It’s with a sad heart that I must report what may well be obvious to some of you.

We’ve quit MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP), which recently changed it’s name to My Lead System Pro. It’s sad because we put a lot of time and effort into working with it, and because I believe it has (well, had) so much potential for the typical Internet marketing newbie. Not that we Beach Bums were noobs — but the vast majority of people using it are!

So why did we quit?

For a number of reasons. In fact, more than I have time to go into now. I will do a much more detailed write up on this in the future, but right now my focus is entirely on other ventures… running the business, PPC/PPV, affiliate marketing and putting together some new websites, products and various kinds of work for clients.Yes, I’m a busy boy!

Anyway, the major reasons are these:

1) I have some real problems with some of the things the “boys” over at MLSP have done recently. IMHO, quite a few very poor business decisions have been made recently. Ask me about the ViralURL.com debacle — an unethical conflict of interest and total disaster for most of the user base. From a pure profit standpoint, I’m sure these decisions have been very good for the partners behind MLSP. As for everybody else? Not so much.

2) I’ve come to the opinion that MLM is not where I want to be. Now, the MLSP boys have recently repositioned their system (hence the name change) to appeal to a much broader potential user base, but in this case it’s not even really about their system, per se. The fact is, John and I got into MSLP because we needed a readily (if not easily) duplicatable lead generation and capture system for those we sponsored.

But since we’re not doing MLM anymore, it isn’t necessary. As many of the posts on this site already indicate (for those of you who are familiar with them), we’re only going to promote passive income programs from now on. TriVita being the main one.

Our recent experience with MLSP and MLM in general only reinforced our belief that for the average noob, building any kind of effective online presense is difficult in and of itself (even with tools like MLSP). Add in the difficulties and costs of lead generation… and forget about it! It’s just not going to happen for the typical person.

With passive income programs, you can just be in a profitable business from day one. With MLM and other “online money making” programs, all you’ve got is a business plan (if that). There’s a big difference. In fact, a huge WORLD of difference!

Except for the handful of those who want to actively build their passive income businesses online, most of our new associates simply don’t need a system like MLSP. And for the small number of individuals who are serious “go getters,” IMHO there are better solutions. A custom lead capture system can be built by just about anyone with the right training. The learning curve for this is about the same as the learning curve to use MLSP. So, in way when it comes to MLSP… what’s the point?

3) We’ve observed that the vast majority of signups go to those who are making the most noise about being “top dogs” at MLSP. David Wood comes to mind. In our opinion, MLSP has become like so many other “big name” products — the dominion of “gurus” and way-too-much hype.

It’s become just like the world of affiliate marketing — the average noob simply can’t compete. In this case, it’s not the bonuses. It’s the perception that a “big name” will be of greater help than somebody who doesn’t have that name.

The irony is that guys like David Wood actually brag about how they don’t have time to help noobs anymore. But does this stop beginners from signing up with them? No. MLSP encourages this cult of personality thing. But again, the average noob just doesn’t have that kind of juice. Their site is going to languish while the “big names” continue to sponsor like crazy. We actually saw some of our own people lose signups to those very same “big names” at MLSP. Enough is enough.

Finally, my good friend and business partner John has been unwell for quite some time now. This has put an enormous strain on me, because all the business responsiblities have fallen on my shoulders. I’ve just got to pare it back…

OK. Enuf for now.

- Karl

Numis Network Review

Usana is getting their fair share of scrutiny from thousands of people who wonder if they’re getting scammed out of their money. But if one really looks into it, they’ll find that nothing is wrong with Usana.

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The products that Usana uses are based on health and nutrition. They want their customers to walk away from the product feeling younger and healthier. After having success, Usana was examined to see if they were taking advantage of their downline distributors. But these following questions should answer if they’re a scam or not:

Do They Have a Legit Product?

A legitimate MLM company sells a valid product or service to consumers who use it. Usana, as mentioned earlier is a producer of nutritional supplements and products for personal care. Since they have a legitimate product to market, Usana is indeed a true company. If they aren’t legitimate, they will focus most of their time on recruitment rather then the product. Usana has nothing else to worry about because it is basically clear that what runs the whole MLM network system is the Usana product.

Is the Member Investment Reasonable?

