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

Let's say you have local affilliates that you're ready to train. You can do this training at your home or a cafe or anywhere people feel comfortable meeting at a time when they can meet. How you get them to come to the sessions is going to depend on the people themselves.

* In the case of those who want training, you have it easy. You tell them when the session is, and they come.

* If they don't want to come, you have to speak to their values--the same ones you spoke to when you signed them on as affiliates. Show them how your training will help them do what they want to do.

* It never hurts to serve coffee and donuts (unless you're talking to a diet enthusiast).
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Let's say you have local affilliates that you're ready to train. You can do this training at your home or a cafe or anywhere people feel comfortable meeting at a time when they can meet. How you get them to come to the sessions is going to depend on the people themselves.

* In the case of those who want training, you have it easy. You tell them when the session is, and they come.

* If they don't want to come, you have to speak to their values--the same ones you spoke to
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

This seems like an odd question to ask because it seems like the reverse of the way I would want to think about my PSAs and CSAs. I want to be able to maintain contact with each and every person on my team who wants to be active because that way, I can keep motivating them effectively. If you're doing this correctly, you're just lending time, knowledge, and experience, and that's free and easy. Support them forever because that's how they keep earning you commissions and bonuses.

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

This depends on exactly how a given forum defines "spamming" in their Terms of Use. Typically, they want you, at minimum, to avoid sending out unsolicited e-mails and private messages to their members. Some have additional content-posting rules. Obey those rules and you will be able to stay on their forums. What you typically want is form *them* to contact you. Tell them about your experiences--if you're succeeding at SFI, tell them about your commission checks. If you're enjoying one of the games or the auctions, talk about what you're enjoying. Add a signature down at the bottom of your forum messages:

"Ask me why I'm so happy."

When they ask, you tell them. Simple.
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This depends on exactly how a given forum defines "spamming" in their Terms of Use. Typically, they want you, at minimum, to avoid sending out unsolicited e-mails and private messages to their members. Some have additional content-posting rules. Obey those rules and you will be able to stay on their forums. What you typically want is form *them* to contact you. Tell them about your experiences--if you're succeeding at SFI, tell them about your commission checks. If you're enjoying
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

The Genealogy tool is one of the most powerful management tools we have at SFI because it is so flexible. Its sorting capacity allows us to both monitor and group our various affiliates for mailings, assigning TCredits, or even reassigning our own affiliates. Because we can make our own filters, as opposed to just the Quick Filters, we have many, many options. Here are some of the ones I like to use:

"This Month's VP > 1 and Generation = 1" gives me all my currently-active direct PSAs.

"Last Month's VP > 1 and This Month's VP < 10" gives me all my affiliates who have currently done less than a day's work this month; I need to talk to them.

Filtering by Key Code lets me compare not only how my various methods of promotion are working in terms of numbers of affiliates, but also in terms of the *activity* of those affiliates.

I've yet to use the new TCredits Welcome filters, but I know that'll be coming in August, when I start to use that more actively.
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The Genealogy tool is one of the most powerful management tools we have at SFI because it is so flexible. Its sorting capacity allows us to both monitor and group our various affiliates for mailings, assigning TCredits, or even reassigning our own affiliates. Because we can make our own filters, as opposed to just the Quick Filters, we have many, many options. Here are some of the ones I like to use:

"This Month's VP > 1 and Generation = 1" gives me all my currently-active
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

If you've got a large, active downline--the keyword being *active*--the majority of this is taking care of itself. However, when it comes to attention and providing the additional value that makes you an "awesome sponsor," there are essentially three items to consider:

1) Keeping the line of communications open: setting up your own blog or forum can be handy, and if you have people that use Skype, that gives you the ability to give personal attention or, if there's interest among your active downline, even set up group teleconferences or even "webinars" that everyone can participate in.

2) Continue to elicit information, not only on what each member is doing so that you can suggest alternatives, but what each person is seeking so you can better help him or her achieve more personal goals.

3) If you're already doing these, you can also provide incentives that encourage, each in his or her own way, to continue being active and effective members on SFI. Not all of these will be TCredits, co-op shares, or otherwise SFI-based. Graphic designers can help with artwork for their ECA stores, bloggers can publish articles on affiliates' sites, and affiliates looking to explore TripleClicks for items to promote can ask their downline members to help evaluate goods.

Every other piece of advice I would give you hinges on one of these three facets. Keep building your downline and enjoying great success.
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If you've got a large, active downline--the keyword being *active*--the majority of this is taking care of itself. However, when it comes to attention and providing the additional value that makes you an "awesome sponsor," there are essentially three items to consider:

1) Keeping the line of communications open: setting up your own blog or forum can be handy, and if you have people that use Skype, that gives you the ability to give personal attention or, if there's interest
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

I like your question because it puts the affiliate first, although to my mind, this question practically answers itself: Put yourself at your affiliates' service, learning about them by asking them about their lives, what brings them into SFI, and then showing them exactly how to achieve their personal goals. You simply let them *learn* what to do from you rather than attempting to force them to follow, and instead, you can be seen as caring and nurturing rather than as a dictator.

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

There are two different types of "cost-effective" behavior: taking advantage of free services, and using paid methods to get the most bang for your buck.

