Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Hello, Khalida Anies.

You are, in fact, addressing the issue of what is to be an effective sponsor.

In the 17 years of SFI history, and the prior 13 years of Carson Services, before the creation of SFI, this is one of the questions that have been central to the success of this business.
I personally think that learning the fundamental lessons from such history and going back to it for inspiration will keep us motivated and help us motivate our team members as well.

What I have learned from my review of SFI’s track record is: hard work, planning and innovating. I would summarize it in the following manner, to answer your question:

I. The most important message we must convey to our team to keep them active is: "Winners never quit".

We need to paint for our team a clear picture that differentiates between winners and losers. Winners stay, and work. They look at each hurdle as a challenge to be overcome. They find inner strength in solving the problems they face in their business. They motivate others to do the same.
Losers look at every situation from a negative lens. They do not have the patience to analyze their situation and pinpoint to areas where solutions could help them move forward. They only see defeat where victory is possible. They stop working. They become inactive.

Being inactive is a form quitting. Whoever quits is a loser. They are losing on this great opportunity of success SFI has made available to anybody willing to work this business, focusing on the long term and willing to overcome the obstacles and the difficulties of any start-up.

Most of us are aware of these differences. Our effectiveness, as team leaders and motivators, should come from our ability to help each team member see his own potential of success with SFI and inspire them to reach their goals.

My personal take away from SFI’s continuous success is the constant innovation, adaptation to the changing business world.

In these lessons, we should find ways to apply this understand and this approach to building, motivating and keeping our SFI Team active.

II. I personally like to revisit the “Sponsoring “ module that clearly explains what is to be a Sponsor .

It https://www.sfimg.com/Training/YourRole

It states: “Note! NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, at least half of your affiliates will NOT become successful.”

I find it very beneficial to keep it fresh in my mind “what is to be a sponsor”

Thus, first, it is critical to have a realistic view of internet marketing. There will always be a significant size of registered affiliate who will never be active. We all have noticed that when we sponsor new sign-up, only a few will ever confirm their emails and begin doing some initial work. We will hardly be able to even contact the majority that has not shown any sign of interest. Hence, our focus should be on those we have a reasonable expectation of reaching.

Second, among those who show some initial activity, a good approach is to look at their profile and try to find out their motivations. After welcoming them, we should engage in a fact finding dialogue to identify how we can help be, giving their personal circumstances and their goals.
I would like to remind everybody of this important paragraph from the “Sponsoring” module:

Quote:
“Make sure every AFFILIATE you sponsor has checked out the actions outlined in the To-Do List at their SFI homepage. Assist them as they proceed through these steps! Make sure their questions are answered. GETTING STARTED IS THE HARDEST PART OF ANY JOURNEY. Your job as a sponsor or a co-sponsor is to be available to your team members. Make sure that you are there to offer friendly guidance and support in a timely manner as your personally sponsored affiliates (PSAs) start out on their journey”
Unquote

Third, among those who stay and continue to work with SFI, some will drop. Not every business will succeed. Similarly, not every SFI affiliate will be a Diamond Team Leader (DTL) or even a Platinum Team Leader (PTL). This is part of human nature.

Keeping the above in mind will make our task easier and work efficiently with those who have a vision and a desire to succeed.

What I have found to be most effective is to “work with those who are willing to work, and are taking action to grow their business”.

With those I strive to build a one-to-one working business relationship, asking them questions, getting their feedback, and giving them advice.
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Hello, Khalida Anies.

You are, in fact, addressing the issue of what is to be an effective sponsor.

In the 17 years of SFI history, and the prior 13 years of Carson Services, before the creation of SFI, this is one of the questions that have been central to the success of this business.
I personally think that learning the fundamental lessons from such history and going back to it for inspiration will keep us motivated and help us motivate our team members as well.

