Join me, Manohar Mattu, and I'll personally help you build a second income with top rated SFI—now in its 18th year! Click here to join my team and get started FREE today!

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Presenting…Class Cash!



Presenting…Class Cash!


As explained in our earlier announcement, we are discontinuing the Signing Bonus program.
The Signing Bonus program is being replaced with a new program we’re calling “CLASS CASH.”
We call the new program Class Cash because it’s a special drawing held just for the members of your class (i.e., everyone who joined SFI the same day you did). This of course means that your odds of winning are pretty good—since you’re competing ONLY against those who joined SFI the same day you did.
Whenever a new person joins SFI, they will be informed of our Class Cash drawing immediately upon submitting the submission button on the affiliate registration page.
The page will look like this:
screenshot_2804

Upon confirming their email address (or entering a different one if they clicked the red “no” button), they’ll see a message letting them know their drawing entry number has been emailed to them.  They can now retrieve their entry number from the email we’ve sent them.
Over the course of the next 29 days, they’ll then receive up to six additional emails, just friendly reminders about the 10 logins and 300 VersaPoints requirements and—for those who’ve met the login/VP requirements—reminding them to log in on their 30th day to find out if they’ve won and to claim their prize.
We’ve also simplified and shortened the entire New Affiliate Intro (the first pages a new affiliate sees upon signing up).  Now, upon signing up, a new affiliates will see the Class Cash info page (see screenshot above), then just four short pages that welcome them to SFI and provide an overview of the SFI program before turning them over to LaunchPad.


q&A-final

Q: In what ways is Class Cash an improvement over the Signing Bonus program?
There are several reasons, including: 1. It ensures a valid email address, which can open up vital communications.  2. When a person enters the Class Cash drawing, they’ll be incentivized to log in at least ten times over the next 30 days and collect a minimum of 300 VersaPoints.  And if they’re logging in and collecting VersaPoints, there’s a much greater chance of them becoming serious, active affiliates.

Q: Why are you pre-announcing the discontinuation of Signing Bonuses and the new replacement program, Class Cash?
As a courtesy, we want to alert everyone about what’s coming in case you need to adjust your advertising or other marketing that references the soon-to-be-obsolete Signing Bonus program.

Q: When will the Signing Bonus program officially end?
We are removing all references to the Signing Bonus program on our Gateways, banners, etc. on Wednesday, July 12th.  By Friday, July 14th, all references in LaunchPad, on the To Do List tab, in the Knowledge Base, etc. should be removed.  However, new affiliates joining SFI through Sunday, July 16th, will still be eligible to receive the up-to-$100 Signing Bonuses that are currently referenced in our Gateways, banners, etc.

Q: When will the new Class Cash program go live?
Class Cash is planned to go live no later than Tuesday, July 18th, and will be reflected on all SFI gateways at this time.

Q: Why inform new registrants about Class Cash as the very first thing they see upon signing up?
It’s actually critical that it’s done at this time.  Why?  Because this is the one and only time we can absolutely be assured we have a captive audience.  That is, for every other SFI webpage, everything from LaunchPad to the Affiliate Center and beyond, there’s no guarantee the new affiliate will ever get that far.  But when they hit the submit button from their registration, however, we can be assured they will see the next page (the Class Cash info page).

Q: Why force people to get their drawing entry number via an email?
If the person wants to get entered for the cash prize, they will HAVE to provide us with a valid email address…and a valid email address opens the door to important subsequent communications from and with SFI corporate, sponsors, co-sponsors, and upline Team Leaders.  This one little change could potentially pay huge dividends.

Q: What if a person has registered with one email address but wants or needs to change it to a different/better one?
Review the screenshot of the Class Cash page above.  The first thing we ask them to do is verify that the email address they just registered is the one they want us to send their drawing entry number to.  If not, they can click the “NO” button and they’ll be able to instantly swap in a different email address.  Note: We expect to see a LOT of people changing their email address here, since it’s now critical for them in order to enter the drawing.

Q: When does the new affiliate know if they’ve won the cash prize?
On their 30th day in SFI they’ll just need to visit the Alerts tab at the Affiliate Center and see what the winning entry number is.  If they see their number listed, they can then claim it by following the simple directions provided.

Q: Why the minimum 10 logins and 300 VersaPoints requirements?
This of course assures a level of activity that can help all sponsors and Team Leaders in their team-building efforts.  Just getting new registrants to provide a valid email address is awesome of course, but getting new people in the habit of logging in regularly and collecting VersaPoints is even better, we’re sure you agree!

