Power Results Academy Review: Membership training
Power Results Academy launched mid 2012, is based in the US state of Texas (appearing to operate out of a virtual office there) and is headed up by company President, Robert Phillips.
On his Power Results Academy Executive bio, the company claims that Phillips has ‘over 12 years experience in the area of Network Marketing and 6 highly successful years in Internet Marketing’ and that as Power Results Academy President, he ‘oversees the company’s direction and partnerships while still focusing on MAXIMIZING user benefits‘.
MLM history wise Phillips has been a distributor of “Chews4Health International”, marketing chewable health products. Following that Phillips appears to have been involved in various affiliate-based MLM marketing and training opportunities.
On his LinkedIn profile, Phillips (photo right) claims
I struggled for YEARS trying to figure out how to succeed in the MLM/Network Marketing Industry. I was chasing friends and family, cold-calling strangers, buying leads, and getting rejected EVERY DAY, and it finally took it’s toll on me.
So, one day, I just gave up and stopped trying. I was a complete failure and didn’t have a clue as to what went wrong.
But I decided to pick it back up because I really believed in the potential of the MLM/Netowrk (sic) Marketing Industry, even though I didn’t exactly know what I was doing wrong.
That’s when the light came on for me, and I finally realized what my REAL problem was: I wasn’t “marketing” the business!
LOL. Once I figured out the REAL problem, my business turned around almost overnight.
In his profile Phillips claims to have run the website mlmdownlinesecrets.com since June 2008 and the company “Global Success Marketing” since June 2005. With both of these companies being based in the MLM training and marketing niche, they appear to be the precursor to the launch of his latest venture.
Update 10th November, 2012 – Power Results Academy’s Chief Operating Officer, Jason Rose informs me that he is the owner of the company.
Rose is credited on his Power Results Academy executive bio as being ‘a highly motivated and successful entrepreneur‘, and comes from the chiropractic sector of the health and wellness niche. /end update
Read on for a full review of the Power Results Academy MLM business opportunity.
The Power Results Academy Product Line
Power Results Academy offer no retailable products or services. Instead, members of the company are only able to market membership to the company itself.
Bundled with monthly membership to Power Results Academy is access to a series of marketing and training (software and video based).
Membership to Power Results Academy is available at two pricepoints:
- “Premium Training & Software Suite” for $49.95 a month and
- “Springboard Automation Suite” for $99.95 a month
Additionally those that sign up on either membership option can opt to pay a further $299 and receive “over the shoulder training and coaching” via Power Results Academy’s “PRA – Interact Program”.
The Power Results Academy Compensation Plan
With membership being their only product, Power Results Academy offer members a series of recruitment based commissions and bonuses.
Power Results Academy Membership Ranks
Within the Power Results Academy compensation plan there are four membership ranks. Along with their qualifications, they are as follows:
- Silver – recruit 2 new members
- Gold – recruit 15 new members or have 2 Silver ranked personally recruited members in your downline
- Platinum – have at least 200 members in your downline (counted down 7 levels of recruitment) and either have personally recruited 50 new members or have two personally recruited Gold members in your downline
- Diamond – have at least 450 members in your downline (counted down 7 levels of recruitment) and either have personally recruited 120 new members or have two personally recruited Platinum members in your downline
Direct Recruitment Commissions
Power Results Academy pay out members a commission per new member recruited, each and every month that recruited member pays their monthly membership fees.
Which membership option new members sign up for doesn’t appear to matter, with the company paying the same recruitment commission down seven levels using a unilevel compensation structure.
A unilevel compensation structure places a member at the top of the structure, with every personally recruited new member placed directly under them (level 1).
If any level 1 members recruit any new members of their own, they are then placed on level 2 of the initial member’s unilevel team. If any level 2 members recruit any new members, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth.
Using this structure, Power Results Academy pay out commissions down 7 levels of recruitment, with how much a member is paid dependent on what level a newly recruited member falls within their unilevel team.
“Premium Training & Software Suite” members:
- Level 1 – $16.50
- Level 2 – $5
- Level 3 – $2
- Levels 4 and 5 – $1
- Levels 6 and 7 – $1.50
“Springboard Automation Suite” members:
- Level 1 – $33
- Level 2 – $10
- Level 3 – $4
- Levels 4 and 5 – $2
- Levels 6 and 7 – $3
“PRA – Interact” Commissions
Given that Power Results Academy’s “PRA – Interact” is a one-time fee, commissions offered on the sale of the product to Power Results Academy members generates a one time commission.
Note that the PRA – Interact commissions are paid out using the same unilevel compensation structure outlined above, but pays out only 5 levels deep:
- Level 1 – $125
- Level 2 – $40
- Level 3 – $25
- Levels 4 and 5 – $10
Platinum Bonus Pool
Each month Power Results Academy take 1% of all the membership fees paid within the company and place them into a Platinum Bonus Pool.
In order to qualify for a share in the Platinum Bonus Pool, Power Results Academy member’s must have achieved the “Platinum” membership rank.
Diamond Bonus Pool
As with the Platinum Bonus Pool, Power Results Academy’s Diamond Bonus Pool is also made up of 1% of the monthly membership fees paid by its members.
