Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Derek Broes Heading to the Pacific Northwest (Possibly to eFusjon Corporate?)
Derek Broes posted on his Twitter account earlier today that he would be heading to the Pacific Northwest for a full day of meetings tomorrow. eFusjon headquarters is in Bend, Oregon (located in the Pacific Northwest). I can only speculate, but Derek Broes may be meeting with eFusjon corporate while in the Pacific Northwest.UPDATE: Derek posted another message regarding his meeting tomorrow. Maybe his visit to the Pacific Northwest is not eFusjon related. There are quite a few technology companies based in the area.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
eFusjon Business Cards
Business cards are an essential tool in any business. Not only do the cards provide your contact information to a potential customer or business partner, but business cards offer legitimacy and professionalism to your business. If I were at a social event and I asked someone for their business card and they said they didn't have one, my first thought would be, "This person obviously does not take their business seriously. Will I be able to depend upon them going forward?" So, if you want to be a successful eFusjon distributor, you need to make sure you have business cards.
Business cards are available from hundreds (if not thousands) of different vendors. If you are looking for an inexpensive option and open to using generic designs, Vistaprint offers some free business cards where you only pay for shipping. But, if you are looking for a card more customized for eFusjon, the design below is one of the better designs I have seen. The front will catch someone's eye, while the back provides all the nutritional details for eFusjon Raw. (Hopefully, the creator of the card will release additional designs for the other products.)
The card above can be customized further and purchased by clicking here. If you have created a custom business card for your eFusjon business or have stumbled upon a great design, please share it with us in the comments.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
eFusjon Backgrounds for Your Desktop
Yesterday, eFusjon released new backgrounds for your desktop. In the network marketing industry, eFusjon has definitely cornered the market on cool graphics and new media. Props to eFusjon's graphic design team!
To download the graphics, click the image above (to go to the main eFusjon site), go to Media (in the top menu bar), scroll down and click Desktop Downloads. From there, you can select the image you want and just follow the instructions provided at the bottom of the page.Are the graphics and media being released by eFusjon helpful in growing your business? What more do you want to see?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Are Some eFusjon Distributors at a Disadvantage with Kathy Humpherys as the Face of eFusjon?
As the field is aware, Kathy Humpherys was appointed this month by eFusjon corporate to be the Vice President of Field Relations & Development. In other words, Kathy is the new "face" of the company to distributors and prospective distributors. (While the position is new, I would say, Kathy Humpherys is the new Derek Broes, even though Derek Broes was always a distributor and never "officially" part of the corporate team.)
Below is a snippet from the letter Rob Towles sent out in early September:
Beginning immediately, noted network marketing maven Kathy Humpherys has joined efusjon’s corporate team in the newly created position of Vice President of Field Relations & Development. In this role, Kathy will have the opportunity to apply her knowledge, skills and love of working with people to be an invaluable resource to you and to help further your training and networking in the field.Kathy comes to efusjon with years of hands-on experience in the industry building and maintaining networks of 40,000+ members. Prior to joining efusjon, Kathy was being sought after and recruited by many of our key competitors. It is a true victory across the board to have her on our team.As a mother and wife, Kathy is a true multi-tasker who brings with her the inherent ability and experience necessary to lead the efusjon members to even greater success going forth. We are incredibly fortunate and happy to have her join us and know that she will prove to be invaluable to all of you as well.
I know Kathy is very successful in this industry, and I am sure she will do a great job. But what surprises me about eFusjon corporate selecting Kathy Humpherys is that (like Derek Broes was) she is already a distributor in the company her husband, Todd Humpherys, is one of the top distributors in eFusjon. Is the rest of the field who are not on Kathy Todd Humpherys' team at a recruiting disadvantage then? If I were being recruited to join eFusjon, I would want to join the team of whomever is being portrayed as the face of the company has the ear of the company. Who didn't want to join Derek Broes' team when he was the face of eFusjon?
What do you think? Is it a big deal that Kathy Todd Humpherys is a distributor and his wife is the new face of eFusjon?
UPDATE: Dawn Snarr (Director of Marketing and Technology) of eFusjon left the comment below. I apologize for the misrepresentation and have taken steps to correct it. But Dawn, is Todd Humpherys (Kathy's husband) not a distributor in eFusjon (or has he ever been)? Please correct me if I am wrong. Seems like somewhat of a technicality to me...
Monday, September 21, 2009
New eFusjon Bonus Program, Landing Pages, and International Expansion All In The Works
Here's the Round-Up for the eFusjon Corporate Conference Call for September 21st, 2009:
- Kathy Humpherys (VP of Field Relations and Development) hosted the call, which was partly a recruitment call and partly an update on corporate.
- The new eFusjon landing pages should be released soon. From what I gather, the landing pages will be easily customizable and viral web pages that you can send prospects too. On the call, Kathy also mentioned that there will be the capability to manage warm and cold leads. From Kathy's description, it sounded as though this will all be run through nxtgen.tv, which is where eFusjonMeeting.com is currently hosted.
- eFusjon corporate executives have meetings all week about international expansion. Remember, Canada is first and Rob Towles said eFusjon would expand into Canada by the end of the year.
