Do you REALLY want to know the secret to online success? You may not like it.

51 replies
This one is for all the newbies from a battle hardened old timer.

OK - you want to know the REAL secret to online success.

What if I said it is none of the following?
  • Technical knowledge of computers
  • Secret marketing techniques
  • Knowing the best business people in a niche
  • Having an MBA
  • Having rich parents who can invest in your business

These can all help. But they are not the secret.

So what is the secret?
It is a personal quality.

A story...

I have been teaching and training people in "digital marketing" (the polite name for the chaotic world of IM) for well over 10 years and I am always impressed that this personal quality makes the difference between success and failure.

Take two students I had on one course:

Student A - bright, young, good-looking. Great with computers, rich parents who would help out any new business venture.
Student B - old, ugly. A nice person but when it came to computers, as thick as a stump.

Student A had NOT got this secret personal quality. Student B had it in spades.

Who was successful? Student B.
  • Student B was old, ugly and not great with computers. But Student B never, ever, ever gave up.
  • Student A passed all exams easily. Student B failed miserably and had to resit them, as many times as it took to pass.
  • Student A handed up great projects in no time. Student B sweated and fretted to get a pretty poor project in late.

Student B failed at tasks again and again. Student B ALWAYS went back and tried again.
Each failure just became a step on the way to success.

When I met them again some years socially Student A had given up digital marketing and was working for a relative, an easier (and possibly lazy) choice. That's OK but it's not a successful business.
But Student B was running their own marketing business.

So what is this personal quality?

An almost pathological level of persistence.

Some definitions:
  • pathological means "being such to a degree that is extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal"
  • persistence means "continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition"

Note I said almost. You need to persist but not at the expense of your own health or that of your family. Your goals must be achievable by a mortal human being. But that still leaves quite a lot of room

So now you know. The secret is out.
There is no system (MAKE $XX,XXXX IN Y HOURS DOING Z) or silver bullet to ensure success.
(I warned that you might not like it.)
Just you and how much you can pick yourself up after a failure.
And you will fail. Lots.
But that's OK. Failure is a way of studying for success.

Just persist.
#online #secret #success
  • Profile picture of the author marchenzo
    Distilled wisdom on a rainy Wednesday afternoon here in Dublin

    Never a truer word though, white hot persistence is the only key in this or any other endeavour. Nicely put.
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    • Profile picture of the author seamusb
      Originally Posted by marchenzo View Post

      Distilled wisdom on a rainy Wednesday afternoon here in Dublin
      Ah, the Irish "Summer".
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      • Profile picture of the author marchenzo
        Might pick up in August........... Yeah, I know.

        Met a taxi driver this morning who told me without fear of contradiction that we would not have a summer again till 2016. Not sure where he was getting that meteorological nugget from but watch this space.

        Sorry, digressing bigtime, won't sidetrack yout thread moaning about the weather.

        Take it easy
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    • Profile picture of the author magnates
      Originally Posted by marchenzo View Post

      Distilled wisdom on a rainy Wednesday afternoon here in Dublin

      Never a truer word though, white hot persistence is the only key in this or any other endeavour. Nicely put.
      Lol . that is what i call a excellent sense of humor

      These warrior post are getting funnier and funnier by the day

      thanks for well thought out helpful post

      I lacked persistence and i had a good friend that had it in abundance

      Learnt so much from watching his response

      There is no alternative to persistence

      Persistence does not understand what failure means
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  • Profile picture of the author WhosChrisHughes
    I love this. I have a poster above my desk that says "Precision: Knowing what you want is the first step towards achievement." What I want is success, I want to create tools and courses that I can leverage my time with so that I can experience more success,quicker.

    I tend to be persistent as hell with a lot of things and hope that it pans out for my IM business. I've been working hard and failing a lot over the past 3 years, but I've also started to see more and more success come from lessons I've learned from these failures.

    Great advice!
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  • Profile picture of the author David McKee
    Yep, cannot really be said better.

    And actually it is a "SUPER EASY SYSTEM THAT ANYONE CAN DO" ...

    Just get up one more time than you get knocked down.

    Now send me $99.97 for yours today!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mr Steve
      Originally Posted by David McKee View Post

      Yep, cannot really be said better.

      And actually it is a "SUPER EASY SYSTEM THAT ANYONE CAN DO" ...

      Just get up one more time than you get knocked down.

