There’s No Need to Be Disappointed About Making Money Online: You’re Right!
I have some very important news for you today and that's:
YOU'RE RIGHT!
Let me explain. There's something I'm sure you've seen that we can call "internet marketing irony" and that's what happens when:
- You buy this thing called "private label rights" and outsell the product originator, only to have them get angry at you for outselling -- this happened all the time years ago when I got my start (jealousy)
- Other internet marketers seem to get upset when you do things like: mailing your list, following up, running pitch webinars, charging higher prices... you know, this thing called "marketing" (inner conflict)
- You see someone promoting a "product creation" course when they only have one product, a "book creation" course when you can't find their book, a "selling on Amazon" product when they aren't selling anything on Amazon (re-teaching what they barely know instead of implementing)
- Posting questions like, "I want to use this webinar service but I need something that can handle 10,000 guests..." Or, "I want to use this autoresponder service but I need something that holds 1,000,000 subscribers" (chest beating, they don't have 1 million subscribers)
Let's just call it what it is...
Entertainment... a SOAP OPERA!
If you spend too much time with the indecisive, negative, bitter, unmotivated people of the world then they will drag you down to their level... it's true...
I'm NOT saying you shouldn't help people. I post in public areas here and there and I definitely monitor what others are doing because I want to stay "in touch..."
But when "they" are getting too negative, you need to identify when criticism becomes complaining and shut that off... complaining means, the same negative message on repeat with no "real" solution.
"You are what you are and where you are
because of what has gone into your mind.
You can change what you are and where you are
by changing what goes into your mind."- Zig Ziglar
I'm not going to ask you something cheesy like, "What if the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, the founder of UPS, Colonel Sanders, etc... had given up when they first started?
Do you remember when you first got started online? Chances are most people told you it was a bad idea, or you even had to keep it a secret from several people...
I listened to the wrong people for a long time (the ones that told me I should stay at my day job) and I remember being ANGRY that I had to get a mortgage. My "favorite guru" at the time bragged about buying a home in cash (he now lives in a small apartment).
Problem: Vicious Cycle of
Negativity & Self-Doubt
I'll admit... I was one of those NEGATIVE people! I was a teenager, coding this and that plugin while I saw all these "rich guys" create autoresponder services, web hosting companies, heck, one guy made a plugin that added a visitor's first name to a web page, he sold tons of copies at $99 all day long. I thought... this guy has to be stopped... why won't people see? I spent all kinds of time posting about my "cause"... until one day I realized I was spending all my time tearing others DOWN instead of building something UP.
- If someone keeps dragging you down, day in and day out, they've gotta go... I'm sorry but you know deep down who they are
- If you find yourself being too negative for too long, maybe you need to unsubscribe from a few lists (not mine of course), unfriend a few people on Facebook (I have 245 people on my block list and way more I've unfriended or unfollowed) -- it's ok to check in on them on YOUR terms, but don't let THEM interrupt YOU
- Move closer towards the people you want to be like -- those people with successful businesses that make money
As an internet marketer (even if you are in some other niche and you are MARKETING on the INTERNET, you're still an "internet marketer") you should be aware of what others are doing. You should WANT to be sold to. You should PAY ATTENTION to what gets you to click and buy...
Solution: Ask Better Questions
The saddest thing is when I see an internet marketer (sometimes a subscriber but not always) say something like:
- They hate those "long ugly sales pages" (that they buy from anyway)
- They get "bombarded" with emails (that they chose to subscribe to and that they buy from anyway)
- They hate those "pitch webinars" where evil marketers try to sell them something -- in that case, I hope you also don't watch TV (commercials), go to the movies (previews), drive a car (radio and billboards), read magazines (print ads), or browse web pages or Facebook (sidebar ads)... you should look at it as an opportunity to GROW your business by getting the ideas all around you and seeing what works (and what doesn't)
Doesn't it make sense that if you ask better questions of yourself (like "what's good about this?") then you'll get better answers, which you'll be able to use to solve your current problems (like "what price do I charge?") to get better problems (like "now how do I handle all these online sales?")