- A new eFusjon bonus program is in the works. From the way the program was described by Kathy Humpherys, it sounds like corporate is finally on the right track with their bonus program. And what I mean (and have been saying for months) is that giving away cars and laptops is great, but the distributors who will win those are usually in the top echelon and industry veterans. If eFusjon really wants to excite the field and help ordinary distributors grow their businesses, it needs a bonus program for new distributors. If new distributors join the company and exhibit success their first month (read "earn money"), then they will be more successful and it will trickle up to distributors above. From what Kathy said on the call, it sounds like corporate is finally putting such a plan in place. We'll have to wait for the details though.
- No mention of Derek Broes on the call.
UPDATE: This evening, Dawn Snarr (Director of Marketing and Technology) sent the following update on some of the topics discussed on the call:
Bulk Order Program
A bulk order program is something that we have been looking into, since many of you in the field have shown great interest in having an opportunity like this made available. We have had various discussions and phone calls, brainstorming with some of the leaders in the field in order to get some input and suggestions. To date, not one single bulk order has been placed. If we ever do roll out a bulk order bonus program, you will be the first to know and it will benefit the entire field!
International Expansion
We are excited to update you on our expansion efforts. Today our international team flew in to our headquarters here in Bend, Oregon. They have been working with Vice President of Business Operations Aaron Callahan as well as Vice President of Product Development Keith Dillon to further our advances into foreign countries, the first of which will be Canada.
“Back to Basics” BONUS Program
We are going to be launching an ADDITIONAL bonus program at the beginning of October which will be available until the end of December 2009. This program will be exciting for everyone, whether you are a new Associate or a seasoned Executive! The goal of this bonus program is to provide a way for you to subsidize the early costs of building your business while you take time to build your residual income. It will also be structured in a way to encourage leaders to pay it forward to their downline, as they both will benefit with bonuses in the program. Details will be coming!
Mobile Application
We will be launching our new mobile application soon. We are standing by so that we can make sure we include the bonus program information. We can’t wait to make this available to everyone who will be receiving their iPod Touches in the next couple of weeks!
eFusjon Landing Pages
We hope to launch our efusjon landing pages this week! This is going to be a great tool for lead generating, opportunity sharing, and brand recognition. Due to the hosting fees associated with the viral landing pages, and the incorporation of a dedicated efusjon landing pages customer service center and pre-designed graphic layouts and content, the cost will be $9.95 per month. We are also working on adding a BONUS landing page for every distributor who is on active autoship!
Sizzle Video
Last, but certainly not least, we are announcing the release of our new efusjon sizzle video! A lot of you have been asking for this for quite some time now…and we are excited to bring it to you. The video includes some amazing graphics and animation, testimonials from leaders in the field, and an awesome overview of the efusjon opportunity. Check it out! It is also available on our YouTube channel and will be posted on the efusjon website tomorrow. The first part may look a bit familiar to you, but keep watching. :-)
Rob Towles on eFusjon Technology and Bulk Orders
Rob Towles reiterated today that eFusjon is only investigating the idea of bulk orders and not a single order of that nature has ever been placed by eFusjon. If you eFusjon decides to make it an option, Rob promises the field will be the first to know.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Rob Towles of eFusjon Speaking About Derek Broes (Presumably...)
The recording above is from an eFusjon conference call Rob Towles had in August. Presumably, the "particular individual" whom Rob Towles is speaking about is Derek Broes, although Rob never explicitly mentions Derek Broes by name. The media begins with Rob discussing the restrictions imposed by Facebook on the eFusjon application. As I said previously, it would seem (at least according to Rob Towles) that Derek was not completely forthright with eFusjon corporate on events happening behind the scenes, which ended up putting the company in a bind.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Derek Broes Wants To Get Your Money Back From eFusjon
Derek Broes points to an e-mail that distributors received from eFusjon prior to the third change in the compensation plan that said the company would "never" change their compensation. Broes says, he intends to use the e-mail communication to try to get money back for people who were affected by the change. I am not a lawyer, but I do not know how successful Broes will be given that all distributors sign an agreement stating that the company has the right to change the compensation plan at any time.
Derek Broes Spent A Lot Of Time, Energy, and Money Endorsing eFusjon
Berdenia Faye Broes (who apparently is Derek Broes' mother) writes another long comment on Derek's Facebook page (read the first comment here). Berdania says that "NO ONE & I MEAN NO ONE worked harder than Derek Broes, or spent more time, more of their money, & energy than Derek did...He was so generous that he put out of HIS pocket, everything that U saw. The wrapped coach in Efusjon, the gas (which is NOT cheap), hotels, food, driver, personally sponcering A LOT of people for months to help them along, with no payback...ALL HE wanted was the TRUTH!!!!"I think we can safely say that Derek Broes did work very hard for a number of months. I observed Derek at numerous events in Southern California, and I know he was holding events in other states as well. That's not to mention the phone calls and all of the other behind the scenes work Derek did as well. I also overheard on numerous occasions that Derek was the one who put the money behind the bus and many of the events. Unfortunately, unless Derek had a contract with eFusjon to be reimbursed, I am not sure how much of a case he has. It would be the same if another distributor went out and spent thousands and thousands on marketing -- they would not be reimbursed by corporate.