Usually any MLM compapny will require that, as a recruited networker, you make a small investment in order to make use of their product by selling it. Making a large investment makes the company a fraud. Joining an MLM network should have a reasonable amount of money to put into it. You should take warning to the company if they are asking huge amounts of money, and tell the Federal Trade Commission.

Do They Provide plenty of Training?

Each marketer who is newly recruited into an MLM company should be trained properly as to what the product image is and how to better their sales. Usana apparently already has a built in training program that fulfill s the needs of new recruits and networkers. So you can count Usana as a positive company that isn’t a fraud.

What’s Compensation?

As you put forth hard work into the company and sell a certain amount, every marketer gets compensation. When a false figure of money is used to attract customers and networkers, it is not a legitimate company. Compensation plus hard work go hand in hand. This is the root of multi-level marketing. There is a scheme that Usana uses, that compensation comes from each commission you make off of a sale. This shows legitimacy.

It’s safe to say Usana is legitimate. All the basics have been covered and the rumors you here of Usana should be looked over.

If you are considering starting any new business venture, or getting into MLM/Network Marketing in particular, you owe it to yourself to read this article — particularly if you are a newbie.

These days, most people are familiar with MLM/Network Marketing. However, most have never heard of Cooperative Marketing. Those that aren’t may find the content herein to be shocking and amazing, if not revelatory and potentially life-changing.

Cooperative Marketing has been around for a long time in the mainstream business world, but it is relatively new to the “home-based business” world. The term can mean many things, but in general it means that the retailer is receiving marketing assistance from the manufacturer, supplier or other large-scale enterprise. Such advertising “co-ops” are common in many brick-and-mortar industries, including the grocery, insurance and publishing businesses.

In the case of a home based business, it means the company you are working with is taking on a major burden that normally would fall to you: the marketing of the product. In fact, the better Cooperative Marketing companies do much more than this, including actual selling, distribution and customer service. To date, only a relative handful of companies use this business model (compared to the hundreds of MLMs out there).

More’s the pity, because a growing number of “work at home” authorities consider it the far superior business model — both for the companies in question and for their individual representatives.  Though the two business models have many similarities, they are more clearly defined by their differences, which are explored in this article.

MLM (MULTILEVEL MARKETING)/NETWORK MARKETING

As you probably know, the MLM/Network Marketing business is a huge industry. Many household names (Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Herbalife, Shaklee, etc.) have had tremendous success using this business model, and many thousands of representatives (also called associates or distributors) have built profitable businesses in the industry. A smaller but still sizable number have built successful enough businesses to live very, very well indeed.

The MLM/Network Marketing business is based on the idea that reps are responsible for just about everything in their business, other than producing the product and handling commissions and bonuses. The company does these last chores, while the representative must undertake tasks which many find difficult and even onerous.

First, reps must find their own customers. Second, they must find new people to join their businesses with them. This is known as building a downline, and great success in the industry is predicated on having a large and thriving one. Specific business plans vary from company to company, but generally speaking you will not reach the top of the leader boards by selling alone. Third, reps may be required to order certain minimal levels of product every month, warehouse those products, distribute them, handle returns, etc.

While it is true many people have had great success in MLM/Network Marketing, it is also true that a far greater number have had little or no success. The plain truth is, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur of this type and/or is willing to make the necessary commitments and sacrifices. It takes time, patience, money and lots of hard work. Beyond that, not everyone who gets started in the industry is suited to its business model, which requires a tremendous amount of social network building and maintenance, among other things.

MLM CHARACTERISTICS

• Company produces the product: reps must sell it
• Rep does the marketing: must find customers and sell to them
• Rep does the warehousing: must often buy large quantities of product, store and deliver them, and handle returns
• Rep does the customer service
• Rep does the continuity: must keep in frequent touch with customers to keep orders coming in
• Rep does the recruiting: must personally find and sponsor people for downline
• Rep does the training: often involves hand holding, pep talks and panic calls at 3 A.M.
• Size of business limited by ability to recruit and/or controls put in place by company

COOPERATIVE MARKETING

As stated, the home business version of the Cooperative Marketing business model is actually quite different from  MLM/Network Marketing, though there are surface similarities. This probably explains public misconceptions and confusion. For instance, in Cooperative Marketing companies, one can sell, sponsor and build a downline. The lingo and terms involved are, in many cases, identical. However, it is at this point where the similarities end, and the superiority of the business model begins to become clear.