SFI has a variety of free marketing tools, and you can use them on free-for-all ad sites, safe-lists can provide free traffic in trade for you visiting their ads, and you can set up free websites with free ads that point themselves to SFI and your ECA store. You'll find all manner of free classified ads with a quick web search, and you can plaster your ads all over the place. There are two problems with "free" ads, though: many of them are not very effective, and placing them can be time-intensive.

There are some great marketing tools available through SFI and TripleClicks, too, from their S-Builder Co-Op to PSAs To Go. Using these save tremendous amounts of time--and they do earn you VersaPoints--but since they are automated, and you're not spending your time connecting with people to bring them in, they're frequently lacking in motivation, even if you manage to connect with them in their own language on the first day.

The best techniques involve connecting with people personally and having fun while you do it. That way, any money you spend, you get to enjoy, you meet new people, you make new friends, and the connections you make can help you out. For this purpose, I'll invest in some of the SFI marketing cards or TC Gift Cards and use them while I'm at an event.

For example, as an artist myself, I really enjoy checking out what other people are doing, so I'll go to an art center's "Open House" and visit a whole slew of artists' studios at once. I get to introduce myself to the artists, tell them about what I do, give them my card, and suggest that they might want to check out Tripleclicks as a place to sell their work. Voila! New ECAs! As a writer, I'll trade my services writing articles and put ads up on their websites, so that not only am I promoting SFI, I can promote myself at the same time.

I also believe in checking out other social groups in person; when you meet people who have big social networks and too much time on their hands, it's just a question of showing them SFI and see how many people they can recruit in turn. Frequently, it gets you someone who will do the duplication with their friends FOR YOU. You get two levels of PSA for your work signing one guy up.

Basically, save time and money by investing in people, not "traffic." It's the difference between having a party where everyone makes money and treating people like numbers in a "numbers game." At the end of the day, which do you think is going to be more fun, more motivating, and more rewarding?
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There are two different types of "cost-effective" behavior: taking advantage of free services, and using paid methods to get the most bang for your buck.

SFI has a variety of free marketing tools, and you can use them on free-for-all ad sites, safe-lists can provide free traffic in trade for you visiting their ads, and you can set up free websites with free ads that point themselves to SFI and your ECA store. You'll find all manner of free classified ads with a quick web
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

There is really just one way that traffic exchange websites drive traffic to your SFI gateways: You buy or earn credits that you then use to promote your own websites and/or gateway links. Buying the credits, obviously, costs cash; alternately, you can usually earn credits by surving other people's ads.

The problem inherent in a traffic exchange is that everybody's surfing ads to earn credits, with very few actually desiring to sign up. That means you can expect some pretty low sign-up rates, and from those people who do sign up, the average activity level is also pretty low. Be aware of this going in.
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There is really just one way that traffic exchange websites drive traffic to your SFI gateways: You buy or earn credits that you then use to promote your own websites and/or gateway links. Buying the credits, obviously, costs cash; alternately, you can usually earn credits by surving other people's ads.

The problem inherent in a traffic exchange is that everybody's surfing ads to earn credits, with very few actually desiring to sign up. That means you can expect some pretty low sign-up
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

People who do not have money to invest in SFI are the ones who NEED MONEY the most, so direct them to the task that is most likely to earn money in SFI without much personal investment: promoting TripleClicks and its projects. When they bring in customers, they earn both commisions and VP. Signing up affiliates can also bring commissions and VP, and this, too, is free, but keep in mind that affiliates who duplicate this process will *not* be generating commissions because they will also not be buying things from TripleClicks.

My Rule Number One: Always focus on sales.
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People who do not have money to invest in SFI are the ones who NEED MONEY the most, so direct them to the task that is most likely to earn money in SFI without much personal investment: promoting TripleClicks and its projects. When they bring in customers, they earn both commisions and VP. Signing up affiliates can also bring commissions and VP, and this, too, is free, but keep in mind that affiliates who duplicate this process will *not* be generating commissions because they will also not be
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Affiliate since: 12/31/1969, Power Rank: 99999999

If you're starting off as a TripleClicks E-Commerce Associate, the most important thing is to stock your business with your products, whether it's e-books or baby clothing (or anything in between), because as an ECA, that's what gives you a primary income stream. Focus on your niche primarily, but feel free to deviate a little if you have a product or service worth selling.

Do a little research, take a look at what the successful folks are doing. Connect with them, and ask questions.

Make sure you advertise and point people to your store. If nobody can find you, nobody can buy from you, and then there will be no opportunity to sell anything.

Know your products and your shipping requirements. You don't want to wind up ripping yourself off!

Consider starting your own blog somewhere popular, and use it to advertise your own products.

By definition, there are too many "don't"s to list, from "Don't charge less than your costs," to ridiculous stuff like "Don't tease a rabid rhinoceros." Focus instead on building your clientele and working on your own perseverance and fortitude. As with all business, the race is a marathon, not a sprint.
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If you're starting off as a TripleClicks E-Commerce Associate, the most important thing is to stock your business with your products, whether it's e-books or baby clothing (or anything in between), because as an ECA, that's what gives you a primary income stream. Focus on your niche primarily, but feel free to deviate a little if you have a product or service worth selling.

Do a little research, take a look at what the successful folks are doing. Connect with them, and ask questions.

Make
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