SRN Frequently Asked Questions • What do SRN Online Marketing and Research Consultants do? In our current economy, companies are looking for every way possible to increase sales while cutting costs. That’s what SRN Researchers do. They operate their own home based Online Marketing and Research business, working with companies to drive inbound sales leads to them that want to buy their goods and services. They also generate outbound leads for corporate clients, typically B2B sales divisions, recruiting companies, and human resource departments. SRN Researchers utilize the SRN Market-to-Sell System to do two critically important things: 1) employ Online Marketing to drive potential customers to a client’s website and toward buying decisions and, 2) gather custom-generated outbound sales leads for their clients. • What is Online Marketing? It encompasses everything associated with increasing qualified web traffic to a client’s web site and channeling those prospects toward a positive buying decision within the client’s sales process. The steps required can include search engine optimization, paid-search advertising, email marketing management, corporate blogging, social networking and link strategy. (More on these later.) • What is Internet Research? For our purposes, it is, first, the use of Boolean queries to locate precise contact information for the types of prospects our clients want to sell their products and services to and, second, the systematic extraction of data via powerful spider-robot data extraction tools. This involves the effective harvesting of targeted contact information, in volume, with the help of advanced data extraction software. • What sort of training do SRN Researchers receive? SRN Researchers invest $24,900 for the training, support, software and hardware they receive. Each new SRN Researcher is immediately assigned a Training Coordinator and is provided access to the Strategic Research Network Member Portal, which contains our entire online training and support curriculum. The new Researcher is guided by a detailed 90-Day Start-Up Plan that specifies everything they need to do, day by day and week by week, to launch their business effectively. In their first 30-45 days, they complete online training on start-up, business development, operations, billing, software use and application, marketing, research methodology, search engine optimization, paid search advertising, email marketing tactics, and more. SRN Researchers may also choose to attend an additional two days of Start-Up Training, offered remotely or on-site. As an SRN Researcher’s business grows, they can also count on supplemental training courses to fine tune their business development, project fulfillment and management operations. • How will I grow my business? If an SRN Researcher prefers to operate their business solo, they have full access to the expertise and scope of Strategic Research Network for support in sales or project fulfillment, as needed. SRN Researchers who elect to expand beyond a one-person operation have a number of choices to make. SRN will train up to five Marketing Partners, recruited by the SRN Researcher. Researchers may additionally request a Marketing Partner recruited by Strategic Research Network. In these situations, SRN takes a portion of the Marketing Partner’s revenue to cover its costs. However, this does not count against the five training spots for Marketing Partners that the Researcher receives as part of their initial investment. On the sales side, we are always available to assist an SRN Researcher in “closing the deal” with any new client. When needed, we will also conduct sales presentations and webinars directly with an SRN Researcher’s prospective client, in exchange for a portion of the revenue on the project. Additionally, when an SRN Researcher gets too much work to handle on their own, they can call upon Strategic Research Network, and other SRN Researchers, to help complete their projects successfully. Subcontracting allows SRN Researchers to more easily handle the ebb and flow of their business without full- or part-time employees. • What sort of services does an SRN Researcher offer their clients? Online Marketing and Research are the primary services offered. Using the SRN Market-to-Sell System, SRN Researchers are able to strengthen a client company’s sales and marketing efforts, helping them sell more products or services. They are able to offer both Online Marketing and Research services, or may choose to specialize. When you become an SRN Researcher, it’s your business and your choice. You will be able to offer and provide Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Advertising, Lead Generation, Candidate Sourcing, Business Intelligence, Email Marketing, Online Marketing Management and Corporate Data Augmentation. But still, it all comes down to Inbound and Outbound leads. • What is the SRN Market-to-Sell System? In these trying economic times, companies have to find ways to cut their costs while also trying to sell more. In addition, there has always been a “disconnect” between marketing and sales in corporate America. This is why there is such a strong need for the SRN Market-to-Sell System, which blends Online Marketing and Internet Research to increase sales by getting sales people high-quality leads. Email tracking, for instance, lets clients “see” in real time when a prospect opens an email that the client has sent. This application syncs with the client’s database to give them immediate access to the prospect’s phone number so that a call may be placed, even while they are still reading the email. Marketing departments at most companies send mass email campaigns monthly or even weekly to their database. They track demographics on opens, click-throughs, etc., information that