SRN Frequently Asked Questions • What does an SRN Researcher do? They own and operate their own home based Internet Research and Online Marketing business, working directly with clients, typically B2B sales divisions, recruiting companies, and human resource departments. SRN Researchers utilize the SRN Market to Sell System to both gather custom generated sales leads and drive potential customers to a client’s website and towards buying decisions. • What is Internet Research? For us it is the use of Boolean queries to locate precise contact information for the types of prospects our clients want to sell product to. It involves effective harvesting of contact information, in volume, with the help of advanced data extraction software. • What is Online Marketing? Everything associated with increasing web traffic to a client’s web site and channeling the prospect through a series of steps that are favorable to the client’s sales process. They include search engine optimization, paid search advertising, email marketing management, corporate blogging and link strategy. • What sort of training do SRN Researchers receive? SRN Researchers make an investment of $24,900 for the training, support, software and hardware they receive. A new SRN Researcher is immediately assigned a Training Coordinator and provided access to the Strategic Research Network Member Portal, containing our vast online training and support curriculum. The new SRN Researcher benefits from a detailed 90-Day Start-Up Plan that details everything they need to do each week and each day to get their business going. In their first 30-45 days they complete online training on start-up, business development, operations, billing, software training, marketing, research methodology, search engine optimization, paid search, email marketing tactics, and more. SRN Researchers also have the ability to attend an additional two days of Start-Up Training offered both remotely or on-site. These “Start-Up Training” sessions can be valuable to an SRN Researcher’s launch because some of the most successful SRN Researchers within the SRN Network frequently participate as guest Trainers. As an SRN Researcher’s business grows they can count on supplemental training courses to fine-tune their business development, fulfillment and management operations. • How will I grow my business? SRN Researchers have a couple choices in building their team. They can recruit up to five Marketing Partners themselves, at no cost, and have us train them. Alternately, Strategic Research Network actively recruits and trains Marketing Partners, so an SRN Researcher can simply request one from us. We take a portion of the Marketing Partner’s revenue to cover expenses and it doesn’t count against the five spots they have for Marketing Partner training. If an SRN Researcher prefers to operate their business solo, they can use Strategic Research Network for help in sales or project fulfillment, as needed. On the sales side, we are available to assist an SRN Researcher in “closing the deal” with a new client. When needed, we’re available to conduct sales presentations and webinars directly with an SRN Researcher’s potential client. Additionally, when an SRN Researcher gets too much work to handle on their own, they can utilize Strategic Research Network, and other SRN Researchers, to fulfill their project. Subcontracting allows an SRN Researcher to easily handle the ebb and flow of their business without having to worry about full or part-time employees. • What sort of services does an SRN Researcher offer their clients? As an SRN Researcher you offer your clients Internet Research and Online Marketing services. Using the SRN Market to Sell System, you are able to integrate a company’s sales and marketing efforts, in a way never done before, to help them sell more products or services. You are able to offer both Internet Research and Online Marketing services, or choose a specialty. It’s your business and your choice. As an SRN Researcher you have the ability to provide: Lead Generation, Candidate Sourcing, Business Intelligence, Email Marketing, Online Marketing Management and Corporate Data Augmentation. • What is the SRN Market to Sell System? There is a disconnect between marketing and sales in corporate America. The SRN Market to Sell System uses Internet Research and Online Marketing to integrate the sales and marketing process. Email tracking, for instance, lets clients “see” in real time when a prospect opens their email. The application synchs with the client’s database so they have the prospect’s phone number to call them, literally as they are reading the email. Marketing departments at most companies send mass email campaigns once a month, or once a week, to their database. Of course, they track demographics on opens, click through, etc. That information stays with the marketing department and the sales division will never see it – nor do they care to. The SRN Market to Sell System changes that. An SRN Researcher’s client wants 200-300 emails per day sent for each of their sales people – every day. That way the salesperson can “see” who is opening the email and since the application displays the prospect’s contact information, they can call and sell them their goods or services. Similar integrations take place with business intelligence, custom leads and online marketing. • 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 frequently found. These include being analytical, driven, fact focused, detail oriented, possessing good project management skills, and finally, enjoying the “hunt” for information. Many SRN Researchers had the reputation of being the “person to go to” when co-workers, family members, or friends 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 types who recognize the tremendous demand for the Internet Research and Online Marketing services of an SRN Researcher. • Does an SRN Researcher need to be a computer expert? No, but they do need to have the capacity to learn how to use new software and understand the bigger picture of the SRN Market to Sell System. Prospective SRN Researchers should have a