SMI And Associates - Sports Marketing International - Doug Ascher "Entry-Level Marketing" Jobs Prey on Young, Naive Graduates Lombard Illinois

1. You are right. Greg Mertes is/was an idiot. Has your favorite team ever drafted a guy that turned into a bust? After all the college tapes watched, workouts held for pro scouts, and wonderlic tests, that player still didn't pan out. Trying to judge a human's handling of power and money is very difficult. Doug always mentions how Greg gave the industry a black eye. Have you ever made a mistake in judging someone ? It happens.

2. You do realize that the Better Business Bureau has more complaints filed AGAINST it than almost any other company on Rip Off Report. This is a website with NO and I mean ZERO tracking of facts. Anyone can write anything they want. SMI has a perfect rating with the BBB of Chicago. A company the size of Smart Circle is bound to have complaints. Look up Wal Mart, Fed Ex, etc...they are all companies rated as the "Best to Work For" by many publications, yet there are websites dedicated to "ripping and shredding" their image by disgruntled former employers and dissatisfied customers.

3. The ordiance you speak of is for RESIDENTIAL door to door. The Supreme Court has uphled, numerous times, that Business to Business Sales violates no codes. There are currently 2 guys in the offices with parents in law enforcement, so I agree with about residential but B2B is another story. Plus, you do know that the whole company is going into the retail markets right? Sam's Club, Best Buy, etc. are all hiring the company to be in-store and hospitals and schools are doing the same. The whole business is/has become a retail/event model.

4. You are so hell bent on slander and hate that the rest of your arguement doesn't hold water. The labor laws that you posted have never been violated by Doug or anything he has had me do. Maybe Greg did, but Greg isn't Doug nor is Greg's business, Doug's business.

5. Actually the clients ARE SMI's. Maybe it was different when you were around, but now there are binding agreements between the local sales offices and the clients.

6. It seems like from when you were working with Greg, til now, a lot has changed and your bitterness is more directed at Greg than anything else. I know of many people that have gone on to manage offices and I know of others who haven't. If learning sales, working hard, and enjoying who I work with is so bad, then I guess I have it good, but your hatred towards Greg is clouding your vision of where the truth lies.

Some people like Apples. Some people like Oranges. Some people like both and some like neither. The point is, no one is wrong and no one is right, and the only thing that really matters is that each person finds what they like to do and do it. I am glad you like what you do, and I like what I do. That makes two happy people so relax and enjoy, just because you don't like something doesn't mean others have to as well.

Good luck and God Bless.

PR Team,

You copied and pasted this exact same post on complaints board, and I sent you a rebuttal but Im hoping to get a response out of one of these posts from you or your affiliates. The sad thing is that you are brainwashed by SMI to the point of defending them even when you have nothing to stand on.

- You try so hard to distance yourself from Greg Mertes, but the fact remains that your own manager Doug Ascher was the one who promoted him...looks like a poor judgement call to me. And while Doug may be trying to do whats right and stand behind him company there are plenty more of these terrible managers like Greg who are your affiliates and still out there running these horrible businesses.

- Again, look at your parent company Smart Circle on BBB. They have a present rating of C-. Check out their complaint section and you'll find that these complaints against your reps and sales tactics are more grounded than you think.

- Your company has NO clients...NONE! Smart Circle carries the clients and aquires them...you simply sell for Smart Circle.

- The case of Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton has little bearing on door to door sales. I don't know if Doug tells you to say this or what but obviously none of you have gone to law school. The case specifically interprets law changes for Stratton, Ohio (not the whole country as you presume). And here is a transcript from the case

* Held: The ordinance's provisions making it a misdemeanor to engage in door-to-door advocacy without first registering with the mayor and receiving a permit violate the First Amendment as it applies to religious proselytizing, anonymous political speech, and the distribution of handbills. Pp. 918.

The case had NOTHING to do with door to door sales, but with religous and political material distribution ONLY!

Most cities and townships still have a Green River Ordinance in effect. Ones that don't will still require that YOU as an individual get a solicitors permit from the bureau or Police department if you are selling outside business premises. Im assuming you never called any bureaus to confirm that because I can name off at least a dozen suburbs in the chicago area that require it. and finally, a business seller's permit and a solicitors permit are not one in the same! You can't have one and not the other if you do outside door to door sales!

