity of your interest in their success. Comment on specific progress that can't readily be identified by automatic driven email tools. Again, my experience has been a lot of people have a perception that even this sort of communication is bot driven. Encourage them to contact you.

3. Frequently send quick notes. Sometimes we try to be formal and business-like. Establishing trust and confidence requires making some sort of valuable personal connection (while still being professional). This sort of note sending has often resulted in a chat-like exchange through email which can result in your offering to chat with your team member to quicken the information and conversation exchange for them.

So, basically, what is best is to utilize both venues of communication. Your personal email address with a personal note is a powerful tool as much as the amazing features of the SFI Group Mailer. Both serve an important purpose. When ever you can use both options with a team member you also increase your chances of them opening your email to them and getting past the accidental placement in the spam box.
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When communicating with your downline, a best practice is to USE A COMBINATION of your own email along with the SFI Genealogy Mailer features.

First of all, when using the Genealogy Mailer, you accumulate points as you are allowed 30 VP each week for the utilization of this tool. Also, you can communicate with different groups within your team, PSAs, CSAs, geographic groups, various generations, etc. The important part of this feature is that weekly communications to your team are important.
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

I would use sfi mail as you have a better chance of reaching someone, sometimes if you aren't white listed ,you message may get lost in a spam folder.