•  Step 1: Is it believable? Set out to prove that the information is correct or false or somewhere in between.

If you’re like me, you can’t stand to be sold a pile of rubbish. I can’t tell you how much money I have spent in the past on products or programs or opportunities that just didn’t do what “it” was suppose to do. I have literally spent thousands of dollars on weight loss, eBooks, vitamins, digital products, work at home opportunities, and so much more. YES, I’ve bought skincare products too. The point is – I have lost so much money that I can not afford to buy into something without doing my homework first. And neither should you. Do your own homework. Don’t just take my word for it.

• Step 2: Is to actually verify the information you are given. That’s actually the hard part of research on the internet. Sometimes you have to apply a little common sense and logic to the source of information.

Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. When you want information about a company or product, the first thing you do is type the name into Google search or whatever your preferred search engine is. Then you get a list of websites that have the same “keywords” you typed into the search box. The first problem that you will encounter in the verification process is to determine which sites came up naturally because the search engine thought it was appropriate for your search words and what sites came up because someone is paying to be there.

Obviously, I enjoy the sites that show up through keywords because it means the information contained in the website should match my query more accurately. The sites at the top, right side bar and the bottom of the screen may appear as “sponsor” sites. What that means to you is someone paid to be listed first. A natural (sometimes referred to as organic) site has relevant information that made sense to the search engine. It might actually be more closely related to getting your answer(s) then the paid for site. The paid for site has an agreement that will rotate in and out of the view of internet users according to the terms that were established in the pay per click agreement. Does a pay per click site have bad information? Not necessarily. What I’m saying is that, we can’t always judge a site as credible because it’s the first one on the list. Know if the site earned it’s way to the top or paid it’s way to the top.

• Step 3: Determine the validity or purpose of the site. Is it there to provide you with solid information and useful tools or products that make your life better or easier? Or is it just a way to get your money or your time? Does the site serve the greater good?

Step 3 is a little more complicated because there are sites that people go to, just to buy a product. When I go to Amazon, I’m there to buy a product. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I can do so much more with Amazon then I could with a “get the money“ site. Here are some of the things I can do. I can browse for ideas. I can read reviews. I can compare products. I can see what other people bought. I can also see the percentage of people who bought the product I‘m interested in. I can even write my own review. Amazon is a great site because it has valuable content and plenty of useful information that allows me to make an educated buying decision. It’s important to note that Amazon wants our money, but they are willing to go a step farther that helps us decide if we’re making a good investment. Do you see?

There are some sites that just creep me out because if your not paying attention, they’re so well laid out that you can mistake them for a credible site. An example of this could be a “review site.” (I am not saying ALL review sites do this, but many do) “Review sites” intentionally compare products from various manufactures and bash everything except what is being promoted for purchase. If you look carefully you’ll notice that some of those sites have a bunch of BIG name manufacturers listed and they all get cut from the list because the product is “supposedly” lacking something. Come on now. Put your thinking caps on . If you see lots of major brand names not making the cut, especially in the skincare industry and some unheard of product as being touted as the NUMBER 1 product for 2009… Do I really need to say more? Strike that source OFF your list.

I love using .org and .edu sites because the criteria is different from a .com site. www.Wikipedia.org is one of my favorite sites. Here’s an example of what I found on wikipedia: As I was trying to determine the validity of the claim “ground floor opportunity with Rodan and Fields” I asked myself if it is a true ground floor opportunity? How can I prove that? As I searched the internet, I thought about Avon. Avon has been around forever and is quite successful. Where could I be today if I had started with Avon many years ago?

Then I wondered. How many representatives does Avon have? So I typed my phrase into the search engine and one of the results was from Wikipedia. Wikipedia says there are approximately 5.5 million people with Avon. That’s huge! I tried to find how many people were with Rodan and Fields the same way, but my return was a big fat zero. Wiki told me nothing. Arghh! Now what?

