No one seems to understand IMers

I feel your pain here...I have gone through the same thing several times. People still think money can't be made on the internet and it's all a big scam.

this use to happen to me, so now I just flaunt my cash all over town, this year I bought everyone in my family a $300 dollar present.

Now they all just say their proud of me.

And why is this a problem?

If you success in life is going to depend on what other people think of you you're going to be a very unhappy man.

It's good that the average employee doesn't think there's money to be made online...it means less competition for us.

If you talk to enough people you'll find a small core who know there's a TON of money to be made on the internet and they'll be very interested in any help you can give them to make it.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

Why would I care if they believe this is a good way to earn money?
They aren't paying my bills... <shrugs>

Tsnyder

But that's what is so amazing about us...
no one is suppose to understand us.

The best way to lead is to lead by example. When I first started in network/internet marketing, no one I told believed it. It was almost like it was too complex for their minds. But once I really started generating income and people started seeing the difference, they were all over me.

It's better when people don't understand us, especially the ones closest to us because once they do see the difference and what we do, it will shock and amaze them.

Focus on what you want to achieve! If you focus on what others think, say etc. you'll just get more of the same. Stay focused, they will be begging you to tell them what you have been doing...in the meantime, just don't tell them.

once you hit a 10k month you'll have more believers who all of a sudden have more "questions"

All the time, BJ. And you explained the reason for it right there in your post -- "it's not part of their reality." To most people, the internet is an intangible and unstable thing. Not only can people not physically touch or see the internet itself (it is pretty much an imaginary concept for most), people also perceive it as risky, that it's something you can't count on. (Maybe this comes from when the dot-com bubble burst a few years back.)

At any rate, I've pretty much stopped talking about it with 3D people, unless they need help marketing online of course then all of a sudden it is sooooo fascinating ........ LOL! Otherwise I only discuss it with online friends & acquaintances who understand what I'm talking about.

Bailey

Explaining affiliate marketing is difficult. People rarely know what an "ebook" is, so I tell them I sell software for others, and making commissions on each sale I send them.

But telling people I can help them get more exposure on the internet works better. That's a really simple way of explaining SEO.
However, people think everyone is paying to get to the top of google for some reason. Haven't they figured out that adwords is ADVERTISING yet?

I tell them it's impossible to pay google to rank higher, and a bit about how it works, and why. And guess what? Now I'm starting an offline internet marketing counceling service. Where I optimize their websites, implement opt-in's for them, make small, optimized business websites and much more.

It's just about telling people "What's in it for me?". Tell them they will get seen by more potential customers, tell them they will get more money per visitor, tell them you can track everything they are doing online, and how much each advertising campain will bring.

And by all means MAKE IT SIMPLE. Many people barely knows how to check their email, but everyone knows how to search google.

Keywords to explain: More EXPOSURE, more SALES, building their brand, look more professional, make other people make YOU money and send you traffic, defeat their competitors in google for chosen search terms. These, and many more will catch their interest, and make them listen to you.

Explain to them that with the internet, they are able to hit interested people only, not just window shoppers.

That's how I feel about it =) K.I.S.S - Or they won't understand a tad.

- Preben

I like Preben's reply. If you want people to understand, yes, you have to tell them in terms they understand, and think about what is in it for them.

Good that we have this forum, because yes, it can get lonely and frustrating!

Thanks for sharing, everyone.

Thanks for all your replies...sometimes yes on IM, you can feel that you are doing this alone but it's good to hear people who feel the same way or have been through the same situation...

...it's really about BELIEVING IN YOURSELF when other's don't...

Most people in my circle don't believe in me but that doesn't mean that's everyone...i have to say that my dad (who doesn't know a thing about internet or computers) has been supportive from the beginning to now...

...he seemed like he believed in it the whole time...but funny thing is when i asked him later...he told me he wasn't sure about the whole internet thing but he did believe in me...and was supportive...

so it's always good to have that ONE person stay supportive...because having an online business is kind of like going to watch a great movie...

you go to a movie...it is great and exciting...and u come out of the movie and want to talk about it! but then you realize no one is there to talk to u about it...

it's always cool to share the experience/success stories with someone...kind of feel i'm babbling here...but anyways, thanks for your replies...it really made me feel that i am not alone on this case...

my wife gave up on understanding me long before I got involved with IM.

