MLM Residual Income

PLEASE DON’T ASK TO JOIN MY TEAM if you don’t have a conscience!

What do I mean by that?

When I was doing Arbonne International as a business, we learned to do the “Puppy Dog” method. It was all the rage in the company and what everyone was training. This entails buying the top of the line skin care product – 3 or 4 or more sets – to get them out into the field for testing. The theory is that once people tried it, they didn’t want to give it back and would purchase – just like people not wanting to give back a puppy. Unless, of course, you’re like me – I prefer cats and birds. Not together.

But in reality, those sets are too expensive for most people, so they’d be encouraged to join as a wholesale buyer to get the discount.

What behavior does this drive in the field? Recruit, recruit, recruit.

Would you really buy these products if there was not a business opportunity associated with it? Or alternatively, a wholesale opportunity?

Think about it. The discount is generally 35%. But if most people only buy as a wholesale buyer, for the basic consultant they would get only 4% on a wholesale buyer under them and nothing on their own orders. For the first step of management, now you would earn 8% on everyone under them down a certain level (won’t go into that here) and including their own orders. But you have to have a lot more people buying to make the money you’d make from a retail purchase. Of course, most people won’t pay retail.

Doesn’t that sound like a recruiting rather than a retailing behavior to you?

Anyway, back to my story. I tried the “Puppy Dog” on a young lady who wanted to do the business. She spent $1000 or so on 4 kits and I was ready to train her. But she was shy, didn’t know many people and I could never get her and her boyfriend to come to train. Eventually she changed her phone number and e-mail and I couldn’t reach her.

Deep in my heart I knew it was wrong to have recruited her this way. It was front-loading. It is contrary to my personality and certainly to hers. She did have good product, and hopefully used it or sold it or something. But I still feel terrible about what I did and cannot do it again.

I had to switch to a company that pays 20% to 40% on retail products. That also means that the retail price is the same as the wholesale price. That sounds better than 4% to 8% to 14% (for the next higher Arbonne management level). You can make more money on fewer people. It also means that I can retail and it is not necessary to recruit. Most people don’t want to sign up – just get their product.

The upshot is I was never meant to recruit. Do people join me? Sure, if they want to get bonuses and get some extra income and be trained and plugged into a system that is proven and works. Most people just want to be customers. Not only is that okay with a company like mine, it’s encouraged – the idea is to sell product, not just to recruit.

The other benefit to being with a company like mine is that not only the retail customers tend to stay, but there is a higher retention rate for the business builders. What a concept! Retention.

You don’t even have to join me to get free training from Mentoring for Free. We say we’ll help anyone in any company for free if they want to stay where they are. We mean that. You great folks out there still have to work within the plan and policies of your company. We can’t change that. But we can teach you what to look for, or look out for, and we can teach skills.

Wishing you success, but also reminding you to please don’t ask to join to join my team if you don’t have a conscience,


Wendy Weber, The Singing Network Marketer
602-404-1626
E-mail Wendy for network marketing or health coaching information
www.wendywebermentor.com
"Be a Mentor with a Servant's

So the question is: how do you spell mlm residual income success with Arbonne International products on Ebay?

The answer: IT DOES NOT SPELL SUCCESS.

I was looking on Ebay just now and saw 2940 entries of Arbonne International product sales.

What does this mean? It means that people who have purchased through Arbonne, probably as wholesale buyers, generally means at a 35% discount and other bonus prices, can't sell it and have too much to use themselves.

The phrase for this is "garage qualified".

How do I know this? I've been there myself, but have never sold on ebay, because it violates Arbonne policy.

How do people come to this?

They may have been front-loaded (The Puppy Dog campaign is one way this happens) and, because they are not the right personality for the Arbonne stairstep breakaway compensation plan, can't do what they've been instructed to do and can't sell the product - the price is too high for most people. So they try to recoup at least some of their out-go of money.

Or, people see the Arbonne dream (Arbonne is great at spinning this) of unlimited income and so they "buy" their position or buy the maintenance of a management position. They feel that they will be able to attract a downline just by having a position. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of people this doesn't work and they are stuck with product and no organization to help with the volume of sales they have to maintain.

