‘If something is too good to be true, it usually is.’

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Wow, you are thinking, that sounds fantastic! You start wondering about what you will buy with your first commission/bonus cheque; deposit on a new car, clear the credit card, a holiday. This is the answer to my prayers.

STOP! Hang on a minute. Doesn’t this sound too good to be true? Well, yes. That’s because it most probably is.

So before you go raiding your children’s piggy bank to sign up; take a moment to think and go through this check list to see if the opportunity you have discovered is a genuine one or some fake Digital Network Marketing scam.

As most of you reading this blog are already members of a multi level marketing company, the check list can also provide you with some of the answers to help convince the Digital Network Marketing skeptic that your opportunity is the real thing.

Is the company registered with the Direct Selling Association?

I believe this is a good starting point, a quick Google search will bring up the address of your country’s DSA, for Indonesia it is APLI, and on there you will find a list of all the Digital Network Marketing companies which are registered with them in your region. The DSA is an independent organisation which aims to ensure the marketing by member companies of products and business opportunities is conducted with the highest level of business ethics and service to the consumer. All member companies promise to abide by the Associations Code of Ethics so it offers the potential prospect a level of security.

I am not saying that if a company is not registered it is illegal because membership to APLI (or a country’s version of the DSA) is not compulsory, but when convincing a skeptic if your Digital Network Marketing company is legitimate it helps to mention that it is registered with such an association.

Recruiting or Selling?

Does the company put more emphasis on recruiting than selling its products? If so, this usually spells danger. Yes, of course every Digital Network Marketing company wants to attract more distributors and nearly every distributor wants to grow his/her network but it must be for the purpose of selling more products/services. I can only speak for K-Link; it doesn’t pay a monetary bonus for recruiting members. The Company recommends you start off with 3 frontlines and begin building a strong team from there. Most skeptics, due to a lack of understanding, think Digital Network Marketing is primarily recruiting based, this is not the case. At K-Link we have members who are purely consumers that want to take advantage of the lower purchase price membership offers. They are not forced to recruit or treated any differently from the other members so it’s a good deal all round.

Now, you’ve broken the ice. You have established that your company can be found on the APLI/DSA database, and the emphasis is on the product more than recruiting. We are making some headway, but still some are not convinced, so on we continue…

How much is this going to cost me? And what do I get for my money?

I was approached the other day and offered the chance to buy-in to what the person claimed to be ‘The next big thing’. Great! How much is it to join? ‘Only Rp. 15 million,’ was the reply; after nearly spilling my coffee, I kindly declined the offer.

At K-Link it costs Rp. 200,000 (about 21 USD) to join, for that you get the K-Link Starter Kit and a bottle of K-Liquid Chlorophyll (consumer price Rp.118,000). This is another way to sway the skeptic; you can easily show them what they have for their money. From the prospect’s view, alarming bells should start ringing if you are asked to part with a large sum of money and you can’t see any value for it.

Also, inform who you are speaking to that their is no requirement to invest heavily once you have joined. With genuine Digital Network Marketing companies it takes years of determination and hard work to reach the top. If you are offered a ‘fast-track’ option this is normally a red flag that something isn’t right. K-Link never has and never will push inventory on to its distributors; the member decides what to buy and when to buy it. In fact most members go out and get a shopping list from their consumers and then make their purchases, which for a lot of newcomers is the most sensible method of approach.

What are you selling?

A lot of Digital Network Marketing distributors started out as consumers of the product/service they are now offering. I think this is a safe and sensible approach to building a good, solid network as you have downlines who believe themselves in what they are selling. This is also a lovely way to really start winning the skeptic’s heart and mind. No pressure to join, just be a consumer. If you want to know more about the benefits of being a member and the Digital Network Marketing business opportunity then give me a call. Basically, we have put the ball firmly in their court, they have nothing to lose; for them it is just the same as buying something from a high street store.

From the side of selling the business opportunity; a lot of scams use ‘high pressure sales tactics’. This offer is only good for today so sign up now! You saying things like ‘I really should talk about this with my wife first.’ Is blocked by ‘Do you have to ask your wife if you can buy a new pair of shoes?’ ‘There’s no time, she’ll be angry that you missed out on this offer.’ This is not how genuine Digital Network Marketing representatives conduct themselves, so don’t be fooled by these games. I always encourage communication with family members before signing anyone up, it’s a kind of cooling off period. I’ve pitched the products and business opportunity, then I leave it a few days before making a follow up call.

Communicating with the company

In order to be successful at any business, you need strong support and a solid training system. A legitimate Digital Network Marketing company will want to make this kind of thing easily accessible. Not only that, we all have questions which we want to ask, and when in discussion with someone of a skeptical nature I often use the ‘look for yourself’ technique. With K-Link having over 240 stockist centres spread across Indonesia it isn’t difficult to find a nearby centre and drop in for a chat. If the prospect lives in Jakarta, then visiting the impressive K-Link Tower is also possible. Offering this ‘free pass’ clearly indicates your Digital Network Marketing company has nothing to hide and helps the doubters; as it is they who are finding out first hand what your company is all about.

Some Digital Network Marketing companies operate offering services and they will not have such a big high street presence, but there should still be a customer services division which can help you with your inquires. Be aware if this doesn’t exist, it’s another warning sign that things might not be quite right.

Whether you are looking for an Digital Network Marketing company or just want some tips to use for prospecting, I hope this article helps you. If you have any comments or would like to add something else to the list, please leave a comment below.