To qualify for a share in the Diamond Bonus Pool, Power Results Academy members must have achieved the “Diamond” membership rank.
Note that for Diamond ranked members, both the Platinum and Diamond Bonus pools stack.
Top 20 Bonus
Rewarding their members who generate the most business via membership sales each month (including that of their downline), Power Results Academy put an additional 1% of the total membership fees paid by members each month, paid out equally to the top 20 recruiters company-wide of any given month.
Movers and Shakers Bonus
Again made up of 1% of the total monthly membership fees Power Results Academy collects from members, the Movers and Shakers Bonus rewards Power Results Academy members who recruit at least 10 new members each month.
All members who qualify for the bonus are paid out an equal share.
Leadership Bonus
The Power Results Academy Leadership Bonus is made up of 2% of the total membership fees collected by the company each month. The bonus is paid out in equal shares to all Power Results Academy members who maintain a downline of 700 of more members (direct or indirect recruitment).
Note that counted downline members that qualify a member for a share in the Leadership Bonus are only counted from the first seven levels of a member’s unilevel team.
Joining Power Results Academy
As mentioned earlier, there are two membership options available for those looking to join Power Results Academy:
- “Premium Training and Software Suite” – $49.95 a month
- “Springboard Automation Suite” – $99.95 a month
Conclusion
With nothing more than membership being sold by Power Results Academy and all commissions paid out being sourced out of monthly membership fees members pay the company, Power Results Academy effectively fits the definition of a pyramid scheme.
Members are unable to earn through the Power Results Academy opportunity itself without the recruitment of new members and continued monthly payment of membership fees taking place.
The products bundled with membership, or provided “access” to with membership as Power Results Academy put it (“When you join Power Results Academy (PRA), you get access to the most advanced marketing suite on the market today“), are indeed real however with no retail option available (excluding such customers from the income opportunity and compensation plan), Power Results Academy’s products serve no other purpose than to prop up what is an obvious membership and recruitment driven scheme.
Those who join the company last have to get out there and recruit to earn commissions. If they can’t, they stop paying their monthly membership fees and their upline lose their commissions.
When that happens they too stop paying their commissions and as the net effect of this trickles up right to the top of the pyramid, eventually it collapses.
Those at the bottom of course make no money through the opportunity and suffer a loss. How much they lose depending of course on how many months of membership fees they paid.
I did purchase this program and, based on the tools and training provided, was initially happy.
What made it attractive was the sales funnel they set up to help build a list. The concept is that you purchase credits and will get names on your list and into your sales funnel. During webinars, they infer a credit is worth a subscriber.
It’s volume based pricing so credits run between $1 to $2, which is not unreasonable to spend for a name on a list.
They get the names from running ads and direct them to the pre-made squeeze page or you can send the traffic to whatever site you choose. Each optin does go into your own autoresponder so it is legitimate.
HOWEVER – Fulfillment is extremely slow and very sporadic. A week after purchasing 150 credits, I have 30 subscribers, not the 100 I expected. I know of other people experiencing the same issues. Same complaints – no optins or far fewer than promised and very slow response to support tickets.
The training and tools are good but I only purchased the basic package because I wanted to evaluate the program and products before any upgrades. Based on experience in the first week, I won’t be upgrading or renewing my monthly membership.
Maybe they’ll get their act together and be able to fulfill orders but until they do, there is no way in the world I’d recommend to a friend, stranger or downline that they buy into this.
A company either delivers or it doesn’t. Don’t take my money and then tell me you’re working on the product I paid for.
But Dave’s enthusiasm for his latest scheme should in no way be taken as a lack of confidence in the Zeek recovery effort.
It’s shooting fish in a barrel with a blindfold on… with a shotgun. Sooner or later he’ll hit something. 😀
Judging by Mr Kettners’ lack of success in bringing the Zeek receivership undone, it’s highly likely the only thing likely to be “shot” is Kettners’ own foot.
I signed up for PRA when it first launched as people on Hitesh Junenga’s mailing list (one of the tech guys behind PRA) were offered a one time payment to get involved ($199 from memory) – this was a lifetime membership which included all the IM tools and services.
Hitesh is a very slick and clever operator – his angle at marketing is that he only offers products to his mailing list that are “extremely high quality” and he sends out warnings about high profile WFO’s that have just launched to avoid at all cost.
This has the effect of making him sound very trustworthy and professional. I’m not saying he isn’t – he has recommended at least one product that really has helped me make good money to date – BUT – there is a side to how he markets that I don’t entirely trust.
I was, initially, very excited by PRA and started to promote it via my own list and websites. The problem with the product is that it is very hard for everyday people (newbies) to understand (I have had enough trouble understanding it myself).
In essence it is the union of MLM with INTERNET MARKETING and I do believe those involved are sincere in trying to meld the two industries together – but both are too separate in my opinion for it really to work.
Internet marketing is a vast topic in itself with so many different ways of making money. MLM is more of a cultish type of activity – almost religious. MLMers “believe” in their products and have very narrow vision when it comes to competitive marketing of their products.
