MLM | I Net IN

Review: MLM Lead System Pro

Posted on June 24th, 2009 in Lead Generation Systems, Reviews | 1 Comment »

The MLM Lead System Pro by Norbert Orlewicz, Brian Fanale and Todd Schlomer provides a complete system for generating leads for your MLM opportunity. This system provides everything you need to succeed. It is not a simple system because of its advanced capabilities. It does take time to get set up learn.

MLM Lead System Pro (MLSP) also provides marketing training which includes strategic execution advice not found in most other systems. This advice goes a long way towards differentiating this system as user centric.

Branding – How well does the system brand YOU as an expert?

MLSP provides extensive opportunities for customization. Users may add personalized videos and text to campaign landing pages. Sales letters are another story. A paragraph and a video on the sales page are customizable. The rest of the page is all about MLSP and the testimonials etc in the system.

Like other systems allowing for heavy customization, few take advantage of this capability. Most marketers are willing to give the “expert” flag to Norbert or Brian. Opportunity lost.

Income Streams – How does the system generate cash flow?

The funded proposal behind this system includes 21 products or services. Several of these are residual income producers. Most of the products come from Mike Dillard’s affiliate program. The other items relate to generating traffic and promoting yourself online.

There is no way to include other affiliate programs into the system. A real limitation. Along this same line there is no way for you to add your own product or service to the system once you grow to the level of producing your own content.

These are serious limitations for the marketer in this for the long haul.

Capture / Landing Pages – What brings qualified people in?

There are 19 capture pages, 4 welcome pages and 4 sale pages. You see the funnel effect. The capture pages lead to either welcome or sale pages. The sale pages all lead to the MLSP sign up page. There are options in these pages allowing for some flexibility. Adjusting campaign pages after the initial save is also limited. There is no way to change the base template after the campaign is saved. Previewing completed campaigns was not straightforward either.

Campaign capture pages are extensively customizable. The sales pages allow limited customization. You may net a 60-80% customization capacity if you use it.

Page sets are applied to each campaign. There is no way to copy the work done from one campaign to another. Setting up each campaign requires starting from scratch. This is a pain! Tweaking customizations as you learn to be more effective is quite labor intensive. This will likely only affect advanced users.

Relationship Building – How do you establish a relationship with your list.

Leads captured by this system will also be in your autoresponder. This system keeps a simple list. You have control over the name and the phone number. There is a place for a Skype name listed in the detail area, but it is not editable. When you drill down into individual leads you may add notes. The notes only appear on the detail page and do not seem to be searchable. It is nice to have a place for tracking interactions with the lead outside of autoresponder statistics.

This system has a My Team area for all of the people who sign up for the MLSP directly under you. You may communicate with your team through an email my team link. I assume note taking capabilities also exist like the other leads list.

The ability to track communication with leads and team members is useful in building the relationships desired. In the Marketing Training, there are scripts and suggestions on handling your MLSP leads.

Usability – How does the system support your work in the system?

System usability is adequate. Several nice touches include the My Content area for the storage of resources you will use in the system. It becomes a central repository for marketing collateral.

The system supplies adequate direction and instruction to make it usable. It could improve by having some text directions for reference instead of everything being in video format. Work flow around campaigns could definitely improve as noted above.

System Training – How do I come up to speed with the system?

You know you are in for an adventure when the first thing they offer is an easy set up service for $197.

System Set up took me over 4 hours (I did side track a few times). It is not easy and several steps were out of order. Everything was delivered via video. I would have loved a PDF checklist document so I could mark my progress along the way. None exists.

As a teacher I would reorder the steps into instructional chunks integrating marketing 101 instruction. It could make for a rich Marketing Training with hands on instructions to set up the tool. Oh well, it is a technical set up without knowing why. The marketing training follows expecting you to use what was set up blindly.

System Support – When I get stuck what help can I expect?

