What You See v What You SHOULD See
This happens so many times that it warrants a post
It happens in emails and it happens in the training I create...
I create information that specifically says something - either instructions in an email or training in my products and a portion (an all too big portion) of people misread it because of what they expect to see.
They read something that is SIMILAR to what they already know but NOT THE SAME and the 'not the same' part can deliver COMPLETELY different results.
When you drive down the same road every day and turn into a particular road as part of that journey, that turn becomes something you do subconsciously.
When the rules change and you're supposed to turn down another road, it's common to mistakenly turn down the old route.
This is the same scenario.
Many people have learnt something, and it might even be something wrong and they continue to do that wrong thing over and over again even though it is not working for them.
Then they see some information, instructions or training and it is similar but not the same as what they are already doing and they instantly 'SEE' what they think they see and do it wrong again.
It might only be a small change in the whole route, but because of their failure to see that small difference they're led down the wrong route and don't get to where they should be going.
Maybe they are just driving blind most of the time, or maybe they are driving a little too fast to see the road signs... the fact is: those small mistakes where they have misunderstood directions have caused them to get no where once again.
Sometimes I think marketers know just a little too much or think they know enough, to cause them to miss directions.
Unfortunately a lot of the information has been found on forums and through discussions with other people who know a little and talk a lot.
Directions need to come from people who actually know where they are going, where they have been and know how to get to where they want to be.
Those directions usually aren't found where there is a bunch of people going round and round in a big car park and never finding the way out... eg: A Marketing Forum
One reason I don't have, and never will have a forum for marketers is because it creates a 'car park' full of misinformation
Most people congregate in areas like that to show others how to go around in circles or to find out how to go around in circles from other people who have been doing it for years.
So how about I summarize this whole post....
Stop - slow down - read the bloody instructions!
It might not apply to you, but a lot of people reading this - NEED this BADLY
Once again... Have a Great Day
Seasonal Videos
Videos are one of the fastest ways to generate traffic for seasonal events.
People tend to use sites like YouTube and other Video sites more often when looking for seasonal stuff such as Halloween and Christmas and this is great for marketers because they are the times when people are also spending more money.
As unfortunate as it is for society as a whole, we're heading into the 'buying' season leading up to Christmas but this is also a great time for marketers to make hay while the sun shines.
Money will be spent - there is no doubt about that.
Money will be spent where it shouldn't be spent, but it will be spent all the same and if it's not with you it will be through someone else, so as a business person working online, you need to take advantage of this demand for stuff and position yourself in front of the cash.
If you haven't already started creating videos, do so now.
Take a few minutes today to create a short video using anything you have at your disposal, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie - and use still images from your own photo albums or from online to see how easy it is to do this stuff.
Go through the process of uploading to YouTube and adding a headline and description.
Kids are doing stuff like this all the time and you have marketing experience... more experience than 99% of other people loading stuff on YT so make use of that knowledge you have and get onto this medium of marketing TODAY.
Don't plan on making a Hollywood production - that isn't necessary.
Just get used to using the tools that you have to get something online FAST.
Choose a long tail keyword phrase and see how soon you can get it ranked.
It's fun fast and profitable but it won't happen unless you make it happen.
Rocket Video = Fast Traffic
Video Creation Tips
I would like to think you've already started creating your own videos as part of the way forward with your online income because video really is the moving force online these days with more people searching on YouTube than all the other search engines bar Google itself.
So some tips on creating your videos today:
Actually these tips relate to the audio part of the video because that is where most people come unstuck.
Whether you're using Camtasia or Windows Movie Maker for PC, or FlowPlayer, Camtasia for MAC, or iMovie with your MAC you will either be using the audio capture that comes with the software or the free Audacity software.
All of them allow you to slice the audio and take out the mistakes that you will invariably make but the less time 'getting your audio fixed' the better, because that will allow you to create more videos rather than spending the time fixing stuff.
When you first start doing this, it's better to create short videos so any 'repair' work will take less time because you're working in a shorter time frame.
It's a lot easier to fix problems in small clips rather than try to edit a 1/2 hour audio and the reason for this is because you will have to go through the whole 1/2 hour to see what needs fixing, edit the pieces along the way and then go back through it again making sure that the completed audio is as it should be.
You will waste a considerable amount of time going over the portions of the audio that don't need fixing each time you do this.
A better solution is to create small videos/audio of a few minutes.
The ones that don't need editing (and there will be a lot more of these the more you practice) will be put aside and you only work on the videos where there is editing needed for the audio files.
