How Serious Are You About Internet Marketing?

[mikemcmillan]

They say free advice is usually worth about as much as you pay for it,. That might be the case here--but I'll try to make it worth something nonetheless. First, I'm no guru or super-affiliate, I'm just a guy who has found some things that work for me online and so I stick with them and try to make improvements every day. The Japanese call that Kaizen, making incremental improvements in one's business habits and practices.

I will tell you that I used to be a teacher for 14 years. Since quitting 20 years ago, selling my books and courses has been my only source of income. I take what I do very seriously. I do not mistake it for a game.

I see a lot of beginners post things like "Can I Make $500 A Day?", or things like that and the answer is NO!--not unless you pay your dues, learn the ropes, and become one serious, motivated, hard-working SOB. But you can make money, and make some good money by picking up some free nuggets of information, and this is a great place to begin--on the Warrior Forum.

So I'm not going to give you my ten best SEO tricks, or pre-sell page secrets, or article marketing tips here. I'll give you something I think is much, much more important. What I want to give you is a perspective on how things really work in Internet marketing. (You can make extrapolations to how things work in life in general if you wish.)

You have all read the sales pages, seen the hype, and read about the guys knocking down hundreds of thousands of dollars (even millions) with big product launches, and it is easy to buy into the hype of believing you can make a fortune almost overnight selling ebooks online. But here are some harsh realities you need to consider.

First, just as in any business endeavor, there are people who are very, very clever--who are more capable than you can ever imagine, who dedicate every waking moment to finding every way to leverage what they know and turn it into cash. And I'm not talking about either the real (or phony) Clickbank gurus whose names you recognize. I'm talking about people who are not known and do not want to be known and in the spotlight--people who fly below the radar.

These are serious people. You think you know what the word "serious" means; You do not! Unless you know and understand what the word "sacrifice" means, you will never become a kingpin in this business. Sure, you want to make a gazillion dollars in this business, but here is the key question: What are you willing to sacrifice to make that a reality? Time? Money? Drinking beer with your buddies when you should be busting your rump honing your skills in marketing?

How serious are you? What are you willing to sacrifice to get to the six-figure-a-year level or beyond? What are you willing to give up? The gurus may lead you to believe that any idiot with 2 hours a week to invest and the secrets they reveal in their ebook can make a million dollars a year--but you're better off investing in lottery tickets as a road to wealth than go down that road.

How serious are you? Are you willing to do the research and learn the techniques that actually make money for people online? No one single ebook will give you that. The answers are all out there, but they are not all in one place. Are you willing to give up things you enjoy in order to learn and to put into practice the techniques you acquire? Are you willing to make sacrifices? That is what it boils down to my friend. Sacrifices!

Are you willing to go down a road of continuous self-improvement, a road whose intersections are not well marked, a road with few traffic rules, a road that can be bumpy and filled with an occasional dead end to complete your journey? Are you willing to sometimes put aside things you enjoy in order to take action on your plan.

I'll tell you one thing for sure, the biggest stumbling block for any beginner in Internet marketing is not a lack of I.Q. points--there are many Internet millionaires out there who never competed high school.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but someone once said that the world is run by "C" students. As a former teacher, and I say this with sadness, but unfortunately often the one thing that often separates the "A" students from the "C" students in our public schools is that the "A" students have learned one important lesson: If you site down, shut up, and do what you are told you will do very well in school.

Highly creative, daring, independent thinkers often do not do well in our schools. But these people run the world!

Unfortunately, sitting down, shutting up, and doing what you are told are not the qualities that bring greatness in one's life. Are you willing to step outside the box, indeed--are you willing to define a new box in which to live your life? Are you willing to be criticized by others for then living in that box?

There are boundaries between organization and chaos. They are fluxing, wobbling boundaries. Do you dare to step to the edge of Chaos, to leave the safe and certain world most people inhabit to step into the world of possibility thinkers rather than the world of limitation thinkers? The greatest rewards in life come to those who dare to do this.

But what guarantees do I have that I will make it if I get involved in Internet marketing? Guarantees?--Holy ****ski, if you want guarantees just work at the same job for 40 years and retire on social security. Depend on the robber barons of government to tend to your needs. How's that for a guarantee?

Myself, I don't invest in stocks or bonds. I invest in ideas, in people--I invest in people who know what the word "sacrifice" means. I invest in serious people, like myself and other like minded individuals. The returns are much higher.

How serious are you? What sacrifices are you willing to make? What are you willing to pony up as an ante to play in the game of Internet marketing? I would suggest you answer these questions before you plough forward getting involved in something you think is a game. Internet marketing is not a game; Do not mistake it for one!

