FNC Lesson: The money is not in the list

I picked up a concept at George Sepich's Friday Night Chat that is very simple, but to me very clarifying.

We hear over and over the saying "The money is in the list". Whenever this saying is bought up, passionate debate always ensues.

Some people insist that every successful internet marketer must must must have a list, or many lists.

Other people, successful internet marketers themselves, say this is just not true and that they have no list and no need of one.

One such person was James Stein (TheRichJerks) who we all know as one of the most seasoned marketers on the forum. He stated his position that the absolute insistence on needing a list has no grounds.

It occurred to me to consider, what then is it that replaces a list in other successful business models?

I asked James how he maintains contact with his customers, and he said that for him it all happens via a membership site.

So then it became abundantly clear to me. This is something that experienced marketers will already be clear on, but others at a similar level to me might still be piecing things together.

It's NOT that the money is in the list at all.

The money is in the RELATIONSHIP

The list, or the membership site, or whatever else you use, is merely the tool you use to facilitate the relationship.

What really makes money is building a relationship with people who grow trust for you to the point that they will put faith in your advice on where to spend money.

This is why just starting list building like an automaton with the list itself as the focus will not work for you. If you focus on the list you will get a great stack of subscribers that will never buy a thing from you, because there is no relationship.

You have to start by planning how you will set a solid foundation for relationships, and how you will grow them from there.

Only then will you know whether you should use a list, or a membership site, or some other tool to facilitate those relationships.

Don't focus on the tool - different tools will alway suit different people so it doesn't matter which one you use.

Focus on the relationships, and then think about your own communication style and determine the best tool to build them afterwards.

I hope some other people find that as helpful as I did.

If you want to join in on the Friday Night Chats, which have been hugely productive for me so far, you can drop by this address each Friday Night: Welcome To George Sepich's Friday Night Chat