This saves a lot of time and once the edited ones have been completed they can all be combined together with or without suitable transitions.
At that stage you will only need to go through the completed video in total once to check whether there are any minor tweaks that are necessary.
Another technique I use when recording training is to keep the momentum with my speaking - if I make a mistake I will leave a short space in the audio and then repeat that same passage of text in the same tone and volume but in the correct manner and then it becomes easy to simply edit out the error leaving in the new audio that will sound like I never stopped the flow of talking.
If something happens when you're recording (like when my cat comes under my seat and starts 'talking' to me) I simply repeat what I have said, once again like nothing had happened, and then edit out the portion where I was disrupted.
This ensures my voice sounds the same in the whole of the video.
If you do have an audio section that sounds a little different because it was recorded at a different time or you got distracted in some way when recording the different sections, use transitions to move from one clip to another and that short time delay when the transition occurs will make it look a lot more professional.
Rocket Video = Making Money With Simple Videos
Good Habits
One of my list members sent me a message about a website and after looking at it I think it is an excellent free resource that can make a big difference to your life and income... (thanks for the link Andrew)
We're driven by the habits we form and because of that we will often do the same stuff over and over again and get the same results, or lack of results because of bad habits.
Often, unless they are brought to our attention we're not even aware of what they are.
Habits can create an imbalance in life that makes it difficult to succeed even with all the help in the world, because no matter what we're doing, there will always be problems along the road and if there is an imbalance it makes it harder to get by.
Consider this: You have a wheel of life that needs various different elements to ensure that it runs smoothly, from work and income, to fitness, health and time with family and friends.
If there is anything on that wheel that is taking up an abnormally high proportion of your time, at the expense of other necessary elements (including time out for relaxation) then the wheel is out of balance.
Now, this might be all well and good when you slowly going along a straight smooth road, but as soon as you hit a little bump, that out of balance wheel (your wheel of life) is thrown off course and everything starts to fall to pieces.
Habits are OK if they are good habits that fit in with a well-balanced wheel of life, so if you're spending too much time in front of that computer, it might be time to have a little more time out to rejuvenate your potential to succeed more easily.
Anyway, have a look at the website... from what I can see so far it all appears to be free - at least for everything you need it for, and there is certainly no harm in getting a wheel alignment for the run up to the end of the year.
What would make a good habit? For business, I would suggest more time on list building... now that's a habit that will affect so many aspects of your life that you might just be able to buy a whole new set of wheels.
List Building – There’s NO Excuse
While I recommend GetResponse or AWeber as the best Autoresponder services to use, and there is a FREE membership at GetResponse that you can use to get started (it is limited to 100 subscribers) I'd almost forgotten about a service I recommended to someone years ago who built a list of over 5000 subscribers in a very short time through ezine advertising.
That service is FreeAutoBot and it is completely free and actually a good service that works as it's supposed to do.
Now - there really is NO excuse for not getting your own list building underway.
You can't use the cost excuse and that is about the only feasible excuse that anyone could use, even though that is feeble, and even if you just use FreeAutoBot for testing and to 'get the feel' of listing building then it's worthwhile.
If you really are on a tight budget, give it a try - I know it works well because it has launched other businesses for people I know and you can download your list database and import it into other services later when the money is more freely available... most probably from taking action and getting a list.
If you haven't got an autoresponder right now - DO IT!
Use FAB
$900 in 4 days from A PLAN
I've been getting a lot of emails about the post...
$900 in 4 days from Scratch
And not surprisingly because once again I gave someone something that worked in delivering the expected results....
And what was that something?
A PLAN
Most people don't have a plan - even when they have been given one, they don't have their own plan.
Their own plan to apply the plan they have been given.
A plan that works will only work for you if you use all the steps of that plan.
Like a rung in a ladder that is missing, no matter how far up the latter you get, if you miss a rung you can be right back to the start and in worse condition than if you'd never started climbing.
Consider what would happen to the person in the scary video I posted on this blog is they missed a step.
The consequences are a lot greater than missing a step on the Internet, but the outcome is failure in both cases.
This plan I am currently compiling into training will bring results as it has already done, but only if the whole plan is followed through from start to finish and no steps are missed along the way.
Even the little steps - the little tricks I use to get people to take action are essential because Action is a prerequisite to earning money.
TheMoneyPress is almost ready, but taking it from a Skype conversation where I was explain stuff along the way, and turning that into video training and a pdf of instructions that will answer ALL the expected questions takes a little time and at the same time I'm in the middle of creating another iPhone app, so I took the only wise option and went for a stroll along the beach.
