But that doesn't mean that quality affiliate programs can't make money for you. They can, if they are used properly.

As in mailorder, best possible use you can make of online affiliate programs, not your own, is to tie them into whatever it is that you're doing, as ride-alongs, whether on your web site, in your eZine, or through an eBook you publish. By finding programs that mesh with your own business, you set them up to generate added revenue for you, much like a bounceback in mailorder. These select programs can be things that tie into your product or service directly or indirectly.

What's difference?

Let me give you an example.

I've recently completed an eBook called "Build It Online! - How to Find, Sponsor & Duplicate MLM Success Over Internet." The book is a product, my product. But I've been able to use it to introduce some things that I can recommend to readers who may need them. These include a lead program that's directly tied to Multi-Level Marketing, and a very helpful piece of software that is indirectly related, since it can benefit anyone doing business online including those who are involved in MLM or Network Marketing. What's important is that both are products I can feel good about showing my readers. Take lead program. When searching these out, I came across one that I wouldn't use myself. So why offer it to others? I believe in being able to stand behind my recommendations, so should you.

It's easy to find products that you can tie into your own online business. But take care that you only "affiliate" yourself with things of value. Just because you joined a program is no reason to promote it, especially if you're linking it to your products and your reputation.

In my "studies" in online marketing -- why not call them that! -- I've bought into far more things than I've ever promoted, but there are only two business angles I want to work online, anymore.

The first is to continue to develop and sell my own products. I'm working a couple of niche markets now, and know it's easier to sell what I produce than it is to market someone else's product.

The second is to continue to promote select MLM companies I can believe in.

In fact, if you don't have interest in creating your own products, to which affiliate programs can be tied, I'd urge you to get yourself into a good MLM company and work that instead of an affiliate program.

Why?

Because working an affiliate program is self-limiting. You make a sale, you get a cut. But program owner gets customer!

With MLM it's a little different. When you make a sale, your customer, in a sense, becomes an affiliate or associate of yours! And you earn on his sales and on sales of those to whom he sells. This can go "multi-levels" deep, so that eventually, you can be earning bonuses and commissions on sales of 100's or 1000's of people, not just your own. It's called leveraging, and it's something else being an affiliate dealer won't give you. Why not check it out?

Much success!

Because of what has taken place over past few years, leading with business opportunity is a necessity, BUT only if it can be backed up with excellent products.

Let me provide you with three examples.

1. Suppose I approach you with this: "I've got best nutritional supplement product available on market and because of that, you can make money" Feel free to substitute another product . . like ISP, web hosting, telephone service, etc. As a business seeker, does that excite you?

2. Now, suppose I approach you with this: "I've got this product that no one else has and I have sole rights to it so we will be only ones able to market it. Because of that, you have a tremendous opportunity to make money." Understanding that it is hard to respond to such unless you know what product is, intrigue and power is in fact that this company has exclusive rights to a unique product that no one else has.

3. Now suppose I approach you with this statement: "I have a business opportunity that has a compensation plan that is so powerful that you will make an excellent income in a very short period of time." Often times first question is "what is product" but real interest of network marketer is regarding compensation plan.

For me, second example would be most powerful because thought of a product that people would want with my being associated with only company in which they could get it from would seem to be a tremendous opportunity. The problem is, it seems such products either do not exist or they get copied so they are no longer a unique product or service. In fact, I've even heard statement that "if we had a product no one else has or can produce, why would we need MLM to distribute it?" So although this second example may be most powerful of three examples, in reality it really doesn't exist in MLM arena.

The third example is where action is in today’s MLM arena. It all boils down to making money. If product is good enough to promote notice . . I didn't say best . . .just good enough) and if people can make money promoting compensation plan knowing they have good enough products to back them up, then that is what is attracting people to MLM.

IS THERE REALLY TRUE PRODUCT LOYALTY?

The truth is there is no real loyalty in products. Loyalty is based on making money. When I say no real loyalty in products, I'm talking about if a person would use those products even if they didn't participate in business opportunity. It is easy to be a loyal product user when starting a company and certainly when making money with that company, but true test is whether a person will use products even when they are not making money. If people showed their loyalty to products even if they were not making money, more people would make money because people are consuming product which is basis of commission generation.

CHANGING PEOPLE’S HABITS

Another factor is changing habits of people. For most part, people go to stores and purchase products. That is a habit based on years of doing such. Changing ones habits require motivation to do so. If motivation is based on making money rather than being really sold and loyal to products, then once a person decides he cannot make money based on that company/product and moves on to another, will he continue to use those products? I maintain answer to that is "no" with result being people going back to their old habits or moving on to another company and trying a different set of products. You see, name of game is making money . . .not promoting best products. I've seen it time and time again . .. We have best products money can buy, but only as long as I'm successfully building my business. All of a sudden, products seem not to be best products money can buy.

IT’S THE NEEDS AND DREAMS THAT DICTATE

It’s needs and dreams that dictate our actions. You see, we ] don't "need" to have best products. We don't "need" to purchase products from a MLM company. We don't dream of being able to buy or sell products. Instead we have a need to make money. We have a dream to become financially independent. It’s our needs and dreams that motivate us to take action so what interests us most is making money.

SO WHICH IS IT . . . PRODUCTS OR THE OPPORTUNITY?

Based on that, it would seem answer to question . . which comes first . . .Products or opportunity . . answer is clearly opportunity . . .but more clearly, compensation plan. In other words, can I show you a compensation plan that will allow you to make money rather quickly, yet am backed up by good enough products to promote AND a company that is legitimate and stable?

The old companies, of past, that are trying to continue and grow based on their heritage and products, are not growing at same rate as those companies that have developed state-of-the-art compensation plans. By state-of-the-art compensation plans, I'm talking about compensation plans that adequately reward beginner as well as lucratively rewarding seasoned MLMer who builds a huge business organization. In other words, ideal compensation plan is one that will keep beginner involved long enough to make money quickly so he will stick with business and at same time lucratively compensate leaders for reaching leader levels in compensation plan.

I've seen newer companies with state-of-the-art compensation plans generate more volume in one month than some of older companies with outdated compensation plans do in a full year. The rebuttal is usually "but our company won't go out of business while those new companies will probably be out of business within two to five years." There is some truth to that, but there are now companies that are 3 - 20 years old that have become stable growth companies with state-of- art compensation plans. It is now possible to align yourself to a company with a compensation plan that is stable enough to feel confident that they will be around for long haul.