A Perpetual Marketing System

Just in case you've been wondering...Yes, I've been very busy working on my project. Look for an update over on the Dragonfly Project blog in the next week or so.

But since it is built on the sound principles in the "Systems Approach", here is a big picture view of what is going on.

Again, it has to do with the three basic elements of a system:




1. Input
2. A Process (or processes), and
3. An Output

We already know that in business, if you have no INPUT to that business... you have no business.

Take your J.O.B. for example. The input is the time and effort spent working at the job. If you are getting paid by the hour, there is a direct correlation between the number of hours you work and the amount you get paid.

The input is the number of hours you work.
The process is the job itself.
The output is what you get paid.

The same applies to marketing a business. You MUST do some form of marketing in order to generate income from the sales process.

No product or service, regardless of how good it is, will market itself. Period.

So what's all this talk about "automated marketing"?

By using computers and the internet it is very easy to automate many of the processes required for following up with prospects and closing the deal. But there still must be some input before the automated process can take over.

Is there a way to automate the input side of the equation?

Well, yes and no. But remember... "there ain't no free lunch".

Many fortunes have been made on the internet by selling the input side to marketing. Sometimes it is in the form of leads, other times it is traffic to a website. Using these paid services, you can automate the input through outsourcing.

However, all you are actually doing is changing the input from a little work on your part to a lot of money out of your pocket. You then have to be very careful to ensure you are not spending more on the input than is generated in revenue (the output) by the process. For most, it becomes a negative cash flow proposition.

Now let's look at "Free" visitors to your business.

Generating your own visitors (or traffic) without spending any money requires some work. This will be explained in more details on the Dragonfly Project blog. But for now, it boils down to this...

You click your mouse in a "Traffic Exchange" to view other people's business offer so that, in return, they will view yours when they click their mouse.

The input is a click of the mouse.
The process is automated by the Traffic Exchange.
The output is traffic. Other people looking at your business offer.

But what happens when you stop clicking?

Since the input is YOU clicking...when you stop...the traffic stops...the output stops.

Not much fun there, huh? What about all those people lying around on the beach while their internet business keeps spinning out loads of cash?

Well, they may make it look easy. But trust me on this...if they are honestly lying out on the beach...they earned it through hard work and one other thing...

LEVERAGE.

Using leverage you can lift a 100 lb object with 10 lbs of force. It is in effect a "force multiplier". Businesses use leverage to take the efforts of their employees and multiply that into a profit.

Using the right leverage, you too can build YOUR business to multiply your results through the efforts of others. You will be able to leverage your free traffic into free RESIDUAL traffic that grows on its own.

Your free residual traffic can then become residual income if you use that traffic as input to your business.

When you do it right...you have GROWING residual traffic that becomes GROWING residual income!

Well...that's the BIG PICTURE overview. The details are "in the pudding" and will be provided on the Dragonfly Project blog where you will learn how to create your own...

Perpetual Marketing System.

Thanks for reading!

Scott Douglas (aka "The Dragonfly")

Back On Line

It's been several weeks since my last post. You may have been wondering what happened.

Well...as many of you may already know, Blogger has now merged into Google. The conversion caused a slight misstep for many users...me included. But thanks to their persistence, all is well.

In the meantime, I have been very busy working on The Dragonfly Project. There are many new and exciting things to share. New partnerships have been formed. Growth is now occurring virally and with less effort.

Stay tuned...

Scott

Do you know the Secret?

Our Creative Ability is the greatest potential within each of us.

God CREATED us in His own image. As His creation and in His likeness we each have the power to create. Though not in the sense that we can simply say "let there be light" and it becomes so.

Thomas Edison created the light bulb. But not by his word. It was first by his vision and a dream to turn electricity into light, and then through repeated actions that brought it about.

We create our own lives in the sense that we become what we think about.

"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
Unfortunately, many of us do not realize this or control what we think. As a result, our creative potential remains untapped.

In terms of the Systems Approach...there is a universal process by which what you think about and put into your mind dictates what you will receive in life.

Albert Einstein said it like this...

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

Become aware of the law of attraction. Be careful what you think and what you ask for. You will receive from life what you expect to receive. Expect the BEST.

Have a wonderful and creative 2007!

Scott "The Dragonfly" Douglas

What Dreams Are Made of...

"The biggest mistake people make in life is not making a living at doing what they most enjoy."
- Malcolm S. Forbes

"When you cease to dream you cease to live."
- Malcolm S. Forbes

"Venture nothing, and life is less than it should be."
- Malcolm S. Forbes

"Nothing happens until something moves."
- Albert Einstein

"We can have anything we want in life if we're willing to
help enough other people get what they want."
- Zig Ziglar

"Dream as if you'll live forever,
live as if you'll die today."
- James Dean

"Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true."
- unknown

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe,
it can achieve."
- W. Clement Stone

"As a man thinks in his heart,
so is he."
- Proverbs 23:7

The Greatest Dinner Party Ever

A couple thousand years ago, one man shared something with a few of his friends. What he shared was more than a single dream or vision. He freely shared the Truth of all life. What was that Truth? That He, Himself, was:

The Way,

The Truth, and

The Life.

