COMPULIFE ® Software, Inc. 
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Update News
for September 2016
These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin. Jeremiah was off for a week of holidays in September, and Pat was in for surgery, and so we have been stretched for time. The changes which we talked about last month, for www.term4sale.com, were not ready to be published for October the 1st. Our goal is to roll those out as early in October as possible. Our plans for those changes are unchanged, and you can read more about those here: Incidentally, there is a repository of past bulletins, which we keep on the website here: As we move into fall, we are seeing the agent contacts starting to pick up again. Summers are usually relatively quiet, versus the months when the kids are back in school, and people are engaged in their normal routines. Term4Sale Bumping Week Begins Every Windows PC subscriber of Compulife has the opportunity to obtain 3 local zip codes which give you special options for listings in your local area. Those who purchase Compulife Basic (formally the "mobile" edition), pay less and cannot get zip code listings. Most basic purchasers are those who ONLY want the web quoting option(s). We require agents who are listed at www.term4sale.com to have the better Windows PC software. IMPORTANT: We define your "local" area as a circle with a radius of 20 miles from where you are located, based upon the address that we have for you in our database. We will "stretch" the radius where it is obviously from the Zip Code Analyzer that you are located in a rural, sparsely populated area. Decisions in that regard are based upon what we find/learn here: Within that 20 mile radius you can use the 3 local zip codes that you obtain with your Windows PC subscription, to BUMP people who paid to be listed in your area. BUMPing can only occur in the week following the first Monday in November. This year bumping week begins: You snooze, you lose. That day will be very busy for us, and so we encourage you to do some preparation in advance. Make sure you have your list of possible, better zip codes, and if you call and do not reach us that day, email your requests to: Do NOT email before: Any requests sent by email, after the above date/time, will be honored on a first come, first serve basis. The reason for the choice of date is that all additionally purchased zip codes are sold on an annual, calendar year basis. If you pay to buy additional zip code listings, those zip code listings are your's for that year. Further, you will have first right of refusal to keep those listings and renew them for the following year. The only way you can lose a previously purchased zip code is if you get BUMPed from that zip code. You can ONLY* be bumped if someone who is physically located within 20 miles of that zip code decides to use one of their local zip codes (most only have 3) to BUMP you out. If that happens then you will NOT be invoiced for the renewal of that zip code for 2017. So the first priority for EVERY subscriber is to ensure that they have taken full advantage of the ability to get the best 3 zip codes available in their local area. Once again, the time to do that is: NOTE: If we worked with you last year, to improve your local zip code listings, there is likely nothing you need to do this year. So this will only be advantageous for those who did not do so last year, and who have read and prepared for this year. VERY IMPORTANT (again): A person who has a local zip code listing CANNOT be bumped from that zip code. They have a LOCK on the zip code as long as they remain a subscriber to the Windows PC version of Compulife. If the subscription is not renewed, for whatever reason, and we cancel the account, those zip codes go back into the pool of available zip codes. Option for 3 More Local Zip Codes As we have previously announced, pricing for Compulife will be changing: The price change has been further delayed until Jeremiah can get the time to make the necessary changes to our database/invoicing system. Until it takes affect, we have been giving subscribers the benefit of any situation that lowers their price. Before we enact the price changes, we will alert you so that you have a last chance opportunity to "buy up" additional subscription time at the old prices. One of the changes that we will be making is that Standard License subscriptions ($300 per year) will no longer include the cost of 3 local zip codes, which can be purchased for $12 each. Once the price change takes affect, the Standard License subscriber renewal will go to $336 (which includes 3 zip codes) unless that customer does not want or need the zip code listings. If that is the case, the old price of $300 will still apply. Currently, those paying $300 are still getting 3 zip codes for free. As part of the change that we have announced, the Standard License subscriber will now have the option to purchase up to 6 local zip codes, not just 3. Once again, those zip codes will be LOCAL meaning that they can be used to BUMP paid listings from your 20 mile radius. For some standard license subscribers, in large urban areas, that will be VERY important. Therefore, on November 7th, those Standard License subscribers who wish to do so, can call us with instructions on obtaining up to 3 additional zip codes (over their current 3 local zip codes), and they can elect to pay $1 per month per listing for the balance of their current subscription. NOTE: Local zip codes will be added to the subscription price and are attached to your subscription. Purchased zip codes run on a calendar year basis ONLY. Example: If you want 3 additional zip codes, and your subscription has 8 months months before renewal. We will take your credit card for an additional 8 X $3 = $24. When your renewal comes up, you will be invoiced $372 for the following 12 months; $300 for software and $72 for 6 zip codes. Local zip codes, when purchased with software, are eligible for the multi-year discounts of 10% for 2 years, and 20% for 3 years. Therefore, the $372 for 3 years would be: 3 X $372 X 80% = $892.80. That brings the cost of your local zip codes down to $9.60 each per year. If you add 3 additional zip codes, and then elect to add 3 years BEFORE the price increase, you will be able to pay: 3 X $336 X 80% = $806.40 Compulife compensates subscriber referrals for new customers with a FREE local zip code for 2 full years, plus the balance of the remaining year. Refer an agent to try our software, and that agent gets 6 free months of software (instead of 4) providing that they do the "Dare To Compare" challenge/tutorial to get the 6 free months (no purchase required). Once again, if your referral does that challenge, to get the free software, then you get a LOCAL zip code FREE for 2 full years, plus the remainder of the current year. When your FREE period on that zip code ends, you will have first right to renew it as a paid listing. Before that, you will be able to use it as a local zip code to bump. The time to use the bump will still be the first Monday in November. IMPORTANT: You have until November 7th to make referrals, earn your additional FREE local zip