Newbies: $6,000 and Skip the Screw Ups That I Made...Read On

[jukeboxhero]

I've got nothin to sell anyone, just some solid advice if you want to make money online.

It's been a while when I first got bit by the I.M bug..

I gotta say, it's alot like crack....Except with crack you at least either run out or die....With internet marketing there seems to be NO END to the amount of "Great information" that you need to learn BEFORE you start your business.

Which can leave you "getting ready to get ready" or "preparing to prepare" forever....with a constant feeling like the "Answer to your internet millions" lies just around the corner with next product you buy. But it never does.

Before I get to my few lessons, let me quick tell you how I got started...I did the "Shoot first, aim later method" and it worked pretty darn good.

I am a real estate investor and one day I was driving around in my car and decided to pose a challenge to myself..."Self, see if you can make an investing product today"....

At the time I couldn't website or speak my way out of a cardboard box....So I called a recordable 1800 number from my cell phone and pulled my car off the road and just started talking to myself in an interview type way...Saying things like "Most people ask" then giving a question that I thought most people would ask....

This went on for about 30 minutes when a very suspicious looking low rider pulled up behind me....Oh, I failed to mention that i was in my Convertible vette on a road where they found alot of people who "Went to swim with the fishes"....But hey, I thought it would be perfect cause it was quiet...Right by a river of course...Kind of serene, the perfect setting for my first info product.

Well the dudes pulled up beside me and I froze, I was a bit pissed off that they were there because I couldn't pause the recording, but I was also a bit scared because swimming with fished didn't sound like fun....So I said "what's up" and they were like "Great car man, then wanted to chat...Which I did for like a 2 minutes".....

I only include this part of the story to demonstrate that things don't need to be perfect with your products....I didn't know how to edit, so I left the 2 minute conversation right in with the my 45 minute mp3. No one ever said a word....I warned them in my extremely poorly written sales copy that there was a "Special bonus".

I went home and downloaded the call which by the way was only 45 minutes but I didn't know how to shrink the file so it ended up being like 400 MB or something crazy like that....

Then I uploaded to one of those free download places and was ready to rock and roll....I just had to finish my sales letter....

Since I knew nothing of websites or setting them up I signed up for a free google site where I put my paypal address so that people could send me money....No, not even a payment button...Just a send email to this address....

To say my website was poorly written would be like saying Chris brown was just tickling Rhianna....It was a disaster. I just kind of used big font, lots of caps, and a TON of yellow highlighting...My very sorry "Swipe" of some websites i'd seen.

In the first month I ended up selling about $700 worth of my product with NO RETURNS...Yeah, the info was great but the delivery and sales process was almost "Circus Freak" like stuff....

Fastforward just 6 months later, with a few revisions to the delivery and sales process and I ended up making about $6,000.

I guess what i'm saying is "Stop waiting"....If an uninternet educated meathead in a corvette, down by the river" could do it....anyone of you can.

So now on with my "Dang, I wish I'd known that earlier lessons"

1. Here's how I wished I'd done my first product.

Look at whatever it is you want to create a product about then write out at least 5 steps (10 would be way cooler) to achieving the result your prospects are after.

Then take each of those steps and break them down into what 3-7 Steps go into achieving that step

Then, study every article, video, and forum you can to fill in the gaps.

Then either put it all down in a book or even easier is to use open office or anything that allows you to make slides, then use camtasia or that other cheapy version to make a video presentation of you talking about whatever it is that you want to do....

If you put your mind to it you could do a decent product every 3 days with this method.

2. Here's how I wished I'd set up my sales process:

Yes, I know you've heard, it's in the list...and the rumours are true.

Squeeze page to get to my salespage-Not one of those wussy ones either where you give them the option of not sending you any info. (tried it, it sucked)

Squeeze page===>thank you- where you ad a special bonus that they didn't here about on the squeeze page. make it mega valuable and tease em with your copy.....If you insist on putting your sales page put it under your request to go get the confirmation link.

Confimation link===> Sales page-A well designed sales page that:

==>Makes visitors camp out in their pain

==>Show you have the answer to remove them from pain

==>Clearly asks for the order with at least 8 trial closes in action verbed anchor text.

If they leave have an exit pop with a downsell

If they buy have a continuity program tied in...If you don't have one then find someone in your niche who offers a trial then give a free trial as part of your package.

3. Offer your best info upfront FREE or as Eban Pagan says "move the free line"...Make your customers think..."Dang if he's offering this much good stuff free, then I can't even imagine what his products like"....Don't worry they don't get dissppointed and yes they do buy far more this way...


4. Another great upsell idea I had success with was adding a 5 years of updates as the market changes then bumping the price up 25% for that package....38% of people took me up on that.

5. Get a dang blog and use it....Great for SEO, i've made $10,000 plus from my blog.

6. Have a purpose (specific) everytime you sit down...I can't tell you how much more money i would have made if Id followed this rule and avoided the ADD loop (check email, check stats, check paypal, check the forums rinse and repeat)

7. Approach JV's with confidence, nobody wants to deal with a loser- I don't care if your trying to get Frank Kerns attention, do it with a "Yo dude, we both put our pants on the same way in the morning atitude". Better yet, if you got a list promote their stuff before you approach them.

8. Offer the best product, for the best price and let partners know that, also MEGA TAKE AWAY- Prove to JV partners that your product will make the people on thier list smile with joy....Thier list is there life, if a JV pisses of their list because they recommended your product and it blows...then things will suck for everyone.