In fact, he did much more than just talk about it. He proved it. For his last dinner he served bread to represent his body, and wine to represent his blood. Then the very next day, his body was broken and his blood spilled out to profoundly change the world forever.

Some said he was a liar, a deceiver or con man. Others said he was a lunatic, crazy, or possessed by the devil. Finally, others said he was who he claimed to be. Lord of all creation, made flesh to become a sacrifice for all humanity because he loved us so much.

Which is he? Lord, Liar, or Lunatic? Each of us at some point in our lives must face this question and decide for ourselves.

If he were a liar, the friends that he shared the Truth with would have realized it was not the truth. The story would have ended. If he were a lunatic, we would have the same result.

The only explanation for what we have today is that he demonstrated who he was by raising himself from the dead, thereby proving that he is Lord over all death and life.

Each one of his followers present at that last dinner party became believers in this Truth. They openly shared the Truth even in the face of death and persecution. The dinner party grew in number and continues to this day. Every day millions of believers break the bread and drink the wine to remember his sacrifice for us.

What does this have to do with the Systems Approach to Marketing? Only that it is the most significant and profound example of massive numbers coming together with a shared belief spread entirely by word-of-mouth.

Call it network marketing, direct sales, affiliate marketing, viral marketing…whatever. I don’t care. It still boils down to people becoming a part of something, and then sharing it with others.

God Bless You,
Scott

PS. If you are wondering who is this person I am speaking of, then please drop an email to: scott [at] thedragonfly.ws

What’s It All About, Alfie?

If you’ve been reading along with me on this blog, you are hopefully beginning to see that the entire effort is guided toward a passionate vision.

This vision is detailed in the first posts about my purpose in life, to “Love God and love my neighbor.” If this is not clear, then please consider going back and reading all the posts in chronological order from the first through the last post (back to front).

My desire is to help people realize their dreams by sharing their dreams with others. In fact, the nature of this vision REQUIRES sharing it with others. You must GIVE IT AWAY in order to GET IT YOURSELF.

A seminar I attended this past spring used this terminology, “When other people get that you got it, you get it.” This means that first you must have a clear understanding of your own vision, desire or dream. Your dream must then be shared with other people. When they understand your dream and become a part of it, your dream takes on life and becomes fulfilled.

It is unrealistic to expect every person you share your dream with to understand and become a part of it. My hope and prayer is that you are the type of person who will openly consider my vision, make it a part of your own vision, and join me in bringing it to fruition.

The Dragonfly Project is to be a practical application of this dream. Using the incredible power of the Internet as a tool for sharing your ideas, you can build a collective body of “believers” who share a common vision.

I invite you to join me on this adventure and prove just how simple this can be.

Catch the Vision,
Scott

Leverage and Automation

In the previous post we looked at inputs, processes and outputs for arranging a dinner party. Now let's get an understanding of what Leverage and Automation can do for your party.

But first, understand this key principle:

Every output becomes the input for another process.
When we looked at "inviting guests" as a process, we saw that it required paper, envelopes, ink and stamps. The desired result was guests for the party. The "output" of inviting guests became "input" for the party. Throw in some groceries and a little work and you have yourself a dinner party.


Now let's automate the invitation process using a computer, the internet, and email. By doing so, we have eliminated the ink, paper, envelopes and stamps. Simple enough, right?

What's leverage? Suppose you would like to have 20 people attend your dinner party. But you are new to town and have only made four new friends. So you ask each of your four friends to also invite four of their friends so you can meet them at the dinner party. You decide to use automation to send these invitations because you want the process to be as easy as possible. You do not want to burden your friends with the need for ink, paper, envelopes, or stamps.

To make this even easier on your four friends, along with your invitation you include a sample email they can use to tell their friends about the party. If everyone receives the information, is available for the party, and willing to attend you will have 20 guests at the party.

How you draw this model depends on if you are looking at the invitations or the guests. The invitations are going one way, the guests are going to the party. Here's the picture:



This very model is used every day in marketing. Business people using referral marketing often offer a discount or rebate if you refer customers to their business. Affiliate Marketing programs usually offer you a direct share of the sales when you promote the business.

One apartment complex I lived in several years ago offered me a $100 discount on my rent for referring new tenants to the complex. I probably could have lived rent free if I had spent enough time promoting the apartments.

This leads to the final point I want to make with this post. Word-of-Mouth Advertising is an extremely powerful way to build a business. When your customers realize that you sincerely provide what is in their best interest, they will readily spread the word.

Fundamentals of a System

By now you have heard me say several times that every system has three common elements: 1. an input, 2. a process, and 3. an output. This very simple fundamental is sometimes hard to grasp. But I want to be sure that you understand how you can use this model to view anything in life.





This simple model is seen everywhere in nature. It is the "cause and effect" in our lives. For example, photosynthesis is a process in plants that converts the sun's energy into oxygen. The inputs to the system include water, carbon dioxide, nutrients from the soil and sunlight. The outputs include glucose and oxygen.

Let's look at another example. Say you want to have a dinner party. You sit down to plan the party and the first thing you do is make a list of people you want to invite and a dinner menu. Why? Because people and food are the basic ingredients for a dinner party.