Time Out is Wonderful for Productivity and should be part of every business plan
The Cost of Delay
I'm usually onto things as soon as I can, and a good example of why this is the way to do business was shown the other day when I got back to a contact made through Facebook.
It turned out that the person was interested in promoting some of my products (this is in my non-IM business) and the fact that I made contact resulted in a windfall of sales and income for him and me.
Aside from that initial round of sales we have since started working on a Joint Venture that will lead to more money for the both of us.
What would have happened if I had delayed making contact?
Lost sales?
I'm sure that would have been the situation because, in my dealings since, this person is a lot like me... no time for wasting time and no time to mess with people who don't value their time.
Another cost of delay that is proving itself to many people is the additional work required to create gmail accounts for running specific businesses where more than one are needed.
I've said to get the accounts asap because things always change and there is never an easier time than right now to get things that are available.
Those who delay PAY, either with their time, their money, or in lost opportunities which result in lost income and financial freedom.
If there is something you know you NEED to do today... DO IT!
Put it on your 'list of 6' at the end of the day and make sure you do that stuff first thing tomorrow.
Footnote: I was probably a little slower than many people at adopting Social Media marketing like Twitter and Facebook but it is certainly part of my businesses these days.
How to Catch a Whale
The answer to this question is simple...
With a really BIG boat
So here's the problem - there are two roads to take and one sign says, 'how to make $20 a day using free resources' and the other says 'how to make a million dollars' with no reference to the size of the 'vessel' you need to get there.
Most people will opt for the 'how to make a millions dollars' because of the 'if only I can get a percentage of that' mentality.
What they don't seem to see is the difficulty of catching a 'piece of the whale'
You will still need a f#@^*#g BIG boat... and only those who own the boat will be able to catch the whale and they're not going to give away (even a piece of) their catch to anyone.
The few who take the other route and learn how to catch the sprats, can put them on a hook and catch bigger fish, and work their way up until they can afford a small boat - a bigger boat - and even bigger boat, and maybe if they keep going a f#@^*#g BIG boat.
...and unless you win the Lotto or know someone with a lot of money and no brains (and they usually don't go together unless they are internet marketing gurus who got lucky) who're willing to give that money to you... you need to know how to catch the sprats first.
A lot of the poor decisions that newbies make, apart from having been fed a diet of sales pitches and promises of wealth, are because of financial woes that have been brewing for long periods in most cases.
Those same financial woes lead to panic to get cash, urgency to get things happening, and fear of things taking too long.
In fact, the methods that seem like the slow way 'list building' are the fast track to getting the big fish and all the little fish that will give them the breathing space to make the right decisions more often than not.
Why this post today?
I had someone contact me with a financial dilemma... a big loan that was causing stress and all he could think of was 'How do I get this Monkey off my back?'
He was thinking about the Whole Monkey rather than the small picture of the cost of a few bananas it would take to feed that monkey in the present, until he could make more GOOD decisions and slowly make the 'monkey' shrink and go away forever.
It sounds like I've taken you to the zoo today, but there really is a lot of monkey business with Internet Marketers who promise big fish, while they're having a whale of time spending the money they earned from products that have less chance of working than getting pigs to fly.
While most of their methods cannot be broken down into small manageable and profitable chunks, you can break down the financial problems, debts etc, into smaller more manageable chunks, that can be fed enough to keep them from eating away at you, until you're in a better position from making the right decisions to get rid of them forever.
Go Sell Your Socks Off
If you read a couple of my previous posts you will see why I teach stuff that is attainable for the people it is targeted towards, which is 99% of online marketers.
I show how my methods can make $1k in a few days, and continue to make money... or how to make $10, $50 or so a day ongoing, because these are the amounts that can pay your bills.
Late last year (in a matter of weeks) I made over $40k on the warrior forum and that was because I had proven money making training to sell, but the reason I made that money was because I knew how to create the product so others could invest in that training and that's why I teach stuff like Instant Profit Products so you can create YOUR OWN products and do the same thing as me in any market you choose.
I could show you how I made that $40+k but I need to know that you can create your own product first.
If you can't create your own product (and in fact you can easily - it's just a matter of knowing what to do) then there's no point in showing you a system to make a reasonable lump sum of money when having your own product to do that is essential is it?
It's like the Jumbo jet example in my other post... I know a pilot who can show me what he does to fly a 747 but that is not going to allow me to fly it.
Roger Federer can show me how to hit a tennis ball but the chances of me returning one of his serves is ZERO unless he chooses for me to hit it, in which case he would direct the ball to the middle of my racket at a million miles an hour and I wouldn't know what happened until after the fact.