- 10 hour days? Wow thats a little conservative. I was putting in nearly 12 or more a day for 6 days a week. I was one of the top reps in the country and was making crumbs compared to what Im making now, so I now most everyone else was making far less.

If you need more reference to labor laws and how horrible your business violates them check out the US department of Labor's National Research council findings (2004) chapter 5.

- These "Marketing" companies don't do a lick of marketing! They do sales! Marketing has to be understood as a business discipline separate and distinct from sales. Complimentary, yes. Subordinate to sales, most of the time. But separate and distinct nonetheless. Stapling a business card to a piece of paper and handing them back to Smart Circle or the clients has nothing to do with marketing since you are trying to build an impulse sale and rarely have repeat impulse buyers.

The people that drink the Kool-Aid at these places believe this; I will do outside door to door sales in harsh weather conditions selling coupons to businesses and homes and if I work really hard putting in 72 hours or more a week making on average less than $9 an hour with little to no benefits then I could have this pie in the sky dream of operating one of these companies and try to encourage other people to do the same so I can make an inflated income like my manager says he does!

They are toyed with psychologically with all these dreams of one day making 6 figures and owning a dream car and home. What they are not told is the stories of countless managers who have failed at these businesses because they have little to no experience with business managment, and especially one that operates at a 1500% turnover ratio. And the stories of reps being cited because of violating city ordinances and having their busineses shut down because of horrible practices.

Unfortunately, in today's world, a person can post anything they feel, and despite it's inaccuracies, it can be taken as gospel truth by those less informed. It is now necessary to refute the blatant slander that has been posted here.

Legitimatecareers,

It is obvious you are upset at somebody. You have cut and pasted this exact post anywhere that will supply you a sounding board. If you were wronged by someone, we can understand your anger. But instead of spill venom on an internet site, why not come down to the office and explain the problems that you ran into. We have never had one issue...ever, with a former associate. In fact most former associates still come by and say "hi" from time to time. We really do value what you have to say and what you experienced. we just feel though, that you've got some of your "facts" wrong, and we just want to clarify those for you:

1. Greg Mertes ran a business in the same building. It was a different company; not Sports Marketing Int'l. His company and Sports Marketing Int'l were supplied by the same printing company. Greg was developed and promoted through Doug's training program, but after Greg continued to say and do shady things, he was terminated and his business was shut down. If Greg told you or anyone "not to pay taxes" then he was wrong. His dishonesty is probably why he no longer is associated in any way with the current office here.

Please call the Better Business Bureau if you would like. Sports Marketing International IS a member and an accredited business. We are very proud of being asked to join and we will continue to honor their values and mission. There are NO investigations and NO legal actions against Sports Marketing Int'l, nor have there ever been. We are extremely excited to say that in today's day and age of "corporate greed".

2. Sports Marketing Int'l is NOT a MLM. Please refer to any respected business website to further understand the differences between MLM and the basic "laws of expansion". A great source would be award-winning author Robert Kiyosaki, who has written numerous times on such topics.

3. You wrote, "They will tell you they have 'big wig' clients like the White Sox. This is NOT a marketing agency. It is door-to-door dishonest soliciting." and
"Please do not fall for their schemes! Sports Marketing International doesn't do a stitch of marketing consulting work for any sports teams (or any other place for that matter)"

To clarify, we have represented over 21 professional sports teams, 2 arena league teams, 3 minor league baseball teams, 78 golf courses and numerous other clients in various industries. We are currently doing a joint venture with the world's largest retail chain. You, or anyone for that matter, are more than willing to come in and see the promotions we created and sold for the above mentioned places. I can't imagine these places would be willing to work with us if we weren't a "legitimate" business.

4. We absolutely, 100%, do SALES. It's never hidden. Our human resources admin tells everyone when they call in, that there are "outside sales" involved with all openings. You do realize that in today's economic times, that sales is probably the safest industry because it is directly related to the bottom line. Also, the interview process involves the interviewee literally spending a full day with a sales rep. You get to see EVERYTHING about the company before coming aboard. How many companies run their business this transparent? As far as independent contractor/employee roles go, we have both. There are many industries that do this; insurance, real estate, graphic design, amongst others. When someone begins at Sports Marketing Int'l, whether it's as a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor, they are given the proper paperwork and told of all the tax breaks/requirements and incentives associated with each.