Derek Broes Wants To Know If You Joined eFusjon Before May 1, 2009
Derek Broes wants to know whether you joined eFusjon prior to May 1, 2009. The date is significant because it was the cut-off date for the third change to the eFusjon compensation plan (read about the compensation plan history here). Where Derek is going with this, I cannot be sure, but I am sure lawyers will be involved -- some sort of class-action lawsuit? So far, Derek claims he received 250 responses in less than 4 hours.Reading the comments, we see lines in the sand are really starting to be drawn between those who support eFusjon corporate (and Rob Towles) and Derek Broes. Below are the comments from Berdania Faye Broes -- not sure how she is related to Derek (post in comments if you know):
What I can be sure of is, Rob Towles and eFusjon will be making a huge mistake if they let this go on for long. A public dispute with a high-profile figure is not how you want to grow a young company that is still suffering backlash from other corporate decisions that were made. Whether eFusjon corporate is in the right or not, I would try to settle with Broes and move on.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Litigation Confirmed Between Derek Broes and eFusjon
Earlier today Rob Towles issued a statement from eFusjon regarding Derek Broes, and I predicted the drama will likely continue to unfold. Well, tonight Derek Broes responded on his Facebook pages. And, it would appear that things have gotten ugly. As the screen shots below show, Derek confirms that he is in litigation with eFusjon; Derek claims he invested in eFusjon and the company is trying to repeal his investment; Derek claims eFusjon is trying to prevent him from moving on; Derek claims that eFusjon is making false claims against him. I am afraid it will only get uglier from here...
UPDATE: On Twitter Derek posted, "efusjon is a legal target? :) This is what I do best." Those are fightin' words.
eFusjon versus Derek Broes - Heating Up
The drama between eFusjon and Derek Broes is shifting into high gear after Broes has made some public comments and posts (most of which were cryptic) over the last few days.
A couple days ago, Derek Broes had what I can only label as a "bizarre" conference call. Broes never specifically mentioned eFusjon during the call, but his talk of new pursuits seemed to strongly indicate he would be taking a different direction and split ways with eFusjon. After most listeners were disappointed with the call, Broes proceeded to make a series of cryptic posts (which have now become commonplace for him) on his Facebook account. Unfortunately, I did not transcribe the most contentious post, but it was something along the lines of "emails, videos, recorded calls...the truth will come out." (If you transcribed the exact wording, post in the comments.) Then, a short while later, Broes just posted, "efusjon." Now, Broes may have relayed additional information to the public that I am not aware of as well (post in comments if you have more info).
But, whatever Derek Broes has been communicating to the public prompted Rob Towles to send the following letter to distributors:
I think eFusjon and Derek Broes have both wanted to relegate one another to the past, but unfortunately, have been unable to do so because of legal issues. Broes had indicated he wants to move on to other endeavors, and for eFusjon, Broes is a black cloud on their development that won't seem to go away. And the drama will likely continue to unfold...
A couple days ago, Derek Broes had what I can only label as a "bizarre" conference call. Broes never specifically mentioned eFusjon during the call, but his talk of new pursuits seemed to strongly indicate he would be taking a different direction and split ways with eFusjon. After most listeners were disappointed with the call, Broes proceeded to make a series of cryptic posts (which have now become commonplace for him) on his Facebook account. Unfortunately, I did not transcribe the most contentious post, but it was something along the lines of "emails, videos, recorded calls...the truth will come out." (If you transcribed the exact wording, post in the comments.) Then, a short while later, Broes just posted, "efusjon." Now, Broes may have relayed additional information to the public that I am not aware of as well (post in comments if you have more info).
But, whatever Derek Broes has been communicating to the public prompted Rob Towles to send the following letter to distributors:
Hello efusjon Team,
I am writing to all of you in relation to the unusual and disruptive events that have occurred over the past few days. The announcements, calls and electronic statements issued by Derek Broes were in no way representative or authorized by myself or any officials of the company. Derek is not an officer of the company nor privy to or sanctioned to speak on behalf of the company as a whole.
We apologize that over the past few months we haven’t been able to be more forthcoming with information. We know that it was somewhat confusing and frustrating, but please know that, for legal reasons, we are unable to communicate more directly.
However, in light of recent events we all agreed that it was important to inform you of the situation at hand to avoid any potential misunderstandings due to propaganda and statements being made. Additionally, in past notices to the field we have done our best to emphasize that we are the number one and only source for accurate information about the company and are readily available to provide answers as best as we can. We built this company on an open and honest business model and have no plans to deviate from that course.
Additionally, we want to address one other issue that has been raised on numerous occasions in reference to publicity. We want you to know that we have a seasoned PR group fully-engaged to conduct all outreach to the media in reference to efusjon. Unfortunately, the PR aspect was also interrupted and limited due to legal disclosure matters and we had to be very careful in what we did on that front. However, we have been working tediously to identify ways to work around it and have numerous programs currently in effect that will begin to draw media attention and raise awareness. Being sensitive to the field’s need for exposure to help sell product, they ask that if there are certain markets, publications or outlets that you want special attention paid to, that you email them to press@efusjon.com and they will reach out to them ASAP. All of us want and are looking forward to coverage of the company and products as we know that it will do a lot to help you sell product. We are expecting some media coverage to hit very soon as we have been conducting interviews about the company and have product in the hands of many elite journalists, television shows and more.
We want to reiterate that we work tirelessly to ensure that all facets of the company are operating at peak performance to ensure that the field can simply focus on what they came to the efusjon Energy Club for - to help build a great business with a great product.
