The trip out was uneventful. I spent some time on the plane writing down some things I wanted to accomplish while I was there, since I knew once I touched down there, the weekend was going to be a fast waterslide. I first set out to correct some mistakes I made in the 2009 E1K conference in Orlando…

This time around I was going to take notes in OmniOutliner (as opposed to trying to write them all by hand) on my laptop.

I’ve got to hand it to the organizers of the conference. Tim Castleman had been bugging Dennis Becker (The guy behind 5 Bucks A Day and Earn1KaDay) to hold a second  conference for some time, and I”m glad he went ahead with it. The conference facility was considerably better than the inaugural conference in ‘09. The Tuscany in Las Vegas is a very nice hotel. If you’ve never stayed at a hotel in Vegas, it isn’t like going to another major city. Rooms are cheap. Food is very reasonable. The accommodations are quite nice for what you pay. The flip side of that coin is that you will get nickel-and-dimed everywhere else. WiFi isn’t free (Unless you are in the lobby or conference areas). Use of business center computers or printers will cost you a few bucks. I’m not complaining by any means, just giving you the full scoop. If I had one complaint, it would be about one of the restaurants in the hotel. They really seemed to have 2 speeds; Slow and Stun. And oddball wait staff who obsess over something for a long time. (George – think she’s still talking about the extra mushrooms on the omelette?)

Friday evening was the meet and greet. Dennis was kind enough to spring for the initial drinks for everyone, and provide some munchies for us. That evening, I spent time with Matt and John Rhodes (it was great seeing them again), many of my fellow Earn1KaDay members, Jason Fladlien, Leanne King, and I was fortunate enough to sit in on some of Tim Castleman’s stories. And I FINALLY got to meet Rachel Rofe’ in person, something I had wanted for years. All of the above are amazing people. If you get the chance to meet them and hear them speak, take it. You can hear their presentations, by the way, on the E1K 2010 Conference Videos – you’ll love every minute!

Before I go into detail about each of the presentations, the 2010 conference felt much more coherent to me. In 2009, the speaker’s topics felt somewhat random. This year, however, each speaker seemed to build upon the concepts and ideas brought forth by the previous speaker. Things seemed to “click” much better this year.

So, over the next few days I’m going to give you a high level overview of each of the presenters, er, presentations. I wish you had been there if you didn’t make it – I have a year’s worth of things that I want to do now, all thanks to 2 measly days in Vegas.

Talk soon!

There is one thing that sets this conference apart from the others. E1K isn’t a pitch-fest. The speakers aren’t going to leave stones unturned by telling you that you have to buy their products to truly succeed. This really is a no holds barred event.

And the seminar itself is only half the value. There will be tons of after hours networking, idea sharing, JV making, and more. You owe it to yourself to get involved.

On the schedule to speak:

Tim Castleman, Steven Resell, Michael Gunn, Jason Fladlien, Wil Mattos, Kevin Rockwell, The Rhodes Brothers, Leanne King, James Jones, and Rachel Rofe. I’m sure the head honcho (Dennis Becker) will say a few words too.

Personally, I’m looking forward to spending more time with Matt and John Rhodes, and meeting Tim Castleman and Rachel Rofe. Not to mention Leanne King,  a WordPress goddess, and she’s coming in from Australia.

E1k 2009 was the first online marketing conference I have ever attended. I was skeptical. I was doubtful. I didn’t think I would come away with anything.

I was so wrong.

So, get in now. Rooms are cheap. Flights are still relatively cheap (Try Orbitz or Travelocity – I found a good price on Orbitz). Food in Vegas is cheap. Sign up now and I’ll see you there.

Do you ever think about going to I.M gatherings but never do? Do you realize that your success hinges upon your connections and relationships with other marketers? Think about what it’s like to start talking online to a well known figure in I.M. Feels pretty good to think that you may be able to do a JV or something with them, right? Yeah – you and all the other thousands of people that email them! Now…take that feeling, and think about what it’s like to meet them in person, to sit and have dinner or a drink with them…you have their undivided attention. They have a face and a voice with the email now. They know you. What do you think you could accomplish if you had an hour or so one-on-one time with, say, the Rhodes Brothers? or Tim Castleman?

Try a whole weekend my friend!

Go to this site to read more about the speakers. You won’t be disappointed.