code, and use it to bump on: If I was an enterprising subscriber, who knows that term4sale is a profitable experience, I would be VERY busy in October referring everyone I can get my hands on. Use the following form to make your referral(s): Given the benefit of being able to bump paid listing in your local area, I am surprised that more subscribers do not take advantage of this opportunity. A lot of gold is being left on the table. Last year we told you that we had arrived at the point where demand was exceeding supply when it comes to zip codes. Last year's new restrictions on paid zip codes certainly helped to free up a number of zip codes, but then those zip codes got gobbled up in a land rush stampede in the second week of January. As we previously announced, we are turning up prices and turning down limits, to free up some more zip codes. Those changes were announced earlier this year, but we will review them here so you understand the change of prices in your renewal invoicing for 2017. IMPORTANT: We are not trying to penalize subscribers so much as we are trying to make sure that ALL subscribers get a kick at the can. We want term4sale to benefit ALL Compulife subscribers, not just a few subscribers a lot. Those who contact us inquiring about term4sale listings generally want to know what they can expect by way of results. I always say the same thing. For every 3 zip code listings you can expect ONE solid email contact through the system. Some subscribers do better than that, but it is a general rule of thumb. Now I say "email" referring to the contacts that come through the term4sale "agent" list where the consumer completes the email form and it is sent on to the 3 listed agents. NOTE: Virtually all contacts use the contact 3 method. There was a way to contact individual agents, but that is being removed from the new version of Term4Sale which will be introduced in October. Only those with ulterior reason for contacting our subscribers seemed to be using it. In addition to email contacts, your name and phone number are displayed in the listings. If a consumer calls you directly, and we KNOW some do, then we have no record of those contacts and that is icing on your cake. For the new guarantee this does not factor in, simply as we have no way to monitor such activity. For the first time we are going to GUARANTEE the One for Three result. Here's how the guarantee works: If you get to the end of December, and you did not have have at least one email for every 3 zip codes you have, we will reduce the cost for you to renew those zip codes for 2017. EXAMPLE: You have 14 zip codes, three local and 11 that you purchased. For 14 zip codes we expect: 14/3 = 5 contacts (4.67 rounded up). Let's assume that you had only 3 email contacts (note: we do not count duplicate or BOGUS contacts) On November 15th, we would have invoiced you $198 (11 X $18) for 2017 renewal. However, you really only got the activity we would have expected for 9 total zip codes, which would have been 3 local zip codes, and 6 additionally purchased zip codes. Therefore, we will credit your invoice DOWN to $108 (6 X $18) and give you the same 14 zip codes for 2017. In other words, you will have 5 of those 11 paid zip codes for free. If you did better than 1 for 3 (many have) then you owe us money. NO, we're just kidding. This is a minimum guarantee. IMPORTANT: There are NO REFUNDS, simply a reduced renewal cost for the SAME zip codes for the following year. You can add zip codes, and pay for those, but if you substitute any of those zip codes then the price of renewal for those will still be $18 for the year. This guarantee is designed to act as a way to retroactively balance out the cost of zip codes listings that are NOT as attractive or not producing. The ability for ALL Windows PC subscribers to buy an additional 90 zip codes is unchanged. However, as previously announced, the renewal price for those 90 zip codes is going from $1.25 per month, to $1.50 per month, payable to the end of the calendar year. This means that those renewing for 2017 will receive an invoice of $18 per zip code for the year (over their local zip codes). We expect some will want to carefully review the zip codes that they currently have, and may want to drop some to control their total cost for 2017. That's fine. Remember, you have last year's email traffic, and the Zip Code Analyzer, which is found here: The combination of those two things will guide you in that decision making process. Yes, at some point we will build a system to give you better information about zip code contact performance, but we will introduce a new pricing structure at the same time. So while you're thinking about some of the work this involves, we think you will eventually look back on the "good old days" when we make those changes (not in the short run). Once again, when you are invoiced for 2017 renewals, you are NOT required to renew any zip code. If you decide to drop all or some of your zip codes, those zip codes will come back into the pool of available zip codes on January 9th. In fact we expect that will happen, giving subscribers who are hungry for more, better listings a chance to jump in. IMPORANT: We give subscribers from November 15th to January 6th to pay their zip code renewals. That means you can decide in which year to expense the cost for tax deduction purposes. Yes, term4sale listings are an advertising expense and you can deduct them from your commission income. If you think you may benefit from the one in 3 guarantee wait until late in December to make your claim and pay your invoice. In addition to being able to buy an additional 3 local zip codes for $12 each (for 12 months), Standard License subscribers can buy an additional 240 zip codes over the first 90 that all Windows PC subscribers can purchase (most Compulife subscribers buy the personal use edition which only allows 3 local zip codes). For standard license subscribers, the total of 320 zip codes is REDUCED this year from 360 which was the total last year. Those that had 360 last year, will need to find 40 that they can give up. Note, some of that may be resolved automatically as the bumping process may remove you from some of the zip codes that you previously were paid to be listed in. The price per zip code, for zip codes over 90, will increase to $2 per zip code per month ($24 per year). We expect that to be a pinch for some standard license subscribers, but then that was one of the reasons for ratcheting up the ability to get 6 local zip codes instead of 3. We deeply appreciate your business, and want to make sure that Compulife remains profitable for you. On the other hand, we need to free up space for other subscribers who want to participate but simply can't find good zip codes to be listed in. We are doing this in small yearly adjustments, trying to find the right balance. Here's a Tip: Personal use subscribers may want to upgrade from personal use to standard license to take advantage of the ability to get those 3 additional local zip codes (for a total of 6). We can do that upgrade for you on November 7th, when you call to maneuver into 3 additional better zip codes in your local area. |