112 Good Questions To Ask Before Joining Any Opportunity
GENERAL TOPICS
- What type of Program is this?... Business Opportunity, Affiliate Marketing, Network Marketing, Offline
Marketing, Powerline Program, Tools Program, 2 Up plan ...
- On a Scale of 1-10 - how do I personally rate this opportunity? ...
- Where is the company's physical office or is it someone working out of their home? Check it out at the
domain registrar and try locating the building they claim to live in at Google Earth. If it's a trailer park or
simular low class residence, run for the hills ...
- What's the real life business experience of the founders? Do searches at Google and other search engines
for the names of the founders, and the companies they claim to own.
- How long has the company been in business? Check the legals behind it
- Do I feel the program could hurt my reputation? This one is important. Bad and illegal companies
could give you serious legal problems and maybe even land you behind bars for promoting their
"programs"
- Does the seller include testimonials from many people? If it does, call some of them to verify their
existance.
- Do these testimonials seem genuine? Testimonials are easy to fake.
- Are the owner(s) friendly?
- Do I feel this program will be around in 10 years?
- Am I currently promoting this opportunity?
- Is product delivery electronic or physical?
- What are the Unique Features?
- Do I recommend others join this?
- What can they do to improve the program?
-
Has the company I'm reviewing looked at this review and approve of me sending it to you?
PRODUCT REVIEW
- Is the product easy to learn to use or confusing and unorganized?
- Is the product well thought through [i.e. polished and professional] or does
- it appear to be in its start-up phase?
- Do they offer a money-back guarantee?
- Is there any form of warranty or guarantee of satisfaction?
- Is there a free trial period?
-
What are the program costs, fixed and ongoing required to earn commissions?
SITE LAYOUT AND NAVIGATION
- Is the Website compatible with most browsers?
- Does the Website take a long time to load?
- Is the design pleasing to the eye and is navigation easy?
- Is the website buggy? Links or features not working, pages not found, etc..
- Is the contact info for the company easy to find?
- Is it easy to find out where to log in to your back office?
-
Once you're inside the back office, is it easy to find the marketing tools, check your commissions, change
and update your contact details, credit card info, etc.?
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
- Does the program have an Affiliate Manager or Operations Manager that will communicate with you?
- Is the affiliate manager a long-term employee?
- If the company experiences heavy turnover, is the Affiliate Manager or Marketing Manager still consistent
in support?
- Does the company have a real phone number where someone actually answers? If so, is the phone support 24/7
or just during working hours?
- Do they offer FAQ's and more importantly, are they helpful?
- If the company offers just voice mail, do they get back with you?
- Does the company offer email support and if so is it efficient?
-
What other support does the company offer if any?
COMPENSATION PLAN, MARKETING, COMMISSIONS, AND SALES
- What type of Comp Plan does it offer? (Forced Matrix, Forced Matrix w/Direct Referral Commissions, Binary,
Matrix Cycling, Australian 2-Up, One-Tier, Two-Tier, Uni-Level, Powerline, Diamond Based, Per Sale, No Comp
Plan)
- What does it take to break even in this program?
- What is the income potential for this program?
- Is there a minimum personal or group sales volume required to receive a paycheck? If yes, Explain.
- How have I personally marketed this program?
- Any limitations on how you can advertise? (For example, Some affiliate programs won't let you bundle other
products as an incentive to get someone to buy through your link.)
- Does this company make you sign an exclusivity clause? This means you have to agree to not promote another
company or specific line of products to stay in the program.
- Does this Opportunity have a Pre-Recorded Call?
-
Does this Opportunity offer Conference Calls? If so, how often?
ON-LINE PROMOTION AND MARKETING TOOLS
- Is this company suited for on-line promotion?
- In my opinion, does this company offer enough on-line training resources? If not, what are they
lacking?
- Does the company offer an email follow-up series?
- Does the company offer premade Solo Ads?
- Does the company offer Top Sponsor or Newsletter Ads?
- Does the company offer Banner Ads?
- Does the company offer BannersGoMLM Banner Ads?
- Are there automatically Generated Affiliate/Rep sites?
- Do Reps or Affiliates get email notifications of sales or signups?
- Does the company offer on-line leads to its members? If so what are their lead sources?
- Does the company offer on-line coops to its members?
-
Does the company offer a 100% duplicatable on-line lead generation system reps or affiliates are currently
using with success?
