When Did You Stop Being A Consumer?

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Caper224

So, I ask when did you start seeing through the nonsense?

It was when I started making my first money online during the first year that I discovered and started researching internet marketing (nearly a decade ago).

I had gone to an offline seminar and laid down 4k on an internet business package based on the hype of a hard sell. It made sense... but I had no experience. I had just got online for the first time a few months prior. After buying that package I began to research online and discovered that the IM world offered far superior options for 10% of the cost... essentially I had been sold a package of crappy web builders, overpriced merchant accounts, and tools that were available free on the internet.

I chocked that $4k loss up to education and began thoroughly researching stuff and making a bit of money. About a year later I found the warrior forum which again cut the learning curve. I also started networking and brokering JV and affiliate deals in addition to selling on ebay (which was great practice), affiliate marketing, and running my offline marketing... so I was making decent money.

But when the clouds really cleared was when I started releasing my own products and services... that was the great equalizer. Before that I made money with licensing, resale rights, JV brokering, lead brokering, affiliate marketing and a host of other ways...

Even though I had made significant money online (including having 5 figure days) before I created my first popular product... creating and launching my first product was a total paradigm shift.

I recommend product and service creation to everyone. Sure some people say affiliate marketing is easy... but the fastest way to significant profits is meeting unmet needs or improving on existing offerings in healthy and hungry markets. This also gives you leverage later as an affiliate.

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BenoitT 13 years ago

The day I had no money to buy new course I started applying them and it worked
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Benoit Tremblay
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- Caper224 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by BenoitT
  
  The day I had no money to buy new course I started applying them and it worked
  
  lmao! Amen to that!
  
  Thanks
  
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DudleyDog

13 years ago

I too have never needed to buy any of these products. I found the business model for me - purely by looking. If I can do it, and I have, so can anyone

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Caper224

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Joe.Mc

To be honest I haven't purchased a single IM info product. There isn't any need to, all the information you need to run a legit business is easily obtainable for free on the internet. Perhaps because I worked in fraud for a few years I am more aware of scams etc. but it all still seeemed basic common sense to me that 99% of these "products" were crap.

Wow, have you been able to create a full time income online in this fashion?

Thanks

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BloggingPro

13 years ago

The only things I still "consume" today in the world of internet marketing are backlink resources. I'm not talking about guides on how to get backlinks either. I'm talking about paying for backlinking services.

Sometimes a product might "peak" my interest, but then I remind myself that I need to stay the course--what I'm doing is just fine.

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Mike McAleer

13 years ago

I use free information. There is a lot of it out there.

Besides the occassional WSO, free info is all I need!

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celenco 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Mike McAleer

I use free information. There is a lot of it out there.

Besides the occassional WSO, free info is all I need!

That is so true
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Allen Jooj

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Caper224

You know, I've had an on & off relationship with the IM world since 2008. I can say up until early last year I was one of the most gullible IM browsers out there. Thinking every product luanch was my big break! Lol, I have to laugh when I look back on that. Now, its the reverse. I'm bored with it, I have to be on at least 100 autoresponders of affliates & gurus(my gmail is ridiculous!!!). And, now I see the redundancy. Now, when I purchase something I take joy in counting the seconds before the upsells pops up. Now, when I comb wso's I take joy in counting how many headlines have a "dollar amount made in less than a week," or "page 1 of google in 2 hrs," etc. The IM world is becoming one big infomercial, and we all fall for it.

So, I ask when did you start seeing through the nonsense? When did you look at your credit card balance followed by your online revenue earned an go "am I messing up right now?"

When did you realize you were the pawn covered in the puppet-masters fingerprints? And, when did you decide to take action? Or hang it up? Or whatever you did to cease the madness? And, what would you say to newcomers following in your footsteps?

simple: you want to sell to make money. buying stuff doesnt make money so that wont work. I realized this even before I got into IM:rolleyes:

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Caper224

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Allen Jooj

simple: you want to sell to make money. buying stuff doesnt make money so that wont work. I realized this even before I got into IM:rolleyes:

Your correct, buyers dont make money. But, investors do. Your implying that the age-old business principle "you have to spend money to make money" isn't relevant anymore. However, I beg to differ. I mean can show one example of a major fortune that was made without a penny being spent? You have the entire duration of civilized history to pull from, I'm asking for just one example?