This system has one of the more extensive help systems. It includes Frequently Asked Questions, Skype support, Community, Your referring affiliate and the MLSP Support area. Wow. Thankfully the system training was adequate for most tasks avoided the support areas. Glad to know they exist if needed.

Internet Marketing Training – How do I generate Internet leads?

The Marketing 101 training in this system is the best I’ve seen for one reason. The training includes a discussion of marketing budget, resource management and it sets reasonable expectations of what is required to have success. This idea of a marketing blueprint and a marketing plan gives direction to all the rest of the learning in the system. I just wish the other training would reinforce key marketing blueprint concepts.

Most of the marketing strategies are covered in video with mention of resources. The detail pages for each strategy provide rich resources and key concepts provided for your success.

Training in this system seems more organized in its presentation. Less wandering around a topic and more to the point. (Although some of the webinars move slowly.)

Personal Development Training – Will the system support my growth too?

Personal development and dealing with the emotions of learning something new are not handled in this system. It does a great job of painting the path and the direction to go with the Marketing Blueprint and Marketing Plan at the beginning of the Marketing 101 area. This beginning is where such personal development ends.

The 77 video topics from webinars and the live Skype community and ongoing weekly webinars show a real effort to provide for progression and development. These fall short as they are mostly directed at acquiring knowledge and deal little with the personal development process. (That said I did not view all 77 video topics nor the webinars so maybe I’m wrong. Please teach me if so.)

Overall Impression – So Jim, What do you think?

I’m glad I jumped into the $1 try it out offer. The training is fabulous. Jump in for the $1 and then just go through the Marketing 101 training and the training pages for the few focused areas they suggest. You will be miles ahead.

Strong personal branding capabilities are a strength. Practical direction is powerful. Weaknesses include a difficult set up process, limited affiliate options with no expandability and most training and setup instruction is in video. This coupled with weak relationship building tools leaves you hoping for future improvements to match the quality of the overall system.

I like working with the system after the initial steep learning curve. I do not like the fact that everywhere I go I end up on yet another MLSP landing page with no effort made to brand the individual pointing me there.

MLM Lead System Pro provides an excellent balance in meeting the needs of new system users while giving developing marketers the tools they need to effectively market themselves. The power of the system is only available after the painful set up process. I think this problem could easily be resolve by applying effective instructional design principles.

Too bad the richness of the system is not discovered until getting past the initial learning curve. It is also too bad that once a person gets into building and managing campaigns that the second weak spot reveals itself. Having to start each campaign from scratch is a pain point for me and many other busy system users.

The wealth of support and well organized, instructional resources make this a system worthy of consideration. Lack of affiliate programs over saturation on the web and most users lack of personal branding distract this system from reaching its maximum potential.

I look forward to seeing this system refine itself if it will. Until finished, this is an excellent way to develop the skills you need with strong support through out the system.

Best of success,

Teach Jim
INterNET INvestigation: Lead Generation Systems

http://inetin.com

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Review: The Renegade System

Posted on June 24th, 2009 in Lead Generation Systems, Reviews | No Comments »

The Renegade System by Ann Sieg provides an excellent foundation for building an MLM business through attraction marketing. This is a simple system with the basic required components. For the one time price of $68.00 the system provides extreme value.

Ann Sieg has provided a system giving users what they need to practice her teachings from her books “The Renegade Network Marketer” and the “Attraction Marketer’s Manifesto”. It falls short of becoming a powerful system for advanced users because of its simplicity. Once you apply all the training and resources provided, you will need a more advanced system to make it really work for you.

Branding – How well does the system brand YOU as an expert?

This system heavily brands Ann Sieg. While the system user enjoys having their name at the end of the free books, the book is clearly written by Ann to promote Ann and her strategy for using attraction marketing to buid a MLM business.

As in other sytems with weak personal branding, users of this system will need to use resources outside the system to build their expertise in the eyes of their prospects. This can be done by edifying the person you are referring to on the capture/landing pages and their products.

Income Streams – How does the system generate cash flow?