In Cooperative Marketing, instead of the the majority of necessary business tasks falling on the shoulders of the representative, it is the company that handles them. Instead of buying products, investing in training programs (books and tapes), attending conferences and suchlike, the Cooperative Marketing rep simply buys lifetime profit sharing rights to existing customers. It is the company itself that does the marketing, acquires the customers, sells to them and services them. This is nothing less than the difference between starting a business that may or may not succeed, and having a profitable one.

In this regard, the representative is really more of a business partner whose funds help defray the costs of R&D, marketing and customer acquisition/service for the company. In return, the representative benefits from being in business with a successful company. In short, the company does all the “heavy lifting,” and the rep reaps a share of the rewards.

By being able to obtain profit sharing rights to existing customers, the rep’s job is enormously simplified (not to mention immeasurably improved). In fact, in some Cooperative Marketing companies, the lucky rep is not even required to actively build the business — though this is of course encouraged! This means that one does not have to sell, recruit or sponsor in order to succeed! By comparison to the poor overtaxed MLM/Network Marketing rep, the Cooperative Marketing rep can simply sit back, relax and take care of an existing, thriving business.

COOPERATIVE MARKETING CHARACTERISTICS

• Company produces the product, sells direct to consumers (reps can sell as well)
• Company does the marketing: finds and sells to customers via traditional means (print, TV, etc.)
• Company does the warehousing, shipping, delivery and handles returns
• Company does the customer service (though rep may help too)
• Company does the continuity: mail, email and even phone support (rep can too)
• Company does the “recruiting”: places new reps into existing reps businesses (!)
• Company does the training (though rep may help personally sponsored)
• Size of business only limited by profit sharing commitment over time

MLM vs. COOPERATIVE MARKETING: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The Cooperative Marketing business model recognizes that for the new representative — who most likely has no background in sales, recruiting or marketing — the best use of his or her time is in doing something that is easy, direct and natural.

Conversely, the MLM/Network Marketing business asks new reps to engage in a long, difficult process of learning new skills and doing things many (perhaps most) people do not like and are uncomfortable with. These include the “most obvious” ones: recruiting and selling. In addition to all that must be learned and mastered, the typical MLM/Network Marketing rep may be additionally burdened with product warehousing and delivery, attendance at meetings and training events, travel to same, additional ancillary costs for training and travel, and much more.

The Cooperative Marketing model asks new representatives to simply work with existing customers. It is a perfect fit, because this is the one thing that is not only difficult for big companies to do, but virtually impossible. At the same time, as mentioned before, it’s something most people can do with little or no training. The reps main job is simply building and maintaining personal relationships. And since the new rep is playing in a “warm market” (with existing happy customers) instead of in a cold one, there is considerably less stress and no brutal learning curve.

MLM vs. COOPERATIVE MARKETING: CONCLUSION

The Cooperative Marketing business model addresses all the aspects of MLM/Network Marketing that are so problematic for most people. By allowing the company to do what large companies do well, and allowing individuals to do what they are good at, a natural synergy occurs that is best of all possible worlds for all concerned (including the customers).

While MLM/Network Marketing reps are scrambling to learn all that they have to learn — at the very same time they are trying to prospect and sell as well — the Cooperative Marketing representative simply enjoys the benefits of partnering with a large, successful company. Instead of taking on the considerable financial and time burdens of building a business from scratch — not to mention all the associated risks — the Cooperative Marketing rep simply “piggybacks” on success and reaps the rewards.

This article has shown the glaring differences between MLM/Network Marketing and Cooperative Marketing. They are considerable, and the conclusion plain for all to see. Will Cooperative Marketing ultimately doom traditional MLM/Network Marketing? It is hard to say. Much depends on whether new companies are willing to adopt the business model. But one thing is absolutely sure — Cooperative Marketing is clearly the superior home business opportunity for all concerned.

We’re pleased and excited to announce that our new free report, The Newbie’s GUIDE To INTERNET MARKETING, is now available. Click the link to download our internet marketing guide now. If you’re truly serious about your financial future, we recommend you get it — and read it — today!