Thanks
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Allen Jooj

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Caper224

Your correct, buyers dont make money. But, investors do.

"buyers" and "investors" are 2 seperate things or did I just "invest" in that pack of gum with a hopeful return of fresh minty breath...

Originally Posted by Caper224

Your implying that the age-old business principle "you have to spend money to make money" isn't relevant anymore.

"you have to spend money to make money" is age old alright...

try this one for the new age aka the age of free information thanks to the internet:

"you have to spin content to make money"

Internet marketing is a way to make money but the problem is it is also one of the most popular niches to make money in AS someone who sells internet marketing related products in the form of "reports" and ebooks. Thats where all these gurus come from and why info products are typically bunk...

Thanks
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Caper224

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Allen Jooj

"buyers" and "investors" are 2 seperate things or did I just "invest" in that pack of gum with a hopeful return of fresh minty breath...

"you have to spend money to make money" is age old alright...

try this one for the new age aka the age of free information thanks to the internet:

"you have to spin content to make money"

Internet marketing is a way to make money but the problem is it is also one of the most popular niches to make money in AS someone who sells internet marketing related products in the form of "reports" and ebooks. Thats where all these gurus come from and why info products are typically bunk...

Lol, this response couldn't have been more irrelevant to my post.

"buyers" and "investors" are 2 seperate things or did I just "invest" in that pack of gum with a hopeful return of fresh minty breath..."

^^^Thats a comical analogy, however I meant it in a more literal sense. There's no real difference. Everyone's a buyer and everyone's an investor. When you purchase something you purchase it because you expect something of more value to you than the money you gave to acquire it. Your bubblegum is only a difference of scale not action, I don't know about you but I don't buy gum at the 7/11 because I enjoy giving the cashier a dollar, I give that dollar because I believe it will return me minty flavor an "minty breathe" lol. Like take the "warriorforum," this great source of "free information" was an investment for its original creator(which I'm sure he/she would agree turned out well). And, I'm sure he/she made that investment expecting it would return a flourishing forum, and abundant monetization opportunity. Both instances a "return" is expected, just one has a bigger expected return than the other.

"try this one for the new age aka the age of free information thanks to the internet:"

"you have to spin content to make money"

Internet marketing is a way to make money but the problem is it is also one of the most popular niches to make money in AS someone who sells internet marketing related products in the form of "reports" and ebooks. Thats where all these gurus come from and why info products are typically bunk..."

^^^I wouldn't agree with defining "Internet Marketing" as spinning content. However, I think you were trying to say you sell info-products in the internet marketing niche but the broken structure of your sentence didn't read that way. Anywho, the internet is a vast marketplace with several revenue streams that have nothing to do with e-content. "AS"<---(Look! I can capitolize for affect too!!!) someone who sells online I can confidently "inform" you that your not going to competently scale up your business (if that's your goal) without making some sort of investment, whether it be outsourcing, automation tools, or whatever it may be. Not one person in "ANY" form of business whether it be internet-based or brick an mortar attain a 7 figure net-worth without spending money. However, if you discover a way to run a "BUSINESS" minus "THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS" please let me know, I'll gladly pay you a consulting fee.

Thanks

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queenbuzzy

13 years ago

I've always thought that "Get Rich Quick" meant the other person was getting rich...not me!

I do love learning, though, and I'm always interested in other people's take on IM. Luckily, I never had enough spare cash lying around to 'invest' in all the programs out there. I had to do research on my own...still do!

Thanks

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davidfstyles

13 years ago

In the first year online I bought a heap of eBooks, video courses, went to countless seminars etc... but it wasn't until I started actually applying the info that I started making sales online. That was a little over 7 years ago and now I'm F/T into IM. Personally I now only purchase offers that I'm looking for... and I always make sure the person that created it has in-the-trenches experience actually doing it. I found being focused like that and avoiding getting distracted was the way forward.

Hope that helps,

David.

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Caper224

13 years ago

Originally Posted by davidfstyles

In the first year online I bought a heap of eBooks, video courses, went to countless seminars etc... but it wasn't until I started actually applying the info that I started making sales online. That was a little over 7 years ago and now I'm F/T into IM. Personally I now only purchase offers that I'm looking for... and I always make sure the person that created it has in-the-trenches experience actually doing it. I found being focused like that and avoiding getting distracted was the way forward.