Talltom

I agree with those who say it doesn't matter.

When I was in college, I walked by the polymers and coatings lab and wondered what the heck they did in there.

My roomie was an accounting major -- I wondered who would want to make a living crunching numbers.

I knew a biology major who was trying to track down a cure for cancer... but when he got into the details and started showing me these gene charts, I had no idea what the flip he was talking about.

Heck, I have a friend who's a farmer who talks about things that make absolutely no sense to me at all (something about freshening cows, which I'm pretty sure doesn't mean spraying them with Frebreze).

Point is, it doesn't matter if I don't understand what they do.

They can say, "I'm a farmer" and I understand.
They can say, "I'm an accountant" and I understand.
They can say, "I'm a biologist" and I understand.

But they lose me when they go into details.

Probably the same for the people you talk to. When people ask me what I do, I just tell them something very simple, like "I sell books online." They understand that.

No need to go intro crazy details that non-IM people don't know about (which can make it look like we're purposefully being difficult, just like if you asked a doctor what she does, and she started explaining her practice in technical terms).

cheers,
Becky

Kind of funny because I even proved that I could make a living online and they still ask me when I'm going to go get a job lol, they just don't get it!

I have actually stoped telling people i started IM as all I get is ridiculed, well Ill start again when I have a fat paycheck to show them

I totally agree with Hagel.

For a guy like me, who's so passionate about IM, it's hard to keep it simple and understandable, since when people actually ask, or seem a bit interested, I get all fired up. I can speak for hours without a single reply about IM. I could speak for a week straight, without sleeping, drinking, eating or going to the toilet.
- That's how passionate I am, and what you say really makes sense, as it can be hard to understand that people don't understand, even if it's simple.

Different people have different interests and passions. It's as simple as that when you think about it.

You may 'convert' a few people, but it's a tough job. Don't waste time Look for people who are already interested.

Fabian

I really haven't encountered this problem. I've been a computer programmer and business systems analyst for over 20 years so most people who know me know that I'm "into computers" already and just see this as another facet of my career. If someone asks for details I'll say something like "I develop and manage marketing and sales websites on a contract basis".

LOL, yea I know. It pisses me off when this happens. People say stuff like "so your one of those online scammers" or "pyramid schemes dont work dude" or "you got lucky, how long will it last?"

I really hate it when people say why don't you get a job! I tell them "why so I can be a little mindless ant worker that makes the guys above me rich!" I just feel like telling them theres no future in working at a place like Home Depot or anything like that. Some people are clueless though, either that or they are happy working at dead end jobs (which is fine.) But yea it is frustrating.

Perhaps the worst thing though is when your getting started and only making say $200 a month and have friends or family telling you something like "Paul works at Walmart and makes $1000 a month, you should try to get on." Yea he/she may make that much but they do mindless work that never leads to anything better to make that and will be stuck at that level for years or even the rest of their lives! LOL, the people who have this mindset drive me crazy. I mean its cool if people are happy making this amount and having the security, but it irritates me to see people not seeing the big picture of building up to something thats way better than making $1000 a month,lol.

But its fine though when you start making those amounts that are on auto pilot! Then its worth the wait

Although I am just getting into it right now so not fully disclosed my plans to family and friends those I have spoken to found it easier if I simply said I was starting a freelance marketing company that specialised in online media

Whilst maybe missing the point slightly it does describe what we do and it gives people something substantial they understand that they can grab onto

other information like continual growth during a recession period may also help

Of course you would be just better off focussing your energies into the business. I got mocked when I started up a recruitment company so ignored them and focussed on the business - that is doing well now

Whenever I respond to this question, it is typically met with a nodding of the head and eyes glazed over look.

Even my wife doesn't quite get it (in the event of a fight, I almost always get that I don't know WHAT you do online. It doesn't seem to bother her when she spends the money I make though.

I have learned that the easy out is just to say I do computers...

Just say you're a Drug Dealer.
This will explain alot to them, plus, they'll quit bugging you with comments
like "why won't you go work at a real j.o.b?" -- If they'll do, you can
always respond by saying that drug dealing pays better xD