How you invite guests and prepare the dinner is the process of pulling it all together. So you put together a process to accomplish your goal.

Step 1: Send out invitations.
Step 2: Clean the house.
Step 3: Go to the grocery store.
Step 4: Prepare the meal.
Step 5: Greet your guests.
Step 6: Serve the meal.
Step 7: Have fun.

We have now built a model and defined our system like this:

1. Input: Guests and Food.
2. Process: 7 Steps to a Successful Dinner Party.
3. Output: Dinner Party and Fun.

Is this the only way to define the system? No. You have the freedom to define your system in any way that makes sense and is easiest to follow. However, when you look closely at the steps in the process, each step is in itself another system of inputs, processes and outputs.

Let me repeat that. Each step, action or function in a process is also another process in itself.

For you, going to the grocery store is a simple step. But someone else may need to look at this as a more defined process.

Step 1: Find my car keys.
Step 2: Get in the car.
Step 3: Turn the car on.
Step 4: Drive to the store.
Step 5: Turn the car off.
Step 6: Go in the store.
Step 7: Do the shopping.
Step 8: Load the food in the car.
Step 9: Get in the car.
Step 10: Turn the car on.
Step 11: Drive home.
Step 12: Turn the car off.
Step 13: Get out of the car.
Step 14: Take the food in the house.

I am sure you can think of many more steps you can add. By now you're saying, "Stop. Stop. I get it!"

This level of detail is actually what design engineers do in order to look holistically at the big picture. The more a project or process is defined, the clearer the picture becomes.




By looking at each step in a process as yet another process, you will see everything that is truly required. There will be fewer surprises. Now we can see that a dinner party requires more than simply guests and food. It also requires a car, gasoline, money to purchase the food, etc.

What is the process for sending out invitations? Think about it. Now you know you need envelopes, paper, a pen with ink, and stamps. Don't forget the gasoline for the car if you plan on mailing the invitations at the post office.

Now look more closely at the total output from the party. Is it just a dinner and fun? No. You also have a mess to clean up, garbage at the curb, wastewater down the sink, carbon dioxide emissions from your car, and a used up ink pen from all the invitations you sent, just to name a few.

What do dinner parties have to do with Marketing? Nothing directly (unless you are using the party to market yourself or your products and services). This example is simply a way of viewing things that you can apply to marketing.

The Systems Approach to Marketing allows you to look at various processes available to build an efficient system that leverages your resources of time and money for maximum results. Start thinking in terms of inputs, processes and outputs. And stay tuned for exciting tools coming your way.

Dragonfly Project Update

The Dragonfly Project

Some of my readers have been asking about The Dragonfly Project and what it is. Is it really possible to build a Network Marketing organization without bugging family and friends, cold calling, or going in debt buying leads and advertising the business?

The answer is a resounding YES! And The Dragonfly Project is going to show you exactly how, using easy to understand, step by step processes. These processes fit together strategically into a cradle-to-grave system that will take you where you want to go. A profitable business from day 1.

This is a big order. But it should be. Dreams should be big. Visions are often very large and seemingly impossible to achieve. But then, any vision worth having is BIG.

Here is the VISION for The Dragonfly Project:

"Anyone who has the desire to experience financial freedom by becoming an entrepreneur will learn how to be a successful small business owner and be able to teach others how to do the same. No one will be left behind. If they truly have the desire to learn and apply these strategic principles, success is guaranteed."

Sound simple? Yes. Easy? No.

The system will involve:

• No group meetings
• No cold calling
• No spending money on questionable opportunity leads
• No Google AdWords or AdSense
• No selling on eBay
• No out-of-pocket expenses for advertising or promotions
• No previous knowledge of Internet Marketing or Network Marketing

The model in this project is being built using the Systems Approach. It will be completely generic to any network marketing or affiliate program you may already be involved in. By eliminating the road blocks common to most network marketing organizations, this will be a truly duplicatable system. The system will require little or even zero investment of your hard-earned cash. All you will need is a computer with access to the Internet coupled with a desire and willingness to succeed.

The Dragonfly Project will be released right here on Blogger by January 1, 2007. It will pull back the curtain and reveal the wizard. No tricks, no magic, no secrets. Just plain good sense.

Keep a close watch here for the release of

The Dragonfly Project

Let the Dragonfly show you that it does not take a ‘guru’ or a genie in a bottle to build a huge marketing team.

All the best,
Scott Douglas

The Golden Rule of Marketing

A few days ago we looked at this simple model representing the big picture around Marketing.




We stated that the job of marketing is to find people who are most interested in what you are selling. So before we go on, let's assume you already have something to sell and that you are an expert on the subject. You believe in the product or service and use it yourself. This allows you to truly present yourself as an expert and provide personal testimony to what you are selling.

If you are anything like me, and you probably are, you become so "sold" on your product that you believe it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Your product is a "no brainer" and anyone who becomes aware of it will instantly want it. It will "sell itself." You then think you don't have to know anything about sales, marketing, leadership or owning a business. Well...How's that working for you?