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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Hello Ker Als,
Congratulations for your nice badges.
For being part of SFI family for more than ten months now, and with your achievements, surely you must be familiar with SFI culture and approach to sponsoring. All sales, advertising and marketing strategies and tactics are explained in the various training modules.
SFI’s culture and ethics emphasize building business relationship with potential prospects. The strategies, tactics and techniques use to that effects are the answers to your question.
We can summarize these as follows: (i) recruit in your warm market; (ii) teach your recruit s to duplicate; (iii) leverage your presence in the social media; (iv) use free and/or low cost advertising, both online and offline.
To fully explore all the aspects of your questions, we are going to briefly discuss the four points above and look at the tools SFI as made available to maximize our sponsoring potential.
A. SFI’s Approach to Sponsoring and Building Business Relationships

I. Your Warm Market is your family, friends, co-workers, businesses you use regularly, people with whom you interact such in public transportation, shopping malls, grocery stores, and so on. For those who may not be interest for one reason or the other, get referrals from them. Ask them whether they know anybody who might benefit from knowing about SFI.
II. When you bring affiliate from these contacts, you already have a connection with them. Teach them to do the same.
III. Leveraging our Social Media Presence
In the current “News and Alerts” postings, SFI Corporate is explaining the merits of the “share” features that are offered to affiliates when they achieve a milestone such as qualifying in the various ranks of team leader or winning a Daily Grand prize. When we share those events, people learn about SFI. Over time, they will get curious and will want to investigate and learn more about SFI. This is and excellent way to continue working on our warm market.
http://news.sfimg.com/2014/04/01/your-invitation-gateway-and-sfi-share-its/
IV. SFI offers us other tools to build on this soft marketing approach
(a) The Wave3 starter kit (Item No. 70438 ) on your car is designed for just that: to market SFI without you even saying a word. It will arouse the curiosity of those with whom you interact on daily basis.
(b) . The Tripleclicks car decal sticker accomplishes the same result using the same methodology.
.
(c) You also have all the various paper support marketing tools such as Wave3 X cards (Item No. 70429), SFI/Tripleclicks “Grow a second income cards (Grow A Second Income X-Card - 100 pack, Item No. 5597), ECA postcards Item No. 30909), and business cards you can hand out when you are using public transportation, or in your shopping errands for instance. They are very low cost, soft marketing tools.

B. Social Media: A Gold Mine for Sponsoring
Finally, your own ingenuity in talking to people, within the framework of all the social media sites available today with their in-house approach to marketing. As they offer us an excellent opportunity to build our contact lists and designated space where we can share information with like minded business people, marketing online is making leaps and bounds.
In conclusion, we need to keep in mind that our marketing efforts are lifelong. They are part of your daily, and monthly strategic actions as well as long term strategies. Success will not be overnight. It will come only with consistent action and refining our strategies, adapting them to changing circumstances.
I wish you the best in your efforts to succeed as I wish the same to every SFI Affiliate.

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Hello Ker Als,
Congratulations for your nice badges.
For being part of SFI family for more than ten months now, and with your achievements, surely you must be familiar with SFI culture and approach to sponsoring. All sales, advertising and marketing strategies and tactics are explained in the various training modules.
SFI’s culture and ethics emphasize building business relationship with potential prospects. The strategies, tactics and techniques use to that effects are the answers
...more

Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Hello Gordana Pejovic!

Your question conveys concerns about both efficiency and desire to avoid straining relationships with your friends and family members.

Such concerns are very much understandable

Many marketers are over extended the good will they have had with family and friends, trying to sell them every program they come across. We definitely want to avoid that.

However, to be really successful with SFI, it is highly commendable to promote to both

(a) your warm market (family, friends, co-workers, business relationships) as well as to (b) the wider market at large (the world wide market of home based business prospects)

But, first, some preliminary precautions are necessary to avoid burning out your warm market.

A. Avoid Jumping from one Business Opportunity to the Next.

Those marketers who have over extended their good will with their warm markets are most likely those who jump from one business to the next, then try to sell it to their close relatives and friends. Understandably, you would get tired about that as well.

