I really hope that I’m posting this within the appropriate forum. If not, I apologize and encourage you all to let me know so that it won’t happen again. I read an interesting article posted by Ann Michaels & Associates. It explained that Sassie, unlike Prophet, does not offer a Universal Link or Login that leads to all of the companies with whom they work. The article, however, is over 4 years old. I'm wondering if something has changed since 2010.

I could really use some assistance with keeping these companies straight. I have had no luck with seeking out individual companies partly because the function that is designed to check if you are in their system using your email just doesn't seem to work. It looks like they're all tied to one system because regardless of which company you are trying to sign up for, the sites are still run by Sassie; at least according to the URL.

My goal is simply to extend my reach and my resources at this point. I am still very new to this industry and I have been growing at a deliberate pace. Based on my performance so far, I am finally able to “cast a wider net”, for lack of a better term. In other words, I’m looking for more advanced, challenging shops that demand more from the shopper and in return, provide better compensation. Unfortunately, some of the MSCs I’ve been working with just do not deal in these types of assignments, which is completely fine. I’ve approached every opportunity as if it was a high-end project. This, in turn, helped me pay my dues and learn the basics of the industry.

Part of growing, however, is recognizing that you are lacking in a particular area and seeking out those who already possess the skills you need to develop. I trust the people in this forum and based on some of what I’ve read, I know that there are some real veterans with a lot to offer. It may be unfair for me to ask for help here and those of you that have forged your own roads are certainly not obliged to share that knowledge. I am not in search of shortcuts however, and I am more than willing to pay my dues. I just thought that I would share some of my challenges and see if there are better ways of confronting them. I’m probably not the only rookie to who stares at his monitor, shaking his head, wondering why these entities have made things so complicated.

Thank you all for listening and I look forward to your words of wisdom!

GratisShark, I applaud you for writing such a well thought out and thoughtful email. To ensure members are able to offer you useful suggestions and to know where to direct you, what types of shops have you successfully done so far and what kinds of shops do you consider "more advanced and challenging"? Have you tried video shopping?

(heart)

Gratis,
I agree that we can be more helpful if we know what sorts of shops you have done so far so that we can suggest appropriate new lines for you to try out.

As long as you are not asking anyone to violate our ICSs, experienced shopps will be happy to help. That's what the forum is all about!

Welcome!

Jobslinger has a list of many Sassie companies with links. The email search function worked for me. I am signed up with 50 Sassie companies that I found through Jobslinger.

Hello stilllearning, walesmaven:

I want to thank you both for your encouragement and for making time to read my rather long post. I have done some typical shops such as:

Restaurants
Movies
Cell Phones
Online Inquiries
Automotive Maintenance

There may be others that I’m forgetting right now. These tasks are pretty straight forward but they do have their drawbacks. Over half of them require an initial investment on our part and some companies take their sweet time reimbursing us for that outlay. If I am completely honest, they are kind of dull. I understand why many shoppers might enjoy these assignments. I mean, you’re going to do these things anyway so you might as well get paid for doing it or at least get it for free. With absolutely no ill intention toward my colleagues who do these shops frequently, you might agree that lots of people can accomplish these regardless of their qualifications. After all, these types of activities are routine for the masses. The only thing you need to do is to pay more attention to the details and produce a well-formulated, objective report. Not to stray too far from topic but it is clear to me that there is a direct and inverse correlation between the number of qualified, available shoppers for any given assignment and the amount paid by the MSC.

So, what types of projects do I consider more challenging? Well, firstly I’ll be real clear that my experience is quite limited. There may be, and probably are many fascinating assignments out there. I will offer two examples shops that I have completed multiple times:

Medicare Advantage Plans.

