You’ve seen the web sites and you’ve probably heard the streaming audio sales pitch…
No Selling!
Not MLM!
$3,000 a week from home!
The next time you see one of these sites, you can pretty much bank on the fact that they are MLM and the average guy makes $3 a week. We will discuss those things in another post because today I want to discuss the selling (or lack there of) aspect of MLM.
I know a bunch of Network Marketers that love to compare their business to McDonald’s. These are the “buy from yourself and teach others to do the same” team. It’s funny because McDonald’s doesn’t operate in this manner. McDonald’s doesn’t keep their doors shut to customers, encouraging the crew to eat hamburgers and teach other crew members to do the same. McDonald’s opens their doors to customers!
Network Marketing should start with the product, which is why I recently started working with a Seattle area Biotech company called Oasis LifeSciences. Oasis LifeSciences markets their unique science driven products through Network Marketing.
The whole concept of Oasis LifeSciences is to give out a sample product to people and let them try it. This technique, while simple, is the key to Network Marketing for the average person. The average Network Marketer may not have the influence to “posture invite” 15 people over to their house for a secret meeting, but he or she can hand out samples and ask people what they think.
- Ty Tribble, author of MLM Opportunities Blog and guest author here.
MLM Blog on December 4th, 2005 at 4:12 pm
Filling in for Dane
While Dane Carlson takes some time off to celebrate a new addition to his family, I am helping to fill in at his wildly popular, Business Opportunities Weblog. I am laughing while writing this because here I am (on
David Robison on December 4th, 2005 at 6:17 pm
“This site is not associated with any of the businesses lists here.”
I found this quote in Dane’s “About” page because I remembered reading it at one time and always felt Dane was objective.
I realize that the author of this post is Guest Posting in Dane’s absence but I feel that the post could have been edited more or broken up into two separate posts. One from the author doing a Third-party post on the business of Oasis Lifesciences as a legitemate business opportunity such as is often presented at Business Opportunities Weblog with no mention of his personal involvement and Two, another article on Samples and Marketing in Network Marketing possibly reprinted in a clip taken from the author’s OWN blog, as is often done in this venue.
Objectivity for Dane and his blog would then be preserved as well as providing a link to the author and his biz op.
Ty on December 4th, 2005 at 7:54 pm
David,
I understand your concern, especially since you are associated with the company who’s associates most often refer to the “buy from yourself” language.
The post speaks for itself and while I am affiliated with Oasis LifeSciences, the lesson within the post can be used with any Network Marketing company that has a unique product line.
I would of course leave it up to Dane to edit any of my posts, but I would also ask him to consider that the source of the “complaint” is a competitor in the industry.
Lastly, while Dane may be objective, I am not objective when it comes the Network Marketing industry. There are companies that have scammed millions of people and then there are good companies. I call ‘em like I see ‘em and have posted about a number of good companies that I am not associated with at MLM Opportunities.
The BuildMore Group on December 5th, 2005 at 8:04 am
I agree the sampaling of products in MLM is really Key to building a successful business. Let the product speak for itself. Which is why after years with another company that was all talk - no sample. I looked at a new brand Just lauched on Sept. 24th called XELR8. Their sampling system duplicates that of AOL. With a patented product giving it the Cool Factor of Redbull and Starbucks.
XELR8 is a well-funded, publicly owned company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, that provides high-quality meals, drinks, snacks and nutritional supplements for performance-minded people who want a healthy edge. XELR8 products are pure, safe and effective. They contain only quality ingredients and no potentially harmful substances such as creatine, ephedrine, steroids, androstene dione, or aspartame. Each was developed with one goal in mind: to create the very best nutritional products possible.
XELR8 is managed at the corporate level by an experienced team of business professionals, and is allied with some of the greatest sports figures in Olympic and professional athletics today. Celebrity endorsers of XELR8 products are XELR8 customers—they believe in the superiority of XELR8 products, and you can too.
Our Story
XELR8 is an exciting new concept in the $250 billion food industry that is changing the way people eat, drink and snack. This well-funded, publicly owned company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is poised to become one of the nation’s largest nutrition companies within five years. How? By opening up the industry to average people with an above-average desire to XELR8.
Join the Revolution and XELR8
XELR8 provides high-quality meals, drinks, snacks and nutritional supplements for performance-minded people who want a healthy edge. XELR8 distributors start their business with a modest initial outlay that can quickly multiply through simple, time-tested network marketing techniques. And the earlier distributors get involved, the greater their long-term financial reward.