We truly appreciate your membership and support and hope that we can alleviate any concerns you may have had.The most important point in Rob Towles' letter is the admission that Broes and eFusjon are engaged in legal matters. Until now, we did not have official confirmation from Derek Broes or eFusjon. As I posted last week, I have speculations on what is occurring through various comments I have heard. I cannot be certain whether eFusjon and Broes are directly engaged in legal matters and/or if Facebook is still somehow involved.
I think eFusjon and Derek Broes have both wanted to relegate one another to the past, but unfortunately, have been unable to do so because of legal issues. Broes had indicated he wants to move on to other endeavors, and for eFusjon, Broes is a black cloud on their development that won't seem to go away. And the drama will likely continue to unfold...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
First Words from Derek Broes Following Last Night's Call
Derek Broes just posted the following on his Facebook account: "When G-D is for you, whom can be against you." Whether this is a cryptic response to the aftermath of last night's call, I do not know. Religious and patriotic responses, often cryptic and with motivational undertones, have become common place on Broes' Facebook and Twitter pages since he took a step back from the public sphere of eFusjon.
UPDATE: Derek also wrote he "is going to have a conservative talk radio show that will also be available to listen on the net. details to be announced soon." The picture gets clearer and clearer everyday. I think it is safe to say with all of the plans Derek Broes is envisioning, he will likely not be involved with eFusjon going forward or at the most will not be as active as he once was.
UPDATE: Derek also wrote he "is going to have a conservative talk radio show that will also be available to listen on the net. details to be announced soon." The picture gets clearer and clearer everyday. I think it is safe to say with all of the plans Derek Broes is envisioning, he will likely not be involved with eFusjon going forward or at the most will not be as active as he once was.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Derek Broes' Future With eFusjon Is...
For the first time in nearly two months, the eFusjon world heard the voice of Derek Broes again tonight. Left in the dark for weeks, Derek would finally be updating his followers on his position with eFusjon. For many, Derek's decision would be a litmus test on whether they continue with eFusjon or move on.
Postponed at the last minute from Monday night to Wednesday night, the Broes faithful would have to wait a little longer. 7PM Pacific on Wednesday, September 16th finally arrived. But, again, the Broes faithful would have to wait a little longer. Fifteen minutes would go by with Derek coming on the line intermittingly announcing how much he valued our time, but how he wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to join the call. And finally, weeks overdue and two days and 15 minutes late, the call started...
To paraphrase: Derek said, he understands that we've all been waiting. He said, nobody wants you to feel uninformed. Business is incredible, Broes said, and what has been going on is nothing short of business as usual. Being an aggressive entrepreneurial person, Derek is exploring many ways he can have an impact on all of our lives. He wants to make sure he is exploring the edge of the envelope, and he is working hard to determine his future because like us, he takes his future very seriously. Derek does not want to tell us what to do with our future, only what he has done. Derek Broes said, he will be very informative over the coming days and will be in touch with everyone very soon and many times in the very near future. And then without a click or a goodbye, silence befell the call. That was it. It ended so abruptly and awkwardly that I waited in silence for two minutes just to be sure that it was actually over.
In less than five minutes, the call was done. There was no mention of eFusjon. There was no mention of where Derek Broes has been. Nor where Derek Broes is going. Only that Derek would update us again "soon" -- whatever that means. And so the Broes faithful will have to wait a little longer...
And in the mean time, I am left to wonder how someone can say they value my time while wasting it with perpetual time changes, tardiness, and pointless calls?
Postponed at the last minute from Monday night to Wednesday night, the Broes faithful would have to wait a little longer. 7PM Pacific on Wednesday, September 16th finally arrived. But, again, the Broes faithful would have to wait a little longer. Fifteen minutes would go by with Derek coming on the line intermittingly announcing how much he valued our time, but how he wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to join the call. And finally, weeks overdue and two days and 15 minutes late, the call started...
To paraphrase: Derek said, he understands that we've all been waiting. He said, nobody wants you to feel uninformed. Business is incredible, Broes said, and what has been going on is nothing short of business as usual. Being an aggressive entrepreneurial person, Derek is exploring many ways he can have an impact on all of our lives. He wants to make sure he is exploring the edge of the envelope, and he is working hard to determine his future because like us, he takes his future very seriously. Derek does not want to tell us what to do with our future, only what he has done. Derek Broes said, he will be very informative over the coming days and will be in touch with everyone very soon and many times in the very near future. And then without a click or a goodbye, silence befell the call. That was it. It ended so abruptly and awkwardly that I waited in silence for two minutes just to be sure that it was actually over.
In less than five minutes, the call was done. There was no mention of eFusjon. There was no mention of where Derek Broes has been. Nor where Derek Broes is going. Only that Derek would update us again "soon" -- whatever that means. And so the Broes faithful will have to wait a little longer...
And in the mean time, I am left to wonder how someone can say they value my time while wasting it with perpetual time changes, tardiness, and pointless calls?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
eFusjon Featured in Success from Home Magazine
eFusjon will be featured in January's edition of Success from Home Magazine. While the issue will not be available in stores until January, distributors can order the magazine now and will receive the magazine in October. A 25-pack is available for $100.00 and a 100-pack is available for $300.00 (click here to order). For those not familiar with the magazine and wondering why an individual would want so many copies, many network marketers use the magazine as marketing material to advertise the business opportunity. eFusjon is billing the following as the features of the edition:- Learn why now is a great time to be part of the exploding energy drink industry.