How serious are you? Become a "possibility thinker" and prosper. Leave the grunt work of the world to the "limitation thinkers". Embark down a road of continuous self-improvement. Question all that you see, hear, and read. Question the motives behind the words and actions of others. Dare to be different. Dare to be great. Dare to take a chance on yourself and be serious when you do that.

How serious are you?

End of lecture. I once again retire from my teaching duties.

[AndyM121]

Thanks Mike,

If sacrifice was all it took then I'd already be making money online but I know exactly what you are getting at.

But you have to be able to sacrifice things to find the time. And then you have to use that time wisely. If you use it wrong then there is no point to the sacrifice made.

I'm sure folks will know what I mean. When I was at school, just because my parents and teachers though I was studying didn't mean I was and now, just because I'm on the computer and reading and learning doesn't mean that I am doing anything to move me towards my goals.

So sacrifice, learn and take action. Sacrifice without action is just futile.

Just my tuppence worth.

Andy

[TLTheLiberator]

There really are no limits when it comes to creating an successful online business.

This is a great post that newbies and non earners alike should take to heart.


TL

[Aitor Astobieta]

Great post!

Internet marketing is hard work and full of sacrifices.

Since I started Internet marketing, I have been locked up in my house, and I haven't seen the sun in ages.

As a result, I am getting paler and fatter!

But at least I will make some money!

Finally someone says the harsh truth, not the kool aid thrown about that IM is about laziness and just pushing a button.

[Orator]

I agree that sacrifice is necessary, but it's the kind of sacrifice I relish. Internet marketing for me represents the ultimate in personal accountability, and the chance to rise or fail by my own merit.

It's a constant battle of wits, intelligence, and knowing that the landscape can shift in a second.

I find that prospect exciting.

[cragar]

WOW Mike,
You could use this post in for Article submission in at least a couple of different categories.GREAT info. From experience.Good Read...To the Point and from the heart.
You keep posting and I'll Keep reading and STEALING THE NUGGETS you leave for my own motivation. Nice to see someone else works at this as hard as I do

[AidanKay]

Originally Posted by Aitor Astobieta

Great post!

Internet marketing is hard work and full of sacrifices.

Since I started Internet marketing, I have been locked up in my house, and I haven't seen the sun in ages.

As a result, I am getting paler and fatter!

But at least I will make some money!

Finally someone says the harsh truth, not the kool aid thrown about that IM is about laziness and just pushing a button.

Lol, I second everything you say. Except the part about gaining weight, I'm somehow losing it??.. Read about it in my new weight loss book "How to Lose Weight By Using The Internet" :P.

But yes, there is a fair bit of sacrifice in the IM business.

My MAIN sacrifice would be sleep.


Thanks for the informative post.. and loved the bit at the end lol. About retiring again. Sorry, I ramble afte pulling all-nighters =].

-Aidan.

[kimvalerio05]

Well knowing that Internet Marketing is one of the best sources of income I truly place efforts for it. And it really helps, though sometimes it goes to the point that I do not go with friends Gimmick.

[Melodican]

Cheers, Quality post sir !

I agree with certain aspects of what you say. After being in IM for over a year and 5 months into my first venture, I'm slowly realising that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow cannot be achieved by the one button auto pilot consistent income method the 'gurus' are so confident to advertise. it's a question of hard work and I think the more I delve into this Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole of IM the more I can taste what it will be like to make a full time income from it. as Napolien Hill said 'God tends to side with the man who knows exactly what he wants and is willing to stake his entire life on getting it'

Sacrifice is a sacrfice we must all be willing to make because let's face it, we wouldn't be on here if we didn't the drive to make it on our own.

The world is changing so fast that I think a lot of money can be made very quickly... Yes, you do need to know 'the ropes' but like you say you gotta be an A grade... not at being a sheep, but at spotting the oppotunity, A grade at putting a team together in order to prepare for the doors of opportunity that could swing open at any moment it and you have to be the most competitive in a very cut throat industry...

Quoting good old Del Boy 'He who dares Rodders... He who dares'

Again thanks, great post buddy

Thank you sir ! ;-)

[wordwizard]

Wow, this sounds all so familiar. Skimping on sleep (as I hack away at my keyboard
until the extremely wee hours most nights, working for my clients).

Packing on the pounds, as I keep chipping away on deadline after deadline until long
after dark (Fortunately, I am finally managing to turn this around and unpacking them
again, but talk about effort! Now this takes REAL effort). And so on...

But internet marketing is also a lot of fun, and I've met some very cool people and made
some amazing friends who I would have never met otherwise.

