I believe this is the main reason why most people fail at IM

81 replies
First of all, I think it's important that most people understand that Internet Marketing is incredibly difficult if you don't have the correct attitude and mindset.They need to know that failing is a big part of this job and it's something that cannot be avoided.

For example, if I have 15 campaigns or niches out there, I would expect half of them to fail. I give them a certain amount of time to see if they convert, and if they don't I just scrap them and ramp up the converting ones. This is very difficult for many people to understand and with just about any method or system that they use they will come across this problem and need to know how to correctly handle it.

I was at daytrader for many years so this type of mentality was not very difficult for me to understand because trading is simply a probabilities game.
However, I'm surprised at how many people do not have this attitude and why some coaches do not teach this. I think it's because it's not an appealing reality for too many people out there and hence it would not sell well.

Jeremy Kelsall, talked about the importance of failing such as i described above in a webinar once, and it has stuck with me ever since.

Any thoughts on this topic anyone?

Thanks,
Constantine
#fail #main #people #reason
  • Profile picture of the author wsocreations
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Louviere
      I agree with you on that.

      There are lots of reasons marketers fail. Many many reasons in my opinion. Most of them are mindset based though. Most of the reasons marketers fail are the same reasons most people fail at achieving things in general... especially in business.

      For example, most people fail because they have a crappy ability to focus on one thing consistently for a long period of time. One's ability to LASER focus on one thing for a long period of time will get much better at that one thing, right?

      Lets say traffic with PPC as an example...

      One who focuses on that for a long period of time would get good at it eventually right? If someone ONLY focused on that one thing would eventually get good, real good at it.

      If someone is REAL good at PPC, can you deny they would have an ability to make good money online?

      But, that does not happen for 98% of marketers. They do not LASER focus on any one thing at all. They are all over the place actually. They focus on PPC one day for an hour and then focus on articles the next day for an hour. The following day they focus on press releases and in the evening they focus on twitter. They do this for years.

      Sometimes decades.

      They bounce from one distraction to the next, for years. And then, they wonder where the money is hiding. The money is hiding in your ability to focus on one thing consistently for a long period of time. The techniques and methods for making bundles of cash online are abundant. People's abilities to focus on one thing is not abundant.

      My two cents

      ~Eric
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      • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
        Originally Posted by Eric Louviere View Post

        ........Lets say traffic with PPC as an example...

        One who focuses on that for a long period of time would get good at it eventually right? If someone ONLY focused on that one thing would eventually get good, real good at it.

        If someone is REAL good at PPC, can you deny they would have an ability to make good money online? .............
        So true. When I first got started with PPC it took me a good 2 1/2 months to really get it to a point where I was making a profit. It took me another couple of months to really get it to the point where I could duplicate my efforts in other niches and scale it up. FOCUS, testing, tracking, tweaking, and persistence goes a long way. So does all the red bulls and monsters that I consumed too......

        RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Bard
    What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

    1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

    2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

    3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

    4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

    5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

    6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

    7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

    Matt
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Langham
      Originally Posted by Matt Maiden View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result becomes victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt
      Hey Matt

      This is an excellent post, I have not seen it laid out like this before, but you are spot on. How ever much people want it, smetimes we are simply not cut out to be an entrepreneur.

      The lack of self confidence is key, I have seen people so full of BS , who lack real talent make it in several walks of life. One guy even told me 'fake it till you make it ' - he is very wealthy now.

      Maybe you can add also 'The inabaility to "take action".'
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    • Profile picture of the author sylviad
      Originally Posted by Matt M View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt
      I think that in this business, it's easy to "work" but get little done. At the end of the day, you sit and wonder, "what did I do today?" For people who try to do it all themselves, tasks take up too much time to actually accomplish enough of the right things. This pretty much fits your #5.

      For some, this can be procrastination. For others, it can simply be too much work and too little day.

      In both cases, the effort goes into activities that do not make money.
      Recently, I was reading someone's wise words about internet marketing. He said that you should ask yourself, "Is this activity making me money?" If it is not, you're supposed to drop it and do something that will make money.

      Every day, you should be doing something to market your business, but how many of us don't "get around to it" as often as that?

      In the end, the key is knowing how to market effectively and frequently/continuously. Forget all the other little things that take up your day until after you get the marketing done.

      It seems that some people do not fully comprehend what it takes to succeed. They do not know how much is enough. They do some marketing over a few weeks or a month and when the results don't come, they give up. Not sure why that is, but it could be because they are deluded by success stories that do not divulge the exact amount of work that actually went on behind the scenes.

      This is why you hear so many marketers asking what someone did to achieve their success. Are they looking for actual steps or an idea of what it takes to make it happen so they can better understand what to expect in their own efforts? Probably both.

      Sylvia
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    • Profile picture of the author linkbeasts
      Originally Posted by Matt M View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt

      Left one out that's all to common in todays world...... fear if success , the type of success that goes against what we well what most of are taught growing up to succeed you go to college , get a 9 - 5 job , pay off the student loans and retire at 65.... we are taught that self employment is " to risky " " people who do that fail " " online work doesn't work " the list goes on and on..... some people who try this want to succeed but set themselves up for failure by having to many fears and self doubts...some people fear the very thing they are trying to attain..... success / freedom / self empowerment.

      Think about it.... how many of you have told your family " I am working online " and got bad responses ? Negative words from those we care about most cut the deepest.
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      • Profile picture of the author TelegramSam
        Most people "fail" because they aren't willing to do what it takes to succeed.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joe Benjamin
      Originally Posted by Matt M View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt
      Matt, I loved it.

      I think everyone goes through these variou stages in their career...

      The trick is sticking through it all, learning from the experience, and
      moving forward.

      After one or two of these, I understand why people give up.

      My biggest one was number #3.