      Now send me $99.97 for yours today!
      Yeah, send me the same amount as well!
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  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    I like the word: Pathological Level of Persistence, it is dead on.

    The people who succeed in anything grandiose, all seem to have that quality. Though, I notice many of them attribute their success to things that are less important, (which is odd to me, but, whatever gets them up in the morning).
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    • Profile picture of the author seamusb
      Originally Posted by Team X View Post

      I like the word: Pathological Level of Persistence, it is dead on.
      Well this is something I came up with myself - Just remember you heard it here first
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  • Profile picture of the author Wilding
    Yes! Persistence. This is the one and only key really. Everything else is just complicating things. It's also the one thing almost nobody has. So the people that do make all the money and have all the success. Great post!
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  • Profile picture of the author WebPen
    My Dad has built 2 successful brick and mortar businesses from the ground up.

    My bro and I asked him before how he did it, considering 2/3 of his businesses were successful (where the failing rate of startups is about 99% I think)

    He said "I was too dumb to think I could fail."

    I like to think I take after him :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
    You're telling a good story in this post but that's not the real secret to online success. The real secret to online success is the same as offline success. Success is about the dream. About your big vision. All successful people have a dream and do what ever it takes to fulfill that dream. Once they fulfill their first dream, they dream bigger. That's how it works.

    Stories, hard work, persistence. Those are all steps that people take to fulfill their dreams. If success is what you're after, dream BIG.
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy Broussard
    Originally Posted by seamusb View Post

    So what is this personal quality?

    An almost pathological level of persistence.
    This single statement really says it all...

    Thanks for the post - it should be required reading for those getting started. I have noticed the exact same thing with those that I coach as well. There are those looking for excuses and those looking for solutions that refuse to admit defeat...
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Post of the week for me.

    Sums up my personal journey almost perfectly.

    Some very valid points here.
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    BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

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    • Profile picture of the author Gary J Martin
      Actually that's the secret to ANY kind of success in anything, not just online success.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bill Lassiter
        Originally Posted by Gary J Martin View Post

        Actually that's the secret to ANY kind of success in anything, not just online success.
        Excellent post! I agree with Gary's statement above. With all we go through in life, persistence is THE crucial life-skill that propels us to success. I think it's also important to know your why...why we do what we do. This is especially important when we struggle and go through trials and tribulations.
        Signature
        Bill Lassiter
        Lassiter Web Consulting
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        • Profile picture of the author Why9999
          You know I can't thank you enough for this post. I firmly believe that my family thinks I am more than a little "pathological" when it comes to this stuff. In fact, I hate to admit this, but I worked for years for probably less than a dollar an hour when you add it all up. I think they were all genuinely shocked when the traffic kept going up and up, etc. Anyway, I never gave up and never will. I don't think I can help myself...

          I guess I just take comfort in the fact that there are others out there like me. The only thing that I find disturbing is that I'm a little old and more than a little balding...
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  • Profile picture of the author Sapan Verma
    That's a great post and something all newbies will resonate with.

    IM is like any other business, if you treat it like one, that is. You have to put in the hard yards to get somewhere, no matter all the push button solutions being promised and promoted.
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  • Profile picture of the author YasirYar
    Excellent post! So the gist of the post is.. work your ass off
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  • Profile picture of the author deehibbs
    Spoken like a true Irishman,I love the Irish my grandad came out to New Zealand from County Cork.By the way I totally agree.
    My favorite quote is very simple but one that I keep close to my heart
    "The only way to fail is to quit! So don't quit!"
    I'm also a fan of the hare and the tortoise story.The tortoise wins the race by slow and steady paces
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  • Profile picture of the author PromoDirect
    Some really good lessons to learn from this post. Thanks for sharing... I am into digital marketing and the most important element it requires, is to be 'Consistent' and 'Persistent'.
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  • Profile picture of the author islandbreezes
    that's a great story ...
    very motivating!

    reminds me of the quote I have by my computer:

    "overnight success takes 7-8 years."

    I hope it's not that long... but
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    • Profile picture of the author ExRat
      Hi seamusb,

      Great point that I happen to agree with.

      Surely a follow up commenter could widen this discussion?

      Let's say we agree that an 'almost pathological level of persistence' is the key.

      Why?

      How does it actually help? What are some of the obstacles that will come along that will require this pathological level of persistence to separate the 'men from the boys'?

