Do you get that blank stare from friends or family when you tell them what you do?

[Sarah Johnson]

I am fairly new to the Internet Marketing arena, but I have a family member who has been doing copywriting for years. Over the years he has grown his business hugely and has done work with some of the greats, like Michel Fortin, David Garfinkel, and Matt Bacak…

But yet, that blank look that people get when told that he is a copywriter still exists. And now that I am in this business, I really see it. I have had numerous people make comments like, “That is a real job?!?” and “So basically you just surf the web all day…”

...Frustrating.

I am curious if it is just my circle of friends and family that act like this or if there are others out there…

~Mrs. Johnson

[Melody]

I just tell people I am in the technology sector, and 99% of the time they don't take it any further.

But my 72 yr old mother finally caught on to what I do (showed her the nice little check from the sale of a website last summer) and has started bragging to her friends that I work online, from home and shows them my websites when they come over.

It's a hoot since it wasn't that long ago that she was trying to get me to apply at the Post Office for a job.....

Melody

[sanj1611]

i get some people not quite understanding what i do lol

[activetrader]

I rarely tell people what I do. Those who know tell me with sarcasm "Get a job" so I avoid telling people. They think it's some sort of scam from what I found out. Most people don't get it how can one make a living surfing the net. They think you are lazy or something

[OnlineWriter]

I tell people I'm a writer and leave it at that. If I have to elaborate, I'll say copywriter for various companies.

They look at me like I'm a mutant until I tell them I just made $300 between 9-11AM.

[axeray]

I get the blank look all the time.

People try and pigeon hole and don't look further into it.

Stating that you work in the IT industry works a charm.

[keyaziz]

I would take a blank stare over a disapproving/disbelieving stare anyday!

My boyfriends mum keeps telling him to get a job - she always forgets that hes making money online.

[Justin Delahoyde]

Everybody will look at you different. I have some people who laugh at me when i tell them what I do and others who are really interested. as for the comment about the job just tell them that you dont need a job because you are a business owner that will change the idea that many get into their minds.

[molebrain]

My wife gives me a blank stare at whatever I do

[trafficwave]

I get a range of blank stares, looks of confusion, looks of disbelief....

Questions range from ... "So you do those spam emails?" to "You can really make money doing that?". My favorite so far.... "So you send out those 'make your junk bigger' ads?" (And no... we don't).

It's amazing to see how peoples' minds are programmed to thinking in terms of traditional jobs as being "the" way to make a living.

Most people don't think in terms of "creating" (from what I've experienced). They just seem to think in terms of "I need to find some business somewhere that will let me trade a certain number of hours in my life for a particular wage.".

Sad and scary, really.

[Scott Ames]

Originally Posted by molebrain

My wife gives me a blank stare at whatever I do

Must be going around.

[cosmoe1]

What I get from my wife is " are you working on that damn computer again! " wait till she gets home today, I made my first two sales today.

[Sarah Johnson]

Congrats! Hope they keep coming.

[FrankMcLoughlin]

Originally Posted by cosmoe1

What I get from my wife is " are you working on that damn computer again! " wait till she gets home today, I made my first two sales today.

Congrats cosmoe1!

Sweet vindication...there's nothing like it!

[ThalesMM]

Yes they do, and they also say "stop dreaming"...
My friends doesn't consider it a job, they say I'm not doing anything, just sitting on my butt all day long...and night too... it's harsh... haha

[Justin Delahoyde]

well when the day comes and we are here "sitting on our butts" making more the all of them combined they will soon start to rethink where their words were placed.

[MouseandMice]

Originally Posted by Sarah Johnson

I am fairly new to the Internet Marketing arena, but I have a family member who has been doing copywriting for years. Over the years he has grown his business hugely and has done work with some of the greats, like Michel Fortin, David Garfinkel, and Matt Bacak…

But yet, that blank look that people get when told that he is a copywriter still exists. And now that I am in this business, I really see it. I have had numerous people make comments like, “That is a real job?!?” and “So basically you just surf the web all day…”

...Frustrating.

