There has been a slow but steady push (at least here in Indianapolis) to join a website with the likes of T. Harv Ecker, Brian Tracy, and Dr. Tony Allesandra. It is called iLearningGlobal. The whole concept behind the site:
“As an iLearningGlobal member you have direct 24/7 access to the most valuable training and learning content available today. iLearningGlobal provides training videos, audio programs, and ebooks from the top speakers, trainers, and authors worldwide. Fresh new content is added to the site weekly so the information is always fresh and you never run out of resources for continuous learning.
iLearningGlobal offers you the most advanced user viewing experience today within the iLG Signature Video Theater where you can experience full screen, High Definition video free of loading and buffering. This is web learning 2,0!” -From the Features section on iLearningGlobal.tv
I guess the question now is… what is this post about? I want to know what everyone thinks about the concept of iLearning Global. There has been the negative and positive viewpoints shared about the site. The negative borders on the Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) aspect of the site. Another negative has been the monthly cost of a online video based site (around $80/month). There are just as many positives as negatives.
The content on iLearningGlobal is excellent. I have watched multiple videos and they are short, concise, and give you a good boost of either confidence, ideas, or business knowledge (pick your poison). The instructors are fabulous and the video player is actually quite good.
On the other hand there are plenty of great content sites that are free. What is the draw?
Does the MLM pose a problem to people when using the site? Are you disgusted with the multi-level hundred grand a month scheme? I haven’t made my decision yet but I thought I would ask the more important critics: the readers of this blog.
What do you think?
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Diane Brooks
I am wondering about the benefits of the site also. Does it offer input that cannot be found elsewhere? Hopefully, some of its many advocates will chime in. Thanks for posting the question.
Jason Lakes
Kyle, thanks for taking the time to weigh in on this topic. I see iLearning Global as both Coal and Gold…iLearning Global has been an excellent source of energy for both me and many other leaders that understand the importance of continual learning. I guess the question you have to ask is – Are you going out and searching for this content on your own daily? And if you are, how valuable is your time? Do you want to search all over the internet being uncertain that what you are about to watch is “safe,” of high quality, and something that can keep your attention and really hit home. iLearning Global delivers as you said excellent content, from the top leaders, all in one easy to find location.
I can only speak from my experience. When I was first introduced to iLearning Global, I said, no thank you…I’m not interested in multilevel marketing and I am to busy in my life to start something new. Many people do the same thing…make excuses. However, I am happy to say that eventually I did look at the product and I immediately saw a great tool. Even if I didn’t share it with a single person, I thought it could help me and my family. The results have been amazing and now I can’t help but to share with others the exciting things its doing in my life as well as the lives of many around me. I’m in outside business to business sales. Since using this tool, I have sold more in one quarter than I did all of last year.
I would tell anyone interested to do your own research, check it out, and if you see value in the product, give it a shot. I promise you will not regret it. If you are sharing this only as a tool to make a whole lot of money, then in my mind you don’t understand the product. It is truly a tool that can help you improve yourself and your business no matter what it is you do! If the residual income from sharing it with others ends exceeding your current income, I see that as a good problem. To me, helping others better their lives and achieve their goals is golden!
A diamond is a lump of coal that never quits! I wish you the best of luck. If you decide to join the team please feel free to reach out to me!
Jason Lakes
http://www.lakesteamonline.com
Cindy Hartman
I will be up front that I’m an ILG marketer. Why? Because of all the ‘for ILG’ reasons you mentioned. And also BECAUSE it’s an MLM. I favor multiple income streams. I have checked out many (and market another) MLM and found this to be the best. What better place to spend money than self improvement?
The cost isn’t high. What do people pay for cable or satellite TV per month? On books, tapes and seminars? This isn’t a sales pitch, just saying that’s where I see the value. If I can’t spend as much on educating and improving myself as I do on entertainment, what does that say about me?
The corporate world is also an MLM if you think about it. Say you’re a sales rep. When you have a good month, your Sales Manager receives extra compensation, too. And then the VP of sales, then the GM and so on … even on to the shareholders. The corporate world calls it a bonus or dividend. We call it MLM.
Mike Seidle
Cindy – Seems like everyone and their brother is selling the iLearningGlobal thing and I’m wondering if there’s any downline left on this one.
Steve Scalph
I am with Cindy on this. I am also a ILG marketer and see value in it as I would see in taking a sales training course, or Twitter class. I am investing in ME!
For years I have read books and listened to tapes, spending a lot more than $80 a month. It is just an extension of that with the same goal in mind – self improvement.
With less than 10,000 people involved in ILG worldwide, I think there is possibly a few downline left.
Personally, I find ILG as a convenient tool to help ME grown my business. Easy, immediate access!