B. SFI is a Unique Opportunity.
It is better to stick with SFI and make it the primary business you are promoting.
This will show that you take it very seriously and will convince your prospect of SFI's value and potential

C. Convey to all your prospects your commitment to SFI.
As you are serious and highly committed to SFI, this will translate in the way you communicate with others

You are not selling them 10 (ten) different business opportunities.
You are only (or mainly) showing all our prospects the value and potential of SFI.
You are more focused, more professional, and more convincing.
Thus, you will be more successful.

Good luck
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Hello Gordana Pejovic!

Your question conveys concerns about both efficiency and desire to avoid straining relationships with your friends and family members.

Such concerns are very much understandable

Many marketers are over extended the good will they have had with family and friends, trying to sell them every program they come across. We definitely want to avoid that.

However, to be really successful with SFI, it is highly commendable to promote to
...more

Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Both are highly beneficial to an SFI affiliate. However, being an ECA and referring an ECA require, each, different mindsets, strategies and marketing approaches.

A business building mindset and sense of customer service will be critically important to be a successful ECA. For the referring ECAs, relationships building and a sense of effective communications are more useful.

As a business owner, an ECA must be aware of the constant market changes, have the ability to adapt, and be able to interact with customers on a daily basis to maintain and grow the business. An ECA is not building a residual income as such. His success is based on meeting the needs of his customers, making those customers repeat buyers and keeping them satisfied, while growing the customer base. He will be well served to keep the customers he has. He also has to find new ones. He has to grow sales and improve his bottom line.

When an affiliate is referring ECAs, he is not focused on products and sales. He goal is to find additional business owners and convince them to register as ECAs, He is earning commissions and building a residual income.

In an ideal situation, an SFI affiliate can and should do both. It is not a mutually exclusive approach. On the contrary, they can be successfully combined. Both are important SFI income stream we should not neglect.
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Both are highly beneficial to an SFI affiliate. However, being an ECA and referring an ECA require, each, different mindsets, strategies and marketing approaches.

A business building mindset and sense of customer service will be critically important to be a successful ECA. For the referring ECAs, relationships building and a sense of effective communications are more useful.

As a business owner, an ECA must be aware of the constant market changes, have the ability to adapt,
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

I started building my SFI business from day 1 by inviting my family and friends one the one hand, and, on the other, by using my connections built through the social media. I also bought an S-Builder co-op unit.

There were no PSAs auctions, or PSAs-to-go at that time. Bid-2-Build is even a more recent introduction.

Today, to start building an SFI team, I would rely on all the above. If an affiliate combines all these markets and tools, he/she will have a strong head-start. Building an SFI team is a great, worthy undertaking. It is very much worthwhile to follow the outlined steps in "SFI Basics" and the Launchpad lessons. SFI offers a wealth of sponsoring methods and aids available at the corresponding training sections. They encompass the needs and skills of beginners to advanced and experienced marketing, sponsoring and advertising strategies.

These methods and tools have proven, time and again, to be very effective.

After the affiliate has gained experienced and a better understanding of the online marketing business, they can ad more sophistication by introducing websites, blogs and online publishing.

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I started building my SFI business from day 1 by inviting my family and friends one the one hand, and, on the other, by using my connections built through the social media. I also bought an S-Builder co-op unit.

There were no PSAs auctions, or PSAs-to-go at that time. Bid-2-Build is even a more recent introduction.

Today, to start building an SFI team, I would rely on all the above. If an affiliate combines all these markets and tools, he/she will have a strong head-start.
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Online shopping has steadily increased over the last ten years. The trend will continue unabated. As a result, selling online is now a requirement for survival and a condition of profitability for any kind of business. In other words, E-Commerce is, today, a multi billion industry, that is growing faster every year.

SFI offers to businesses an easy and cost effective way to be in the E-Commerce game as Affilaites (ECAs) with TripleClicks.

To cater to the shoppers, give them a personal, enjoyable experience, Tripleclicks as instituted the Personally Referred Members (PRMs). Hence, PRMs and CAs) are two major income streams, critical in building an SFI business. We have over 80,000 products and services available within TripleClicks. It is up to us to increase that number and benefit from it. We do that by opening our own stores, referring ECAs or PRMs.