Hope that helps,

David.

Couldn't have said it better. congrats on going F/T with your IM business. Much success in the future.

Thanks

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mikeroosa

13 years ago

I think people stop buying once they focus and actually start taking action on the products they buy. If you actually take action, you'll probably find something that works and realize you don't need to buy new products as often.

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SeanSupplee

13 years ago

I never stopped nor will I ever. You can always increase what you know and build upon it.

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Caper224 13 years ago

Originally Posted by SeanSupplee

I never stopped nor will I ever. You can always increase what you know and build upon it.

Amen to that!
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AgentHomes

13 years ago

I think you should always consume to increase you knowledge. However the key is to remember the saying "If it's to good to be be true it probably isn't" before you give out your credit card number.

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dking1

13 years ago

Well i think there are a number of junk being sold on the net by IM but i am not sure we can stop buying until you have a grasp of the IM but the thing is the more you learn the less you buy but i must say i am still buying what i think will help.

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ZassarDotCom

13 years ago

i walking with WSO everyday..eventhough i've made some income from the purchased WSO, i always feel there're many secret formula in online business out there that i didn't know yet..i wish i could have all of the WSO..hahaha..

lol, nothing we get..unless we TAKE ACTION!!!

Thanks
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Joe Benjamin

13 years ago

It was in January 2010 (last year).

That was the EXACT month I made a decision to stop reading,
studying, and picking the brains of everybody and start doing.

I cut down on my reading and studying time LESS than half...

and I was DOING 90% of the time then I was CONSUMING.

Prior to this decision I hadn't made any money on the internet
despite having a brain full of knowledge on "how to" stuff...

almost like "magic" I went from making $0 to $1000+ by next
month February.

"Wow". I thought to myself, "Isn't that interesting?".

So, I figured if I took even MORE action I'd get BETTER results.

And I did ( I won't say by how much).

Pretty soon, you learn how POWERFUL applied knowledge is vs.
CONSUMED knowledge.

...and, you discover how much more FUN it is to DO than it is to
just DREAM. It's one thing to dream about what you WANT to
change...it's another when you are SEEING the change...even if
you make a ton of mistakes and fail multiple times - in a sick,
twisted way you enjoy THIS process more than "consumption".

So you do more...

and more...

pretty soon, you're LOOKING for excuses to take action and you
learn that the moment you learn something new, to APPLY it.

Eventually, your fear of "failure" subsides and you look forward
to the next action step - because business IS about experience,
but without action there IS no experience.

I couldn't tell you exactly what made me go from being a book
worm to an "action taker", I just know I made a conscious choice
to "do it" no matter HOW bad I precieve things will get.

Thanks
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Caper224

13 years ago

Originally Posted by WhoIsBenjamin

It was in January 2010 (last year).

That was the EXACT month I made a decision to stop reading,
studying, and picking the brains of everybody and start doing.

I cut down on my reading and studying time LESS than half...

and I was DOING 90% of the time then I was CONSUMING.

Prior to this decision I hadn't made any money on the internet
despite having a brain full of knowledge on "how to" stuff...

almost like "magic" I went from making $0 to $1000+ by next
month February.

"Wow". I thought to myself, "Isn't that interesting?".

So, I figured if I took even MORE action I'd get BETTER results.

And I did ( I won't say by how much).

Pretty soon, you learn how POWERFUL applied knowledge is vs.
CONSUMED knowledge.

...and, you discover how much more FUN it is to DO than it is to
just DREAM. It's one thing to dream about what you WANT to
change...it's another when you are SEEING the change...even if
you make a ton of mistakes and fail multiple times - in a sick,
twisted way you enjoy THIS process more than "consumption".

So you do more...

and more...

pretty soon, you're LOOKING for excuses to take action and you
learn that the moment you learn something new, to APPLY it.

Eventually, your fear of "failure" subsides and you look forward
to the next action step - because business IS about experience,
but without action there IS no experience.

I couldn't tell you exactly what made me go from being a book
worm to an "action taker", I just know I made a conscious choice
to "do it" no matter HOW bad I precieve things will get.

Congrats on your success, keep up the great work

Thanks

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Caper224

13 years ago

I'm loving the diversity of answers, I've always been amazed by the power of perception.

Thanks

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