Q: Might the number of logins and/or VersaPoints be decreased or increased?
Yes, we’re starting with a minimum of 10 logins and 300 VersaPoints, but we plan to test other amounts to find the “sweet spot.”

Q: Does a winner have to claim the prize on their 30th day?
No, they technically have up to 72 hours (day 30, day 31, and day 32) to visit the Alerts tab, view the winning number, and claim the prize if its their number that has been drawn.

Q: Are there any consolation prizes for those who don’t win the cash prize?
Yes, there will be multiple consolation prizes, so all Class Cash entrants should visit the Affiliate Center on day 30 to see if they’ve at least won a consolation prize.

Q: Should I as the sponsor, upline Team Leader, or co-sponsor of a new person be providing them information on the Class Cash drawing?
We don’t recommend making this a focus of your communications with new members, but you can certainly mention it.  Going forwards, we’ll be monitoring interest in the new program and we’ll provide future guidance on this to all sponsors once we know better how it’s being received.

Q: What if a new affiliate loses the email with their entry number?
In the follow-up emails they’ll be receiving from us, we’ll remind them of their entry number.

Q: What if a new affiliate’s ISP won’t deliver the email with their entry number to them?
They’ll have to submit a ticket should this occur.

Q: What happens if a registrant chooses not to enter the Class Cash drawing and instead clicks the “no thanks” button? They’ll immediately be presented with our new, shorter New Affiliate Intro…which leads to the LaunchPad.  In short, they can jump right into being an SFI affiliate, they just won’t have the opportunity to win the drawing.
Q: I have received Signing Bonuses previously.  The total amount of those bonuses resides in my account.  Do I lose this money?
No. If you have Signing Bonus money in your affiliate account, it will be paid out per the original rules (as 3% of your commissions, for up to 18 months).  Do note, however, that we are changing the name from Signing Bonus to Action Bonus.  That is, the money you received as a Signing Bonus will now be categorized in your account as an Action Bonus.

Q: So you’re going to continue to award bonuses (paid out at 3% over a maximum of 18 months), but the name will just be changed?
No.  No one will receive the $20 bonus just for joining SFI or the additional $80 for doing the E365 actions any more.  But, at least for the time being, we may continue to award Action Bonuses for other things, such as for the daily Biz Quiz prize.

Q: Will SFI Gateways advertise Class Cash like it did Signing Bonuses?
If will be included on the Gateways, yes, but it won’t be like the Signing Bonus program which sometimes confused people because they failed to read the details.  We also won’t lead with Class Cash anywhere (e.g. there won’t be an banners that focus on the Class Cash drawing).

Q: How exactly will it be presented on SFI Gateways?
There will be a simple panel with this text: “Special Bonus: One person joining SFI today will win $250!  Join today to get entered.  No purchase necessary to win.”

Q: Maybe Class Cash shouldn’t be mentioned on SFI Gateways to avoid incentivizing people to join just to win money?
Perhaps.  On the other hand, it’s not a guarantee of income (that some perceived the Signing Bonus to be), it’s just a nice bonus drawing, and it may very well attract sign-ups that turn into serious affiliates.  We’ll monitor it carefully, and if we’re not seeing a net gain, we’ll remove it from the Gateways.

Q: Isn’t Class Cash kind of redundant of the E365 contest?
It some ways it is, but Class Cash is much simpler and more direct.  Hence, we think it will quickly engage many new people and in much higher numbers than E365 does.

Q: It appears that the New Affiliate Intro eliminates the pages that previously walked the new affiliate through confirming their email address, whitelisting, and completing Profile Basics.  Isn’t this bad to pass over these?
The new Class Cash drawing, which provides a strong incentive to register a valid and active email address largely eliminates the need for the email confirmation.  And the whitelisting and Profile Basics pages arguably add unnecessary complexity for new affiliates.  Meanwhile, all of these elements will continue to exist and can be subsequently accessed by new affiliates a little later in the process of getting started with SFI, especially since they represent large amounts of free, easy VersaPoints and are prominently presented in their own section on the To Do List tab.

Q: Is this new program just for new affiliates…or can existing affiliates participate and win prizes too?
It’s only for new affiliates, starting with those joining next week (Class Cash should go live on either July 17th or 18th).

