Newbie I.Mer's: "Beware of These Sneaky Distractions That Steal Your Money"

23 replies
If you're a newbie (or oldie) beware of sneaky distractions that rob you of your "money time" each day (the prime time each day to make money). It quietly adds up quick.

Anything that doesn't directly involve...
  • Building your list!
  • Bringing hot prospects to your webpage!
- Or -
  • Converting hot prospects who come to your webpage!
Is a sneaky money stealer.

Don't trick yourself and call it research, staying on top of things or keeping informed. Do those in your non-prime time hours

Here's my top 7 been-there-done- that examples. Don't mistake these and similar activities for working.
  • Checking Stats
  • Checking Facebook.
  • Checking Twitter
  • Checking Text
  • Checking Phone Messages
  • Watching YouTube videos
- And-
  • (Gulp) Hanging out or loitering at the Warrior Forum
The best way to break the habit is to use them as rewards ... not routines. After you've done task covering the 3 money time activities mentioned, reward yourself with one of the 7 non-prime time activities (or similar) above.

If you don't you're in danger of a sneaky distraction stealing your money.

Veterans feel free to add other suggestions. As always I invite your comments.
#bewar #imer #imers #newbie #sneaky
  • Profile picture of the author DonaldTrump
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew Trujillo
    It's always best to use your time wisely and focus on results and productivity rather then just being busy.
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  • Profile picture of the author SouthSpawn
    Banned
    I would also like to add.

    People.

    Please research the person who is selling you marketing materials.
    Check their Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

    Important: Please check how they brand themselves.
    Does their site look super templateish or amatuerish,
    Do they make an attempt to "brand" themselves as a professional?

    Internet Marketing is a business. You are the CEO of it.
    I look for professionalism when I see other IM'ers.
    Not some random person trying to sell me stuff.

    You can kind of tell who are the copycaters by looking more into each person.

    Just a thought here. This is what I do and it works pretty good.

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author DianaLensbury
      Nice share, Mr Niche Man

      Just one problem, the Warrior Forum can be a great source for free targeted traffic (if you know what to do), so "hanging out at the Warrior Forum" can actually be a part of bringing hot prospects to your webpage.

      Nothing's black and white.
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      • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
        Originally Posted by DianaLensbury View Post

        Nice share, Mr Niche Man

        Just one problem, the Warrior Forum can be a great source for free targeted traffic (if you know what to do), so "hanging out at the Warrior Forum" can actually be a part of bringing hot prospects to your webpage.

        Nothing's black and white.
        That's a good point Diana, but it's not a problem to use the multitude of tools and avenues the W.F offers. It's only a problem when you use it to avoid more productive work you should be doing.

        Some people hang out just to gossip, argue, police others, take out their frustrations, find others to do the work or research for them, to troll, and a multitude of other unproductive reasons.

        Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

        Niche Man,

        Good reminders . . .

        But honestly, I would not have a complete business if I only did list building, driving traffic and converting prospects.

        Also directly affecting and essential to my business are product creation, copywriting, distribution of marketing materials, support and caring for my customers, keyword and market research, and bookkeeping. I consider all these as essentials to be done in "prime time," as you call it, and directly leading to my bottom line.

        Steve
        Ha, Ha. Excellent points Steve B. Forgive me I was speaking in general, realizing some people outsource many of the work you mentioned. Everyone's prime time is a little different depending if you do-it-yourself or outsource.

        But you're right, you still have to manage all essentials either way.
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  • Profile picture of the author hilear
    Thanks for the share. So many things give the impression that you are involved building your business but are just busy work or time wasters. What really helped my get my business off the ground was to stop looking at new offers on the WF and start working on the products and projects I already had. If I use the WF now it is more to promote my products than to buy more products.
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    • Profile picture of the author crowsnest7
      You're right Niche Man. It's just a little too easy to spend your time "staying on top of things" and "keeping informed" when your priorities should be elsewhere. Nice reminder.
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve B
        Niche Man,

        Good reminders . . .