So, here’s what I want you to do. I want you kick your doubts to the curb, sign up, and get your seat. It’s happening May 21-23 in Las Vegas. Don’t plan on leaving the hotel; you’ll spend every waking moment networking. Trust me – I was there last year and I didn’t sleep. Here’s the good thing – Vegas is cheap. You’ll get your seat, a hotel, and airfare for about a grand. I’m serious. It’s time for you to do the same. Sign Up NOW. No more excuses.

I’ll be there, Come up and say Hi. Let’s talk shop over a drink!

We are excited to announce that, effective immediately, we are increasing the commission from 30% to 33% on all direct sales. That’s up to a 10% increase in your check! Thanks to the productivity and profits you have generated over the years, we now have the opportunity to offer this powerful direct sales incentive to you in the New Year!

As a result of this new incentive, your compensation program will have one tier, instead of two, and more effectively support and encourage your direct sales activities. We hope the increase in commissions will make it possible for even more million-dollar affiliate program earners!

Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) you may have about this change:

1. Does the commission increase apply only to GetResponse, or to other Implix products I can promote as a GetResponse affiliate (WebsiteWizard, EbookGold, Hypertracker)?

The increase will apply to all Implix products ? your commissions will now be 33% instead of 30%.

2. Does the commission increase apply only to new sales (generated after the increase was announced) or to all commissions that I currently earn as an affiliate?

The increase applies to all 1st tire commissions ? we are increasing your check by up to 10%.

3. I used to have 2nd tier commissions – what will happen to them?

As we have removed the 2nd tier from our affiliate program, you will no longer receive those commissions and they will be removed from your account. However, your direct sales commissions will be increased from 30% to 33%.

4. Why did you remove the 2nd tier?

After careful analysis of affiliate feedback, we realized that the 2nd tier was no longer popular, and changed the program structure to better meet their needs.

As always, we are here to answer questions about the commission increase or any other concerns you may have. Just let us know if you need any help!

Regards,

Ola Kudzin
Affiliate Manager
GetResponse

http://www.getresponse.com

This somewhat deceptive practice is called “Negative Option” marketing and is usually attached to free trial offers or free merchandise, such as DVD’s, etc. Although this practice exists in many niches (and has been around for a long time – ever bought a cassette from Columbia House?) , it is prominent in “Make Money” type products.

The FTC and Visa/Mastercard are cracking down on it. Visa and Mastercard are now actively declining merchant account applications from companies that do this sort of business, and going back through existing merchants and cancelling the agreements of those companies that are already established and practice this type of marketing.

Yes, some of these companies disclose very clearly up front that if you get the free whatever, in 7 days you will begin getting billed 399.99 a month on your credit card automatically for the idiot of the month club…but when you try to call and cancel, the line is busy, disconnected, or worse…and you have to send 5 different emails and a postcard to cancel…and by the time you do, the time has elapsed to cancel, you get billed, and there is no recourse other than a dispute or chargeback.

For more information on negative option,  check out the FTC’s site on it here.

If you’ll recall (if you’ve been reading my blog for a year or more) I attended the first Earn1KaDay summit in Orlando, Florida in January of 2009. There I got to meet and mingle with Willie Crawford, the Rhodes Brothers, Jaime Mintun, Dennis Becker, and many more. Well, it’s happening again, and I want to meet you there.

The details aren’t firmly packed down yet, but we’re looking at a May date in Las Vegas. Earn1KaDay is where my business and life changed. The contacts I made there and the time I spent with all of these fine people were invaluable. And I plan to go again.

If you haven’t joined Earn1KaDay yet, I urge you to get in now…some more new things have just been added, and there are even more to come. Take action, get out of your “comfort zone” and make 2010 happen for you.

UDRP

Read More…

Jim Edwards did an interview with an FTC assistant deputy, and the interview is quite informative.

I recommend you watch… The sky is not falling and the FTC will likely NOT be on your doorstep on December 2 with a warrant.

Here’s the link:

http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/ftc-change-interview/

You get TipDrop.

Jon Leger (of the famous 7 dollar script fame) has created a new “social knowledge” website called TipDrop.com, where you share tidbits of information on “Tip Sheets”. It’s more focused than Twitter, as it is all based on useful information (not what someone had for breakfast or what their dog just did).

This has the potential of becoming a very focused information site, as you are allowed only 255 characters per tip.

Credibility is voted on – you can vote tips up or down, so hopefully Spammy posts won’t inundate the site.

Go take a look now, you’ll be addicted. http://www.TipDrop.com

P.S it’s free as of this writing, and you can share Adsense revenue.