True life example of IM success.

13 replies
So I first started looking at IM online marketing almost 15 years ago. My Dad was involved in MLM and never made any money...in fact he threw away a lot of money. But he financed one guy under him in a company he was working and that guy went on to make $70,000 a month last time I talked to him.

The problem was my Dad had dropped out before that. LOL. I tried the company and I didn't like some of the BS that is typical in MLM, so i dropped out.

Meantime I'd been reading about online marketing, and I'd already done a ton of research and had some experience in mail order marketing.

I'd read the best thing to sell online was information, and vitamins. Ironically the company I'd just quit was a vitamin company. And at the time I wanted nothing to do with MLM. In fact I'd vowed to never get involved with one again.

This led me to look at my offline business as a potential info product. The problem is my offline business is not something you can write an ebook about and someone actually learn it. I have a mobile body shop. (that's the easiest way to described it.)

I'm not saying I couldn't write about it and sell the product, just the person buying that won't learn the skill without hands on training.

I didn't want to sell something that I couldn't stand behind.

So I racked my brain and one day I started thinking of an idea. There was one service I offered that was pretty easy even a layman could do with the right "guide".

As I thought about the "guide" I could write I realized that it wouldn't be much good, because for someone to perform this service, they'd need products they couldn't buy in a small quantity and since I already stocked everything they'd need to perform this service, my "guide" turned into a "Kit".

I put my Kit on eBay and it was an instant success. In fact I took a few months off from work the first year.

This was probably 2005, we'd put online the first...and I mean THE FIRST headlight restoration kit. We sold that thing for 3 solid years for a nice extra income.

This was an awesome experience. I learned a lot from it...one...when you are talking about a niche...if it is too narrow, your success will be also.

The best thing I took away though, is the knowledge I could do it!!!! My dream is not a dream! I can make money at home from my computer. My wife and I took our first vacation that year. We went to the mountains in NC. We made money while on vacation....that's something no one can take away! It was our first vacation because my offline business doesn't allow me to be off.

I also, learned the importance of being able to upsell. If you don't have any other product, you cannot sell something to your existing customers, many of whom bought out kit more than once for other cars!

Finally, the big names shut us down...3M, Maguires, and every other car chemical product has a headlight restoration kit now. We could no longer compete, so I shut it down! Of the thousands of Kits we sold I managed to maintain 100% positive feedback!

So now I've found a MLM company I like and I'm starting it all over again.

Now I have a kid, and that really throws a monkey wrench into trying to work my offline business and getting the online thing off the ground. But I manage to find time, and it's gotten easier as I make progress going forward.

But here's the best thing that happened from all this. I've always wanted to work form home. Now I have first hand experience of making it happen from the beginning to end.

I was telling a friend, "I know I can do this now because I HAVE DONE it." Even though it was on a small scale, it doesn't matter, because I did what many people only dream about!

Many of whom never take the next step!

So hopefully this story inspires people trying to work this dream too!

And thank you to those who give lots of beneficial information that helps people like me make it happen!!!
#life #success #true
  • Profile picture of the author C G
    Nice story.

    Thanks for the share.

    Persistence is key.

    Cheers,

    C.G.
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  • Profile picture of the author Angshuman Dutta
    That's definitely inspiring. Good post.

    I just wanted to mention that it's a big mistake to put all your eggs in the same basket. I hope you already realized that and are going to use the learning in future.

    The sad tructh is if something is born it has a lifecycle and will die some day. Diversification is the key.

    Best of luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author jazzd1
    Very nice post.. Keep it up man and wish you the best in the future! BTW- I live in the mountains of NC..
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    • Profile picture of the author Clausenlt
      Originally Posted by jazzd1 View Post

      Very nice post.. Keep it up man and wish you the best in the future! BTW- I live in the mountains of NC..

      Awesome...we went to Boone...I grew up in Morehead City. Now live in Jacksonville, Florida....

      Thanks for all the nice comments. I definitely learned my lesson on putting everything in one basket.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Sultan
    Very motivating OP. Keep up the good work!
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  • Profile picture of the author skyro
    Great post and congratulations to your success. It just goes to show with determination and action you can make it work.
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  • Profile picture of the author XponentSYS
    Instead of joining an MLM, why not create one?

    You've "done" products before with your headlight kit..... and you grew up around MLM.

    Why not create a line of products with mass appeal and then setup an MLM company to sell them?

    It's not for the faint of heart and its a ton of work but done right.... the wealth an the speed in which it arrives can be quite startling and life changing.

    I did that when I was young and screwed up 90 percent of it. Even inspite of myself getting in my own way, I managed to set myself up with quite a respectable net worth.
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    • Profile picture of the author Clausenlt
      Originally Posted by XponentSYS View Post

      Instead of joining an MLM, why not create one?