      I just recently over came that though, and had my first few double
      digit days so easily, it's almost as if it never happened. It just goes
      into my bank and paypal accounts.

      I'm no longer afraid to give of myself, make alot of money, and serve
      alot of people. I'm much more confident.

      Everyone has their own hang ups.

      For some they have tons of confidence, but follow the pipe dream...

      and other mixes.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheGraduate
      Originally Posted by Matt M View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt

      It is really not that complicated. Business is a numbers's game, you need money to make money. Any person with a decent amount of money in the bank, and the right staff in his company will make money in online marketing. Online marketing is not rocket science. Of course, no guru is going to tell you: "I had millions in the bank, and I did not know anything about online marketing, I recruited a team of knowledgeable people in the field, paid them money to work for me, and I was in profit within days" (I am not saying that is the case with 80% of successful online marketers, but trust me those are out there) what most gurus are going to tell you is that you can make money by slowly building a list of buyers one by one etc..(it is the trick of the trade)

      Do you think that Jeff's shortcuts belong to a "mortal"?

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  • Profile picture of the author ExpertWriter
    Well said, you have to be willing to fail, to succeed. I think (and it's said all around here all the time), that you have to stick with one niche, and work with it for a while. You can't expect miracles to happen over night.
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    Very well put Matt.
    I truly believe now that psychology is probably the most important aspect of IM. The two big traits to have is drive (persistence) and to be a risk taker. And, its not hard to be a risk taker in this field because you dont need to risk too much money, but you do need to risk a great deal of time. Which i guess not everybody has, but if they manage their time correctly, im sure they would be very surprised with their results.
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  • Profile picture of the author Slin
    I think this is partially true.

    I just don't get how you guys can run so many campaigns at a time. I myself work at one until I make a profit.

    Or until a month goes by and I'm ready to die.
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  • Profile picture of the author miked
    Great post and great question.

    The sheer amount of information and the "geekiness" is what trapped me. I have chased many rabbits down many holes.

    I am starting to see money and the light at the end of the tunnel, because I quit jumping from strategy to strategy. I am focused on building 5 websites using the same strategy. And then drive traffic. If one works ok I'll keep and sell the rest. And keep doing it until I can do this in my sleep.

    My advice out there for those who have been "at this" for too long and no income...Stop buying stuff. Select one money making method and stay at it until it works or you die.

    My two cents.

    Again. Great post.

    Mike D.
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    • Profile picture of the author BillyBee
      Originally Posted by miked View Post

      Great post and great question.

      The sheer amount of information and the "geekiness" is what trapped me. I have chased many rabbits down many holes.

      I am starting to see money and the light at the end of the tunnel, because I quit jumping from strategy to strategy. I am focused on building 5 websites using the same strategy. And then drive traffic. If one works ok I'll keep and sell the rest. And keep doing it until I can do this in my sleep.

      My advice out there for those who have been "at this" for too long and no income...Stop buying stuff. Select one money making method and stay at it until it works or you die.
      Mike, this post resonated with me. I have just sent you a PM asking you what sort of strategy you are using, thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author VeitSchenk
      there's a really important point Mike makes here:

      I was once at a Brian Tracy seminar and he said something
      along these lines: the successful try something at least 10
      times before *deciding* whether this is something they can
      succeed at.

      Then he added one more thing -- and I can only tell from
      personal experience, that this is the key:

      do not try the same friggin' thing 10 times. Try the same
      concept, but each time you fail, stop for a second, figure
      out WHY it failed, and then try a different angle.

      just bumping a WSO that didn't sell anything the first time
      round won't (in all likelihood) give it better sales the next
      time.

      just setting up 10 blogs all the same in different niches
      isn't the answer. Yes, some niches are just not working,
      but try within that niche 10 times, learn at each step,
      then decide whether it's really a dud.

      the knowledge you acquire using this approach
      is worth its weight in gold. You are now one of the
      very few who can make money in niches where others
      don't, simply because they didn't make it "by sheer luck".

      Just as a little side-note (going back to Mike's remark
      regarding buying stuff): have a look at what sells
      in the WSO section!

      it's all the hyped-up "ninja", "magic bullet" stuff.
      then go to all those threads where newbies ask
      for advice: "hey, I've got all these hops and nobody
      is buying my stuff" (and I've been at this for 2 years,
      ah, and yes, I have 3 gazillion courses)

      what the heck?

      ....

      Cheers

      Veit

      PS: and yes, I agree, excellent thread! Thanks for starting it!


      Originally Posted by miked View Post

      Great post and great question.

      The sheer amount of information and the "geekiness" is what trapped me. I have chased many rabbits down many holes.

      I am starting to see money and the light at the end of the tunnel, because I quit jumping from strategy to strategy. I am focused on building 5 websites using the same strategy. And then drive traffic. If one works ok I'll keep and sell the rest. And keep doing it until I can do this in my sleep.

      My advice out there for those who have been "at this" for too long and no income...Stop buying stuff. Select one money making method and stay at it until it works or you die.

      My two cents.

      Again. Great post.

      Mike D.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nocatchm
      Originally Posted by miked View Post

      Great post and great question.

      The sheer amount of information and the "geekiness" is what trapped me. I have chased many rabbits down many holes.

      I am starting to see money and the light at the end of the tunnel, because I quit jumping from strategy to strategy. I am focused on building 5 websites using the same strategy. And then drive traffic. If one works ok I'll keep and sell the rest. And keep doing it until I can do this in my sleep.