Q: Why does the New Affiliate Intro turn them over to LaunchPad instead of the Affiliate Center?
Our research on this over the years indicates that dropping new persons directly into the Affiliate Center is overwhelming.  Before hitting the Affiliate Center, new affiliates need to understand a few basics.  These basics are what we cover in the intro and in LaunchPad.  Of course, if a new affiliate wants to skip LaunchPad and jump into the Affiliate Center, they can…by clicking the Affiliate Center button located atop each LaunchPad lesson.

New Localvantia Badges

New Localvantia badges!


With nearly two thousand approved pre-registrations in over 100 cities across the world already in, Localvantia is on its way to becoming a major new SFI program!  But we want to get many, many more affiliates actively involved in pre-registering merchants so that Localvantia can explode with customer activity when we formally launch later this year.
screenshot_2699
With that in mind, we are excited today to announce three brand new Localvantia badges—available immediately to all SFI affiliates:

screenshot_02 (1)Badge #1 recognizes both pre-registrations and final registrations (final registrations being the merchant opting in as an official Localvantia merchant).
  • Earn the basic badge with just 10 approved pre-registrations, and also earn 200 Badge Quest points.
  • 25 registrations (a minimum of 50% must be final registrations) adds bronze trim and earns you 400 Badge Quest points.
  • 50 registrations (a minimum of 50% must be final registrations) adds silver trim and earns you 600 Badge Quest points.
  • 100 registrations (a minimum of 50% must be final registrations)  adds gold trim and earns you 800 Badge Quest points.
TIP! By amassing a large number of pre-registrations now, you’ll be poised to quickly add bronze, silver, or gold trim to your badge (and a prodigious heap of Badge Quest points) when Localvantia formally launches in October.

badge-lv_200clubbadge-lv_500club
Badges #2 and #3 recognize SFI’s elite merchant recruiters:
  • Earn the 200 Club badge with 200 registrations (a minimum of 50% must be final registrations).  The 200 Club also earns you 1500 Badge Quest points.
  • Earn the 500 Club badge with 500 registrations (a minimum of 50% must be final registrations).  The 500 Club also earns you 3000 Badge Quest points.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Badge Quest Bounty!

Less than two weeks to qualify for this month’s Badge Quest Bounty!


TODAY is the last day to get yourself qualified for March’s Badge Quest Bounty! The pot is now up to $550.60! Remember, to be qualified, you need to achieve a new level in Badge Quest or be at Grand Master or Grand Master Elite status. Check your Badges tab now, and see what badges are available to you to qualify before the end of this month. And if you ARE qualified, be sure you have your BQ Bounty NUMBER chosen! The first number for the big cash prize will be drawn Saturday, April 1st.
Portrait happy man exults pumping fists ecstatic celebrates success under money rain falling down dollar banknotes isolated on gray wall background

Rate this:

Thursday, March 23, 2017

New Reassignment Rules



As discussed in our Opti-Build announcement, to maximize Opti-Build’s power and impact for your group, restructuring your first level by the end of March may be in order.
First, though, let’s affirm again:

“The best way to build a highly successful business in SFI is to help those in your team become successful.”

Let this key principle guide you as you consider your restructuring strategy!
screenshot_2504
Now, if you’re relatively new to SFI and/or have five or less Team Leaders on your first level, you probably do not need to do much or any restructuring.  But if you DO have more than five Team Leaders, pay very careful attention to the following information.
First, understand that everyone can have no more than five DDs (Designated Diamonds).  And being a DD is a requirement for participating in Opti-Build.  Therefore, if you have more than five Team Leaders, you’re going to have Team Leaders that are not allowed to participate in Opti-Build. That’s probably not good for them or for YOU.
Again, “The best way to build a highly successful business in SFI is to help those in your team become successful.”  Preventing one or more of your first Team Leaders from participating in Opti-Build goes directly against this tenet of course!
So, you have two choices:
  • > Leave your Team Leaders where they are and risk harming your relationship with them and, very possibly, your future earnings from those legs of your business.
  • > Reassign some of your Team Leaders so that ALL of them can qualify as DDs and be able to participate in Opti-Build.
If you feel #2 is the best option, here are our best restructuring tips:
The system is going to identify for you who your five DDs will be on April 1st.  However, unless you have a truly large number of very active Team Leaders on your first level, you should be able to ascertain who they will be now.  They will be your five Team Leaders with the highest rank (and in the case of a tie, the ones with the most VP for the month).
Your next step is to identify your Team Leaders who will NOT be one of the five DDs selected by the system on April 1st.  These persons are the ones you need to consider reassigning now, before the end of the month.
We recommend that you reassign each of these persons under one of your five top Team Leaders (those who you expect to be designated as DDs on April 1st).
You may want to “spread the wealth,” and assign, say, one Team Leader under each of your top five Team Leaders.  Or you may want to concentrate those being moved under one or more of your top five Team Leaders, the one or ones that have clearly proven they’re going to be superstars.  We recommend you also review The Diamond Plan for guidance.
Definitely also consider “compatibility” before making any moves.  For example, do you have Team Leaders that would really work great together because of where they live in the world or the primary language they speak?  Or perhaps you have a new, but inexperienced Team Leader that could greatly benefit from being placed under a mentor “veteran” Team Leader.  Bottom line: There are all kinds of ways that people can be both compatible and incompatible, so DO consider this carefully before making any reassignments.
Bottom line: If possible, restructure your group so you have no more than five of your top Team Leaders on your first level.  Then, manually reassign under each of them the rest of your Team Leaders before the end of March.  This way, ALL of your Team Leaders can be Designated Diamonds when Opti-Build launches on April 1st.