Cash flow opportunities are more extensive in this system than most. There are 8 promotional programs to bring people into the system and 27 or more affiliate programs in the “backend” sales system and three major affiliate systems: “Click Bank”, “Commission Junction” and Amazon.

The products in the system are related to setting up an Internet marketing effort. Additional opportunities exist in Internet/Information Marketing. Most of the products are one time sales. The few products with potential residual income will likely be purchased by more advanced users who have outgrown the system.

Capture / Landing Pages – What brings qualified people in?

One size fits all. For each product in the system, there is only one capture page heavily branded with Ann Sieg and no chance for the system user personalization.

There are no capture pages for products provided by third party vendors. These are typically geared to help system users anyway. The user needs to create their own landing pages/autoresponder(if desired) to promote these outside of the system.

Relationship Building – How do you establish a relationship with your list?

The system does collect lists of people. There is a different list for each product offered in the system. A person expressing interest by downloading a free book gets added to the list for that product. There is little users can do with the list except run a few reports and export the data. There is NO autoresponder (although Awebber is an affiliate product of the system). There is also no note taking capabilities or other tools supporting relationship building.

No phone script a or instructions on what to do next after people are on your list. This is a disappointment. Particularly where Ann helps you get the leads in and provides a rich environment for teaching you how to attract people.

Usability – How does the system support your work in the system?

Clear menus with straightforward navigation was useful. Most of the pages are written like Ann’s books or one of her long sales letters with inline text links. Most information is presented in pages laden with too much text. This makes it difficult to jump from step to step as some web readers will be inclined (like me).

System Training – How do I come up to speed with the system?

At this time, there is an annoying series of ads on the home page that make it hard to get to the 10 Step Overview located below the series of sales pitches.

The 10 Step Overview provides a good starting place. The steps are clear and information helpful. Flow through the information may be a little slow for technically savvy users. There are also several places for getting distracted through the text links. These links do not open in a separate window so be careful it is easy to get lost.

System set up does not require technical knowledge. It is really an orientation to the system and how to use it in building your business. The small step progress is useful to new users.

System Support – When I get stuck what help can I expect?

There is an external Support Suite system that opens in a new window. It has a Knowledge base, News, Downloads, Troubleshooter and submit a ticket area. This area requires a separate login. There are no link back to the main system area making it a little confusing initially. The “Support Suite” looks and feels like a forum. It looks like only official information is released on the site with no place for personal comments. Be sure to discern between official and informal information in forums.

Internet Marketing Training – How do I generate Internet leads?

This area jumps a critical component. It assumes you know how to move forward. With just a quick statement or two the training jumps into online and offline methods of “Advertising” to generate traffic. The training and resources landing pages misses a great opportunity to provide users with strategic direction and the key steps to success. Too bad. Instead, the user is left to begin making strategic marketing decisions on their own without enough information.

Users choose from various online and offline strategies. Each strategy is described. The system provides a rich set of resources and helpful hints on how to succeed. These by themselves are worth the price of the system.

Personal Development Training – Will the system support my growth too?

Due to the detail information in Ann’s trainings, I thought there would be more larger picture, strategic direction. There is no mention of a marketing plan, a content development plan, nor any strategies for managing the tasks, budget or expectations involved in running successful marketing campaigns (on or off line). My greatest disappointment with this system is the gap between the vision / dream of success and the tactical/technical implementation. It seems goals, expectations and a road map would make the program complete.

I worry the NEW Renegade University Pro system with its click-by-click guidance may also miss critical goal/direction expectations training opportunities.

Overall Impression – So Jim, What do you think?

The program provides an excellent, simple solution for promoting Ann Sieg and her quality information products. If you can make it through the long pages of “Sales Letter” like text, you will be enriched and prepared to succeed. If you limit your focus to a few simple strategies you will probably find better success than if you try to absorb all the system has to offer.

I’m glad I purchased this system because of the rich resources and Ann’s simple story. It is written masterfully and should be required reading of all who want to be ‘Atrraction Marketers’.

