The Agreement Seekers Blog

I have written other posts about "the money being in your list".  This post is related.  I have argued that building a large list and monetizing that list is certainly one viable strategy, however not an easy one - both in terms of the resources required to make it happen (a capture page, autoresponder, etc.) AND the entire process to make it happen. Juxtaposed to this is a small list.  A group, if you will... of About 40 People.  Or, a tight-knit community of 40 who share common values, skills, goals... an interdependent, supportive, and cohesive structure all geared to each others' financial well-being.  Allow me to slice and dice this a few different ways. So, why 40?  To be clear, I am starting here explaining the "end state".  This is the place you work toward and where you "end up" after a year's effort.  (You can't blink this into existence). We use a progressive model that builds different income platforms.  The first starts at

First, let's talk about these words and their meaning and then apply them in terms of how they are related and work together. Aggregate means to collect, gather, or bring together.  We aggregate people and money. Leverage, in physics, involves a fulcrum and the length of a lever.   It involves creating a mechanical advantage.  Think of prying a rock out of the ground with a digging iron.  Here, the rock is a pool of money (or income).  The fulcrum is the platforms (the businesses) we utilize.  The long end of the lever is all the resources and credibility we apply working with the fulcrum in order to pry the rock (money) out of the ground. Residual Income is money that is created and recurs over time, typically monthly.  This is accomplished through various means.  Compensation models of the businesses we work with have residual income "built-in".  These vary.  The most stable is a monthly subscription, like any other subscription (a magazine, cable bill, gym member

Here is the truth:  making money through marketing an online business is neither easy nor simple.  If it were, everyone would be doing it and enjoying success.  Obviously, this is not the case.  The fact is that there are many components that need to be in place all acting together in an integrated fashion.  This is not to say that it can't all be laid out and explained.  It can.  However, one of the "tests" you should apply is running from anything that proclaims to be a "no brainer". Here's the truth:  you need to create resources that support your "ventures".  If wanting to create a long-term business, it is not as simple as joining something with a replicated website and promoting that link.  If you want a business with long-term legs, there are many more things that need to be in place.  However, let's just start with the first two: Here's what you will want to consider.  First, how will people get to know you?  You will need to es

There is an email in our system that talks about "having ways" to get paid.  In the first tier of our business model, we are in the direct-pay / instant-pay arena in terms of the vehicles we use to earn income. It (should) go without saying that in an online environment where commerce is taking place, you will need platforms to enable transactions.  In other words, you will need to set up relationships with payment platforms and link these platforms to your existing financial resources - .typically this is your bank account and your debit or credit card. Why?  You need to have ways for people to pay you.  The more payment platforms you are set up with, the more ease there will be in enabling people to "transact" with you. The most fundamental and universal of these is PayPal.  If you do not have a PayPal account, you will want to get one.  As well, PayPal owns Venmo.  You will want a Venmo account as well. CashApp, Facebook Pay, Google Pay are all free to se

Aggregate, accumulate, save, invest, build a nest egg... call it what you will, the "ways" to establish a pool of money are diverse.  So, let's talk about what we do and how it fits into this context of building your bank account. You are no doubt aware of the phrase that "it takes money to make money".  Here is the reality:  it does.  You need savings in a bank for it to gain interest.  You need a broker or brokerage account to put money into and hope stocks appreciate.  You need the funds to buy a fixer-upper to upgrade and then flip for a profit.  If you can think of a scenario where it does not take money to make money, I am curious to hear about it. Like all of these, our business requires an initial outlay of money.  This is based primarily on two factors.  Means (does someone have the money) and risk tolerance (how do they view potentially losing this amount of money?).  What we do is not traditional.  We aggregate people and their money into pools

Everything starts with making decisions.  And, (for our purposes) ends with money in your bank account, e.g. decisions to dollars. This assumes there is a sound decision-making structure to operate from.  You will find this information on a few other places on this blog:  Decisions are a function of information.  D=(f)i  Slow down and let that sink in if you have not pondered it before. So, what information do you (or someone you are wanting to attract) need to gather, evaluate and act upon in order to progress to the point of "getting started"? This breaks down into the two broad categories of affect and intellect.  In other words, how people feel and what they think. The biggest affective component is trust.  Are you being dealt with in an honest and fair manner (and) is your best interest is at heart?  Trust is (typically) built and earned over time, however in our business, we need to move people through "trust development" in a relatively accelerated wa

This post is intentionally short and sweet. The first $1000 you make is the hardest.  It is where most of the learning takes place.  However, understand the difference between learning and applying.  There is an important balance in terms of time invested. Nothing will happen in your business if people are not actively evaluating what you have to offer, measuring its utility/viability and making a decision to either buy from or join with you. Exposures of what you do, creating interest, educating, and forming lasting relationships are the fundamentals of a sustainable business.  The more people you form relationships with (customers and business partners) - the more money you make. Your first $1000 starts with your first sale.  If you do not have a strategy in place to be telling people about what you do and you can convey its value, you are not in business and you will make no money. Once that plan is in place and you are executing, then you just need to persevere and break