As SFI Affiliates, our role is to bring buyers and sellers to meet. When a sale closes we earn a commission from both ends. A good scenario is when one of our PRMs buys from one of our ECAs. We gain from both sides of the transaction.

For the sake of maximizing my earning potential, I find easier and more beneficial to target both markets using a "common denominator" . This is the way I prefer to answer your inquiry. I promote my TripleClicks gateway:

http://www.tripleclicks.com/xxxxxxxx

This Gateway will drop off our prospective members at the main homepage. The ones who are interested in being a Personally Referred Member (PRM) will sign as such, while a business owner interested in opening their own store will join as an E-Commerce Affiliate (ECA).

I also find it worthwhile to approach the question in both angles:
(a) prospecting for ECAs more specifically using my ECA gateway, when I come across potential members who are store owners and need to expand or strengthen their online activity.

http://www.tripleclicks.com/xxxxxxxx/ECA

(b) or, pitch for TripleClicks membership, seeking PRM sign-ups, when I am interacting with prospects active in niche or segmented markets such as health food, nutritional supplements, home and gardens shoppers or penny auction bidders. In such cases I use my direct sales gateways.

The above is what explains your question. It stems from the fact that the motives are different for prospects who want to be PRMs from those who will be ECAS. In generic terms, they hold the same opportunities for income. An ECA will continue to generate commissions for us as long as they run their business through TripleClicks. So, will a PRM, as long as they are active members. But the actual results will vary from one to the other.

Any direct answer to your question will be just a mere opinion. It will not be based on facts that will remain valid in the majority of specific situations. There are no across the board benchmarks to will tell us that, overall, our ECAs will perform better than our PRMs or the other way around.

Each one of us, a promoters, will have a different experience. I will not replicate your experience and your results; nor will you replicate mine.

In terms of the commission they will generate for us the promoters, there are no established similitude that will hold true in every situation: one ECA will not be equal to another ECA; one PRM will not bring in the same amount as the next PRM, and definitely, one ECA will not be the same as one PRM.
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Online shopping has steadily increased over the last ten years. The trend will continue unabated. As a result, selling online is now a requirement for survival and a condition of profitability for any kind of business. In other words, E-Commerce is, today, a multi billion industry, that is growing faster every year.

SFI offers to businesses an easy and cost effective way to be in the E-Commerce game as Affilaites (ECAs) with TripleClicks.

To cater to the shoppers, give them
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Hello, P. Sheela Pauline Susi!

You are her, on this approach, on a potential marketing breakthrough.

I.Business cards can be a great offline marketing tool

Use them to promote SFI, in combination with online marketing of your SFI page, your Blog and/or your Website you are using to that effect.

You can also use them as stand alone.

With the advancement in printing and design, business cards are now a versatile communication tools.

Business cards are being efficiently used by professionals in various fields to catch the interest. Stock brokers are using them. Real Estate agents are marketing with the help of business cards. Sales professionals are experts in building relationships quickly just by handing out business cards.

You already have with SFI a stepping stone as both an inspiration in design and content.

Thus, your best approach would be
(i) to design a business card format
(ii) that allows you the best message content to market (promote SFI and Tripleclick,) (iii) while inspiring yourself from the marketing aids SFI has made available

II. A Color Business Card Design with your photo
Nowadays, you can get a folding business card (two leaflets)in colors. You may want to use high quality but thin paper, to avoid having a business card that is too bulky. The two leaflets give you enough space for a meaningful content.

a. You will have to pay attention to the font as well as to alternation of colors. Part of your text may be in bold letters.

b. Be Mindful of the use of capital letters by applying the rules relating to titles and text content.

III. A Content Message with your SFI gateways that convey the history of SFI Success
The content of message in your card is as important, if not more, as the design.
Make it meaningful but not too heavy.

Your goal is to catch the interest of the person you just met on the go, and get him to check out SFI or your blog and or your website.

IV. Take inspiration from SFI Marketing Aids
You have a variety of SFI Marketing aids that will help you convey facts and figures about SFI and Tripleclicks.