      Here are some that I encounter continually -

      a) overload - we work in an information-laden medium with time-wasting distractions in plain view 24/7. Overload ties your brain in knots - it's a type of real, physical pain. My solution is to become absolutely brutal in cutting distractions, clutter, mind-clutter, PC-clutter and in developing focus - and I mean absolutely brutal.

      b) technofear - there are two main types I have encountered. One is just the sheer complexity of the tasks, especially if you are from a non-techy environment. Two is the propensity for things to break down and fail. Both are exacerbated by the issues encountered when working alone and trying to find solutions via the SERPs. All of these things can make a calm person swear like a trooper and cause heart palpitations, especially if a launch or a client's website is affected.

      c) constant change - the internet changes daily and when markets mature, the big boys close off avenues of revenue. Internet business for many of us requires one to accept that long-term security of income lasts no more than a few minutes. Hero to zero often occurs overnight. If you don't develop the persistence to keep going and view this as an exciting benefit of the work, it will send you crazy.

      d) fail/success ratio - yes it's relatively cheap and quick to launch test projects, but this doesn't change the emotional cost, which can take time to reduce/eliminate and get used to. It's not just persistence that's required to keep going after 100 attempts or years of failure, while the friends and family mock. It takes real strength of character and self-belief.

      I could sit here all day and expand this list. As you can see, I believe that implementing this persistence and developing your ability to 'blindly' persist has many knock-on benefits in terms of personal development.

      My point is that I believe that seamusb is spot on. But I think that there is also value in going deeper on this and understanding why persistence is so important. It's one thing to know that persistence is required, it's quite another to deal with it when it is required 20 times in one day from 20 different experiences, some technical or robotic, some from the human aspect.

      Persistence in this medium is not just overcoming one big challenge. In reality, it's more to do with overcoming twenty in a row in fast succession (per day), then closing the window and putting the PC down and not throwing it out of the window. The pressure to quit can be so intense that if you don't really get to know yourself from it, then you're not really experiencing it yet.

      If you develop this persistence on your IM journey (or any other type of business), you will no doubt agree with me that it can also be noticed working wonders in the other non-work related areas of your life, plus you will see most of the rest of the world in a different light - many of them simply won't have the same approach to life as you do, because true IMers/entrepreneurs will probably have to learn to stay positive while everything around them collapses and consequently others will flock to them in times of crisis for calm reassurance and sound advice.

      Like anything, there is no gain without pain. In my opinion, developing the type of persistence that seamusb refers to is one of the most widely beneficial challenges one can undertake.
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      Roger Davis

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      • Profile picture of the author David McKee
        Originally Posted by ExRat View Post


        ...other stuff...

        c) constant change - the internet changes daily and when markets mature, the big boys close off avenues of revenue. Internet business for many of us requires one to accept that long-term security of income lasts no more than a few minutes. Hero to zero often occurs overnight. If you don't develop the persistence to keep going and view this as an exciting benefit of the work, it will send you crazy.

        ...other stuff...
        ExRat, that was a really great post about the techniques that we must all use to incorporate our dogged persistence, however I do have a small disagreement with the single point I quoted above.

        I don;t happen to believe that there are any "Big Boys" big enough to close off my opportunities. They may make it difficult, they may make it "un-profitable" in various ways, but they do not control "opportunity" anymore than they control the stars.

        They are, after all, just more successful, hence why they are big. I am not accusing mind you, I know what you meant, however I meet too many people who use these kinds of "thought bombs" (if you will) to perform a self sabotage.

        "I just can't get a break because the "Big Boys" have taken them all!"

        Poppycock.

        Every problem is within itself the germ of an opportunity that can only be seen with new eyes.... and that white hot dogged persistence we have been talking about.

        -DTM
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      • Profile picture of the author sumith
        Originally Posted by ExRat View Post

        Hi seamusb,

        Great point that I happen to agree with.

        Surely a follow up commenter could widen this discussion?

        Let's say we agree that an 'almost pathological level of persistence' is the key.

        Why?

        How does it actually help? What are some of the obstacles that will come along that will require this pathological level of persistence to separate the 'men from the boys'?