If you were wronged by Greg or felt he lied to you, that's an issue with Greg, as he is not this company, nor does he represent the way this company handles itslef.

5. 10 hour days are NOT common? Maybe in Europe they aren't, but here in the U.S., the average American worker puts in over 44 hours a week, and this doesn't include commute or work that needs to be taken and completed outside of the office. Ask anyone that has become a CEO or top end manager at a firm, and they'll tell you that more hours you work has a direct correlation to the money that you make and the advancement you achieve. The median income for the people above the age 25 was $32,140 in 2005 and that's BEFORE taxes. If you want to put in average hours (over 52 hours/week when "take home" work is included), you can expect average pay ($32,140) and quite frankly, most people don't want to be average.

6. Sales and marketing go hand in hand. When we create our "incentive-based" marketing packages, we do ALL the demographic research behind the pricing, packaging, and territory planning involved. We also do ALL the sales. After a sale is completed, we capture the consumers' data, and that as well, is tabulated and given to the client once we are done selling. So, the clients we represent, can further evaluate their consumers information. Event sales, B2B sales, and retail sales have been around forever and in NO way is it dishonest. If you are referring to permits needed, all Tax ID #'s, seller's permits and forms are on file. Also, just so you know, there is no permit needed for individuals to go business to business. Here's the US Supreme Court's findings:

"The U.S. Supreme Court on June 17, by a vote of 8-1, invalidated a Stratton, Ohio ordinance that required canvassers to register and obtain a permit from the mayor's office before going door-to-door promoting any cause (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton). The Court held that the ordinance violated the First Amendment."

7. Laslty, the US economy is in shambles, and it is that way because of all the major corporations that our parents probably dreamed we'd work for some day. "Go to school. Get a good job with a big company. Work your way up and then retire wealthy and happy on their pension" That's all we were told growing up, right? Look, we know that not everyone is cut out for sales and marketing, not everyone wants to work more than 40 hours a week, and this isn't the place for everyone that wants to get into marketing. But, we are very proud that our company has opened up numerous people into business for themselves, represented major league sports teams across the country, and continued to provide a career path for those that have higher aspirations despite the economy around us. Legitimatecareers, you are correct when you say not everyone makes it to the top when they start here, but that's anywhere you work. If you would like to tell us your concerns please call us and schedule a meeting with Doug, he'd gladly make time to listen to your concerns.

Again, our business has experienced immense changes over the past 6 months (changes that we think are for the better) and we encourage you to come see those changes and tell us your thoughts, as opposed to slandering the company and Doug's name through unfiltered and unregulated medians like "internet blogs and message boards." Our industry might not be for you, but that doesn't mean it's not for everyone. In fact, some would argue, that our philosophies and marketing and sales strategies, are the future of the industry. Then again, don't take my word for it. Take the word of the over 400 companies that we've worked with over the past few years from San Diego to New Jersey and everywhere in between.

SMI in Lombard, Illinois is sending out false press releases under the name of Jessica Graham.

How do I know that they're false? The numerous misspellings and grammatical errors, besides that the article is poorly organized and lacks any kind of clear message are a dead giveaway. Also check out ((((Link Redacted))) for more details of how to spot a false press release. This company periodically sends out false press releases to combat the image problem they have. Do a Google search on the SMI and Associates, SMI, or Sports Marketing International and more negative sites will show up than positive. SMI sends out these press releases as another ploy to mislead potential job seekers Googling the company to get a little extra info.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

I was a former "employee" for SMI, at the time was Boomerang marketing group (they changed their name for legal reasons). I worked there for over 4 months and was promoted to an account manager. I worked with Greg Mertes and saw the tactics he used first hand. You start out the day in "atmosphere" which is where they play music and you practice your pitch. This is called brainwashing, and is a psychological tactic used to boost your attitude. You sell coupon packages door to door. You are told to be deceitful to customers using REHASH and other tactics. You are encouraged to pitch in non-solicitation buildings and government facilities. No, Greg does not have a solicitation license and the "employees" dont get one either, Nobody contacts any chambers or bureaus to notify them ahead of time about solicitations to businesses...this is downright illegal! And yes you can get fined for it...and yes YOU are held accountable, not the manager of the office. You are assigned a territory for the day, and are told to pitch everyone! And at the end of the day everyone huddles around and either rings a bell or hits a gong to celebrate how sucessful they were that day. Again this is a psychological tactic used to influence the new people and interviwees that day.

