Wondering if ACN is the right home-based business for you? I have put together a high level overview of the pros and cons of the ACN opportunity. Anyone could make a more demanding list of pros and cons, but I wanted to write from someone who has studied and analyzed the compensation plan, met top leaders, and watched the business grow from zero to over 100. the last ten months in Bozeman, Montana.
Pro #1: Consumables Market
ACN is the world’s largest direct seller of telecommunications services that is more or less a consumable product. The core service is digital videophone service, but it has also expanded the product line through wireless, Internet, satellite TV, home security, and energy. All these home services are basically essential for the modern home, and people are already customers. They pay their bills every month to some company. It might be you too. It can be the provider of home services for a wide range of customers in 21 countries.
Pro #2: Company management
ACN’s second professional is the company itself. The company is built on integrity and this permeates everything from training, contracts, communications, promotional materials and operations. ACN was founded in 1993 in Michigan and has grown from a company that sells long distance services to a global company that provides essential home services in many different markets. Basically, ACN has been just around the corner. However, it has only penetrated a small portion of the home services market. Therefore, ACN has a lot of growth ahead of it.
Pro #3: The business model
ACN has built its business around network marketing. There is no better compensation plan than network marketing because it rewards the best salespeople as well as team builders. In direct selling, you can sell whatever you want, but at the end of the day, you have to keep selling to earn a commission. If you miss time from work for any reason, you cannot sell and you cannot earn commissions. Network marketing is different. What is the same is this: first you learn the business, like you do in any job, and then you turn around and train others, like in any job. Here is the special difference. In network marketing, you are rewarded for being a great coach. In the corporate world, people are afraid that other employees will do better than they do. Supervisors don’t want their subordinates to outshine them. It makes them look bad. It becomes political. In network marketing, you love the fact that your downline is successful. It just creates a happy team and better business relationships.
I promised you the downsides of ACN and I hope that helps you decide if ACN is the business for you.
With #1: The Compensation Plan
If you’ve researched online or talked to other people at other network marketing companies, like Usana or Rodan and Fields, you’ll hear them say negative things about ACN’s compensation plan. The facts are these. ACN competes in the telecommunications retail space, which is highly competitive and perceived as a low-margin business. Compared to other network marketing opportunities, ACN’s compensation plan has a commission structure that becomes more rewarding as you build a deep team. Other network marketing opportunities may be structured differently and reward you with large commissions up front. This leads to the next scam.
Con #2: You have to build a great team
I would say that this negative aspect should scare off many part-time fans. You have to build the ACN business. An independent representative will need to meet several personal sales goals along the way to qualify for commissions, and commissions are earned at the deepest levels. So you’ll need to have reached your personal sales quota (not hard) and have a large team that has many customers at those levels to earn significant commissions. Over time, a committed professional can achieve these goals, but it will take the average person a few years to achieve these goals. I describe an average person who can recruit one or two dedicated people a year. Additionally, the assumptions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to imply that they are typical. Success as an ACN Independent Representative is not guaranteed, but is influenced by the specific efforts of each individual. Not all Independent Representatives are profitable and no one can be guaranteed success as an ACN Independent Representative. Given this statement, a person who does not want to build a large ACN organization will not find the business financially rewarding.
Con #3: Customer Acquisition Bonuses Reward the Fast Builder
You have to build fast to earn aptly titled Fast Start Bonuses. Initial income comes from these customer acquisition bonuses related to the customers of your downline representatives. Residual income doesn’t come into play until you have a large organization. Obviously, if you don’t sign up reps, then you can’t earn any bonuses from your customer acquisitions. Even if you sign up a really great person and really grow the business, you may not see any bonuses unless you’re one step ahead of them. Basically, ACN’s compensation plan is fair. It rewards dedication, performance and salesmanship. The bonus plan is set up correctly. Reward the people who are building the business. There isn’t much of anything for people who do nothing except great training.
So, in summary, if you’re interested in leveraging your skills developed in defunct network marketing programs, or are ready to introduce your skeptical spouse to the same business model you discovered, there’s no better company than ACN. Products for once sell themselves. In fact, most people already use the product on a daily basis and in some cases cannot live without it. However, if you are not interested in building a large organization, ACN may not be for you. You might consider one of those GO Go juice companies that have wider margins, but tend to disappear after only a few years.