Most MLM products just can’t compete on price in the market place for obvious reasons – so that is why it is so hard to make sales to retail consumers who aren’t part of the MLM company.
To me MLM has always been a fools game where a small minority make the lion’s share of the profits and all they really sell is a “dream” of wealth for the majority – who then move on the next product and the next product all the time blaming their lack of success on the products and not the system.
Getting back to PRA – I feel it is doomed – I’m not prepared to say that there is anything overtly dishonest about the scheme (I suspect the people behind it are genuine in their desire to bring these two industries together) – as it DOES sell a product (access to a suite of IM tools) and there is nothing lacking in the MLM remuneration structure – it’s a good one – but I just don’t think the average John Doe will be able to get thier heads around it the concept enough to run with it and market it to others.
I have to say the suite of tools is nothing special in the IM world – in fact, if anything, the tools are amatuerish and clumsy in design. They do the job – but that’s it.
They need more features and more refinement to be taken seriously. The whole PRA website looks unrefined and amateurish too IMO – which actually surprises me given Hitesh’s vast tech skills.
The company heavily pushes the value of it’s list building credit buying system but I feel it’s expensive and I suspect the owners are making very good money off that because I don’t think they’ll be making too much money off the memberships right now 11/18/12.
I wish all involved in it well – but I have decided it is not for me – think long and hard before you get involved – MLM is tragic waste of time, money and your dreams.
Channel that energy into internet marketing in other areas like domaining, membership sites, PPC, PRA etc – all good honest ways of making a living online that don’t involve too much exposure to Google and it’s dreaded updates. A good membership site will make you a lot more money than you’ll make out of PRA.
Buying and selling domains for example is a great skill to learn and rewards well over time. I could go on and on. Hope this genuine review has been of help to those considering joining PRA.
Access = membership and in MLM membership is not a viable product (pyramid scheme).
Why? Because…
you generally wind up with sub-par products that exist solely to prop up the compensation plan.
It is very interesting to see how this has unfolded.
Several of the IM Tools from this are from something called “Keyword Dissection” which sold for $1000 for a lifetime membership.
I purchased this membership, as such I am now grandfathered in as a member of PRA, don’t have to pay, so i’m “in” regardless.
Keyword dissection came out a few years ago. The tools were/are definitely not hack, bs tools.. the keyword miner itself is actually quite valuable and I did begin making money legitimately through affiliate marketing using some of these tools (obviously they just do some small tasks of the overall picture) – but Hitesh had a lot of training videos and such on there and the guy REALLY knows his stuff in terms of SEO/Google, not the usual stock answers, but his video when the Penguin update that came out that hit everyone, he was pretty much on it.
I am not saying this to say there could be no wrong here, just giving context.
The intention was for this to come out as KD 2.0 and was supposed to just be a membership you buy to use them, not unlike any IM tool that has a monthly membership, a la niche reaper or something like that, since some of them require using their servers and updating.
After a LONG wait for something to happen, as the KD stuff was clearly not being updated- the whole power results acadmey/mlm thing emerged.
Having been on it from the very beginning, these are definitely not crap tools that were created for the purpose of propping up a fake MLM, but were created to be sold separately… This whole MLM thing came literally a few years later, and it’s really interesting to see what is happening.
It is definitely the case of Hitesh creating the foundation of this software, then somewhere in there through partnerships etc it morphed into this MLM thing.
I’m not commenting against anything or coming off as some raving supporter because the MLM aspect of it is all new, I’m just giving the backstory for context about what this was when it started (since I was one of the members who bought KD in ‘beta’ phase for $1,000) and am very curious to see the way this is going to go down.
It seems to keep morphing and evolving and it’s not always clear if it is for better or worse.
By the way, in case this matters, there are some things that one gets as a member of this, software/plugins etc that you can download as files and they are yours to use.
One so far seems quite slick and has been working for me, the one that takes your content and turns it into PDFs to be distributed to doc sharing sites with a link.
I’m not sure if these downloadable tools make a difference in ones assessment as to whether or not they feel this makes it a true ‘product’ or not, but perhaps is relevant as per Oz’s comment above.
I have been trying to contact someone regarding PRA. I doubt that there is a way. I called the phone # from my back statement and got a reply back from springboard. They told me they didn’t know about PRA and were simply a billing service.
I’m confused. I left a message on D Kettners phone but haven’t received a response. I think he was my sponsor. I did get some leads when I joined but I wonder if the company is still viable.
I will have to stop payment at my bank which I didn’t want to do as that hurts a companies credibility but they offer no alternative.
Is that the D Kettner of “I shouldn’t have to pay investors anything back for participating in Zeek Rewards” infamy?
If so, yeah… getting involved with him in an MLM business probably isn’t a good idea. He’s got bigger things to worry about (the SEC, Kenneth Bell etc).
It does appear to have more or less folded, as said above I’m a “member” but basically nothing works, and does not appear to be supported.
Has anyone even gotten communication, are they even trying to pretend to keep this alive?
It’d be nice if there were some forum of other users of this to get in contact with each other.
My guess is that you are just SOL, but I wonder if there is something about having invested in a ‘lifetime membership’ to something that hasn’t been functional for years and did not last long.