(continued, and copied from the website) What accomplishment are you most proud of in your business? What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business, and how did you overcome it? What do you see as your biggest success in your life so far? What do YOU look for in a quality team member? Why did you decide to start your Coastal Vacations business? What do you do for fun, when you are not working your business? 5) The next thing to consider- how PROFESSIONAL is this person? Do you consider it appropriate to degrade another individual or group- even IF they are your competition? Do you consider it professional to spread rumours, some even will tell outright lies to garner your business. There are expert marketers out there who write defamatory articles against competitive groups or businesses and publish them far and wide on the internet as a marketing tactic. We are with the CSG- and most recently several vociferous individuals who have extensive internet marketing presence whose own PERSONAL objectives for gain were not being met with the CSG decided to start a smear campaign against based on cleverly disguised half truths. This was an appeal to garner themselves MORE business- but in the end, their reputations have suffered gravely, because they did not remain professional or even entirely honest- and their short term gain is resulting in long term loss. Ironically, these same individuals are trying to stand on their "reputations", success, and some of the other tactics mentioned in this report to attract their sales. It is very true that there are LESS then ideal or ethical directors out there- and usually they have very strong internet presence-they make their incomes based on QUANTITY marketing exposure, not by truly being interested in helping others. Think of it like fishing in a big pond with lots of fish in it- you are bound a catch many if you use fancy bait. Do not forget, there are literally thousands of successful, ethical directors in Coastal that you will NEVER hear of, because they simply plug into their system and have no need or interest to be all over the internet with advertising. There are some fairly unpleasant individuals running MacDonald's restaurants too! It's a fact of life- there are some bad apples out there, everywhere you go- usually they are the loudmouths with charismatic personalities. But, if you smell smoke RUN- follow your instinct- chances are it is right. Think with your head, and don't let someone appeal to the pie in the sky greedy side of your ego. There is no benefit to YOU in asking the person you are speaking with about another director you are considering- unless you LIKE negativity or really want to hear a sales pitch! If you must ask the person you are speaking to about another system, group or individual- decide for yourself if their response was honest, genuine, non self ingratiating, respectful and professional. We are ALL representing COASTAL VACATIONS- and in our humble opinion, it does not serve the integrity or reputation of this business to be less then professional at all times. You can be successful with Coastal wherever you land- but you will seriously increase your chances and ease your path when you have face time with your chosen director, resonate well with them, and a duplicable, simple, comprehensive system behind you. The Director you are speaking with should clearly demonstrate an interest in YOUR needs, and answer your questions clearly and honestly. If they are busy promoting themselves, their background, their accomplishments and posturing their superiority over the "rest" of the Coastal world- ask yourself what this persons true intentions are! If you do decide to work with them and successful obtain your release- do you want to be in direct competition with your Director (because if that is his/her tactic for making sales, you will have to duplicate it to have similar success!) or "trade" on their name? It should occur to you that you have your OWN strengths and values to bring to the table, and that your Director should assist you in developing and promoting your unique skills and talents. Where your natural strengths tend to be, is also often where your passions are. Wouldn't it be nice to LOVE running your business and working with people who resonate with you on a daily basis? Following your dreams and passions and bringing your own uniqueness to your business? That is what your Director should be teaching and supporting you in, in our humble opinion! 6) Beware of the "expert" director. That is the one who had YEARS of valuable and related experience before starting his/her own Coastal Business- this person stands on that experience or previous life experiences as giving them an "edge" with Coastal vacations. Chances are, YOU do NOT have years of experience- so how on earth are you going to be able to duplicate that persons results? Its OK to have lots of experience, or even varied, related experience before starting your business. BUT- if that expert stands on their amazing background, chances are they have become successful based ON that existing expertise NOT by following exclusively a proven system, and in turn become expert at teaching that system to average, everyday people that have an entrepreneurial spirit and the all important desire to become successful. It is important to remember, that one of the most wonderful things about this business is that ANYONE from