Social Commerce has an inherent problem of the blind leading the blind.  It is a function of people joining people who have "joined" and neither have a real clue of what to do - beyond making a list of 100 names.  The question is:  is this an industry issue, or an individual company issue? Well, you can't really control an entire industry.  Therefore, the answer has to lie in all of the individual companies whose model is basically to let people "wing it".  There is no structure, no planning, no accountability.  This is for daily activities, scheduled communication (check-ins), or any other form of "active" mentorship/sponsorship. For most, sponsorship ends when the transaction is complete.  It's simply a, "OK, I got mine.  Good luck in going to get your's" approach.  The contention of this post is that this is when the "relationship" should begin.  The issue is that there is no formal process (in most scenarios) to

Platform as a Product (PaaP) businesses have been around (in earnest) for at least a decade.  These businesses provide the system, processes, and administrative functionality to both market and track digital commerce.  Most require a one-time (or periodic) Administration Fee that is paid to the Platform owner.  As well, many now have peer-to-peer-based money-exchange models where funds (the commerce) is made on platforms such as Bitcoin, PayPal, Cash.app, Stripe, Googlepay, etc. Typically, these platforms have training information or service-based offers.  However, no matter "what" the offer is, all have a front-end marketing system (capture pages, autoresponders, sizzle calls, chatbots, etc.) and a back-end where "the business" is tracked and administered.  This marketing and administrative platform is the product.  It enables Social Commerce where people agree to participate in the exchange of money for mutual benefit by engaging with "the platform"

So... if everyone wants a map, is it the same map?  Does the same map get everyone to the same destination?  I don't think so. If you are talking a literal, conventional map with roads and streets... sure, the concept applies.  However, here, we are talking about a map to the "promised land" of success, profitability, leadership, etc.  As such, everyone has a different starting point and this is why we say, "we will work with you based on what you bring to the table".  In other words, we may know where we are going, but the route to get there has to be tailored and specific to an individual's starting point. This is based on current skills, amount of time, the amount of money, likes and dislikes, introversion versus extroversion... ultimately, what someone is "willing" to do.  But leave no doubt, "something" has to be done.  This is not an empty gesture. The "map" has to have directions.  On the first leg of the journey, y

If you do a Google Images search on Sales Funnels, you will find many rainbow-colored funnels with intricate explanations of how they work.  The fundamental concept for any sales funnel is the same. The way we build relationships moves people through this structured process of Awareness to Loyalty (if the process is working properly).  Here is just one example: Now, here's the dashboard of how we choose to manage our "pipeline" in our Gmail  CRM add-on named Streak. As you note, each is the same process.  We move people through an evaluation process from initial exposure to creating a lifelong partnership.  Each step is broken down into actionable "things-to-do". In the beginning, we are creating Awareness by exposing people to our offer through varied means.  In the end, we are creating Loyalty through our on-boarding process and putting a plan in place that is tailored to an individual's time and talents. We track.  We manage.  We

Fair is a powerful word, perceptually.  It speaks to both sides of anything being in equilibrium... i.e. fair and balanced. Fair means you get yours, and I get mine - and we are both happy with the result.  So, what does this have to do with our business and our Community? It is out or a posture of fairness that we want to operate.  We create financial independence through financial interdependence.  Inter means between.  We (you and me) are linked and this concept of "fair".  It extends to everything we do. However, is it realistic to expect that everyone will invest the same effort?  If not, is this fair?  How do we deal with people who are initially a ball-of-fire, but then peter out and become non-productive?  Do we cajole and attempt to motivate? Let's take a step back.  We try to attract people who understand standards and expectations.  Our Community is all about, "What it takes".  This is expressed in effort - consistently applied.  Non-productiv

Frankly, we don't want people "jumping at a hot opportunity".  This is not what we are about. We offer a long-term proposition that requires patience to get there and understanding of a great deal of content (to get there). Therefore, as you "recruit", allow for peoples' consideration in learning about what we do and their natural skepticism.  Our job is to provide a context for constructive information acquisition.  We enable adult decisions that have a real-world-bearing on peoples' futures.  Treat it as such. If we provide an experience that is thoughtful and purposeful, we will greatly enhance the probability of those we work with being around long-term. So don't rush it.  Don't pressure.  Make a friend.  Provide guidance.  Have conversations about real possibilities. It will serve you, long-term.