Above is the promo video. We think it’s pretty rockin’… you know, for somethin’ put together by Beach Bums! What do you think?

THE OLDY, MOLDY WAY OF MLM RECRUITING

By Karl “Big Kahuna” Steinmann

As many of you know from hard personal experience, mlm recruiting the traditional way is usually a slow, painful and even demoralizing process. For even the very best mlm recruiters, it’s always been a combination of skill, art and luck. You must deal with rejection, insult and even attack from people who do not want to be bothered by you or hear about your mlm business. You must constantly be on the look out for new prospects. Every waking moment is spent in either contemplation or action towards finding more mlm recruits. It’s no fun at all.

Achieving mlm success this way is a hard road, and these days, mlm recruiting has become very difficult using these old school methods. Marketers of all stripes know that people today are more resistant than ever to the pitch, and thus mlm recruiting is even harder than before — which is saying something!

However, with the advent of the internet mlm recruiting has become a science — for those in the know. The web provides all the tools and resources (many of which are free) to make mlm recruiting a whole lot easier, faster and — best of all — fun! Wouldn’t you like to have people chasing you to join you in your opportunity, instead of the other way around? As unbelievable as it may sound, you can. Millions of people are looking for guidance and a good mlm business to get into. By being a valuable resource to these people, you can show them how to achieve mlm success without burned shoe leather, lost weekends and and broken hearts.

THE NEW (AND BETTER WAY) OF MLM RECRUITING

Attraction marketing teaches us to become the hunted, to draw others to us because of our knowledge and expertise. It is the opposite approach to the hard-sell and dragging people (often kicking and screaming) to meetings. It is how most of the big online gurus have made their names, and increasingly, this method is being used by people of all backgrounds to carve out successful niches — mlm or otherswise — for themselves online. It works because you don’t do the selling and telling. There’s no song and dance. No convincing nor arm twisting. The prospect sells him or herself; all you have to do is close the deal.

Those who are succeeding in the mlm business today are doing it online using attraction marketing principals. By positioning yourself as an expert, mentor and friend, you can achieve remarkable mlm success without having to do any of the ugly, uncomfortable, unpleasant things you’ve had to do in the past.

So how does one become the hunted? The saying is simple, the doing a bit more complicated. See below. Still, I would argue that it’s a heck of a lot cheaper and easier (not to mention faster) to do mlm recruiting this way than to do it the “tried and true” (and brutal) way.

First, you must have your own website or blog (the latter is better for fast search engine results). Then follow these steps:

1. Post a relevant, original mlm business article to your site
2. Post a video about the article to YouTube (be sure to create your own Channel)
3. Have the video point to (link to) the article. Or, you can do the reverse by starting with the video and backing it up with the article
4. Bookmark your mlm business articles and videos on all the important bookmarking sites (Digg, Delicious, Mixx, etc.)
5. Notify the social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Linked-in, etc.) about your new mlm business content
6. Post versions of your mlm business articles to the important, high Page Rank article directories
7. Post your mlm business video to the other important video sites (Yahoo, DailyMotion, MetaCafe, etc.)
8. Make sure all article/video “copies” have links pointing back to your original mlm business article or video
9. Rinse and repeat for 60-120 days, creating at least one new piece of mlm business content per day

Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? It is. But you have just been given the keys to the kingdom.

MLM RECRUITING ON OVERDRIVE

What you have just been shown is nothing less than the “secret” method of that has made many “unknowns” mlm success stories and superstars virtually overnight. It is a proven, solid, results-driven method. But it is is a lot of hard work. After all, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it, right? Is everybody achieving tremendous mlm success today? Does everyone have their mlm recruiting going on overdrive, recruiting 1, 2, 3 or more new associates everyday? No. They don’t. But they could, if they put this method into play and worked it seriously.

This mlm recruiting system has put many individuals at the top of the leader boards in their mlm business opportunities in record time. It has literally spun heads and left people breathless. In this author’s humble opinion, it is the best method for achieving mlm success. Period. It is even better than “buying” your way to the top with pay per click (which is very expensive and has many other drawbacks). It will put your mlm recruiting and mlm business on overdrive.

This simple system has been repeatedly shown to produce a tidal wave of traffic and leads in very short order. It has been proven to transform an mlm businesses in just a matter of weeks. You can have the same kind of results — to become the hunted, in other words — by just following this plan.