      My advice out there for those who have been "at this" for too long and no income...Stop buying stuff. Select one money making method and stay at it until it works or you die.
      Mike D, I am so glad to hear something like this.
      It gives quite a few messages.
      That you can try to do too much with all the information. Focus on one method. It takes time to get there but you can and will if you stick at it. That is where I need to go. Great stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    I believe that this mindset is ESPECIALLY important if one engages in PPC or PPV/Media Buys advertising. I'm still surprised to this day at the majority of people who expect all their advertising to be glorious home runs that result in profits almost immediately! I think the day trading analogy is especially apt here, because when you put out all those campaigns and keywords out there, only a small percentage will turn out to be profitable, and the key is to cut your losses when appropriate on the losing ones so that you have an overall winning selection of campaigns/keywords! It's just like trading stocks, and you have to lose and cut your losses before you can end up winning, but I find so many people either unwilling or unable to accept this methodology. I suppose this is why there are so few people who actually get successful with their PPV/Media Buys and PPC!
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    Fail Forward Faster.
    I cant remember who i heard this from, but it seems to be something that i try to live by in just about any area of life.
    In IM its great to fail faster so you can cut your losses quicker, to then work on the few niches or campaigns that are going well.
    This goes hand in hand with what Big Mike said about the only success is not trying at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Igor Kheifets
    Gussyboy,

    I think it's because everyone's looking
    for the Magic Bullet, instead of seeking
    growth.

    But I do agree with you that failing is important
    part of IM and business success in general and we
    all need to get used to it.

    It's uncomfortable to admit that you're a failure, but all
    it takes is just a shift in one's paradigm to see failure
    for what it really is-a lesson. A valuable lesson.

    Igor
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  • Profile picture of the author gtt
    Very nice topic!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Gerry
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  • Profile picture of the author barryleed
    It's a canned answer, but succeeding is just getting up one more time than you get knocked down and then learning from your mistakes and not repeating them and thus, experiencing growth in your life or business as it may be, and continuing to put one foot in front of the other and walk forward. Personally I think that FEAR is the main motivator behind failure and for all those excuses why one cannot succeed.

    I too like Matt's bulleted explanations above for failure. Thanks Matt!

    Barry
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
    Originally Posted by gussyboy View Post

    For example, if I have 15 campaigns or niches out there, I would expect half of them to fail. I give them a certain amount of time to see if they convert, and if they don't I just scrap them and ramp up the converting ones. This is very difficult for many people to understand and with just about any method or system that they use they will come across this problem and need to know how to correctly handle it.
    There are many reasons why people do not reach their goals (failure) among the prime reasons is that people do npt have defined goals and so flounder around. Eric mentioned focus, but something comes before that: Target!

    Without something upon which to focus the laser is merely a pointer.

    Directly in response to your point I'd say NO, you are not right.
    In the hend you want to do 'something' that attains your goals. You need to find what the 'something' is. Some folks will sit down and look at their resources and abilities and then see how to leverage their attributes to find a means to reach the goal. Other people will say 'lets try this' and chuck stuff at a wall and see what sticks, then they chuck more of the same stuff at the wall.
    Both methods are research processes and neither method is guaranteed to enable the business person to attain their goals.

    Personally I have done better by analysing the market, looking at how to add value and working from there than by chucking stuff at the wall. I understand that both extremes can work but I'd not advise anyone to do it because apart from anything else it wastes every other resource one has at a furious rate.

    In day trading the situation is a tad different, you are working in the very short term and liquidating daily. The margin per trade is tight. It'd be hard, IMHO to call day trading a business, it is just a way to earn money.
    A question I'd ask of you is this: If day trading was so effective for you why are you now doing this malarkey?
    That you are here kinda suggests that what you learned from day tradiing did not work too well because I know that one can earn very good money from it.

    Bottom line, if I am confident in my skills and my results matches my confidence then I know I can work on a small number of projects and expect each to be profitable. I do not need to waste time and money on rubbish and each project upon which I work can be 'better' in whatever terms I describe 'better'.

    So, learn to focus by finding your true goals and then focus on moving toward those goals by marshalling one's resources into ventures that will effectively move one toward ones clearly stated goals.

    Think of a war situation, where resources must be carefully controlled and victory often depends upon the superior control of resources...
    Where does success tend to come from? A diffuse push along a whole front line as happened in WW1 with hundreds of thousands as casualties for advances of a feet, or more focussed attacks upon a clearly defined goal as per D-Day in WW2 or even Hiroshima/Nagasaki - focus to the max.

    I have one niche, I chose it soon after chooing to enter this business and I have profitably stuck with it ever since. It was the product of research and an assay of my resources combined with a clear understanding of what my goals were.

    Success in business is the product of clear definition of goals, followed by insightful analysis of appropriate marketing research and application of the knowedge gained from research to profitably place a product that is desired by the target market as defined in the original research.

    Kinda similar to the classical definition of what marketing is.
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    Hi Andrew

    I was going well in daytrading, and did it for about 5 years. I traded the index futures exclusively.

    Then a few months before the big crash a couple of years ago, i noticed the markets acting very odd, then came the crash and the volume was sucked out of the futures so our system was shot. Without volume, most of the indicators or virtually worthless.

    Anyways, i dont want to get into the fine details, but to make a long story short, i had a great edge and once it was taken from me i left. Our systems were virtually worthless and will be until the volume is back. So i got into IM and i really enjoy it.

    However, i just wanted to make the point that this job is not easy and the proper mindset is essential for succeeding in this far more than is mentioned.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
    gussyboy, thanks for that, I udnerstand what you mean about the day trading thing and it tends to reinforce my thoughts that it is an income stream and not a business. I have built assets that I can make money from or liquidate, the business is not maniifested entirely in my daily ongoing activity.