        But honestly, I would not have a complete business if I only did list building, driving traffic and converting prospects.

        Also directly affecting and essential to my business are product creation, copywriting, distribution of marketing materials, support and caring for my customers, keyword and market research, and bookkeeping. I consider all these as essentials to be done in "prime time," as you call it, and directly leading to my bottom line.

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
    Originally Posted by Matthew J Trujillo View Post

    It's always best to use your time wisely and focus on results and productivity rather then being just being busy.
    Good point, that was one of the issues I had in my real estate sale days. I'd mistake being busy with being productive. We used to call it "busy work". Now I see a lot of it in in the online world, especially people who are new and but many veterans too. Here's a humous but interesting article I read the other day.



    Originally Posted by SouthSpawn View Post

    I would also like to add.

    People.

    Please research the person who is selling you marketing materials.
    Check their Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

    Important: Please check how they brand themselves.
    Does their site look super templateish or amatuerish,
    Do they make an attempt to "brand" themselves as a professional?

    Internet Marketing is a business. You are the CEO of it.
    I look for professionalism when I see other IM'ers.
    Not some random person trying to sell me stuff.

    You can kind of tell who are the copycaters by looking more into each person.

    Just a thought here. This is what I do and it works pretty good.

    Mark
    Yea, with the simple click of a mouse you can know more about a person than many of their relatives. That's why it's shocking how many consumers don't bother to do a simple Google search.

    It seems like a given, if you're interested in a product ... or a person it should the next natural reaction to Google, Facebook or Twitter them (at least). But as you said many don't- and some regret it.
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  • Profile picture of the author AntonioSeegars1
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by AntonioSeegars1 View Post

      Great post. A lot of people mess up because they don't associate time with money the way that they should. People should be working to build up systems that make them money every second of the day. Time lost is money lost.
      Interesting point. People should be focusing on building and developing systems, a big part of that is focusing on branding themselves as opposed to going from product to product or trying to be all things to all people.

      Here's a video that emphasizes my point.

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      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        Here's a video that emphasizes my point.

        Sasha Strauss | $100,000 of Brand Strategy Advice - YouTube
        If you insist that YT videos aren't productive, it's perhaps unwise to follow up with one....in a WF post no less.

        A newbies 'work' is learning and you've chosen both those mediums (video and forum) to teach.

        It's how we use the tools that makes the difference between wasted time and productive time.
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        • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
          Originally Posted by Daniel Evans View Post

          If you insist that YT videos aren't productive, it's perhaps unwise to follow up with one....in a WF post no less.

          .
          Ha, Ha. No Daniel I didn't mean to imply all videos are unproductive. They are if you spend your prime time watching them .. when you should be "doing" what you learned from them. Timing is important.
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          • Profile picture of the author discrat
            Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

            Ha, Ha. No Daniel I didn't mean to imply all videos are unproductive. They are if you spend your prime time watching them .. when you should be "doing" what you learned from them. Timing is important.
            Yep I agree. There is always a time and place for things like YT videos

            I cannot put an exact figure on it but the indirect money I have made from educating myself with various YT videos has made it quite worth it




            - Robert Andrew
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            • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
              Originally Posted by discrat View Post

              Yep I agree. There is always a time and place for things like YT videos

              I cannot put an exact figure on it but the indirect money I have made from educating myself with various YT videos has made it quite worth it


              - Robert Andrew
              I agree, I've made and saved untold money, time and inconvenience from submitting, watching and learning from YouTube videos. I just don't watch them during "money making (doing) time" as a routine ...unless they have a direct bearing on what I'm trying to do. Otherwise, I'll make a note and watch during down time. But to each his own way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rory Singh
    Good points Niche Man.

    Yes IPA's (income producing activities) are what brings you money. New marketers have to learn during non business building time and produce during business building time.