usually stays within the marketing department and never reaches the sales people. The SRN Market-to-Sell System changes that. By routinely sending out 200-300 emails per day – every day -- on behalf of each of the client’s sales people, they are able to quickly know who is opening the emails and are in an excellent position to decide whether and when to call them. Similar integrations take place with online marketing, business intelligence and custom leads. • What type of person makes a good SRN Researcher? SRN Researchers come from a wide range of backgrounds, but there are several personality traits that are commonly found in most of them. These include being analytical, driven, fact-focused, detail oriented, possessing good project management skills, and finally, receiving enjoyment from building a systematic marketing process and “hunting” for information. You could also add the relatively new skill of being knowledgeable about the Internet and how information is indexed, displayed and found online. Many SRN Researchers come to us with a reputation for being the “go to” person when co-workers, family members, or friends have needed information. Others are the “get things done” people of the world who are tired of getting it done for someone else. Some are sales and marketing professionals who recognize the tremendous need for the Online Marketing and Internet Research services that SRN Researchers offer. • Does an SRN Researcher need to be a computer expert? Prospective SRN Researchers should have a comfortable understanding of the internet, some experience using search engines such as Google, and prior knowledge of Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel. If you have at least this base level of knowledge and experience with computer software and the internet, we can teach you the rest. What’s most important is that you have the capacity and will to apply the powerful new software of SRN’s Market-to-Sell System in our 21st century marketing and sales world. • How do Marketing Partners fit into the picture, and am I required to use them? Marketing Partners are commissioned sales people who sell the services of SRN Researchers. Each Researcher may recruit and send up to five people through SRN training as a Marketing Partner. SRN Researchers may also elect to use the services of Marketing Partners that Strategic Research Network has recruited and trained. While their training does not “count against” the SRN Researcher’s five Marketing Partner training spots, a portion of the Marketing Partner’s commissions are paid to Strategic Research Network to offset expenses. Again, the use of Marketing Partner’s services is not mandatory. SRN Researchers are not required to build their business by building a sales team. • Is this business a franchise? No. When Strategic Research Network was founded, the decision was made to avoid the franchise structure. This allows SRN Researchers to have much more control over their businesses, be entrepreneurial and innovate rapidly. They operate as their own corporation under whatever business name they choose. Unlike a franchise, SRN Researchers do not have to report financial information back to Strategic Research Network or pay ongoing fees or a percentage of their revenue. The $24,900 investment covers your software, training, and support. Furthermore, SRN Researchers are free to operate their business however they choose. If at any point an SRN Researcher decides to add a revenue stream, or make any particular operational decision, they are free to do so, provided it does not conflict with their general contract with Strategic Research Network. • Do I need to lease office space? No. SRN Researchers are able to operate their business from whatever location they choose - in a home office, at a local coffee shop, or from the beach. With today’s internet and telephone capabilities, the options are wide open.. At our suggestion, most SRN Researchers initially operate their business from an office in their home to keep overhead costs low. Once their business is established and profitable, leasing office space is an option. • Couldn’t I just learn the Online Marketing and Internet Research business on my own? Perhaps, but keep in mind that we’re not talking about just writing some keywords and inserting them as meta-tags or looking up basic information at a search engine. This is advanced online marketing strategy and complex analytical research. The advantage Strategic Research Network has in the marketplace is knowing what client companies want and need, and knowing how to package and sell it to them in a profitable manner. Besides, time is money and if Strategic Research Network can jump-start your business to the point of revenue generation in your first month or so, compared to the extended trial and error process you’d otherwise have to go through, what’s that worth? • If I pay no ongoing fees, how does Strategic Research Network make money? In a few ways. First, when an SRN Researcher gets “over their head” and needs assistance, Strategic Research Network can manage the project, using a team of SRN Researchers to complete the work. We receive a portion of such revenues in exchange for managing the project. If an SRN Researcher needs assistance on the sales side of their business, they can always come to Strategic Research Network for help. Our sales team is available every day to conduct sales presentations, webinars and to help any SRN Researcher finalize a deal. We partner on such activities and receive a portion of the revenue when we lend direct sales assistance. Finally, when an SRN Researcher is ready to build a team of Marketing Partners to sell on their behalf, they can request the assistance of Marketing Partners who were recruited and trained by Strategic Research Network. In