While I do not meet the age requirements for these meetings, I have posed as somebody shopping for a loved one; in this case, my mother. There are various forms of this type of project; some I have done, others I have not. Informal Events typically held at pharmacies or department stores are ones that I have not personally attended but I have studied them. This is simply a table set up with literature to entice people to browse and possibly ask for information. Formal Events are structured presentations that take place at Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hotels, Restaurants, etc. The agent delivering the presentation is the target for the shop. They last approximately one hour and you have to respond to about 90 questions when you submit your report. I have participated in a couple of these; in fact, I finished one yesterday and I have more scheduled for later this month. Finally, there are Face-to-Face Shops. As the name implies, these are one on one meetings with an Insurance Agent who works on commission and is there to, hopefully, make a sale. I have done this but it is not easy to get some agents to meet with you if you are not shopping for yourself.

Banking and Investment Advisors.

Again, there are numerous scenarios possible here. The typical one I’ve been assigned is that of a new, potential customer for both the Bank as well as for the Investment Company. Characteristically you may have $75,000 in checking, savings and CDs on the banking side. In addition, you would have perhaps a half a million dollars in stocks, mutual funds, maybe a 401K from a former employer, etc. In other words, there are a lot of liquid assets that could be moved into other investments. You would additionally discuss outstanding mortgages on a home or two providing them the opportunity to discuss refinancing options. Your net worth, including real estate, would be in the $1M - $1.5M range under this scenario. Here you have to be on your game and prepare well. You need to know all of the specifics of your situation and be able to discuss them confidently. As with any shop, you are observing and evaluating but it is not so simple because you are being hit with lots of questions so you must be capable of assessing the target’s performance while comfortably providing information of a fictitious nature.

I hope this is the type of information to which you were referring. As I read through this post, I realize that I may have overstayed my welcome. Boy, it’s long! I apologize for that. Lastly stilllearning, I have not done any video shops. It sounds really interesting but I have no equipment to even attempt it. From the reading I’ve done, I gather that the costs for these types of endeavors are quite high.

I extend to you both all of my gratitude!

Bayberry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jobslinger has a list of many Sassie companies
> with links. The email search function worked for
> me. I am signed up with 50 Sassie companies that I
> found through Jobslinger.

Thank you for this Bayberry! I will delve into it!

GratisShark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I could really use some assistance with keeping
> these companies straight.


The answer for me is - a spreadsheet.

That spreadsheet has the names of any company I come into contact with and some basic information about it. It includes when I heard of it, how I heard of it, what others said about it, and did I sign up. Also is a comment section for anything unusual such as why I did not sign up for it.

Many times this spreadsheet has saved me from re-researching a company when I choose not to sign up for one in the past and forgotten about them.

gratis,
I suggest that you try some apartment shops and new car shops, even if the pay for the time spent seems a bit low. The reason is that by getting accustomed to these as written (traditional) shops, you can develop the experience and skills to move on to the video versions, which pay much more. After you have done video apartment shops, you may want to move up to video new home shops. When starting to do video, do not buy equipment before you are sure that you really like it. Many video MSCs will ship loaner equipment to you. Plan to do at leat 6-8 video shops with loaned equipment before considering purchasing a video rig. An rig with acceptable quality will run arounf $700 and busy video shoppers often own 2 or more rigs. (And, most video shoppers ARE busy!)

Also, consider audio recorded assisted living shops. The equipment is inexpensive and/or may actually be loaned to you by the MSC. Later, move on to video assisted living.

vlade5394, thanks for your suggestion. I have begun the process of developing a spreadsheet to organize everything. I appreciate your response.


walesmaven, thanks so much for your insight. I will start looking for the types of shops you recommended. I'll probably have to sign up with new MSCs since I haven't seen these openings offered by the ones I currently work with. If you feel comfortable sharing any companies with me that would afford me these opportunities, please PM me. I can certainly do apartment, new car, new home and assisted living shops without the benefit of video equipment to prove myself in the beginning, if they are available. I don't mind putting forth the effort if there's a prospect for growth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and even more for your effort in contributing!

GS,

Sassie hosts many MSCs but each one is independent. When your email address is checked it is only that MSC checking against their own files.

Jobslinger has been my best if resource, they are part of Sassie/MSPCA , so it helps track all your Sassie hosted accounts. I also check [www.mystshopsol.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2014 06:07AM by isaiah58.