Obviously, there is far more to the nuts and bolts of this method than can be covered in this overview, and there are many tools, tricks and techniques for automating significant portions of the above that space prevents us from going into here. However, once you understand the concept, there is nothing stopping you from achieving the kind of mlm recruiting results you’ve always dreamed of, and having the mlm success you deserve.

This is a video companion to the mlsp article of the same name.

MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) Review and Overview: Part 1 of 3

There’s been a lot of buzz recently about MLM Lead System Pro (also called MLSP, “lead system pro” and “lead pro” by those in the know), and with good reason.

MLM Lead System Pro, i.e. “MLSP,” was put together by three top-notch multi level marketers who were frustrated that there wasn’t a single all-in-one solution that would give individual MLMers and network marketers the capabilities they needed — personal branding, mlm/network marketing lead generation, list building, help with sponsoring, automatic followup and mlm success in general — all at a very reasonable price.

They were also concerned that, despite the many great programs out there, there wasn’t much real-world mlm/network marketing training on how to use the internet for “mlm success.” This is both amazing and ironic, because at a time when e-commerce is burgeoning, more and more people are looking for a way to make money online and the traditional way of building an mlm/network marketing business is dying, most of the mlm/network marketing companies out there seem stuck in the relative “stone age.” Most are offering training that is out of date and largely ineffective — if they offer any “real” training whatsoever!

MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) is designed specifically to not just enhance any individual’s mlm/network marketing recruiting and success, but to provide a platform thru which one’s home based business can positively explode! Regardless of what mlm or network marketing opportunity you are a part of or are thinking of becoming a part of, MLSP is the preeminent (mlm success) tool available online today. The remarkable results being achieved by so many of it’s users only goes to show that this impulse on the part of the creators was the right one.

In this 3-Part introduction to the (MLM Lead System Pro) mlm success method, we show you the system in detail and explain why “MLSP is the bomb!” If you are interested in the MLSP “lead pro” system, are a frustrated mlmer or network marketer, or simply want to see how a well thought-out, brilliantly implemented lead generation and mlm success system is put together, we think you’ll enjoy this walkthrough. Check it out, and be sure to leave us some feedback.

This is a video companion to the mslp article of the same name.

MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) Review and Overview: Part 2 of 3

In this article, Part 2 of our 3 Part series, the complete training offered by the MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) system is discussed, including it’s emphasis on so-called “attraction marketing” (attracting prospects through like-ability) and “mlm lead generation,” which is both part of the training but also an intrinsic part of the system itself.

Mike Dillard, the well known mlm/network marketing sponsoring and attraction marketing expert, is an adviser to the MLSP founders and is featured in a number of trainings. His affiliate program is also part of the MLSP back office.

MLM Lead System Pro, i.e. “MLSP,” features complete video training courses on the latest cutting edge marketing techniques, including social media, to facilitate mlm lead generation. Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In marketing are covered in detail, including “secret” lead generation and prospecting techniques available only to MLSP members.

Better still for those on limited budgets, the system has extensive training on free marketing and traffic generation methods, including revolutionary new methods of generating 20, 30, 40, 50 or more targeted prospects and leads per day.

These training courses are taught by traffic generation masters and industry leaders who also happen to use MLSP as their (mlm lead generation) funnel of choice. Quite often, these leaders reveal absolute cutting edge traffic and lead generation techniques, which means you are getting the latest and greatest money-making information from active industry insiders — thus putting you far ahead of other online marketers.

One of the many remarkable and highly-valuable aspects of  MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) system is the customizable structure of the system itself. As part of the philosophy of building a brand of you (the core concept of attraction marketing), the MLSP system can be customized with your own web address, dedicated landing and (mlm lead generation) pages, graphics, articles and more.

Most mlm/network marketing opportunities provide “clone sites” the search engines do not like. By the same token, the search engines love MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) system pages, because they are unique to each and every user.

The system provides very detailed tracking systems so that even the most sophisticated and experienced marketer will find everything needed to use MLSP in the most effective and powerful ways. It was designed with attraction marketing in mind, and with top-quality mlm lead generation as the goal – and it works!

This is a video companion to the mlsp article of the same name.