any background can be successful- IF they plug into a simple, proven system and have the training and support necessary from their director in order to learn successfully how to do that! The point of having a system, is duplicability! If it is not duplicable- RUN! 7) Lastly, beware of the director that sounds "too good to be true". There are individuals online who offer the product routinely "on special" at steeply discounted prices and/or provide amazing seeming bonuses (video cameras, projection systems, cameras, laptop computers etc etc) as sign up bonuses. Ask yourself- if this person must entice people to join his/her business by cutting out so much of their profit- and thus undervaluing both the product, the business model and THEMSELVES- are they really focused on training you and honouring the reputation of our good business? Presumably, they make lots and lots of sales- again how can they properly train all these people? When you are a new director- are you going to be able to afford to duplicate this incentive tactic and still be able to afford to be in business for the short and long term? At least 50 years before the birth of Christ, the Roman statesman, philosopher, and orator, Marcus T. Cicero, said, "As you have sown so shall you reap." You might fare well to remember ancient wisdom! In summary- choosing the right director to work with comes down to 3 simple guidelines: 1) Do you feel good about this person? Do you communicate easily and comfortably with them? Do you resonate with their personal and business values and ethics? 2) Does this person "talk the talk" AND "walk the walk"- do you see consistency in their track record when you research them online, if they have an internet presence? If you find something that raises a yellow flag- can you approach them easily and is their response both genuine and reasonable? Can their team members and/or colleagues speak to their good reputation and track record? Do they appear to be more interested in helping people or making sales? We believe that it is by helping people get started successfully, teaching them to duplicate and focusing on assisting them in making their training sales that we will see financial gain (hence the term "training sale" - meaning that "training" must take place with your Director). Taking on new team members on our own takes a backseat to our existing team that are getting started! We believe this is how it SHOULD be- our team members are our priority! Just as we teach that new prospects take a backseat to existing an d interested parties to our team members in training-we preach what we teach. This is VERY IMPORTANT! 3) Do you both want to duplicate this persons results and business model? Can you? Most importantly- is this person genuinely interested in showing you the way to success- are they going to train you to do exactly what they do, and also support you in our own uniqueness to bring your own assets to your future team members- or are they interested in making a sale and not teaching you how to fish in the world of free enterprise as they do? If they do have an internet presence, are they plugged into a SYSTEM- did they experience their initial success because of that system and do they plug into it still and teach their team members how? Do they work with their team personally, one on one? Do they answer their phone personally, and respond to voicemails or emails in a reasonable time frame? Do they show consistency and honour with their chosen group and system- or do they hop around, blowing in the wind- seeming to always be looking for a better mousetrap? We hope that you have found this information to be both valuable and insightful as you prepare to start your Coastal business. We wish you tremendous and sustained upcoming success and welcome you to be in touch with us should you have any questions or comments. Jani Teeter and Pierre Trudeau Level III Directors, Coastal Synergy Group Founders of Jade Peaks Coastal Mentoring www.jadepeaks.com 800-610-2085
So.. everyone- please do comment if you feel this report is somehow dishonest or hateful. My intention in writing it on October 7th of this year, was to educate the consumer, and encourage independant thinking. Not to target other independant directors in our generally very upstanding, ethical and good business. I get calls every day from people who have made choices that were not right for THEM- too often it is the result of a misleading director, sometimes its just a matter of a poor fit. I think that is a very sad situation, but- I must state that if they had employed more critical thinking before they got started they most likely would not have struggled with those obstacles. If you are a director, or in any other group- would you feel our viewpoint is accurate and honest? Aside from Jay, I have got nothing but good feedback about it. Many people have emailed me and thanked me for writing it- it helped them be sure about the director they were considering-NOT (always) US! At the regional event in Vancouver the CSG held, I had many "newbies" that I did not know or work with recognize me, and come up and thank me for my website. Again, it helped answer their questions. The primary point of my website is NOT as a sales or marketing tool- I wish for it to be an information portal. Just open, accurate and abundant information. Now, I could be wrong. But I would hope that if you were/are offended for some reason, you would approach me personally rather then attack me publically. I am happy to listen, correct or change if appropriate, and appologize if anyone is personally offended by my sharing my experiences and insight. Again, I am NOT perfect, I am human. I am more then willing to be accountable if I have offended or made any kind of mistake- even though unintentional. Thanks! Jani