Fortunately, most stuff online is able to be learned by most people, because I've always said, and will repeat again, 'There's no TALENT needed to make money online'
When talent isn't a prerequisite to success then all you need is Information and Application
HOWEVER: The Information needs to be at a level that you can Apply
Without the correct 'targeting' the application isn't possible even with the information... at least not initially... and most people want and need action NOW so they can apply what they have just learned and profit from it.
In fact, the REALLY BIG MONEY is all about WHO You Know rather than what you know, because it takes the right people to get your stuff in front of more people, more easily and stack the numbers in your favor.
So is it a waste of time learning from people who have made millions?
No - not at all, because they all (for the most part) started with nothing and then made their way to the top using their particular methods.
Some methods are 'shady' to say the least, but that's their choice - along the way they applied techniques that can be used at the lower levels of the ladder to make the climb faster.
The problem is: They don't teach that stuff.
It's small pickings for them and the BIG Money is in the BIG promises of instant wealth where there is NO work required and an Instant Rockstar Lifestyle.
In fact - there is no such thing as an Instant Rockstar Lifestyle.
People don't get born with the ability to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix!
Even Jimi had to learn how to play, and that didn't happen overnight.
So what's the way to make money?
SELL Stuff
Most people are scared of selling.
If you've got good stuff and you know it's good and can make a difference for the people who need it, then it's easy to sell because you will be making a difference in someone's life AND THAT IS A GOOD THING
Focus on the benefits you bring, not the fact that you are selling.
Selling is not a bad thing unless you're selling bad things (poor products, BS stuff etc)
To be really successful you need to be a good salesperson whether that is selling products and services, or selling yourself (your brand) to others.
What are all the Internet Gurus? Salesmen/women
What are all the politicians? Salesmen and women
What are all the preachers and motivational speakers? Salespeople
Some good, some bad, some very good, some very bad.
They are ALL selling something!
How to Unsimplify Things
Some people just can't accept that some things really are SIMPLE
In fact, online, all the things that have worked the best for me over the last 12 years have been the simple things.
It's not the methods that are supposed to 'fool the system' that are the most profitable, and I can admit that I've used everything from Cloaking to almost anything else you can think of over the years, yet the same tried and true principles of building a real business have always won through.
What's often the case is, the gray and blackhat methods usually require a lot more resources than good business plans yet they are always the ones that promise the easy cash where you can sit on your butt doing nothing and money will appear in bulk.
I know so many different ways to make good money online yet none of them come from inaction.
The last time I did nothing I got nothing.
The set and forget businesses I have needed work in the first place to 'set' and even then the more I forget them the less potential they have to make money.
think about it... if you've got something that you can set and forget and it makes a pile of money, imagine how much more it would make if you spent a little time optimizing it and making it 5, 10 or 15% better?
It's most likely less work than starting a new business, which I always liken to a commercial aircraft taking off - a lot of energy is required to get it off the ground but once it is flying it takes very little effort apart from fuel and you need to feed some fuel to your businesses sometimes too, to ensure they go the distance and get to where they should be.
If you can't get a commercial aircraft to take off then start with a Cessna.
It might take longer to get there but it will get there and if you don't have the resources (at the moment) then you will have no chance of getting the Jumbo off the ground.
Besides, where do people start?
Where do pilots start?
In a Rocket?
I don't think so Tim!
So this makes me wonder.... When someone get's shown a simple task to do that will create an outcome that has already been proven, why do they look for ways to make it more complicated?
Why do they try to unsimplify it? [I know that's not a real word but I'm using it anyway]
I know why (I think)... because they don't think THEY can succeed even though they know others have.
They don't believe they can duplicate the same success.
It's why the gurus use the approach... 'I made millions and even if you can only make x% of that imagine how much money you will make'
Why does this work?
Because even when people believe they are failures and are unlikely to succeed, they have the hope that even with their POOR performance to date and their inability to get anything to work, the opportunity is SO GREAT that 'even THEY' will be able to make some money.
Here's the problem: The processes that are required to make those millions are like getting that Jumbo plane off the ground.
If you only have a Briggs & Stratton motor and enough fuel to mow the lawn, then you're never going to get x% of the results that it takes to get lift off.
You probably won't even have enough power in the motor to open the door of the plane.
Sometimes X + Y doesn't = Z and usually Xmillions x 1% doesn't equal 1% of Z
Now how's that for confusing?
I could have made that equation a lot more simple but I decided to add a little confusion to todays post for those who like things that way.
Have a great day 