OFF-LINE PROMOTION AND MARKETING TOOLS:
- Is this company suited for off-line promotion?
- In my opinion, does this company offer enough off-line training resources? If not, what are they
lacking?
- Does the company offer prewritten newspaper ads?
- Does the company offer prewritten display ads?
- Does the company offer PDF flyers you can print out and distribute?
- Does the company offer postcards you can have printed locally?
- Does the company offer bumper stickers with a domain that evenly distributes leads among the reps?
- Does the company offer off-line leads to its members? If so what are their lead sources?
- Does the company offer off-line coops to its members?
-
Does the company offer a 100% duplicatable off-line lead generation system reps are currently using with
success?
COMMISSIONS AND PAYMENTS
- Type of Commissions (Recurring, Quarterly Recurring, Annual Recurring, Per Sale, Multi Compensation Plan,
N/A)
- Payment Options (Credit Card, PayPal, Stormpay, E-Gold, Direct Wire Transfer, Other, No Payment
Options)
- How does company disburse payments to members? (Checks, PayPal, Stormpay, E-Gold, Direct Wire Transfer,
Other, No Payment Options)
- When does the company disburse payments to members?
- Does the company have a track record for paying on time?
- Are payments sent automatically, or do you have to go login to your back office and request they be
sent?
- Are commissions variable? Does the program raise commission rates to Top Sellers and Lower
- Commission rates to Marginal Affiliates or reps?
- Does or has the company made excuses to lower Commission Rates. For example, has the company or does the
company lower commissions during the summer slow down?
- Is there a minimum commission you must earn before you get paid?
-
Does the program only allow the first sale from a customer from your affiliate link even if they return
again through your sites link and purchase? If Yes, why is this?
WEBSITE TRACKING
- Does the program use Cookies to Track Sales? If so, how long do the cookies last?
- If the program uses methods other than cookies to track, what are they?
- Does your referral have to type in your affiliate number at the vendor website or is it tracked
automatically?
- If the company lists a phone number on their site to order can you be assured you will be credited for the
sale?
-
Is there any possible way someone can bypass your affiliate link? If so how?
COMPANY GROWTH AND ATTRITION ISSUES
- Who are the Heavy Hitters or Super Affiliates in the program?
- Out of the Heavy Hitters and Super Affiliates, who is and who still isn't actively promoting them?
- What is the product return rate?
- What is the drop out or attrition rate?
- What is the reason for the attrition or drop outs?
-
How many Reps or Affiliates are currently active?
LEGAL ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS STANDING
- Are there any law suits against the company and what are they?
- Is the company affiliated with the Better Business Bureau or any other Watchdog Service? If so which
ones?
- Is the program legal in the USA and Internationally?
- Have any Attorney General complaints been filed?
- Is there currently been an FTC Investigation of this company?
- Is this program listed on any of the scam sites?
- While doing a search in the Search Engines and Forums have I been able to find any dirt on the
company?
- What's the legal structure of the company? Corporation, LLC or Partnership only?
- Do I feel the company offers a real product that people are obtaining real value from, or is it just a
filler product the company is using to keep them legal?
- Does the company distribute their client lists?
- Do I feel this program is a money game, in other words, everyone seems to be promoting it just for a
paycheck?
-
Would I purchase this product and use it even if there wasn't a compensation plan attached to it? This is
the litmus test of a good program.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
- What country does the company operate from? If in the United States, what State and City.
- Where is the company's main Headquarters? If in the United States, what State and City.
- Is this program US Based or available to Reps and Affiliates in ALL Countries?
-
If the program is only available in certain countries, which ones?
COMPANY BENEFITS
- Does the company offer Insurance? If so what type?
- Does the company offer Annuities? If so what are the details such as cost, rate of return, etc.?
- Does the company offer discounts on their products to reps?
- Does the company offer a retirement plan or pension? If so what?
- What type of special company benefits are offered?
These 112 good questions are worth asking when you consider a home based business of any kind.
Consider it sound advise.
Final Warning: ANY "company", plan, or scheme that references "easy", "quick", "overnight",
and / or any reference at all to "money", "cash", "riches" etc. in it's "company" name will
- 9 times out of 10 - turn out to be an outright SCAM. That's a
fact. If you doubt my words feel free to check these sites www.mlmwatchdog.com, www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/contents.htm and
www.scam.com and several other simular sites and do your own due
dilligence. Why? Because "If it SOUNDS too good it usually is."
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