My Thoughts On IM Gurus After 8 Years In IM

I've been doing this since 2008 and the last "guru" I unsubbed from was five or six years ago and that was Yaro Starak.

I do it my way and that works great for me.

Maybe it's time you "unsubbed" as well.

Thanks for your valuable insights. Looking forward to hear more from you.

Chintan

Thank you for your thoughts, we need more gurus as time lapses.

I wouldn't write off 'gurus' all together.

However, you need to be more critical regarding who you follow.

If their 'free' stuff doesn't produce results, that should be a RED FLAG for you.

I've been at this full time since 2001 and I still don't know what a "guru" is. Ultimately, you're going to connect with people who resonate with you, as that will probably evolve as you and your business evolves as well.

Take Eben Pagan, he was successful long before he ever started coaching others in business. And he resonated with me because my first really big success was in the dating market and he paved the way for guys like me.

Also, for every internet marketer who teaches other marketers, there are plenty who you never hear about simply because they aren't in the MMO market, they're focus is elsewhere.

Though there is something to be said about hiring a coach or a mentor when you are looking for a specific result. Though I could have succeeded without them, they shortened my learning curve and allowed me to grow my enterprisess much faster.

I don't know what a guru is, but I've learned a ton from many of the names the OP listed and many others. Of course, there were some that made me wonder what in the heck they were teaching.

RoD

I don't know about following people who market themselves as "gurus" (or something close to that) but I've learned a lot over the last couple years from people who actually walk their talk:

Mark Ling, Zach Crawford, Stefan Pylarinos, Geoff Shaw, Neil Patel, Jon Morrow - just to name a few.

Regards,
Daniel

interesting topics

For some people it is the image that they project that is important, as I have heard and experienced people who really didn't care about the people they coached, but were out to make the money, they even said it, of course I am not going to mention names

I worked with another person who promised X and Y but was never able to deliver.

Although I think that with due diligence you can check anyone out and see what they are about

At the end of the day though if the message the person gives to you resonates with you to me that is really important.

To Add to this ,I feel some of the gurus have massively over delivered and we need to laud them ,I learnt
all about internet marketing through my mentors ,looking forward to hearing more from you

Have you tried the coaching program of Frank Kern? How about Gauher Chaudry?

I liked your opinion ( by the way am online over 7 years ) I have one question for you:

How much money you earn online after all these learning training mindset courses?
( If not a secret monthly ) ?

Thank you.

Great post amuro!

Thanks for sharing your views and also the underground gurus as I find them to be more suited to my style.

J

Back in the early days of IM for me like in the early 90's, before the internet, I heard one self-appointed guru of the day say 98% of people are still connected to the mothership by their umbilical cord.

They knew how to leverage that fact.

Despite having paid numerous people who I thought could help with one aspect or another the real way to succeed is to cut the cord.

Carve out your own success.

If one guru can help you do that then they've done their job.

Best regards,

Ozi

I also don't truest IM gurus so much, yes they want to teach people and help them but most of the things they teach can be found for free. This way they are only giving more authority to what you can already find online, so I would do proper research first and if the course is aiming for my category then I would purchase it.

This is a blog post I wrote recently and fits in well here. It's called...

Comparing Yourself to the IM Greats

Comparing yourself to the IM greats is an exercise in self-torture.

And yet newbie internet marketers do it all the time.

It's not entirely their fault--they're encouraged to do it by the greats themselves. "Just buy this program; I walk you through it step by step."

OK. But there are some missing things we need to talk about.

Things that will make you cry, if you're an impressionable newbie.


Comparing Yourself On Traffic

Let's talk about traffic.

The market leader will tell you, with all sincerity, all you must do is get people to see your offer.

After all, they do this every day. They have experience with it. They can even afford to pay someone to manage the traffic process for them.

The newbie can't.

In fact, without being previously informed, the newbie has likely invested their last dime in the leader's program without knowing a further financial investment in traffic will be necessary.

The leader doesn't make any money from this, so why talk about it on the sales page? Often the newbie has bought something that is already incomplete and they are unable to get working.

But let's say our newbie does have the additional cash. They can make the traffic investment. All right. Now what?

Despite how easy the leader makes it sound, crafting a winning ad is laborious work.

It takes trial and error. Time. And cash.

You're unlikely to succeed on your first attempts.

What's this? Another opportunity for the newbie to give up. Trying to emulate the leader...but not having the resources of the leader.


Comparing Yourself On Conversion

Now to conversion.

The leader gives good technical advice on how to take visitors and turn them into buyers.

Nothing sinister here.

Except the same trial and error requirement is back in play.

It takes EFFORT to develop a converting sales page.

And again, the newbie is dangerously unaware of this as they listen to the leader confidently prattle on about what has worked for them.

Now let's say a leader has put out a new product.

Accompanying that new product is a new funnel, right?

Except that it's not "new."

The leader has built into it everything he or she knows works...and many resources the newbie simply does not have access to.


Comparing Yourself On Cash

Let's talk cash.

Just one factor...money. And how it makes all the difference in a campaign.

So our leader launches the funnel.

First of all, they get testimonials, feedback, buzz, and hype from friends, enemies, and the lay brethren waiting below for dropped alms with outstretched arms.

Leaders 1, Newbies 0.

Now the advertising appears. Paid ads on Facebook, let's imagine. Ah, the leader has a recognized face. Good for them. And the newbie trying to emulate?

Leaders 2, Newbies 0.


Comparing Yourself On Price

Even if the ad performance sucks--the targeting is way off, the message is a complete mismatch--the leader can force it to work.

Because the leader has guts.