- Find out more about the people working behind the scenes at eFusjon.
- Read success stories from some of eFusjon's top earners.
- Find out which celebrities and pro-athletes are drinking eFusjon.
- Hear from leadership expert John Maxwell on how to put your dream to the test.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Derek Broes Cancels Efusjon Call
The world of eFusjon will remain in suspense. Derek Broes announced he has succumbed to the flu and has postponed his update call until Wednesday at 7PM (Pacific). He is "sorry for the delay."
Friday, September 11, 2009
Derek Broes Will Announce Where He Stands With eFusjon
Derek Broes announced on his Facebook profile yesterday that he will be "updating everyone on eFusjon" on Monday, September 14th at 7PM (Pacific). The call details have not been released yet, and I will post the details here when I obtain them.
There is significant anticipation surrounding the call given that for many Derek Broes was the reason they signed-up with eFusjon and he has all but disappeared since the launch of the eFusjon application on Facebook.
What will Derek Broes announce? I cannot be sure given that I am not in communication with Derek. However, I will speculate that the announcement will be that Derek Broes will no longer be affiliated with eFusjon. I do not think this will be a surprise to many, and I think, the separation will be mutual between both Derek and eFusjon.
Since just before the launch of the Facebook application, Derek Broes has been all but absent from eFusjon. And in reviewing the posts on Facebook and Twitter that Broes has made, it would seem his focus is entirely elsewhere. Derek seems to be preoccupied with Team Derek, the motivational speaking arm of Derek Broes International, and has also announced plans to possibly run for office (Broes is a Republican).
Hopefully though, Derek Broes will address exactly what happened since the launch of the Facebook application. When public personas suddenly disappear from the public-eye in this manner, it is usually for one reason -- lawyers.
I have heard that the relationship between Rob Towles (eFusjon) and Derek Broes remains amicable and both maintain significant mutual respect for one another. So why the assumption about lawyers? Well, I have also heard that the larger issue is not between eFusjon and Derek Broes. But rather, Facebook went after Derek Broes (and less so eFusjon) before the launch of the application and they have been dealing with the fallout ever since.
When issues arose between Broes and Facebook, I heard Broes did not quickly communicate to eFusjon that Facebook was drastically affecting the plans for the application until just days before the launch, which left eFusjon in a bind. Many were anticipating a much more viral application (including eFusjon), but Facebook severely hampered those efforts with restrictions, which were not made clear to eFusjon until after plans for the launch were underway. At that point, eFusjon did not feel it could postpone again. I think eFusjon felt a little burned by Broes' slow disclosure and this is the main reason eFusjon is upset with him.
I would imagine this information has not been brought forward yet because of pending negotiations. My understanding is Facebook more directly went after Broes, and that it was requested that eFusjon keep quiet until all was settled. Broes' announcement may mean that all is settled and we may see full disclosure and closure.
UPDATE - Conference Call Details
Dial-In: (712) 432-1001
Access Code: 455059960#
There is significant anticipation surrounding the call given that for many Derek Broes was the reason they signed-up with eFusjon and he has all but disappeared since the launch of the eFusjon application on Facebook.
What will Derek Broes announce? I cannot be sure given that I am not in communication with Derek. However, I will speculate that the announcement will be that Derek Broes will no longer be affiliated with eFusjon. I do not think this will be a surprise to many, and I think, the separation will be mutual between both Derek and eFusjon.
Since just before the launch of the Facebook application, Derek Broes has been all but absent from eFusjon. And in reviewing the posts on Facebook and Twitter that Broes has made, it would seem his focus is entirely elsewhere. Derek seems to be preoccupied with Team Derek, the motivational speaking arm of Derek Broes International, and has also announced plans to possibly run for office (Broes is a Republican).
Hopefully though, Derek Broes will address exactly what happened since the launch of the Facebook application. When public personas suddenly disappear from the public-eye in this manner, it is usually for one reason -- lawyers.
I have heard that the relationship between Rob Towles (eFusjon) and Derek Broes remains amicable and both maintain significant mutual respect for one another. So why the assumption about lawyers? Well, I have also heard that the larger issue is not between eFusjon and Derek Broes. But rather, Facebook went after Derek Broes (and less so eFusjon) before the launch of the application and they have been dealing with the fallout ever since.
When issues arose between Broes and Facebook, I heard Broes did not quickly communicate to eFusjon that Facebook was drastically affecting the plans for the application until just days before the launch, which left eFusjon in a bind. Many were anticipating a much more viral application (including eFusjon), but Facebook severely hampered those efforts with restrictions, which were not made clear to eFusjon until after plans for the launch were underway. At that point, eFusjon did not feel it could postpone again. I think eFusjon felt a little burned by Broes' slow disclosure and this is the main reason eFusjon is upset with him.
I would imagine this information has not been brought forward yet because of pending negotiations. My understanding is Facebook more directly went after Broes, and that it was requested that eFusjon keep quiet until all was settled. Broes' announcement may mean that all is settled and we may see full disclosure and closure.
UPDATE - Conference Call Details
Dial-In: (712) 432-1001
Access Code: 455059960#
Saturday, August 22, 2009
eFusjon Revamping Customer Service (Again)
Distributors did not seem to warm up to the way eFusjon began handling customer service issues through e-mail, so Rob Towles said eFusjon plans to revamp their customer service department (again).