    And yes I realize that many new marketers who have full time jobs and possibly families already have their plates full.

    So what can you do in a situation like that?

    You can't work 10 to 12 hours at your job and then come home and work only a hour a day at your IM business.

    What you can do is take some time 'daily' out of your sleep.

    OR

    Structure your life around your IM business.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by Rory Singh View Post

      Good points Niche Man.

      And yes I realize that many new marketers who have full time jobs and possibly families already have their plates full.

      So what can you do in a situation like that?

      You can't work 10 to 12 hours at your job and then come home and work only a hour a day at your IM business.

      What you can do is take some time 'daily' out of your sleep.

      OR

      Structure your life around your IM business.
      Yes, if you have a job, which I guess most who read this do, you have to structure your life around I.M.

      For example, when I had a 9 to 5 (more accurately 7 to 7), I spent my hour lunch (and even most breaks) working on my online business. I had my lap top in a corner table, instead of spending that precious time gossiping, talking about the job or sports like others.

      When I got home I didn't just take a shower, eat and plop myself in front of the boob-toob like most people. I left the TV off and spent at least 3 hours or more working on my online business.

      Plus, the next morning I worked at least 2 hours before I went to work. That's all in additon to working 10 hours or more on week-ends

      I did that for over a year, until I left my job.

      When I started out I definitely, wasn't the person most internet marketers talk about in those ads. You know? How you can get rich laying on the beach or doing little or no work.
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  • Profile picture of the author l1one
    My number one time waster is SKYPE! Many of my customers want to talk on there. I just tell them to email me. Some don't like it. They want the instant gratification that comes with Skype. But I just tell them that I find it a productivity waster. Moreover, I think email is better at least for me as it forces me to have complete thoughts.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by l1one View Post

      My number one time waster is SKYPE! Many of my customers want to talk on there. I just tell them to email me. Some don't like it. They want the instant gratification that comes with Skype. But I just tell them that I find it a productivity waster. Moreover, I think email is better at least for me as it forces me to have complete thoughts.
      Wow, you're a little braver than I am telling customers talking to them on Skype is a productivity waster. Hope they're not Whales or high paying customers. But I see your point. I don't even tell customers I have Skype with most of my businesses. Only my consulting customers.
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  • Profile picture of the author cherrytom
    Thank you Niche Man for your posts in which you give outstandingly useful advice. Thank you for your amazing video in which you relate how you had the Shiny Object Syndrome for a while --- me, too, bro! Thank you for your free eBook that I will enjoy reading later. Finally, thank you for the awesome video of Sasha Strauss on branding. Bless you, Niche Man. May you always kep smiling!
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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Thanks Roy !

      Some good points here.

      I will have to say that I do indeed include my Education as work. And that involves sometimes watching videos including Youtube .

      If it is going to make me more Money in future then I consider this work and treat it as such



      - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author kencalhn
    wasting too much time on forums also takes up valuable time, learned that the hard way
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  • Profile picture of the author wasa1
    Look at your goal list and to-do list and stay focussed and on task.
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      Originally Posted by wasa1 View Post

      Look at your goal list and to-do list and stay focused and on task.
      I found in the past looking at my goal list was the easy part. When first starting the hard part was avoiding the multitude of distractions begging for attention.

      Getting side-tracked by shiny objects, people or other pressing problems is even easier when you run into obstacles on your to-do-list.

      Personally, how do you stay focused when you run into obstacles, delays, or unexpected road blocks on your goal or to-do list?

      For example ...
      • When a task depends on another person or business taking action and you're waiting on them?
      • When you underestimated the time, money or effort it would take to start or complete a task?
      • When you over estimated the response of your target prospects on an action you took?
      • Or when you experience some other unanticipated "teeth jarring" obstacle or delay?
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      "Because The Easiest Way To Make Money is ... ... By Saving Some First!"
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  • Profile picture of the author copywriterco
    Thanks for the share. It's a nice reminder for everyone!
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