October 26, 2006

Day 12 - Affiliate Marketing Silver Linings

Without admitting to the entire world that I have no clue what I am doing, I stride boldly into another affiliation with my eyes wide and spirits high. This program is something I could rave about for the next ten hours if you let me. It Just Makes Sense.

Back in the day, I participated in several MLM and Network Marketing companies. Some didn't admit they were MLM; some crowed about it. I managed to waffle through training materials and cassette tapes (!) and brochures and training manuals and pamphlets, nodding at each step like I got a clue what it was I was supposed to be doing to get someone else to work for me. I gave it the best shot I had, given what I knew how to do. I did not have the tools available to me that you have today - especially the Internet. My main advantage was youthful enthusiasm and boundless energy.

My main disadvantage was being totally unprepared and under-instructed.

In the early 1980s, my husband and I attended an enthusiasm-building seminar that ended up with us spending about a grand for the honor of participating in a survival-foods marketing effort, cheering at the top of our lungs along with the rest of the clamoring pack. A few days later, after the wild cheering had faded and the energy of the hotel banquet hall had dimmed, the start-up package arrived. We settled down in a corner and opened it, read everything in the brochures and training guide, and tried to regenerate the wild enthusiasm we'd felt back at the Holiday Inn.

It didn't happen.

We stared at the stuff in the start-up package and scratched our heads. Now that we had it, what do we do with it?? We felt a bit silly, sort of like the dachsund that finally catches a Volkswagen. We tried cooking up one of the packages for dinner: The food was edible, had a shelf life of 999 years or so and was guaranteed to survive a nuclear holocaust. It wasn't spectacular, but it would have worked well for emergency rations. So we tried harder to regenerate the enthusiasm we'd felt. After all, we reasoned, it must be our own lack of spirit that was trying to trip us up from almost guaranteed success!

After a few days of circular pep talks and repeated answering machine messages to the upline who had signed us, we realized we had nary a clue what do to. The remains of the start-up package migrated to the back bedroom where it gathered dust for about three years. Bottom line: Once the cheering was done and the glitter of the moment wore off, we were left just as confused as before we wrote the big membership check. Why?

Why did we fail? Easy.
Because the instructions in the crate were just as clueless as we were.

Because the upline from us in this pyramidal paradox were just as clueless as we were.

Because the upline from THEM was just as clueless as he was.

Because we could not find anyone to tell us what to do next and how to do it right.

Save yourself from the trials and frustration that we went through.


I don't care how good of a communicator you have in your back pocket. If the person doesn't make sense - if his presentation doesn't make sense - you aren't going to get the help you need.

If the person doesn't reach you and grab you with a twist on the concept that makes you sit up and blink - I don't care how great a salesman he may be - you aren't going to get the help you need.

If the person doesn't take the time to express the concepts in pure and simple steps that make sense to YOU - I don't care how great of a MLM upline he may say he is - you aren't going to get the help you need.






Here is the truth:


YOU can reach out and get the help you need.
Nobody will just step in and offer it to you.
That's a given.

That's the bottom line.



Here is the offer. Here is what you need: The entirely logical approach network marketing, with a presentation that makes sense, in terms anyone can understand, with pure and simple steps that make sense.

Yeah, right, I hear you grinning. Ten thousand people can explain network marketing, MLM, downlines, etc etc until we're bored to tears and our hair falls out.

Of course there are, and that's part of the problem. And that's why there's all that confusion.

If you find someone who can explain MLM, Network Marketing, downlines, uplines, in terms that make sense, grab him.

Grab everything he writes, says, thinks, offers.
Study him, learn everything you can from him, pick his brains and plead for more.
Name your firstborn after him...
I don't care what it takes - this is the person who will help you make sense of it all.



Don't take my word for it. Do your own due diligence. Do your own investigating. Watch the videos - ignore the quality of some of the translated versions - but do not ignore the content under any circumstances. Judge this man's brilliance for yourself and you'll see why you need his clarity and logical approach in your toolbox.


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I do a quick calculation on my situation to date...

So far I've spent $97.
My revenue is at $0.
I have 2 hits on a Clickbank page
I have 164 views of my Too-Simple Chili Relleno Casserole recipe.
I have 52 views of my Too-Simple Time Creation recipe.
I have 50 views of my Too-Simple Teensy Toffee Treasures recipe.
I have 85 views of my Too-Simple Clutter Confrontation page.
I have 20 views of my Too-Simple Chili Verde Soup recipe.
I have 6 views of my Too-Simple Ways to De-stress Holiday Shopping article.

I have successfully not spent about $3490 on hidden secrets and ultimate authorities.
I have successfully not signed up for approximately $10,300 in seminars and gurus.