You may want to visit the Marketing training module
https://www.sfimg.com/Resources/MarketingCenter

When you combine these ideas, your business cards will have a professional outlook that both catchy and efficient.

Good luck to you.
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Hello, P. Sheela Pauline Susi!

You are her, on this approach, on a potential marketing breakthrough.

I.Business cards can be a great offline marketing tool

Use them to promote SFI, in combination with online marketing of your SFI page, your Blog and/or your Website you are using to that effect.

You can also use them as stand alone.

With the advancement in printing and design, business cards are now a versatile communication tools.

Business
...more

Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

Multiple ways are available to earn Action Versa Points. The best and most effective ones have other substantial benefits attached as well. They range from sponsoring Active Independent and Self-Reliant Team Leaders, and e-Commerce Affiliates to bidding in Pricebenders auctions and playing the Zebra Games.
Below is a rundown of the actions to undertake, actions expected in return and the other benefits attached.
A. Sponsoring Executive Affiliates and Team Leaders
Effective sponsoring accomplishes true duplication. It leads to developing successful team leaders. Direct commissions result from our sponsoring activity. Having those team leaders guarantee unlimited recurrent income earned every month and more than the action versa points needed month after month to re-qualify.
We are all fully aware of the chart below that summarizes the action VP to earned from each leadership rank
i. 100 VP For each personally referred Executive Team Lear for at least two months (EA2) (unlimited)
ii. 150 VP for each BTL personally sponsored (unlimited)
iii. 200 VP for each STL personally sponsored (unlimited)
iv. 250 VP for each GTL personally sponsored (unlimited)
v. 300 VP for each PTL personally sponsored (unlimited)

B. Referring E-Commerce Affiliates (ECAs)
100 VP for each referred new ECA are earned for each approved ECA. Other major benefits are also attached to referring ECAs: They are lifetime customers from whose activities commissions are also earned. Both Action Versa Points and commissions from ECAs are also unlimited.
C. Other Actions that yields variable , but not guaranteed Action VPs
These results are not guaranteed. Doing them well will ensure you reach higher ranks and not counting the variable items below.

(a) 100, 50 or 25 VP for answers that rank first, second or third to Ask SC questions .
(b) 25 VP for each product review, unlimited, except only 10 ebooks per month may be reviewed.
(c) 50, 100 and up to 200 VP from the Daily Grand Prize Draw.
( d) VP per enrollee if you are in the Top 20 enrollers for that day (S-Builders enrollees excluded)
D. Price Benders Auctions
This is the first category of actions that have defined and limited results
A maximum of 500 action Versa Points can be earned through participating into the Pricebenders auctions.

E. Daily, Weekly and Monthly Activities through the “To-Do-List.
1. 330/341 VP Daily Actions on a monthly basis, in addition, rights to entry in the Daily Grand drawing
2. 120 VP Genealogy Mailer every month
3. 20 VP TConnect page
4. 12 VP Stream Posts
5. 10 VP Rate Sponsor/SFI for rating your sponsor
6. 200 VP through the Zebra Games
7. 300 VP for Gift Cards distribution to promote your business
8. 50 VP for Gift Certificates Distribution
9. 50 VP for listing products in your TC connect or your Tripleclicks products
Only when you build a team of successful Team Leaders, that will help you earn the Sponsoring actions points will you be truly successful. Your results will last, and your residual income will be steady.
This is the exhaustive list of activities that yield Action Versa points. It is a comprehensive answer to your question.

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Multiple ways are available to earn Action Versa Points. The best and most effective ones have other substantial benefits attached as well. They range from sponsoring Active Independent and Self-Reliant Team Leaders, and e-Commerce Affiliates to bidding in Pricebenders auctions and playing the Zebra Games.
Below is a rundown of the actions to undertake, actions expected in return and the other benefits attached.
A. Sponsoring Executive Affiliates and Team Leaders
Effective sponsoring
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

The SFI Instant Messaging (SFIM) is a chat tool that gives us the opportunity to communicate, live, with our team members and our a2a friends. It is quick, and easy. It speeds up the delivery of the message.