this situation, a portion of the Marketing Partner’s commission is paid to Strategic Research Network for training and support. • What is Corporate Data Augmentation and why is it a valuable revenue stream? Corporations worldwide maintain databases that are constantly evolving. Most of these databases contain a fraction of the contacts that are available. SRN Researchers are able to export all or part of the client’s database and, using robust enterprise versions of our advanced data extraction software, they expand and improve it in several ways. First, SRN Researchers update the database’s contact information, adding the most recent phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses available. They also expand upon the current information as the software finds similar companies and contacts. If the database shows one contact at a particular company, for example, our software will add information for 10 to 15 times the number of contacts within that company. Similarly, it can locate other companies that fit the target firm’s market profile and add them as well. Corporations spend millions of dollars to build their initial database. SRN’s Corporate Data Augmentation lets them update and improve their existing databases at a fraction of the cost for vastly improved results. • Are there any protected territories? Do I need to be located in a major city to be successful? No and no. SRN Researchers may operate their business from anywhere they wish, and work with clients located anywhere in the world. With today’s telephone and internet connectivity, an SRN Researcher can be just as successful operating from a beachside cafe as from an office building or just about any other location. With SRN, high connectivity meets extreme mobility. • How do Strategic Research Network’s software solutions fit into the SRN Market-to-Sell System? Three types of technology are provided to each SRN Researcher: research and data extraction software, marketing and tracking tools, and project management technology. This automation of Online Marketing and Internet Research allows SRN Researchers to accommodate their client’s needs and expand their business quickly. Prospective SRN Researchers can see these systems in action when they participate in a 90-minute web demonstration that shows how each of our technology solutions work. • Do I need a website and marketing materials? Yes, so we create them for you. Every SRN Researcher is provided a sleek, easy to navigate website to promote their Online Marketing and Research services. Additionally, once an SRN Researcher has decided upon their company name, a custom logo is designed along with online marketing templates for use in email marketing campaigns. • What sort of expenses will I have when I launch my business? The investment of $24,900 covers the costs for training, software, and support. SRN Researchers must also be prepared to fund their living expenses during the start-up phase of their business if they plan to start full-time. Other costs are minimal because SRN Researchers usually operate from a home office, at least initially, and generate their own sales leads. All Marketing Partners -- commissioned sales people -- are paid only when a sale is made. New SRN Researchers are provided a workstation or laptop, pre-loaded with Strategic Research Network’s software and technology solutions. Optimally, a home office should be equipped with a desk, comfortable chair, telephone, and a separate business phone line and/or cell phone. The purchase of a printer, scanner, and fax machine should also be considered. During the second year of operation, SRN Researchers should anticipate additional expenses for items such as web hosting, annual software license renewals, paid search advertising and any paid staff they may add. • Do I need marketing or research experience to become an SRN Researcher? Though prior experience certainly isn’t a negative, some of the most successful SRN Researchers have neither marketing nor research experience. SRN provides new Researchers with the training, support, and tools necessary to offer both Online Marketing and Internet Research Services. Again, experience counts. But it is far more important that new SRN Researchers have a burning desire to succeed and commitment to the SRN Market-to-Sell System. • How can you teach me everything I need to know in 30-days of Remote Training and two days of Start-Up Training? We can’t. Our goal is to build a solid foundation that propels you to a fast, productive start. Expertise comes later. The initial training is geared to get SRN Researchers to revenue generation ASAP. Ongoing supplemental training, as well as real world experience and support from the SRN Training Staff, will help you refine your business over time. • How does the Strategic Research Network Mentor Program work? SRN Researchers are able to work with a Mentor within the SRN Network. These are already established and successful SRN Researchers, committed to helping new ones obtain the same level of success that they have achieved. Through regular conference calls, Mentors help ensure that new SRN Researchers are doing everything necessary to be successful. To participate, new SRN Researchers must set goals, share them with their Mentor and be accountable to them through daily and weekly activity reports. This process helps new SRN Researchers quickly identify the highest revenue producing activity. • What does the future hold for SRN Researchers? Demand for Online Marketing and Internet Research continues to grow as more and more businesses recognize the value of custom business intelligence. They see that the return far outweighs their investment. Consequently, online marketing expenditures continue to increase. Sales departments are expected to do more with