Or, their organization has worked faster than they and have "broken away", promoting to higher positions, and that sales volume is lost.

Except for the last reason, I've been there.

The vast majority of people cannot make any money at Arbonne. Most people are wholesale buyers just to get the discount.

Don't get me wrong, the products are great - I use them - and Arbonne is a great company.

It takes more than great products for you to make money. Arbonne's compensation is the old-style stairstep breakaway plan and very difficult to work.

DO YOU WANT TO HAVE MLM RESIDUAL INCOME SUCCESS?

Get the skills to determine and find a company that you can actually work.

MLM is a great industry, but not all companies are equal.

Join us at Mentoring for Free to get the skills training you need to find a company and actually work it. The price is right. It's, well, free.

So, wishing you success in answering the question: how do you spell mlm residual income success with Arbonne International products on Ebay? -

Wendy Weber, The Singing Network Marketer
602-404-1626
E-mail Wendy for network marketing or health coaching information
www.wendywebermentor.com
To view a 5 Pillars Company for comparison, click here.

"Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart

How does mlm residual income success and frustration with Arbonne International connect?

Last week I was removed from the Arbonne International Yahoo Groups access. This is a place where people exchange information. The reason was that some people came across some of my blog articles and considered that I was bashing Arbonne and that wasn't good for the group.

Sometimes people do not want to look at the truth. When I point out clauses in Policies and Procedures and explain them relative to the 5 Pillars to Success model, there are many companies who do not measure up.

I understand that people have emotional attachments to their companies and the products. How do I know this? Because I had that attachment. I had a terrible time admitting the truth, that I could not be successful with the Arbonne business model.

The products are great. That doesn't make me (and a lot of other people) any money.

I believe in network marketing. Arbonne is great at spinning the dream of long term residual income. The meetings are fun and exciting and rah, rah. They are very motivational. Motivation is an extermal thing. I would go home from the meetings and think, "now what?" I couldn't change me on the inside.

I went into debt trying to build the dream. I could not turn myself into the person I needed to be to build it the Arbonne way. Most people cannot. I have spoken with and heard many other people just like I am - people who did what we were told, went into debt, but could not build the business.

These people, just like I was, wondered what was wrong with them! What's wrong with me, that I could not build the Arbonne business with all these fabulous products. I had all the tools, I called people, bumped into people, gave samples. I now belong to the NFL - No Friends Left.

I could not be, and these other people could not be, the kind of person who is successful at the Arbonne business. I felt guilty. What was wrong with us? What was wrong with me?

Nothing was wrong with us. It is not our fault. We simply could not make money with that business model.

I have also pointed out language in the Arbonne policies and procedures that points to "ongoing" activities that Arbonne requires business that means that you cannot stop doing them and still expect to be paid. Whether or not the company would enforce that is debatable, but then why is it in there if they never intend to use it?

In addition, Arbonne states in at least 2 places that they can terminate you for no reason.

So, if I point out things that you should know as an Arbonne consultant and that you should know before you sign up, I am revealing what is true.

If I caution people not to get into debt like a lot of us have done trying to build a business we cannot build, I am providing a service. If this makes Arbonne consultants feel threatened in any way, that is not my intention.

I invite anyone who is frustrated with building their network marketing business with Arbonne International or any other company and anyone who is contemplating doing Arbonne or another company as a business, to use the Mentoring for Free system for skills training. Find out what makes up a company friendly to do business with - friendly to the distributor, not just to the company.

If you are a part-time networker, do you want to be paid for what you do? Most companies only pay the top 5%. I'd rather see all you part-time networkers be paid something.

When I say be paid, I mean earn money after all your expenses.

Sometimes we need to separate the products from the business. If you cannot do a particular business, find one at which you can be successful.

Contact me if you want the Mentoring for Free skills training information or if you want some personal coaching. We provide information on how to choose a company, how to work the company where you are, how to decide if you can. The cost of this? Well, it's free.

Wishing you mlm residual income success through avoiding the frustration of trying to build with Arbonne International if you are not the right kind of personality,

Wendy Weber, The Singing Network Marketer
602-404-1626
E-mail Wendy for network marketing or health coaching information
www.wendywebermentor.com
"Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart

What is mlm residual income success to you? Is it to build the business and then be able to stop and go to the beach? Is to be able to will it to your children and your children's children so that they can keep collecting the residual income check?