Thank you Bob. It was my intention to come from the heart and always, in service. I do hope that you found it also helpful! I sincerely appreciate your support! Again, I was rather confused when it was called hateful. I try to keep an open mind and an open heart in all things. Each to his own, I guess. Perception is reality. Jani
Hello guys well let me have the last word, Jani and Jay (it's my Birthday today). You are both great directors, but this is not the ideal venue to vent obviously deep rooted mistrusts of each other Jani and Jay. There are plenty of directors to choose from, there are plenty of reasons why a person would choose one director over another. We are all unique in our own way, and there are plenty of fish in the sea. I think we should move on from this topic guys. Just my 2 cents worth cheers maria
Happy Birthday Maria! I absolutely agree with you! That is exactly the point I was trying to make. This is not intended as a forum to market or to vent, and everyone has unique skills and values that they bring to the table. You are a great director yourself, and you know as well as I or anyone else that every person has different needs and ideals. I would hope that if anyone did have anything to say to me, they would PM me. Again, it is not now, or was it ever my intention to vent, offend or attack. I certainly had no intentions of attacking Jay, or anyone else for that matter. It was my birthday last wednesday. I hope you had a very happy one! Onwards and Upwards! Jani
Thank you Rhonda I had a lovely Birthday (51 today) so I should be a little wiser hey? I have spent most of the holiday working on my new computer, love the 24inch screen, not sure about Vista tho", it is already rejecting some of my software so I have had to purchase the newer versions, but I know I will love it when I get used to it. Happy birthday to you Jani for last Wednesday. I totally agree with you Jani, PM's are the way to go rather than public discourses. We all have our own talents and ways of learning, one size does not fit all. The other thing is that the internet is long in tooth, you can not erase a published comment, probably ever....... Hope this helps maria
Quoting: ibiznizI have spent most of the holiday working on my new computer, love the 24inch screen, not sure about Vista tho", Happy Birthday Maria. Yea...I'm not a fan on Vista at all. I bought a Dell M 2010 back in February. Oh, what a fun ride this has been. New hard drives (this bugger has 2 of em) New memory and lost alot of data. My advise to anyone getting a new computer is to get it with XP. I agree this is not the place for a bunch of BS, childish games. What I find most interesting is that Jani came here and began specifically making comments about bonuses. Either way, it doesn't matter in about 30 days things are going to change in a big way. I DON'T THING Jani even knows what's coming. She's got some big decisions coming her way and she's going to find that her team won't be very eager to follow the csg. Jay NaPier P.S. - Many of the CSG's top people have already left.
Quoting: matiasmommy our MAC is going to be reality based and upgraded 2 versions, that regional events will be monthly and simultaneously in multiple locations accross the country at once, Ok, Jani so you either don't know or are not willing to tell. Either way...these things mentioned here are obvious based upon what the CSG is doing. Wonder what they are going to call themselves?? Jay NaPier
What's the big shake up in the CSG gonna be? If anyone knows, spill it... When people use the internet to generate leads, there are all kinds of methods and directors trying to attract leads into their funnels and sphere's differently. So.. to each his own. My methods worked great for me, terrible for my team. Good marketers and copywriters can really sell their benefits and bonuses and get more sales than plain jane copy can anyday, but in the end is it duplicatable? Probably no. that is why I do not offer any bonuses anymore. All I do is teach one duplicatable model which is in my opinion the easiest and fastest to have success with, but also take much patience. I used to write copy which attracted the bonus seeker. Jani writes copy for the non bonus seeker and it works for her like the bonus offers worked for me. As Maria said, there are many fish in the sea or many pebbles on the beach for all of us to pick up with whatever method we chose. For me, everything has to be duplicatable now... or the more it's not duplicatable, the more my people will be stuck and not be able to do what I do. The more you throw on people the more you dilute them. Took me years to realize all this, but it's the way my eyes see things now. I'll still do internet marketing for my own lead generation, but I dont teach or train my Coastal team on that anymore. I have my life back now, and am no longer a slave to my team at every beck in call, I have a system that teaches the one way of doing business over and over so I don't have to... Coastal continues to offer me the freedom to make a living.