A couple months ago, eFusjon began handling all customer service issues through e-mail for a couple reasons. One, e-mail would save the company overhead costs, which ultimately would be passed along to distributors. Two, individuals would be less likely to waste customer service representatives time with ridiculous questions about whether they could put an eFusjon fountain in their front yard and how to go about it. And three, a record of all service issues would be documented (in writing) -- apparently, record-keeping issues became a problem. Frankly, all of these reasons made perfect sense to me, and I never had an issue receiving a response from customer service in a timely manner. But, the majority of distributors did not feel the same as I did and rumors arose (from other companies) that eFusjon was in financial trouble and could not make payroll and blah, blah, blah.
So, eFusjon listened to its distributors and (per Rob Towles) will be ushering in a new, larger customer service department in the next 4-6 weeks. Once again, you will be able to call in or e-mail. And, eFusjon will be acquiring the necessary tools to record any pertinent conversations. Plus, eFusjon is expanding their headquarters into a second building ("on the same block") to accommodate the larger customer service department.
Hopefully this time, people will develop their own schematics for their eFusjon fountains, but I doubt it...
A couple months ago, eFusjon began handling all customer service issues through e-mail for a couple reasons. One, e-mail would save the company overhead costs, which ultimately would be passed along to distributors. Two, individuals would be less likely to waste customer service representatives time with ridiculous questions about whether they could put an eFusjon fountain in their front yard and how to go about it. And three, a record of all service issues would be documented (in writing) -- apparently, record-keeping issues became a problem. Frankly, all of these reasons made perfect sense to me, and I never had an issue receiving a response from customer service in a timely manner. But, the majority of distributors did not feel the same as I did and rumors arose (from other companies) that eFusjon was in financial trouble and could not make payroll and blah, blah, blah.
So, eFusjon listened to its distributors and (per Rob Towles) will be ushering in a new, larger customer service department in the next 4-6 weeks. Once again, you will be able to call in or e-mail. And, eFusjon will be acquiring the necessary tools to record any pertinent conversations. Plus, eFusjon is expanding their headquarters into a second building ("on the same block") to accommodate the larger customer service department.
Hopefully this time, people will develop their own schematics for their eFusjon fountains, but I doubt it...
Friday, August 21, 2009
eFusjon's Compensation Plan Changes (Dramtically)
On August 6th, eFusjon announced the company would be changing their compensation plan so that all distributors would receive 1.25% commission on community overlap. (Distributors would continue to receive 4.25% on all personally enrolled and their downline.) According to eFusjon, the change is a raise of .25% for approximately 80% of the company. However, for the distributors who joined eFusjon prior to May 1, 2009, the change represented a pay cut for many. I have heard Rob Towles say that only about 3,900 distributors were actually affected.
The change represents the 4th adjustment to eFusjon's compensation plan since its inception. The first compensation plan ran from September 2008 thru December 31st 2008 (read about it here). In January 2009, eFusjon adjusted the compensation plan so that distributors were paid 4.25% on their entire downline, including community overlap. On May 1st 2009, eFusjon adjusted the compensation plan for the third time by reducing the commission on community overlap to 1%. However, all distributors that joined eFusjon prior to May 1st continued to receive 4.25% on community overlap -- effectively the distributors were "grandfathered" in. And while the 4th adjustment on August 6th provided the majority of the company with a pay raise, eFusjon stripped the distributors who were "grandfathered in" of their 4.25% commission on community overlap and made all distributors in the company equal at 1.25% for community overlap.
Now, let's get one fact straight, eFusjon's decision to reduce the commission on overlap for some of its distributors sent shock waves through the company. In my humble (but accurate) opinion, those entering a business or an investment in the early stages take on more of the risk and therefore should be paid out at a higher level than those entering the business or investment in the later and more secure stages. While I have not changed my belief regarding the distributors who shouldered the burden in the early stages reaping more rewards, I do accept the decision eFusjon was forced to make to support the longevity of the company.
More and more details continue to emerge surrounding the decision to level the playing field and ultimately make all distributors equal. The catalyst for the change came down to eFusjon being sharply watched by a number of State Attorney Generals and on the brink of being forced to close for an investigation. Why? Because a handful of distributors were advertising the massive amounts of money they were making to potential new distributors, but not disclosing the fact that the massive amount of money being made was due mostly to the "grandfathered" compensation plan -- sort of a bait and switch tactic. Of course, I do not believe this was being done by most maliciously, but the fact remained that the new distributors would (likely) not be able to make anywhere near the kind of money being advertised. Potential distributors were being lured under false premises, which lawmakers do not take lightly.
Now, the truth is many companies use "grandfathering" and eFusjon (in my opinion) would have likely fared well in court. But, the investigation would have forced eFusjon to shut its doors for months (or years) likely, and as a young company, eFusjon likely did not have the capital reserves nor the reputation (yet) to hunker down for a long battle. So, eFusjon's founders and legal team ultimately made the decision to make all distributors equal and give the majority of distributors a raise.
I cannot be sure why Rob Towles and eFusjon corporate have not yet come out and said all of this "officially". (And honestly, I do not agree with their choice.) I can only surmise that eFusjon did not want to scare its distributors with the thought of a lawsuit. While veterans of the network marketing industry know lawsuits are common place, eFusjon has brought in many new faces to the industry who might not be so comfortable with the thought of the company being sued.