    Yes it is not easy, there are reasons why so many fail at 'internet marketing' and yes, it is largely about mindset. The technical stuff is dead easy in comparison to the 'running the business' stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    gussyboy, I know of at least one big internet marketer (Matt Trainer) who used to be a day trader, and he has compared CPA marketing using PPV/Media Buys to day trading. It is very similar in concept, and when you're a big fish in the CPA world your profits are as liquid, if not more, than the futures market, as you can get paid 2 or even 3 times a week from the networks - bear in mind that this only occurs if you send them a humongous volume of traffic, the average guy will be able to get paid once a week or so with decent volume.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ashley Skuse
    I'm glad to see people pointing this out. It is probably the most important thing to know. I've been building upon my mistakes for almost a year now and it's only now that I'm seeing some income online.
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    Yes Paulie, i can see the similarity between cpa with media buys and ppv and daytrading also. It involves risk analysis, probabilities, and having some good capital to make some decent money in it. It can be a big players game but definitely not made for everyone.

    But even doing seo work and article marketing, or bum marketing alone still needs the right mindset.
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  • Profile picture of the author BonganiS
    I agree with your viewpoint. The right mindset is key. One's attitude sets the limit of where he or she can reach. That is why it is important to be persistent and be flexible as you learn from others for good ideas to succeed in business.

    It is a good business practice to change strategies that do not deliver for ones that work. That leads to success.


    Elphas
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  • Profile picture of the author mike32503
    Excellent stuff. I have been chasing rabbits way to long and I do agree on one thing. Do your homework, find 1 plan and work the daylights out of it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marketstriker
      Originally Posted by mike32503 View Post

      Excellent stuff. I have been chasing rabbits way to long and I do agree on one thing. Do your homework, find 1 plan and work the daylights out of it.
      To have a plan is necessary. The thing is that plan must be mixed with desire to achieve the goal. In this way when your plan fails desire helps you create another better one.
      Talking about people with the mindset that doesn't allow them to achieve their goals. I think the best thing every of us can do for them is to constantly inspire them and grow the self confidence.
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    • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
      Originally Posted by mike32503 View Post

      Excellent stuff. I have been chasing rabbits way to long and I do agree on one thing. Do your homework, find 1 plan and work the daylights out of it.
      Yes, it is also very important to not try and over-diversify.

      Do not try to jump over to many fences because one of these days you are gonna wind up with a picket up your butt. - Old Greek Saying
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  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    Since we agree that people fail because of their mindset, here is something I've heard and seen many people say that almost guarantees they will fail.

    They say..

    "I will try"

    In "Think and Grow Rich," Napoleon Hill states that merely "trying" is basically a set up for ultimate and guaranteed failure.

    He goes very deep into the mindset of using the word "try" by saying that when you say you are trying, that's all that will happen...and success will never come if all you are doing is trying.

    So next time you say you will try, hopefully you have read this post, and more importantly, will read Think and Grow Rich (again if you've already read it) and you will no longer use that damaging word.

    Words are powerful. Everything starts with a thought.

    People sabotage themselves without even realizing it.

    Make better use of your thoughts and your words.

    - Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author miked
    And just a thought about effort and time and education and training....

    I spent 4 years as a college student with very little money in my pockets... and another 2 years as a grad student with very little money in my pockets... I worked summers in construction making just a little over minimum wage...

    So let's see, 6 years of my life....thousands and thousands of dollars in costs from tuition and books and lab fees and rent and food...

    All in the hope (not promise) of a job...

    And I eventually did get a job after grad school... making at that time a little over $20,000 per year.... whoopee!

    Why do we work that hard and delay gratification for a j-o-b? And when we come to IM, why is it suddenly different? Why do we think we deserve instant (less than one month doing IM) success?

    An employee shows up at a business and expects to get paid for his or her time.

    The small business owner on the other hand, may work and work for years before really seeing fruits of their labor....

    We have been trained in schools to be good employees.

    Schools for the most part, do not train you to have the mind set of an entrepreneur or small business owner. That we have to learn and discover for ourselves.

    And the Warrior Forum is a great place to get this new education.

    -Mike D.
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    • Profile picture of the author sailor4528
      Mike

      Sorry couldn't pm you not enough posts - I couldn't access first of your signature links (yes...people do click on them)!
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
    I see many people here and in other threads and forums about 'internet marketing' or making money writing words to the effect of 'never give up' 'don't stop' etc etc.

    This, believe it or not is not good advice!

    I have been supporting myself in various forms of business for almost 30 years. Sometimes I, a long time ago have been dirt poor sometimes pretty well off. A few years ago I was well enough off to be able to sell my business and go to university for five years. Not rich but did not do so badly.

    The thing is that over the years I did many things, some things did well but some things did not. If I had carried on doing what I was doing in some of my business activities I'd probably not be alive today.

    The trick as some, more honest, entrepreneurs will tell is not to never give up but to learn WHEN to GIVE UP!
    Learn when to cut your losses, learn when to look at something new (or relook at something old)

    To be sucessful at anything one needs to identify a core purpose to one's life and then to set everything one does against that purpose. Then, when whatever we are doing does not serve that purpose we should seek something that does.

    For example, most people who start 'internet marketing' will never make a profit. Does that mean they should carry on chucking time, money and morale into something they can never hope to be sucessful at?
    No!
    They should look for something that is within their skillset and fits with their core purpose and walk away from 'internet marketing' without a backward glance.

    Look at your core purpose that you defined, look at what you are doing and move ahead.

    What you must never give up on is your core purpose! To give up on that is to fail.

    The purpose I defined many years ago was to have a life where I had both TIME and MONEY to be able to spend the time with my loved ones that I wanted and the money to support us in a comfortable manner and enable us able to do the things we wanted to do.

    I went through several small business ideas before settling on what I now do.
    I have a good home in a place I love, I travel, I am surrounded by people who I love and who love me and when called upon I can do extraordinary things because of my clear core purpose.

    So ladies and gentlemen. Define your core purpose, define how you might achieve your core purpose and LEARN WHEN TO GIVE UP on any activity that is not supporting your core purpose.