Perhaps like me you have learned the hard way that it just isn't that simple. This is sales and it takes work. So you try harder. You pass out flyers on cars, you stop everyone within three feet of you to show them your product, and you give presentations to your friends and family. When that doesn't work you invite them to a professional presentation at the Holiday Inn. You run out of people to talk to so you buy biz-op leads hoping to recruit someone else who can actually sell your product for you.

And nothing works. You hear successful business people tell their stories of how they started earning six figures in six months. You read stories on the Internet about ordinary people generating insane sums of money overnight selling something on eBay or a fancy web site. (What you do not hear is how many years they failed before learning proper marketing skills.) So you try different products, switch to a new company, change your hair sytle and buy a new suit. Still nothing. So what's wrong?

YOU!
That sounds harsh. The last thing I ever want to hear is that there is something wrong with me. Now that I have your attention let me say that there is NOT really anything inherently wrong with you. There is just something missing. But what is missing is not "out there" somewhere for you to find it. What you need is actually inside of you. You are just not aware of it.

Think I'm kidding? I'll prove it to you.

Have you heard of the Golden Rule?

Of course you have. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Write it down. Put it on the mirror. Look at it ten times a day until it is always in the very front of your mind. Constantly remember this rule. Why? Because...

The Golden Rule is most likely what has been missing from your marketing.

You see...it's not about what you are selling. Don't miss this one. IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SELLING. It's about THEM.

SALES IS ABOUT WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER IS BUYING!

It is about their needs. Does anyone need soap? Not really. Most people want to be clean and body fresh. But does that mean they need soap? If they decide soap is the answer to their personal hygiene, then do they need your soap? Why should they buy it from you if all you care about is selling soap?

So it's your choice. You can spend your time trying to educate people on the need for soap. Or you can find people who are interested in buying soap. Better yet, you can find people who already buy soap and provide them with a service that they will appreciate.

When you honestly put your customer first, you will find one harsh reality. Not everyone is your customer. Some people, no matter how hard you try, will not take a bath. Some people, no matter how desperately they need an extra income, will not get another job or start their own business. Please don't ask me why. These are some of life's mysteries to me.

Are you getting the picture? Please send me your comments about this article by clicking on the comments link below.

To your success,
Scott

PS. If after reading this blog you realize that you need to take a bath and use some soap, then please do so. No, I do not sell soap.

The Market

In previous posts you have seen illustrations of generic business processes. You have learned that every system has three common elements:

1. an input,
2. a process, and
3. an output.

In this post I want to focus on the input, or the marketing, that is required for any business.

The previous model showed "The Market" as solid red arrows pointing to your business. In reality, this is far from true. The actual market involves many differing people, in different shapes and sizes, pointing in a variety of directions.




In simplest terms, the job of marketing is to gather certain people from the marketplace and point them in your direction. Those certain people are your "target market." In order to achieve the greatest success you must answer the question, “Who is my Target Market?”

In other words, who is most likely to be interested in what I am selling?

You do not need to have something to offer to everyone. You don’t need to try and be Sears, Roebuck & Co. and “have everything.”

You are much better off and will enjoy your work more if you offer something that you find interesting and fun, and then find people like yourself who enjoy the same things. Do your research. Find out solutions to a need or problem that you have, and then find other people who have the same needs. Offer your products or services to these people and they will not only appreciate your service, but also relate to you as someone who understands their problem.

So once you have found your niche, how do you find other people in the same niche? It doesn’t matter what business you are in, whether you direct sell you own products, or as an affiliate, or as a network marketing associate of a multi-level organization, you need targeted leads to succeed in your business.

Let’s face it…Cold Calling is not fun!

Knocking on doors, passing out flyers, magazines or DVD’s, and asking friends to attend a business meeting can be very frustrating and expensive ways to find qualified prospects. There are better and more cost-effective ways to fuel your business.

The biggest marketing trend in history has been evolving over the past ten years on the Internet. Even television, radio and print advertising direct prospective buyers to an internet site for more information. It’s massive, growing and constantly changing. New tools are being developed daily to capture the attention of online buyers and entice them to part with their cash.

Network Marketers by the thousands have turned to the Internet as a more efficient method to prospect for potential customers and associates. This in turn has created a niche for Internet Marketers to market their “secrets” to other potential marketers and networkers. The overwhelming push for attention has subsequently created a sea of confusion for most newcomers.

Many Network Marketers are giving up their visions of building large teams of distributors and “downlines” to join the ranks of direct selling or affiliate programs. However, by keeping it simple and putting your focus on your niche, your business and your objectives, you can build a successful Network Marketing business on the Internet.

Scammed Again!

A huge debate has been going on for years over whether or not MLM "Opportunities" are a scam. Why is this? How can both sides of the argument be so convinced that they are right?

The straightforward answer is that both sides are right, depending on their perspective.

Let me illustrate with this simplistic example...

What would you say to this advertisement?

Secret Revealed!
Amazing new product miraculously does the work for you! Enjoy the freedom that can be yours. Spend more time with your family, and experience life the way it should be. Let this fully automated system do the dirty work so you don't have to.