Ultimately though, as Rob Towles has stated, a level playing field in compensation is more in line with his personal vision and will be better for the company over the long-term.
The change represents the 4th adjustment to eFusjon's compensation plan since its inception. The first compensation plan ran from September 2008 thru December 31st 2008 (read about it here). In January 2009, eFusjon adjusted the compensation plan so that distributors were paid 4.25% on their entire downline, including community overlap. On May 1st 2009, eFusjon adjusted the compensation plan for the third time by reducing the commission on community overlap to 1%. However, all distributors that joined eFusjon prior to May 1st continued to receive 4.25% on community overlap -- effectively the distributors were "grandfathered" in. And while the 4th adjustment on August 6th provided the majority of the company with a pay raise, eFusjon stripped the distributors who were "grandfathered in" of their 4.25% commission on community overlap and made all distributors in the company equal at 1.25% for community overlap.
Now, let's get one fact straight, eFusjon's decision to reduce the commission on overlap for some of its distributors sent shock waves through the company. In my humble (but accurate) opinion, those entering a business or an investment in the early stages take on more of the risk and therefore should be paid out at a higher level than those entering the business or investment in the later and more secure stages. While I have not changed my belief regarding the distributors who shouldered the burden in the early stages reaping more rewards, I do accept the decision eFusjon was forced to make to support the longevity of the company.
More and more details continue to emerge surrounding the decision to level the playing field and ultimately make all distributors equal. The catalyst for the change came down to eFusjon being sharply watched by a number of State Attorney Generals and on the brink of being forced to close for an investigation. Why? Because a handful of distributors were advertising the massive amounts of money they were making to potential new distributors, but not disclosing the fact that the massive amount of money being made was due mostly to the "grandfathered" compensation plan -- sort of a bait and switch tactic. Of course, I do not believe this was being done by most maliciously, but the fact remained that the new distributors would (likely) not be able to make anywhere near the kind of money being advertised. Potential distributors were being lured under false premises, which lawmakers do not take lightly.
Now, the truth is many companies use "grandfathering" and eFusjon (in my opinion) would have likely fared well in court. But, the investigation would have forced eFusjon to shut its doors for months (or years) likely, and as a young company, eFusjon likely did not have the capital reserves nor the reputation (yet) to hunker down for a long battle. So, eFusjon's founders and legal team ultimately made the decision to make all distributors equal and give the majority of distributors a raise.
I cannot be sure why Rob Towles and eFusjon corporate have not yet come out and said all of this "officially". (And honestly, I do not agree with their choice.) I can only surmise that eFusjon did not want to scare its distributors with the thought of a lawsuit. While veterans of the network marketing industry know lawsuits are common place, eFusjon has brought in many new faces to the industry who might not be so comfortable with the thought of the company being sued.
Ultimately though, as Rob Towles has stated, a level playing field in compensation is more in line with his personal vision and will be better for the company over the long-term.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
eFusjon's Attrition Rate
Rumors are running rampant about the attrition rate in eFusjon since the launch of the Facebook application and change to the compensation plan. Per Rob Towles, eFusjon's attrition rate from their launch in September 2008 thru August 1st 2009 was 3%. Typically, the rate is much higher in the industry (upwards of 90%).
Now, again per Rob Towles, since August 1st the total attrition rate has jumped to about 8% -- far less than the rumors would suggest. Towles relayed that approximately 1400 spots have been vacated in the month of August, but he estimates that approximately only 250 actual people left. In other words, as Towles conveyed, one of the outcomes of the change in the compensation plan is that many people are giving up some additional spots in the matrix they were holding. He said he did not mind that people may hold two or three that they actually worked to build, but frowned upon people holding upwards of eight spots just looking for overlap. So, Towles in fact, was quite happy about this result.
Now, will this jump more in September as more officially become deactivated? I would assume, but can't guesstimate by how much. Rob Towles reiterated that eFusjon continues to set records and bring in tons of distributors because 45,000 of its distributors actually received a raise with the change in compensation plan.
Now, again per Rob Towles, since August 1st the total attrition rate has jumped to about 8% -- far less than the rumors would suggest. Towles relayed that approximately 1400 spots have been vacated in the month of August, but he estimates that approximately only 250 actual people left. In other words, as Towles conveyed, one of the outcomes of the change in the compensation plan is that many people are giving up some additional spots in the matrix they were holding. He said he did not mind that people may hold two or three that they actually worked to build, but frowned upon people holding upwards of eight spots just looking for overlap. So, Towles in fact, was quite happy about this result.
Now, will this jump more in September as more officially become deactivated? I would assume, but can't guesstimate by how much. Rob Towles reiterated that eFusjon continues to set records and bring in tons of distributors because 45,000 of its distributors actually received a raise with the change in compensation plan.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Original eFusjon Compensation Plan from 2008
I stumbled across the original eFusjon compensation plan from 2008. All I have to say is, "Wow! Why didn't I know about eFusjon then?" Distributors were paid $10 monthly for each personally enrolled Associate and their personally enrolled Associate's downline. Plus, distributors received a one time $100 bonus for each personally enrolled associate. Not to mention, community overlap was paid at $5 per associate. Now, that is a lucrative compensation plan! Below are screen shots of two pages from the original Compensation Plan PDF (click on the images to blow them up):
Friday, July 31, 2009
Win an Apple iTouch from Efusjon
eFusjon will be rolling out their Apple iPhone Applications starting in August. And if the news itself isn't exciting enough, eFusjon is launching a contest starting August 1st where you have an opportunity to win an Apple iTouch! Listen to music, watch movies, check your e-mail, play games, and of course share the eFusjon opportunity from your iTouch.