    If you have defined your core purpose well and you never give up on it then you will, eventually end up in a place that makes you happy.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Long
      Originally Posted by Andrew Wilson View Post

      I see many people here and in other threads and forums about 'internet marketing' or making money writing words to the effect of 'never give up' 'don't stop' etc etc.

      This, believe it or not is not good advice!

      The trick as some, more honest, entrepreneurs will tell is not to never give up but to learn WHEN to GIVE UP!
      Learn when to cut your losses, learn when to look at something new (or relook at something old)
      Andrew makes an excellent point that I want to expand on a bit...

      We all have strengths and weaknesses, and we all have things we enjoy and things we can't stand to do.

      As you progress on your path, learn your lessons, and make your mistakes, it's vital to continually take stock of where you are on the path.

      Are you spending months, years even, trying to succeed at something that you...

      1. Aren't very good at naturally?
      2. Don't enjoy doing?

      If you answer "yes" to one of those two questions, you want to pause and really consider your future options. Often one of these two can be overcome with time (particularly the first one).

      But if you are answering "yes" to both questions, that is a solid signal that you simply aren't on the right path for you, and maybe you need to consider a new and/or different approach.

      We tend to ultimately succeed at things that we enjoy doing or have some smidgen of natural ability at. They are the keys that makes us willing to continue to try and succeed again even in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

      Edison succeeded because his natural talents combined with his enjoyment of the process created a doggedly determined attitude that he would not...no....could not, fail.

      He succeeded because he had the talent and desire to find success no matter how many failures and embarrassments he had to endure to get there.

      I don't necessarily believe that talent and desire trumps all. Calvin Coolidge uttered one of my all time favorite quotes toward that end. But the complete absence of BOTH talent and desire is a big red warning flag that the path you are on isn't necessarily the right one for you, and that it may be time to consider a new path.

      ~Mike
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    • Profile picture of the author purplecone
      Originally Posted by Andrew Wilson View Post

      I see many people here and in other threads and forums about 'internet marketing' or making money writing words to the effect of 'never give up' 'don't stop' etc etc.

      This, believe it or not is not good advice!

      I have been supporting myself in various forms of business for almost 30 years. Sometimes I, a long time ago have been dirt poor sometimes pretty well off. A few years ago I was well enough off to be able to sell my business and go to university for five years. Not rich but did not do so badly.

      The thing is that over the years I did many things, some things did well but some things did not. If I had carried on doing what I was doing in some of my business activities I'd probably not be alive today.

      The trick as some, more honest, entrepreneurs will tell is not to never give up but to learn WHEN to GIVE UP!
      Learn when to cut your losses, learn when to look at something new (or relook at something old)

      To be sucessful at anything one needs to identify a core purpose to one's life and then to set everything one does against that purpose. Then, when whatever we are doing does not serve that purpose we should seek something that does.

      For example, most people who start 'internet marketing' will never make a profit. Does that mean they should carry on chucking time, money and morale into something they can never hope to be sucessful at?
      No!
      They should look for something that is within their skillset and fits with their core purpose and walk away from 'internet marketing' without a backward glance.

      Look at your core purpose that you defined, look at what you are doing and move ahead.

      What you must never give up on is your core purpose! To give up on that is to fail.

      The purpose I defined many years ago was to have a life where I had both TIME and MONEY to be able to spend the time with my loved ones that I wanted and the money to support us in a comfortable manner and enable us able to do the things we wanted to do.

      I went through several small business ideas before settling on what I now do.
      I have a good home in a place I love, I travel, I am surrounded by people who I love and who love me and when called upon I can do extraordinary things because of my clear core purpose.

      So ladies and gentlemen. Define your core purpose, define how you might achieve your core purpose and LEARN WHEN TO GIVE UP on any activity that is not supporting your core purpose.

      If you have defined your core purpose well and you never give up on it then you will, eventually end up in a place that makes you happy.
      You are so right, Andrew. My core purpose is to provide for myself and my family, including parents who are not well. I had a job that gave me the ability to do that, but was causing me some serious health issues. Just not young enough to work back to back 16+ hours days, anymore.

      Anyway, when they wouldn't let me work part-time, I quit. Wednesday will be my last day. I was surprised at the relief I felt once I told the boss of my decision. I can breathe again, and have the time and resolve and sheer relaxation to jump back into my marketing efforts full-time. Yes, money is going to be tight for a while, but I've been there before. There is nothing so motivating as being 'in charge' of your life and not having someone making demands all the time. Makes it a bit easier to understand one of my uncles. His life's goal was to live in his pickup and never be expected to do anything he doesn't want to do. He accomplished it and was happy until the day he died. I have things and a house to live in, but I haven't been happy for a long while.

      Not until I quit my JOB and started working for myself, anyway. Life is too short to be miserable.

      Best wishes always,
      Linda
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    • Originally Posted by Andrew Wilson View Post

      The trick as some, more honest, entrepreneurs will tell is not to never give up but to learn WHEN to GIVE UP!

      Learn when to cut your losses, learn when to look at something new (or relook at something old)
      I totally agree in that we need to learn WHEN TO GIVE UP. Many times, we stubbornly throw ourselves at a wall refusing to even consider the possibility that we might be actually fighting the wrong battle.

      Few years ago, before I moved into IM, I tried for 2 years to get my former business running. I never quite managed to have it take off, no matter how hard and enthusiastically I worked. Eventually, due to sheer desperation I decided to let it go, and it proved to be the best decision I could take as that eventually led me into greener ventures such as IM.

      So yeah, it's important to learn when to realize that we might be fighting an already-lost battle so we can move on ASAP. Pretty much like in a bad marriage, and I also went through one of those :p
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  • Profile picture of the author ingomkt
    Great though! As far as I know all great successes are built on failures. And with each failure there is always learning and growing.