You're right either way. If you "THINK" it's all a scam, and that there are too many issues to sort out with this internet marketing stuff, you're right. If you KNOW you'll do what needs to be done (and that's not necessarily more hours or "hard work") then you'll do it. You'll make that optin page, sales letter, membership site, and start sending traffic, adjusting, and making sales.
If the usual mentors you think about (Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Donald Trump) started over from scratch, do you think they would "play around" with graphics, domain names, and which WordPress them and plugins to use... OR... do you think they would set something up that's good enough and adjust from there?
I'm curious to know in the comments below... what mistakes do you see other marketers making, especially in the products they put out? And what can you learn from their mistakes?
Filed in: Archive 1: 2012-2016 • Membership Sites
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Nothing wrong with it… I bought it from you and Lance.
The last product I bought… too much case study where the examples were solely of the course’s author, sharing barely relevant content that was presented as though it was sage advice when actually it was recycled content. What content there was was not accessible in any sort of written form. Notes would have been helpful. (He can call me because I now have about 8 pages of notes that I could give him that he could pass on to future customers.)
Really very little wrong with the last product I bought. The content is excellent. It’s audio + pdfs. The audio tracks are a bit too quiet (can’t use them while doing anything that makes noise) and didn’t have track numbers. These are small things I can fix myself, but I’d feel more valued as a customer if they were done for me.
Waaay too much ‘filler’ and the presenter spoke too much Valley Girl = upward inflection at the end of sentences, at commas, in lists… very irritating.
I once bought an e-course that never arrived. I called and left vm with the company three times (their company name in the recorded phone message didn’t match the webpage that I bought from — despite the fact that my PayPal receipt said I should call that number), sent multiple emails to the email associated with PayPal AND did extra sleuthing on the net to try to find a formal “contact us” button.
Despite my attempts to get in touch 5 or 6 ways, I heard absolutely nothing from them for weeks. Finally, I did what I hate doing, sending a payment dispute via PayPal. Within hours, the company that had been dormant and neglectful for weeks suddenly knew who I was and was full of apologies and a free gift for my hassle. I am sure there was a rational explanation for this total breakdown in communication, but it was unbelievably unprofessional and enervating. In the end, it was so irritating that I never actually ended up using either of the products.
The last course I bought was okay, but on glaring fact stood out to me. With all these courses, unless you commit to a niche, you can never really give 100% to the business building process. For example, let’s say you know a little bit about dog training, a little bit about Internet Marketing, a little bit about playing the guitar… and a LOT about basket weaving techniques from the colonial times.
Well, good luck monetizing the basket weaving thing… so that leaves you the other topics. If you’re heart really isn’t into those topics, then what? I’m not asking, I’m just pointing out the dilemma people can sometimes face when they have good “how-to” products and courses, but don’t know what direction they should take.
Too much about them, not enough actual content and specific how to’s, unless of course you want to shell out extra $$$ for the upsell.
It took too long for then to fix their own tech issues. Sometimes the site would be down for repairs just after I had sent visitors there. Obviously, this was a business opp with loafs of so called advanced training where typhoon turn refer other ppl to..
Dislike marketers that think mind maps alone can be a high quality product (One very prominent guru quickly comes to mind here). Also marketers that promise bonus training that are really just promotions for another unrelated product. My unsubscribe list is getting larger and larger.
Now on the positive side. Bought IncomeMachine2.0. It was the very thing I needed. Excellent, great value for the money. Site training videos are very well done; Have received the CD set and Guide Book; WOW, Nobody, except Robert & Lance, does that in this day and age. Implementing now though the site I’ve chosen to pursue has a 100 plus videos (2.5 GiG with a half dozen modules with more to be added later (though you and Lance recommend to start with a smaller project). The course could have had a little more as to menu set-up and a S3 section.
One ebook was great for motivation and proving what can be done to make money. It was filled with great info – but not enough step by step guidance. So was left still wondering how to get stuff done.
The last thing wrong with the last product is the same thing wrong with all products that I have bought….. ME. I have taken all the learning, understand all the principles, technically competent to perform the tasks, have the financing to start the project. Where I fall down is Niche choice. I have picked a few different ones and each time have either convinced myself, or had industry experts indicate that it is not a good niche. I have considered just picking ANY niche once to make it happen just to prove that I can do all the tasks and get something out there.