Now what if I told you this advertisement was for a dishwasher? Many people would say that this advertisement is misleading and even a scam, because we all know that dishwashers are not self-loading. You must put the dirty dishes in, add soap, turn the system on, and remove the clean dishes after the process is finished.



Yet look at the ad again. What is said in the ad is truthful. The product does some of the work for you. It did not say it would do all of the work. You can be free from some of the effort and spend more time after dinner with your family. The only misleading part is in what the ad does not say.

Now compare that to the way many people promote their "Opportunity of a Lifetime." The scam is not in the opportunity itself, but in the way it is presented.

How you present what you are selling is the difference in whether people will feel tricked, cheated and scammed or feel that they received exactly what they expected.

When you fully understand that "there ain't no free lunch", you will never look at any advertisement the same way again.

For each and every system there is: 1. an input, 2. a process, and 3. an output. You can automate the process, but you still must provide the input to that process.

In network marketing this means you must learn the correct ways to promote and market your business.

THE ONE WHO PROMOTES AND MARKETS THE BEST, WINS!

You must also learn what to do with the customers or prospects once you get them. Doing these things requires an entrepreneurial mindset with good communication skills.


All the best,
Scott

P.S. Have you ever felt like you've been scammed?

There are times when we can FEEL like we've been scammed when, in reality, we simply did not understand what we were getting into.

However, there are some things being promoted on the Internet that are ALWAYS a scam!

Do you know how to tell the difference?

If you are not sure, then arm yourself with the knowledge in this powerful book:

STOP Being A VICTIM!

Knowledge is POWER.

Oh, No!... Another Secret!?!?

How would you like to have your very own personalized website that exposes your products and services to your prospective clients? What if the website also gave you the ability express your personal vision and passion for what you are doing, while at the same time allowing them to get to know you as a trusted business person?

What if through your online presence you could automate your presentation and forward interested buyers to your company's replicated eCommerce website? What if you could also advertise your affiliate products on this same personal website at no extra charge? What if all of this could run on autopilot and make money for you while you sleep?

And finally, what if you could have all of this absolutely FREE!?

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, call me crazy, but I'm going to tell you how to have this entire automatic money making internet business machine right now absolutely free. Shhh... don't tell anyone... it's a secret.

Here it is...a BLOG!

Now please don't get mad and start throwing things at me. I'm sure you know what a blog (web log) is since you happen to be looking at one. But in all seriousness, until you know how to capture people's attention and promote yourself and what you are doing, the rest does not matter.

Forget about spending your money on another "secret" or internet business until you learn some basic marketing tactics that work.

It is not my intent to educate everyone on how to set up and use a blog. Plenty of free information is available on the Internet, or you can use the tutorials on blogger.com to get started. My intent is to point out the power of this tool and how it fits into "The Big Picture."

As they say..."a picture is worth a thousand words"... so here is one way a Blog fits in the big picture.

The Blog is, for the money, the best way to personalize your business. As mentioned previously, simply sending massive numbers of prospects to a replicated company website does not yield extraordinary results. You're just pushing another product. But with a blog you can put a "face" on your business and be someone your clients can relate to.

Brand your business with "You, Inc." and add value to the process.

This type of website also gives you more control and enables you to leverage your advertising dollars. You can easily direct traffic to multiple sources of income that might include: direct sales, affiliate programs, or even MLM recruiting.

Additionally, by posting relevant information to interest your readers, they are more likely to return and may promote your site through word-of-mouth. Pertinent information is also much more likely to be picked up by search engines and result in "free" advertising for your business.

Here is a live example from one of my blogs designed to educate people about the Fastest Growing Crime in America. It provides informative articles and resources, as well as possible solutions to the problem. Take a look for yourself at http:// I Got You Babe on Blogspot.

Please keep in mind that a blog will not do all the work and magically create customers overnight. You must still learn when and how to use various advertising tools to reach your target market and promote your blog. Here are a few examples:

• Online Ads such as Google AdWords
• Offline ads in newspapers and magazines
• Email promotions
• Word-of-Mouth
• Flyers
• Search Engines
• Company Magazines
• Promotional DVDs
• Calling prospects on the Telephone
• 3-way calls
• Business Cards
• Articles

The list goes on...

Tap into the incredible marketing power of the internet so you can reach the masses. Set up a FREE blog and get ready tap into your target market through strategic advertising and marketing.

Stop the Madness!

I have just reviewed yet another product advertisement that promises to "build a money making website for you" in just three easy steps that will bring "massive residual profits" and "auto-pilot income" for you. Sounds great doesn't it?

Most of these promotions start by saying something like this..."I spent five years spending money on "secrets" of internet gurus, membership sites, and sure-fire opportunities before I realized they had all tricked me. Then I figured out on my own how to make a fortune. Now I have the 'secret' and I'm going to sell it to you. Don't trust all those too-good-to-be-true advertisements, but trust mine."

Now don't get me wrong...I'm not bashing these products. Many of them do provide useful services that may be just what you need. But not one of them is going to do all the work that is necessary to make you successful.

As J.C. Penney once said, "there ain't no free lunch." Know what you are actually getting, and just as important, what you are not getting when you buy a "business-in-a-box."