Building a bridge between knowing what to do - and - doing it, is the starting point of "what it takes" to be successful in managing a home business. This blog, our Training Site, and many other resources are instructive in laying out a game plan for what-to-do.  This is the pragmatic... the daily grind... the activities... the hours invested. Then there is aspiration... what you want, the reason for your involvement, what is driving you - some call it your "why?". You would think these two things are inextricably linked.  But somehow in the process of life happening, there is a disconnect.  This results of what-you-want are not supported by what-you-do. Having a vision of where you are going is critical.  It requires a "grand plan"... a strategy to get there.  This is broken down into skills and knowledge that needs to be applied, both in the academic sense of learning, but also in the athletic sense of practicing and performing.  In football term

So you have a job.  Let me ask, are you satisfied with your life?  Do you want more?  So then let me also ask, are you capable of doing more? Just about everyone thinks they should get paid more money.  This inherently defines underemployment (from your perspective).  A problem arises when you feel disillusioned and left-behind... forgotten about... taken for granted.  There is little we can do "in the system" to change this. This leads to frustration and apathy and people "hating" what they do.  Essentially, it is a life wasted doing things with no intrinsic value other than being a part of the same system (for the masses) that enables you to pay the rent and put food on the table.  What's worse, for most, is that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.  Many people are simply resolved to this as their reality. So let me ask again, are you capable of doing more?  And, if so, what would that be?  We offer one alternative, but this "somethin

It has been interesting since my profile has elevated on Linkedin, I am getting contacts from various people seeking synergies - open to exploring how we may be of benefit to each other. This morning I spoke with Matt who owns a hedge fund and says he is in the lineage of Warren Buffet... in terms of training and philosophy.  He tells me he learned from a guy who learned from WB... In describing my business, I found myself saying that my goal is to give people the skills to improve their circumstances... the guy or gal who is one paycheck away from disaster... Joe or Jane Sixpack who doesn't know that a whole universe of opportunity exists that s/he had no idea about... and is thrilled to get in on "the game" once this portal to new opportunity presents itself. On the other hand, his "pitch" was essentially about good months and bad months with about a 10% monthly return in the good months... annualized to about 30-40%.  Seems to me, that would be a whole

Anyone with a conscience needs to be proud of what they do.  This pride extends to all areas of our business.  Our mission, how we operate, how we treat people... are all internally consistent with each other.  Your role is to rise to this level of expectation.  That is, to rise to the level of a Professional home business owner who offers value to those you work with. Being respected as a role model in terms of how you comport yourself, the "clues" you leave to others about success, and the overt expression of your leadership all combine to form the mantle you wear on a daily basis.  The adage is, "respect is earned". Digging deeper, the more problematic aspect of respectability is in regard to our business model and fighting the stigma of person-to-person commerce.  There is no getting around the fact that we battle the, "oh... it's one of those things" perception of our industry.  In many cases, this reputation is warranted due to the failure ra

Getting to the "change" necessary to manage a successful home business is difficult. I offer the assertion  (the reason) people do not succeed is due to their inability to incorporate change into their daily habits and routines. A big part of knowing "how to go about it" is tied to taking intentional steps on a daily basis.  This inherently has to be a "plan" of how you are going to invest your time doing "what" it takes.  Most people do this on Sundays.  On Sunday, you know what your week looks like for the next 6 days. If you work, you know when that is.  You know how much time it takes to get there.  If you exercise, you know when that is.  ...when you prepare food and then eat.  When you walk the dog.  All the rest of the time is "potentially" when you can work on building your business. If you write it in a schedule, you are making a commitment to yourself.  It is a mental contract that says, "Tuesday at 6:30 after the k

Let's face it.  Most people don't want to do what it takes to build a business.  This is the reason for the failure rate in the Relationship Marketing business.  It has nothing to do with the business model, compensation structures, upline support... There is an old adage, "Nothing happens until something is sold".  Or in reverse, until something is sold, nothing happens. So, if we soften it a bit, and call it "sharing"... it nonetheless comes down to the idea that "a rose is a rose by any other name".  Call it anything you want.  Commerce needs to be transacted.  Money needs to change hands.  It all starts with getting "what you have" in front of people for them to evaluate. The bottom line is this:  unless you figure out "how" and commit "to" the fact that you need to get what you have in front of people, nothing will happen.  "How to" and "what you are willing to do" will drive your success. 

The American Dream is a lie.  It is a hoax perpetrated on the majority of people in this country.  Work hard.  Get ahead.  Equal Opportunity...  This is simply an aspirational "message".  It is an adage that suppresses prosperity and ignores the fact that "working" for an hourly wage (or even a generous salary) will not lead you to financial prosperity.  It is a myth. If your income is "predictable" in the coming year, you are buying the lie.  Sure, you may position yourself for a raise or promotion.  This will elevate your circumstances marginally.  However, at the end of the year, you will still have a finite "number" to budget around, save from and invest with. Schools totally fail our youth by not teaching the concept of leverage.  Leverage drives wealth and yet the concept is ignored (outside of how interest works) as a general principle of financial education and literacy.  The WPNM Community exists to share the fact that many great too