What makes you such an expert?
Where do you learn this Internet stuff?
How long have you been doing this "Internet thing"?
How much money have you made and then they want to see my bank account figures?
The Internet can be a very impersonal. Sometimes it seems almost sterile in its approach. Everywhere people are trying to sell something. Buy this - buy that - buy mine don't buy the other guys because it sucks, etc.
When you don't buy then they get insulted. If the majority of these so-called Internet sites were real world brick and mortar stores they would be forced to close their businesses within the first few weeks, or months.
Why?
For one of following two reasons:
1) The law would shut them down for making such wild, and false, advertising claims. (Note: That is exactly what the FTC is starting to do to many websites!)
2) The store owners would run off the majority of their potential customers with their carnival, take the money and run, style of hawking their inferior goods or the same goods you will find on hundreds of other sites.
Occasionally I get an email from one of my readers asking me for advice on one of the many "categories" of Internet marketing. The bottom line of every question I get is how to be "SUCCESSFUL" in working from home and marketing on the Internet.
The thing that intrigues me most is that these people who write to me never want to spend any money or invest any of their time to be successful. All they want is some magical formula that will give them instant "riches". They are hardly ever willing to spend one thin dime or invest any of their time at all.
People don't seem to think they need to educate themselves about every facet of online marketing. All they want is for someone to hand them the answers on a silver platter. No work or investment in time or money to learn how to market - another words they aren't willing to do anything.
The kicker is that people are actually convinced that you can do NOTHING to become rich except throw up an inept website. Then within a few weeks they'll make a fortune and retire to Tahiti!
I would like to share with you the typical email that I get where a reader is asking for help. I'll get a request for some information on the tricks to being a success with an online business.
The first thing I usually do is to ask the person some questions. The questions I ask are always the same. They are:
- Exactly what are you promoting?
- Is it an Affiliate program(s) or is it your own program, book, etc. and if its an Affiliate program are you promoting more than one?
- How long have you been trying Internet marketing?
- What is your website url?
- What is your Alexa site ranking?
- Who is your web host provider?
- How are you advertising (Traffic exchanges, classified ads, FFA sites, ezine ads, PPC)?
- What tools do you use to learn from (special membership sites, ebooks, ezines you read on a regular basis, on-line study courses, information sites, etc.)?
- How many hours a day are you devoting to your marketing efforts?
- Why did you get into Internet Marketing in the first place?
- Exactly what are your specific 1 month, 3 month, 1 year goals and 5 year goals. What would you like to get out of your efforts?
- Is this a hobby, a passion or a pure profit motive?
Rarely is anyone able, or willing, to answer more than two or three of these questions. If you've read my past articles you know how strongly I believe in setting aside some time every day to learn and grow your knowledge and your skill sets.
I usually reply back with some of the things the person needs to do to grow their business. Then more likely than not I get some terse reply of why I'm not giving them some secret formula. Or a personal attack on me because I choose NOT to brag about how much money I may have made in my own Internet marketing efforts.
My answer to that is a simple one. I would rather leave this world with many friends and colleagues that know, and trust me, than to put an few thousand in the bank by being a dishonest cheat and bilking people of their hard earned money.
On all of my websites you will find my full contact information - including my actual address and telephone number. If you look at a 1,000 sites you'll be lucky to find this same information on more than a couple of dozen other websites. Why?
People think they can throw up a website with a sales page, sell you something, collect the money and run. No bother, no REAL guarantee, no responsibility - nothing. If that is what you think then you too are in the category of:
Invest Nothing - Get Nothing
I often get the feeling that those who write me don't want to listen OR learn - they just want some magical quick fix! Being a successful netprenuer is not a given...You MUST EARN your success.
As I said in an earlier article "What is more important - Time or Money" it WILL take some of each. You can spend more money and take a little less time - OR visa-versa. However, your best results will be if you spend the time AND some money!
When I started my own Internet marketing I set a budget of how much money, and time, I was going to use for all of my marketing efforts. It was a very small budget, and it still is, but it was what I knew I could afford. I have actually spent most of my marketing budget learning the ends and outs of Internet marketing and very little on actual paid advertising.
You have heard me say this before I ALWAYS have been and will continue to always be a student. I am taking a small amount of my earnings each month and adding to my training, knowledge and promotional efforts.
One of the most important things I have learned is that NOT ONE of the six figure earners ever got where they are by taking shortcuts. They have all invested lots of time and/or money into their efforts, albeit some more than others. The point is this:
NO Effort = NO Results
BUT
MASSIVE Effort = MASSIVE Results!
If all you want is a free ride, the lazy way out, money for nothing and kicks for free - then all you'll get is NOTHING! You only get back what you put into your business.
Invest Nothing = Get Nothing!