        Here are some that I encounter continually -

        a) overload - we work in an information-laden medium with time-wasting distractions in plain view 24/7. Overload ties your brain in knots - it's a type of real, physical pain. My solution is to become absolutely brutal in cutting distractions, clutter, mind-clutter, PC-clutter and in developing focus - and I mean absolutely brutal.

        b) technofear - there are two main types I have encountered. One is just the sheer complexity of the tasks, especially if you are from a non-techy environment. Two is the propensity for things to break down and fail. Both are exacerbated by the issues encountered when working alone and trying to find solutions via the SERPs. All of these things can make a calm person swear like a trooper and cause heart palpitations, especially if a launch or a client's website is affected.

        c) constant change - the internet changes daily and when markets mature, the big boys close off avenues of revenue. Internet business for many of us requires one to accept that long-term security of income lasts no more than a few minutes. Hero to zero often occurs overnight. If you don't develop the persistence to keep going and view this as an exciting benefit of the work, it will send you crazy.

        d) fail/success ratio - yes it's relatively cheap and quick to launch test projects, but this doesn't change the emotional cost, which can take time to reduce/eliminate and get used to. It's not just persistence that's required to keep going after 100 attempts or years of failure, while the friends and family mock. It takes real strength of character and self-belief.

        I could sit here all day and expand this list. As you can see, I believe that implementing this persistence and developing your ability to 'blindly' persist has many knock-on benefits in terms of personal development.

        My point is that I believe that seamusb is spot on. But I think that there is also value in going deeper on this and understanding why persistence is so important. It's one thing to know that persistence is required, it's quite another to deal with it when it is required 20 times in one day from 20 different experiences, some technical or robotic, some from the human aspect.

        Persistence in this medium is not just overcoming one big challenge. In reality, it's more to do with overcoming twenty in a row in fast succession (per day), then closing the window and putting the PC down and not throwing it out of the window. The pressure to quit can be so intense that if you don't really get to know yourself from it, then you're not really experiencing it yet.

        If you develop this persistence on your IM journey (or any other type of business), you will no doubt agree with me that it can also be noticed working wonders in the other non-work related areas of your life, plus you will see most of the rest of the world in a different light - many of them simply won't have the same approach to life as you do, because true IMers/entrepreneurs will probably have to learn to stay positive while everything around them collapses and consequently others will flock to them in times of crisis for calm reassurance and sound advice.

        Like anything, there is no gain without pain. In my opinion, developing the type of persistence that seamusb refers to is one of the most widely beneficial challenges one can undertake.
        Truly awesome message! I just love the way this discussion and your comments are! Honestly am a much better person after venturing in IM! A+ To this post as it gives clear direction and problems which everyone face in IM. I am no exception and I know how it feels to be when things dont work as quickly as we want it to!
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  • Profile picture of the author xavierfok
    i wanted to post something like this. But i thought it would be faster to applaud you on the great summary!

    a few simple add-ons to your great advice

    If you tried hard and hasn't seen results after a few years, you are probably doing it wrong, don't be stubborn, learn from someone that is successful in your area.

    And here is a possible snapshot of what Student B has become - He may still look the same, but is achieving more success, and also has more knowledge in the area of IM. while Student A might still be smarter, Student B is wiser and has more bucks in his pocket.

    Student B doesn't have to work 10 hours a day. He could be a busy man with a full time job spending just 2 hours a day learning/doing IM, but he continues to do so(persistence) for the next 5 years.
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  • Profile picture of the author SimonJBell
    Success is also knowing when to quit the path you're currently perusing. You could continue along the current path for years and never actually get anywhere.

    Sometimes having the guts to say to yourself "ok, I need to change direction here" can make all the difference.

    By doing this; you're not giving up, you're trying all the paths until you find the right path.

    The other thing to add to this post: the path to success isn't always pretty or enjoyable. But it's what's waiting at the end for you that's the best bit...
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Ashwood
      I'm so grateful that you witheld my name, only referring to me as Student B.

      I'd be so embarassed if anybody recognised me as Old, Ugly and Thick as a Brick. My anonymity is still safe.

      Cheers
      Alan
      .
      .
      ... oh, bugger!!
      Signature
      Now where did I put that pencil?

      Time for a cuppa.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Ning Lo
    Very good read..

    A must for newbies starting out..

    Thanks for the share

    Cheers,

    ~Gary
    Signature
    -------------------------------------------------------------
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  • Profile picture of the author seamusb
    Originally Posted by Chris Kent View Post

    Wanna know what the real secret is? There is no secret.
    ...