This is the promise, the dream of mlm residual income!

This is the vision the mlm companies weave for us.

We've spoken before about reading your policies and procedures.

Those of you with Arbonne International who think you can have walk away residual income, think again. The frustration I see is found in section 3.2.1 Support

3.2.1. SupportIndependent Consultants must have ongoing contact and communication with the Consultants in their downline organizations. Examples of such contact and communication may include, but are not limited to: newsletters, written correspondence, personal meetings, telephone contact, voice mail, electronic mail and the accompaniment of downline Consultants to Arbonne meetings, training sessions and other functions.

The above paragraph was cut and pasted from the Arbonne document June 26, 2006.

I highlighted the word "ongoing" in red so that you would not miss it.

"Ongoing" means that you cannot stop. If you stop the company can stop your check. You cannot retire. So why would you want to build the business with this company?

And you cannot let people "interpret" what this means. It is what it is. It says what is says. The attorneys wrote it.

The attorneys work for the company Arbonne International and this language is not in the interest of the distributor.

I've talked to people about this and they are in denial about the consequences of this language. They have loyalty to Arbonne. I understand that. I did, too. I found it emotionally difficult to admit that I had to build somewhere else. That's okay. The people who "get" it will be better off. The others may take some time to "get" it. We all hate to be wrong, don't we?

Don't get me wrong, Arbonne is a great company and has great products. I use some of them.

I could not do the business. Most of the Arbonne consultants I know also are not successful doing the business with this company.

My recommendation? Be a consultant to get the products at a discount. The prices are high anyway. Do the business with another company. People who are in denial - well, that's their problem.

Do you know what characteristics make up a 5 Pillars Company? I'd be happy to teach you.

I invite you to the Mentoring for Free training calls. Why waste time and money in a company where you cannot stop and keep your check?

Wishing you mlm residual income success though avoiding the "ongoing" trap with Arbonne International and avoiding the eventual frustration caused by denial right now -

Wendy Weber, The Singing Network Marketer
602-404-1626
E-mail Wendy for network marketing or health coaching information
www.wendywebermentor.com
"Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart"

Long term network marketing success has a number of factors involved, including the compensation plan, the product, and company management experience with integrity.

Arbonne International is a stairstep-breakaway company. What does that mean? It means that in this compensation plan when someone you signed up promotes before you promote you lose a lot if not all of the volume they created and your pay goes down.

So what kind of behavior does that drive in the field? Does it promote an incentive for you to help your downline to succeed beyond their wildest dreams? Probably not, if your dreams are not furthered, unless you have extraordinary integrity.

Does this model promote an incentive for your upline to help you beyond your wildest dreams if it is not in their best interest?

I have heard through a reliable source from Arbonne, but cannot verify, that recently some people were terminated and a vice president’s check was held for a while because people in the organization were teaching others to change into a new upline using a fake name so that they would not promote out and their volume would still benefit the new upline.

Again, I cannot verify this. I do know that it happens in other companies. As far as I’m concerned this is a legitimate reason for people to be terminated – those who practiced this kind of behavior. Why would these distributors take this type of action? Because it’s so hard to make and maintain the volume business to keep the payouts. It's difficult to find people who will do the business - and you have to have separate legs to promote beyond the basic management level. The only reason the Arbonne distributors were caught, as I understand it, was due to computer system enhancements at Arbonne that allowed Arbonne to track the computers involved.

I will reiterate that I love Arbonne International products. They have great ingredients and give great results. But I cannot do the business. My dreams of network marketing success have taken me elsewhere.

If you are in the same position I invite you to join the Mentoring for Free trainings. Call me or e-mail me for more information. These trainings are free, they provide skills trainings no one else is doing, and they are fun. There is also a great Saturday night personal growth mastermind call.

Wishing you mlm residual income success through avoiding stairstep-breakaway compensation plans that drive an undesirable behavior in the field,

Wendy Weber, The Singing Network Marketer
602-404-1626
E-mail Wendy for network marketing or health coaching information
www.wendywebermentor.com
"Be a Mentor with a Servant's Heart"