      You've "done" products before with your headlight kit..... and you grew up around MLM.

      Why not create a line of products with mass appeal and then setup an MLM company to sell them?

      It's not for the faint of heart and its a ton of work but done right.... the wealth an the speed in which it arrives can be quite startling and life changing.

      I did that when I was young and screwed up 90 percent of it. Even inspite of myself getting in my own way, I managed to set myself up with quite a respectable net worth.
      I've thought about that....maybe one day.

      The company I'm in I really believe in. I'm very much into medical nutrition, and it's something I can write about and do. I really like the owner etc.

      What I am working on I think will be a game changer for MLM'ers. I'm creating a marketing membership website...something I believe will actually be turn key and not just something MLM'ers say!
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      • Profile picture of the author XponentSYS
        Originally Posted by Clausenlt View Post

        .......I really like the owner etc.......

        What I am working on I think will be a game changer for MLM'ers. I'm creating a marketing membership website...something I believe will actually be turn key and not just something MLM'ers say!
        You know the owner AND you're creating a marketing membership?

        Is it a membership that teaches people how to be successful with the MLM?

        If so, are you and the owner doing a JV where your membership is bundled with the MLM program?

        In other words, does EVERYONE who joins the program, also get a membership?

        If so, that's a good deal for you if your membership has a monthly fee. That could also be a great way to create a substantial income.

        I do t want to seem to be flying a "me too" flag but I actually STILL have a membership that was done that way in medical via a JV. To this day, it throws off about 20k a month.

        If you're NOT doing this...... you may want to consider this.
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        • Profile picture of the author Clausenlt
          Originally Posted by XponentSYS View Post

          You know the owner AND you're creating a marketing membership?

          Is it a membership that teaches people how to be successful with the MLM?

          If so, are you and the owner doing a JV where your membership is bundled with the MLM program?

          In other words, does EVERYONE who joins the program, also get a membership?

          If so, that's a good deal for you if your membership has a monthly fee. That could also be a great way to create a substantial income.

          I do t want to seem to be flying a "me too" flag but I actually STILL have a membership that was done that way in medical via a JV. To this day, it throws off about 20k a month.

          If you're NOT doing this...... you may want to consider this.
          LOL I said I really like the owner, I don't know him. He has a radio show. But I do have some pretty good connections inside the company going all the way to the top, and once I roll out what I am working on I'm pretty confident I can recruit the whole company into my marketing. LOL...Well maybe not the whole company! haha.

          What I am trying to do, and this has and is undergoing revisions, is create a membership site that is free for people who decide to join under me. For everyone else it will be a paid membership.

          What I am working on is, creating a website that teaches people how to set up a website, how to create the right kind of content for that site and to drive traffic to it, and more importantly, I want to teach them how to teach people they recruit to do the same!

          As I said, this is a work in progress, but that is the basic outline.

          I've recorded over a dozen audio's for my first video, and they keep getting refined. It's how I work. One thing I learned though with the headlight kit, is, at some point you have to pull the trigger and make changes later if need be...and we did, a lot of changes.

          Maybe we can talk more, I'd love to exchange ideas.

          I have another advantage too...my wife has a degree in graphic design, so that helps!
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        • Profile picture of the author Denise Patton
          Thanks for sharing your story! It's really inspirational. I think you've done what some many aspiring here would like to, and that's experience the sweet taste of success. There's a great lesson in what you've shared. You were principled in your choice of product to sell.

          Yes you were first to market, but you had a product you were knowledgeable about, you knew that it worked, and were therefore confident in selling it to others. I believe applying that same integrity going forward will lead you down the same path of success.

          Best wishes!
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          • Profile picture of the author Clausenlt
            Originally Posted by Denise Patton View Post

            Thanks for sharing your story! It's really inspirational. I think you've done what some many aspiring here would like to, and that's experience the sweet taste of success. There's a great lesson in what you've shared. You were principled in your choice of product to sell.

            Yes you were first to market, but you had a product you were knowledgeable about, you knew that it worked, and were therefore confident in selling it to others. I believe applying that same integrity going forward will lead you down the same path of success.

            Best wishes!

            Thanks Denise...I am really am glad this story gives people inspiration...I tried to make it short but there is a lot more to it, I didn't want to bore people with too many details.

            Interestingly, there is something I can add to this that's pretty note worthy. When we first started selling, there was a guy on eBay selling something similar. He claimed we were infringing on his patent to eBay, and got my product removed. We went to a patent attorney and after a couple months figured out what forms we had to submit, and got back on eBay.

            Our "competitor" had lots and lots of negative feedback for his crap, that didn't work and was a complete joke...as are everything else on the market now, even the ones that got me shut down!

            In any case we sold our product after that for 3 1/2 years!
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  • Profile picture of the author James 0
    Thank you for inspiring people with your story.

    Hope you have success in the future!
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