comfortable understanding of the internet, experience using search engines like Google, and prior utilization of Microsoft Office type applications such as Word and Excel. If you have this base level of experience with software and the internet, we can teach you the rest. • How do Marketing Partners fit into the picture, and am I required to use them? Marketing Partners are commissioned sales people that SRN Researchers can utilize to sell their services. An SRN Researcher may send up to five people through Strategic Research Network training as a Marketing Partner. SRN Researchers may also elect to receive Marketing Partners that Strategic Research Network has recruited and trained. They do not count against the SRN Researcher’s five spots for sending Marketing Partners through training, however, a portion of the Marketing Partners commission goes to Strategic Research Network to offset expenses. Researchers are not required to build a team of Marketing Partners. • Is this business a franchise? No. When Strategic Research Network was founded, we made the decision to avoid the franchise structure. This decision allows SRN Researchers to have much more control over their businesses. SRN Researchers 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 revenue. The $24,900 investment covers your software, training, and support. Finally, SRN Researchers are free to operate their business however they choose. If at any point an SRN Researcher decides to add an additional 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 wherever 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 operate their business initially out of their home office to keep overhead costs low. Once their business is established and profitable, leasing office space can be an option. • Couldn’t I just learn the Internet Research and Online Marketing business on my own? Perhaps, but keep in mind we’re not talking about simply looking up basic information at a search engine. This is advanced and complex analytical research and data gathering. A large part of the advantage Strategic Research Network has in the marketplace is knowing what client companies want, 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 length of time it would take you to go through an extended trial and error process, the investment pays for itself. • 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 wants - or needs - assistance, Strategic Research Network can manage the project, using a team of SRN Researchers to complete the work product. We receive a portion of the revenue 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 or to help any SRN Researcher finalize a deal. We partner on that transaction with Strategic Research Network receiving a portion of the revenue when it lends direct sales assistance. Finally, when an SRN Researcher is ready to build a team of “Marketing Partners” to sell their services on their behalf, they can send up to five people of their choice through ‘Marketing Partner” training at no charge. Or, if they prefer, they can receive Marketing Partners recruited and trained by Strategic Research Network. In the latter 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 have databases that are old and out of date. These days, data that is three years old is outdated. SRN Researchers have the ability to offer “Data Augmentation” services to corporate clients. With this service, an SRN Researcher exports a portion or all of the client’s database and using enterprise versions of our advanced data extraction software they improve it in several ways. First, SRN Researchers are able to update the current contact information in the client’s database, adding phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses. They are also able to expand upon the current information. If a company has one contact at a particular company, for example, our software will add contact information for 10 to 15 times the number of contacts within that company. Similarly, they can locate comparable companies within the firm’s target market and add them as well. Corporations spend millions of dollars to build their initial database. Corporate Data Augmentation allows them to 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. 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 their business from a beachside cafe as from an office building. • How do Strategic Research Network’s software solutions fit into the SRN Market to Sell System? There are three different types of technology pieces provided to each SRN Researcher: research and data extraction software, marketing and tracking tools, and project management technology. It’s the automation of Internet Research and Online Marketing that allows SRN Researchers to accommodate their client’s needs and expand their business so quickly. Prospective SRN Researchers can see for themselves when they participate in a 90-minute technology web demonstration that shows how each of our technology solutions works. • Do I need a website and marketing materials? Yes, so we provide them for you. Each SRN Researcher is provided a sleek, easy to navigate website to market their Internet Research and Online Marketing services. Additionally, once an SRN Researcher has decided upon their company name, a custom logo is designed and starter marketing package, including business cards and letterhead, are provided. • 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 will be minimal because SRN Researchers usually operate from a home office and generate their own sales leads. All Marketing Partners, or 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 with a headset, and a separate business phone line. During the second year of operation, SRN Researchers should anticipate additional recurring expenses for items such as web hosting, annual software license renewals, paid search advertising and any staff they may bring on separate from Marketing Partners. • Do I need research or marketing experience to become an SRN Researcher? No. Though prior experience certainly isn’t a negative, some of the most successful SRN Researchers within Strategic Research Network