They do not do a background check on people. I worked with a guy that had just gotten out of the state prison!! Greg uses profound profanity and has slandered his employees numerous times, even insulting someone in front of the entire office...not proper management tactics at all! And the company has no clue about marketing as they are in a cold market and have saturated it too much (just ask how many repeat custiomers they have) and Smart Circle sells these coupon books on their website at the same price, so you dont have to buy from these reps, how stupid!

I encourage all of you entreprenuers on here who are thinking about working for any of these Smart Circle companies to do research, and find enjoyment starting your own company and not a scam one like this!!

And for people who were hurt by any one of these companies, write to your local representatives. I do know of local and state legal action in Illinois that is in the process of being taken as we speak!!

AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED PROOF THE ACTIONS THEY CONDUCT ARE ILLEGAL OR FILTHY I HAVE PROVIDED THE RESEARCH AND LINKS: Please lets work together to make sure that no one else is hurt or misled by this business and its affiliates!

FROM BBB:
Boomerang Marketing (now SMI associates)
http://chicago.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=46&bbb=0654&firm=88256615

ALSO FROM BBB about Smart Circle:
They have a current rating of C- and check out the complaint board and see how these reps are taught to mislead people into buying their coupon books!
http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=100021175

I also have documentation which I cannot provide publicly but it proves these marketing companies constantly switch names and Presidents every year or two.
Anyone find that fishy?? Possibly so they can avoid legal charges against them and continue business!!

1. SMI and Associates is the farthest thing from a MLM company it's actually funny you even try going that route. The funny thing though is, most MLM companies have members in them that include the likes of your mom and aunts, etc. as Mary Kay and Arbonne are 2 of the biggest MLM companies in existence.
MLM companies are very popular and many wealthy Americans including Robert Kioysaki and Donald Trump have advocated there popularity, but that being said, SMI and Associates is NOT a MLM. Stop trying to discredit a company using "terms" and "labels" that you aren't even familiar with.

2. Uh...yes...one of their clients IS the White Sox. When I used to work there, I got to got to some games for free and even meet the VP os Sales when he came to the office to kick off that year's campaign. And isn't "word of mouth/ face to face" considered the "best" form of marketing/sales/advertising on the planet ? I just read an article on Forbes.com where the VPs of Marketing of different pro teams where asked how entry level marketing grads can get into sports marketing. You know what they all said? Learn to go out and sell, it's the best trait you can have.

3. When I worked with the company, we did event sales in Best Buy, in Hospitals, and in Sam's Clubs representing our clients. If it where so "dishonest" why would these types of companies choose to work with SMI?

4. I don't know what or who your vendetta is against, but a company saying "don't pay taxes" is just ludacris and makes your post all the more "discredited". I was told the exact opposite when I was there. I was told how to write off business expneses and what can and can't be considered a write off. Very similar to when I was a pharmaceutical sales rep.

5. Lastly, 10 hour days are "NOT normal" ??? Did you know that 74% of both parents work over 45 hours per week AND 70% are required to work from home (phone or computer) after hours? PS, that's TIME MAGAZINE not me talking ....

Look, I agree sales/marketing (especially the entry level) are tough career fields to be in. I also agree that they are not as glitzy and glamourous of "fields" as they are portrayed in the movie or on tv, but I gotta step in and say something when people are just plain trying to discredit a company, let alone an entire industry like you have tried.

Why am I even responding if I don't currently work there you might ask? Well, I had to leave the company due to a death in the family, but for the 6 months I was there, I met greet people, gained great experience, and really really enjoyed all aspects of getting out of the office and having new objectives and routines each week... but I guess for every 100 people like me, there's probably someone out there that feels they got the "raw end" of some deal. You preach "don't interview there because I had a bad experience", I preach, "give it a shot, go see for yourself, and then you be the judge of your own life." I personally think you are probably just bitter because you didn't move up in the company and then when you quit/got asked to leave, etc...you decided to resort to "internet blogger justice" because anyone can say what they want on this thing with no facts at all...but hey, it's a free country, so I guess that's cool, but there are 2 sides to every story and both should be told....