Please understand "the rest of the story". If you examine these boxed businesses you will certainly find differences in what is included or not included in each "system". However, when you take a step back and look at the big picture, you can see that they all, without exception, lack one very important piece of the pie...

THE MARKETING!

I have yet to find one "system" you can buy that will automatically pull visitors (buyers) into your website or business.

Remember the simplied illustration from last week in The Systems Approach to anything...? The beauty of the simple model is that it fits anything.

In any system there is:

1. an input,

2. a process (or processes) and

3. an output.

Look at it again.

The blue box on the left is the Input and represents the market (customers). The orange box on the right is any business. It could include a replicated website, personalized homepage, lead capture pages, autoresponders and eCommerce sites, plus many more automated processes and functions.

However, a fully complete internet business that is ready to go right out of the box will be "ready to take orders" and "generate automatic income" only when YOU provide the customers.

There it is..."The Secret" to a successful internet business. YOU!

You must learn how to capture your market by promoting your own business. You must put in the time and effort to reach your customers.

Here's another secret...your business is YOU.

People naturally want to do business with someone they know and trust. If you have that, and you truly are worthy of your client's trust, then they are somewhat pre-sold on your products and services. But you will have difficulty standing out from the crowd if you are using pre-packaged replicated websites that look just like thousands of others already on the internet.

Automated processes to conduct business online are extremely useful if you know how to use them and what to expect. But do not expect any automatic system to do your marketing for you.

Scott

PS. Are you getting the picture? Please provide your comments and opinions about this blog.

Success Systems in Network Marketing

Every winning Network Marketing company has a "Success System" to plug you into immediately to get you started. When you take a close look at these "systems" they all look similar, and provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step processes.

The best way to describe these step-by-step processes is with a FlowChart. You are probably already familiar with flowcharts, which provide a visual representation of individual steps in a process. They represent an entire process from start to finish and can help you analyze the number of steps, bottlenecks, and other obstacles. They can also serve as an instruction manual to new users.

A new associate in a MLM company is usually taught to follow these steps in a process to market the products, services, and opportunity:

Step 1: Make a list of everyone you know
Step 2: Narrow the list to the top 10 people you want to expose
Step 3: Get on the phone and call them, preferably with your “up line”
Step 4: Invite them to listen to a pre-recorded message
Step 5: Call them back and ask them for a face-to-face appointment
Step 6: Invite them to a business meeting or opportunity presentation
Step 7: Repeat steps 3 through 6 until they say “yes”

In the above process, you have several tools at your disposal to provide exposure to the prospect. These could include pre-recorded messages, videos, magazines, websites, business luncheons, evening hotel meetings, conference calls, 1-on-1 personal presentations, and in-home business receptions.

When it comes to marketing a new product or service, word-of-mouth advertising is extremely powerful. This is the same thing you would do if you opened a hardware store or dress shop. People need to know what you provide and how it can benefit them. If a company could mass market a product simply through advertising, then they would not need individual distributors. As an individual distributor you have the powerful ability to add testimony to your products so that your customers can "see, taste, and feel" the difference the product can make in their lives.

However, when it comes to the "opportunity" side of the business, most people are less open to truly listen. On the average, it takes at least seven exposures for a prospect to finally say “yes” to your opportunity. This means that even if they agree to listen to a pre-recorded message, you must call them back and see if they are ready or need another exposure. The same process still applies if they say “no”. You simply call them back later and offer a different exposure tool.

Now, before you start shooting me…I did not invent this type of recruiting process. Like many of you, I was taught this process and actually tried it before giving up in frustration. I did have some success in recruiting using this process, but few of my new associates were willing to do this amount of work.

“Well, Scott, why don’t you streamline the process and use the Internet?”

OK…here’s an easy 1-Step process that probably most new marketers have tried:

Step 1: Send everyone you know an email and ask them to view your company replicated website. Let the website do all the work for you.

You might be thinking right now, “Scott, does that really work?” Well, as I said, you’ve probably already tried it and know the answer. It did not work for me either. In fact, I don’t have the numbers for cold-call, hard sell conversion rates on a replicated website, but it’s probably on the order of 1-in-10,000. So if you are fortunate to know 100,000 people and their email addresses, you may have a chance of getting ten to sign up using only your replicated website. Of that 10, probably only one will repeat what you did IF that person also has 100,000 friends.

Back to flowcharts…

Using a flowchart to graphically represent a particular process allows you to quickly see where the problems are located. In the above example, a very small number of prospects are moved through a very labor-intensive and costly process.

What you need in order to reach a massive number of prospective buyers is a system that includes multiple automated processes. Of course, you also need a marketing strategy for bringing massive numbers of people into your system.

NOTE: In The Dragonfly Project, I have created a system that draws targeted prospects into the process "pipeline" and converts them into paying customers. The best part is that it will work for ANY online business!

Using the Systems Approach and a valuable tool called Process Mapping, you can design for yourself an efficient money making system that automatically does much of the work for you. By mapping the various processes you will have a clear picture of your entire system.

