OpTree

If you’re searching for the perfect movie to watch this weekend, look no further. Believe, a satire/mockumentary/comedy-www.believethemovie.com- has just been released onto DVD. Believe follows some pretty funny characters involved in an MLM business to see what daily life and daily business in the industry is truly like.

Loki Mulholland, the writer and director of the movie is a former Amway distributor, who although he says tried hard, didn’t make the kind of money he had hoped for. Believe includes many of the experience Mulholland went through, but also includes experiences from many different people within the industry. While the movie does poke fun at many of the common misconceptions surrounding the industry, Mulholland feels that even MLMers will find themselves laughing along. “It’s a light-hearted comedy about the business in a way that MLMers can get a good laugh as well as those who oppose MLMs. But there’s a lot of truth to the movie as well,” he notes.

Believe is set in the generic town of Springfield and follows the life of Adam Pendon played by Larry Bagby (Walk the Line). Adam is an unemployed steel miller worker who is looking for a new way to make some money. Adam is introduced to Mark Fuller, the stereotypical MLMer played by Lincoln Hoppe, (a commercial actor and has been in movies such as Saints and Soldiers). Mark Fuller works for Believe Industry’s which sells a variety of household products. The movie follows Adam, Mark and the other “Believers” to see what life is like in all aspects of the industry from rookie to vet, to anyone in between.

“The main reason for the film, is to entertain people, to have fun and make a light-hearted comedy. I guess you can also consider it a form of therapy for MLMers too,” says Mulholland. While he’s has already been threatened with a lawsuit by one MLM company, he’s hoping people will see the comedy in it all. I’ve seen several clips of the movie, and they are pretty funny. They definitely play to the many false misconceptions within the industry, but its all in fun, and it’s important to laugh at oneself.

Mulhollland is quick to note that this movie is based solely on his experience and he does not speak for the entire industry. After seeing several clips, I think that even those who are active in the MLM world will be able to relate to the comedy of it all and chuckle and the exaggeration of the stereotypes. Also, keep an eye out or, ear I should say for, the films theme song, also called “Believe, which was written by Mulholland, who considers himself a songwriter first, movie maker second. The song is sung in the movie by Graham Russell of Air Supply.

Here is a short trailer of the movie, let us know what you think.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Healthy Chocolate Anyone…?

“We would not be the company we are today without the right people leading the company and Dr. Steven Warren our medical director who is so passionate about Healthy Chocolate.” Jeremy noted, “Founder and President Jeanette Brooks, Co-Founder Andrew N Brooks EVP of sales and marketing along with Kurtis D. Nielsen Co-Founder & Executive Vice President, Information Technology established this company in June 2005, and have created a ‘long-term’ program that today is operating in 5 countries with 43% annual sales growth and debt free. We have a new state of the art facility that is over 75,000 square feet and with the record retention we are experiencing we are set to have serious growth over the years to come.”

Today more than ever before, we are hearing about the effects of Dark Chocolate and the health advantages that have come with its consumption. We did an internet search on healthy chocolate and were surprised to find that large scale news media outlets like CNN, USA Today and the New York Times have covered stories and shared released medical findings on the benefits of Dark Chocolate.

Not all chocolate is created equally Dr. Warren and others are quick to point out. We are talking about unadulterated, chocolate without wax, fillers, or added chemicals, the chocolate must be natural, low in fat and sugar without preservatives.

Well how good can it taste… my first thought. With over 90,000 orders shipped in 2007 alone, someone must like the taste, and with the medical community coming together with research from the USA to Holland touting the benefits of chocolate people are more willing than ever to indulge.

We are not making any claims about the efficacy of healthiness of these products, but there are significant studies all over the internet that claim chocolate will help in areas of health including but not limited to better sleep, anti-inflammatory issues, dental health, cardiovascular including cholesterol and blood pressure. In fact one 15 year study in Holland was sighted demonstrating the lowered incidence of cardiovascular related deaths by eating a piece of chocolate every day.

Jeremy can bury you with facts about growth, retention and enrollment statistics. He is obviously ready to show everyone this is the opportunity that they have been looking for. Jeremy is most proud of two statistics, first the enrollment rate. “This demonstrates that anyone can do this business, we have created a system that is easy to duplicate and the results prove that over time.” The second statistic is associated with retention. “Everyone loves chocolate and people try our product and recognize the benefits of eating it and never want to stop. This tells me we are doing something really right!”

“It is also worth mentioning that the Direct Selling Association reports that the average networker’s income is reported as $7.00 per month, and we are proud of our average income statistics that include over $140.00 per week and nearly $600.00 per month.