    My motto is: "There is no failure only feedback".
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
      Originally Posted by ingomkt View Post

      Great though! As far as I know all great successes are built on failures. And with each failure there is always learning and growing.

      My motto is: "There is no failure only feedback".
      Some stuff works, some stuff does not. Stuff that does not work is not failure per se, it is just stuff that failed to work.
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
      Originally Posted by ingomkt View Post

      Great though! As far as I know all great successes are built on failures. And with each failure there is always learning and growing.

      My motto is: "There is no failure only feedback".
      Some stuff works, some stuff does not. Stuff that does not work is not failure per se, it is just stuff that failed to work.

      In order to attain our goals though one needs to outweigh the stuff that does not work with stuff that does work. If one keeps learning from 'failure' without getting it right then one ends up being a failure, yes?
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  • Profile picture of the author gussyboy
    Great stuff Andrew. Everyone is different and some jobs are just not made for everyone. It is important to know yourself i guess and to move on to something else instead of just hitting your head against the wall day after day.
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  • Profile picture of the author Colton
    I know one of my problems is trying to a perfectionist at everything. I will start on something and realize that I can't perfect it the way I want and I end up not doing it. I now realize that I need to go ahead and do it and if it does fail then learn from the experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kate C
    With internet marketing, there are a lot of factors at play in order for you to be successful. Mindset is definitely the main one. You really have to be geared for anything that can come your way. It could be failure,success or both. The important thing though is to have focus and keep doing something for a while to see if it works.If it does not, you have to be able to let go and concetrate on what is working.

    IM is very dynamic. What might have worked last year may no longer work this year.When promoting your sites, choose a few methods that work and keep at it.Make sure you do this every single day for maximum results.
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  • Profile picture of the author marksinclair
    Well said Matt Maiden. Number 1 is especially true.
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    Most people forget we exist to serve our consumers. Ask them what changes they want made to the product and what products they would like to see. Simply creating an ebook and expecting orders is foolish to the max. Do your research before you spend money.
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  • Profile picture of the author anwar001
    Failing is part of the job. What should one do when they fail?
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  • Profile picture of the author TelegramSam
    Too many people seem to confuse the word "failure" for practical purposes.

    If something doesn't work, then that was simply unsuccessful. It wasn't a failure.

    You can try to figure out why something wasn't successful and alter it and eventually become successful.

    "Failure" is when you give up, introvert and no longer take action.

    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author Deepak Media
    Robert Kiyosaki says: On an average, 9 out of 10 businesses fail... but if you are ready to fail 9 times, you have already won!
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
      Originally Posted by Deepak Media View Post

      Robert Kiyosaki says: On an average, 9 out of 10 businesses fail... but if you are ready to fail 9 times, you have already won!
      No, if one starts 9 different business entities and they all fail then I'd suggest, as a bloke who has run several businesses, that one is probably not cut out to run a business.
      Just as most people are not capable of being neurosurgeons, or lawyers, rock mucisians or long distance truck drivers so the same is true of running a business.

      The biggest favour one can do to another person starting in business is to help them to understand when to quit!
      The second biggest favour is to encourage them to not quit!

      That said the biggest reason why businesses fail is because the owners lack the knowledge to run a business and that can be taught and can make a huge difference to the success rate.
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      • Profile picture of the author purplecone
        Hi, Andrew,
        I have always been told that if someone can talk you out of something you really want to do, you would not have succeeded in it, anyway. Those who succeed only do so because they cannot be convinced that they will not be successful.
        Linda
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        • Profile picture of the author kerriet11


          Excellent discussion
          Mindset started it all and is where it all starts too I believe

          then honest people communicating their views - I find this motivating!
          It is a honour to belong to this forum

          Kerrie
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  • Profile picture of the author JayYamada
    Originally Posted by P.Sharma View Post

    As Matt effectively explained above... Most ventures are simply castles in the air... If an IMer expects free lunch, he's bound to starve... Failures are part and parcel to our field! I have had to face many before... But why lose hope? Failure is a stepping-stone to success!
    Nicely said, I came acrossed this quote before

    "If Failure can lead to success, I want to fail as fast as possible"
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  • Profile picture of the author ILUVCA$H
    Well I want to throw something else out there that has not been said - Some people just don't know how to manage cash flow correctly to make their operations smooth. Between maxing out credit cards to waiting for Affiliate network payments their campaigns often go down and they miss out on conversions - do this enough and they will fail. Thats is of course assuming they actually were able to be successful in Affiliate Marketing to begin with which as most have pointed out here very difficult.
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  • Profile picture of the author rickjh
    The "multiple sources of income" thing can be misleading. If none of them are productive, or if each bring in a trickle of cash, all they are doing is diverting your focus.

    In my own experience, focusing on one task or plan or project at a time is more productive and more profitable than developing "multiple sources" of nothing.

    But this is where the major problem is: finding an idea or product that works and that complements your own skills and interests. This is also where it is important not to be afraid of failure. Many successful entrepreneurs have failed at many projects before they have seen any real success. Why should it be any different for marketers?

    But we can't oversimplify this either. You have to be prepared to focus on something that you have good reason to believe might work. But if it doesn't, you have to be prepared to shut it down and move on.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sylviane
    For example, if I have 15 campaigns or niches out there, I would expect half of them to fail.
    As a self-improvement coach, I would have to disagree with this statement, though. The Law of Attraction says... you get what you expect. If you expect HALF your campaigns to fail....guess what? Yep, you won't be disappointed; half of your campaign WILL fail.