Even more incredible, XELR8 products are endorsed by some of the greatest sports figures in Olympic and professional athletics today. Major celebrity athletes and coaches such as Brian Griese, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and Mike Shanahan are on the XELR8 team. They believe in the company and it’s one-of-a-kind products, and so can you.
XELR8 is managed at the corporate level by an experienced team of business professionals, executives with years of nutrition and network marketing experience. These are people who have built companies from the ground up, and they can show you how to build yours.
There’s no better time to XELR8 than right now.
The Right Team
A seasoned team of business professionals leads the XELR8 enterprise. Together, they represent decades of managerial experience and entrepreneurial success. They have skillfully guided the company to the American Stock Exchange, where it trades under the symbol [PRH. The executive leadership of this strong, publicly owned company is the team you can rely on to support your launch in the nutritional foods business.
Our Strength
No other direct marketing company has the star power of XELR8. Hundreds of professional and Olympic athletes, coaches and trainers use our products to push their performance and maintain optimum energy levels throughout the day. And people like you are tapping into the nearly limitless potential of the XELR8 Eat-Drink-Snack Marketing System to achieve financial success.
Strong on the fundamentals
XELR8 is new. It’s financially strong, fully funded, and run by experienced, professional management.
We have developed a full product line of healthy, delicious products that people are ready to pay for. Everyone you know wants to eat, drink, and snack in a healthier way. As an XELR8 distributor, you are in a position to offer them the same performance nutrition that famous and respected sports figures such as Curt Schilling and Mike Shanahan endorse and use themselves.
And we’re only just beginning—the classic example of a ground-floor opportunity:
- Endorsed by major celebrity athletes
- Managed by seasoned professionals
- The best nutritional products out there
- Well-funded publicly owned company
- A foolproof marketing system
For more XELR8 information please visit: http://www.buildmoregroup.com/XELR8_XELR8.asp
XELR8’s commitment to quality, science, and research has earned them a loyal following of over 350 world-class athletes, such as 5-Time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson; Super Bowl Champions Mike Alstott and Lawyer Milloy; Olympic Medalists Briana Scurry and Caroline Lalive; Stanley Cup Winner Blake Sloan; and PGA Tour Professional Tom Pernice, Jr. XELR8 products are only available through independent distributors located throughout the nation.
More MLM and Network Marketing leaders as well as many top corporate individuals are aligning themselves with XELR8.
We are currently looking for team leaders for US expansion.
For additional information about XELR8 please visit: http://www.buildmoregroup.com/XELR8_XELR8.asp
Email: buildmore@comcast.net
Jerry Giebeig on December 5th, 2005 at 8:09 am
Ty,
I would have to go with Dave on this one. Yes, I too would be considered competitior, but I do not think that is what is in question here.
I visit this blog daily, and enjoy the news, updates, and information flow.
I find it offensive and tacky that you would self promote your opportunity within this venue, as a guest host.
I vote to have the promotional blurb edited.
Loyal Daily Reader,
Jerry Giebeig
Eric J on December 5th, 2005 at 9:47 am
Ty,
What can you tell us about Operation Cure.All and Oasis paying $150,000 in fines to the FTC?
David Robison on December 5th, 2005 at 9:55 am
Ty,
I have no concern about who you are associated with now or in the past. Nor your critique of another company, even my own.
And you can be non-objective in anything you wish.
Dane often takes clips from other blogs, mine, yours, others. The concern was that the self promotion of Oasis should have been done at your blog and then possibly linked to this blog as it would relate to an entry on “samples”.
Thus, your purpose of speaking on Oasis would have been indirectly served as well as preserving the perceived integrity and objectivity of Dane’s blog.
But, feel free to disagree.
Sincerely,
Dave
Peter Caputa on December 5th, 2005 at 6:11 pm
I actually enjoyed the opinion. Dane is great about finding and posting stuff. But, he rarely shares his opinion. Which I’d like more of. And I think Ty was perfectly clear and transparent about his connection to the company.
Rock on, Ty.
Eric J on December 7th, 2005 at 9:55 am
The reason Ty linked up Oasis in this post is simple - free marketing.
This blog gets a LOT of traffic and has a very nice Google Rank. Really good rank.
