Today, I’m going to provide a detailed review of Downline Building Network, also referred to as DBN. Founded by Gerald Peters in 2006, it is a mail order marketing system (business opportunity) that can be used as a standalone business or as a way to help you promote other income opportunities.
NOTE: This original post was originally written more than five years ago. The post was updated in September 2020.
Why Mail Order?
The first question you need to ask yourself is “why mail order?” Here you are on the internet, reading a blog post about mail order. All I can tell you is this: mail order has been around A LOT longer than the internet. It’s more than 100-years old and it isn’t going away any time soon.
Mail order and direct mail are PROVEN marketing strategies. Even the big multi-billion dollar companies like eBay, Amazon and Wal-mart all use direct mail. If they do it, why don’t you?
What I have found in my own experience is that building a successful online business is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. Promoting your network marketing business or affiliate marketing business online is tough for the “AVERAGE JOE” to figure out.
I’m a pretty sharp dude and it took me nearly 8-years of full-time work to figure it out and finally produce a full-time income. There is a steep learning curve, plus the internet is constantly changing and evolving. What works today probably won’t work tomorrow.
Combine that with the ultra-fierce online competition and you will see why a lot of businesses and marketers are shifting their focus back to direct mail.
If I knew then what I knew now, I would have just done direct mail and mail order and never built an online business.
Had I gone that route, I would have been much better off today.
Mail order is simple. You pick a niche, find an offer, buy a list and mail your postcards or flyers. There is a very small learning curve. Once you figure things out, you can put everything on auto-pilot and enjoy life.
How I Learned About Gerald Peters
To the best of my recollection, I first learned about Gerald Peters when I studied a course that was offered by Robert Blackman and Daegan Smith. It was some type of “Postcard Profits” course. I don’t remember the exact name of the course. This was sometime around 2012. They talked about a former prison guard who built a team of more than 10,000 reps, all through the mail, using cheap, ugly yellow postcards. To be quite frank with you, that really intrigued me. It still does. Once I learned about Gerald Peters, I did some research on him and liked what I found.
It wasn’t until another two or three years later that one of my friends mailed me one of his books as a gift. After I read the book, I was intrigued by his system. I called the toll free number and requested some free information, but never joined. Finally, a few years after that, I responded to one of his ads in the Home Business Advertiser and joined the program.
Why Join Downline Building Network?
Why should you join DBN? There are many good reasons, but I want to focus on what I liked about the program.
First off, Downline Building Network is a business in a box. It is a simple one-step marketing system. Other than mailing postcards and generating leads, his team of employees handles the rest for you.
They do the follow-ups, make the sales, put the people in your downline, collect the money and then pay you. There is nothing for you to ship out. You don’t need to drop ship products, have a merchant account or anything else.
In addition, just about everyone fears selling. Most people would rather pull out their fingernails than sell something. With DBN, you don’t do any selling. You just mail postcards and his tools and free information do the selling for you.
The next thing I like about this program is that you can earn generous immediate commissions. Most people quit network marketing and affiliate marketing because it simply takes too long to many any type of serious income.
In a typical MLM Program, you earn about $2 to $8 per month, for each ACTIVE person on your team. That means you need to have hundreds, even thousands of people on your team who are actually ordering each month, to make a full-time income. It takes a long time to build a team that size and the average person will never do it.
Combine that with the typical 80 to 90 percent yearly attrition in network marketing and it’s almost impossible to do. Even if you build up a big team of 3,000 to to 5,000 people, typically no more than 20% of them are ACTIVE in a given month.
A good marketing system will provide IMMEDIATE cash flow, while the downline team is being built. With DBN, you earn 70% fast start bonuses on every person you refer (for their first order), plus you can earn up to $345 per person when they buy the different training products that are available. This allows you to GET PAID TODAY, and earn an ongoing monthly residual income.
The third thing I really like about DBN is that it is essentially a lead service. They sell opportunity seeker leads on peel n stick labels. You can use these leads to promote your other businesses (or DBN). Let’s face it, just about every home business owner needs more leads for their business.
DBN is essentially in the picks and shovels business. They sell leads and training for home business owners. By doing so, they have a HUGE target market. If you think back to the California Gold Rush, it was the brothels, saloons, hardware stores and restaurants who sold stuff to the miners who really got rich, not the miners.
The fourth reason I like DBN is that you are really in a competition free zone. Just about every home business owner you talk with is trying to figure out the internet. How many people do you know are building a mail order business or promoting a business through direct mail? It’s definitely a profitable niche with plenty of upside potential.
As Gerald says, the internet is not a system. It’s a great way to communicate with others, but if you really want to succeed in a business, you need a system. The system is the solution.
The final reason I really like DBN is that it doesn’t interfere with anything else you are doing. Already in a MLM Company? Great. Keep promoting that company, use the leads you get from DBN and just create another income stream. They won’t ask you to quit your other opportunity or try to control you. How about them apples?