These tools do not cost a penny to use, and I am going to teach you how to use them to build your own system. This information will not turn you into a systems engineer, but it will unravel the mystery behind the “secrets” of successful network marketing.

The “Systems Approach” to anything…

I am a “big picture” person. This means that I take a holistic approach when looking at a problem by identifying the various elements, functions and processes in order to understand how they all fit together. Doing this allows me to clearly see interactions and determine what is important from what is ineffectual.

Another application of this practice is when I am designing a system to achieve a particular outcome. Such a system requires strategic planning to ensure that all of the functions and activities in the system point in the right direction. Strategic planning usually starts with a Vision. Then an objective is set along with goals and specific actions to achieve the goals. In this manner, all of the efforts are focused on the objective. Activities that do not move toward the overall objective are adjusted or discarded.


In the very simplified system illustrated above, the desired outcome is to make money. This might be an internet point of sale website where buyers can actually make a purchase online. The buyers are represented by the red arrows. The pipe in the middle is a process that collects the buyers, educates them, and sorts the actual buyers from the lookers. Only the qualified buyers who are ready to make a purchase are then directed to the point of sale ecommerce website.

Again, this is a very simplified model for illustration purposes. Actual systems are very complex, with several processes intertwined to achieve the desired results. Mapping these functions and processes will give you a clear picture of your entire system so you can focus your efforts on activities that support your overall objective.

Future posts will go into much greater detail to describe some of the processes readily available that can help you to build your own system. Before you “jump in” to any “success system” or “automatic money making machine” you must understand how it fits in the big picture. Do your homework, and understand there is no “magic formula” that will effortlessly do all of the work for you.

There are some excellent automated processes that handle much of the education and sorting for you, but not one of them is going to magically draw people into those processes. You still must spread the word and share your vision to invite people into your own “system”.

But... isn’t that what networking is all about?

Internetworking - Networking with Networkers

“Internetworking,” as defined by Wikipedia, “involves connecting two or more distinct computer networks together into an internetwork (often shortened to internet) … to allow traffic to flow back and forth between them… The most notable example of internetworking in practice is the Internet, a network of networks running different low-level protocols.”

In the Systems Approach to Marketing, ‘internetworking’ is defined as a network of network marketers, each running its own ‘protocol,’ or network marketing opportunity. The internetwork is both symbiotic and synergistic at once. Networkers enter a mutually beneficial relationship that creates an enhanced combined effect. The networkers have the ability to market valuable products and services to each other, while simultaneously generating energy through shared knowledge and resources.

Most traditional MLM organizations are unilateral in their network. The people in the organization are intentionally “protected” from outside influence that may disrupt the marketing activities designed by the parent company. However, as is well known, most corporate strategies lead to a very low retention rate in the sales force. Anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of the new associates fail to achieve a level of success that will keep them involved for more than three months. Such turn-over is not usually seen as a serious problem from the corporate perspective, because as new associates are brought into their system, they bring a fresh supply of “warm market” prospects.

One reason for this failure rate is that corporate marketing strategies are not the most effective approach for individuals seeking success in network marketing. Corporate marketing materials like magazines and DVDs are an excellent tool for mass distribution of information to the public at large. They reach prospective clients that may not otherwise be reachable through traditional advertising channels. These campaigns provide the company with very high exposure at virtually no cost. Sounds perfect!

However, the view from the independent associate’s perspective is quite different. While the marketing materials may add a very professional touch to their advertising efforts, the materials result in low to moderate exposure at a relatively high cost per exposure. At this point, most network marketers become frustrated and disillutioned, and seeing no other alternative they quit.

Thinking “Outside the Box…”
By internetworking with successful networkers, individuals gain different perspectives on marketing their products, services, and opportunities. They are informed and empowered to think outside of the box and develop strategies that are the most effective for their own success, not simply that of the corporate office.

My Purpose in Life

Core Values and Beliefs

For a few years I struggled over the “meaning of life.” Who am I and why am I here? This question became very strong for me during a mid-life crisis, which began when I turned 40. “What’s it all about, Alfie?” became my theme song. Something about the personality of an engineer makes them ask a lot of “why” and “how” questions. It’s in my nature.

I think at some point we all ask ourselves these questions. It’s not just engineers that search for the meaning of life…we all do. I recently saw a popular movie titled “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” that takes a satirical look at the meaning of life. If you read the book or saw the movie, you already know the answer…42. (I said it was a satire.) If you have found yourself on a similar quest to understand the meaning of life, then you know it is a spiritual journey.

The answer to my question is therefore based on my core values and beliefs. The Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths all share a common belief in a Creator of the universe and everything in it. I share this belief, that there is one God and he created me for a purpose. What is that purpose? Why did he create me?

“The Lord has told you, human, what is good;
he has told you what he wants from you:
to do what is right to other people,
love being kind to others,
and live humbly, obeying your God.”