THE NEW REASSIGNMENT RULES

To accommodate the type of restructuring Opti-Build requires, some changes in our reassignments rules were necessary.  Following are the new rules (effective immediately):
1. Affiliates (non-EAs) can be reassigned only to other PSAs unless you are a Designated Diamond OR an STL or higher in rank—in which case you may reassign to your downline (12 generations maximum).
2. Executive Affiliates (current or former) can be reassigned only to other PSAs unless you are a Designated Diamond OR an STL or higher in rank—in which case you may reassign to your downline (12 generations maximum).
3. Bronze and Silver Team Leaders (qualified at this rank within the last 45 days) can only be reassigned to other first-level Team Leaders of equal or greater rank.
4. Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Team Leaders (qualified at this rank within the last 45 days) may not be reassigned without permission from SFI Corporate. Submit a ticket for any requests to reassign a GTL, PTL, or DTL and include your reasons for wanting to make the reassignment, then await further instructions.
5. There is no longer a limit on how many times a person can be reassigned.  However, a person may be reassigned a maximum of once every 30 days.
6. You may reassign PSAs (including those that you did not personally refer to SFI). Once they’re officially your PSA, they are yours to reassign as desired per rules #1-#5.
7. Previously, 5 VP was earned when reassigning an affiliate with at least 600 VP in the prior 90 days.  This has been discontinued, effective immediately.  However, we are planning to replace this with something better in the near future…so stay tuned.

Q&A

Q: When the system designates a DD, is that permanent?
No. All DDs will be designated at the beginning of each month based on their rank and VP for the previous month, and they’ll be qualified for Opti-Build for one month.  Thus, you could qualify as a DD in March, but then not for April.  Conversely, you could not qualify as a DD in March, but qualify in April.

Q: Are the reassignments I make permanent?
Essentially, yes, that’s why it’s vital that you carefully consider every reassignment.

Q: Could moving a Team Leader under another Team Leader create additional momentum in my group?
Yes, absolutely!  And it’s actually two-fold.  The one receiving the new Team Leader is likely to be DELIGHTED to have a new, active first-level Team Leader.  And the person you reassigned is likely to be excited also, because in doing so, you’ve given them what they needed to qualify as a DD and to be able to participate in Opti-Build!  Such a move aligns perfectly with the key tenet, “The best way to build a highly successful business in SFI is to help those in your team become successful.”

Q: What about non-Team Leaders on my first level?  Should I reassign them, too?
Yes, so long as you have at least one Team Leader on your first level who will qualify as a DD, you should strongly consider reassigning all your non-Team Leaders under your Team Leaders.  Why?  Again, “The best way to build a highly successful business in SFI is to help those in your team become successful.”

Q: I will likely meet the qualifications for DD by the end of March, but I know my sponsor has more than five Team Leaders, so I may be left out.  What can I do to improve my chances of being one of my sponsor’s five DDs?
The best way is to simply see to it that you are one of your sponsor’s five highest-ranked Team Leaders (and with enough VP to win out over any other Team Leaders with the same rank as you).  But if that’s not realistic, we would then encourage you to start a conversation with your sponsor immediately.  Let him or her know how much you want to be a DD and respectfully request that he/she reassign you to one of his/her top first-level Team Leaders so you may be a DD and participate in Opti-Build.

