Last night I had the privilege of listening to an interesting interview Todd Falcone had with Scott Allen. Scott is the author of The Virtual Handshake, the Entrepreneurs Guide for About.com. (You can download Scott Allen and David Teten’s Virtual Handshake book for free. In printed form it is better to purchase The Virtual Handshake here). In addition to Scott’s Virtual Handshake book and postings at About.com, he contributes to Fast Company and writes a blog about business networking site, LinkedIn called LinkedIntelligence.

From the The Virtual Handshake Blog and Resource Site

Scott (Allen) is a recognized authority, having been quoted or featured in ABCNews.com, The Washington Post, CFO Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Sales and Marketing Management, Networking Times, Southwest Airlines Spirit, Worth and other major publications, as well as appearing on radio and at industry conferences. He consults with businesses and individuals on the strategic use of social software and with social software companies on product design.

Scott briefly mentioned six areas you should consider when checking out any network marketing company. They are very close to the ones Richard Paul Evans uses. The six things Scott says to use are: who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Who ~ Who is behind the company? And who is your upline?

Let’s look at the people behind BookWise. Have they been successful and reputable in their previous businesses? I challenge you to Google their names and you’ll learn more about the fantastic leadership team at BookWise: Richards Paul Evans, Robert G. Allen, Dennis Webb, Andy Compas, Mark W. Hurst, and Christopher Pair.

Who is your upline? Are you going to get support from your upline? Or will you be left to wander in the dark? This doesn’t mean that you can’t get involved with someone who is new to MLM or new to the company. The question is are they someone you can trust? Is there a strong team of leaders in your upline who can assist you. Do they have systems and tools in place to help you?

What ~ What is the product?

Is the product something that you can feel good about representing? You can’t go wrong with books. Scott says “Is it something that would sell well in a retail store or via other traditional marketing and distribution channels?” Yes - books have sold well for hundreds of years. The industry just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Books make a difference in the lives of others and the world.

Where ~ Where is the product being promoted and where can you promote it?

With BookWise your product is promoted constantly. It is promoted on the news, at the water cooler at offices around the world. Why even Oprah Winfrey promotes my product.

Just take a look at all the buzz about the latest Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. The buzz resulted in increased sales for us. Because I live close to the corporate office I was able to pick take our son to pick up our family copy at midnight. I didn’t have to wait in a long line. I didn’t have to wear a wristband for weeks to hold a place. I just walked up and picked it up. In and out in five minutes. Lucky yes. Others simply had it delivered to their home by the post office. Convenient!

Where ~ Where can you promote it?

As long as you don’t make outrageous claims and follow some common sense rules you are free to use your own website or blog to promote BookWise. (Corporate approval required). If you make unrealistic income claims, or promises that are inaccurate then you lose the option to promote the BookWise opportunity online. Currently BookWise is available in the US, but plans are in the works to open to other parts of the world.

When ~ When will you start making money?

With BookWise it is realistic to start making money on your first month. With a start-up of just $39.95 and a monthly cost of $35.00 you become profitable much quicker. We were profitable our first month. Enroll just one new member or associate a month and your monthly membership cost is covered.

How ~ How was the opportunity presented to you?

Were you recruited using high pressure sales techniques? How does the company operate? Were you led to believe you were looking at one type of opportunity when it was another type. Perhaps you’ve been invited to some business meeting where the get you to the meeting under the presumption that it is a job interview. Or perhaps they wouldn’t even tell you what they meeting was about. Were not afraid to tell you right up front what the BookWise opportunity is about. We don’t have to be afraid.

Why ~ Why are you doing this? Why are you interested in the opportunity?

Why do you want to get involved with a network marketing company? This is a question that only you can answer as it is very personal. For me they why was this: BookWise is a company I can feel good about. I feel good about the product. I feel good about the people. But the primary reason is that I can truly help make a difference in the lives of others. Even if it is by brining them books that change their outlook of themselves for the better. Even if it is bringing them books that entertain. But more importantly I can feel good knowing that I can help make a difference in the lives of others forever. The tips they learn on the WealthWin calls can change their financial future forever. The knowledge they can learn through mentoring done by Richard Paul Evans and Robert Allen are priceless. Then add on top of that the fantastic income that can be earned and for me it is simply a no-brainer. Its priceless.

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