I have used the SFIM to communicate with new sign-ups, as I find them still online, as soon as I receive a notification of their registration. I also have used it to send instant messages, or reply to my PSAs, my CSAs, and my a2a friends.

As for the "Translate" feature, I also have extensively used it to communicate with my team members, and to help a2a friends who reached out to me seeking advice and guidance. To do so, I made a frequent navigation, back and forth, from my email provider to the "Translate" feature at the bottom of each SFI page, and some of the most popular online translators, such as Google Translate.

Based on the reactions and comments of the recipients, the results were satisfactory. The affiliates followed up on the tips and replied back with appreciation.

However, there is not always a guarantee that the translation was always 100% accurate. At best, it is an indication that the recipient understood the overall meaning of the message and the tips that were being offered to them.

That concern may be mitigated, though. Business documents and texts are, for the most part, free of idioms and metaphors. It is a valuable aspect of "Technical Writing". The writing style gives priority to clarity and ease of understanding. Hence, business documents are less likely to lead to translations that produce a different meaning from the intended message.

The above methodology can be used to combine translation with the SFIM. One needs to keep in mind, though, that the navigation between the translator and the SFIM will very likely slow down the chat. But it may still be highly beneficial, when we have a PSA who does not have a full control of the English Language..

My recommendations are as follows:
1. Identify the affiliate's primary language.
2.Open two screens: one for the SFIIM and one for the text you want to translate or the page to which you want to draw the affiliate's attention.
3. Translate that page into the Affiliate's primary language. Again, you will find the "Translator" at the bottom of each SFI page. Copy and paste the phrases, paragraphs or sections you want the affiliate to read.

If you are not discussing a specific SFI document, policy or text, you can still use translation with the SFIM. You will need to open a highly reliable online translator and follow the same steps outlined here..

Sometimes, you may need to combine both the SFI "Translate" feature and an online translator.
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The SFI Instant Messaging (SFIM) is a chat tool that gives us the opportunity to communicate, live, with our team members and our a2a friends. It is quick, and easy. It speeds up the delivery of the message.

I have used the SFIM to communicate with new sign-ups, as I find them still online, as soon as I receive a notification of their registration. I also have used it to send instant messages, or reply to my PSAs, my CSAs, and my a2a friends.

As for the "Translate"
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

I personally avoid putting emphasis on inactive affiliates. It is so unnecessary. They are part of our downline, and as such, we have various tools to contacts them, without singling them out, and without stressing out over their lack of activity.

The team mail tools (Genealogy mailer, PSAs mailer and CSAs mailer) can, on a regular basis, help us reach all our team members, drawing their attention to new SFI developments, such as games, new features and new products, motivating them all, inactive and inactive alike, to take action and build their businesses.

An inactive affiliate who comes across such emails may find a reason to be become active. Thus, we will have brought them back, without singling them out.

Only in the case when an affiliate was active and suddenly stops working, should we sent special mail to them. In such case we have the genealogy filters and E-cards to target them specifically. I limit myself to about a month of individual attention, mailing to the affiliate and asking them whether they need any support or if they have any question I could answers to help them resume their activity. After a month, I limit myself to sending them the regular team mail.

I do also send weekly mail to 'red flagged" affiliates as they are at risk of being deleted from the SFI databases. I draw their attention on their situation and the imminence of their loosing their businesses, if they do not take action.

I agree with those who say that we should never give up on any affiliate. As long as they have not opted out, we should continue sending them at least the weekly team mail.

Many forum posts have told us about affiliates who were inactive for a long time and finally started to focus on working regularly at building their SFI teams. Such affiliates have expressed their appreciation about their sponsor who kept sending them mail all the time they remained inactive.

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I personally avoid putting emphasis on inactive affiliates. It is so unnecessary. They are part of our downline, and as such, we have various tools to contacts them, without singling them out, and without stressing out over their lack of activity.

The team mail tools (Genealogy mailer, PSAs mailer and CSAs mailer) can, on a regular basis, help us reach all our team members, drawing their attention to new SFI developments, such as games, new features and new products, motivating them all,
...more