- Micah 6:8

Experts of the Old Testament law asked Jesus this question to test him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important.” Jesus said to them that the most important command is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” He then added a second command like the first: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Each of us, as a unique individual, has the free will to decide what we are going to do with this life. We can choose to believe whatever we want. We can refuse to believe there is a God, and decide to live entirely for our own pleasure and self-fulfillment. Go for the gusto! Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

As for me and my house…I choose to believe in the Lord of all creation. This is NOT simply a blind faith or positive thinking on my part. For I have been blessed in that God Himself has touched me in the deepest parts, and I KNOW by EXPERIENCE that He is Lord. This is the truth that set me free. I am not god…He is. That is true freedom. Knowing this, how can I not serve Him?

Purpose

Why did I spend so much time talking about my core beliefs? What does that have to do with my purpose, mission and strategic plan? Everything. As you will see, all the rest of the pieces begin to fit with ease. Life makes sense and things start to fall into place without so much chaos and confusion.

My purpose in life is simply to do what God requires of me…

Love God and love my neighbor.
There you have it… my “secret” to a successful life. If my tombstone can read “He loved God and his neighbor,” then I will have been successful.


“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

My Mission

A great deal has been published on the topic of finding one’s mission. Much is built on the idea that your mission is “out there somewhere” and you have to find it.

Have you ever been told that God has a specially designed job just waiting for you? That may actually be the case for some people. However, in the stories that I have heard regarding this, God has made it very clearly evident to those people exactly what and where the job is. I personally have not seen any “writing on the wall” or audible commands to “go to Nineveh!”

More often God places our mission or “calling” within our hearts. We are born with unique gifts, abilities, and desires that come together in a career path that is most suited to us. The answer is not “out there” but inside each of us. That is where I have looked for my answer. A small voice inside of me asked, “Scott, what do you want to do with your abilities?”

I now have a great many possibilities in front of me, so long as they satisfy my purpose in life. Here are a few desires and things I like to do:

· Playing the piano
· Snow Skiing
· Horseback riding
· Reading
· Thinking and formulating ideas
· Sharing ideas
· Creating things
· Helping other people
· Making money
· Spending money on other people

I have a strong background of experience and training in these areas:

· Math and Engineering
· Economics
· Computers and the Internet
· Philosophy and Psychology
· Leadership and Management
· Motivational Speaking

My past is full of a variety of missions, projects, and jobs that I have undertaken with varying degrees of success. Some I enjoyed, others I certainly did not enjoy. The point is that there have been many, NOT JUST ONE MISSION. Even if God sends you on a specific mission, it may not be your life-long mission.

So I have CREATED a new mission to set out upon. No one else said, “Scott, go do this!” It is something that I have designed for myself, to satisfy my purpose and fulfill my God-given desires.

Part 1 – The Need

In the past, I have set out more than once on a mission to start a home-based business to earn extra income while helping other people. In each instance, I successfully reached friends and family with the good news and mission of the company I represented. I also quickly ran out of prospects. I became part of a well-known statistic that 70 to 80% of people who get involved in network marketing quit after about three months. My mind could not comprehend why something that looked so simple on paper could be so difficult or seemingly impossible to achieve.

Compounding the problem, the internet is flooded with "Success Systems" and "Secret Formulas" that take advantage of the uninformed looking for an "easy way" to riches. These tactics have given the industry a bad reputation.

Word-of-Mouth advertising by non-professional marketing teams are a proven effective method for a corporation to build a large client base and "sales" force. However, as the statistics show, most individuals are left disillusioned and frustrated in their efforts.

The reality is that in any network marketing or multi-level marketing organization, solid and profitable growth can only be achieved through proper marketing techniques. Advertising and marketing are the keys to effective sales, and people must put forth the effort to understand and use sound practices.

Part 2 – The Vision

To help create a new generation of Network Marketers who understand the fundamentals of sales and marketing. The "secrets" of how Network Marketing actually works will be available for anyone, not just the top insiders. Those who truly have a desire will have the knowledge required to be successful in the industry. The people who fail will only be those who do not work to succeed.

Part 3 – The Mission

Expose the Network Marketing industry. Educate people on how it truly works so they no longer feel like they were tricked, scammed, or taken advantage of. Help Network Marketers think “outside of the box” using a tool called “InterNetworking.” Teach people the real market forces behind success or failure in sales and marketing.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11

Who Is Scott Douglas?

Please let me introduce myself...

I am a successful engineer who holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a Professional Engineering license.

The majority of my career was spent working as an engineer and successful consultant to government agencies where I designed and implemented management policies and strategies. My skills as a problem solver, innovator, public speaker, seminar leader, and trainer have been sought after in local governments, and on a national level in Washington circles.

My life has been built on a belief system that I was raised with…work hard, get a good education, treat others fairly, get a good job, live happily ever after…

Two years ago that changed.

I envisioned more from life and knew that my abilities were worth more than a guaranteed salary as an employee. I dreamed of working hard and serving others while spending more time on personal hobbies and giving back to the community. I wanted to transition my life from working to living.

After 20 years of serving the government, I walked away from my job and began living my dream. Today I am building my life on service to others. My worth is determined by my ability to help other people fulfill their needs and dreams.

Internetworking is a means by which I can market my service to those who need it. There are several systems consistently being used by big money earners I've met along the way, and these same systems can be readily learned and used by others seeking success.

I now enjoy an abundant life that allows me time and freedom to serve my fellow man.