Well for me the next step lead me to facebook. I found the official company Rodan and Fields fan page. On the fan page, I saw less then 2500 fans at the time. I felt like I had stuck gold. Here was my first piece of real evidence that indicated the Rodan and Fields business opportunity is truly a ground floor opportunity. I would be among the first independent consultants spreading the word of Rodan and Fields Dermatologists. I realized very quickly that this is what it would have been like to be at the beginning of Avon.

Now think about that for just a moment. You could be at the very beginning of a huge new company. What’s your next step? As exciting as it is to be at the beginning, you still need something to market. Rodan and Fields Dermatologists market a skincare line. With that in mind, I asked myself, “What is the demand for skincare?” I found the answer at www.terapeak.com . Terapeak gives REAL numbers about sales completed on EBay. Ebay is the largest seller of product on the internet. How nice it is to have a tool that could verify whether or not skincare products were in demand. It’s one thing to just assume. It’s another thing to see the proof from a reliable source. By the way, Terapeak offers a free trial, so you can see for yourself.

Now for the actual product(s). First, I started with who made the products and what were they known for? The products were created by Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields. Two of the most respected names in the field of dermatology. Not only are they Stanford University trained doctors, they are also the doctors that brought the concept of “whole face” skincare to the forefront with their first product, Proactiv. Everyone knows how successful Proactive is. It would never survive the market place if it didn’t work for a majority of people. So what does this mean? It simply means there is MORE credibility that I can add to my arsenal of proof. I needed to know if these two doctors were capable of making something that actually works and people will use.

Yes, I was excited again because I found another piece of proof that I was onto a good thing with Rodan and Fields Dermatologists. The last thing I needed to know was guarantees. If I buy your product and I’m not satisfied can I get my money back? Who doesn’t ask “what if it doesn’t work for me?” Rodan and Fields Dermatologists has a money back guarantee for a FULL 60 days. Now I need to tell you right here that I found a little bonus in that 60 days. Most of the products I have purchased in the past lasted for 30 days. If you ever used skincare products, you know that 30 days isn’t always enough time to see the results. Kudos to the company for filling that gap. They saw a common complaint among product users and solved the problem. They give you enough product for 2 months and stand behind their stuff with a money back guarantee.

As you evaluate Rodan and Fields Dermatologists products and opportunity, you need to do your homework. There will be many people joining Rodan and Fields as customers and as consultants, I hope to make your adventure a little easier by giving you my personal thoughts about the company and their products. My thoughts will be a conglomeration of evidence, common sense, consumer usage and just plain old experience. Always remember, that I am an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields Dermatologists, but I’m a very tough shopper with high expectations above all else. And you should be too. Never settle for anything less then the best.

If you’re considering the products, perhaps you should start with the solutions tool on the company website.

If you’re considering the opportunity, you should go to the company’s .biz site.

And while your there… It doesn’t hurt to check out all the major advertising coverage Rand F gets in the media. I’m referring to the stuff that magazines and newspapers and TV stations pursue.

Here’s your summary on how to use the internet to do your product or company homework

1. Always verify what you’re being told.

2. Find adequate proof of fact or fiction from credible sites. Be aware that sometimes things are grey, but that’s a whole different story.

3. What if you miss something in your research? Know what your guarantees are.

Again…comments and suggestions are welcomed. If you’re a consultant for Rodan and Fields, we welcome your thoughts and stories. This site will always be a source of information for my down-line, up-line and cross-lines. Rodan and Fields Dermatologists is a “whole team” first, just like the “whole face“ concept. We grow together.

And finally, the way to tell that you’re at an official consultants site is that it will have a .myrandf.com or the .myrandf.biz as part of the URL. This site www.supremeskincare.com, is not a company site. It is just a wordpress blog that I use to convey information to all that are interested. I have listed my official company websites below that were designed and provided by the company, Rodan and Fields Dermatologists.  

As always, everyday is SUNday,

Renee Olson

Independent Consultant #043774

Team Builder https://supremeskincare.myrandf.biz/

Products https://supremeskincare.myrandf.com/ There’s a special gift available until the end of December 2009. Go to the website for the specific details of receiving a gift.