So, do a post about Oasis LifeSciences and be sure the link goes to HIS BLOG instead of the corporate website. This ensures that he gets a nice boost from Google. It’s simply a tactic.
Is that tactic unethical? That’s for Dane to decide and he apparently doesn’t mind so nobody else should mind. I just think people should recognize exactly what Ty is doing.
Ty on December 11th, 2005 at 8:00 pm
Eric J makes some interesting points, but completely ignores whether or not the post offers value to a Network Marketer.
There are 3 sentences regarding Oasis Lifesciences in a post with 4 + paragraphs.The post is not about Oasis LifeSciences, it is about giving out samples as a way to build your Network Marketing business. Oasis LifeSciences is a good example of this and used as such.
Lastly, I do not deny linking to my site. I believe it presents a better overview than the Oasis web site and it’s my site.
Mike McCardle on January 15th, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Ty is right, but he forgot one very important ingredient - Traffic. Advertising is the lifeblood of online marketing Period. Most people spend themselves right out of the business. Anyone who has done online marketing for their biz knows I’m right. That’s why 93% of all online marketers are Not making a dime, and the remaining 7% are
making serious cash weekly. What makes you think that you will get any
Serious responses from your ad out of the Hundreds of Millions of ads that are posted everyday. How much money and time have you already Wasted?
Getting fed up yet? Would you like to fix it? Would you like to see what the
other 7% Do and Don’t Do? http://www.your-final-solution.com
darryl on January 26th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
I am a member of oasis, i have found a company that is backed by science, and believes in whole all natural foods, they believe that people have to eat well to change lives and not just take a supplement.
Kerry on May 11th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
I’m glad to see a blog for people who are looking for home based business opportunities.
I have decided to promote Xelr8, the home based business opportunity endorsed by athletes. My personal site is Xelr8-Today
Frank on June 22nd, 2006 at 7:35 pm
The problem with the Oasis model is that the ‘gifted’ product IS lost inventory, and cannot be sold back to the company if it doesn’t result in a sale, ie. can’t be sold. It IS analagous to the McDonald’s crew eating their own hamburgers.
“Give away large quantities of the inventory that you purchase and recruit others who will do the same.”
What is the Oasis distributor retention rate with this model? What amount of BV is generated from the gifting compared to real retail sales?
Ty on June 23rd, 2006 at 7:55 am
Frank,
I don’t think that drug companies look at the samples they give out as “lost inventory”, neither do vendors at Costco who see an 80% increase in sales of the product when they offer samples to shoppers.
I have given out 57 samples to people and from that I had 35 customers and associates join me.
I don’t have retention numbers, but I can tell you that my personal retention numbers are far better than any company I have studied.
When people have a product experience, they tend to stay with the product whether or not they are building a business.
Christopher on November 29th, 2006 at 7:20 am
Together, they represent decades of managerial experience and entrepreneurial success. They have skillfully guided the company to the American Stock Exchange, where it trades under the symbol [PRH. The executive leadership of this strong, publicly owned company is the team you can rely on to support your launch in the nutritional foods business.
collegemoneyonline on January 10th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
this has nothing to do with the article, but i thought i should share something with you guys. Three months ago i joined this company, Global Domains International. Most people said it was a scam, but i just hung around in there, passing flyers and distributing business cards everywhere and so on…People see an opportunity and think it’s easy to make money..it takes time and hard work my friend. I started seeing results recently, and i’m now making big money..Imagine an 18yr old getting weekly paychecks of $2000, $1500 dollars. If i can do it, so can you!!!…this is truly a life changer….check it out…you’ve got nothing to lose!!!!….www.youmoney.ws username : lamor16 take action guys….see results…
Rick Katz on January 11th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
While I agree you have to sell in network marketing, I don’t believe it’s the kind of selling you would do if you sold houses or cars, etc.
When you are selling a business opportunity, you are selling a lifestyle. You’re selling personal development. You’re selling yourself as a sponsor and helper and friend.
The only normal selling involved is the selling it takes to get someone to “look” at your business opportunity. Once someone has seen it, then it’s a matter of building a relationship with that person. You really can’t sell them on changing their life. They decide to do that by educating themselves. As a sponsor you can be involved in that educational process. That’s really about all you can do.
I’m offering a free, 24 page report titled “How to Market Your Homebased Business Opportunity Like the Big Dog Heavy Hitters…without going broke trying!”
You can download it free here:
http://www.BigDogHeavyHitters.com