DBN Compensation Plan
The Downline Building Network Compensation Plan is a 4 x 3 forced matrix. Once your matrix is filled, you automatically start a new matrix (no cost to you). You even get spillover from the DBN CO-OP and from your upline. People are pre-enrolled in your business and once they upgrade you start earning commissions on them.
You earn 10% on your level 1 referrals, 40% on your level 2 referrals and 20% on your level 3 referrals. The first month someone orders you get paid 70% on their order via a Fast Start Bonus. Starting their second month, the person is placed into the matrix. Fast start bonuses are paid weekly. Other commissions are paid monthly, normally around the 15th of each month.
DBN will mail you a printout of your team along with a commission breakdown each month. You must be on a monthly lead subscription to be eligible for commissions.
Downline Building Network Products
- The MLM Junkie Success Formula, sells for $27, you get $15 per sale
- The 24-Hour Cash Machine, sells for $99, you earn $60 per sale
- The Mentalist, sells for $297, you earn $200 per sale
- Master Pack, which includes all of these products, plus a free bonus for $440, you earn $275 per sale
- $30-$100 monthly lead subscription, you earn either 10, 40 or 20 percent (level 1, 2 and 3)
The books and products are one-time purchases and are 100% optional. The lead service is your monthly subscription, which you can cancel at any time. You must be enrolled in a monthly lead subscription to be qualified for commissions.
You are only eligible to get paid on items you have actually purchased yourself. For example, if one of your personally referred people purchases the Master Pack, but you didn’t, you wouldn’t earn the commission on that sale.
DBN Monthly Lead Subscription
What do you get with your monthly lead subscription?
- 30 Opportunity Seeker leads for $35, including shipping
- 60 Opportunity Seeker Leads for $55, including shipping
- 120 Opportunity Seeker Leads for $105, including shipping
These leads get mailed to you on peel n stick labels. You can use them to promote any opportunity you want. They only include mailing addresses, since they are direct mail leads.
Is DBN a Scam?
NOPE. People are quick to call everything a scam nowadays. DBN has been around over 14-years now. They pay on time, provide a legitimate service and treat people well. Gerald and his office staff are accessible and willing to help.
Is DBN for everyone? Of course not. What you do with the opportunity is up to you.
Downline Building Network Success Tips
How do you succeed with DBN? First off, you need to have realistic expectations. This is a BUSINESS, not the lottery. You must commit to the program for at least 12-months. Just trying it out for a month or two is a complete waste of time.
Here are a few things I would suggest you do to succeed with DBN:
- Mail 10 postcards per day, Monday through Friday
- Find 1-2 creative ways to advertise DBN online
- Find 1-2 creative ways to advertise DBN offline
- Talk to two people per day about DBN
- Contact ALL of your pre-enrolles by phone, mail or email to follow-up (the fortune is in the follow-up)
- Buy the Master Pack and be “ALL IN” so you can maximize commissions
- Do this consistently or 12-months
My Results with Downline Building Network
I spent about 15-months with DBN. I always made money and was paid on time. In most months, I earned between $500 and $1,200. My experience with Gerald Peters and his staff was fantastic.
I canceled my account for two reasons. First off, I became very successful with my primary MLM Company and did not want to get in trouble for having multiple streams of income. I also did not want to confuse my team and have each of them promoting multiple deals.
Secondly, I did not like the fact that there is no dynamic compression with DBN. People do not “roll up” if someone above them drops out. I brought in a good number of people, but quickly learned that when you have a 4 x 3 matrix you limit yourself (financially). You don’t get paid on anyone on level 4 and below, even though that’s normally where your best people end up. And if people on your level 3 quit, the people on level 4 do not roll up.
I think DBN is best for someone who wants to make a part-time income. In my own opinion, with the way the compensation plan is structured, it’s really not designed to create a full-time income.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this opportunity an 8 of 10. I do recommend it and know there is good “part-time” money to be made.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it folks. Thanks for reading my Downline Building Network review. I believe DBN is a great side hustle. If you can mail postcards you can do this. No other knowledge is needed!
What are your thoughts about DBN? Are you involved with it? Did you try it in the past? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Disclaimer: Individual results will vary. The views in this article are my opinion. We can agree to disagree if needed.
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
Does the $105 per month include postcards and labels?
Yes, it does.
Gerald Peters has done it again by giving timely advice of how to succeed in this industry with the booklet, “The Money Flow.” I think it was a smart business move on his part to lead others on how to succeed in the direct mail marketing system in this industry. This was a very informative review.
Glad you liked the DBN review. This is a legit program. I promote it myself, after sitting on the sidelines for many years. All you have to do is mail postcards and his team takes care of the rest for you. It is a true kitchen table business, if that’s something you are looking for.
I just read your review of Gerald Peter’s MLM book. Maybe his pamphlet will be a better place for me to start, so that I can be sure I like his ideas and writing style. Thanks for introducing me to him!
I would definitely go and request a free booklet. It’s 12-pages long and explains how the program works. If you fill out the form on the page here, I’ll send you the free info pack. My experience with DBN has been amazing so far. I’m 5-months in now and already have a good sized team.