9. Do 1 thing at a time and stick with it- don't start CPA's today, Ninja Goober 2000 tommorow, then Affilate suction magnet on Wednesday...You'll just end up with a bunch of not finished Sh#t that won't amount to Sh#t.

10. The big mother "Pretend like you heard internet marketing was as easy as the Goober's say it is"...That way it will be easy...If you think it's going to be easy it will be....Im convinced that my first product got started and made money because I was TOO STUPID TO KNOW BETTER... which is not a bad spot to be.

I'm finished for now...it would be pretty cool if the big dogs in here added some other good sh#t.

As the Buddah says "Don't believe a dang word I say, try it on for yourself" or something like that.

Oh, I know it's all about proof in this businss, I don't want you to think your just listening to a forum junkie who "Know's what to do, but doesn't do what he knows" so if you need proof here's the most boring video ever of 2 of my payment accounts....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VixF7i2skEo

Note* I've got nothing to sell, I just wanted to pass on some lesson's I wished I known earlier...Keep the karma rollin...

jbh

[Michael Oksa]

Great post JBH. I'm willing to bet there are few people who aren't "newbies" who could benefit from your post, too.

I love the angle of it also. "Learn from your mistakes" is a saying that holds people back; my preference is to say, "learn from other people's mistakes as often as you can." Your post is sure to save a lot of people a lot of headaches.

All the best,
Michael

[jukeboxhero]

Hey thanks man...In the words of someone I can't remember...

"You don't want to be a pioneer, unless you want arrows in your back"

[Robertas]

OMG MAN you've made me lough. I am still reading this but "....would be like saying Chris brown was just tickling Rhianna" knocked me off!

Edit: Great post, I am glad to hear that you've succeeded with your first product! Your post clearly proves the point that there's no need to wait for the "right time", "perfect situation" to get things done.

Get something out there and start making some m****r f*c***g money (c) Kern

[halopm1]

That is great advice. I personally love the part about "Pretend like you heard internet marketing was as easy as the Goober's say it is"

If you tell yourself its too hard then you may talk yourself out of even trying. So if you look at it from a standpoint of, others have done it so I can too, then your less likely to get overwhelmed and throw in the towel.-Angel

[Will Edwards]

Great post jbh - really enjoyed reading it. You have an excellent writing style. And there's a great education right there for anyone who cares to take notice.

Will

[J14TTH]

Top Post,

Cheers for restoring my confidence in IM. I was meant to catapult my internet career some 6-7 months ago. But all I've done is read 1 sales pitch after another. I'd wait for my day off, read, read, read then read some more - I'd then find myself back at work promising myself "on my next day off I'm launching my first venture . ."

I can honestly say that this thread is the best advice I have received to date (and undoubtly the most entertaining) and it didn't cost me a penny!

Thank you for rescuing me from the 'getting ready to get ready' stage!

Jatt H.

p.s still laughin' at the "here's the most boring video ever" proof!

[Yogini]

JBH,

I loved your post. By the way, you write very well. I really like reading something in the style you wrote rather than those goofy bullet points from copywriters' files full of superlatives. I personally thought this part was really funny: I didn't know how to edit, so I left the 2 minute conversation right in with the my 45 minute mp3.

By the way, I think the Buddha said something like: Don't believe a single word I say, just because I say it. Only believe it if it's true for you.

Debbie

[SurviveUnemployment]

Your product was a 45-minute mp3 of you talking to yourself in your car? And people bought it? Wow.

[jukeboxhero]

Originally Posted by SurviveUnemployment

Your product was a 45-minute mp3 of you talking to yourself in your car? And people bought it? Wow.

I am a real estate investor so I just basically interviewed myself about the niche of investing that I am in.

I'll tell you what though, when you've never done it, talking to yourself for 45 minutes is tough work....A huge takeaway for me was learning a new respect for the "Really crazy people" who can talk to themselves all day, it's no wonder they go to those institutions, i'm thinking it's just to get some rest.

I redid the product and have made some more since then...Now I average about $150/day in sales....$1000/wk or so....Which isn't a bad little side business considering now I basically sell a "$97 Hyperlink"...Gotta love those margins.

jbh

[John Henderson]

Thanks for the OP, JBH.

There's only one problem.... you've left me with no excuses!!!

[EdKirby]

Great post!

Its a great reminder that you don't have to be an "expert" before pulling the trigger. If you believe that the information would be of value to someone it's almost your duty to get it out there. It may not be the prettiest right out of the gate but there's always time to improve upon it, which you have already done.

Good for you! And thanks because it has reminded me that dreams and ideas are good but without taking action nothing will happen, good or bad.

Cheers,

[mcloud0729]

Excellent post Jukebox, I am currently doing a lot of reading and researching on this forum in order to figure out the best way to go about making money online, but theory is only theory until it is put into action...thank you for your inspiring post.

Michael

[knallanon]

You know, I think that's been my whole problem. To much looking for info, and not any of doing. Thanks for the reminder. JUST DO IT!!

[jukeboxhero]

Originally Posted by knallanon

You know, I think that's been my whole problem. To much looking for info, and not any of doing. Thanks for the reminder. JUST DO IT!!

I'll tell you what, since then, I've been guilty of the the same thing...over and over....

It's not a lie when I say internet marketing is alot like crack only more dangerous, because with crack you either die or run out....With internet marketing there seems to be no bottom to the info to feed my nasty habit.