Q: What about CSAs?  Have the rules also changed on CSA reassignments?
We’ve made just one change on CSAs.  There’s no longer a limit on how many times a CSA may be reassigned (though no one may be reassigned more than once in a 30 day period).  TIP: We strongly recommend everyone review this article about how reassigning CSAs can sparks growth and momentum in your group!  Try it!

Q: I understand that Opti-Build works best when the lines it feeds into are narrow.  So will Opti-Build work better for me if I have less than five DDs?
Yes.  If you don’t already have five first-level Team Leader who will be DDs, we recommend focusing on no more than 2-3 people to start.  That is, help 2-3 of your PSAs become Team Leaders and DDs.  You may even want to consider reassigning everyone else on your first level under them.  Then pause on developing more first-level Team Leaders and make your focus be about getting your 2-3 DDs all the way to platinum.  Just by limiting your first level to 2-3 people, you’ll be automatically concentrating the power of Opti-Build…and making Opti-Build work more effectively for you (simply because all the sign-ups flowing through the Opti-Build stream will be less spread out). Then, each time one of your DDs hits platinum, add a new first-level DD.  Soon, you’ll have five first-level PTLs, per The Diamond Plan…and YOU will be a DTL!

Q: Do these new reassignment rules apply ONLY to Opti-Build?
No, ALL reassignments, both manual and automatic (Opti-Build), are now covered by these rules.

Q: I’m not familiar with manual reassignment.  What is the value of reassigning an affiliate…and how do I actually reassign someone?
See this Knowledge Base article. And/or search on the keyword “reassignment” from the Affiliate Center’s search engine.

Q: Can moving Team Leaders negatively impact income?
If you have a very deep group, it could, yes.  This is because you could move override income (Matching VP) out of your “pay range.”  Example: You’re a GTL, which qualifies you to earn on Matching VP down 10 generations.  You move an established STL down a generation, which puts some of the Matching VP you were earning on in that leg now on your 11th generation.  Such moves of Team Leader with deep groups can also similarly impact the earnings of your sponsor and other upline Team Leaders.  This is why we are encouraging everyone who is looking at reassigning Team Leaders to carefully and diligently consider every reassignment.  Special note:  You may want to consult your sponsor and/or other Team Leader who may have had a hand in developing/nuturing the Team Leaders you have on your first level.  Consulting with and asking for their blessing on any such moves is encouraged.

Q: Won’t I be giving up Direct Commissions if I reassign affiliates to other affiliates on lower generations in my group?
Yes, but don’t forget that you can still earn Matching VP on every one that is at least an Executive Affiliate (EA).  And, one more time, remember the tenet:

“The best way to build a highly successful business in SFI is to help those in your team become successful.”
Sure, you might earn a little more in the short term by keeping all your affiliates on your first level and tapping into the Direct Commissions they could generate for you.  But in the long term, you may very well be leaving a fortune on the table!  The fact is, the big money in SFI comes from leveraged income (duplication).  Opti-Build provides you with a way to put this part of your business into overdrive!  And, with proper focus, Opti-Build can make your Direct Commissions pale in comparison to your override commissions (Matching VP).  Also note that Direct Commissions will eventually roll up to you if the person/persons in between become inactive in SFI.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

New “pre-bids” at Pricebenders



Today we have added “pre-bidding” to Pricebenders.  Here’s how it works:
Every auction on the UPCOMING AUCTIONS page now sports a “pre-bid” button.
screenshot_2470
Click this button and you can enter a quantity of bids you’d like to place on this auction when it starts.  You can enter any number of bids you want…from 1 to 1,o0o,ooo.  Each bid is one TCredit.

VersaPoints Bonus!

For each of your pre-bids, you’ll instantly receive 1 VersaPoint as soon as the auction starts (a great way to grab some quick VP!).  And, as a special bonus, for every 10 pre-bids, we’ll add a FREE BONUS VP!
Example: Place 10 pre-bids and receive 11 VP.  Place 20 pre-bids and receive 22 VP.  Place 100 pre-bids and receive 110 VP.  And so on.

Shorter timers

Did you notice?  We recently have been begun testing a 6-hour starting timer for all auctions (down from the standard 12-hour timer we’ve been using for the last year).  This has, of course, greatly reduced the length of each auction.
Let us know if you like the shorter timer by joining an auction!