    What's wrong with expecting all of them to success? You'll be surprised; more than half will then success. You will decrease your chances of failures tremendously.
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    • Originally Posted by Sylviane View Post

      The Law of Attraction says... you get what you expect. If you expect HALF your campaigns to fail....guess what? Yep, you won't be disappointed; half of your campaign WILL fail.

      What's wrong with expecting all of them to success? You'll be surprised; more than half will then success. You will decrease your chances of failures tremendously.
      The Law of Attraction is pure B.S. and bears no relevance with real world situations whatsoever. As a PPC marketing, I DO know from experience that over half of my campaigns WILL fail. It has nothing to do with the lack of confidence or flower-power thinking but with proven statistics, market dynamics and the nature of the business.

      Law of Attraction... ppfffftttt !
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    I think most people fail because they have UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

    Aka..."i simply need a computer and 'somehow' can make a lot of money from home".

    It needs dedication (passion even), motivation, work, skills and knowledge you have to learn like in many other jobs.
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    • Profile picture of the author Andrew Wilson
      Originally Posted by GeorgR. View Post

      I think most people fail because they have UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

      Aka..."i simply need a computer and 'somehow' can make a lot of money from home".

      It needs dedication (passion even), motivation, work, skills and knowledge you have to learn like in many other jobs.
      The barriers to entry to our business are very low (but rising) and so we get scads of people who are unsuited to and unable to run a business. Frankly, if the barriers to entry were higher then the failure rate would almost certainly fall. A few years ago I was involved in franchising, a great experience whch prepared me well for IM and related fields. In my business, over a ten year period the failure rate for franchises was probably around 10% over the whole decade and in most cases the 'failure' meant that a business changed hands, I do not recall one that closed and ceased trading. I can tell you that the people were not much different to those I see around me alll the time now but we had to pass muster with the franchisor, we had to stump up substantial amounts of cash money, finance our cash flow AND pass training qualifications.

      The people were motivated, trained and liquid.
      In IM, the opposite is the case for the vast majority of entrants.

      How many 'Warriors' would there be if we had to pay a $50K startup fee, 10% of revenues in affiliate fees, finance cash flow for 6-9 months AND write a full business plan, pass a stiff proficiency test covering both technical and business issues before we uploaded our first web page?
      How many of us would be running proper, secure and viable businesses if the above were the case?
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      • Originally Posted by Andrew Wilson View Post

        The barriers to entry to our business are very low (but rising) and so we get scads of people who are unsuited to and unable to run a business.
        BINGO!

        The truth is that most people are unable to run a business for the life of them, regardless of factors like mindset, work ethics, etc. They just dont have the mental skills.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hanz
      Originally Posted by GeorgR. View Post

      I think most people fail because they have UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

      Aka..."i simply need a computer and 'somehow' can make a lot of money from home".

      It needs dedication (passion even), motivation, work, skills and knowledge you have to learn like in many other jobs.
      True but most marketers don't usually list these things in the sales letter.
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  • Profile picture of the author macchiavelli
    Methods dont fail, people fail.

    I lost so much money online, but I made even more back and learned what works and what does not work.
    The internet is my life at this point...I know so much about it.

    I know what makes money, but if I had quitted when I initially failed....I would be another whiner.
    Ambition is a must in the internet game.
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  • Profile picture of the author Edk
    Wisely spoken. So many top guys have just been plain honest about their previous failures. The point is insufficiently well grasped. Thanks for emphasising it
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  • Profile picture of the author enwereuzo
    Okay,enough of how to fail in IM and here is how to succeed http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ed-online.html
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  • Profile picture of the author Ricci Cox
    I think everyone had the tools to succeed and make good money in Internet Marketing. But 99% fail to take action.

    And most just want an easy route to success and don't want to put in any hard work.

    I also think self confidence and self belief that you will succeed is hugely important...
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  • Profile picture of the author Pauline60
    One of my favourite possessions is a small card with a picture of Thomas Edison holding an electric light bulb. I keep that near me when I work.

    Edison simply refused to fail - he just kept on and on until he suceeded. He said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

    I have been slogging away at IM for almost a year, starting from a position of complete and utter ignorance. For most of that time I have been doing completely the wrong things. Was that a waste of time? No, because I learned. Now I know what are the right things to do I just have to get good at them.
    I am starting to see a trickle of money coming in and I will keep on slogging until it is a river.
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  • Profile picture of the author robvegas626
    The IM "gurus," who have the success that everyone on this forum is trying to emulate, created their own innovative products. 99% of the whining newbies on this forum have never actually CREATED something good. They are setting up lame websites and hoping to somehow direct traffic and make money.

    I'm a creator. I've written movies for Hollywood (that actually got made into movies), and I've written best-selling books (not e-books. I'm talking about books you can buy at Barnes & Nobles).

    So if I'm this big hotshot, why did I turn to IM? Because this is the future. My e-books earn me 100 times the profits that my "hard copy" books ever did.

    There is an unlimited amount of money to be made in this business....and it's going to happen a lot faster if you CREATE something.
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  • Profile picture of the author MaverickWil
    I forgot which video it was that I was watching just last week that mentioned about the Internet being such a great medium because it allows us to fail so much quicker which in turn allows for success at a much quicker rate as well.

    I lost count on how many endeavors I've launched online that have failed miserably but ultimately each failure has brought me the few (but significant) successes which is what really counts and makes it worthwhile at the end of the day.
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  • Profile picture of the author jmarketing
    Great topic
    I wrote something great about it unfortunately it did not post and my comment has not vanished.
    maybe next time
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  • Profile picture of the author tommygadget
    Main reasons:

    1) They're lazy.
    2) They're lazy.
    3) Wait, you mean there's work involved?
    4) I put the site up and wrote an article, why isn't it working?
    5) It's been a month, I'm quitting.
    6) They're lazy.
    7) OOHHH, I have to buy that new shiny thing.... even though I have 1,000 of them in my closet.