Jason Lakes
Thanks for the links Robby. I tried to click on each and both pages were unavailable. I would love to compare and have another tool if you have working links…
Thanks
robbyslaughter
Jason, both of those links are now fixed. Sorry about that.
However, I would not characterize the Open CourseWare movement as "another tool." This is not something which is trying to compete with iLearningGlobal, rather, a fundamental shift in the nature of access to education. Dozens of universities are making all of their information available online, at no charge, to the general public. That has got to mean something for anyone who is the training business, no matter the field.
robbyslaughter
Ignoring all other aspects of the business model, my understanding is that iLearningGlobal is effectively a content provider. You pay some amount of money, and you receive information.
This is of course a classic approach and has been highly effective for many organizations and individuals, from speakers to artists to publishers to cable companies. The most interesting "competitor" in the educational content business is also the oldest: universities.
Paying an amount of money for iLG content is comparable, in some fashion, to paying tuition to attend a University. In both cases, you have access to material produced by experts and the knowledge gained can benefit you tremendously, if you put it to use.
However, unlike iLG, Universities seem to be leaning toward giving that information away for free. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has released 1,800 courses for free to the public as part of the OpenCourseWare (OCW) program ( http://ocw.mit.edu ). This is an amazing offer and is being duplicated by dozens of other institutions worldwide ( http://www.ocwconsortium.org )
Of course, there is some content that is exclusive to iLG. However, the fundamental value proposition is that some of the pay content at iLG is better than *all* of the free content at OCW. This is a tough sell. I don't know how iLG's marketers answer that question, and unless they do have a way to do so, this will be a major stumbling block for the growth of the program.
@robbyslaughter
Jeff Timpanaro
I think there's only so much content you can cram into someone's brain. The "24/7 direct access to the most valuable training & learning content" . . . has me running to the hills. The truth is we would do well with two or three revolutionary books per year (such as Break From the Pack, A Whole New Mind, and Blue Ocean Strategy – all from 05-'06 mind you) and spend the rest of our lives implementing them.
IMHO – Knowledge is not power. On its own, knowledge is powerless. I'm all for learning, but the more experiential learning (strategy > pain > process > implement > course correct > transformation) the better. If I see another "9 Irrefutables" or "My Cheese Got Hijacked" I might hurl.
This is not to say there aren't great books out there with great information. And no I don't hold a candle to Brian Tracy as far as expertise & experience. But every time someone asks me if I've read the latest so and so, and I haven't, I sense a bit of surprise on their part. I also sense that they only have the knowledge in their heads, and that sustainable change remains a pipe dream for them.
Most people need leverage (not power, not the latest book). For analogy's sake, take a professional body builder. He's full of muscles, can bench 400 pounds, and move a tiny mountain. If someone were to ask him, "Hey, dude, could you pick up that bowling ball?" . . of course he could do it. He could probably shotput it about 60 yards, in fact. But what if you were to break every bone in all of his fingers? Then you ask him again – "Hey, dude, could you pick up that bowling ball now?" He couldn't do it! Why? Have you taken away his strength? No . . you've taken away his leverage; hence his power. If you take away leverage, then even knowledge is useless, because it can't serve you. It just sits there like a broken hand.
All that being said, the business model will bring in some revenues. People like knowledge more than leverage!
A final note, in the opening vid on the site, Dolf De Roos promises "Life changing content!". Sounds like the same mistake the American church makes. There's a guy or gal who has this phenomenal thing to say / revelation / new idea . . and you won't be the same ever again if you just pay, listen, and be amazed.
It's like always eating junk food. You may feel full, but your body is actually starving . . .
HarryK
I hear you Jeff, you make a convincing argument, I mean really you do. Thing is though' it is programs like iLearning that can actually make it happen. Take Weight Watchers, I mean there is nothing exclusive about them, all info is freely available, and some that is actually better that they have. But yet, they bring home the,(no pun intended) bacon. I'd say it is very much the leverage speaking here. Even little bit like AA, again, most alcoholics would like to quit drinking, they have all of that knowledge, and yet, they just cant quit. They lack the leverage. So, I am pretty sure, that in fact is the best part of programs like iLearning.
Jeff Timpanaro
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Harry. At the foundational level, yes we need the programs (aka the bacon) instead of no bacon! You are correct; structure beats chaos. Weight Watchers' formula is genius in its simplicity – yet useless to those who don't leverage it.
My angle was taken to combat the idea that the "more knowledge, the better" which on the surface seems to be ilearning's slant (24/7! best & brightest!).
What I mean by leverage is making great use of the information – a step often neglected by the Microwave culture. But leverage shouldn't be mistaken for the information itself. The information/program/knowledge itself can't "make it happen". The antidote for your snake bite is useless unless it's plunged into the vein, right?
. . . JT