Ahhh.. Jeff! The voice of reason! I was so glad to hear of your most recent news! I am glad to hear that it seems to be working out for you! I do love that duplicability too, as well as a system! You hit the nail on the head- I made my first 6 exclusively with the CSG MAC system, and I still use it and teach it to this day. I loved "the more you throw on people, the more you dilute them". EXACTLY! KISS! Its a real business, there is a LOT to learn for most people, if like myself coming from no previous experience. Stick with the basics, and once those are mastered- then kick up your heels and experiment with non duplicable (but creative and FUN!) stuff! Bang on Jeff! My website.. well truth be told- its a hobby, not really a lead generation source per see- but it takes a back, back seat to the MAC system. I would not ever discourage anyone from having a website.. but, truth be told internet marketing is a labour intensive skill to learn, its constantly changing and in some ways, much more expensive and "risky". At least buying leads, one KNOWS they have "x" number of people to speak to! I love Coastal! Its wonderful what it does to improve upon so many peoples lives! Jani
Out of the mist comes a voice of reason. Yet he is with another group. Why is it that the masses are not pelting him with stones? Coastal Vacations allows us to choose our direction, make our own goals and live life the way we want to. It is truely a tremendous opportunity. Jani, that post on your site is dynamite. It offers insight that a prospective member should read prior to joining. Jay, this is how a leader is treated. He is not my director. I can honestly say that he has been truely helpful at every turn. You can see how other directors in this forum respect him. He simply asks a question and offers insight. Notice how he had nothing bad to say about anyone or any group. He also does not have to call himself a leader. People can find the leader in the crowd. He is not the one on the soap box thumping on his chest at every opportunity, nor is he the one with the sign saying "Successful Director pick me". He is the person that people look to for direction and guidance. These are the qualities that successful person should have as well as a Successful Coastal Director. At some point you have to ask yourself are these the qualities that I have or want to have. Perhaps during this holiday season we could all reflect on our success' and our failures. Coastal has given us all a tremendous opportunity yet as witnessed in this forum we are not highlighting the positive nature of our business but the shortfalls. Lets think of this as a wake up call and try to improve on ourselves as well as our business without doing it at someones expense. Best Wishes for the Holiday Season Bill Decker 443-244-2118
Hiya Jeff nice to see you here again. One thing I have against all these automated systems is that they require you to purchase leads (if you do not know how to drive traffic to your sites), this is true of CSG, ContactMate, offical coastal system, DFIlive etc The problem I have with this is that the leads are way overpriced for the quality of the leads. Most of the companies are lead brokers, reselling leads on at a profit. As with the great gold rush, the ones who made the money were the ones selling the tools and this is true of most of the afore mentioned "systems". I noticed Jeff that you moved on from WCYS to DFIlive. Looking at the DFI back office it really appears no different to most of the other systems out there, and it appears that you can only load leads into the system from the approved resources. It also appears that you can not download the leads from the system should you want to leave the system in the future. So the leads would stay behind unless you wanted to manually take notes on each one? Maybe I am wrong, but this looks like a win win situation for the system developers and lead company once again and not so good for the little guy. My other peave is why should these replicated sistes cost $49.95/mo, they are just replicated. They could easily have a price tag of $20 or much less, there is no reason to milk the user as most of these systems want to do. If they really care about the little guy, ( DFI say they are Christian and proud of it, they should set an example) they should start with showing it with the prices. Bandwidth is cheap. Yes it's OK to buy leads for those who do not know how to generate them for themselves, but only allowing certain lead companies? (I know that everyone is going to say, but we know where the leads come from and this is to safeguard us against spam complaints) but is this really the truth? There has to be a better and cheaper way for the masses to generate their own prospects and to make sales on a consistent and calculating basis, without having such a huge learning curve, weeks and even months of training by the upline and without stepping on each other toes as in PPC. just a thought Cheers maria
I agree Maria. I know alot of the folks who sell these systems are partnered in one way or another with the system provider and they get a check. So, bring more people to the party and you know the developers and the people who've put it together are getting paid. We all have options and there continues to be more options for this. As for leads, I've found that coastal budget leads dot com offers the lowest priced leads and the most consistent result on the wholesale side of things. I do like leads as MANY in Coastal have built a successful business with leads, but also know that there ARE other options. Some are good and some are not so good. I always find it interesting how people will goto the PPC, then fall off of it as their budget doesn't allow for it. This business is all about marketing. Some are teaching 1 way and others are offering more options. I believe the DFI team has some good things to what they do, but as others have pointed out, you can learn everything you need for Coastal in just a few training calls. The rest is simply doing it again, and again, and again. Consistent activity is what will make sales for you. Don't get too attached to a lead as many will say one thing, and do another. When it comes to marketing, do what you enjoy doing. Some are bloggers, some are into leads, some are into retail, some - Like myself enjoy being well versed with Coastal. I enjoy doing several things as it does make my business day more interesting. Jay NaPier Platinum Director Coastal Vacations P.S. - The K.I.S.S. method has worked for many and I believe that's what DFI is focused on. If it's working for them...then I say, Continued Success To You!!!