One of these days, I'll figure out how to outsource, and then, maybe, I'll be able to
achieve that four hour work week -- or at least the four hour work day ;-)

Oh, and maybe one of my products will take off like gangbusters, or I'll finally find
copywriting clients who actually pay me thousands rather than hundreds of dollars
for sales letters, just like I've been told I could get, which made me go into copywriting
in the first place.

Then again, I really like copywriting, so it's all good, and the thousands will come in
due time as I'm getting better and better ;-)

And I AM making a living online, at least sort of. I could do without the ups and downs
and the cliffhangers every few weeks, and I'd really like to increase my overall income
quite a bit, but I think this will happen soon enough.

In fact, I am working on some projects that promise to stabilize things considerably and
hopefully will generate some real growth.

Like one of my friends likes to say, "Never a dull moment!"

Elisabeth

[jbode]

Being successful online does require work, but it's not always hard work.

If you can understand how to use leverage, you can build a great online business and do the bulk of the work just getting everything set up (which may not take long).

And you can spend money in place of using your time.

You must take action - that's a definite must!

[MovingAhead]

How Serious Are You About Internet Marketing?

I'm *super serial* about Internet Marketing. No, really I am!

[SurviveUnemployment]

Bravo! Great post.

I am willing to sacrifice everything but my honor and my health... and my Ferrari.

[gvannorman]

You know I have been toying with of Internet Marketing for quite sometime now. When I say for sometime, I mean just about 1 year. I am reading just about every thread and every post in the forum. Tyring to learn and use as much as I can. I want to be successful and I will do what I have to to reach that level of success that I desire.

So to say I am willing to sacrifice is an understatment in my mind. I will give up my time to make this work for me. I have read many articles of how people learn to make money online with little or no money of their own. I realize that it is possible but the old saying "it takes money to make money" is true in this field as much as it is in any field.

[mikemcmillan]

Thank you all--and I have learned from your comments as well.

Thanks for your tuppence Andy. Aitor--I'm getting fat and pale too. I need more golf! Orator, shifting landscapes can be good unless you've got a beach house in Malibu. Cragar, thanks. You're a Michigan boy--nice plane! Tigers lost again tonight. Going to see them play Twins on the 1st. If you see an over-aged, over-weight, guy in the Pepsi seats in left field while watching TV--and this guy is stealing a home run ball from some little kid--IT MIGHT BE ME. I almost caught one last time!

Melodican, you called me "Sir" and I haven't had anyone do that since I left teaching. It takes me back a way. From now on just call me friend Nice to meet you. WordWizard: Yes, IM is fun and it's nice to interact with cool dudes and dudettes like you. It's easy to feel isolated doing this but I always like to meet people here. We're having a big party at WordWizards place Saturday--FREE BEER. Just kidding, put your car keys down!

Jbode, another MI guy. I tried that skiing thing once. Wasn't real pretty. I do better inside the boat MovingAhead--hi! SurviveUnemployment: but if you ever do get to the point where you will give up the Ferrari give me a PM. I'll take it off your hands KimValerio05: You're new here, welcome!

[mikemcmillan]

gvannorman, you must have hit the submit button a millisecond before me. Didn't mean to leave you out--hi bud!

[bertuseng]

I take it quite seriously and have been busy in the internet marketing industry for about a year now and am still learning a lot. I am still not doing it full time, and I guess I will only start doing it full time when I can actually make more money with it than my full time job.

[Danny Cutts]

Whata great post!!

being serious and deternined is the way I made it online! I busted my balls to get where I am today (just happens to be Darwin)

I have met people on my travels in campsites ect and they just want to know how to make money online and I just know that they have no interest in what they do to get it. They say tell me explain it looks easy!! haha I laugh!!

I spent almost 10 years online, how the hell can I explain what I do over a bowl of noodles and a VB yet people think you can!!

I am deadly serious about how I run my business online and my offline only grew because of my abilities and customer service. Making money is not a joke or a laughing matter! I wake up every day look out the window and am pleased and excited by what I have achieved with my online business after all it is what got me here!

I enjoy my work (if you call it that) I enjoy the fact that if I need extra I can get it I enjoy the fact that I can sit anywhere and build my business!

So going back to the point! sacrifices I made was to take all the BS that people gave me and read between the lines! I worked late night long hours and was call ed allsorts by people to get where I am!

A book my aunty gave me was called "Who Moved my cheese" and this is about stepping across that line! I have never really cared what people think but steppin outside that box is a hard move!

I have a saying and boy do I like sayings! my aunty always told me

"do what you always do, get what you always got"

this has rung in my ears for years and I remind myself constantly! I try and do something different every day to get me closer to my next goal.

Starting online is not an easy option to millions but it has an easier access to make a future better and the doors that can be opened will get you a better life but you have to work!