    I've heard all the cliches. Cliches don't help anyone.
    Nice observation
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  • Profile picture of the author Eve Foss
    A friend of mine used to describe this persistence, or tenacity, as "stick-to-it-ivness". There are so many get rich quick schemes out there, but the real successes I have seen have invariably attributed their achievement to hard work over a course of time, whether their focus was IM, a music career, a medical career, or even something so lowly as teaching. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    no you just have to eventually find the one 5 click software with all the bugs worked out of it.

    here is the key to success

    find a really bad fake actor who creates software, buy it click it 5 times... at first it's not gonna work then yo u will get discouraged then after you forget about it for a while all of a sudden you'll be making 2 g's a day.

    If that one doesn't work just keep buying them cause eventually they will get it right.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobCopywriter
    I couldn't agree with you more my friend! I know a few newbs in IM and they'd be happy to read this over.
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    • Profile picture of the author Brian John
      Press on
      Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. - Calvin Coolidge
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  • Profile picture of the author PoignantPixels
    I think persistence and the desire to succeed in online marketing are 2 important keys to making money. If you are willing to learn and execute, within time you should reap the benefits.
    Taking action is the key!
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  • Profile picture of the author Christi
    Just to say: seamusb and ExRat - great, realistic, inspirational inputs!
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  • Profile picture of the author celente
    who was it thomas edison that said there was not one way to invent the light bulb.

    There was just 1000 ways to NOT invent it...and he found everyone of them. lol. But soon success came, through process of elimination.

    what great man! we can learn a lot from him hey!! :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author sscot
    With no any doubt, I'm student B.

    P.S, But young and cute.
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  • Profile picture of the author Troy_Phillips
    If practice makes perfect .. you better be sure of what you are practicing :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Brian John
    Perseverance - Abraham Lincoln
    He failed in business in '31. He was defeated for state legislator in '32. He tried another business in '33...it failed. His fiancée died in '35. He had a nervous breakdown in '36. In '43 he ran for congress and was defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the Senate in '55...he lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and lost. In '59 he ran for the Senate again and was defeated. In 1860, the man who signed his name A. Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States. The difference between history's boldest accomplishments and its most staggering failures is often, simply, the diligent will to persevere.
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  • Profile picture of the author avjoseph
    if this were facebook i would 'like' this
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  • Profile picture of the author Murlu
    The ability to get started and stick with it; it's what I try to teach every time I write a new post. I do my best creating tutorials but I always make a note that none of it matters unless people are willing to work toward it. A lot of people try to take the quick route and then get annoyed when it doesn't work the first time.

    In some ways, I'm glad a lot of people give up because I really don't want to work with these type of people. I like working with others that are go-getters; people that want to shake up the foundation. People that aren't going to give up because of one small set back.

    If you put in time to do the grind than you'll succeed at this.
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    I really and I mean REALLY enjoyed reading your successful mindset bro!!! :-)

    Thanks for posting and staying positive in life because what you focus on it expends.

    Thanks once again.

    Paul




    Originally Posted by seamusb View Post

    This one is for all the newbies from a battle hardened old timer.

    OK - you want to know the REAL secret to online success.

    What if I said it is none of the following?
    • Technical knowledge of computers
    • Secret marketing techniques
    • Knowing the best business people in a niche
    • Having an MBA
    • Having rich parents who can invest in your business

    These can all help. But they are not the secret.

    So what is the secret?
    It is a personal quality.

    A story...

    I have been teaching and training people in "digital marketing" (the polite name for the chaotic world of IM) for well over 10 years and I am always impressed that this personal quality makes the difference between success and failure.

    Take two students I had on one course:

    Student A - bright, young, good-looking. Great with computers, rich parents who would help out any new business venture.
    Student B - old, ugly. A nice person but when it came to computers, as thick as a stump.

    Student A had NOT got this secret personal quality. Student B had it in spades.

    Who was successful? Student B.
    • Student B was old, ugly and not great with computers. But Student B never, ever, ever gave up.
    • Student A passed all exams easily. Student B failed miserably and had to resit them, as many times as it took to pass.
    • Student A handed up great projects in no time. Student B sweated and fretted to get a pretty poor project in late.

    Student B failed at tasks again and again. Student B ALWAYS went back and tried again.
    Each failure just became a step on the way to success.

    When I met them again some years socially Student A had given up digital marketing and was working for a relative, an easier (and possibly lazy) choice. That's OK but it's not a successful business.
    But Student B was running their own marketing business.

    So what is this personal quality?

    An almost pathological level of persistence.