Hi Robert,
Hum, interesting question,
For me I would say my last purchase was a piece of desktop software for creating animated slide-show videos which after installing it on my PC and firing it up found it didn’t work properly at best but most times not at all.
On logging into the vendors download area to raise a support ticket I found that I wasn’t the only one as the same was happening for many other purchasers who like me had older machines, even though the sales-page clearly stated that the software would work on Any machine (a bit naughty)
The vendor gave his deepest apologies and went on to state that he would work on the software tirelessly until it did, which given that I picked it up for a song on a special launch offer then well, that was good enough for me.
I find especially in this industry that during product launches people want everything perfect right out of the gate, want it yesterday and oh yes, want to get it for next to nothing and when things are any different they instantly ask for a refund.
Myself if I am presented with something on a hugely discounted launch offer that I consider to have immense potential then if I get it and it work immediately that’s great, if it doesn’t and the vendor is making every effort to rectify things then I’ll know when it finally does work for me then I’ve picked it up at a bargain price.
Just my personal opinion.
The last course I purchased was from a man for whom I have the utmost respect. The problem I have is that all the lesssons so far have been videos. My learning style is to read and annotate. I personally have a tough time trying to master info from a video where it’s difficult to tough to go back to find information from that was discussed some minutes earlier that you now realize was very importantt videos should be used to explain a point and not to teach the entire course. it feels like a lazy way to teach by a person who hates to – or simply can’t – write.
I find that you buy a course and the owner of the course has long gone onto the next project and left a derelict site behind that over time links and pictures go to the cyber grave and updates to their software (usually in the case of WordPress) leaving behind “Shortcodes” with no relative links or content.
Sad… I have given up… I have purchased well over $20K worth of software and courses over the last 6 years… only to find that most of it is Worthless Junk.
When you fork out $297 for a software that has been taken off the shelf and rendered useless from people that I would have considered truly genuine it leaves a very sour taste in my mouth that makes me say no to any further expenditure.
The last product I bought (not yours) wasn’t easy to implement. It was recommended to split test facebook ads, buy expensive solo ads to drive traffic and buy additional software requiring monthly payments. The implementation time lag, investment and omplexity just didn’t add up for a meaningful return on investment.
The last high dollar course I purchase promised a very specific result. The sales presentation was extremely well done with very specific case studies. It was implied that I would see more details about these case studies and see how the results were gained. The course itself didn’t have a single case study or even a walk through of the exact steps that should have been taken.
Instead I was trapped in theory land and still have no idea how I am supposed to get from “here to there”.
The problem with the last course I bought, and I’ve experienced it before, is the implied general results that are actually based on a best case scenario. In this case, the author quoted ( and actually titled his book, How to Make $XXXX, blah, blah, blah) based on sales figures produced in November and December…peak shopping times.
You were left to wonder how well you’d due the other 46 weeks. What I liked were his very specific products, sales tactics, pitfalls, and details on exactly what to do, not do.
Far too many Marketers stating that their products only require a couple of buttons to get it up and running, rubbish. When you get the item you find that if they provide training to get it operational there are heaps of videos or written instructions that need an interpreter to understand
Carls’ comment about “The last thing wrong with the last product is the same thing wrong with all products that I have bought….. ME”. Sounds so like ME as well.
Mind Maps for most are a waste of time, too many diversions and confusing to get results.
Magreth $20K worth of software and courses over the last 6 (10) years… only to find that most of it is Worthless Junk, (not quite all but now they are looking worth less all of the time).
Worst example of how to disappoint I’ve seen is how “marketers” persuade that by getting this latest course or system and implementing it to the letter you will have taken action and start getting money. This leaves people with the impression that marketing is about getting money when it is merely the result of giving people what they really want – the solution to their needs.
So called experts who lead like this will build up disappointment and keep people from learning that it’s not simply sales but how to improve the experience for customers which leads to buyers repeat business and loyalty.
You and Lance always keep it real, making sure that we add value to what is already a great direction from you. You give a pathway that can be repeated time after time in more areas so we actually learn and improve our own lives and those whom we reach.