John Dilbeck Musings

I’ve been thinking about this question quite a bit over the last few weeks.

Am I getting all I deserve from SFI?

Let me think out loud about that for a few moments.

Do they send me a commission when I sell something? Yes, and it’s always on time, as expected.

Do they pay me an upline override for anyone in my T-Net? Yes. Again, it’s always on time and exactly as promised.

Do they offer training materials to help me improve my marketing and team leading skills? Yes, they do. I’ve learned a lot about online marketing over the last few years and I’m getting better at it all the time. I still haven’t found the magic system and don’t believe there really is one. But, I’m finding and using tools that make my business grow and I’m getting more commission checks than ever before.

Am I getting better as a team leader? That’s certainly a mixed bag. You see, I’m not a people person. I’m an old bear who likes to travel alone and do what I want. I’m much more suited to being a blacksmith, a programmer, or an affiliate marketer than I am to be part of a network marketing team.

On the other hand, I try to do what I can and I like to think I’m improving over time.

I only contact you sporadically, but I value each contact and look forward to hearing from you and working with you to build a real sales team over time.

I do my best to answer all emails I receive from you - something my sponsor has never done. So, I didn’t have anyone to learn from and I’ve had to figure it out on my own with the help from what I’ve found on the dboard. Eventually, I plan to have a system that works and which will be relatively easy to duplicate, even if you don’t have extensive computer or marketing skills. It’s not ready, but I am slowly making progress.

Will I take you by the hand and lead you each step of the way? No.

Will I help if you ask me a question? I’ll do my best.

So, I’m trying to offer you more than my sponsor ever offered me, and I hope you will build on that trend and offer more to your affiliates than I offer to you. When any of us finds something that works reliably, I hope we can find a way to make it available to everyone in our team. We cannot build a sales team without working as a team.

Does SFI provide me with services and products to market? Yes, they do. I love some of these products, including the Super Orange cleaner, which I use all the time. I enjoy reading the magazines to which I’ve subscribed via our Veriuni affiliate store. I haven’t bought many things through our store, but I’ve been very satisfied with all the ones I have.

Does SFI provide me with a staff to make my business easier to build? Certainly they do. They handle buying, stocking, and keeping track of the inventory. They pay the interest on financing that stock. They have a staff to handle customer service, shipping, returns, refunds, and all the rest of the behind-the-scenes duties that have to be done when selling products and services. They offer help to their affiliates (us) via phone and email and have always been curteous and helpful when I contacted them.

They provide a computer staff to take orders, provide marketing doorways for us, and maintain the dboard forum where we can help other affiliates and be helped by them.

What do they ask from us? Very little. You can remain an affiliate and do nothing, if that is the path you choose. If you want to build your sales business and start earning commissions, then you have to do the marketing that brings in new customers and generates sales. SFI pays rather generously when you do that, especially if you are an EA.

Am I getting all I deserve from SFI? I think I am. I am building a business, and SFI is an important part of that business. It’s not all I do, but it’s important to me.

Are they paying me for doing nothing? Not on your life. I’ve earned every dollar I received from them, and you’ll have to earn every commission check you receive, too. SFI is a marketing organization, and if you’re not marketing, you’re not making any sales. No sales, no commissions.

That goes for every other affiliate and network marketing organization you’ll find on the Internet, too, no matter what they say. SFI won’t try to hype the opportunity and tell you that you’ll succeed by doing nothing. No sales, no commissions; it’s just that simple.

I think it is important to become and remain an EA in the organization. I became an EA the first month it was offered and I remain one now and plan to remain one for years to come. It is part of my commitment to the company and is a concrete demonstration of my intention to do the best I can with this organization.

Is SFI getting all they deserve from me? I hope so. I’m trying.

Is SFI getting all they deserve from you?

Only you can answer that. You know why you joined and what your dreams were. You know what your income goals are and I suspect you have not achieved them yet. Why not? Have you done any marketing today? What about yesterday? How are you going to sell anything if you are not marketing at least a little every day?

If you are regularly marketing, believe this: If you persevere and are consistent with your marketing efforts, they will start paying off for you.

I remember when I started my online marketing business. I was happy to make a sale a month at first. Then it was a sale a week, and then a few per month, and now a few per day. It takes time to get noticed and to let people know you.

Now and then, I entertain thoughts about quitting SFI. I’m not earning as much as I want to with this company, but I have good feelings about it. Gery is always working to make the company better. The staff I’ve dealt with have been efficient and honest. I’ve always been paid what I earned, and I can’t say that for some companies with which I’ve worked.

I think, as Gery states in his AskGery column, that NOC is the future of SFI. I think it still needs improvements, but I’m sponsoring new merchants every month and I’m seeing requests for coupons every week, so I know it’s growing. I love helping people in my local area market their products and I’m working to increase my marketing of NOC in the coming year.

Have you told anyone in your town about NOC?

Working together we can achieve great things. Working separately - or not working at all - will certainly limit our success.

I lost my team leader status for awhile and just regained it in November. I want to thank each of you who is now an EA, and I’ve adjusted my 4102 team leader co-op so that all current EAs are in it. I’ve removed anyone who no longer an EA.

The way you build your sales organization is to sponsor a few EAs and help them do the same. I wish I had a clear-cut way that I could recommend, and one day I’ll find one. If you find one before I do, please share with us.

Are you fully participating in your SFI business? I think there is room for each of us to improve.

Act on your dreams!

JD

http://JohnDilbeckAndFriends.com

http://ResidualIncomeForum.com

PS: I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and I wish you the best in the coming year.

If you own a business, you already know that all businesses need new customers.

Two months ago, a new online service was introduced with the purpose of making it easy for merchants and business owners to offer special offers to attract new customers (or reward existing customers).

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How much are you willing to pay to acquire a new customer?

How much are you willing to pay to get new business from your existing customers?

What is the lifetime value of a new customer for your business? How much are you paying to acquire a customer now?

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When you create an offer, won’t you think about making your expiration date at least a year from now? That way, more people will get a chance to try your offer, you’ll have less administrative efforts in renewing the offer, our affiliates (thousands of them) will have an easier time promoting your offer, and we’ll all save time and effort in promoting your business.

Of course, if an expiration date a year from now doesn’t suit you or your offer, you’re free to set the offer and the expiration date to exactly what you want. That’s one of the beauties of this new service.

We’re working hard to promote you.

I’m asking you to give us a try.

If it doesn’t result in new business for you, it won’t cost you a penny - just a few minutes of your time.

I’m also asking you to make an offer that is exclusive to our service.

How many people promote your coupon when you advertise in your newspaper?

We are ready to actively promote your offer. Since you’re saving money by not paying for advertising that doesn’t work, we’d like to ask you to make a offer that is better than your usual offer. You’ll benefit and so will your new customers.

I want to promote your business.

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Give us a try.

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Remember, no customers, no sales, no cost.

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Sign up today.

(This service does not accept offers for business opportunities. We are happy, however, to help you promote your products and services.)

Thank you, and I look forward to promoting your business.

I hope you have a wonderful 2006.

John L. Dilbeck
Dilbeck Marketing
Murphy, NC 28906

You will find tips, advice, training, and answers to your questions about the NOC program at the NOC Forum and UBC Forum on the SFI discussion board.

If you are not an affiliate and would like to participate in the NOC coupon system, I invite you to sign up as a free affiliate.

To learn more about all the details about NOC, visit the NOC Launch Announcement.

Take advantage of Nice Offers, today.

If you are a merchant who would like to offer your own special offers, learn more and register your business at no cost.