The Renegade System provides a great foundation for building your MLM with “Attraction Marketing”. It helps you understand how to use information marketing product. It lays the beginnings of thinking differently about generating interest in you and your prospective business opportunity.

I am disappointed by the gaps in personal progress, strategic direction and ongoing personal support. Like many of these systems, the personal touch gets lost despite the warm writing style used throughout the site. Video segments could soften this as well as ongoing webinar/teleseminar trainings/recordings.

Get this system and use the resources for building your tools and skills for effective advertising and traffic generation.

Best of success,

Teach Jim
INterNET INvestigation: Lead Generation Systems

http://inetin.com

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Review: Magnetic Sponsoring

Posted on June 16th, 2009 in Lead Generation Systems, Reviews | 1 Comment »

Magnetic Sponsoring is one of the popular starting places for generating leads on line. Mike Dillard delivers a nice 7 part training on Magnetic Sponsoring. This appeals to business owners. They like the idea of becoming “the hunted”.

Mike’s story contributes to the expectations I had for this system. The system did meet the basic requirements you would expect from a lead generation system. For the price of $39.95, it is an excellent value. The training materials will provide a firm foundation in the attraction marketing concept.

The system is simple. For the price could you expect anything more? Accordingly, the system fell short of the standards of the ideal system. Let’s see how it fared.

Branding – How well does the system brand YOU as an expert?

Mike Dillard is the only one being branded in Magnetic Sponsoring. You have no options in the system to act as an expert. Upon contacting leads generated by the system, some users have reported having trouble convincing leads they (not Mike) are associated with the program.

Mike also includes a few other experts in the various programs. He builds their value as people he values. This is probably the best way you can reinforce your place as the expert. This requires you, outside the system, to refer your audience to the landing page.

Income Streams – How does the system generate cash flow?

The program provides 5 product to income. Two low priced items (Free – $150), two mid priced items ($150 – $300) and one high priced item (>$300). You get a flat $20 affiliate commission for sales made of Magnetic Sponsoring and 40% of the purchase price on every other product. None of these items provide for residual income. You will need a continual flow of fresh new buyers to keep the cash coming.

Each of the products come with a single capture page, a sales letter and creative resources for ads. The products are of high quality. The products star Mike Dillard or experts he esteems. The product mix targets precisely the needs of network marketers. Leads from this system will likely be network marketers.

Capture / Landing Pages – What brings qualified people in?

There is a single capture / sales page combination for each product. The page is not customizable. In the FAQ there is a suggestion on creating your own HTML capture pages if you want customization (This FAQ had over 2000 views. The most in the FAQ area). (There are no instructions nor specifications. I did it, but with some pain.)

The capture pages are clearly targeted at business owners and Internet using networkers.

Take a look:
Magnetic Sponsoring: Capture Page – Sales Letter
Building on a Budget: Capture Page – Sales Letter
Blackbelt Recruiting: Capture Page – Sales Letter
Pay Per Click Domination: Capture Page – Sales Letter
MLM Traffic Formula 2: Capture Page – Sales Letter

Relationship Building – How do you establish a relationship with your list?

One system strength is the tools for working with leads. There is a basic calendar, task list and note area for managing your interactions with leads. Tracking lead interactions and communications can be useful in tracking client progress.

Follow up communication with potential clients is expected to be by phone. There are simple sample phone scripts included.

There is no autoresponder for generating follow up email messages. The list is strongly tied to the system, but there is a way to export the list for use in other systems. (Not evaluated for compatibility with other systems)

Usability – How user-friendly is the system ?

Tabs provide direct navigation to regular tasks. Navigation came to a deadend or became unclear while moving through the getting started information. Links to “Support” takes you out to an external site in an external window. There is no navigation back to the system on this page.

All of the information seemed curt and to the point. Often you were left wanting more. (Likely found in the next course or two I did not purchase).

System Training – How do I come up to speed with the system?