hmm... Well, I know that replicated sites are usually quite cheap to run and maintain at a constant. I don't know about other systems, but mine, certainly I can upload leads from other providers. Often, I do. I know that what I have seen with my back office system, after looking at WCYS, BOD, VP, WB is that it is MUCH more extensive, comprehensive and integrated- not to mention intuitive. I'm not a computer person at all ( pretty much limited to how to type, cut and paste, point and click) so for me to say I love a computer system is a really AMAZING thing. My bf says that I am actually a "back office junkie" and couldn't believe that on my recent holiday I didn't check it ONCE. I said- but I have the autoresponder on, telling everyone to call me, every number I have is routed to the cellphone, and I have full signal strength- so no, why do I need to check my email- its a long weekend holiday? (That was a FIRST for me!! hahaha!) I have also seen so many continual upgrades, improvements and new features added since I have started the business. I believe there was a statement some time back from leadership that $500,000 or so was re-invested in the system and testing new resources over the past year? I also know of the improvements and changes coming about (basically 2 versions up in system, and it will have a very different l&f, tons of new features, higher security etc etc). So, that, in addition to the fact that my system is set up on an affiliate program and actually earns me a monthly commission- which actually covers many of my business expenses at this point- I see that it is worth its weight to me in gold. I love that I can have a paperless office, and take my business with me anywhere with an internet connection- if I was going for longer then a weekend, of course I would check my emails! That, and there is neat features- like I have uploaded my entire hard drive to my secure session (private) area, so if my 'puter ever goes up in smoke (believe me, I had have had it happen!)- I don't worry that all my data will be lost. That would be a BAD thing- I have a nasty habit of taking loads of digital pictures of my daughter and never printing them out. I've got all our id documents, banking info etc etc there too- so if anything was lost in our travels, I would be able to print of birth certificates and passport numbers etc etc for the embassy, or cancel credit cards if necessary. I also like that I can re-route email to and from the system, use it for auto- invoicing (macros), sharing records, training materials and documents with the team etc etc. That thing can do more then I even know how to make it. Basically, as I have come about challenges, I have usually learned that that system has some kind of solution that I can implement. For instance, I did not realize that I could use and merge multiple calendars, even with multiple users until I few months ago. It makes EVERYTHING so much easier knowing where everyone is and doing what for me now. I also figured out the task manager recently- its a beauty for assigning tasks and holding people accountable to them. I tell someone to do it, send them the task reminder and WOW! Its amazing how I rarely hear "oh yes, I forgot about that" or "Oh, well I haven't gotten around to it yet" now! Magically, things get done! All I know is I really like my chosen system- there is no way I would have the resources, know how or even desire to design, maintain and improve such a professional, easy to use, comprehensive business tool. Its way more then just websites! Cheers Jani
cool that's great info, I bet you could not put a price tag on what you pay for all that technology and freedom. So, ya, $49 a month, $89 a month or whatever. Let the owners get rich off the monthly fees, we live in a capitalistic society, and I always cheer for the capitalist and sytem owner. When I helped make VP and WCYS, I never took one dime of profit from either systems, not once ever. No overides, no kickbacks. I didn't want it. $49 for training, systems, access, automation, information, tools... cheap... really cheap if you ask me. so, let the business owners get rich, it just gives them more money to put back into the systems they built and make them better. CSG haas always prided themselves that they use TECHNOLOGY, which they really do... hardcore... it's their flavor, good on em mate for being the leader in that field. I am also excited for the DFI upgrade coming out, it's MINDNUMBING on what the stuff will be able to do with automation.... I love systems. I am a systems guy, every great business must have a system that moves people from start to close to money in the bank. All the good ones have it in Coastal. People just need to explore them and use them for their tools to build their businesses. Here is why leads are best AT FIRST.. NOT ALL THE TIME, but at first... With leads and a script, a new person in Coastal can pop out their two