    TomG.
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    • Profile picture of the author wehateporn
      tommygadget,

      I agree with you that a lot of people are Lazy and that's why they fail. I've set a lot of friends up with websites that they have requested and they haven't bothered updating, they seemed to expect money to appear out of thin air.

      Personally I've got an affiliate site that makes a useful amount of money, however the only reason I ever got it started is through believing that it would be huge, far bigger that it could ever be. I aimed for the stars and I ended up getting somewhere half decent. Still need the day job though
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      • Profile picture of the author tommygadget
        That post was tongue in cheek, part truth, part comedy.

        TomG.

        Originally Posted by wehateporn View Post

        tommygadget,

        I agree with you that a lot of people are Lazy and that's why they fail. I've set a lot of friends up with websites that they have requested and they haven't bothered updating, they seemed to expect money to appear out of thin air.

        Personally I've got an affiliate site that makes a useful amount of money, however the only reason I ever got it started is through believing that it would be huge, far bigger that it could ever be. I aimed for the stars and I ended up getting somewhere half decent. Still need the day job though
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  • Profile picture of the author numba8
    The keys to a successful IM campaign: Perseverance, Optimizing, keep swinging, and cut your losses.

    The one and only way to fail: giving up
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  • Profile picture of the author peteJ
    good point, ii believe this along with procrastination is the main factors behind most failures.
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  • Profile picture of the author snowprincess
    Hi

    I have to agree with constantine here, I believe with internet marketing, just as you said, there are always going to be certain aspects of your work that, not necessarily fail, but maybe just don't take off as well as you'd originally hoped. But, just like most things, if you are not prepared for a fair few obstacles and obstructions along the way, you are in the wrong business. I'm all for being optimistic, but you still have to be realistic :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author studio52
    I have had several emotional moments here...I have been ashamed,delighted,sad, and I also have been given some encouragement.

    I have been trying my hand at IM for a bit over a year now. I have spent thousands and earned a few hundred.

    The one crucial ingredient missing in my efforts has been FOCUS. I have flitted from one program to another, yes I joined Streamline Funnel System looking for the magic machine that makes money with little effort.

    I now know that as with any business, a strong foundation is necessary. So I am back at the drawing board, trying to focus on one thing at a time. My website, my blog, my product, and my traffic. Each of these things requires a certain skill set that I did not have, and am now learning. With each new lesson my skill set increases and my focus is more lasered in.

    Everyone that enters this business has an opportunity to earn a substantial income. But without drive, mind set, skill sets and FOCUS it aint gonna happen.

    Thanks for all the interesting views and comments, anyone got a kleenex?..LOL
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    • Profile picture of the author wordwizard
      Wow! What a cool thread!

      Originally Posted by Matt M View Post

      What I have seen here over the years is a pattern of the following reasons for failure.

      1. Compulsive hobbyist. These are people that take day dreaming one step further and purchase plans, courses, WSOs...that promise to fulfill their dreams but when they reach a step that involves doing something that they don't want to do they drop it and move on to another dream.

      2. True Sloths. Not just lazy like you or me when it comes to our natural tendencies to seek the path of least resistance. No, these people truly do not want to do anything that involves work in order to achieve. They really do want to find that mythical "Free Lunch"

      3. People who suffer from a lack of self confidence, self worth, acceptance...they will continue to obey others for their check.

      4. The hopelessly misinformed. People who are so naive that they believe that somehow the Internet is "different" from the real world in that one can just work for an hour on the weekend and become rich. After all, there is so much money on the web.

      5. Those that confuse activity for accomplishment. They will multitask till the cows come home but never actually get anything done.

      6. The misled. They sincerely want to succeed and they buy that course and put it into action with bad results but when told it is their fault they believe it. They put too much faith in gurus and experts and don't do their due diligence in research and as a result become victims of their own blinders.

      7. Some people are just not qualified to be entrepreneurs. They don't have the personality to persist and keep trudging along until they get it right. They didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.

      Matt
      I, along with lots of others here, really appreciated your list. Too true.

      One thing that I'd like to add is that many areas of IM require the ability to spend long hours working by oneself, much like in academia or other professions that require lots of writing, which is why I like it.

      But this is also why quite a few people run into trouble with it. Spending lots of time working by oneself is not something everyone enjoys and/or even can handle.

      Originally Posted by moonfish View Post

      I think most people fail at IM because they are not organized and focused and willing to stick to one plan. I used to waste my time looking for the next IM secret, browsing forums and the web looking for the Holy Grail of IM ebooks. I learned some good things on the way, but I wasted a hell of a lot of money and "earning" time.

      The secret of success in IM as far as I'm concerned is "Multiple sources of income", I've learned a lot from the writings of Steve Pavlina, Dennis Becker, Jon Leger, Steve Wagenheim and many more and from these great teachers have created a system which continually makes me a good living online.

      Find a system that works, stick with it, Rinse and repeat and I don't think that you can fail.

      Well, the key is finding the system that WORKS, and that can take quite a bit of trial and error of course. So the challenge lies in balancing a) doing enough of one strategy to give something the chance to work while b) not putting all those eggs into one basket...

      One other comment... it also depends on how deep one's pockets are. Making PPC work takes a whole lot of upfront moolah and most people in IM don't exactly have that, so they have to work with other approaches, at least until they too have the $ to try the more pricey strategies.
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  • Profile picture of the author xohaibx
    That's spot on! If you want to be successful, then you need to learn to adapt failure and embrace it with open arms. The faster you fail, the more successful you'll be.

    I believe the best way to achieve this is to forget your goal for a while and just take the action needed to be taken. This way you won't really feel bad when you fail. Also, it always helps keep your expectations low, so that when you fail you can still keep moving ahead.
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