I am curious if it is just my circle of friends and family that act like this or if there are others out there…

~Mrs. Johnson

They normally ask me if I am the one who spams, or if I sell porn.

It gets irritating, so now I just say I sell drugs.

The trick is to do it with an extremely straight face

[VulcanMan750]

I just tell them that I make websites for other people. And if they ask me to make one for them, I just say that I'm to busy right now.

Works for me.

[Rod Cortez]

I still get blank stares......probably should stop telling people I'm a drug dealer.

RoD

[Jason Ashton]

Yeah most people have absolutely no idea what internet marketing is, but once I explain it they usually get it.

[Thomas Belknap]

Yes, but it could be because I was naked when I told them.

[Sarah Johnson]

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas.

I will have to come up with something more intriguing and exciting sounding than copywriting.

[Aging]

You'll continue to get the blank stare until it's obvious that you're making a lot of money doing something. Then the blank stares turn into looks of envy and curiosity......

[molebrain]

hehe....make your junk bigger! hehhe...trafficwave, you made me fallout of my chair! hehe

[drgreg]

Content writing is my "evening" job. What started as a passion has become a part time career along with my other IM activities.

I do not tell people what I do in the evenings. Family, friends and a few patients know that I am a "health writer" but they look at it more as my hobby than a serious source of income.

I can only imagine what people would say if I did tell them that I am thinking of doing this for a living someday. I don't think anybody needs to know. After all, I have heard my receptionist refer to herself as my personal assistant. And a sales girl at our local pharmacy was trying to convince people that she is a dispensary assistant and was even reccommend drugs to customers (verbally).

So when the day comes that I decide to do this full time, I am going to think up some fancy title. Not that I am doing it to cover up my activities. But I learnt that if it confuses them sufficiently, they feel too "silly" to ask "what's that?"

Anyway, it is always those few irritating associates, family members or neighbors who have that condescending tone when they ask about your online career. I have learnt to respond with wit and sometimes a little bit of sarcasm at how little they know about the world. It appears to keep them away from the topic in future conversations.

[yuyuan]

Some of my relatives and friends do give me that blank stare when I told them i am an internet marketer... even when they know I do have a physical business, they are still not convinced.

I guess that it is very common when we are doing something that is not the norm.

[JAIDEEP2959]

My friends and relatives don't believe that one can become millionaire from Internet marketing. They give blank look many times.

[jhongren]

Making money off the web is not common
even in the technology-savvy society of
Singapore.

Most see Internet as just a portal
to surf when you have the time to
spare.

Now I just tell my relatives I have an online
business which sell things online.

That's it.

John

[valerieSONORA]

I know that stare very well LOL
Kind of a confused stare like you just spoke in another language.

[PlayedaBlinder]

I often get " so how does that work then?" Well learn all about IM over the course of three to four years, testing and tweaking, by which time a drop of saliva is usually running down their chin!.........
Mike

[trafficwave]

These days, when people have known me a while, they start to ask about it a little more ... "So, how do you make money doing that?" or "Is that something you can teach me to do?" and so on.

Those conversations are MUCH more fun.

[Stephen Clark]

Yes, I rarely have anyone who actually understands what I do. I get a lot of the same off th wall questions like "you mean you sell stuff on eBay?", or "so, you build websites?". The list of questions goes on an on.

I enjoy telling people what I do. I actually find it amusing and comical. Once in a great while I have someone actually really inquire about it and ask if I can teach them. I always enjoy that.

But definitely don't be ashamed or embarrassed by what you do. be proud! It is those of us that are willing to think outside the box that end up becoming financially independent.

[Stephen Clark]

Originally Posted by cosmoe1

What I get from my wife is " are you working on that damn computer again! " wait till she gets home today, I made my first two sales today.

Just wanted to say congrats! Keep going!

[Jessica Lynn]

I dread having to explain to people what I do for a living.

I don't quite get blank stares because of working on the internet - I get them because I work for myself on the internet. Most people that I run into just can't believe that you don't need a "real job" to make money. I feel that being self-employed makes me an oddity.

People always question how long it could possibly last, as if working for an employer is somehow more secure.