New users can get confused because the system home page suggests two paths. 1. “Getting Started” and 2. “First Time Here?”.

The “Getting Started” tab walks you through a set of text slides introducing the system and leads you to the Internet Marketing Training/Ads(the next tab). The “First Time Here?” section has a long sales letter formatted welcome with no navigation at the bottom. If you make it back to the “First Time Here?” page, you watch an 11 minute video describing the system showing pages that look like the system you are logged into.

Hidden at the bottom of the Internet Marketing page is a plain blue link “What to do with leads?”. The page has one phone, one answering machine and an email script for 2 of the 5 products. That is it.

In a section listing videos on how to work the system, there are only 2 of 19 completed videos. It looks like using video to meet user needs was a nice idea until it came time to implement. Videos not available include topics like “Pay Per Clicks”, “Contact Management System” and “My Commissions” (This teacher was surprised that Mike and team would not have quality training to match the professionalism displayed across the rest of the system.) Is this system in its infancy (work yet to be done) or does it show a lack of support to system users?

System Support – When I get stuck what help can I expect?

System messages are sent to system users via the “Update Blog” on the home page. There is no knowledge base or support community. There is a FAQ section but it only contains short answers with minimal detail. There is a phone number for you to leave a message. The service expectation is established at “48 hours but usually much sooner”.

Internet Marketing Training – How do I generate Internet leads?

Basic Training is offered in 6 areas of internet marketing. Each area describes the strategy and links to resources. Each section varies in the type and quality of the resources provided. In the 17 forums listed, I did not see Mike’s own Better Networker forum (suggested by his competitors).

The areas covered include:

Google/Yahoo PPC (3 site links, 2 buy program links, 1 video link. 2 keyword tool links)

Ezines/Email Marketing (5 links to ezine advertising companies)

Forums/Classifieds (17 forums, 2 classifieds [no Craigs List])

Banners (6 service provider links)

Ariticle/Press Releases (2 Article/3 PR listing sites)

YouTube/Web 2.0 (Link to you tube. Missing are New social media sites and strategies).

These approaches are founded in the Internet marketing practices of 2-3 years ago. Little cutting edge stuff here. (Hey, if it works….)

Absent also from this site are ongoing supporting activities. Most competitive sites offering on-going support also charge enough each month to pay for it. With this system, you save money and get to enjoy learning on your own or when the next course comes out.

Personal Development Training – Will the system support my growth too?

There is no personal development support in this system. There are a few helpful and supportive hints like “Pick one stay with it till it works.” or “Make sure to put your own spin on things”. Do not expect hand holding from inside this system. It seems there is a bit of a now that you are here “Good Luck” attitude due to the lack of ongoing support activities.

Overall Impression – So Jim, What do you think?

Given the price and the purpose of this system it is adequate. It was never meant to be a full fledged Web 2.0 marketing system. It came out in the past and there remains. Remnants of that past inherit in the system. (Like 100% phone follow up/ no autoresponder) Then again maybe that works best with MLM leads.

Magnetic Sponsoring is a great foundation product. It lays the fundamentals of thinking differently about how to generate leads. Because of its once off price and the quality materials, I will keep it but will likely use another system for my lead capture/management activities. I will recommend Mike’s products where they meet specific needs AND I can recommend the materials created by Mike Dillard, another expert in the field.

Be warned. When you first sign up with the system you get a barrage of email. Also be warned that every one of his products mentioned some of his other products. He is always pushing to the next sale of his next product. (He really is a marketer!)

This is a simple system. Easy to use. Not too complicated. Great for starters who want to follow up with leads by phone and track their interactions in the system. It provides very basic beginnings of Internet Marketing. I do not think it is enough to land you success on its own. But like Mike suggests, if you “pick one and stay with it”, you will master it with some direction from the system AND resources you find other places.

My final wish is that Mike would have given some indication of which Internet Marketing Strategies are more effective for which type of system users.

Best of success,

Teach Jim
INterNET INvestigation: Lead Generation Systems

http://inetin.com