    Some definitions:
    • pathological means "being such to a degree that is extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal"
    • persistence means "continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition"

    Note I said almost. You need to persist but not at the expense of your own health or that of your family. Your goals must be achievable by a mortal human being. But that still leaves quite a lot of room

    So now you know. The secret is out.
    There is no system (MAKE ,XXXX IN Y HOURS DOING Z) or silver bullet to ensure success.
    (I warned that you might not like it.)
    Just you and how much you can pick yourself up after a failure.
    And you will fail. Lots.
    But that's OK. Failure is a way of studying for success.

    Just persist.
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  • Profile picture of the author nareshsaini
    You're telling a good story in this post but that's not the real secret to online success. The real secret to online success is the same as offline success. Success is about the dream. About your big vision. All successful people have a dream and do what ever it takes to fulfill that dream. Once they fulfill their first dream, they dream bigger. That's how it works. But thanks for sharing
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    • Profile picture of the author sscot
      Originally Posted by nareshsaini View Post

      You're telling a good story in this post but that's not the real secret to online success. The real secret to online success is the same as offline success. Success is about the dream. About your big vision. All successful people have a dream and do what ever it takes to fulfill that dream. Once they fulfill their first dream, they dream bigger. That's how it works. But thanks for sharing
      Seamusb, have you missed something?
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Excellent post, seamusb. While there could be and are many "secrets" to success, you can lack many of them and persistence will carry you through. However, if you lack persistence, your chances are slim, indeed.
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    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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    • Profile picture of the author rankexpert
      Banned
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  • Profile picture of the author nevrak
    Can't agree more....
    Persistence is the key!

    Originally Posted by seamusb View Post

    This one is for all the newbies from a battle hardened old timer.

    OK - you want to know the REAL secret to online success.

    What if I said it is none of the following?
    • Technical knowledge of computers
    • Secret marketing techniques
    • Knowing the best business people in a niche
    • Having an MBA
    • Having rich parents who can invest in your business

    These can all help. But they are not the secret.

    So what is the secret?
    It is a personal quality.

    A story...

    I have been teaching and training people in "digital marketing" (the polite name for the chaotic world of IM) for well over 10 years and I am always impressed that this personal quality makes the difference between success and failure.

    Take two students I had on one course:

    Student A - bright, young, good-looking. Great with computers, rich parents who would help out any new business venture.
    Student B - old, ugly. A nice person but when it came to computers, as thick as a stump.

    Student A had NOT got this secret personal quality. Student B had it in spades.

    Who was successful? Student B.
    • Student B was old, ugly and not great with computers. But Student B never, ever, ever gave up.
    • Student A passed all exams easily. Student B failed miserably and had to resit them, as many times as it took to pass.
    • Student A handed up great projects in no time. Student B sweated and fretted to get a pretty poor project in late.

    Student B failed at tasks again and again. Student B ALWAYS went back and tried again.
    Each failure just became a step on the way to success.

    When I met them again some years socially Student A had given up digital marketing and was working for a relative, an easier (and possibly lazy) choice. That's OK but it's not a successful business.
    But Student B was running their own marketing business.

    So what is this personal quality?

    An almost pathological level of persistence.

    Some definitions:
    • pathological means "being such to a degree that is extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal"
    • persistence means "continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition"

    Note I said almost. You need to persist but not at the expense of your own health or that of your family. Your goals must be achievable by a mortal human being. But that still leaves quite a lot of room

    So now you know. The secret is out.
    There is no system (MAKE ,XXXX IN Y HOURS DOING Z) or silver bullet to ensure success.
    (I warned that you might not like it.)
    Just you and how much you can pick yourself up after a failure.
    And you will fail. Lots.
    But that's OK. Failure is a way of studying for success.

    Just persist.
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  • Profile picture of the author JamieSEO
    Excellent advice, and very true.

    I usually refer to myself as "too damn stubborn", but "persistent" sounds nicer

    My belief is that most people only truly learn by making mistakes. That being the case, the more times you screw things up and madly work on finding a way to fix it, the more you learn.

    For internet marketing I believe this is essential. If you have never failed, then you are not taking enough risks and will never learn anything new.
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  • Profile picture of the author Annie Dennis
    Yep, persistence always wins, that's why knowing exactly the reason behind "WHY" your doing something, and having S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) help so much, they help fuel the passion to keep you persistently doing what you need to do to achieve that which you desire to achieve ;-)
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