Good luck all

Danny

[Melodican]

Totally agree with you there Danny mate...

I get that all the time 'How do you make money online ??' from people who you know will quit prematurely and don't really care about being their own boss or having the freedom to travel the world.... The money to them is the carrot in front of the donkey's nose

I'm quite happy to site down and watch peoples face turn a certain shade of green by mentioning 'sequential autoresponders, CPA, PPC, Adwrods, Keyword generation, RSS etc.... You ask them where they have "specilized knowledge" about something and the response is usually 'errrm... I don't really have any, I can do some Yoga'

'Great, why don't you write a book about it' - 'Yeah I suppose I could' *Subliminally meaning, can I be arsed???*

BAM ! Right there you know they don't have the werawithalls to make anything from this, they don't care about the business side, they won't fully investigate IM, they won't stay up until 7:30am because they know they have a product to finish and they won't see past where their next pair of Jimmy Choos are coming from...

Mike, Danny, We are of a special Breed because we are willinf to DO !

Keep it up friends.

:-)

[Danny Cutts]

hehe burning the midnight oil is what makes a difference!

Right I am off for some sleep

Tomorrow is not my day of rest!!

all the best

Danny

[mikemcmillan]

Right on Danny. Ya know, there's something kind of cool about burning the midnight oil while the rest of the world sleeps. Some people think that sounds lonely or secluded. To me it's exciting. I know you know what I mean.

[Alminc]

I like this post. It is true that anybody who wants to make money
on the Internet must be deadly serious about every single project and
every single detail in this business. Without hard work,deep thinking
and consistency there will be no good results.

I would just say that C students don't allways rule the world. I think
you know that. Just some of them, sometimes, happen to be extremely
tallented and become famous. The vast majority of C students live whole
their lives without any considerable success. So I wouldn't glorify them
too much in general.

The case is almost the same with A students.
Only some of them succeed in life 100%.
But in case of an A student, who has both selfdiscipline, strong vision and
strong personality, great deeds are highly predictable and almost inevitable.

Making money on the Internet is NOT simple.
There is much to be studied, correctly understood and worked through
before you can see the light. And even when you understand everything
and know how things need to be done, you have to work like a horse day
and night for years before you can make enough money to be financially
free.

In order to make money on the Internet you must be healthy, intelligent,
focused, fast and persistent. You must like difficulties, complicated
processes, long analysis, experiments, failure. You must possess that
strong desire to know the cause and effect , no matter what.
Otherwise, you can just live in the darkness hoping that someone
else will give you the 'money making formula', buying report after
report, ebook after ebook, course after course, and still feeling
totally lost.

This may sound harsh, but if you have been engaged in Internet
marketing for one whole year or even longer and you are still not
making any money as a result of your own understanding, efforts and
at least one successful project, this business is simply not for you.

But let's say I'm wrong and you want to invest one more year in
internet marketing before you give up. Ok, go for it. Get serious
as suggested by OP and do your best for another 12 months.

One year later...

Are you making money now? If the answer is yes, great, just keep up the
good work. But if your answer is still 'no', hmm...

Best.

[Neil S]

Excellent post!

Sacrifice is the biggest thing I have seen that separates the people who make it in this business and the people who don't.

What lengths are you willing to go to in order to succeed?

Most people are not willing to make those sacrifices and simply like to feel good about the idea of making money online.

People approach it completely wrong. I always tell people you will have to put in a solid 6 months of work before you start making money. So that is 6 months of hard work with very little immediate reward. If you are willing to make those types of sacrifices you have a better shot at making it.

[MasterAAO]

Highly creative, daring, independent thinkers often do not do well in our schools. But these people run the world!

...great post, this was my favorite quote. It takes a lot to get the product or website done, even me it took a lot to get the product done...then there's a whole other side which is promotion (what I'm doing now).

[frankgotgame818]

Lot of great posts that helped me confirm what I've been thinking about my commitment level. What Alminc said really hit home for me.

I'm linking my survival to my IM goals as the survival instinct is extremely powerful. Time for me to leave my comfort zone.

Frank C

[Joseph Park]

Now you're making me guilty...

No seriously, I couldn't agree with you more.
If you work at it as if you're working 9 to 5,
you'll definitely see the different result.

I've been always scattered minded and do
5-6 things at the same time.

Even in internet marketing, I focussed on
5-6 different projects at the same time
and I couldn't make steady income for
many years.

It's always inspiring to listen to someone
like you and get serious AND exciting once
again for what I love to do online.

Thanks Mike.

[Steven Wagenheim]

Readers Digest Version

Are you willing to do what it takes?

Many say yes.

Few follow through.