less, businesses of all sizes are increasingly interested in reaching new customers through online marketing activities, and HR departments and recruiters continue to be pushed to fill more positions in less time. Money is rapidly and increasingly flowing into online marketing, especially in the area of paid search advertising, or paid keyword ads at search engines like Google Adwords. Even as the levels of print, radio and television advertising and marketing dramatically decreases, businesses need to sell more while spending less. Making the futures of SRN Researchers extremely bright in providing Online Marketing services. • Can I operate this business part-time? Certainly. Many SRN Researchers prefer to launch and operate their business part-time while still employed in their full-time position. Additionally, both Online Marketing and Internet Research are activities that can be undertaken any hour, any day. Clients don’t care when you work on their projects, as long as they get the results they are looking for, on an agreed-upon and reasonable schedule. • What is the cost of training a partner or spouse? New SRN Researchers can send one partner or spouse through Start-Up Researcher Training at no additional cost. Partners are required to sign similar agreements to those an SRN Researcher must enter into. This ensures that they too will uphold the integrity of the Strategic Research Network organization. • Is there selling involved? Every business must market its own goods and services. Unlike some businesses that are “sales intensive,” an SRN Researcher’s services are relatively easy to market because it is so obvious to prospective clients that such services generate incremental sales that they otherwise wouldn’t see. Once they understand what an SRN Researcher offers, our services almost sell themselves. The SRN marketing challenge is more an educational matter than a sales pitch. Frequently in Online Marketing, we work on a “pay for performance” basis, making it very easy to get clients. In fact, it’s too easy. This is why the real issue is determining if we can make money marketing the potential client’s goods and services. In a real way, we are screening the company to determine if we want to represent them. SRN Researchers use the same online marketing and internet research services that they provide their clients, for their own business development. In addition, SRN Researchers can also build their own sales team to drive sales and/or tap Strategic Research Network for help in closing big deals. • How will I identify potential clients? As an SRN Researcher, you will employ your internet research prowess to target companies and create your own database of prospective clients while also using your online marketing skills to attract customers. Every company that sells goods or services can derive sales from your online marketing capabilities as a provider of internet research. Tens of thousands of recruiting and staffing businesses are your potential clients and every sizable business has a human resources department or division that will benefit from what your company can do. • How much can I realistically earn as an SRN Researcher? That’s very hard to pinpoint because every SRN Researcher’s success relies on factors outside of our control, including an individual’s drive, commitment, and skills. We are unable to guarantee any SRN Researcher’s results. However, we firmly believe that with hard work and persistence, an SRN Researcher’s potential, when it comes to online marketing and research, is limitless. • Why does Strategic Research Network require that I pay a fee at all? We must cover the operational and material costs of training, supporting and providing new SRN Researchers with the software and hardware they need to succeed. Especially in the initial stages, an SRN Researcher benefits tremendously from the start-up resources we provide, as well as the knowledge, responsiveness, and helpfulness of our staff. An additional benefit to all parties is that most individuals are more committed to their own success when they have “skin in the game.” The investment assures SRN that we are dealing with individuals who are strongly motivated. • What Screening Process is used to Qualify Prospective SRN Researchers? Our three part Screening Process includes 1) reading a 20+ page business plan covering the launch and operation of an Online Marketing and Internet Research business, 2) participating in a 90-minute online technology demonstration of our software solutions, and, 3) speaking with, and being recommended by, at least three existing SRN Researchers on our Screening Board. This process ensures that prospective SRN Researchers will have a thorough understanding of the Program, and that they will be an asset to the Strategic Research Network organization as a whole. • I’m interested, where do I go from here? To initiate the Strategic Research Network Screening Process, complete the Researcher Qualification Summary. The hard-copy version of the Qualification Summary is included in our printed Start-Up Kit, or you may complete the form online at our website. Once your Qualification Summary is received, a member of our internal recruiting team will contact you to outline the Screening Process and answer any initial questions you may have. Strategic Research Network encourages you to take your time when considering the possibility of becoming an SRN Researcher. . A business launch is a major life event for anyone, and it must be the right time and a good match for your skills and interests. Please don’t hesitate to contact our internal recruiting office to ask any questions you may have, and to discuss any aspect of becoming an SRN Researcher. Call 800-790-1533, anytime.
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