have neither research or marketing experience. Strategic Research Network provides the new SRN Researcher with the training, support, and tools necessary to offer both Internet Research and Online Marketing Services. It is more valuable for a new SRN Researcher to have a burning desire to succeed and commitment to 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 gets you off to a fast, productive start. Expertise comes later. The initial training is focused on getting SRN Researchers to the revenue generation stage ASAP. Ongoing supplemental training, as well as real world experiences and support from the Strategic Research Network Training Staff, will help you refine your business over time. • How does the Strategic Research Network Mentor Program work? SRN Researchers have the ability to work with a Mentor within the SRN Network. These are already established and successful SRN Researchers that are committed to helping new SRN Researchers obtain the same level of success they have achieved. Through regular conference calls, Mentors help ensure that new SRN Researchers are doing everything necessary during their Start-Up phase 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 Internet Research and Online Marketing continues to grow as more and more businesses recognize the value of custom business intelligence and online advertising continues to increase. Sales departments are expected to do more with less, businesses of all size are more 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. Online marketing expenditures, especially in the area of paid search, increase every year. They are gaining market share every year, compared to the annual erosion of share for print media. The future for SRN Researchers is looking very bright. • Can I operate this business part-time? Yes. Many SRN Researchers operate their business part-time initially to replace their income before leaving their full-time position. Additionally, Internet Research and Online Marketing are both activities that can be completed any day, any hour. Clients don’t care what time of day you work on their projects as long as they get the results they are looking for. • What is the cost of training a second person? New SRN Researchers can send one partner or spouse through Start-Up Training at no additional cost. Partners are required to sign similar agreements as the SRN Researcher to ensure they will uphold the integrity of the Strategic Research Network organization. • Is there selling involved? Every business has to market its goods and services. Unlike some businesses that are more “sales intensive” an SRN Researcher’s services are easy to market. It is obvious to prospective clients that your services generate incremental sales, they otherwise wouldn’t see, once they understand what you do as an SRN Researcher. The chore is in educating potential clients on what you actually do. Fortunately, the SRN Researcher uses the same internet research and online marketing services they provide to clients for their own business development. SRN Researchers can also build there own sales team to drive sales and/or tap Strategic Research Network for help in closing big deals. • How will I identify potential clients? You’ll use your internet research prowess to locate lists of prospective clients and your online marketing knowledge to win their business. There are countless companies that sell in the B2B marketplace. Any company that sells goods or services to other companies can benefit from your services and have enough money at stake to make it worth your time. There are tens of thousands of recruiting and staffing businesses that are potential clients and every sizable business has a human resources division that will benefit from your abilities. • How much can I realistically earn as an SRN Researcher? That’s hard to say because every SRN Researcher’s success relies on factors outside of our control, including the 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 is limitless. • Why does Strategic Research Network require that I pay a fee at all? We must cover the operational and material costs for training, supporting and providing new SRN Researchers with the software and hardware they need. Especially in the initial stages, an SRN Researcher benefits tremendously from the start-up resources provided, as well as the knowledge and responsiveness of our staff. An additional benefit is that most individuals are more committed to their own success when they have “skin in the game”. The investment assures us that we are dealing with individuals who are committed and motivated. • What is the Screening Process for prospective SRN Researchers? You must complete a three part Screening Process which includes reading a 20+ page business plan for starting an Internet Research and Online Marketing company, participating in a 90-minute online technology demonstration of our software solutions, and speaking with, and being recommended by, at least three existing SRN Researchers on our Screening Board. This process ensures that new SRN Researchers have a thorough understanding of the SRN Researcher Program, and that they have the ability to be an asset to the Strategic Research Network organization as a whole. • I’m interested, where do I go from here? Initiate the Strategic Research Network Screening Process today by completing the Researcher Qualification Summary. You can submit the hard-copy version included in the Start-Up Kit, or complete the Qualification Summary online Once your Qualification Summary is received, a member of our internal recruiting team will contact you to answer any initial questions you may have, and assist you in initiating the Screening Process. Strategic Research Network wants to encourage you to take your time in evaluating the possibility of becoming an SRN Researcher. A business launch is a major life transition for anyone and it must be the right time in addition to being a match for your skills and interests. At any time, contact our internal recruiting office to discuss your involvement at 800-790-1533.
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