Find out why 3 servings of Xoçai Chocolate is the equivalent to 9-12 servings of fruits and vegetables.

If you would like to contact Jeremy Reynolds, you can do so by clicking here or calling him directly at (801) 540-5788

Popularity: 4% [?]

Arbonne’s new line aimed at young adults called appropriately, f.y.i (For Young Individuals) was recently launched and we are pretty excited about the new line.

This is an unusual step in that very few MLM companies target the youth market as actual purchasers and distributors. With the exception of Verve and some others, Arbonne’s move into the market should we welcomed.

The site is very vibrant and reflects the colors that young adults would gravitate towards - although i will say using a Mercedes Benz logo key chain on one of the pages seemed a bit off base (especially when Arbonne had sent us a legal letter a while back asking us to remove their logo from our site since it implied sponsorship of OpTree - yet they are using a Mercedes Benz logo on their own site…odd. It should also be noted that Mercedes doesn’t use cut keys for their cars anymore - only for the glove compartment.)

Anyway, the product line looks great. There is a lip gloss, body scrub, body creme, fragrance and body wash. All of the items are pretty reasonably priced and there is even a set ($54) you can buy which makes more economical sense.

We aren’t 100% of the actual age demographic they are trying to target but my guess would be 14-21 which is a very fickle audience and one that many beauty and cosmetics company target with major ad campaigns but this may work. Given Arbonne’s reputation, this is seemingly a great market for them to go after.

Once we get our hands on some products, we will test them and give you a review.

Popularity: 3% [?]

In part one of this two article series, it was discussed how networkers love network marketing and the model it represents. They desire to achieve MLM online success, but the problem is too many fail to make real profits much less achieve their dreams of financial independence.

It was discovered that there are five critical supports networkers need to be successful. Ignoring one or more of these supports can bring frustration and failure. The first two supports which were company management /leadership, and timing of industry and company were covered in part one. Part two will cover the last three crucial supports.

Let’s continue to take a close look at what is needed.

Support #3) Flagship Product(s)-It must be a “Purple Cow”-affordable
Most networkers realize that the secret to obtaining long term residual income is repeat customers who order products of high quality. It is NOT about making one huge sale or commission. It is about repeat purchases month in and out.
Some may wonder what a “Purple Cow” product is. This is a product that grabs people attention plus makes a significant difference in their lives. It works best if there are multiple “Purple Cow” products. It is difficult for networkers in one product companies to have massive long term success with just one product. This may work in the short-term, but what are really needed are “Purple Cow” products that will create a dependable and lifelong income.

Support #4) Compensation Plan-Pays BOTH the part-time and full-time people a fair percentage
Most networkers know that their organization is made up of over 90% of part-time people. If they are going to stay around, they need to make a profit fairly quickly. You see, for mlm online success, if the part-time people can make a good income, everybody will. In addition, the focus should be on retailing product and not just recruiting other distributors.

Networkers will also need to learn about “breakage” and how to avoid or minimize it. It important to make sure the pay is based on volume and not levels, and to avoid “spillover”. These and other points are ones to look out for in a compensation plan.

Support #5) Duplicatable Proven System-Generous Upline Support, Training, and Mentoring
How to achieve MLM online success also includes becoming educated, developing some basic skills, and taking action to apply the education and skills. This is true for any business.
If the company does not have systems and team work in place to ensure new networkers coming in gets the proper mentoring and training they need, it will be difficult to build a successful business. The business will become like a revolving door with people coming in and out. Who wants to go through that kind of headache?

Many now realize that network marketing is not about selling. It’s about relationships. It’s a lot more fun to find people who are already looking for what a networker has to offer. It becomes a stress free way to build a business. With the development and advances of the internet, it’s much easier. Plus, with the help of a good system, training, and a mentor and coach who can guide and help you, things get even better.

Yes, network marketing is a wonderful way for people to achieve their goals and dreams. If networkers learn to carefully evaluate any opportunity they are considering or already involved in based on the five supports covered, the chances for mlm online success in the long-term is huge. Ignoring one or more of the supports can create frustration, disappointment, and for some, quitting for good.

About the Author

Monique Hawkins is a professional network marketer. She finally found the answers she was looking for in chapter 10 of a free ebook and now is on the road to success. To grab your free copy, go to How to Build MLM: Find Success in 10 Steps If you are looking for free MLM tips and free MLM resources to build your work at home business, visit http://www.squidoo.com/tipstoexplodeyourhome-basedbusiness

Popularity: 2% [?]