The leader knows they can charge $297 or $497 or $2114 for their product.

The Chicken Little newbie does not have this confidence, and is busy clucking at the ground for a few pennies here and there.

Leaders 3, Newbies 0.

See, the newbie says, "I'll take what I can get," and prices at $47.

And the ad budget runs up against that price point very fast.

Say it's $1/FB click.

Our newbie has to make it work within 47 clicks just to barely break even--in fact, with other costs they're losing money here.

But our leader?

They have all the way to 497 or TWO THOUSAND clicks--two thousand chances, one right after another, that they can well afford--to get that sale and break even.

While the newbie runs out of ad money, ROI room, and "at bats" to convert almost instantly, the leader can keep throwing cash at it UNTIL IT WORKS.

So it takes 1,050 clicks to get a sale? At a $2114 price tag, who cares?

For our cash-rich leader, what's a thousand bucks?

But our poor newbie has taken their bat and ball and gone home long ago.

Leaders 4, Newbies 0.

Game Over.


Comparing Yourself On Mindset

The herd mind really likes easy, free, proven, guaranteed. But the plain truth is that none of these apply to internet marketing.

I'm sure nearly all leaders are genuine in their belief that they can help others. And they can. But the road will not be bump-free as they make it out to be.

So if you're a newbie, stop comparing yourself to the IM greats.

They can do more than you, act faster than you, take the road they know works that you don't know, and much more.

Can you get there?

Do they have much to teach you?

Yes.

But it's not going to be a bump-free ride.

The only way you can compete is on mindset. Get to work on that.

##


So trying to do what they do, right out of the gate, is going to result in frustration--unless the newbie is very well funded and given strong direction.

Still, in my experience most people simply don't take much action. And then they complain "it didn't work."

IM business is same as business offline, it takes time, lot of work and investment to start making really good money. So I agree with Amuro before buying any course one must realize that he or she must be patient and put everyday, even small, actions to make it happen.

Some of you guys might or might not heard of Chris Farrell.

He used to work with Mike Filsaime on AffiliateDotCom in 2010 and started his own membership site - Chris Farrell Membership.

Now, Chris might be new to internet marketing.

But he is NOT new to networking with people.

He used to work as DJ and Public Relations. So he knows how to build rapport with people in such that they like and trust him -

Even before he do internet marketing.

Even among newbies, there is a fundamental yet overlooked difference.

Those who are new to internet marketing but not new to people networking and even offine marketing.

And those who are new to everything.

Because of his experience in networking and even learning from people including Mike, he don't just do things blindly.

He research, connect with his target audience and identify what works and what doesn't.

That is why even though we both started in 2008, he took 6 months and I took 2 years.

I have bought a lot of courses and subscribed to a lot of ezines since 2002. Many of them helped me in my early years. However, in the IM niche it seems there are a lot of people who try to become gurus before they are one, or when they will never be one. It reminds me that those who can DO and those that can't Teach. Better to become your own guru, and just focus on making money, and not following people who tell you how to do it.

These people started off as super affiliates, before they created their information products & went on stage promoting their big ticket coaching programs.

I have personally invested my own money in buying their products & applied what I have learned from them and made money. Because they made thousands of $ first as super affiliates before creating their own products teaching their affiliate marketing methods. Ewen chia became famous for being on top of the leader boards for top selling affiliate contests. & created his first product teaching people how to make money online with affiliate marketing.

Eben Pagan made his millions online in the dating & relationships niche with his pen name "David DeAngelo" & product called double your dating.

Only after his success with that product did he create an information product teaching others how to create info products to sell online.

Invest in their products first and apply the strategies they teach before you knock them and accuse them of going on stage first to sell products. They paved the way for the Internet marketers of today.

But to everyone his own I suppose. If you too lazy to put in the work to apply their make money online strategies. Then their information products are not meant for you.

You just need to put a team in place.

While I have a great respect for those who have carved out a living, and are often deemed as Guru's like Pagan, Kern, Patel, Deiss, etc...

I can say that though I've yet utilize a great deal of the info I've collected from varius resources, some of whom either have responded to this thread, or others that I've read... As there are plenty of folks here who have influenced, inspired, and impressed upon me as to "how business should be conducted".

Thus, I believe we are all responsible for, and need to stand accountable for the influences, impressions, and the inspiration & encouragement we receive from "outside influences". Guru or in general makes little difference, less we use the knowledge we've acquired through action and effort.

I've been impressed with and often intimidated by some of those who've emassed a fortune in this arena.

I also agree with the person above who mentioned not having success until attending events, meeting people face-to-face, and believe; I need that interaction to make this all feel real and align my ideas with the right people or team.

Clearly, the majority of names dropped on this thread may have had early beginnings, and started small or even with little-to-nothing, but today... Most these guys/gals have teams, VA's, money to outsource, and ultimately behind many if the names is both a business, a tribe of followers, an army of affiliates, and friendships, jv's, and reciprocation going on to keep them on top.

Those here who goeth alone, the reality is often obscurred by the desire to believe; establishing what Eben, Frank, Ryan, and several others have done takes a "team effort" and such results are definitely not typically achieved alone by an individual.

I'd hoped to make my first live event Marketing Mayhem in Orlando this week, as I live 100miles south of there... And yet unforeseen circumstances have dismissed that goal. It's a shame cause I wanted to meet E.Brian Rose, he contributed a lot to this forum back when.

Either way, I rarely buy training, or products unless it's 'white label' or something tool related, like YouZign for design, etc...

But, I read a ton of emails from some of the best just to keep abreast of their latest techniques, writings, etc.