Malcolm Patten

Hi,

20 years with Mobil Oil Co, 7 years running my own group of companies, two retail and one B2B and self employed since disposing of them. Much better.

So.  There you have it.  Everything.

Decided to earn my living exclusively from the net in Jan 07.  Am making progress along a path that has had me tacking left and right but always heading towards the nirvana of a 24/7 ATM at the bottom of the garden...

My first real net encounter was Mike Dillard and his book straightened my head and led me away from network marketing and towards Internet Marketing where I feel more comfortable.  Nothing wrong with network marketing or the majority of the companies out there.  I have been with Forever Living Products since 1995 and whilst I am a Senior Manager, no great achievement, I stick with them because of the products and the friends that I have made during my association with the company.  The company is extremely generous and, above all, honest.  However, if an income is what you are after, I suggest to friends that they apply what they have learned so far in life to Internet Marketing and then look at the MLM company after that...

I wish Mike Dillard and his team the very best because they deserve it.

Warmly,

Malcolm

PS  As a Post Script, I took an idea from Ryan Deiss where he has formulated the idea of the "Self Liquidating Giveaway or Offer" much used in supermarkets, gas stations and other retail emporiums, where the prospect gets pulled into a free giveaway which leads to an OTO which leads to the continuity programme, which if not taken up, leads to a down-sell or an up-sell.  All of this to offset the cost of marketing the "Continuity Programme", the final objective.  The continuity programme in "Internet Marketing" terms lasts 4 months of payments on average before the prospect cancels.  You will probably agree with me that this is a bit cynical and a waste of effort because whilst we do have attrition in the MLM industry, it is mostly because people run out of money before they see a result.  The key therefore, is to ensure that the people who we sponsor are given every opportunity to at least cover their marketing costs in the early stages.  My own approach is to try something first and make sure that it works before I roll it out to my group.  So, I created a shopping cart.  Since there are only two ways to make money in this world, move a good or provide a service, moving the company's goods seemed sensible and it is something that everyone could do with a bit of help.  Results for December 2008, with a brand new shopping cart and only 10% of the product line-up, was sales of £798.  If everyone in my group were to do the same on average, I should have no attrition and a whopping cheque!

This is work in progress and if you can use this sort of formula with your own programme, give it a go.