Visit our website at www.mlmlegal.com for more information on the direct selling industry.

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A Conversation with Jeff Babener Video Series: Learn about the difference between the various compensation plans and how distributors are compensated with each plan. It’s called multi-level marketing since distributors are compensated at each level as they recruit more consultants. How many levels are distributors compensated at? Learn about breakaway compensation plans. Learn the difference between sponsors and recruits. Get the definition of each unique compensation plan and which plans are most common and which are less successful. How many levels deep is it most common to go, and legal, to go?

When does a compensation plan become a lottery, which is considered legal by many states? Which programs have stood the test of time, and which have gone by the wayside? Which compensation plan should you choose so that your company is legal and stands the test of time? Learn how to ask the right questions to determine a legitimate operating MLM company vs. a pyramid scheme. Watch the video.

Keep yourself educated on the legal aspects of the MLM industry. Visit MLMLegal.com. Are you starting a MLM company? Make sure you have your legal aspects covered. Contact legal MLM expert Jeff Babener for your free legal consultation today.

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Whether your compensation plan is binary, matrix or an Australia 2-Up, and regardless whether your products are financial services, educational, health products, or vitamins, the answer is: The same legal principals apply no matter what your compensation plan is and no matter what your product is.

The questions you should be asking are “What is it that people are paying” and “Why are they paying it?” If you’re selling a quality product at a fair price to consumers then you are likely operating legitimately. If you’re running a program in which you are merely moving money or are selling overly-priced products to distributors who are buying into the compensation plan only to quality, then you probably have an illegitimate compensation plan structure.

State agencies and the FTC took a look at compensation plans and products in various spectrums. On a spectrum of compensation plans, a party plan that is retail-oriented is at the favorable end of the spectrum.  As we move across the spectrum, binary plans, particularly binary plans that have distributors buy multiple business centers moves to the far end of the spectrum, nearer to the territory of being a pyramid.

Companies that are marketing different types of products are looked at differently in terms of “Live and Let Live.”  At the conservative end of the spectrum, products that are used for daily household use, telecom, dietary supplements and vitamins – even if there is substantial personal use – state agencies understand that the product is being used and there is little to lose.  At the other end of the spectrum, and one that involves intense scrutiny, are products that are high-ticket items, like financial seminars, financial education programs, consumer benefit programs, and particularly, things that are intangible; states look at these and they ask the question “Who is buying it and why?”

If you think you can operate a legal business selling prayers or wishes you’re dead wrong.

States want to know that retail sales are making it to the end-consumer (not just the distributor).

For more information on compensation plans, check out the article “How to Analyze Compensation Plans.”

Expert MLM Attorney, Jeff Babener, has put together a lot helpful videos on compensation plans. Here are just a few. Visit our main website, mlmlegal.com, for more information on all aspects of running a legitimate direct selling business.

How Do I Create a Compensation Plan That Guarantees That I Am Legal?

What Compensation Plans Do Distributors Generally Prefer?

Role of Compensation Plan in a Successful Direct Selling Company

Is the Compensation Plan the Driving Force of Success?

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Compensation plans are drawn by skilled craftsmen.

As the French say, “a chaque a son gout.” Translated, this means, to each his own taste. And this is the truth. There is no right or wrong when it comes to types of compensation plans, whether they be unilevel, stairstep breakaway, binary, matrix, Australia Two Up, etc.

In fact, it is rare today to see a compensation plan that does not combine elements of various models as well as various add on features such as a shared bonus pool, enroller bonus, check match, infinity bonus, generational payout, fast start bonus, etc. Compensation plans are drawn by skilled craftsmen such as Michael Sheffield of the Sheffield Group, www.Sheffieldnet.com, to incentivize differing types of behavior. And incentives may be accomplished by rewarding those who have substantial personal volume, substantial group volume, sponsor wide, sponsor deep, train their downline, demonstrate substantial retention, demonstrate the building of other leaders, etc. Differing compensation plan models reward differing types of behavior. In general party plan companies tend toward unilevel and generational bonuses. Consumables companies tend toward matrixes and binaries because the focus is on recruiting large downlines. Australia Two Up plans tend to be oriented to high-priced, one-time purchases.

As a general matter, all compensation plans have a similar amount to distribute, ranging from 30-50%. How the pie is cut differs from business to business. A party plan skews payments to the direct sale. A consumables plan skews payments to be spread over a larger base. In the end, the compensation plans chosen are tailored to the products, economic objectives and behavior to be incentivized.

For more information on the network marketing industry visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

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