The first eFusjon application that rolls out will be the Front Office. The Front Office will allow distributors to show eFusjon videos, share the compensation plan, share product information, and enroll new distributors from your iPhone. The Back Office will be the second application and will launch shortly after the Front Office. According to eFusjon, there will be a one time fee of $4.99 to download the Back Office application due to some intricacies of connecting your mobile device to your personal Back Office. The Front Office application will be free.
So how do you win an iTouch? The first 333 eFusjon distributors to personally enroll 3 people in the month of August will win an iTouch with eFusjon engraved on the back. Below is a flyer giving more details on the contest (Click on the image to enlarge the flyer).
The first eFusjon application that rolls out will be the Front Office. The Front Office will allow distributors to show eFusjon videos, share the compensation plan, share product information, and enroll new distributors from your iPhone. The Back Office will be the second application and will launch shortly after the Front Office. According to eFusjon, there will be a one time fee of $4.99 to download the Back Office application due to some intricacies of connecting your mobile device to your personal Back Office. The Front Office application will be free.
So how do you win an iTouch? The first 333 eFusjon distributors to personally enroll 3 people in the month of August will win an iTouch with eFusjon engraved on the back. Below is a flyer giving more details on the contest (Click on the image to enlarge the flyer).
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
eFusjon Coming To Your Blackberry
We knew eFusjon would be releasing an application on the iPhone, but I stumbled upon a nugget in the latest eFusjon video "eFusjon Never Sleeps" -- a screenshot of an eFusjon application on the Blackberry. Crackberry addicts with more energy - Watch Out!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Gaming with eFusjonGaming.com
Today, eFusjon launched another web property with eFusjonGaming.com. The site is the latest in eFusjon's portfolio of social media applications and internet tools to help distributors grow their businesses.
eFusjonGaming.com is a welcomed addition because it allows the games being developed by eFusjon to be shared and played by anyone on the web, not just on Facebook. The first game released (RAD) can now be played by non-Facebook users by simply going to http://efusjongaming.com/games/
The best part about the new site is the emphasis it puts on being able to win prizes through the games, even when you are not a distributor with eFusjon. In the application released on Facebook, the fact that prizes could be won was buried in the contest rules and not prominently advertised.
The downside of eFusjonGaming.com is that the site is not tethered to each eFusjon distributor's replicated website where prospects can sign-up. So, when a distributor sends out the link to eFusjonGaming.com and a prospect decides to sign-up, the distributor cannot be certain the prospect will sign-up through them. A join button does exist on eFusjonGaming.com, but the join button simply directs the prospect to contact a distributor. The simple solution would be to make eFusjonGaming.com similar to the replicated sites by creating a personalized url for each distributor, i.e. www.efusjongaming.com/distributorID. This will be a point I am sure we will hear many distributors complain about -- hopefully, the company acts to rectify the issue.
The new site also contains a new video titled eFusjon Never Sleeps. The new video is decent, though nothing to write home about (in my most humble, but most accurate opinion).
Monday, July 27, 2009
Facebook, Breeze, Dawn, Canada, iTouch, Oh My!
Here's the Round-Up for the eFusjon Corporate Conference Call for July 27th, 2009:
- The Main Point: Rob Towles stressed that the eFusjon application on Facebook is an amazing tool to help grow your business, but the application does not have magical powers that will fabricate SSNs and EINs and flood your organization with people, making you a millionaire over night. The technologies being released by eFusjon are tools meant to supplement the phenomenal product and lucrative compensation plan. To date, thousands of people have built strong organizations without Facebook.
- Rob also reiterated that the application is Version 1 and will undergo improvements and enhancements. He indicated this initial version is fairly stripped down so that it could easily be built upon and added to.
- Rob expressed that he was blown away by the number of people that accessed the Facebook application upon its release. Rob said that over 1,000,000 people tried to access the application, which is what caused the servers to crash at two of eFusjon's hired hosting facilities. (Note, Rob later corrected himself on Twitter that he meant over 1,000,000 "hits" and not necessarily "people.")
- Rob expressed at multiple times during the call how disappointed he was with the lies and false promises being circulated on YouTube and the broader Internet about eFusjon. Rob reassured us that eFusjon is diligently working to clean up the false propaganda and that users responsible for posting false material will face harsh consequences.
- Breeze and Dawn will be released in the next 30-45 days.
- eFusjon will launch in Canada this year. The launch will be "sooner rather than later." eFusjon is also reviewing 9 other countries to launch in, but the other launches will not be announced prior to Canada. Rob stressed that when eFusjon launches in other countries, the Matrix will be a continuation of the existing Matrix and new matrices will not be developed.
- eFusjon is also researching the possibility of developing "energy shots." Industry wide, energy shots have seen a 200% increase this year (when compared with a 6% increase for energy drinks) per Rob Towles.
- On August 1st, eFusjon will be releasing details on an upcoming competition. "We're going to be giving away hundreds and hundreds of iTouch."
Listen to the entire call by clicking here.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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