training sales in 72 hours. They read a script, call leads and 3 way for the close. But if you throw them into Pay Per Click, blog creation, article writing, SEO, build a custom website, autoresponders.. etc.. you see folks.... learn this really quick.... THE MASSES ARE NOT LIKE US. They confuse easliy with information overload which creates paralysis of analysis very quickly. We live on and with the net daily. They don't, they wait a week to check their email, we wait every 4 minutes. The newbies barely know how to check their emails and turn their computers on, or know where to type in a URL in their browser, if they even know what a browser is. They do not live here like we do, doing what we do cause it is all new to them. Seriously... Once you realize this, it takes off the pressure of teaching people how to generate their own leads as first rule of thumb. The worst decision I could have made with hindsite now.. is the 170 ways to market and advertise your business that I put into WCYS. I would now refer to that as 170 ways to confuse and stall your new business owner and keep from from ever getting out of the LEARNING phase and make them stay there for a long time before they ever reach the DOING PHASE. Most people try to become perfectionists before they ever get things going... they don't want it to bomb so they just test and read, and test and read, and months go by, with no activity, no communications, no conversations. GET YOUR PEOPLE TO THE DOING PHASE ASAP! Make it a Rule, Make it an immediate expectation. Don't let them ask a bunch of qustions, put a script in their hands and get their fingers dialing. Then, as success follows in the duplication process, people make money, get more confidence, get more proficient on their computers, get more courage, get more experience, see more on the web, THEN AND ONLY THEN... do you teach online lead generation to a team mate. Later you teach them how to create leads at will using the net, cause now.... NOW.... They have skills sets and mind sets, which internet marketing does not allow with it's automation and lottery mentality systems. Now, through pain and trial, people have gained wisdom through the journey, through close contacts with real people voice to voice, belly to belly, which the internet tries to do, but still creates voids and miscues. I was ROBBING people of skill development and personal development by teaching people "do it the lazy easy way" and they did what I told them and are still doing it the lazy easy way, letting others do the work for them and they still have not made that first sale cause there is no investment in themselves, only their lottery mentalities. Does internet marketing work as the method for the masses... NO WAY, not at first, but does it work still, YES, but only for the minority or lucky ones. When I went to a Coastal Seminar in Orlando, CEM asked the room of 400-500 people... "How many of you were a LEAD who came to coastal cause you filled out a form on the net?" MORE THAN HALF THE HANDS CAME UP. That spoke volumes to me right there! The masses can duplicate calling, scripts and follow ups. And get really good at it fast. They can also get really burned out fast too, which is why I am really stoked on systems like quickblaze dot com.... looks like a winner for just getting people into conversation quickly, instead of bad #'s, ans machines, busys signals and no answers, or whatever. Man, I am gonna be a student of that system really quickly, and then outsource it to a bunch of moms I hired to make calls for me. Which yes, I do a bunch of outsourcing still, cause I know how and it works for me... BUT I AM NOT TEACHING TO MY TEAMS..... YET.... They must have success and mindset first. Everyone has a choice who they buy leads from. You can pay top dollar or bottom dollar, they always do one thing though.... They give you access to talk to people.... And it is people who make this business go forward cause people buy from other people, not websites, not the internet and not a system. That is why I like DFI. Bring them in now as a newbie, get them in the system, making dials, using a sript with a goal of 72 hours to directorship. Once that happens, keep feeding them, keep encouraging them, we bring them all before Dani Johnson and she fixes them even more, makes them even stronger, puts them around 1000's who do what they are doing who are making 6 and 7 figures all doing it the same way. She build them up, builds their skills and they are never ever the same. Then, over time, when the student is ready and equipped, you take them into the internet marketing relm and you show them the lead gen systems and tools and they become unstoppable. But only once they are proven successful with the basic trainings. This is my method now. You must first crawl before you walk, then you walk, then you skip, and then you ..... RRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!
