Greetings!

I‘m John Counsel, CEO of The Profit Clinic, but this is my personal blog, so I won’t be wearing that hat here. Instead, I’ll be talking about Fourth Generation™ principles and practices as they apply to network marketing in general and in companies and distributor organizations in particular.

No, I won’t be trashing or promoting specific companies here. I’ll be addressing specific principles and practices and highlighting the differences (and desirabilities — or otherwise) of FIRST Generation versus FOURTH Generation. (There are effectively NO Second or Third Generation companies and opportunities, but I’ll explain more about that later.)

I look forward to sharing ideas, insights and income-earning suggestions with you.

John Counsel
http://johncounsel.net

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Rippln (distortion of Rippling — as in “the ripple effect”) is the latest buzz program to hit the online world. It’s new, but Rippln is being promoted using old and proven hype marketing techniques (including secret, personal-only invitations and Non-Disclosure Agreements — NDAs) that we normally associate with new network marketing programs in pre-launch mode… all of it typically targeted to attract the desperate, ignorant, gullible, lazy and greedy.

That alone doesn’t mean a lot in terms of risk or reward, whether or not this new “emperor-on-the-block” is really wearing any clothes, or whether the Rippln system is legal or not. That will be determined by whether or not it complies with local trade practices and related laws wherever it spreads. The acid test will be the usual definitive tests, including…

• The products and how they’re priced and distributed.
• The compensation plan and how people earn income.
• Whether people are paid for recruiting.
• Whether products are genuine or just an attempt to legitimize the compensation plan

Those are usually the key factors that regulators focus on when evaluating schemes of this kind.

One thing that stands out so far is that it’s a classic pre-launch running on hype, spin and buzz, based around mobile apps as the “hot” hook on which to hang it all, and the powerful emotional appeal of making fast fortunes from new technology — including games (using “Angry Birds” as the hook here) — but conveniently playing down the fact that this technology has already reached the commoditization stage of its life cycle. All that really means is that, in order to make any kind of reasonable income, you’ll need a massive downline organization, because the retail prices are so low, and the margins so thin, that only those at the very top are likely to do well.

Expect to see all the usual suspects and victims promoting this as hard and fast as they can. And get yourself a copy of my “Network Marketing Insight Report” and read it carefully. This opportunity is a hybrid of network marketing, Internet marketing, mobile app technology and social networking… and the content of that Report will stand you in good stead for making a better-informed BUSINESS evaluation.

On Wednesday 5 December I was given a very welcome, early Birthday and Christmas present in the form of an all-clear from the specialists treating me for cancer over the past seven months. The chemotherapy treatment has done its work and, subject to 3-monthly checkups to guard against re-growth over the next couple of years, I’m now cancer-free.

It must be the hardy genetic stock I hail from on my mother’s side of the family: Mum has survived uterine and breast cancer in the past few years — although dementia has taken hold since she turned 89 (thankfully not Alzheimer’s Disease) — and my sister Marg survived major surgery, chemo and radiation therapy last year.

Thanks to all those who sent well wishes and prayers in my behalf. Much appreciated!

[Photo: This was a blatant set-up! Lynne gave me the Santa T-shirt for my birthday and told me to wear it to the early Christmas lunch we have every year, for the sake of our younger grandchildren. Then she photographed me taking a short nap and plastered it all over Facebook and other social media… *grrrrr*]

Finding and sponsoring eager, educated, highly-qualified, tightly-targeted people who have a clear vision and realistic expectations of network marketing — and who know what to do to succeed due to the right training and how to go about achieving it using the right tools — is the “Holy Grail” for any network marketer.

But more than 90% of all network marketers go about it badly… and reap failure for their efforts.

There IS a safer, easier, better, faster and smarter way. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming… 

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If you’ve wondered why this blog has been quiet for a long time, I’m happy to break the silence, finally: I’ve been quietly battling cancer for almost a year and it’s looking, hopefully, like that battle has now been won. Almost a year of pain, discomfort, confusion, misdiagnosis and then, after eventual correct diagnosis, weeks of delays to urgently-required surgery due to winter chest infections, which made a general anaesthetic life-threatening for me.

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My friend and colleague, Lou Abbott, author of MLM — The Whole Truth, created this video about binary compensation plans and why they’re not a plus for REAL network marketers. See if you agree with him or not…